Confused newly diagnosed Type 2

[Ditto]

Hello Graham and welcome to the forum 🙂

 

[gwalmsley]

Thanks!

Hello Graham and welcome to the forum 🙂

 

[MikeTurin]

Hello Graham, Italy here.
I agree that it's really difficult to make sensible choices on what to eat especially when eating out.
When I am at home I follow a plant based diet, that is not a vegetarian diet, because I eat meat and fish, but not every day. I go with big, spicy bowl of salad especially now because is a really hot summer. By the way seasonal vegetable are cheap. Freeze vegetables are also a cheap, good idea.

Unfortunately, when eating out it could be a problem, especially on fast foods or fairs. Most of pubs I've cone are happy to switch potaoes with grilled eggplants or sauerkrauts.

 

[gwalmsley]

Maybe I need to move to Italy 🙂

Hello Graham, Italy here.
I agree that it's really difficult to make sensible choices on what to eat especially when eating out.
When I am at home I follow a plant based diet, that is not a vegetarian diet, because I eat meat and fish, but not every day. I go with big, spicy bowl of salad especially now because is a really hot summer. By the way seasonal vegetable are cheap. Freeze vegetables are also a cheap, good idea.

Unfortunately, when eating out it could be a problem, especially on fast foods or fairs. Most of pubs I've cone are happy to switch potaoes with grilled eggplants or sauerkrauts.

 

[Wirrallass]

Hi Graham and a warm welcome to our friendly supportive forum tho sorry to read you have found yourself here in the first place!! Being dx (diagnosed) can come as a shock - be overwhelming and a daunting prospect - we've been there & understand fully where you are coming from - so many questions needing answers - but please be assured that your diabetes will become easier to manage given time. There's so much to learn in the beginning but stay on this forum and we will collectively guide you through your diabetes journey.

There is a book that I recommend frequently called the CARB & CALORIE COUNTER which can be obtained from Amazon for approximately £10. It has over 1700 coloured illustrations that show how many carborhydrates are in different food and drinks which I'm sure you will find very helpful - and will answer your questions re carbs. Handy to keep in your kitchen for easy reference too.

At the rear of the book there is a separate section relating to dining out which I think you will similarly find useful. There's also a smaller version called POCKET COUNTER - again from Amazon for about £6.99 which is a handy size to slip into your jacket pocket to refer to if you are going out for a meal.

I hope you find these books as helpful as they do me. Do please stay in touch as to your progress and if there's anything you're particularly concerned about then please ask as many times as you need to - theres always someone about who will answer your questions. Take care x

 

[gwalmsley]

Thanks for the information.

I am currently using the Carbs & Cals App on my phone, which I believe provides similar information but in a more (for me) portable format. It has pictures of about 2000+ foods but I am finding almost everything you buy, even main brand products, are missing so need to be entered manually.

I will got hold of a copy for the dining out section, which will hopefully help me.

Is this the book? It has the same logo on the front as the app I am using - https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Ca...sr=8-5&keywords=carb+and+calorie+counter+book

Update: Just checked the app and it has the eating out sections as well. Thanks for pointing it out! 🙂
Graham

Hi Graham and a warm welcome to our friendly supportive forum tho sorry to read you have found yourself here in the first place!! Being dx (diagnosed) can come as a shock - be overwhelming and a daunting prospect - we've been there & understand fully where you are coming from - so many questions needing answers - but please be assured that your diabetes will become easier to manage given time. There's so much to learn in the beginning but stay on this forum and we will collectively guide you through your diabetes journey.

There is a book that I recommend frequently called the CARB & CALORIE COUNTER which can be obtained from Amazon for approximately £10. It has over 1700 coloured illustrations that show how many carborhydrates are in different food and drinks which I'm sure you will find very helpful - and will answer your questions re carbs. Handy to keep in your kitchen for easy reference too.

At the rear of the book there is a separate section relating to dining out which I think you will similarly find useful. There's also a smaller version called POCKET COUNTER - again from Amazon for about £6.99 which is a handy size to slip into your jacket pocket to refer to if you are going out for a meal.

I hope you find these books as helpful as they do me. Do please stay in touch as to your progress and if there's anything you're particularly concerned about then please ask as many times as you need to - theres always someone about who will answer your questions. Take care x

 

[Wirrallass]

Thanks for the information.

I am currently using the Carbs & Cals App on my phone, which I believe provides similar information but in a more (for me) portable format. It has pictures of about 2000+ foods but I am finding almost everything you buy, even main brand products, are missing so need to be entered manually.

