Hello - New T2 here :-(

[FredX]

What-ho everyone,

After a bit of a mix up with blood tests for my mild hyper-tension and a change of doctors I was officially diagnosed with type 2, (55 mmol/l). I’m 87 kg, so I need to loose a few grams as well, cholesterol is 5.2🙂

I have another blood test in March until then I have to do something called exercise (I have googled it - doesn’t look fun 🙂 )
I have started to swim 2/3 times a week before I go to work. May try and get up to every day, but small steps.

And unfortunately no more of those lovely KFC
No more toast and jam

I have to eat something called vegetables.

Well I had a good run 🙂

Googling what is ok to eat is a nightmare, one site says this another site says the opposite, another site it depends…

Keep the carbs to low but not too low, but no real number, eat more fibre but don’t over do it…

Then on the packets it says carbohydrates x grams of which is sugars…

What on earth does that mean?
If the cars are high but the sugar value is low it’s ok?

So confused.

So far I think;

Weetabix and Shredded Wheat are ok-ish breakfasts, (better than sugar puffs - a bit of a clue in the name eh 🙂) just don’t eat too much - control the portion size.

I am hoping that Weetabix etc. will be ok for a late-night snack, but then I read, don’t eat after 8pm so I have a 12 hour fast.
So confusing. The left-hand giveth and the right-hand taketh away.🙂

I think 200g of carbs is what i should be looking at to reduce wight and reduce sugar intake, having averaged out numbers from numerous websites.

I have an online Teams meeting with the NHS diabetics team soon.
So hopefully I may get some more useful information.

But now i have found this site and this looks promising, I have read a lot of excellent advice so far.

So hopefully with help from the members here I can get things on track and hopefully, stabilise my numbers and if possible reduce them.

My wife is getting some diabetic friendly recipe books too.

I just have to get my head into being diabetic and eating properly.

So the fun begins 🙂

 

[timehastoldme]

Hi Fred, similar position to you, my bloods came back 59 in December after being investigated for hypertension.

Carbohydrates are all foods based on sugar subunits. Some are simple, so very close to the basic sugar unit, these are quick to get into the blood and will spike the blood glucose. Most sweet things will be full of them. Some carbs are made up of two sugar units, like lactose, and some are made of loads of sugar units, like starch. When the packet says "of which sugars" it's usually referring to the very simple carbohydrates. When it says carbohydrates, it means both.

Starch is made up of glucose, loads of it, and digestion starts in the mouth. Starch to maltose, then more in the intestines, maltose to glucose, and into the blood. So bread, potatoes, cereals etc, complex carbs that all eventually become the same sugar that gets loaded into the blood.

Some carbs are not digestible by us, that's roughage, cellulose in plant cell walls, we can't make use of that sugar, that'll pass through. That's why some recipes/packets talk about net carbs. That'll be your total carbs, minus fibre or anything indigestible.

Since I had my phone call (3rd of December I think) minus a couple of indulgences (Christmas pudding and ice cream when I had the worse of the laryngitis) I've kept my carbs below 120g a day, usually around 80.

There's a free app, Cronometer, it's really useful. Try spending a few days plugging in everything you eat, it's a real eye opener. Bananas, oh that was a shock. But genuinely since the changes, I've had more energy and more optimism and lots of useful advice from this forum.

Good luck!

 

[FredX]

Thank you.

I have just installed the Cronometer App, I was just setting up a speedsheet to try and calulate my intake.

Hopefully the App will make life easier.

So if i understand what your saying, and i may not, just at the start of this learnig curve.

If a food says carbohydrates 10g of which 8g is sugar that means;

I am taking on-board 10g of sugars (more or less) but 8g will hit the blood straigt away but the other 2g will take longer to get into the blood.

Pity the GI isn't on the food label as well as the other data.

thanks for the advice.

