Hi all! New to forum T2 with weight problem

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jdbabe

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Hi everyone! Never posted before so I hope I wont bore you too much!
My OH is a T2 and is on metformin and glicazide for control.However,he has a lifelong love of food and a sweet tooth.Having had 2 diabetic parents myself,this is something I've never had!lol
He was diagnosed in '05 after a heart attack.However,his BG is very rarely out of double figures.I do all the cooking(this is the most effective way of monitoring his intake and have substituted sweetner for sugar but his weight still continues to rise.I know this can be a vicious circle to break in diabetes.
The diabetic nurse does not seem to be bothered and tells him off about his high BG's and weight which adds to his depression.She also seems reluctant to suggest insulin treatment although he would prefer to remain on tablets as he is disabled and frightened of losing his license.Exercise capability is limited.
The hospital dietitian dietary advice was "everthing in moderation" which is an open door to someone with a sweet tooth!!When I asked for specific diet plan I was told that it wasnt done like that anymore!
What else can we do to reduce his weight and therefore his BG?All advice would be grately welcomed....thankyou
 
Welcome jdbabe.

There's a weight loss section of this forum, where people can post their successes, suggestions etc.

Although food is part of the story, exercise is also vital. Did you OH do a rehab course after his heart attack? Actually, fat has more calories per weight than sugar, so that's very important to consider in food planning.

Insulin wouldn't mean losing a driving licence for cars or motorbikes, although it does mean the end of driving taxis (in most areas), vans, minibuses, HGVs, buses etc.

There are alternative additional medications eg Byetta, Victoza, which can be suitable for people with type 2 diabetes, where oral medication isn't sufficient and weight gain is an important concern. However, they can usually only be prescribed by hospital clinic consultants.

By the way, could you change your staus from type 2 to carer, as it's a little confusing at present - although your post is very clearly about someone else having type 2 diabetes.
 
Hi jdbabe, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear of your OH's problems. His nurse should really be more supportive rather than telling him off! These levels will no doubt be contributing to his low moods and may be harming his long-term health.

I think the best place to start is always to gather some information about your current situation. You need to start recording all his food, including portion sizes and (most helpfully) the amount of carbohydrate consumed. You can work out the latter by reading packets, or by purchasing a book like the Collins Gem - Carb Counter or a visual guide like Carbs & Cals: A Visual Guide to Carbohydrate & Calorie Counting for People with Diabetes. You will then be armed with a good picture of where any possible changes can be made to help with both blood sugar levels and weight loss which you can discuss with the nurse or a dietician.

I'd recommend getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker to update your knowledge on current approaches to diabetes management. There may also be alternatives to insulin that he can try, with his doctor's consent of course, such as Victoza or Byetta which may also assist with weight loss and I believe would not mean him losing his license. A lot depends on his own personal medical requirements as to whether this is a possiblity though as it isn't suitable for everyone.

Hope that helps! If you have any questions please ask away - nothing is considered 'silly'! 🙂
 
A warm welcome to the forum, jdbabe.

I was diagnosed type 2 in October, 2009 and was a trundling 17+ stone (but was probably up to 19 stone prior to that - my undiagnosed diabetes had kicked in something fierce). Like your OH, I was on gliclazide and then metformin at first too.

Throughout 2010, I lost weight steadily and am now down to a more sustainable 14 stone. I've done that through regular daily exercise (atleast an hour walk a day) plus better and more consistent diet.

For me, cutting out or severely reducing saturated fats from my diet has been crucial. I've replaced some of my normal beef mince meals with quorn (heavily spiced for flavour!) and have pretty much irradicated cheese. My portion sizes have also been modified. Where 500g of mince used to do me only two meals it now does for four. I include more vegetables and fruit in my diet too.

I know you said that exercise may be a problem, but how about swimming? Anyhow, any form of regular exercise, even just walking, will help.

Also, I found it very helpful to keep an accurate food log for a few weeks and regularly weigh myself (I do that daily, but can understand the train of thought that doing it weekly might be better - I just like to know sooner if I'm not making progress!). That way, you can start making sense of where the issues are.

Good luck,

Andy 🙂
 
Hi. Not sure if you know, but we have started a Weight Loss Group forum on here (WLG). Feel free to get your other half to have a browse and see if he wants to join us.
Also, I have started a thread this week called Todays menu - it might be worth showing him so that he can see losing weight can be fun. As already mentioned exercise is very important too, especially in getting bs down, so just a short walk is better than nothing.

I hope you find this forum helpful, it has helped me lose 3.5 stone since June, and others on here have done similarly well too.
 
Welcome to the forum jdbabe. I was diagnosed in November 2010, prior to that I was losing weight fairly nicely but since diagnosis I haven't lost any (could this be because of the medication I wonder) anyhow I have decided to start swimming twice a week (just as soon as I get me a cossie) I have also tried talking my daughter into joining me for aqua aerobics to no avail. On a positive not I have cut back on a lot of what I eat and portion sizes and to be honest don't notice it. Best of luck to your other half.
 
Andy HB said:
A warm welcome to the forum, jdbabe.

I was diagnosed type 2 in October, 2009 and was a trundling 17+ stone (but was probably up to 19 stone prior to that - my undiagnosed diabetes had kicked in something fierce). Like your OH, I was on gliclazide and then metformin at first too.

Throughout 2010, I lost weight steadily and am now down to a more sustainable 14 stone. I've done that through regular daily exercise (atleast an hour walk a day) plus better and more consistent diet.

For me, cutting out or severely reducing saturated fats from my diet has been crucial. I've replaced some of my normal beef mince meals with quorn (heavily spiced for flavour!) and have pretty much irradicated cheese. My portion sizes have also been modified. Where 500g of mince used to do me only two meals it now does for four. I include more vegetables and fruit in my diet too.

I know you said that exercise may be a problem, but how about swimming? Anyhow, any form of regular exercise, even just walking, will help.

Also, I found it very helpful to keep an accurate food log for a few weeks and regularly weigh myself (I do that daily, but can understand the train of thought that doing it weekly might be better - I just like to know sooner if I'm not making progress!). That way, you can start making sense of where the issues are.

Good luck,

Andy 🙂
Click to expand...

Hi Andy

I only joined the forum in September 2010 so didnt realised how far you had come ...........Well done:D
 
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