Hello

[NoOtters]

So erm, joined here a few weeks ago but only just making an introductory post now. Diagnosed with Diabetes type 2. I have a history of it in my family (mother - contracted it via gestational diabetes having me and never recovered) and I promised her on her deathbed I wouldn't let it get me.

Yet here we are a few years on and hearing the doctor giving me the diagnosis over the phone, even though I knew the tell-tale signs, the excess urination up, the unquenchable thirsts where I'd smash a pint of water in me as if it was a thimble and go take on two more, I'd even changed my pattern of living by taking bottles of water with me everywhere and making sure I'd use the bathroom last thing at night just before I got into bed so I at least had an hour or two before getting up again. I knew it was coming, I knew it... Yet, it still hit me like a damn sledgehammer right to the face.

I was diagnosed with a HBA1c of 101mmol/mol which I'm led to believe was bad, well at least the diabetic nurse said so when I just saw her last Friday for the first time and I've been on metformin for the past 4 weeks, I was prescribed it at the time of getting the diagnosis.

Since diagnosis about 4 weeks ago I've lost ~8Kg and plan to continue down this road - I am morbidly obese and started at a rather sizable 152.7Kg, I am now 145.4Kg. I'm too unfit to walk much, knees crunch and give pain when walking plus i'm breathless just walking slowly so it's been primarily diet changes in particular I found a local firm that does meal prep intended for athletes but it keeps things simple for me and it's working. 2000 cals, nice balanced meals, not particularly low carb however, but it appears to be balanced things like oats for breakfast, wild rice, bulgar wheat, etc... as the carby portion of a meal and i'm hoping that is the right thing to do.

I can't trust myself with food right now. I've tried but the closest to describe it is to say it's an addiction, by keeping my cupboards bare and only having that food delivered each day, I prevent myself from doing stupid things like I've done in the past. It's not a permanent solution I know, at some point i'll have to address my issues with food but right now it's a straight track I can just follow until I have the capacity to change.

I've been given a Wavesense Jazz thing and asked to test my pre-meal and 2 hours post-meal for one meal per day, picked at random for the next few months (next appointment is 3 months away), doesn't seem too bad, appears the stabby sticks have improved since watching my mum lance herself manually and compare her dipstick with a tube of colours back in the day.

Anyhow, that's my story of diagnosis at least and my current situation. If you can help me understand what the heck i'm meant to be counting on a nutritional information chart, I'd really appreciate a reply.

 

[Drummer]

Unfortunately the foods you mention are those you would be better avoiding.
I eat meat, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese, full fat dairy - plus stirfries, or I make soups, or add huge salads.
Avoiding grain will make a big difference to the amount of carbs in your diet, and that is the important factor.
Healthy balanced ways of eating are what got me to being a fully fledged diabetic and almost spherical too - as what type twos can't cope with are the starches and sugars in the modern diet.
Rather than oats for breakfast, a proper meal is going to be far better for you, and will keep your blood glucose in normal numbers, with any luck.
I eat twice a day, no snacks, drink a couple of cups of coffee with cream, and see normal numbers.

 

[EllsBells]

Hi @NoOtters and welcome to the forum. I think the steps you have taken so far seem very sensible and congratulations on your weight loss to date. Also really pleased to hear you've been advised to test your BG levels. So many T2s are told not to bother.

Following on from what Drummer said, yes, your meals may contain more carbs currently than you may consider having further down the line, however, you are eating much fewer than before diagnosis. Portion control is a powerful weapon. You also don't want BG levels to come down too rapidly as that can cause permanent problems. What you are doing now is starting to work so keep it up!

Fingers crossed that, as you lose more weight, you will find moving around and exercise gets easier and wl also help keep your BGs down.

There is a weight loss forum on here and also a live well, move more initiative which you may find helpful.

 

[Inka]

Welcome @NoOtters 🙂 That meal prep service sounds a great idea! Even if you can’t keep that up longterm, hopefully the weight loss will encourage and help you in taking a new approach to food.

You don’t say what your BMI is, but losing weight will help your Type 2 enormously. It will be interesting to see your blood tests. As @EllsBells says, it’s best to bring your sugars down gradually. Some Type 2s can eat a reasonable amount of carbs, some can’t. Your meter will be your guide.

