Hello

[Wilsh]

Hello all, I have just been diagnosed with type two diabetes, at the moment I’m a week in with metiform and I have been given no information I am trying to learn the best way to help myself but at the moment I am just finding it so mind blowing. How did everyone else find it when they was a new diabetic

 

[Maria DUK]

Hello @Wilsh and welcome to the forum! How have you found it on metformin? It can all feel so overwhelming at the start as there's so much info out there but eventually you find your feet in it all! I'm sure the users on the forum will reassure you in that they felt similarly at the start.

Hope you have a lovely evening!

 

[trophywench]

In a word - devastating! And they hadn't invented the internet then, so you were literally, on your own. On the other hand it did make me determined to find out as much as I could about it, and that is exactly why I'm on here now, trying to encourage everyone to learn much more about their own body, how it works, how it malfunctions, what we can do to help it. Hence - I'm saying get yourself over to the Learning Zone!

PS Welcome to the club nobody wanted to join!

 

[Wilsh]

Hello @Wilsh and welcome to the forum! How have you found it on metformin? It can all feel so overwhelming at the start as there's so much info out there but eventually you find your feet in it all! I'm sure the users on the forum will reassure you in that they felt similarly at the start.

Hope you have a lovely evening!

Many thanks for the reassurance, at the start of the week I had a few really bad headaches but they seem to have calm down now. I am finding it hard to understand it all but I’m sure I will.

Have a nice evening yourself and thank you

 

[Maria DUK]

Many thanks for the reassurance, at the start of the week I had a few really bad headaches but they seem to have calm down now. I am finding it hard to understand it all but I’m sure I will.

Have a nice evening yourself and thank you

So glad to hear your headaches have calmed down! It's okay, there is no rush to understand it all, just take it bit by bit 🙂
Thanks a lot!

 

[Drummer]

Hello all, I have just been diagnosed with type two diabetes, at the moment I’m a week in with metiform and I have been given no information I am trying to learn the best way to help myself but at the moment I am just finding it so mind blowing. How did everyone else find it when they was a new diabetic

I was ticked off to find that my entire adult life I'd been told it was somehow my fault that eating carbs made me feel unwell only to have it confirmed in my mid 60s that I could not deal with high levels of carbs.
Well who'd ever have thought that eh?
My mind was soon diverted to other matters as the Metformin and Atorvastatin completely took over my life with their side effects and I was pretty much incapacitated.
I got a professional quality carpet/upholstery cleaner to deal with the consequences, but I was far better off once the tablets were in the bin and I was just using diet to control blood glucose.

 

[Wilsh]

I was ticked off to find that my entire adult life I'd been told it was somehow my fault that eating carbs made me feel unwell only to have it confirmed in my mid 60s that I could not deal with high levels of carbs.
Well who'd ever have thought that eh?
My mind was soon diverted to other matters as the Metformin and Atorvastatin completely took over my life with their side effects and I was pretty much incapacitated.
I got a professional quality carpet/upholstery cleaner to deal with the consequences, but I was far better off once the tablets were in the bin and I was just using diet to control blood glucose.

Oh wow bad side effects for you then! Carbs are my diet and I was devastated to know I wasn’t allowed them but I was trying to hard to come up with alternatives. I’m understanding now that I can still have them but a small amount it’s all

 

[Felinia]

Hello and welcome
It can feel overwhelming at first, but you will be pleased to know that these feeling do reduce as you learn more about how to deal with Diabetes.
Are you willing to share some information about yourself- for example your HbA1c result, how you came to be diagnosed and any other medical conditions/medications you take? This will help us make appropriate suggestions to any questions you may have. You need to know where you are starting from, so you can monitor your progress.
The best place to start is the Learning Zone - orange tab above. This will take you through all you need to know, but I suggest you take it slowly, perhaps one module a day, so you can absorb everything. I started with the food information, then the exercise option, before working through the others.
Then you need to keep an honest food diary. I got an app which records all my cals and carbs by meal, by day and by week. There are several on the market - I use NutraCheck which is UK based and offers a free 7 day trial, then a small monthly fee. I input my daily meal plan first thing each day, and post it to keep myself honest! For example, this is today's post:

1361cals, 79.2m carbs of which 45.6gm sugars

B: Vanilla and almond Exante
L: Poached egg, grilled bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes
D: Pork and apple burger, new potato, cauliflower, sprouts, cabbage, apple gravy
E: Aquafit

There is also MyFitnessPal which is USA based and I believe free, or Cals and Carbs. You will need to weigh your food at first - no guesstimating - but you will soon get to recognise portion sizes. I only weigh for protein, carbs and new foods now - not veggies or salads.
It is suggested Type 2 diabetics would benefit from having less than 130gm carbs a day. This does NOT mean no carbs. Every person is different so it does take some trial and error to find out what suits your own body. I experimented between 50gm and 130gm carbs a day, setting around 75gm.
I also had great fun experimenting with different recipes to find lower carb versions. For example, I have roasted squash instead of chips, wedges or roasties, lots of cauliflower as rice or mash, soy bean pasta rather than wheat pasta. I have found I can take a medium slice from a 400gm wholemeal loaf with my boiled egg, or up to 100gm new potato with my main meal. But again, everyone has different tolerances. I make lots of my own meals and soups in my slow cooker to control what goes in. Bung it in first thing, and a hot meal awaits by the evening. Fruit is something to be careful with. I was told a portion size was 80gm (5 strawberries!), berries are best and no more than 2 a day. Tropical fruits and grapes are lethal!
Exercise is important too. It can be something as simple as a 30 minute walk a day, with or without dog. My 80+ neighbour cycles twice a week, and I do aquafit 2/3 times a week. My pool opens at 6am to 10pm, and has daytime (pensioners/mums) and evening (workers) classes in the pool. You can even exercise at home sitting on a chair, watching YouTube exercise videos.
You asked how it worked at first. Well my HbA1c was 57 on diagnosis, and I reduced it to 48 in 3 months. Then I became ill with a mystery infection and shot up to 88 (infection can cause blood sugar to rise). It has taken time but by following this pattern I have chipped away and am back to 53, and my renal function is finally normal again. This is a lifestyle change for life, but many people find they feel better than they have done for years.
Please ask away - no question is silly, and we have all asked them. Best wishes

 

[Toddyken]

Hi, I’m 5 weeks in now and it’s certainly getting easier and making more sense, this group is amazing and I have learnt everything I know from the group. Like Felina said it helps to have an app that tracks your food, fats, carbs etc, I’m use MyFitnessPal, it scans everything I eat and I just need to weigh things,, then input into the app. It is free UK based. I’ve learnt nothing is a silly question so fire them away. Good Luck

 

[Leadinglights]

I had been prediabetic for some time but some changes in my life, retirement so less exercise and the piece of cake with an afternoon cuppa and I just tipped over into the diabetic zone with an HbA1C of 50mmol/mol. I basically followed the principals in this link https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/, basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, vegetables and salads and fruit like berries, I reduced my carbs to 70g per day and it was not hard to find lower carb substitutes. I limited any carby veg to only 1 per meal and the rest would be green veg or salads, which don't need to be just boring lettuce, tomato and cucumber but lots of other things as well.
I reduced my HbA1C to 42mmol/mol in 3 months and to 36mmol/mol in another 6 months. I was lucky that my GP didn't suggest metformin as I was terrified of the thought of taking it as I seem to have bad reactions to some meds.

