Diagnosed with type 2 at end of April

[Old school thinking]

Hello to you all,

Diagnosed end of April on a routine blood test. Quite shocked. No symptoms. Your help if I may please?

I had a reading of 11.1 and managed to get it down to around 5.3 on average although waking up around 4.8 for the past two mornings. On Metformin 4 a day and lost around 5 kilos in weight. My problem is food and eating the same things day in day out. I like Baked Beans. Can I eat the no added sugar tin? I eat eggs, mushrooms, lamb steaks, plenty of fruit and fish. Gets a bit boring but it is what it is. Cut out potatos. Bad thing? Would love nutrition bars but not too sure which ones? Could I ask your opinion about my sugar going up to 6.8 on some occasions. What is the max if taking this medication?

Very new to all this and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Take care.

 

[Martin.A]

Mashed cauliflower or mashed celeriac are my substitutes for potato. I also make chips with celeriac, and on a couple of occasions have cut chunks and roasted them as a substitute for roast potatoes.

I opt for the 'no added sugar' baked beans but I always measure out a 100g portion, which is 9.5g carb if we're talking Heinz. More than that doesn't look great in terms of carbs if you do the maths.

I always have KIND bars in the larder. There are 2 sizes, though. The smaller ones, sold in 3-packs, are all less than 10g carb. The larger ones, also sold in 3 packs, but also often found in the Meal Deal sections in supermarkets, are higher carb so I don't buy them. Deliciously Ella's Roasted Peanut Crunch Bars are only 9.2g carb and I have them in the larder too.

When are you getting your 6.8? The target range on waking or pre-meal is 4-to-7, so your 6.8 is in range. The target for post-meal is to be below 8.5 and no more than 3 above the pre-meal reading, so if your 6.8 was post-meal you're well within target.

 

[Leadinglights]

There is plenty of foods you can eat and still have great variety, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, veg, salads and fruit like berries, it is the high carb foods that you need to be careful of but there are quite a lot of substitutes for potatoes, rice, pasta which are actually far more tasty.
Remember it is all carbohydrates not just sugar that convert to glucose so checking out the carb value will give you a good idea of what would be a better choice.
You may be fine with the small portion of bean if you have with egg and bacon but not if you also have toast. It is something which you would need to check out by testing before you eat the meal and after 2 hours, if the increase is no more than 2-3mmol/l then it is OK.
Have a look at this link for ideas for meals. recipes and good information. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
For the bars look for the high protein ones as they are lower carb Nature Valley, Graze or KIND they are usually 10-12 g carbs per bar.

 

[Docb]

Hi @Old school thinking and welcome to the forum. When starting to work out a plan I like to start with the basics and then to work out where you are starting from.

Are the numbers you quote taken from a finger prick tester? If so, then they are the sort of numbers that do not give any real sort of concern. Depending on when they are taken - you get higher readings after a meal - then they are the sort of numbers many of us would expect to get. Your T2 diagnosis will have been given on the basis of some HbA1c test results which will give a better picture of where you are starting from. Do you know what they were?

 

[Old school thinking]

Hi @Old school thinking and welcome to the forum. When starting to work out a plan I like to start with the basics and then to work out where you are starting from.

Are the numbers you quote taken from a finger prick tester? If so, then they are the sort of numbers that do not give any real sort of concern. Depending on when they are taken - you get higher readings after a meal - then they are the sort of numbers many of us would expect to get. Your T2 diagnosis will have been given on the basis of some HbA1c test results which will give a better picture of where you are starting from. Do you know what they were?

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Yes I finger prick test on waking and before evening meal.

I'm not too sure what my numbers are so I'll need to speak to my Diabetic Nurse. My main concern is eating between Meals. I tend to starve myself and only drink water. I don't like to see my blood sugar up when I'm testing before dinner. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. 6.8 was the highest but it's usually around 5.3. Just one further question if I may? So it's ok to have a snack between Meals as long as it's not high in sugar?