 

[zuludog]

Hello NO OTTERS and welcome to the Forum
I think it would help if you had a simple explanation of diabetes

Glucose is a simple carbohydrate, a sugar
When glucose molecules are joined together they form more complex sugars, and eventually, if you join up enough of them they form starches
When you eat carbohydrates they are broken down into glucose in the digestive system and pass into the blood stream, and then into the cells for further use
The transfer of the glucose from the blood into the cells is carried out by the hormone insulin which is made in the pancreas

Sometimes people do not make enough insulin and so the glucose accumulates in the blood, and it is this excess glucose that causes the problems we call diabetes
You can treat diabetes with medication, but you should also prevent the accumulation of glucose in the blood by reducing the amount of carbohydrates that you eat in the first place

As all carbohydrates contain glucose this means cutting out starchy food like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc, as well as the obviously sweet things like cakes, sweets, biscuits, and sugary fizzy drinks

In your case although oats, bulgur wheat and so on are healthier than, say, cheap refined white flour, they are still carbs, so you should not eat those either
You are trying to do two slightly different, but closely related things - control diabetes and lose weight

Many people take the diagnosis of diabetes as the motivation to improve their diet generally, so you should cut out carbs, cheap processed & junk food, and change to more veg, fish, olive oil etc; in fact all the healthy stuff you hear about!
By cutting out junk food you will almost certainly cut out a lot of salt as well
This means that besides your blood sugar and diabetes, things like cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure should also improve

As for trusting yourself with food, all I can suggest is that you make a strict shopping list and stick to it, or perhaps someone could come with you to keep you on the straight and narrow
There are firms that deliver vegetable and food boxes, perhaps you could see what they have to offer?

Walking is good exercise, but if you can't do it there is swimming, or indoor floor or seated exercises
I do Canadian Airforce Exercises, which are considered a bit old fashioned now, but they do the job
There is also Tai Chi -
Search t'Net for those, follow the suggestions and see what you can find
You could think about a short walk around the park or something, so there is a bench halfway round to have a rest

Read older Threads, especially Newbies, Food & Carbs, and Weight Loss; you'll pick up ideas & information, and your questions have probably been asked before
On the Home Page for Diabetes UK click on Living with diabetes -> Eating with diabetes and you'll get loads of ideas & recipes
Also Leaning Zone, the red box at the top of this page

 

[stephknits]

Congratulations on the decisions and efforts you have made so far. I agree, your meal plan sounds like a fantastic idea and a great start to break the cycle. Your weight loss is excellent and reaching out on here is an important step as having peer support is important. On the nutritional info charts you are looking at total carbs, not just the sugars.
Good for you for taking control and not giving up. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Inka]

In your case although oats, bulgur wheat and so on are healthier than, say, cheap refined white flour, they are still carbs, so you should not eat those either

And yet some Type 2s can and do eat those healthy carbs and are successful. Not everyone needs to cut out all carbs.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @NoOtters

Glad you have begun posting - though I recognise it can feel a bit daunting. Hope you've been browsing around the forum in the meantime and getting a feel for the place 🙂

Well done on your weight loss so far - that's a terrific achievement! And will certainly be helping with your insulin sensitivity.

With an A1c in three figures you will be best to make changes gradually I think. Several members here have started where you are and have been able to get their diabetes to behave, but it helps to make gradual sustained changes, because it's much easier on the fine blood vessels eg in the eyes and kidneys.

Be aware that some people on the forum have very low tolerance for carbohydrates and may be advising from there own perspective of needing to be very strict with them, but what is important is for you to make gradual changes rather than to suddenly try to avoid all carbs altogether. Eventually you will discover your own tolerance. Your meal plan sounds like a great way for you to avoid the temptation that can come with having cupboards full of food. And it's a really good way to start turning your diabetes around, because portion control is done for you.

If you discover that your levels remain high at your next checkup, you may need to cut back on carbs a little more - but make the changes gradually and in a way that you can sustain long-term 🙂

 

[NoOtters]

Unfortunately the foods you mention are those you would be better avoiding.
I eat meat, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese, full fat dairy - plus stirfries, or I make soups, or add huge salads.
Avoiding grain will make a big difference to the amount of carbs in your diet, and that is the important factor.
Healthy balanced ways of eating are what got me to being a fully fledged diabetic and almost spherical too - as what type twos can't cope with are the starches and sugars in the modern diet.
Rather than oats for breakfast, a proper meal is going to be far better for you, and will keep your blood glucose in normal numbers, with any luck.
I eat twice a day, no snacks, drink a couple of cups of coffee with cream, and see normal numbers.

Thanks for the suggestions Drummer.

So I did mention the diet plan with the diabetic nurse who said contrary information to what you're saying, suggesting oats for breakfast is a good choice.

