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IzzyJack

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Type 2
Diagnosed T2 a couple of months ago and struggling a little with the carbs reduction thing. Self confessed carbs queen so am finding it hard to know what to eat First few weeks was doing well and lost half a stone but now am slipping a bit. How do people stay motivated?
 
Welcome to the forum @IzzyJack

A member here @rebrascora who describes herself as a ‘sugar addict’ pre diagnosis initially went low carb when diagnosed with T2 - though has subsequently been reclassified as T1, but enjoys low carb swaps and adaptations enough to keep going.

It can help to make sure you are getting enough ‘good fats’ I think - as these can help keeping you feeling full, and can add a semse of treat and luxury.

You might also find some inspiration and ideas on the (long running!) “food ideas” thread?

 
Hi and welcome from me too.

Yes, self confessed sugar and sweets/chocolate addict, comfort eater and bread and tattie girl here. Initially I gave up the sugar and sweets for the first 2 weeks hoping I could fix it myself without needing to go to the docs, but had to go as symptoms continued. I found motivation from the negative feelings of guilt and embarrassment that "I had done this to myself" and I was determined that I was going to put it into remission. Unfortunately my levels were very high so I needed medication and was given a BG meter due to that medication and I found that seeing what those "naughty" foods did to my levels helped to discourage me from eating them. I think in some respects it was the severity of my response to carbs and being able to see that with my BG meter which really gave me the impetus to dig in and stick at it. At the time I was following the NHS advice re low fat and low salt and no alcohol but also whittled my carbs down to the absolute bare minimum so I was struggling after about 6 weeks, especially as the weight had dropped off me, so then... again thanks to the good people here I started to introduce fat and ignore the NHS advice and suddenly it all became possible and enjoyable and my weight stabilized and I felt better than I had for years. I am not saying it wasn't difficult to give up bread and tatties....bread particularly as it is a carrier for so many foods and just a traditional part of our diet, so I think that was the most difficult thing as much as anything from a convenience point of view.... A sandwich or beans/eggs on toast had always been such staple. I know some people go down the route of low carb bread and either buy it or make it themselves and I did a bit of experimenting with that but I really didn't have the time or inclination to persevere and gradually I just learned to live without those things. Cheese is my new chocolate and I treat myself to lots of nice types of cheese and usually have them with half an apple or a few olives. I have real double cream in my morning coffee.... always said I would rather not drink coffee as drink it without sugar.... but my morning coffee with cream is my daily luxury and I enjoy it more than I did with sugar. Once I found low carb treats that I enjoyed and stocked up on them, I found it all a lot easier and then I have experimented with other veggies to replace potato, like celeriac chips and mashed cauliflower and I have curry or chilli with other veg like shredded cabbage (usually sweated in a knob of butter), or broccoli with sour cream and chive dip or courgettes or aubergines, I just don't feel the need for the "beige stodge" anymore and the odd occasion when I am out at a function where there is no choice I have some and often wonder what I saw in them. I am not saying that I couldn't go back to eating a multipack of Snickers in one afternoon or a whole bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk or Marvellous Creations if I went back to my old way of eating, but what I like about low carb is that it stops those cravings and so, as long as I keep the carbs low and eat enough fat, I just don't miss or crave that stuff and I feel far healthier without it, even though I eat a lot of fat.... and surprisingly my cholesterol is better now than it was before diagnosis when I was eating wholemeal carbs and sugar and low fat.

I have also only had one migraine since I went low carb 4 years ago and that was after a little binge (I still fall off the wagon very occasionally when I am stressed) but I was averaging 1 acute migraine a month which involved vomiting and sometimes passing out and required the best part of a day in bed in the dark. So that alone is a huge benefit of changing my diet.

Anyway, I am not sure how much of that is of use to you but all I can say is hang in there as it does get easier but you have to actively find low carb foods which you enjoy so that you have plenty of treats to tide you over the tough bits. I am not sure I would have managed without cream and cheese and peanut butter!

I would encourage you to get a BG meter if you don't have one and test before and 2 hours after meals to see what your body can cope with and what is your nemesis. It is motivating when you see good results and your overall readings start to come down and you don't want to spoil that progress but it is also a kick up the bot when you get a high reading after eating too much of something high carb, so it can be both a carrot and a stick in keeping you right.

Good luck and if you have any particular questions please ask. X
 
rebrascora said:
I would encourage you to get a BG meter if you don't have one and test before and 2 hours after meals to see what your body can cope with and what is your nemesis. It is motivating when you see good results and your overall readings start to come down and you don't want to spoil that progress but it is also a kick up the bot when you get a high reading after eating too much of something high carb, so it can be both a carrot and a stick in keeping you right.

Good luck and if you have any particular questions please ask. X
Click to expand...
I'd second this. My BG meter three times a day would objectively both motivate me and tell me if something might need reconsidering.
 
I’m also a self confessed carb addict and the very thought of giving up pasta and rice made be very sad when I was first diagnosed. However, in my case, I had to weigh up priorities. My HbA1c was 96 and I was already feeling pretty terrible most days but happily ignoring a lot of symptoms!!

My motivators have been (in no particular order) sight issues, vascular issues, feeling sooooo much better now my BG is under control, stomach issues. Low carb has had the added benefit of sorting out that little problem.

Only you can determine your own motivators. There’s no doubt you will have to make changes but a lot of people on here (myself included) have seen their diabetes diagnosis as a positive and turned it into a new chapter in their life.

Good luck and keep coming back on this forum for advice. It really does help.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome from me too.