I will got hold of a copy for the dining out section, which will hopefully help me.

Is this the book? It has the same logo on the front as the app I am using - https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Ca...sr=8-5&keywords=carb+and+calorie+counter+book

Update: Just checked the app and it has the eating out sections as well. Thanks for pointing it out! 🙂
Graham

Hi again sorry only just getting back to you Graham - yes its the same - i omitted to attach a photo in my post above - will do that now so you can compare.

 

[gwalmsley]

Yes, that is the same one. Thanks!

Hi again sorry only just getting back to you Graham - yes its the same - i omitted to attach a photo in my post above - will do that now so you can compare.

 

[Kentoldlady]

Hello and welcome.
I was diagnosed on june 26th this year, so still finding my way around.

Iagree that the carbs and cals book is very useful. I think the best piece of advice I have seen is to read, read and then read a bit more. It is very confusing to find so much info, and it seems that all of it contradicts the last bit of info you have read.

I have got my own test kit and I " eat to my metre", meaning that I test, eat, write and test some more. At first I was testing after an hour, ninety minutes and two hours. Now I do it after ninety minutes and then two hours. It is very informative.

I have decided to follow the 8 week blood sugar diet by Michael Moseley ( could have maybe got the name wrong!), and its found on amazon. I dont follow the recipes because they seem way to fiddley, but I keep to 800 calories a day. I also keep to below 50grms of carbs a day. I have decided that the low carb high fat diet is the one for me.

However, I do have a fair bit of weight to lose and appreciate that this way of eating is not for everyone. But it is not forever and will increase the amount of carbs( carefully!!)when I reach a better weight.

Since following this diet I have not gone above 7.0 , an hour after eating and that was at the beginning, now its never more thanabout 6.

My hba1c was 53, and I was given metformin which I keep forgetting to take!.

As everyone has said, its a marathon not a sprint, but there is a lot you can do to make your health a great deal better.

Good luck!!

 

[gwalmsley]

Thanks for posting.

I think one of my main problems is the contradictory information you find. I just have it all straight in my head then the next thing I read changes it all again.

I am eating about 1200-1400 calories a day and need to lose about 3 stone in total.

Test kit is on order, which I thought was coming tomorrow but actually appears to be a week tomorrow. Oh well.

Graham

Hello and welcome.
I was diagnosed on june 26th this year, so still finding my way around.

Iagree that the carbs and cals book is very useful. I think the best piece of advice I have seen is to read, read and then read a bit more. It is very confusing to find so much info, and it seems that all of it contradicts the last bit of info you have read.

I have got my own test kit and I " eat to my metre", meaning that I test, eat, write and test some more. At first I was testing after an hour, ninety minutes and two hours. Now I do it after ninety minutes and then two hours. It is very informative.

I have decided to follow the 8 week blood sugar diet by Michael Moseley ( could have maybe got the name wrong!), and its found on amazon. I dont follow the recipes because they seem way to fiddley, but I keep to 800 calories a day. I also keep to below 50grms of carbs a day. I have decided that the low carb high fat diet is the one for me.

However, I do have a fair bit of weight to lose and appreciate that this way of eating is not for everyone. But it is not forever and will increase the amount of carbs( carefully!!)when I reach a better weight.

Since following this diet I have not gone above 7.0 , an hour after eating and that was at the beginning, now its never more thanabout 6.

My hba1c was 53, and I was given metformin which I keep forgetting to take!.

As everyone has said, its a marathon not a sprint, but there is a lot you can do to make your health a great deal better.

Good luck!!

 

[Kentoldlady]

I don't think I will ever get it straight in my head!!
May I ask what was your hba1c? And are you just controlled by diet?

My surgery nurse, who was very nice, told me about the eatwell guide on the nhs website and said I could go on a course about t2d, which is in November.
I didnt believe that the nhs guide really is the best advice and didnt want to wait until November.

You must do what feels right for you, but I like the science behind a lchf diet. And its working for me.

 

[gwalmsley]

I don't have a hba1c number yet, they haven't even told me my blood test numbers just that they are over 7 & 11. I was only told I had diabetes on the 20th July.

At the moment trying to control by getting my weight down, exercise up and diet. At the end of three months they will do the hba1c test.

They have mentioned going on a course as well as eye test and getting my feet checked, but no dates for those yet.

I don't think I will ever get it straight in my head!!
May I ask what was your hba1c? And are you just controlled by diet?

