Diet confusion?

[AmandaG]

Hi all. I've recently teetered over the threshold and am now T2 Diabetic.

Im currently on 2000mg Metformin, however I'm determined to stop it.

Im trying to lose weight and thr nurse told me watch out for carbs, but been told calories.

What's the best one to watch out for? Im struggling to feel full enough and i live off pasta, rice and potatoes. Im finding it hard to find a good substitute.

I've managed about a week doing different things but my enthusiasm is started to wain.

Can anyone recommend/advise me on how to push through?

 

[JITR]

Welcome AmandaG.

You wiil soon feel full enough, and your blood glucose will come down, when you follow Dr Kim Andrews simple Meal Planner and Food Lists or, for a different take on the same thing, Dr David Unwin's advice in his Diet Sheet.

When you are ready to lose some weight, try to limit your carbs to 50-80 g/day .

I won't steal other members' thunder on pasta, rice and potatoes!

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi all. I've recently teetered over the threshold and am now T2 Diabetic.

Im currently on 2000mg Metformin, however I'm determined to stop it.

Im trying to lose weight and thr nurse told me watch out for carbs, but been told calories.

What's the best one to watch out for? Im struggling to feel full enough and i live off pasta, rice and potatoes. Im finding it hard to find a good substitute.

I've managed about a week doing different things but my enthusiasm is started to wain.

Can anyone recommend/advise me on how to push through?

Welcome to the forum. It is very much carbs you have to be careful of as it is All carbs that convert to glucose and unfortunately it is not just the sweet stuff that is the problem but those very foods you mention, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, breakfast cereals but there is no need to feel hungry or unsatisfied if you make sure you have protein and healthy fats.
The problem is the standard NHS advice is still too high in carbs and pushes low fat which is not needed unless you have other conditions which require it. It is just too hard to try to track carbs as well as calories so many of us just take account of carbs. It is suggested a good starting point for reducing carbs is to have no more than 130g per day, that is carbs not just sugar.
This link may help give you a better understanding of a successful way many have reduced their blood glucose and lost weight. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Many GPs will give people opportunity to reduce their blood glucose by diet and exercise for 3 months without medication if their HbA1C is not too high. If you are just over the threshold which is 47mmol/mol then max dose of metformin seems overkill. I hope you increased the dose gradually to allow your body to adjust.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @AmandaG

There are two main approaches to diabetes management that are popular on the forum (with many variants among them).

One is to focus on weight loss, particularly weight around the abdomen which can indicate visceral fat built up around organs like the liver and pancreas, stopping them working properly. You can lose weight in any way you find effective, but many opt for the NHS Path to Remission Soup / Shake diet (sometimes called the Newcastle Diet), which severely limits calories to 800 a day with Total Meal Replacement shakes for approx 12 weeks. The aim is to lose approx 15kg I think. Many members using this approach find that glucose levels improve naturally as their weight reduces. They then transition to a weight maintenance menu.

The other approach is to focus on blood glucose management with a lower carbohydrate way of eating (typically less than 130g of carbohydrates a day). Reducing portions of all carbohydrates, not just the obvious sweet and sugary things, but bread, pasta, potatoes, grains, rice, and many fruits. Many members using this approach find that weight reduces naturally as their glucose levels improve.

Of course there are some that use a combination approach too!

One of the things about diabetes is that it can be very individual. And the same approach may not appeal, or work as successfully for two different people - so it’s really a question of experimentation, and developing a ‘diabetes toolkit’ of strategies and approaches that work for you, and which you can sustain long-term

 

[Ade_essex]

Hello @AmandaG. Welcome to the forum and the wild ride that comes with being a diabetic. My main message to you is to stick with it; things will start to get better. I used to be a huge (in both senses) carb monster in my previous life. I was diagnosed two and a half months ago and knew I had to do something about my diabetes as a matter of urgency. I went the lower carb (120g per day) route and and broke the task down into three segments. Firstly, drop ALL the junk carbs. So white bread, rice, pastries, cakes, chips, pizza and the like. Believe me when I say that I could have done all of those things in one sitting before! Secondly, make up my 120g with fibrous foods such as brown rice, rye bread and starchy veg such as carrots. Keeping a food diary is vital. And thirdly, really load up with 'free' veg such as cabbage and sprouts. I like soup so I have a container of homemade vege soup in the fridge and, when I feel like snacking, have a cup of that.

It's not going to be easy and sometimes you'll fall off the wagon. Don't judge yourself too harshly; just pick yourself up and go again. I'm lucky in that, being recently retired, I can throw myself into exercise any time I want. I just make sure that my long walk doesn't take me past a chip shop!

But, more than that, it does get easier. For instance, I had yogurt, berries and a sprinkle of grain free granola for breakfast this morning. Then spent the morning taking the MiL around for a battery of medical tests in the 35 degree heat of the Algarve. I didn't eat again until nearly 14.00. The old me would have been gnawing on people's ankles by that time. The new me felt fine. So keep at it; it does get easier.