Hi new person

[Mrsbobbins007]

Got my diagnosis on Thursday so overwhelmed with everything started me on 1 500mg of metformin in the morning, I've suffer with depression most of my my life and the last 7 years have not been great and that's when the bad habits have come in especially cola, crisps and take aways, I'm also autistic which does not help with food either, so I'm just so confused about everything

Thanks for listening

 

[saffron15]

@Mrsbobbins007 welcome to the forum. Are you prepared to share how high your hba1c was? I had a test of 69 last June. I had asked for the test and though upset knew it wasn't an error. However I was told I needed another test 4 weeks later. I changed my diet a bit and next reading was 64. I started metformin 2 weeks later. The dose was increased by one each week. I was put on SR which is kinder to your stomach. It increased one tablet each week but 4 days after reaching 4 it was reduced to 2 and a new drug added. By December my reading was 44.

There is a lot to learn but you don't need to rush. You need to look at your diet and stop eating or reduce size of carbs or replace with something else. All carbs turn to sugar. If you add sugar to drinks or cereal cut back or use sweetners.

I was fat on diagnosis and realised that cutting down on sugar and carbs resulted in me losing weight steadily. I'm now a healthy bmi.

If you have a freezer you could cook soups or casseroles and freeze them so you have a portion ready. Meat, Fish cheese eggs most vegetables ( potatoes reduce quantity) and some fruit doesn't need to be dropped. I've chosen to have full fat Greek style yoghurt and berries plus a few nuts or seeds for my breakfast. I sometimes have hard boiled eggs or an omlette. I have a sandwich or something on toast if I am out. I've chosen not to buy bread but if you do be careful of portion size.



If you buy prepared meals look under nutrition for carbs. I was told not to eat more than 200 grams of carbs but I eat 120 to 130.

The freshwell app/ site has useful graphics eg tropical fruit try and avoid.

This website has lots of info plus on left handside links to websites including Freshwell. Try and move more. Don't panic

Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN

newforestpcn.co.uk

 

[Leadinglights]

Depending on how high your HbA1C is, that is how much over the diagnostic threshold of 47mmol/mol then some modest changes may be sufficient and that might be in cutting out a few things and reducing portion size of others.
Making a food diary of everything you eat and drink for a while and trying to estimate how much carbohydrate you are having will help you see where some savings can be made so you are closer to no more than 130g per day carbs not just sugar.
Cola is ok as long as it is the DIET or Zero one and there are some crisps which are lower carb. Again some takeaways might be OK occasionally as treats, just not every day.9

 

[debs248]

Got my diagnosis on Thursday so overwhelmed with everything started me on 1 500mg of metformin in the morning, I've suffer with depression most of my my life and the last 7 years have not been great and that's when the bad habits have come in especially cola, crisps and take aways, I'm also autistic which does not help with food either, so I'm just so confused about everything

Yes it can be very confusing, I was diagnosed 3 months ago and even though I already knew a fair bit as my mum is Type 2 it was pretty overwhelming.

The good news is you don't have to change everything all at once. As you're only on metformin, your HbA1c is probably much less than mine was at 113 so you can make gentle changes at a rate that you can handle.

I ditched cola immediately, and to my surprise don't miss it at all. I get my caffeine from unsweetened tea and my fizz from sparkling water.

Crisps were more of a struggle, I still have them about once a week but try to stick to one pack or at most two at a time now. Only you can decide whether to cut down, substitute or eliminate them completely. Salted popcorn, pork scratchings and lentil/ hummus chips are lower in carbs than "normal" crisps if they work for you. I haven't found a decent substitute yet for a salt and vinegar crinkle cut crisp!

Takeaways are a bit more complicated, some are better than others but none will ever be quite as healthy as a home-cooked meal. Sometimes they're necessary for various reasons (and enjoyable!), personally I avoid chips/ bread/ pastry/ rice/ noodles and choose something like kebab with salad or a Chinese/ Indian with meat/ fish and veg, nothing sweet or sticky. Very much depends if you're ordering for yourself or sharing with family.

Good luck with your journey, it's a marathon not a sprint and we're here to help or just cheer you on if you need it

 

[Lucyr]

Crisps were more of a struggle, I still have them about once a week but try to stick to one pack or at most two at a time now.

