Hello

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jd 76

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
He/Him
Hi there, just been informed I have type 2 diabetes. I have also been put on metformin. Feel in limbo at the moment, any help or suggestions for someone starting with this would be great
 
That was me 28 months ago.
I was told by the GP to 'Stop eating chips and lose some weight.'
I cut back on the carbs and in 3 months lost weight blood sugar returned to normal.

I used the recipes in this book, which I ordered the day I was diagnosed:


They are low carb, and very tasty.

I now mainly eat low(ish) carb fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken, Greek yoghurt, and nuts.

Weight has remained off and levels remain normal. (And I can stop Metformin if I want.)
 
Thanks for the reply, I have ordered the book. It may seem a stupid question but when shopping for food what am I looking out for in relation to good or bad food?
 
Just look for the carb numbers. I aim to consume 130g of carbs per day to stop me being hungry an hour after a meal. Protein and salad just don't do it for me I'm afraid
 
I was assuming sugars would be most important, am I wrong thinking that?
 
Unfortunately a lot of us were led tho believe this years ago!!!! Look online for low carb recipes there are loads. Obviously you can't eat sweets,chocolate etc as sugar is converted into carbs. I don't go down these aisles lol or the crisp ones. I do most of my shopping in the peace of my home. I can check carbs etc in products and make sure I avoid over processed food. It's daunting but you will get used to it. Hope I have helped somewhat 🙂
 
Jd 76 said:
I was assuming sugars would be most important, am I wrong thinking that?
Click to expand...
It's a common misconception. When looking at nutrition information on packaging, or online, ignore the 'of which sugars' number. Your body turns all carbohydrate, whether sugars or starches, into glucose, so it's the carbohydrate number that matters.
 
Jd 76 said:
I was assuming sugars would be most important, am I wrong thinking that?
Click to expand...
You need to check the carbs on the food label, not just the bit that says 'of which sugars' since all carbs are brokem down in the body into sugars
 
This link has good explanation, do's and don'ts and some menu plans for a low carbohydrate approach.
lowcarbfreshwell.com

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com lowcarbfreshwell.com
It is the carbohydrate amount you need to look at. Most meats, fish, cheese, eggs are low carb and many but not all vegetables, salads and fruit like berries will be low carb.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is a good resource as it gives carb amounts for different portions of a whole range of foods, some are a surprise but it helps make better food choices.
Be wary of processed foods and pre-prepared sauces as they can be high carb but there are lower carb ones around. Dry rubs, pastes and herbs and spices are good for making your own tasty meals.
 
With raised sugar level, is headache one side affect of that?
 
Headaches can be a sign of high blood sugar, yes.
 
Jd 76 said:
With raised sugar level, is headache one side affect of that?
Click to expand...
It can be because you may be peeing more as your kidneys are trying to get rid of excess glucose so it is easy to become dehydrated which can cause headaches.
Make sure you are staying well hydrated.
When you change your diet and start on medication if you are your body often needs to adjust.
 
Hi @Jd 76 sorry to hear your diagnosis. I was in the same boat just a few weeks ago. It’s really rubbish. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can get your head around it and start to see some changes.
I’ve followed advice from people on this forum alongside my own reading and research. There’s loads of good stuff here, and all the advice about carbs is right, it’s the total amount of carbs that’s the biggest issue.
Good luck, you’ve got this.
 
Jd 76 said:
Hi there, just been informed I have type 2 diabetes. I have also been put on metformin. Feel in limbo at the moment, any help or suggestions for someone starting with this would be great
Click to expand...
Hi @Jd 76 , welcome to the forum, although sorry to hear of your new diagnosis. Looks like you've been getting lots of responses that I hope you're finding helpful, please do ask away with any questions you may have! 🙂
Jd 76 said:
Thanks for the reply, I have ordered the book. It may seem a stupid question but when shopping for food what am I looking out for in relation to good or bad food?
Click to expand...
Just popping a link to our free 'food labels...' guide here, which might be useful for you - https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/products/food-labels-made-easy?_pos=1&_sid=dc161f1cc&_ss=r

You can also check out our food and recipes thread for some inspiration for meals if you wish - https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/forums/food-carb-queries-recipes.4/

There's also a recipe finder on our website linked here - there's a variety of filters that can help with finding recipes you might like - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/recipes

Good luck with trying out some small changes, hopefully, you can find some small tweaks that work for you - please feel free to let us know how you're getting on! 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum @Jd 76

Glad you have joined us!

You aren’t at all alone in feeling knocked completely sideways by your diagnosis with diabetes. It can come as a real shock.

Feel free to ask any and all questions as they crop up. There may not be an answer, or there may be half a dozen different ideas or strategies you could try - but nothing will be regarded as too obvious or ‘silly’. And feel free to offload, moan, rant, or vent here too. You are among people who understand how frustrating and unfair diabetes can be. We ‘get it’.

Look after your whole self over the coming months. Diabetes can affect all parts of your life, and can get inside your brain at times too. So be kind to yourself, and share as much or as little of your experiences as you feel comfortable.
 
That’s how I would interpret those numbers if they were mine.

I think this is one of the benefits of looking at the differences in the early days. The results themselves may be a little out of range… but if the meal rises are small, then your overall levels should coast down gently over the days and weeks.

And changing your levels more gently over a reasonable time frame can be easier on the fine blood vessels and nerve endings.
 
Sounds like an excellent result! Well done! Obviously, eventually, you want those levels to come down out of double figures and into range, butthat will take time, so at this early stage, that is certainly looking like a good result for that meal. Generally we recommend testing each meal on 2 or 3 occasions to be sure of what your body copes with and what it doesn't as a number of different factors can affect both BG levels and digestion rates.

Out of curiosity, what was the meal?
 
It was chicken breast stir fry, with veg and some cheese. I have to say I did miss having rice with it
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top