My surgery nurse, who was very nice, told me about the eatwell guide on the nhs website and said I could go on a course about t2d, which is in November.
I didnt believe that the nhs guide really is the best advice and didnt want to wait until November.

You must do what feels right for you, but I like the science behind a lchf diet. And its working for me.

 

[Wirrallass]

I don't have a hba1c number yet, they haven't even told me my blood test numbers just that they are over 7 & 11. I was only told I had diabetes on the 20th July.

At the moment trying to control by getting my weight down, exercise up and diet. At the end of three months they will do the hba1c test.

They have mentioned going on a course as well as eye test and getting my feet checked, but no dates for those yet.

It is difficult to absorb everyrhing at the onset of diabetes but when you're receiving conflicting advice it most certainly is very confusing. As others have said, the only way to understand & manage your diabetes where food is concerned, is to test before your meals - then test again 2hrs after your meals.

So for instance if your bgl before your meal is say 6.0 - and 2hrs post meal it is 8.00 then that is an acceptable increase in number. Or if your bgl pre meal is 4.6 and 6.7 post meal then this is in range too. On the other hand if your bgl pre meal is say i.e. 5.3 and is say i.e. 12.5 post meal then this is a pointer that you have eaten too many carbs in that meal (i.e. too many potatoes/white bread/white rice) portion size is paramount towards managing your diabetes.

The motto is to test test and test to enable you to determine which food you can tolerate and which food you can't. It takes time to discover which food you can tolerate so do be patient - you're not in a race - baby steps to start with. We will be here to help you if you're unsure about anything. I was dx in April 2016 and I still learn something new on here almost every day just by reading other posts.

The HbA1c blood test will reveal how much glucose is in your blood for the previous 12 wks - and this means you need to reduce your carb intake leading up to this blood test - and thereafter. Honestly, you will get the hang of it Graham even if it causes a few headaches along the way🙄 Walking helps to lower bgls as well as helping you to remain active. Hope I haven't bored you too much but also hope you have gained some knowledge here. Take care

 

[Ljc]

Hi Graham. You're not alone in being given conflicting advise by the professionals. Don't worry though, you will find out what works best for you. The meter you're getting will aid you greatly in this. U

I'm in the process of edumacating my Diabetes nurse at the gp , she is lovely ,is not dogmatic and is happy to listen but imo knows diddly squat about insulin and gets all flustered when I mention it 😱 so I ask the experts on here 🙂. We no longer discuss my diet as we'll never agree on that darned eatwell plate or whatever it's called now.
The thing is the D nurses at GPs actually haven't had much training in Diabetes and some haven't had the update training they're supposed to.
It also doesn't help that Diabetes doesn't seem to know the rules it's supposed to follow
And changes with the weather or illness (I'm not joking about that bit)

 

[gwalmsley]

Great information, thank you! Education is never boring so please keep it up 🙂

Diabetes nurse appointment this morning, so hopefully will be happy with the changes I have made.

It is difficult to absorb everyrhing at the onset of diabetes but when you're receiving conflicting advice it most certainly is very confusing. As others have said, the only way to understand & manage your diabetes where food is concerned, is to test before your meals - then test again 2hrs after your meals.

So for instance if your bgl before your meal is say 6.0 - and 2hrs post meal it is 8.00 then that is an acceptable increase in number. Or if your bgl pre meal is 4.6 and 6.7 post meal then this is in range too. On the other hand if your bgl pre meal is say i.e. 5.3 and is say i.e. 12.5 post meal then this is a pointer that you have eaten too many carbs in that meal (i.e. too many potatoes/white bread/white rice) portion size is paramount towards managing your diabetes.

The motto is to test test and test to enable you to determine which food you can tolerate and which food you can't. It takes time to discover which food you can tolerate so do be patient - you're not in a race - baby steps to start with. We will be here to help you if you're unsure about anything. I was dx in April 2016 and I still learn something new on here almost every day just by reading other posts.

The HbA1c blood test will reveal how much glucose is in your blood for the previous 12 wks - and this means you need to reduce your carb intake leading up to this blood test - and thereafter. Honestly, you will get the hang of it Graham even if it causes a few headaches along the way🙄 Walking helps to lower bgls as well as helping you to remain active. Hope I haven't bored you too much but also hope you have gained some knowledge here. Take care

 

[gwalmsley]

Thanks for the advice, always good to know you are not alone. Once my meter arrives I will start the testing and see what I can and can't eat.