Best wishes and thank you again.

 

[Old school thinking]

There is plenty of foods you can eat and still have great variety, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, veg, salads and fruit like berries, it is the high carb foods that you need to be careful of but there are quite a lot of substitutes for potatoes, rice, pasta which are actually far more tasty.
Remember it is all carbohydrates not just sugar that convert to glucose so checking out the carb value will give you a good idea of what would be a better choice.
You may be fine with the small portion of bean if you have with egg and bacon but not if you also have toast. It is something which you would need to check out by testing before you eat the meal and after 2 hours, if the increase is no more than 2-3mmol/l then it is OK.
Have a look at this link for ideas for meals. recipes and good information. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
For the bars look for the high protein ones as they are lower carb Nature Valley, Graze or KIND they are usually 10-12 g carbs per bar.

Thank you so much. Very helpful.

Take care.

 

[Old school thinking]

Mashed cauliflower or mashed celeriac are my substitutes for potato. I also make chips with celeriac, and on a couple of occasions have cut chunks and roasted them as a substitute for roast potatoes.

I opt for the 'no added sugar' baked beans but I always measure out a 100g portion, which is 9.5g carb if we're talking Heinz. More than that doesn't look great in terms of carbs if you do the maths.

I always have KIND bars in the larder. There are 2 sizes, though. The smaller ones, sold in 3-packs, are all less than 10g carb. The larger ones, also sold in 3 packs, but also often found in the Meal Deal sections in supermarkets, are higher carb so I don't buy them. Deliciously Ella's Roasted Peanut Crunch Bars are only 9.2g carb and I have them in the larder too.

When are you getting your 6.8? The target range on waking or pre-meal is 4-to-7, so your 6.8 is in range. The target for post-meal is to be below 8.5 and no more than 3 above the pre-meal reading, so if your 6.8 was post-meal you're well within target.

Thank you so much. Very helpful.

Take care.

 

[rebrascora]

So it's ok to have a snack between Meals as long as it's not high in sugar?

Diabetes is about all carbohydrates not just sugar, so starchy carbs as well. That doesn't mean to say you you can't have any sugar or not eat any starchy carbs. It is all about portion control of the high carb foods, but you can have plenty of the low carb foods with meals which should help you to feel full and not need to snack between meals. There is no reason why you should go hungry on three meals a day or even just 2 or sometimes only one meal as happens occasionally when I am busy. It is about filling your plate with mostly low carb foods and allowing yourself a smaller amount of carbs than usual. Finding low carb foods that you enjoy is a good starting point to base meals on. Ideally plenty of salad or veg, but sometimes I have mostly meat or eggs or cheese and maybe some coleslaw or pickled beetroot or pickled gherkins if I haven't got any salad and can't be bothered to cook veg. Interestingly despite the fact that beetroot is one of the medium carb veggies, pickled does not seem to impact my levels at all and sometimes I just eat it on it's own from the jar and this is despite sugar being used in the pickling process.
I always have creamy coleslaw or cheese coleslaw in the fridge and if I am hungry I will sometimes just get a slice of ham and put some coleslaw and maybe tomatoes and cheese on it and roll i up and eat it like a wrap, but with almost no carbs because there is no bread. Similarly I might open a tin of tuna and mix in some chopped onion and mayonnaise and use lettuce leaves to make wraps and fill them with the tuna mix and perhaps cucumber or tomatoes.
If I make a big pan of chilli, I often just have it with coleslaw if I haven't got any salad and bolognaise sauce is served on courgettes or shredded cabbage cooked with a knob of butter or broccoli. I really don't miss pasta at all but some people use edamame bean pasta or red lentil pasta instead of normal wheat pasta as they are lower carb.
Cauliflower boiled, well drained and mashed with a good dollop of cream cheese and a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard makes a great mashed potato substitute and easier as no peeling of spuds required and cooks quicker and goes well with high meat content sausages (cheap sausages contain more rusk filler which is carbs) or gammon etc. and perhaps some green beans or broccoli or carrots with it.
At this time of year I like to make a big roasting pan of ratatouille with chunks of peppers and courgettes and aubergines and tomatoes and onions with a tin or two of chopped tomatoes or fresh ones and a good glug of olive oil and I usually add a glug of red wine or port and a splach of balsamic vinegar and cook it in the oven perhaps topped with mozzarella or slices of halloumi or have it with roast lamb or chicken or chops.
I have also started experimenting with curried vegetables and I have a nice recipe for Cauliflower and halloumi curry to which I add chick peas and butternut squash and I usually just eat the curry with no bread or rice or maybe on a bed of shredded cooked cabbage. Or another one that I really like is cabbage bhaji which is very different to onion bhaji as it isn't coated in flour and deep fried but just a sort of cabbage curry with tomatoes and onions and aromatic spices rather than hot spices. I know it sounds absolutely naff but I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week and not get sick of it and it is really low carb. If I manage to have leftovers I have to have them for breakfast the next morning because I simply can't resist, it tastes so good and is really good for you.