 

[NoOtters]

Hello NO OTTERS and welcome to the Forum
I think it would help if you had a simple explanation of diabetes

Glucose is a simple carbohydrate, a sugar
When glucose molecules are joined together they form more complex sugars, and eventually, if you join up enough of them they form starches
When you eat carbohydrates they are broken down into glucose in the digestive system and pass into the blood stream, and then into the cells for further use
The transfer of the glucose from the blood into the cells is carried out by the hormone insulin which is made in the pancreas

Sometimes people do not make enough insulin and so the glucose accumulates in the blood, and it is this excess glucose that causes the problems we call diabetes
You can treat diabetes with medication, but you should also prevent the accumulation of glucose in the blood by reducing the amount of carbohydrates that you eat in the first place

As all carbohydrates contain glucose this means cutting out starchy food like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc, as well as the obviously sweet things like cakes, sweets, biscuits, and sugary fizzy drinks

In your case although oats, bulgur wheat and so on are healthier than, say, cheap refined white flour, they are still carbs, so you should not eat those either
You are trying to do two slightly different, but closely related things - control diabetes and lose weight

Many people take the diagnosis of diabetes as the motivation to improve their diet generally, so you should cut out carbs, cheap processed & junk food, and change to more veg, fish, olive oil etc; in fact all the healthy stuff you hear about!
By cutting out junk food you will almost certainly cut out a lot of salt as well
This means that besides your blood sugar and diabetes, things like cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure should also improve

As for trusting yourself with food, all I can suggest is that you make a strict shopping list and stick to it, or perhaps someone could come with you to keep you on the straight and narrow
There are firms that deliver vegetable and food boxes, perhaps you could see what they have to offer?

Walking is good exercise, but if you can't do it there is swimming, or indoor floor or seated exercises
I do Canadian Airforce Exercises, which are considered a bit old fashioned now, but they do the job
There is also Tai Chi -
Search t'Net for those, follow the suggestions and see what you can find
You could think about a short walk around the park or something, so there is a bench halfway round to have a rest

Read older Threads, especially Newbies, Food & Carbs, and Weight Loss; you'll pick up ideas & information, and your questions have probably been asked before
On the Home Page for Diabetes UK click on Living with diabetes -> Eating with diabetes and you'll get loads of ideas & recipes
Also Leaning Zone, the red box at the top of this page

Thanks, will take a look around the forum.

Re the food suggestions, shopping isn't necessarily the issue, portion control and preventing myself from cooking a bunch of stuff and eating way too much of it is (I tried hellofresh - disaster! a week's food eaten in two days). I've found the pre-portioned boxes for each meal easier to prevent myself from just opening and gorging on in one massive eating session then ordering take away for that evening's meal. I've been tempted... so very tempted, but have resisted so far. The meal prep service is a tailored one though so I may email them to reduce the carbs if it is an issue.

I'm going to try and up my step count each day, at the moment i'm averaging something like less than 300 steps a day I think that'll be my way back to exercise, tai chi is something that has always interested me but balance is not my forte, neither is flexibility for that matter 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks for the suggestions Drummer.

So I did mention the diet plan with the diabetic nurse who said contrary information to what you're saying, suggesting oats for breakfast is a good choice.

It depends on people’s individual tolerance. We have some me,bers on the forum who would really struggle with any cereals at breakfast, including oats, others for whom they are fine with a smaller portion, and still others who can have a ‘regular’ portion.

It can really help to weigh out the oats, as the recommended portion size is often smaller than people think - but perhaps your meal plan do that already?

 

[NoOtters]

Congratulations on the decisions and efforts you have made so far. I agree, your meal plan sounds like a fantastic idea and a great start to break the cycle. Your weight loss is excellent and reaching out on here is an important step as having peer support is important. On the nutritional info charts you are looking at total carbs, not just the sugars.
Good for you for taking control and not giving up. Let us know how you get on.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for explaining that, it leaves me a little in the dark with how to judge a product that just says "sugars:" without giving total carbs but at least I now know what to look for on the back of packets!

 

[NoOtters]

Welcome to the forum @NoOtters

Glad you have begun posting - though I recognise it can feel a bit daunting. Hope you've been browsing around the forum in the meantime and getting a feel for the place 🙂

Well done on your weight loss so far - that's a terrific achievement! And will certainly be helping with your insulin sensitivity.

With an A1c in three figures you will be best to make changes gradually I think. Several members here have started where you are and have been able to get their diabetes to behave, but it helps to make gradual sustained changes, because it's much easier on the fine blood vessels eg in the eyes and kidneys.