 

[Wilsh]

Hello and welcome
It can feel overwhelming at first, but you will be pleased to know that these feeling do reduce as you learn more about how to deal with Diabetes.
Are you willing to share some information about yourself- for example your HbA1c result, how you came to be diagnosed and any other medical conditions/medications you take? This will help us make appropriate suggestions to any questions you may have. You need to know where you are starting from, so you can monitor your progress.
The best place to start is the Learning Zone - orange tab above. This will take you through all you need to know, but I suggest you take it slowly, perhaps one module a day, so you can absorb everything. I started with the food information, then the exercise option, before working through the others.
Then you need to keep an honest food diary. I got an app which records all my cals and carbs by meal, by day and by week. There are several on the market - I use NutraCheck which is UK based and offers a free 7 day trial, then a small monthly fee. I input my daily meal plan first thing each day, and post it to keep myself honest! For example, this is today's post:

1361cals, 79.2m carbs of which 45.6gm sugars

B: Vanilla and almond Exante
L: Poached egg, grilled bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes
D: Pork and apple burger, new potato, cauliflower, sprouts, cabbage, apple gravy
E: Aquafit

There is also MyFitnessPal which is USA based and I believe free, or Cals and Carbs. You will need to weigh your food at first - no guesstimating - but you will soon get to recognise portion sizes. I only weigh for protein, carbs and new foods now - not veggies or salads.
It is suggested Type 2 diabetics would benefit from having less than 130gm carbs a day. This does NOT mean no carbs. Every person is different so it does take some trial and error to find out what suits your own body. I experimented between 50gm and 130gm carbs a day, setting around 75gm.
I also had great fun experimenting with different recipes to find lower carb versions. For example, I have roasted squash instead of chips, wedges or roasties, lots of cauliflower as rice or mash, soy bean pasta rather than wheat pasta. I have found I can take a medium slice from a 400gm wholemeal loaf with my boiled egg, or up to 100gm new potato with my main meal. But again, everyone has different tolerances. I make lots of my own meals and soups in my slow cooker to control what goes in. Bung it in first thing, and a hot meal awaits by the evening. Fruit is something to be careful with. I was told a portion size was 80gm (5 strawberries!), berries are best and no more than 2 a day. Tropical fruits and grapes are lethal!
Exercise is important too. It can be something as simple as a 30 minute walk a day, with or without dog. My 80+ neighbour cycles twice a week, and I do aquafit 2/3 times a week. My pool opens at 6am to 10pm, and has daytime (pensioners/mums) and evening (workers) classes in the pool. You can even exercise at home sitting on a chair, watching YouTube exercise videos.
You asked how it worked at first. Well my HbA1c was 57 on diagnosis, and I reduced it to 48 in 3 months. Then I became ill with a mystery infection and shot up to 88 (infection can cause blood sugar to rise). It has taken time but by following this pattern I have chipped away and am back to 53, and my renal function is finally normal again. This is a lifestyle change for life, but many people find they feel better than they have done for years.
Please ask away - no question is silly, and we have all asked them. Best wishes

Hi

Wow that is all a big help so far, I didn’t know where to start, how many carbs sugars etc….I don’t understand if you count the carbs or sugars as the labels say so many carbs of which is sugars what reading I’m I supposed to be looking at, example if something says 0.7g of sugar but it’s 17g of carbs ?? It will take me a long time to get my head round but I will get it,basically I have too.

I have been overweight best part of my life, struggled with beige eating was diagnosed through lockdown down with this eating disorder.
I have asthma high cholesterol high blood pressure reflux, I was told I was pre diabetic 2 years ago was stupid to think I could carry on with unhealthy lifestyle, I first went to the doctors about my ankles swelling up as I sit in an office all day thought it had something to do with the lack of movement, I had a routine urine test and blood test. That’s when I found out, my reading was 48, which she said was over the level it should be, being as I had been pre diabetic and not controlled this for 2 years she suggested medication for it. I am taking meds for all the above conditions, I feel ashamed and stupid that I have got myself in this condition but I have no one else to blame for not listening years ago

Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome and for the information.

Wilsh

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi

Wow that is all a big help so far, I didn’t know where to start, how many carbs sugars etc….I don’t understand if you count the carbs or sugars as the labels say so many carbs of which is sugars what reading I’m I supposed to be looking at, example if something says 0.7g of sugar but it’s 17g of carbs ?? It will take me a long time to get my head round but I will get it,basically I have too.