Yes, self confessed sugar and sweets/chocolate addict, comfort eater and bread and tattie girl here. Initially I gave up the sugar and sweets for the first 2 weeks hoping I could fix it myself without needing to go to the docs, but had to go as symptoms continued. I found motivation from the negative feelings of guilt and embarrassment that "I had done this to myself" and I was determined that I was going to put it into remission. Unfortunately my levels were very high so I needed medication and was given a BG meter due to that medication and I found that seeing what those "naughty" foods did to my levels helped to discourage me from eating them. I think in some respects it was the severity of my response to carbs and being able to see that with my BG meter which really gave me the impetus to dig in and stick at it. At the time I was following the NHS advice re low fat and low salt and no alcohol but also whittled my carbs down to the absolute bare minimum so I was struggling after about 6 weeks, especially as the weight had dropped off me, so then... again thanks to the good people here I started to introduce fat and ignore the NHS advice and suddenly it all became possible and enjoyable and my weight stabilized and I felt better than I had for years. I am not saying it wasn't difficult to give up bread and tatties....bread particularly as it is a carrier for so many foods and just a traditional part of our diet, so I think that was the most difficult thing as much as anything from a convenience point of view.... A sandwich or beans/eggs on toast had always been such staple. I know some people go down the route of low carb bread and either buy it or make it themselves and I did a bit of experimenting with that but I really didn't have the time or inclination to persevere and gradually I just learned to live without those things. Cheese is my new chocolate and I treat myself to lots of nice types of cheese and usually have them with half an apple or a few olives. I have real double cream in my morning coffee.... always said I would rather not drink coffee as drink it without sugar.... but my morning coffee with cream is my daily luxury and I enjoy it more than I did with sugar. Once I found low carb treats that I enjoyed and stocked up on them, I found it all a lot easier and then I have experimented with other veggies to replace potato, like celeriac chips and mashed cauliflower and I have curry or chilli with other veg like shredded cabbage (usually sweated in a knob of butter), or broccoli with sour cream and chive dip or courgettes or aubergines, I just don't feel the need for the "beige stodge" anymore and the odd occasion when I am out at a function where there is no choice I have some and often wonder what I saw in them. I am not saying that I couldn't go back to eating a multipack of Snickers in one afternoon or a whole bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk or Marvellous Creations if I went back to my old way of eating, but what I like about low carb is that it stops those cravings and so, as long as I keep the carbs low and eat enough fat, I just don't miss or crave that stuff and I feel far healthier without it, even though I eat a lot of fat.... and surprisingly my cholesterol is better now than it was before diagnosis when I was eating wholemeal carbs and sugar and low fat.

I have also only had one migraine since I went low carb 4 years ago and that was after a little binge (I still fall off the wagon very occasionally when I am stressed) but I was averaging 1 acute migraine a month which involved vomiting and sometimes passing out and required the best part of a day in bed in the dark. So that alone is a huge benefit of changing my diet.

Anyway, I am not sure how much of that is of use to you but all I can say is hang in there as it does get easier but you have to actively find low carb foods which you enjoy so that you have plenty of treats to tide you over the tough bits. I am not sure I would have managed without cream and cheese and peanut butter!

I would encourage you to get a BG meter if you don't have one and test before and 2 hours after meals to see what your body can cope with and what is your nemesis. It is motivating when you see good results and your overall readings start to come down and you don't want to spoil that progress but it is also a kick up the bot when you get a high reading after eating too much of something high carb, so it can be both a carrot and a stick in keeping you right.

Good luck and if you have any particular questions please ask. X
Click to expand...
Thank you Barbara - that is really helpful as you sound like you were just like me! I also have migranes and a sugar addiction. I read about the fat thing but as it wasn't mentioned or recommended by NHS so had discounted it. I will revisit if it's a helpful thing! Thank you so much!
 
DiabloT2 said:
I'd second this. My BG meter three times a day would objectively both motivate me and tell me if something might need reconsidering.
Click to expand...
What is a BG meter? Many people mention it but not sure what that is. My diabetes nurse told me not to test!
 
IzzyJack said:
What is a BG meter? Many people mention it but not sure what that is. My diabetes nurse told me not to test!
Click to expand...

It’s a little device that measures plasma-calibrated glucose values from capillary blood via a fingerprick.

You get a tiny drop of blood from your fingertip (the sides are more comfortable to use than the pads) and a test strip in your meter slurps up the blood and tells you your blood glucose level in a few seconds. Quite magical really!

Many GP surgeries only recommend meters for people on certain types of medication that can cause hypos, but many many forum members find them invaluable for monitoring the way different foods affect them, as results can be so individual and there’s ot really a sure way of predicting ‘low-spike’ portion sizes and sources of carbohydrates without checking for yourself.

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £10 for 50. Some brands can be 3x that for a pot of strips!
 
IzzyJack said:
Diagnosed T2 a couple of months ago and struggling a little with the carbs reduction thing. Self confessed carbs queen so am finding it hard to know what to eat First few weeks was doing well and lost half a stone but now am slipping a bit. How do people stay motivated?
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum @IzzyJack

Carbs are so tasty, so it can be hard to implement changes and sustain them. In general it seems that the important things are to find out what works for you, and this will be different for each Person. The forum is great for gathering ideas and then working out what suits you.

Many on here find testing helps them to identify the changes to food choices/portion sizes they need to make. I was amazed at how some of the ‘healthy’ foods that I was eating gave me a big sugar spike.

When we chose to reduce our carbs at each meal, we found simply using smaller plates helped. The meals didn’t look so much smaller than we had been used to.

When making swaps in food choices in veg this might be useful. Veg grown:
- under the ground will be high carb (potatoes, parsnips, …)
- above the ground will be medium carb (peas, beans, …)
- on the ground will be low carb (celery, lettuce, …)

For motivation this forum can be very helpful, just sharing your plans, successes, frustrations, … .
Ask any questions that arise.
 
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