Hello and advice needed please.

[Hannah84]

Hello,

My name is Hannah and I am 36, I’m 21 stone 10lbs and was diagnosed with Type 2 in 2014.

I lost a lot of weight when I was initially diagnosed but due to mental health issues, I have put it all back on and more. This of course has made me quite poorly. Due to the mental health issues coupled with an obvious eating disorder I have buried my head in the sand and struggle to stick to a healthy diet plan or do what I need to do in order to lose the weight and regulate my blood sugars.

My resting blood sugars are consistently between 9 and 12, my doctor has said I have a possible fatty liver and high blood pressure. I have destroyed my body and am really worried I have caused irreversible damage because I now have lost the feeling in two of my toes in my right foot and my whole right leg feels numb and weak. Is this normal, well not normal but a normal symptom of long term high blood sugar? Will I lose my leg?

I’m scared and would really love some advice on what my first steps should be. I’ve started to lose weight via weight watchers but there is so much differing information on what foods I should cut out and what I can eat, to the point where I’m scared to eat anything!

I know this is all my own fault, I am very aware and ashamed of that but now I have been shocked in to actively trying to get healthier and better. With hard work will I be able to get better? Or is it too late for me?

I’m currently taking Metformin 500mg twice a day and Jardiance 10mg once a day. It has helped a little I think but I think my medications need to be looked at maybe.

Any information or advice would be really appreciated and greatly helpful!

Thank you.

 

[Christy]

Hello @Hannah84 and welcome to the forum. I'm sure there will be people along soon with some helpful suggestions. Losing weight and keeping it off is difficult, isn't it? Please don't be ashamed. You're only young and I'm sure there are things you can do to improve your health. Take care 🙂

 

[Hannah84]

Thank you for your reply Christy, it’s very appreciated! Losing weight and keeping it off is very difficult, I agree! But well done on your amazing weight loss!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Hannah84

Sorry you have been having such a difficult time

Well done for taking the decision to try to turn things around. Try not to be too hard on yourself for things you wish had gone differently in the past. Guilt and shame can be a lead weight dragging you down and sapping your belief that you can change things for the better - which you definitely can!

You can’t change the past, but you can learn from it. What really matters is not what has gone before, but what you do next. Over the years I’ve seen countless forum members reach this kind of turning point, just as you have, and it becomes a real catalyst for positive change. Many commenting that they feel better in themselves, fitter, and happier than they have been for years.

You’ve already taken the biggest and most important step - deciding that you want to change things.

Food can be such a confusing tooic! And while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you have probably cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.

One starting point that many members have used is to start a really honest food diary. Note down everything you eat and drink for a week or two, along with an estimate of the total carbohydrate content in it (not just the ‘of which sugars’). The great thing about this is it begins to focus your mind on the distribution of food in your days - some eating and snacking can be so mindless and automatic that you hardly even notice you are doing it, much less enjoy it!

Keeping a food diary and note of the total carbs will also begin to show you how the carbohydrates in your meals and snacks are distributed - which are the ‘big hitters’, and where there might be some easy wins and swaps to reduce your total carbohydrate intake.

It’s not that you need to avoid carbs entirely, but you need to find the portions, and the types that suit your body, and balance well with your level of activity, metabolism and any meds you are taking.

Good luck, and let us know how things go 🙂

 

[NotPink]

Hi Hannah
Welcome
Do you use a Blood Glucose monitor? You can buy them online or from chemists and you can see more clearly which foods are upping your BG levels. It is recommended that you do a fingerpick test just before you eat and 2 hours after you have eaten. The readings 2 hours after should be no more than 2 or 3 higher than the first reading. It will help you keep tabs on foods that you need to cut down or remove depending on the levels. It is a useful way to keep tabs on your reactions to your diet.
Once you see any improvements you will feel you are on the right track. Shout out any time here cos there are loads of folk who will try to help. Take care.

 

[ColinUK]

Hi @Hannah84 I understand your struggles with mental ill health and with eating/weight as I'm the same. I lost quite a bit of weight on diagnosis but have put some of it back on during an incredibly stressful year. Thankfully my blood glucose levels are now seemingly more on track once more.

You mention things the doctor have said about potential high blood pressure and other things but did you tell them about the loss of feeling and change of sensation in your toes and leg? If you've not done that yet then I'd suggest contacting the GP or your diabetes team (whether that's a diabetes nurse or a hospital/clinic team) and tell them what's going on.
If you're not confident doing that just yet perhaps a call to the Diabetes UK helpline might be able to answer some immediate concerns and help you through the next steps. I'm loathed to make this suggestion as it may cause some element of panic and that's not my intention but there is also the option of going to A&E if that's what you're most comfortable doing given your own mental health. You do what's right for you but do reach out to someone and tell them about the loss of sensation as it's important.

As @everydayupsanddowns says above try not to be too hard on yourself for decisions you made in the past (or decisions you didn't make) as when you made them they were the best possible decisions you could have made at the time. To paraphrase a million self-help books you can't change the past, you can't know the future, all you can know for certain is the now so concentrate on that. You've taken a huge step by posting on this forum and I applaud you for your courage in doing so.

 

[rebrascora]

I think many of us know that feeling of guilt and embarrassment, but it isn't helpful so either abandon it or use it to motivate you to make the changes you need to.
I also struggle with mental health problems and have been a disordered eater for many years and at diagnosis I would go so far as to say I was a sugar addict. The cravings were almost constant and I had no off switch, but I have eaten too much sugar, sweets and chocolate for years as well as increasing savoury carb intake. My idea of a healthy meal would be 4 slices of wholemeal bread, toasted with a whole tin of baked beans and I would still be hungry 2 hours later and looking for a snack.
Cutting the carbs and eating more fat has helped me gain control of my eating and I don't even need any willpower to continue like this. I enjoy my food. I have luxuries and treats like double cream in my morning coffee (cream has less carbs than milk) and cheese most evenings with a small glass of red or port or maybe a pot of olives and a G&T. I absolutely love the fact that I am no longer at the whim of those cravings. I eat much less now and don't feel hungry. I eat natural, unprocessed foods as much as possible but I totally ignore the NHS low fat advice because that fat stops me from feeling hungry and helps control those cravings. That has been my experience and there are others here who have found the same and lost weight in the process.

I would whole heartedly agree that getting a BG meter and testing will help you to see which foods are causing you too much BG upheaval and help discourage you from eating them, but also motivate you when you make the right decisions and you see positive results. So many people with diabetes don't have symptoms, so it is easy to bury your head in the sand but the readings on a BG meter give you a view of what is really happening on a day by day and meal by meal basis and that hugely beneficial but sadly very underestimated by many health care professionals.