Hi I have been diagnosed with type 2 which 98 I have been given Metformin for 3 weeks I am over the place I don't no what I should be eating or how to test my level has gone down I have to nurse next week to speck about diet and excise but until then I am at a lost can any one advice me on what I can do
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Been diagnosed with type 2
- Thread starter sunny day
- Start date
- Status
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi sunny day. 98, if that is your HBA1c, is a bit high and indicates that you do need to get on and do something. The first important thing is your appointment with the nurse next week and the best thing you could be doing until then is to read around this forum and to look at the main site. It will give you a good introduction to all the issues surrounding a diagnosis and what it will mean is that when you see the nurse you will be able to have a proper conversation and come out with a plan which makes sense.
When you get to the real nitty gritty with T2 diabetes you will find that it is controllable if you focus on some specifics. Medication is one. Carbohydrate intake is two. Your weight is three. You can throw in exercise if you want a fourth. The trick is to work out how you are going to balance those things to get your diabetes under control. That is what you need to work out with your nurse. You also need to come up with something that suits you.
We have all, at least a lot of us, have been where you are now, equally lost and equally confused but most of us have got our HBA1c levels back to near normal with a bit of work so all is not lost!
When you get to the real nitty gritty with T2 diabetes you will find that it is controllable if you focus on some specifics. Medication is one. Carbohydrate intake is two. Your weight is three. You can throw in exercise if you want a fourth. The trick is to work out how you are going to balance those things to get your diabetes under control. That is what you need to work out with your nurse. You also need to come up with something that suits you.
We have all, at least a lot of us, have been where you are now, equally lost and equally confused but most of us have got our HBA1c levels back to near normal with a bit of work so all is not lost!
Toucan
Forum Host
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
So good that you have joined the forum. As Docb says there is plenty of help and support here.
One place to start is by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.
It does all take time to find what’s right for you and adjust your lifestyle, but please be patient, it will be very worthwhile.
For me it has been a healthier diet, and increased exercise, that has worked. As well as cutting out all the sugary things, I cut down on the carbs particularly the ‘white’ ones (white bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc ) and mainly eat fresh fish and poultry and have learned to love vegetables (although that took a while!). I also try to avoid too much processed food, and to include plenty of fibre some from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty.
There are many good solutions, but there is no ‘one size fits all’ and you need to find what right for you.
Please let us know how you get on, and ask us any questions you may have. We will always try to find and answer.
One place to start is by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.
It does all take time to find what’s right for you and adjust your lifestyle, but please be patient, it will be very worthwhile.
For me it has been a healthier diet, and increased exercise, that has worked. As well as cutting out all the sugary things, I cut down on the carbs particularly the ‘white’ ones (white bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc ) and mainly eat fresh fish and poultry and have learned to love vegetables (although that took a while!). I also try to avoid too much processed food, and to include plenty of fibre some from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty.
There are many good solutions, but there is no ‘one size fits all’ and you need to find what right for you.
Please let us know how you get on, and ask us any questions you may have. We will always try to find and answer.
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hello @sunny day . I see you have already received some great advise, so I won’t repeat it.
Yes your Hb1ac of 98 is high, but many of us were higher at diagnosis, me included. Just as Rome wasn’t built in one day nor is good diabetes control, we often say on here , diabetes is a marathon not a sprint, in time you will learn what works for you , on thing I feel is very important is, not to set yourself up to fail by being far to strict with your diet or by being to lax.
We are all very different in what and how many carbohydrates can tolerate .
We are normally fine with protein and this may surprise you good fats.
Some things that are considered healthy you may find are not good for your blood glucose levels, these can include fruit juice, breakfast cereals, fruit and smoothies . Any fruit with berry in its name is often tolerated better than those luscious juicy fruits , but as I said earlier we are all different in this respect.
Many of us find that testing our own BG (blood glucose) levels directly before eating then two hours later, we build up knowledge on what we do and don’t tolerate well, so that we can make informed food choices .
Have a read of this blog by Alan S.
test-test-test
If you decide you would like to self test and your Gp practice (which is most likely)won’t provide you with a glucose meter and test strips .
If you decide to buy your own glucose meter, it’s really the ongoing cost of the testing strips you need to watch out for, glucose meters sold in chemists often use test strips that cost in excess of £15 for a pot of 50 .
The SD Codefree meter that many buy uses strips that cost £8 .
It’s available here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1506485682&sr=1-1&keywords=sd+codefree+meter+mmol/l&linkCode=sl1&tag=xfm-21&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003&th=1
Yes your Hb1ac of 98 is high, but many of us were higher at diagnosis, me included. Just as Rome wasn’t built in one day nor is good diabetes control, we often say on here , diabetes is a marathon not a sprint, in time you will learn what works for you , on thing I feel is very important is, not to set yourself up to fail by being far to strict with your diet or by being to lax.
We are all very different in what and how many carbohydrates can tolerate .
We are normally fine with protein and this may surprise you good fats.
