Hello
@Elsie66 and welcome from me as well.
There are many of us here that are facing the challenge of living with diabetes, and I hope that you find some help on the many discussion links on the forum.
I have also struggled with trying to control weight and keep blood sugars under control for many years, but have eventually found a solution that works for most of the time for me.
We are are all different though, and I hope that eventually you find your solution as well.
What works for me is a low carb diet typically :
As well as cutting out all the sugary things, I cut down on the carbs particularly the ‘white’ (bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc ) and mainly eat fish, poultry, yoghurt, some cheeses, nuts and seeds, and have learned to love vegetables (Those that grow above the ground are the lowest in carbs).
I also try to avoid too much processed food, and to include plenty of fibre from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty, especially by adding herbs and spices and olive/rapeseed oils.
Fruit is quite high in natural sugars but these are still carbohydrates and will raise the Blood Glucose, so I limit to just one portion a day. Berries like raspberries or strawberries or blackberries are best.
@everydayupsanddowns has already suggested some useful links, and I would particularly recommend
Maggie Davey's letter, that shows how this lady approached the problem.
Very best wishes, and I hope you keep posting and let us know how it goes, and we will always try to answer any questions.
