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Nugget77

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Type 2
Hi folks I’m Charlie, I’m 46 years young and just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which I’m massively struggling with, I’m hoping to maybe make friends and get some much needed advice I’m on 1500mg of metformin a day, and I’ve just brought a machine to check my sugar levels which was at 14.1 at 6pm this evening I don’t know how to get this down
 
Welcome. Was 6pm reading before or after your tea?
 
That means that either you’re generally running high, or whatever you are for breakfast or lunch made you high. Testing before and 2 hours after eating will show you what different meals do to your blood sugars.
 
45 year-old has urinary symptoms and her HbA1c is 83. type 2 diabetes but there is a small possibility it is type I , I was diagnosed a month ago and that’s what the doctors have put on my medical records !! I’m very tired all the time and drink -water-like a fish, I’m the worlds most fussiest eater and I don’t know what to do
 
In the early days following diagnosis you will probably experience quite high blood glucose levels when you do your finger prick test. Metformin is not instant so you may find it a while for it to take effect.
However your diet is going to be important as the medication can only do so much so reducing the carbohydrates you have in your meals will make the biggest difference.
Foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, pastry, breakfast cereals, starchy veg and tropical fruits are high carb and should be had in moderation as well as cutting out the obvious cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks including fruit juice and also beer and cider which are also high carb.
This link may help you with some ideas for modifying your diet https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/ Many find this low carb approach successful. Low carb is suggested as no more that 130g total carbs per day but does not mean NO carbs.
As mentioned by testing before you eat and after 2 hours can guide you as to what foods/meals you an tolerate but aiming at no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase and as your levels come down a post meal reading of no more than 8.5mmol/l.
 
Nugget77 said:
45 year-old has urinary symptoms and her HbA1c is 83. type 2 diabetes but there is a small possibility it is type I , I was diagnosed a month ago and that’s what the doctors have put on my medical records !! I’m very tired all the time and drink -water-like a fish, I’m the worlds most fussiest eater and I don’t know what to do
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Is this you as you said 46 year old in the first post in the thread.
UTI are infection which are common if blood glucose is high but equally infection can elevate blood glucose. and that will make you thirsty and tired.
You may need antibiotics for the UTI
 
Glad to hear your infection has cleared up @Nugget77

Illness and infection can increase blood glucose levels, so resolving that infection should help.

What sorts of things do you like to eat?
 
I’m so fussy it’s unreal, I don’t eat fruit, I usually eat meat, some veg, I don’t like stir fry’s or anything like that I’m always told I only eat “traditional English grub” !!! I don’t eat eggs either, my infection has all cleared up I was diagnosed on the 20th feb I turned 46 on the 24th
 
Nugget77 said:
I’m so fussy it’s unreal, I don’t eat fruit, I usually eat meat, some veg, I don’t like stir fry’s or anything like that I’m always told I only eat “traditional English grub” !!! I don’t eat eggs either, my infection has all cleared up I was diagnosed on the 20th feb I turned 46 on the 24th
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What would typical meals be for you then.
If you have limited food you like then getting a home blood glucose monitor might be useful so you can see if your usual meals can be tweaked to reduce the carbohydrates if they are increasing your blood glucose too much, which they must be to have put you in your situation.
 
I like roast dinners spag Bol meat and veg and mash I’m so new to this I’m so scared as well that I’m putting myself at a big risk
 
Nugget77 said:
I like roast dinners spag Bol meat and veg and mash I’m so new to this I’m so scared as well that I’m putting myself at a big risk
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The components of those meals are which are high carbs are going to be the potatoes, yorkshire puds, and the pasta so reducing the portion size of those and having extra of the other veg, the meat or more sauce and less pasta. New potatoes are better options than mash.
I highly recommend the book or app Carbs and Cals as it gives carb value of portion sizes of a whole range of foods and meals.
Weighing the high carb foods will give you a good idea of what a portion is and if it is too high in carbs. Many find a low carb approach successful and that is suggested as being no more than 130g total carbs per day.
 
Well meat won't raise your BG levels, so that's good. But some of the accompaniments might. Plus eating only meat is quite limiting and not really recommended for most people.

While there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits. That doesn't mean you have to never have any of those things... but keeping an eye on portion sizes, and perhaps looking for some swaps or alternatives may be a way forward (eg swede and celeriac mash, rather than potato mash, perhaps with some cheese in it to boost the flavour?)

Perhaps it would be helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Note down everything you eat and drink, along with an estimate of the total carbohydrate content (not just 'of which sugars') in your meals and snacks. It might sound like a bit of a faff, and will involve weighing portions, squinting at the fine print on packaging, and possibly looking up things on the internet, but it will give you a really good idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu. Once you can see which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’, and where carbs might be unexpectedly lurking, you can think about how to reduce portions, or look for some possible swaps and alternatives?
 
I have reduced my intake rapidly, and eat some raw veg when I’m peckish, I will look may carbs and cals, I wish I had the nerve to try new food but I automatically say to myself I won’t like that :-/
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Well meat won't raise your BG levels, so that's good. But some of the accompaniments might. Plus eating only meat is quite limiting and not really recommended for most people.

While there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits. That doesn't mean you have to never have any of those things... but keeping an eye on portion sizes, and perhaps looking for some swaps or alternatives may be a way forward (eg swede and celeriac mash, rather than potato mash, perhaps with some cheese in it to boost the flavour?)

Perhaps it would be helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Note down everything you eat and drink, along with an estimate of the total carbohydrate content (not just 'of which sugars') in your meals and snacks. It might sound like a bit of a faff, and will involve weighing portions, squinting at the fine print on packaging, and possibly looking up things on the internet, but it will give you a really good idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu. Once you can see which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’, and where carbs might be unexpectedly lurking, you can think about how to reduce portions, or look for some possible swaps and alternatives?
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I don’t eat sugary stuff anyway ie sweets cakes biscuits as I got such sensitive teeth they won’t allow me to, which is good, it’s more the main foods I need to tweak a lot, my portion sizes I’ve cut right down and I am on metformin which sometimes gives me a dodgy stomach-not all the time- at times I’m actually craving something sweet so I have squash or alike
 
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