Some things that are considered healthy you may find are not good for your blood glucose levels, these can include fruit juice, breakfast cereals, fruit and smoothies . Any fruit with berry in its name is often tolerated better than those luscious juicy fruits , but as I said earlier we are all different in this respect.
Many of us find that testing our own BG (blood glucose) levels directly before eating then two hours later, we build up knowledge on what we do and don’t tolerate well, so that we can make informed food choices .
Have a read of this blog by Alan S.
test-test-test
If you decide you would like to self test and your Gp practice (which is most likely)won’t provide you with a glucose meter and test strips .
If you decide to buy your own glucose meter, it’s really the ongoing cost of the testing strips you need to watch out for, glucose meters sold in chemists often use test strips that cost in excess of £15 for a pot of 50 .
The SD Codefree meter that many buy uses strips that cost £8 .
It’s available here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1506485682&sr=1-1&keywords=sd+codefree+meter+mmol/l&linkCode=sl1&tag=xfm-21&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003&th=1
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Just over 3 months ago I was also newly diagnosed and feeling overwhelmed. But this forum was brilliant and I got so much help and advice from members. I also found the training section extremely useful. If you work through it (I did a couple of sections a day) you should be much better informed by the time you see the nurse.
As a new Type 2 diabetic, you will have a number of tests now, and be called back for repeats at least every year for life. This will include a foot sensitivity test (tickle and prick) which the nurse might do, to check for neuropathy. You will be referred for a retinal scan to make sure your eyes are not showing signs of retinopathy. Your blood tests will have looked at your cholesterol and kidney function too. You are also entitled to a session with a dietitian and referral to a training course. The most common one is called DESMOND but there are others - they have to be done through your GP. You will also be advised to see a podiatrist regularly to have your dead and dry skin removed, then to check them every day and massage cream into them (I use E45 cream).
So you want to know what you can do to help yourself. You may be slim and super fit, or if like me, towards the fat and very unfit! I was advised to do a minimum of 180 minutes moderate exercise a week, or 30 minutes per day. I'm 69 and chose Aquafit (3-4 sessions a week), as I have mobility issues and arthritis. I've found it excellent, as the water supports you brilliantly and you don't feel like you are exercising. Also the class is predominantly ladies of a certain age, all with wobbly bits too! In addition I have a mini exercise bike, and there are online sitting exercises you can download.
Previous posts have touched on following a healthy eating plan. Please don't go at it like a bull in a china shop at first - it's not sustainable. Cutting down on carbs, particularly white ones and potatoes, and cutting out the naughties (cake, biscuits, sweets, pastries, sugary cereals, refined and processed food, fruit juice, smoothies). Diabetes UK recommends less that 130gm per day. Some go much lower but we have to find what suits us best. I went too low and felt ill, so now I aim for around 90g each day - but that's me, and not for everyone. Increasing the veggie intake and monitoring portion sizes. There's a great book available through this site called Cals and Carbs which shows you pictures of portion sizes. Nobody's perfect so please don't beat yourself up if you slip. My nurse did say the occasional treat was OK (for me a single strip of 85% cocoa dark chocolate). There's also lots of food suggestions and recipes here. I joined a website which records not only calories but carbs, sugars, fats, protein of thousands of foods and keeps a running total per meal, day and week. It also gives a rough measurement of exercise. It helped me feel in control.
I started monitoring morning noon and night and got very sore fingers! The most useful thing for me was to identify which foods caused an increase of more than 2 two hours after eating. I found I could eat a medium slice from a small wholemeal loaf OK, but potato and apple were both lethal for me. That way I learned what I could eat, and what I would be better off not eating. I've just had my 3 month review, lost weight, reduced my HbA1c and know I am going in the right direction.
One thing you should find out is who you should notify. I was told there was no need to notify the DVLA if you are just on Metformin. To be on the safe side I did, and also notified all my insurance companies - driving, travel etc. I also notified my dentist, optician and osteopath.
This is a lot to take in at once, but I found after a few days it started to come together, so you should be well prepared for your appointment. Welcome to the club.
As a new Type 2 diabetic, you will have a number of tests now, and be called back for repeats at least every year for life. This will include a foot sensitivity test (tickle and prick) which the nurse might do, to check for neuropathy. You will be referred for a retinal scan to make sure your eyes are not showing signs of retinopathy. Your blood tests will have looked at your cholesterol and kidney function too. You are also entitled to a session with a dietitian and referral to a training course. The most common one is called DESMOND but there are others - they have to be done through your GP. You will also be advised to see a podiatrist regularly to have your dead and dry skin removed, then to check them every day and massage cream into them (I use E45 cream).
So you want to know what you can do to help yourself. You may be slim and super fit, or if like me, towards the fat and very unfit! I was advised to do a minimum of 180 minutes moderate exercise a week, or 30 minutes per day. I'm 69 and chose Aquafit (3-4 sessions a week), as I have mobility issues and arthritis. I've found it excellent, as the water supports you brilliantly and you don't feel like you are exercising. Also the class is predominantly ladies of a certain age, all with wobbly bits too! In addition I have a mini exercise bike, and there are online sitting exercises you can download.