Be aware that some people on the forum have very low tolerance for carbohydrates and may be advising from there own perspective of needing to be very strict with them, but what is important is for you to make gradual changes rather than to suddenly try to avoid all carbs altogether. Eventually you will discover your own tolerance. Your meal plan sounds like a great way for you to avoid the temptation that can come with having cupboards full of food. And it's a really good way to start turning your diabetes around, because portion control is done for you.

If you discover that your levels remain high at your next checkup, you may need to cut back on carbs a little more - but make the changes gradually and in a way that you can sustain long-term 🙂

Thanks, it took a beat to try and just put into words everything. I mostly feel shame for a lot of this and it does play on the mind so appreciate the kind words.

The biggest thing for me is not derailing myself I think. The plan i'm following seems to be working at the moment, if in 3 months i'm terrible I guess it'll need adaptation but i'm hoping in 3 months I'll be another 10-20kg lighter and better able to augment a more normal relationship with food, with more exercise.

 

[MAC2020]

So erm, joined here a few weeks ago but only just making an introductory post now. Diagnosed with Diabetes type 2. I have a history of it in my family (mother - contracted it via gestational diabetes having me and never recovered) and I promised her on her deathbed I wouldn't let it get me.

Yet here we are a few years on and hearing the doctor giving me the diagnosis over the phone, even though I knew the tell-tale signs, the excess urination up, the unquenchable thirsts where I'd smash a pint of water in me as if it was a thimble and go take on two more, I'd even changed my pattern of living by taking bottles of water with me everywhere and making sure I'd use the bathroom last thing at night just before I got into bed so I at least had an hour or two before getting up again. I knew it was coming, I knew it... Yet, it still hit me like a damn sledgehammer right to the face.

I was diagnosed with a HBA1c of 101mmol/mol which I'm led to believe was bad, well at least the diabetic nurse said so when I just saw her last Friday for the first time and I've been on metformin for the past 4 weeks, I was prescribed it at the time of getting the diagnosis.

Since diagnosis about 4 weeks ago I've lost ~8Kg and plan to continue down this road - I am morbidly obese and started at a rather sizable 152.7Kg, I am now 145.4Kg. I'm too unfit to walk much, knees crunch and give pain when walking plus i'm breathless just walking slowly so it's been primarily diet changes in particular I found a local firm that does meal prep intended for athletes but it keeps things simple for me and it's working. 2000 cals, nice balanced meals, not particularly low carb however, but it appears to be balanced things like oats for breakfast, wild rice, bulgar wheat, etc... as the carby portion of a meal and i'm hoping that is the right thing to do.

I can't trust myself with food right now. I've tried but the closest to describe it is to say it's an addiction, by keeping my cupboards bare and only having that food delivered each day, I prevent myself from doing stupid things like I've done in the past. It's not a permanent solution I know, at some point i'll have to address my issues with food but right now it's a straight track I can just follow until I have the capacity to change.

I've been given a Wavesense Jazz thing and asked to test my pre-meal and 2 hours post-meal for one meal per day, picked at random for the next few months (next appointment is 3 months away), doesn't seem too bad, appears the stabby sticks have improved since watching my mum lance herself manually and compare her dipstick with a tube of colours back in the day.

Anyhow, that's my story of diagnosis at least and my current situation. If you can help me understand what the heck i'm meant to be counting on a nutritional information chart, I'd really appreciate a reply.

Dear @NoOtters

What a great first post! You strike me as someone who is fully self aware and already clued up as to the complications of D. So sorry to hear of the loss of your mum and please don’t be too hard on yourself for getting Diabetes. With all the will in the world these things can just creep up on you as the stresses and strains of life take over.

You are already doing phenomenally well with the weight loss. For now, if I were you I’d concentrate on losing weight as that seems to be a working strategy and the weight loss should have a beneficial effect on your BG. 10kg-20kgs in 3 months is very doable and a sensible rate of weight loss that you can keep off. As you say, if in 3 months your numbers are still high you can adapt your diet more to reduce the carbs. There is room to reduce the total carbs per 100gms in your diet not the ‘of which sugars’.

It’s also great that you have a BG meter given to you by your GP. Many of us are self funders so that’s a privilege that shouldn’t be overlooked. Your GP is definitely willing to help you.