I think one of the things which helped me to be more adventurous was to stop thinking of meals in terms of what time of day it was, so breakfast can be anything and sometimes we are hindered by custom into thinking it has to be a particular type of meal, like toast or cereal for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch and meat and veg for dinner. Obviously many people are restricted by time in the morning, but breakfast could be prepared the night before and either eaten cold or reheated in the morning. That said, I mostly have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt for breakfast with mixed seeds and a few berries or whatever other low carb fruit is in season and cinnamon and perhaps a very small sprinkle of a nutty granola to give it more texture, but the granola is quite high carb so the sprinkle is just a single dessert spoon of it. I might have a good chunk of nice cheese and half an apple for lunch and maybe some olives or a salad or an omelette or some homemade soup and then cook something in the evening or I may just have a couple of low carb snacks in the evening if I get in late and don't have time to cook and don't have any leftovers in the fridge.
No need to be bored as there are lots of new vegetables to try and lots of new ways to cook the vegetables you already eat. They don't have to be plain and you don't have to be a good cook. I buy sour cream and chive dip from the chilled counter (not the highly processed Doritos stuff in a jar) and I microwave broccoli for 3.5 mins and then have it with that dip, either on its own as a snack or as a veg accompaniment to meat or fish.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Yes I finger prick test on waking and before evening meal.

I'm not too sure what my numbers are so I'll need to speak to my Diabetic Nurse. My main concern is eating between Meals. I tend to starve myself and only drink water. I don't like to see my blood sugar up when I'm testing before dinner. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. 6.8 was the highest but it's usually around 5.3. Just one further question if I may? So it's ok to have a snack between Meals as long as it's not high in sugar?

Best wishes and thank you again.

Your aim is 4-7mmol/l before meals and fasting and no more than 8-8.5 mmol/l 2 hours after eating.
Many people find it useful to establish what meals are suitable or not by testing before eating and after 2 hours until they find a repertoire of meals that are OK and then really then no need to test those again.
You do need to drink to stay hydrated but no need to stick to just water unless you want to just don't add sugar or have sugary drinks or fruit juice, diet drinks, tea, coffee are fine for most people.

 

[Old school thinking]

