Hi, motivation needed

[Lellie]

Hi,I am type 2 was diagnosed about 8 years ago, and recently my blood sugar has gone through the roof, it's about 19,I have also been suffering from a mild depression, I need motivation to get back on track, am looking at a low carb diet as I feel bloated after eating to much wheat based carbs, part of the problem is I always feel bloated and never really hungry so I dont always eat properly and never really know when I am full, I tend to batch cook so that I always have a healthy meal in the evening but I graze and pick at fruit during the day, is there a self help group in the Southampton area, am also thinking of joining a slimming group so that I can keep motivated, has any tried the Michael Mosley diet and can sugar free sweets affect your blood sugars

 

[Northerner]

Hi,I am type 2 was diagnosed about 8 years ago, and recently my blood sugar has gone through the roof, it's about 19,I have also been suffering from a mild depression, I need motivation to get back on track, am looking at a low carb diet as I feel bloated after eating to much wheat based carbs, part of the problem is I always feel bloated and never really hungry so I dont always eat properly and never really know when I am full, I tend to batch cook so that I always have a healthy meal in the evening but I graze and pick at fruit during the day, is there a self help group in the Southampton area, am also thinking of joining a slimming group so that I can keep motivated, has any tried the Michael Mosley diet and can sugar free sweets affect your blood sugars

Hi Lellie, welcome to the forum 🙂

Are you on any medication for your diabetes, and do you test your blood sugar levels at home? It can be a good idea to start by writing a food diary, recording the carbs in everything you eat and drink each day. Doing this for a week or two can really help you to assess your actual carb intake, and also provide information about areas you might be able to improve on. If you can also test before and after eating, then this can help you understand the effect that each meal choice has on your levels (read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how to do this effectively and without doing wasteful tests 🙂). Also, although you are not new to diabetes, it would be worth seeing this as a 'new start' - have a read of Maggie Davey's letter, which is full of good advice 🙂

Put the past behind you and look to the future 🙂 Set yourself some small, achievable goals so that you can see yourself moving forward and improving, and don't get overwhelmed by everything 🙂 Slimming groups work well for a lot of our members. It's best to avoid sugar-free sweets as they can cause gastric upset in some people. Do you manage much in the way of exercise? Having a brisk walk after a meal can help to keep blood sugar levels lower, and if you can manage it every day then it'll make you feel much healthier too 🙂

If you are on medication it's important to check that changing your diet radically won't require a change in medication or doses. There have been good reports from some about the Michael Mosely and also the Tom Kerridge diets, so worth investigating to see if you might find them suitable. It's best to make changes gradually so that they are more sustainable 🙂

There is a Diabetes UK voluntary group in Southampton - details can be found here:

https://southampton-and-district.diabetesukgroup.org/

Please feel free to ask any questions, we're all here to help you turn things around and will do our best to answer any queries 🙂

 

[Jeandp]

Hi Lellie
I think you are on the right track looking at a low carb diet. Since my diagnosis a year ago I have followed a low carb WOE with great success. I have lost 2 stone and my bg is much better now.
Have a good look around the food and carbs section for lots of helpful advice. I also get recipes on an American site "Ditch the Carbs" I avoid sugar in all it's forms. Fruit can have very high sugar levels so I stick to a few raspberries or blueberries in porridge occasionally, but our usual breakfast is of the bacon and egg variety, speaking of which ..... it's nearly breakfast time!

Good luck, and don't forget we are always here if you need anything.