I have been overweight best part of my life, struggled with beige eating was diagnosed through lockdown down with this eating disorder.
I have asthma high cholesterol high blood pressure reflux, I was told I was pre diabetic 2 years ago was stupid to think I could carry on with unhealthy lifestyle, I first went to the doctors about my ankles swelling up as I sit in an office all day thought it had something to do with the lack of movement, I had a routine urine test and blood test. That’s when I found out, my reading was 48, which she said was over the level it should be, being as I had been pre diabetic and not controlled this for 2 years she suggested medication for it. I am taking meds for all the above conditions, I feel ashamed and stupid that I have got myself in this condition but I have no one else to blame for not listening years ago

Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome and for the information.

Wilsh

You will probably find that making some dietary changes will not only improve your blood glucose which at 48mmol/mol is just on the first rung on the diabetes ladder but help your other conditions as well. It should be very possible with dietary changes if you take it seriously and make some modest changes and portion control.
You should look at the total carbohydrate number and ignore the sugar. It may be given as per 100g so you would need to work it out for the portion you are going to have.
I think it is a pity that she has not given you the opportunity to try without medication as you will still need to make the same dietary changes as metformin does not work without.

 

[Wilsh]

You will probably find that making some dietary changes will not only improve your blood glucose which at 48mmol/mol is just on the first rung on the diabetes ladder but help your other conditions as well. It should be very possible with dietary changes if you take it seriously and make some modest changes and portion control.
You should look at the total carbohydrate number and ignore the sugar. It may be given as per 100g so you would need to work it out for the portion you are going to have.
I think it is a pity that she has not given you the opportunity to try without medication as you will still need to make the same dietary changes as metformin does not work without.

To be honest I think the doctor said I have had 2 years to make changes and I haven’t (can’t say I wasn’t warned) think I’m just at that stage now of omg I’m never gonna eat the foods I like again take aways going out for dinner etc….but it’s all me and I have to step up and sort myself out not just for me but my family too you know.

I really do appreciate your support

Wilsh

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I don’t understand if you count the carbs or sugars as the labels say so many carbs of which is sugars what reading I’m I supposed to be looking at, example if something says 0.7g of sugar but it’s 17g of carbs ??

Welcome to the forum @Wilsh

Total carb content is the more useful number. All carbohydrates break down into glucose and have the potential to raise blood glucose levels. Sugars can give an indication as to how quickly something might hot your system, but it’s not very reliable. Cornflakes may have no added sugar in the box, but on average if your take 100 people and give them 50g in carbs of plain cornflakes their levels will rise more quickly than if you gave them 50g of carbs in sugar 😱

Total carbohydrate will have all the sugars included - so ots the better guide.

And good to hear you are aiming for portion reduction rather than complete avoidance. Many folks here start aiming for an eating plan of 130g of total carbs a day, and tweak from there. Some can manage more, while others find a lot less suits their body better - it’s all very individual.

There’s a low carb meal plan here which might give you some ideas

Low-carb diet and meal plan

Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating. Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Wilsh]

Welcome to the forum @Wilsh

Total carb content is the more useful number. All carbohydrates break down into glucose and have the potential to raise blood glucose levels. Sugars can give an indication as to how quickly something might hot your system, but it’s not very reliable. Cornflakes may have no added sugar in the box, but on average if your take 100 people and give them 50g in carbs of plain cornflakes their levels will rise more quickly than if you gave them 50g of carbs in sugar 😱

Total carbohydrate will have all the sugars included - so ots the better guide.

And good to hear you are aiming for portion reduction rather than complete avoidance. Many folks here start aiming for an eating plan of 130g of total carbs a day, and tweak from there. Some can manage more, while others find a lot less suits their body better - it’s all very individual.

There’s a low carb meal plan here which might give you some ideas

Low-carb diet and meal plan

Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating. Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.

www.diabetes.org.uk

Many thanks for the information it’s all so helpful.

I will have a look at that link, I have also signed up to nutra check to help.