 

[JimmyBlue]

Hi @FredX welcome to the forum a HbA1c of 55 is not too bad, some on here were higher (I was 86 when diagnosed end of September) but there are people whose HbA1c was in the three figure range. The changes you are making are really good and will help you get both weight and BG levels down over time.

As others will advise moving to something like 130g/day is likely to shift weight faster and as @timehastoldme says, forget the sugar figure. Although in the UK, if that is where you are based, the idea of net carbs is not relevant (total carbs already excludes fibre) and even the FDA in the US advises against it as there is no legal definition for what it means.

These forums are an excellent place to ask questions and as everyone says, no such thing as stupid question. You will see rants, posts of joy when people get their HbA1c right down and of course, loads of information on diet, measuring, monitoring devices and recipes to help you achieve your target of not letting diabetes beat you.

 

[Leadinglights]

What-ho everyone,

After a bit of a mix up with blood tests for my mild hyper-tension and a change of doctors I was officially diagnosed with type 2, (55 mmol/l). I’m 87 kg, so I need to loose a few grams as well, cholesterol is 5.2🙂

I have another blood test in March until then I have to do something called exercise (I have googled it - doesn’t look fun 🙂 )
I have started to swim 2/3 times a week before I go to work. May try and get up to every day, but small steps.

And unfortunately no more of those lovely KFC
No more toast and jam

I have to eat something called vegetables.

Well I had a good run 🙂

Googling what is ok to eat is a nightmare, one site says this another site says the opposite, another site it depends…

Keep the carbs to low but not too low, but no real number, eat more fibre but don’t over do it…

Then on the packets it says carbohydrates x grams of which is sugars…

What on earth does that mean?
If the cars are high but the sugar value is low it’s ok?

So confused.

So far I think;

Weetabix and Shredded Wheat are ok-ish breakfasts, (better than sugar puffs - a bit of a clue in the name eh 🙂) just don’t eat too much - control the portion size.

I am hoping that Weetabix etc. will be ok for a late-night snack, but then I read, don’t eat after 8pm so I have a 12 hour fast.
So confusing. The left-hand giveth and the right-hand taketh away.🙂

I think 200g of carbs is what i should be looking at to reduce wight and reduce sugar intake, having averaged out numbers from numerous websites.

I have an online Teams meeting with the NHS diabetics team soon.
So hopefully I may get some more useful information.

But now i have found this site and this looks promising, I have read a lot of excellent advice so far.

So hopefully with help from the members here I can get things on track and hopefully, stabilise my numbers and if possible reduce them.

My wife is getting some diabetic friendly recipe books too.

I just have to get my head into being diabetic and eating properly.

So the fun begins 🙂

So much information out there and some of it not helpful. Bear in mind that you are looking for what applies to people who are Type 2 who are managing their condition by diet and exercise as you are not on medication as that makes a difference as to what dietary approach will be suitable.
The general advise is that no more than 130g carbs not just sugar per day is a good starting point. Carb information on packets is the important one as ALL carbs convert to glucose. It is only if two products have the same carbs that you might choose the one with the lower sugar. Fibre is important in reducing the possibility of constipation and there is no need to opt for low fat unless you need to for other medical conditions. Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables, salads and fruit like berries with only small portions of any high carb foods. Cutting out cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks and many people will not have potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry, bread, breakfast cereals, tropical fruits except in very small portions.
This link is a good place to start and is an approach which many have found successful in losing weight and reducing blood glucose. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Good on you for starting the swimming but brisk walking can also be effective./

 

[silver minion]

Hello @FredX and welcome to the forum. I hope you are finding useful information here.
Just to clarify some of the points you mentioned. If your HbA1c result is 54 the measurement is mmol/mol.