BTW, love your avatar 🙂

Hi Graham. You're not alone in being given conflicting advise by the professionals. Don't worry though, you will find out what works best for you. The meter you're getting will aid you greatly in this. U

I'm in the process of edumacating my Diabetes nurse at the gp , she is lovely ,is not dogmatic and is happy to listen but imo knows diddly squat about insulin and gets all flustered when I mention it 😱 so I ask the experts on here 🙂. We no longer discuss my diet as we'll never agree on that darned eatwell plate or whatever it's called now.
The thing is the D nurses at GPs actually haven't had much training in Diabetes and some haven't had the update training they're supposed to.
It also doesn't help that Diabetes doesn't seem to know the rules it's supposed to follow
And changes with the weather or illness (I'm not joking about that bit)

 

[PinkGrapefruit]

Great information, thank you! Education is never boring so please keep it up 🙂

Diabetes nurse appointment this morning, so hopefully will be happy with the changes I have made.

Good luck - see if you can get some numbers from her for the initial tests they used to make your diagnosis.

 

[Bubbsie]

I don't have a hba1c number yet, they haven't even told me my blood test numbers just that they are over 7 & 11. I was only told I had diabetes on the 20th July.

At the moment trying to control by getting my weight down, exercise up and diet. At the end of three months they will do the hba1c test.

They have mentioned going on a course as well as eye test and getting my feet checked, but no dates for those yet.

Hi Graham...it might be an idea to ask for your blood test results during your appointment...you need a starting point...something to indicate how you are managing your diabetes...to track your progress...identify any trouble spots...how you are reducing your blood sugars...the meter will give you a spot check only...what your BG is that moment...where as your HbA1c test gives an average for the previous three months...your meter will/should be able to give you an average for the last 30 days...some also provide the average for the last 90 days...I did use the codefree initially...but...can't honestly remember if the codefree covers the ninety day average...while not as accurate as the HbA1c...it will allow you an approximation of your average for that period...good luck with the DSN appointment...with DSN's it can be a bit of a lottery...some are more enlightened than others...will discuss different options for diet control...however...do watch out for the 'eat well plate' approach...often trotted out as standard advice...once you receive your meter & strips...that will be your best guide to what diet/foods are best for you...in simple terms mostly about experimenting...while it's still early days for you...it's clear from your questions/comments you have a good understanding of your diabetes...what you need to do to manage/control it...certainly more clued up than I was when I first arrived here...good luck with the appointment...be interested to hear how you fared with the DSN.

 

[gwalmsley]

So.... back from the appointment. First some numbers:

BP 120/80 so the 7.5mg of Ramipril per day is working
Blood test results

Normal 16
Fasting 9.7​

Lost about 6kg since the last appointment.

Chatted about increased irritability and dizzy spells and she said that was my body getting used to the new 'normal' so would level out.

I mentioned using Carbs & Cals and she looked horrified. Said it was designed for Type 1 people to count carbs for insulin dose and was over the top for me. Also thought my full food diary was too much as well.

I said I had bought a meter and got the same look. The local commissioning group doesn't support the use of meters for unmedicated Type 2s, and doesn't normally supply them to initial users of Metformin either so won't fund them.

Normal diet advice and first hba1c scheduled for the end of September.

 

[Northerner]

I mentioned using Carbs & Cals and she looked horrified. Said it was designed for Type 1 people to count carbs for insulin dose and was over the top for me. Also thought my full food diary was too much as well.

I said I had bought a meter and got the same look. The local commissioning group doesn't support the use of meters for unmedicated Type 2s, and doesn't normally supply them to initial users of Metformin either so won't fund them.

Normal diet advice and first hba1c scheduled for the end of September.

She sounds a bit 'old school', unfortunately Being 'carb-aware' is of just as much importance to Type 2 as Type 1 - or whatever Type of diabetes you may have (there are several more!). Your diary and using a meter are the perfect tools for you to understand your diabetes and how it affects you as an individual - I honestly don't understand this reaction to people who want to take an active role in managing their diabetes instead of blind faith in vague advice - why can't they just be supportive of your commitment and efforts? It's beyond me! 🙄

Fortunately, you'll get lots of support and encouragement here 🙂 I have been on this forum since it started in 2008 and everyone who has followed the principles you are now following has hugely improved their blood glucose management. It's not difficult, wouldn't cost the NHS much to provide motivated people with the tools they need i.e. test strips, and results in a great improvement in quality of life for the patient, and greatly reduced risk of expensive complications in the future 🙂