Diabetes is about all carbohydrates not just sugar, so starchy carbs as well. That doesn't mean to say you you can't have any sugar or not eat any starchy carbs. It is all about portion control of the high carb foods, but you can have plenty of the low carb foods with meals which should help you to feel full and not need to snack between meals. There is no reason why you should go hungry on three meals a day or even just 2 or sometimes only one meal as happens occasionally when I am busy. It is about filling your plate with mostly low carb foods and allowing yourself a smaller amount of carbs than usual. Finding low carb foods that you enjoy is a good starting point to base meals on. Ideally plenty of salad or veg, but sometimes I have mostly meat or eggs or cheese and maybe some coleslaw or pickled beetroot or pickled gherkins if I haven't got any salad and can't be bothered to cook veg. Interestingly despite the fact that beetroot is one of the medium carb veggies, pickled does not seem to impact my levels at all and sometimes I just eat it on it's own from the jar and this is despite sugar being used in the pickling process.
I always have creamy coleslaw or cheese coleslaw in the fridge and if I am hungry I will sometimes just get a slice of ham and put some coleslaw and maybe tomatoes and cheese on it and roll i up and eat it like a wrap, but with almost no carbs because there is no bread. Similarly I might open a tin of tuna and mix in some chopped onion and mayonnaise and use lettuce leaves to make wraps and fill them with the tuna mix and perhaps cucumber or tomatoes.
If I make a big pan of chilli, I often just have it with coleslaw if I haven't got any salad and bolognaise sauce is served on courgettes or shredded cabbage cooked with a knob of butter or broccoli. I really don't miss pasta at all but some people use edamame bean pasta or red lentil pasta instead of normal wheat pasta as they are lower carb.
Cauliflower boiled, well drained and mashed with a good dollop of cream cheese and a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard makes a great mashed potato substitute and easier as no peeling of spuds required and cooks quicker and goes well with high meat content sausages (cheap sausages contain more rusk filler which is carbs) or gammon etc. and perhaps some green beans or broccoli or carrots with it.
At this time of year I like to make a big roasting pan of ratatouille with chunks of peppers and courgettes and aubergines and tomatoes and onions with a tin or two of chopped tomatoes or fresh ones and a good glug of olive oil and I usually add a glug of red wine or port and a splach of balsamic vinegar and cook it in the oven perhaps topped with mozzarella or slices of halloumi or have it with roast lamb or chicken or chops.
I have also started experimenting with curried vegetables and I have a nice recipe for Cauliflower and halloumi curry to which I add chick peas and butternut squash and I usually just eat the curry with no bread or rice or maybe on a bed of shredded cooked cabbage. Or another one that I really like is cabbage bhaji which is very different to onion bhaji as it isn't coated in flour and deep fried but just a sort of cabbage curry with tomatoes and onions and aromatic spices rather than hot spices. I know it sounds absolutely naff but I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week and not get sick of it and it is really low carb. If I manage to have leftovers I have to have them for breakfast the next morning because I simply can't resist, it tastes so good and is really good for you.

I think one of the things which helped me to be more adventurous was to stop thinking of meals in terms of what time of day it was, so breakfast can be anything and sometimes we are hindered by custom into thinking it has to be a particular type of meal, like toast or cereal for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch and meat and veg for dinner. Obviously many people are restricted by time in the morning, but breakfast could be prepared the night before and either eaten cold or reheated in the morning. That said, I mostly have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt for breakfast with mixed seeds and a few berries or whatever other low carb fruit is in season and cinnamon and perhaps a very small sprinkle of a nutty granola to give it more texture, but the granola is quite high carb so the sprinkle is just a single dessert spoon of it. I might have a good chunk of nice cheese and half an apple for lunch and maybe some olives or a salad or an omelette or some homemade soup and then cook something in the evening or I may just have a couple of low carb snacks in the evening if I get in late and don't have time to cook and don't have any leftovers in the fridge.
No need to be bored as there are lots of new vegetables to try and lots of new ways to cook the vegetables you already eat. They don't have to be plain and you don't have to be a good cook. I buy sour cream and chive dip from the chilled counter (not the highly processed Doritos stuff in a jar) and I microwave broccoli for 3.5 mins and then have it with that dip, either on its own as a snack or as a veg accompaniment to meat or fish.

Thank you Barbera for taking the time. Much appreciated.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope you are able to build a little more flexibility into your meal plans @Old school thinking - and that you get some encouraging feedback from your next round of results.

Let us know how things go 🙂