As far as carbohydrates go. You body breaks them down into sugars, so you can ignore the sugars content on food labels and just look at the carbs per 100g or per serving.
If you are trying to lose some weight and reduce your blood sugars cutting down on your carbs will help. This includes all grains, cereal, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes as well as cakes, pastries and biscuits. A lot of T2s on the forum found less than 130g carbs per day worked for them. It's worth looking at the freshwell app for meal suggestions. The Carbs and Cals book give you good information on portion sizes of every common foods. I found it helped me modify my meals with swaps for lower carb options and watching portion size. I currently eat approx 150g carbs per day as I don't want to lose weight and I am taking Gliclazide.

The swimming is great exercise along with any regular activity. You don't need to go to the gym if it's not your thing. A brisk walk at lunchtime is good. Exercise after a meal helps bring your blood sugars down.
Everyone's journey with diabetes is quite individual so try out some of the suggestions and find what works for you. The changes you make need to be sustainable as there is no short term fix. Enjoy your meals and fill the plate with meat or fish and veg so there's not much room for potatoes etc.

Finally it is very confusing and bewildering at first so ask any questions you like. There is always someone here who can help.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you.

I have just installed the Cronometer App, I was just setting up a speedsheet to try and calulate my intake.

Hopefully the App will make life easier.

So if i understand what your saying, and i may not, just at the start of this learnig curve.

If a food says carbohydrates 10g of which 8g is sugar that means;

I am taking on-board 10g of sugars (more or less) but 8g will hit the blood straigt away but the other 2g will take longer to get into the blood.

Pity the GI isn't on the food label as well as the other data.

thanks for the advice.

You may confuse yourself by looking at the sugar or make it more complicated so just look at the carbohydrates. GI is really a red herring as the GI of a food depends on ones individual metabolism and gut flora but also what the food is eating in combination with.
There are lists of high, medium and low GI foods but the way that is determined is in lab conditions not in a real body.
If a food is listed as 10g carbohydrate per 100g and you eat 100g then you will have had 10g carbs irrespective of what the 'sugar' is. The 'sugar' component may be metabolised more quickly than the starch depending on your gut flora and your own insulin production and how effectively that works.

 

[FredX]

So much information out there and some of it not helpful. Bear in mind that you are looking for what applies to people who are Type 2 who are managing their condition by diet and exercise as you are not on medication as that makes a difference as to what dietary approach will be suitable.
The general advise is that no more than 130g carbs not just sugar per day is a good starting point. Carb information on packets is the important one as ALL carbs convert to glucose. It is only if two products have the same carbs that you might choose the one with the lower sugar. Fibre is important in reducing the possibility of constipation and there is no need to opt for low fat unless you need to for other medical conditions. Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables, salads and fruit like berries with only small portions of any high carb foods. Cutting out cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks and many people will not have potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry, bread, breakfast cereals, tropical fruits except in very small portions.
This link is a good place to start and is an approach which many have found successful in losing weight and reducing blood glucose. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Good on you for starting the swimming but brisk walking can also be effective./

thank you that is useful info.
I try to get 10,000 steps a day if possible.
I think I will have to take the dog out more
I will aim for 130g of starch a day not 200g
thank you

 

[FredX]

You may confuse yourself by looking at the sugar or make it more complicated so just look at the carbohydrates. GI is really a red herring as the GI of a food depends on ones individual metabolism and gut flora but also what the food is eating in combination with.
There are lists of high, medium and low GI foods but the way that is determined is in lab conditions not in a real body.
If a food is listed as 10g carbohydrate per 100g and you eat 100g then you will have had 10g carbs irrespective of what the 'sugar' is. The 'sugar' component may be metabolised more quickly than the starch depending on your gut flora and your own insulin production and how effectively that works.

thank you

 

[FredX]

Hello @FredX and welcome to the forum. I hope you are finding useful information here.
Just to clarify some of the points you mentioned. If your HbA1c result is 54 the measurement is mmol/mol.

