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MillyZ

MillyZ

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello 🙂

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I am really struggling to sort my self out in terms of losing weight and getting my diabetes under control. I have a major sweet tooth so I am always eating chocolate or biscuits which I know isn't good.

If anyone has any tips for me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance 🙂 x
 
Hi MillyZ and welcome. I started with the numbers as a way of getting a handle of where I was and where I needed to get. Two numbers are fundamental. Your HbA1c blood test result and your BMI. The first, the HbA1c, is a good measure of how diabetic you are and the and the second tells you whether your weight might be a contributing factor. From those numbers you can begin to work out a plan to get things under control. Sounds a bit clinical I know but its a way of getting a perspective on things.
 
Hello and welcome MillyZ. 🙂 I have no advice, I am the world's worst diabetic, numpty is my middle name. Low carb is the way to go though. 🙂
 
Hello Millie and welcome. Both comments above are quite right and you will find by reducing your carb intake you will lose weight. It is a shame you have a sweet tooth as you will have to seriously scale that back, I loved all breads, crisps etc and so I know how impossible it seems. However once you can get your head around it you will be surprised how you manage to adapt. I still have the occasional sandwich or packet of crisps but that is not often and we are all human. Have a good look through the posts and ask any questions you have, we are all happy to help. Once you know your numbers and see them moving in the right direction it really encourages you to keep going until it becomes second nature x
 
Forget the weightloss - concentrate on lowering your blood glucose - that is vital.
If you stop eating the sweet stuff then you will stop craving it, and many people remark on how sickeningly sweet their formerly favourite foods are, once they've regained their sense of taste - which sugary and starchy foods tends to deaden.
By cutting out the high carb foods you can - with any luck, beat diabetes and get normal test results.
 
Hello MillyZ welcome. I understand it’s very daunting at diagnosis and having a sweet tooth myself I completely empathise. Take your time and find out what works for you. Several people remove carbs to an extremely low amount, others balance them. I’ve found Dukan diet recipes very helpful as they allow some sweet treats that are made without wheat and lots of butter. I made a pannetone at Christmas which used whisked egg whites and sweeteners. Also, think of diabetes as a marathon not a sprint. Once you get used to the idea think about what you can sustain longer term rather than try a diet that is so restrictive you can’t maintain it. If I eat a treat, I plan for it, enjoy it and remind myself that it’s occasional. Good luck !
 
Thank you everyone for being so welcoming and for your advice. I will take everything on board! I'm starting a diet on Wednesday, well not a diet as such as more of a lifestyle change because I do eat so much rubbish its ridiculous and I really want to get my diabetes under control. I have started to eat two oranges and a banana in the morning before my lunch which stops me craving chocolate and biscuits as much. Thank you for all of your help 🙂 x
 
Hi Milly, don't want to confuse things but two oranges would be a bad idea for me. I do blood monitoring and can detect the effect of a small orange on my blood glucose measurements. A big orange, or an apple give a distinct spike. Not tried banana but think it might do the same. Those fruits are more carby than you think because of the fruit sugars.

This whole thing about diet and dieting is not as straightforward as some would like to make out. It's not difficult, but there is no blanket solution where doing one thing will put everything right for everybody. The oft quoted eat five portions of fruit or veg a day (which really has no technical basis) is a good idea if you are not diabetic but needs a bit of tempering if you are adjusting your diet (as opposed to dieting) to get your blood glucose down.

The way I think about it is to go back to the numbers. Somebody who is overweight (BMI +30) and a bit diabetic (HbA1C 50-60) has more options than somebody who has a healthy weight (BMI around 25) but is very diabetic (HbA1c of 80+). If there are other issues, for example high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then these need to be taken ito account. There are lots of different ways to go and a little bit of thought and planning up front will help in picking what is best for you.
 
As above Milly. I think the impact of sugar may be high for you of 3 pieces of fruit. When eating fruit I can personally tolerate berries and a small amount of apple, nectarine or plum as part of a dessert made without sugar or lower in carbs. As a snack would you consider half an apple with a few nuts? This way you get some protein, which slows down the release of the sugar in the fruit. You could consider making your own treats without sugar that are lower in carbs but I do understand it’s a time issue. Do you enjoy cooking? For chocolate fix you may like to check out Hotel Chocolat Supermilk, which is low sugar and very tasty. Fortunately the price tag stops me eating too much 🙂
 
Bananas worst of all for me, solid starch :(
 
Hello and welcome to the Forum. I was surprised when I first joined here as to how bad my diet actually was. muesli and toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, potatoes in the evening, jacket potatoes when I was out, pasta, rice, and loads of fresh fruit. I thought I was OK because I only had chocolate sometimes, did not eat too many cakes and biscuits and only had desserts when I went out for a meal which was about once a month. I used to eat more sweet things when I was younger but stopped having so much when I got older as I did not want to put on weight.

When I was diagnosed pre-diabetic I stopped eating bread, potatoes, breakfast cereal, pasta and rice. I was always craving carbs when I was eating all this the whole time. When I cut it out I found I did not want it. Now, ,if I do occasionally have a dessert when I got out for a meal I find I don't really care for it that much as my "sweet tooth" has diminished greatly. you may find this will happen if you cut them down or out.

I was pre-diabetic but was allowed to come on here and found it extremely helpful. I was diagnosed at 42, then 43, sent on a prevention course and had four normal results 33, 35, 37, 35 using a machine rather than being done by the Phlebotomist and checked in a lab. Took more notice of people on here if I am honest though as I did not care for the "eat well" plate as I felt there was too much bread, potatoes, pasta etc. Anyway, GP decided to recheck via the hospital labs and I had gone to 42 again. Another test last week was 40 which GP is happy with but will test again next year. I am self-testing again to see if I can get it down a bit more.
 
Hahaha @Maz2 i have exactly the same opinion of that Eatwell plate rollicks.
 
Oh dear - oranges and bananas are full of starches and sugars - those are just as much carbohydrates as the starches and sugars in biscuits and milk chocolate.
 
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