Hello Everyone

[Elaine lantsbury]

Hello, I am 48 years old and I recently got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and fair to say I’m struggling. I would like some support and to support people back. I also hope to maybe make some new friends. I look forward to hearing from some of you.

 

[KARNAK]

Hello @Elaine lantsbury welcome to the forum.

As @Anitram says in what way can we help you? by joining the forum you have gained
a great many friends. Please tell us a bit more about yourself and any medication you may
be on especially for your T2, also any test results you may have these are readily available
from your GP.

Hope to hear from you soon take care stay safe.

 

[Elaine lantsbury]

Hello @Elaine lantsbury welcome to the forum.

As @Anitram says in what way can we help you? by joining the forum you have gained
a great many friends. Please tell us a bit more about yourself and any medication you may
be on especially for your T2, also any test results you may have these are readily available
from your GP.

Hope to hear from you soon take care stay safe.

 

[Elaine lantsbury]

I’m on metformin 500mg 1x3 a day
Also on canagliflozin 300mg 1 to take daily.
I’m finding cutting out chocolate and sweet things hard , just because I’ve not thought about it before, I find I’m tired . I’m the only one in the family to have it, my gran had it years ago .I do feel alone in this .

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Do you know what your HbA1c reading is. That is the test result which the doctor uses to diagnose diabetes. It is usually a number higher of 48 or more but if it is very high, perhaps into 3 digits it can make you feel very washed out/fatigued.

I was a total chocoholic and sugar addict pre diagnosis so I know what it is like but that had to stop straight away because this is a serious condition which needs you to manage it well or risk losing your health and being a burden to people. I now eat the odd square of dark 70%+ chocolate with a spoon of peanut butter to bulk it out but it is an acquired taste if you are used to milk chocolate and I found that going cold turkey with all sweet stuff re-sensitised me to sweetness and I can now taste sweetness in things that previously tasted sour or bitter and made me cringe (gooseberries and blackcurrants etc), so I think it probably helps to cut all that sweet stuff out altogether at first.

Unfortunately, diabetes is not just about sugar and sweet stuff though. The body breaks down all carbohydrates into glucose in the digestive system. As an example, a slice of bread contains the equivalent of 3 spoons of sugar, so you need to cut down on these starchy carbs too. That means reducing portion size on things made from grains, ie anything containing flour like bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, pastry, noodles etc and rice and oats and barley and root veg like potatoes, sweet potato and parsnips.
That may seem like there is not much left to eat but it can actually be a very enjoyable way to eat once you get the hang of it and you tend to find that once you stop eating so many carbohydrate rich foods, your body stops craving them and you need less food in general. Meat, fish, eggs, mushrooms and cheese are all low carb and lots of healthy greens like cabbage and kale and spinach, leeks, broccoli and cauliflower, so bulk your plate out with these and I tend to cook them with a knob of butter or a dollop of cream cheese. You have probably been advised to follow a low fat low sugar diet but most of us find that eating more fat when we cut out the sugar and other carbs is not only necessary but we feel better for it and enjoy our food again.... this change of diet has to become a lifestyle so it is important to make it enjoyable.... just in different ways to the previous high sugar, high carb way we used to eat.
I usually start my day with a coffee made with real double cream and end it with a small glass of red wine and a chunk of nice cheese and it is hard to feel badly done to as a result. It is just about changing the way you eat and finding new tastes to enjoy. I used to hate blue cheese and now it is my new chocolate!

Many of us feel that our diagnosis was the impetus we needed to kick us into a new and healthier lifestyle and I have personally seen an improvement in many aspects of my health since I radically changed my diet and incorporated a brisk daily walk into my schedule.... Lost weight (despite eating more fat), significantly reduced joint pain and no more migraines which had been a chronic and debilitating problem for more than 20 years. I haven't had one since diagnosis 18months ago and I can now enjoy a glass of red which was a main trigger. I no longer miss the sweet stuff and my partner can even eat doughnuts or cream scones in front of me and I don't hanker for them. I love having more control over what I eat rather than the constant cravings I had before and never really feeling sated.

Anyway, I hope the above gives you some hope as well as an idea of what you need to cut down on to help manage your diabetes. Diet is a huge factor so don't just expect the tablets to do all the work. We are here to support you and answer any questions.
Good luck

 

[Elaine lantsbury]

Hi again.
You're not the first person to struggle with giving up the sweet stuff and I'm pretty sure you won't be the last.

I find that nut bars satisfy my sweet tooth. ALDI do a dark chocolate & sea salt bar which is only 5.9g carb. Trek do a similar one at 6.9g carb or there are Nature Valley protein bars at just under 10g carb. I always have one or the other in the larder.

Martin

I try and lose weight, ive have a few hobbies, I love walking i have a boarder collie, I love to sew, love to do diamond painting it takes my mind of things. I have depression ive suffered for a few years now , so now getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes its another thing to take in , thank you Martin I will try them .

 

[grovesy]

I try and lose weight, ive have a few hobbies, I love walking i have a boarder collie, I love to sew, love to do diamond painting it takes my mind of things. I have depression ive suffered for a few years now , so now getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes its another thing to take in , thank you Martin I will try them .

As you have depression it might be easier to start by make small changes and build on them when you feel up to it.

 

[KARNAK]

Now you have joined us you will never be alone.

Until you learn how to cope with your big D you will have teething problems,
there are a lot of info on the forum please take advantage of it, the Learning zone
at the top of the page is a great source of info a good place to start.
As @Anitram has said its all about carbohydrates so read all food packaging for
carb content, it will always say carbs of which are sugars underneath it, ignore
the sugars its built into the carbs.

As @rebrascora has detailed in her post a lot to take onboard and I would
certainly take @grovesy advice a little change at a time. Hope we have given
you some ideas and comfort, the forum is available 24/7 take care stay safe.

 

[rebrascora]

Great that you have a collie and that you walk as it is one of the best exercises for lowering BG (Blood Glucose) levels.

It may be worth consciously walking a bit faster than your normal pace to slowly improve your fitness and I am sure your collie will happily keep up.
I have several walk speeds now....
Stroll is what most people seem to do when they walk their dogs because they are not in a hurry to get anywhere in particular.... I now overtake these people on my daily walk each day.
Brisk walk is where I swing my legs a bit faster than I normally would and it gets me breathing a bit deeper. It is the sort of pace you would use to get to an appointment if you were running a bit late.
Yomp is where I extend the length of my stride as well as well as walking briskly and is quite exertive, particularly going up hills (I have lived at the bottom of a steep hill almost all my life!) and really improves your fitness.

Rather than just stroll every day with the dog, think about increasing the pace a bit and work on increasing the distance. Being out in the fresh air and getting exercise is great for mental health as well as diabetes and I speak from experience on both.

 

[Elaine lantsbury]

Thank you all I will take in what you all have mentioned that gives me reassurance thank you so much,

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Elaine lantsbury

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and the challenges you face with mental health.

We are a friendly bunch and we have literally centuries of lived diabetes experience on the forum. Ask away with any questions - nothing will be considered too obvious or ‘silly’ 🙂