As far as carbohydrates go. You body breaks them down into sugars, so you can ignore the sugars content on food labels and just look at the carbs per 100g or per serving.
If you are trying to lose some weight and reduce your blood sugars cutting down on your carbs will help. This includes all grains, cereal, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes as well as cakes, pastries and biscuits. A lot of T2s on the forum found less than 130g carbs per day worked for them. It's worth looking at the freshwell app for meal suggestions. The Carbs and Cals book give you good information on portion sizes of every common foods. I found it helped me modify my meals with swaps for lower carb options and watching portion size. I currently eat approx 150g carbs per day as I don't want to lose weight and I am taking Gliclazide.

The swimming is great exercise along with any regular activity. You don't need to go to the gym if it's not your thing. A brisk walk at lunchtime is good. Exercise after a meal helps bring your blood sugars down.
Everyone's journey with diabetes is quite individual so try out some of the suggestions and find what works for you. The changes you make need to be sustainable as there is no short term fix. Enjoy your meals and fill the plate with meat or fish and veg so there's not much room for potatoes etc.

Finally it is very confusing and bewildering at first so ask any questions you like. There is always someone here who can help.

thank you

so 130 g of carbs. is the target. ignore the sugar number then? just concentrate on teh carbs.

Some of my colleague walk around the factory during lunch break, I think I will join them after my food.

thanks for the info.

 

[FredX]

Hi @FredX welcome to the forum a HbA1c of 55 is not too bad, some on here were higher (I was 86 when diagnosed end of September) but there are people whose HbA1c was in the three figure range. The changes you are making are really good and will help you get both weight and BG levels down over time.

As others will advise moving to something like 130g/day is likely to shift weight faster and as @timehastoldme says, forget the sugar figure. Although in the UK, if that is where you are based, the idea of net carbs is not relevant (total carbs already excludes fibre) and even the FDA in the US advises against it as there is no legal definition for what it means.

These forums are an excellent place to ask questions and as everyone says, no such thing as stupid question. You will see rants, posts of joy when people get their HbA1c right down and of course, loads of information on diet, measuring, monitoring devices and recipes to help you achieve your target of not letting diabetes beat you.

thank you.

yes I am in the UK.

The one thing that i have learnt from all the posts this evening is don't over complicate it.

I will focus on 130g and ignore the sugar numbers.

all the posts have been useful, I have printed this page and will re-read it a few times, i'm old-school I prefere things on paper. Boy am I showing my age.

thank you everyone.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @FredX

Glad you have joined us. Good to see you are developing a plan of action. With a diagnosis at 54mmol/mol you are just a little over the threshold of 48mmol/mol to get a confirmation of T2. Some members of the forum were diagnosed closer to or over 100mmol/mol - so hopefully a few fairly modest tweaks to your menu and a little more walking and activity will give you an encouraging reduction in your levels at your follow-up check.

Usually you wouldn’t get another HbA1c until 3 months have passed, because the HbA1c measures glucose circulation over the lifespan of red blood cells which is approx 120 days.

Let us know how things go, and keep firing away with any questions that arise 🙂

 

[JITR]

Just in case you haven't seen this could be a good starting point:
- https://www.lowcarbfreshwell.com/documents/8/Freshwell_Red_Amber_Green.pdf

Think protein and vegetables !!! That's what I do.

My net carbs on Cronometer come out at 75+/- per day but I don't have porridge (skip breakfast).

 

[silver minion]

thank you.

yes I am in the UK.

The one thing that i have learnt from all the posts this evening is don't over complicate it.

I will focus on 130g and ignore the sugar numbers.

all the posts have been useful, I have printed this page and will re-read it a few times, i'm old-school I prefere things on paper. Boy am I showing my age.

thank you everyone.

Sounds like you have a good working plan
Good luck. We are the same generation who grew up with analogue and moved to digital so although I have been using computers for over 40 years I still like some stuff on paper

 

[FredX]

Welcome to the forum @FredX

Glad you have joined us. Good to see you are developing a plan of action. With a diagnosis at 54mmol/mol you are just a little over the threshold of 48mmol/mol to get a confirmation of T2. Some members of the forum were diagnosed closer to or over 100mmol/mol - so hopefully a few fairly modest tweaks to your menu and a little more walking and activity will give you an encouraging reduction in your levels at your follow-up check.