It’s so important to “know thyself”. You say you have a food addiction which you will at some point need to address. However, you might also find over time your taste buds and food choices change. Keep up with the deliveries and rely on that for now. Make changes slow and steady and it might surprise you that it’s not the food you’re eating but it’s what’s eating you that you may want to address.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Christy]

Hello @NoOtters , I understand your feeling of shame as I felt the same but no one here is going to judge you. Look forwards, not back and try to take better steps as you go on. I agree with your buying tactics. If it's not in the house, you can't eat it. Try to plan for some healthy snacks when willpower is low to limit the damage and good luck!

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for the suggestions Drummer.

So I did mention the diet plan with the diabetic nurse who said contrary information to what you're saying, suggesting oats for breakfast is a good choice.

I'm afraid that is pretty standard but oats are grain and grain is high in starch, and also low in nutrition, and the dry oats are 66 percent carbohydrate.
If I ate 50 gm of oats made into a porridge without anything else added that would be 33 gm of carbohydrate - my entire days intake most days.
I am sensitive to carbs, that is true, but sticking to my under 40 gm a day regime I can eat salads, stir fries and stews, casseroles and broths stacked with plant stuff full of vitamins and minerals, all different colours and flavours too - I add spices and herbs just for good measure.
I can explain why type twos ought to eat low carb - it is basically to be healthy fit and more alive - but I don't want your eyes glazing over as I chunter on - and there's more and more information about why carbs are not exactly a good idea for just about everyone. Far better to feed other species, the ones which can cope with them preferably, on the grain and then eat them.

 

[MAC2020]

I'm afraid that is pretty standard but oats are grain and grain is high in starch, and also low in nutrition, and the dry oats are 66 percent carbohydrate.
If I ate 50 gm of oats made into a porridge without anything else added that would be 33 gm of carbohydrate - my entire days intake most days.
I am sensitive to carbs, that is true, but sticking to my under 40 gm a day regime I can eat salads, stir fries and stews, casseroles and broths stacked with plant stuff full of vitamins and minerals, all different colours and flavours too - I add spices and herbs just for good measure.
I can explain why type twos ought to eat low carb - it is basically to be healthy fit and more alive - but I don't want your eyes glazing over as I chunter on - and there's more and more information about why carbs are not exactly a good idea for just about everyone. Far better to feed other species, the ones which can cope with them preferably, on the grain and then eat them.

Good idea to keep plate as colourful as possible! Green tends to be my go to colour to half fill my small plate at the moment (any one or two of broccoli, cauli, Brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, cabbage, courgettes, green peppers, spring onions, Bok Choy etc., steamed or stir fried with spices and seasonings). But the general idea is to have varied rainbow coloured veg on the plate and a protein.

 

[MAC2020]

Thanks, will take a look around the forum.

Re the food suggestions, shopping isn't necessarily the issue, portion control and preventing myself from cooking a bunch of stuff and eating way too much of it is (I tried hellofresh - disaster! a week's food eaten in two days). I've found the pre-portioned boxes for each meal easier to prevent myself from just opening and gorging on in one massive eating session then ordering take away for that evening's meal. I've been tempted... so very tempted, but have resisted so far. The meal prep service is a tailored one though so I may email them to reduce the carbs if it is an issue.

I'm going to try and up my step count each day, at the moment i'm averaging something like less than 300 steps a day I think that'll be my way back to exercise, tai chi is something that has always interested me but balance is not my forte, neither is flexibility for that matter 🙂

For balance and flexibility, try yoga for beginners. I do a 10mins yoga morning class from a YouTuber. You can probably start doing some of the stretches in a chair. @adrian1der has some more experience of yoga. He may be able to offer advice and his experience? He has also lost 5 st or more.

 

[Inka]

Grains aren’t “low in nutrition”. They contain vitamins and fibre, and oats contain beta-glucan. Grains help support a healthy microbiome in the gut.

As said in a previous thread, this forum is a broad church and there are a number of different ways of approaching diabetes and a number of different diets. Demonising food groups is wrong.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/a-broad-church-low-carb-is-not-the-only-way.91369/

.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi NoOtters, welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will find lots of support from these really helpful people here. You have made an excellent start in recognising you need to do something to 'sort yourself out'. The meal plan you are trying sounds like a good start in changing your eating habits and as long as you like the foods it should help to educate your palate and stomach to adjust to what has to become a new way of life.
Once you get used to the portion sizes and with your glucose monitor you can start to identify any foods which increase your glucose levels (have a look for the recommended testing regime for that). You may then have the confidence to try to plan your own meals bit by bit.
It is better to go slow and steady in reducing your glucose levels to avoid any eyesight issues which some people get.
You could post some of the daily meals in the thread What did you eat yesterday.