Crisps can be pretty low carb, they should easily fit into a low carb or moderate carb diet. There’s loads of options between 5-15g carb - McCoys salt and vinegar crinkle cut crisps are only 14g, Cheetos are only 6g

 

[Sharron1]

Crisps can be pretty low carb, they should easily fit into a low carb or moderate carb diet. There’s loads of options between 5-15g carb - McCoys salt and vinegar crinkle cut crisps are only 14g, Cheetos are only 6g

Wotsits are also pretty low.

 

[Lucyr]

Wotsits are also pretty low.

Most crisps are pretty low, unless you’re eating the whole multipack. Keep them in the car if that’s an issue.

 

[Mrsbobbins007]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated, definitely cutting down on how much food I eat, cola is a big 1 for me, I had a can today, not had 1 since wed which is a big step for me, because I've had a can of coke or 2 every single day, would it be OK to have 2 a month or is that a no

 

[Lucyr]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated, definitely cutting down on how much food I eat, cola is a big 1 for me, I had a can today, not had 1 since wed which is a big step for me, because I've had a can of coke or 2 every single day, would it be OK to have 2 a month or is that a no

Have 2 a day, 2 a week, 2 a month, whatever so long as its diet

 

[Mrsbobbins007]

I don't like diet, that's my problem

 

[Lucyr]

I don't like diet, that's my problem

Pepsi max is nicer than Diet Coke. There’s so many sugar free drinks you could try, have you actually tried them all?

 

[Leadinglights]

I actually prefer the diet version of Coke but it has to be the proper make not supermarket own but the carbs in full sugar Coke are just carbs just as a spoonful of sugar is carbs with little nutritional value.
Try the diet or zero with a slice of lemon or lime or flavoured sparkling water instead.
Bare in mind 1 can of full sugar Coke is 39g carbs so if you are tying to cut down on carbs to 130g per day that is 1 third of your carbs for the day. It is like eating 8 teaspoons of sugar, would you really do that?

 

[harbottle]

I don't like diet, that's my problem

Coke Zero tastes just like full fat coke.

 

[Ieva DUK]

Hi @Mrsbobbins007 ,

Welcome to the forum! It’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed right now. A new diagnosis can be a lot to take in, especially when you’re also dealing with mental health challenges and navigating food through the lens of autism. Be kind to yourself - you’re not expected to have it all figured out straight away, no one does.

You don’t have to cut out all the comfort foods you’re used to. Sometimes it’s more helpful to gradually make small swaps rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. For example, you might try switching to those mentioned no-sugar colas (trying some until you find a replacement you like) or reducing how often you have crisps or takeaways - or looking for slightly better versions of the things you enjoy. Small changes really do add up, and new habits form more naturally that way. Takeaways are usually attractive for the simple ease of it, but maybe there are 'healthier' options in the usual place or new places you'd be ok with trying out? I think that's what a lot of it is in the beginning - just trial and error.

It’s all about finding things that feel doable for you — there’s no one-size-fits-all plan here. You’re not alone, and there’s no judgment in this community. Everyone's all learning as they go. You've already taken the first (and often hardest) step by reaching out, and that really matters.

Take it one day at a time. You’ve got this, and we’re here to support you along the way. Try things, find new favourites and in turn - form new habits that can be long-lasting for you and become your new 'normal'.

 

[CurlyWurly]

Yes it can be very confusing, I was diagnosed 3 months ago and even though I already knew a fair bit as my mum is Type 2 it was pretty overwhelming.

The good news is you don't have to change everything all at once. As you're only on metformin, your HbA1c is probably much less than mine was at 113 so you can make gentle changes at a rate that you can handle.

I ditched cola immediately, and to my surprise don't miss it at all. I get my caffeine from unsweetened tea and my fizz from sparkling water.

Crisps were more of a struggle, I still have them about once a week but try to stick to one pack or at most two at a time now. Only you can decide whether to cut down, substitute or eliminate them completely. Salted popcorn, pork scratchings and lentil/ hummus chips are lower in carbs than "normal" crisps if they work for you. I haven't found a decent substitute yet for a salt and vinegar crinkle cut crisp!

Takeaways are a bit more complicated, some are better than others but none will ever be quite as healthy as a home-cooked meal. Sometimes they're necessary for various reasons (and enjoyable!), personally I avoid chips/ bread/ pastry/ rice/ noodles and choose something like kebab with salad or a Chinese/ Indian with meat/ fish and veg, nothing sweet or sticky. Very much depends if you're ordering for yourself or sharing with family.

Good luck with your journey, it's a marathon not a sprint and we're here to help or just cheer you on if you need it

You should try the curators pork puffs, really tasty. They can be a bit dry but smoky bacon are my current fav.