Usually you wouldn’t get another HbA1c until 3 months have passed, because the HbA1c measures glucose circulation over the lifespan of red blood cells which is approx 120 days.

Let us know how things go, and keep firing away with any questions that arise 🙂

Thank you @silver minion

My next blood test is in March. So I have to focus on the diet and the exercise,

and depending upon the numbers, the doc will make suggest the next step.

It has been very reasuring chatting to people here, put my mind at rest on somethings
and provided lots of usel info. Thanks everyone.

I have been using the Cronometer app today that was recommend.

I failed my carbs target on the very first day
136.3g - i won't beat myself up about the extra 6.3g 🙂

Total Carbs: 136.3 / 1300 (105%)
Energy: 844 / 1300 (65%)
Protein: 39 / 56 (70%)
Fat: 21 / 65 (33%)

the app provided the target values, I only changed the carbs value from the suggested 1460 to 1300.
hope the targets look ok? I know the carbs is correct at 1300g

But as I have reached my carb limit for today that means no late night slice of toast if i get the munchies tonight.
I will just have to starve and perish away 🙂

I managed 6,121 steps, 3.6km according to my phone app, however accurate that is.
But it's an indication if nothing else.

Providing I can get up at 6am I will have a swim for 30 minutes in the morning.
that should burn a few calories and hopefully do some other good stuff to my chemisty.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[FredX]

Just in case you haven't seen this could be a good starting point:
- https://www.lowcarbfreshwell.com/documents/8/Freshwell_Red_Amber_Green.pdf

Think protein and vegetables !!! That's what I do.

My net carbs on Cronometer come out at 75+/- per day but I don't have porridge (skip breakfast).

thanks for the link @JITR

I had not seen it but i have download the page looks very helpful.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you @silver minion

My next blood test is in March. So I have to focus on the diet and the exercise,

and depending upon the numbers, the doc will make suggest the next step.

It has been very reasuring chatting to people here, put my mind at rest on somethings
and provided lots of usel info. Thanks everyone.

I have been using the Cronometer app today that was recommend.

I failed my carbs target on the very first day
136.3g - i won't beat myself up about the extra 6.3g 🙂

Total Carbs: 136.3 / 1300 (105%)
Energy: 844 / 1300 (65%)
Protein: 39 / 56 (70%)
Fat: 21 / 65 (33%)

the app provided the target values, I only changed the carbs value from the suggested 1460 to 1300.
hope the targets look ok? I know the carbs is correct at 1300g

But as I have reached my carb limit for today that means no late night slice of toast if i get the munchies tonight.
I will just have to starve and perish away 🙂

I managed 6,121 steps, 3.6km according to my phone app, however accurate that is.
But it's an indication if nothing else.

Providing I can get up at 6am I will have a swim for 30 minutes in the morning.
that should burn a few calories and hopefully do some other good stuff to my chemisty.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

/Are you sure you don't mean Calories at 1300 not carbs
If you want a snack, nuts or a bit of cheese/

 

[timehastoldme]

Adjusting to the reduction in carbs takes a bit of time as you figure out how much different food contains, 136 is great for your first day of monitoring, I bet if you shoved in the data for a typical day pre diagnosis, you'd be impressed at how different today was!

Sounds like a brilliant start to me ☺️

Commiserations on the toast, we had a roast tonight and my mum and husband have told me the spuds were very good. Didn't even swear at them ☺️

 

[FredX]

/Are you sure you don't mean Calories at 1300 not carbs
If you want a snack, nuts or a bit of cheese/

ah - yes - opps - well spotted

Calories 1,300

Carbs 130g

Don't nuts have carbs in them ?

i'm already at 136g

 

[Lisa65]

A small handful of almonds only has about 3g of carbs Fred
I tend to get the munchies late evening and a few nuts satisfies the urge.