Eating Patterns

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Lauralou75

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
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Hi All,
Been type 2 for 7 ish years and take metformin once a day. Lately I have been feeling less well and have wondered if I should start monitoring blood sugar levels? If I do when should I test and should I be sticking to 3 meals a day?
 
Welcome to the forum
When was your last HbA1c test, and do you know what that result was?
 
HI, Was in May this year and was 58. Nurse wants to up medication if it reaches 60 or above.
 
If you decide to test you need a set regime since testing at random times won't tell you anything meaningful. Those of us who do test do so as soon as possible after waking, and without eating or drinking anything beforehand. As you've been asleep for hours this is a fasting test. I've usually tested within 5 minutes if getting up. The target range is to be between 4 and 7.

The other option is to test just before a meal and then again 2 hours later, with nothing but water in between. Your reading after 2 hours should be less than 8.5 and no more than 2 or 3 above your pre-meal test. The results will show how well your body coped with that meal and you can modify your diet if the numbers suggest that's needed.

Are you currently following the usual low carb diet, ie less than 130g per day?
 
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I do try but find it difficult,living alone means I usually eat something quick after a full day at work. I am useless at cooking and my husband used to do it all and I was healthier then. Since he passed away eating is becoming a chore and anything that is quick and easy is a go to. I just don't know what to do for the best or just accept the increase in medication
 
I would start off practising very quick and simple cooking and gradually improve cooking skills.
An omelette is quick and easy. If you can cook that you can learn to cook a healthy and filling frittata easily.

Think about cooking hacks you can use ... like buying pre-prepared veg, or frozen veg, buying diced meat rather than whole portions.
One of my favourites is throw some diced chicken and mediteranean style vegetables in the air fryer for about 20 mins - job done, dinner sorted! stir a bit of red or green pesto into it if wanted (no need to use oil to prevent sticking if you use some pesto). This is the red pesto

Another hack may be to cook off either some meat or some veg and have it in the fridge ready to add to something like an omelet at the end of a working day.
Right now I have a bowl of cooked chicken in the fridge (I added some fine chopped mushroom, red pesto, dried basil and a touch of red tabasco when I cooked it). I've been having that on a salad, but it could be used in a few different ways.

Consider what food hacks will make your cooking less of a chore based on foods you like to eat 🙂
 
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When you are working all day a slow cooker is a good investment. Make casseroles or stews using defrosted mixed veg or part prepared fresh veg and whatever diced meat you like. Lots of seasoning mixes available to ring the changes. Eat one portion for an evening meal and freeze the rest in single person portions. Do this twice a week and you should have plenty of quick homemade ready meals to defrost and cook within 20 minutes. Sorry to hear you are on your own now. It can be difficult to motivate yourself sometimes. I hope the forum will give you a bit extra support
 
silver minion said:
When you are working all day a slow cooker is a good investment. Make casseroles or stews using defrosted mixed veg or part prepared fresh veg and whatever diced meat you like. Lots of seasoning mixes available to ring the changes. Eat one portion for an evening meal and freeze the rest in single person portions. Do this twice a week and you should have plenty of quick homemade ready meals to defrost and cook within 20 minutes. Sorry to hear you are on your own now. It can be difficult to motivate yourself sometimes. I hope the forum will give you a bit extra support
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I love my slow cooker!
Lob in the ingredients, switch on and just walk away for hours.
Come back, taste, adjust seasoning. If liquids need thickening I use some cornflour mixed in a little cold water (never goes lumpy), leave it a little longer and eat.
Like @silver minion I also cook more than needed. I freeze most in portions, and leave some in the fridge for later in the week
 
I usually try to have something in the fridge ready to eat at all rimes - I use a pressure cooler for energy saving but it is really fast to cook even a whole chicken - I take out the chicken and keep it warm using the pressure cooker to do the veges at a lower pressure, then when everything is cool I put it all in the fridge for the next day. I thicken the stock by pulverising some of the veges rather than adding starch.
 
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