A new journey

[WillyG]

I seem to have joined this train at Platform 2. At the age of 70 I thought I was used to the surprises my body has thrown at me in the past couple of years. First my brain went a bit wonky with a form of Alzheimer’s, then my aortic heart valve decided it was time for a replacement and now a blood check for something else entirely threw up sugar levels higher than expected. Which was, I have to say, a bit of a blow.

If nothing else, this new type 2 diagnosis has got me pursuing a low carb diet seriously and I’ve returned to the gym after a period of inactivity. I know I’m overweight, and have been half heatedly worrying about this. Clearly I need to do more than just worry.

I feel that I’m at the start of a learning curve here. I’d be keen to hear what you think the most important things for me to know are.

 

[Leadinglights]

I seem to have joined this train at Platform 2. At the age of 70 I thought I was used to the surprises my body has thrown at me in the past couple of years. First my brain went a bit wonky with a form of Alzheimer’s, then my aortic heart valve decided it was time for a replacement and now a blood check for something else entirely threw up sugar levels higher than expected. Which was, I have to say, a bit of a blow.

If nothing else, this new type 2 diagnosis has got me pursuing a low carb diet seriously and I’ve returned to the gym after a period of inactivity. I know I’m overweight, and have been half heatedly worrying about this. Clearly I need to do more than just worry.

I feel that I’m at the start of a learning curve here. I’d be keen to hear what you think the most important things for me to know are.

Welcome to the forum
The most important is to fine a dietary regime that you enjoy and is sustainable in other words a new way of eating for life.
I found the principals in the link was successful, there are meal plans to suit various tastes and budgets. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
I got myself a blood glucose monitor so I could test what meals I could tolerate by testing before eating and after 2 hours aiming at no more than 2-3mmol/l increase or no more than 8mmol/l after 2 hours.
Inexpensive monitors can be bought on line GlucoNavii or TEE2 have some of the cheaper test strips.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

If nothing else, this new type 2 diagnosis has got me pursuing a low carb diet seriously and I’ve returned to the gym after a period of inactivity. I know I’m overweight, and have been half heatedly worrying about this. Clearly I need to do more than just worry.

Sorry to hear that diabetes has decided to wade into your collection of health conditions.

You aren’t alone i having to balance multiple different health needs though - we have lots of members who have to juggle the requirements of more than one condition, which can add complexity and extra challenges into the mix

Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became the kind of catalyst that you describe. It can be the push that finally creates the conditions to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life that you may have been intending to make for some time.

When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.

Were you told the result of your HbA1c check that gave you your diagnosis with diabetes? That can help you understand how far into the ‘diabetes zone’ your metabolism has ventured.