Previous posts have touched on following a healthy eating plan. Please don't go at it like a bull in a china shop at first - it's not sustainable. Cutting down on carbs, particularly white ones and potatoes, and cutting out the naughties (cake, biscuits, sweets, pastries, sugary cereals, refined and processed food, fruit juice, smoothies). Diabetes UK recommends less that 130gm per day. Some go much lower but we have to find what suits us best. I went too low and felt ill, so now I aim for around 90g each day - but that's me, and not for everyone. Increasing the veggie intake and monitoring portion sizes. There's a great book available through this site called Cals and Carbs which shows you pictures of portion sizes. Nobody's perfect so please don't beat yourself up if you slip. My nurse did say the occasional treat was OK (for me a single strip of 85% cocoa dark chocolate). There's also lots of food suggestions and recipes here. I joined a website which records not only calories but carbs, sugars, fats, protein of thousands of foods and keeps a running total per meal, day and week. It also gives a rough measurement of exercise. It helped me feel in control.
I started monitoring morning noon and night and got very sore fingers! The most useful thing for me was to identify which foods caused an increase of more than 2 two hours after eating. I found I could eat a medium slice from a small wholemeal loaf OK, but potato and apple were both lethal for me. That way I learned what I could eat, and what I would be better off not eating. I've just had my 3 month review, lost weight, reduced my HbA1c and know I am going in the right direction.
One thing you should find out is who you should notify. I was told there was no need to notify the DVLA if you are just on Metformin. To be on the safe side I did, and also notified all my insurance companies - driving, travel etc. I also notified my dentist, optician and osteopath.
This is a lot to take in at once, but I found after a few days it started to come together, so you should be well prepared for your appointment. Welcome to the club.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I'd say that medication is secondary to eating low carb, and including normal fat in your diet - I have read of many people getting down to normal eating a suitable diet, but few quite manage normal on medication alone.
Carbohydrate is not essential - but it does add variety so finding out if you can include salads and low carb veges in your diet means that you can vary your meals a lot. When I started out eating low carb I used to have two shopping lists and used them alternately, so even these days I rarely have tomatoes and mushrooms in the fridge at the same time. I set a limit of no more than 10 percent carbs for all foods, except for chocolate, which I eat very sparingly - like one square at a time. I get the highest cocoa content ones from Lidl - they had 95 percent the last few times I was there, usually the highest is 85 percent.
As a typical type two, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, seafood, plain full fat yoghurt, are all things you can eat. I make sugar free jellies, and often make them with less than the full pint of water, making them up to the pint with yoghurt, once they cool, and whipping them to a froth to bulk them up. With a few frozen berries and cream they make a filling dessert after dinner.
Low carb eating means having very nutritious foods, but many find that they don't feel full - being used to heavy stodge in their meals. I knew a low carber who had their stomach inspected - they had an ulcer, and there was surprise at how small their stomach was compared to 'normal'.
Having tried to do low carb in the face of opposition from doctors for decades, I just dove straight in, burnt the diet sheets to start a barbecue the day after diagnosis. I was down from 91 to 47 in 80 days, back to normal at 6 months.
The Metformin and Atorvastatin made me very ill for a few weeks, so I threw them away. All the more galling to find out I never needed them.
These days I only eat twice a day, as it is all I need. I have a coffee with cream after eating, otherwise water.
Carbohydrate is not essential - but it does add variety so finding out if you can include salads and low carb veges in your diet means that you can vary your meals a lot. When I started out eating low carb I used to have two shopping lists and used them alternately, so even these days I rarely have tomatoes and mushrooms in the fridge at the same time. I set a limit of no more than 10 percent carbs for all foods, except for chocolate, which I eat very sparingly - like one square at a time. I get the highest cocoa content ones from Lidl - they had 95 percent the last few times I was there, usually the highest is 85 percent.
As a typical type two, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, seafood, plain full fat yoghurt, are all things you can eat. I make sugar free jellies, and often make them with less than the full pint of water, making them up to the pint with yoghurt, once they cool, and whipping them to a froth to bulk them up. With a few frozen berries and cream they make a filling dessert after dinner.
Low carb eating means having very nutritious foods, but many find that they don't feel full - being used to heavy stodge in their meals. I knew a low carber who had their stomach inspected - they had an ulcer, and there was surprise at how small their stomach was compared to 'normal'.
Having tried to do low carb in the face of opposition from doctors for decades, I just dove straight in, burnt the diet sheets to start a barbecue the day after diagnosis. I was down from 91 to 47 in 80 days, back to normal at 6 months.
The Metformin and Atorvastatin made me very ill for a few weeks, so I threw them away. All the more galling to find out I never needed them.
These days I only eat twice a day, as it is all I need. I have a coffee with cream after eating, otherwise water.
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