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Hi

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Nikki53

Nikki53

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I was diagnosed Type 2 about a year ago.
Since then I've muddled along, tried to get my weight down, tried to watch my diet (but allowed myself plenty of binges ...).
It hasn't really worked - my BMI is 30+ - and I was effectively eating all the time.
So ... time to take things seriously.
I've got a blood sugar meter.
I've cut out (so far) cakes biscuits etc.
And I've joined this forum.
I'm looking for encouragement, and I'm happy to offer it if I can.
Nix
 
Welcome to the journey to a happier, healthier, fitter, more energetic you.

The start seems a bit muddled for everyone but things do settle down for most pretty quickly.

First off if you let us know a bit more like your HbA1c results etc

Second, ask any questions that occur to you so that we may be able to help you.

Battling diabetes does need a plan, strategy, determination, courage, humour, understanding, patience.

There seem to be many on this forum that have got T2 under control, me being one of them. What seems to work for most is reducing carbs, increasing fats and protein, exercising more, ie reducing the overall calorie intake. Testing blood glucose is very important too. Do you presently test?

I will stop for now and let you get back to us

All the best on your new life long, great journey
 
Hi and welcome.

So pleased you have found the forum as it can be a huge help both in terms of gaining knowledge and support, but also an element of accountability to your peers. I wonder if you might find it helpful to join the "Group 7day waking average" thread, where we post our waking reading each day and share snippets of info about our plans for the day, issues we are having with our diabetes, anything eventful which is happening in our lives or just a bit of banter. Just the act of logging in each morning and posting our reading is a help to keep us on the straight and narrow..... for instance, that packet of biscuits which is begging to be eaten before you go to bed isn't going to look nearly so attractive when you know you will have a shocking result to report the next morning. o_O Not that we are all angels all the time. We all fall off the wagon occasionally, but the important thing is to stay on it most of the time and try not to fall too far or too hard when you do get dislodged.
I used to be a binge and comfort eater (and a sugar addict) and for me, cutting the carbs right down and eating more fat has made a huge difference to the control I now have over my diet. Not having those cravings or even being tempted now is bliss and a total revelation after struggling with disordered eating most of my life. I won't deny it was tough at first but I really enjoy and appreciate my food now, whereas I was just scoffing stuff before. I also eat so much less and yet don't feel hungry! Interestingly, I adopted this way of eating determined to push my diabetes into remission, but it turned out I am Type 1 and need insulin so I could go back to eating whatever I want and inject insulin for it, but I have no interest in stepping back onto that slippery slope and I really feel that this way of eating suits me and I don't want to relinquish the control I now have. I find it easy to maintain this way of eating. I have plenty of treats, but they are low carb treats.

Anyway, the link to the thread I mentioned is here if you fancy joining us...

Any questions you have, please feel free to ask and if you need any help, shout up. Your BG meter should be a huge help in getting to understand how your body responds to the foods you eat and enable you to tailor your diet to your body's individual response. Good luck with your diabetes journey. We are here to support you with it.
 
Welcome to the forum @Nikki53

Well done for taking the decision to begin to tackle your diabetes head-on. It’s never too late to make positive changes, and every small step really is worth it 🙂

Alongside the obvious things like the cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you have been cutting out already, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.

Many new members find it can be really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. It can be especially helpful to make a reasonable estimate the amount of total carbohydrate (not just the ‘of which sugars) in your meals and snacks. This will give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu, and help you get to grips with where carbs can be unexpectedly lurking 🙂

The really tricky thing is that blood glucose responses to various foods are highly individual, and it can be impossible to say which types and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself - which is where your BG meter can really help.

You can take a reading immediately before and again 2hrs after eating, to see what the differences is. Initially, in a sense the readings themselves are not as instructive as the differences between them. Ideally you would be aiming for a difference of 2-3mmol/L or less at the 2hr mark.

Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of any ‘spiky’ carbs and/or trying different types (sometimes just having things at a different time of day makes a difference). It’s an ongoing process of tweaking and tailoring your menu to find one that suits your tastebuds, your waistline and your BG levels 🙂

If you are interested in this approach you may find test-review-adjust by Alan S a helpful framework.

Good luck, and keep asking away with any questions as they crop up 🙂
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome.

So pleased you have found the forum as it can be a huge help both in terms of gaining knowledge and support, but also an element of accountability to your peers. I wonder if you might find it helpful to join the "Group 7day waking average" thread, where we post our waking reading each day and share snippets of info about our plans for the day, issues we are having with our diabetes, anything eventful which is happening in our lives or just a bit of banter. Just the act of logging in each morning and posting our reading is a help to keep us on the straight and narrow..... for instance, that packet of biscuits which is begging to be eaten before you go to bed isn't going to look nearly so attractive when you know you will have a shocking result to report the next morning. o_O Not that we are all angels all the time. We all fall off the wagon occasionally, but the important thing is to stay on it most of the time and try not to fall too far or too hard when you do get dislodged.
I used to be a binge and comfort eater (and a sugar addict) and for me, cutting the carbs right down and eating more fat has made a huge difference to the control I now have over my diet. Not having those cravings or even being tempted now is bliss and a total revelation after struggling with disordered eating most of my life. I won't deny it was tough at first but I really enjoy and appreciate my food now, whereas I was just scoffing stuff before. I also eat so much less and yet don't feel hungry! Interestingly, I adopted this way of eating determined to push my diabetes into remission, but it turned out I am Type 1 and need insulin so I could go back to eating whatever I want and inject insulin for it, but I have no interest in stepping back onto that slippery slope and I really feel that this way of eating suits me and I don't want to relinquish the control I now have. I find it easy to maintain this way of eating. I have plenty of treats, but they are low carb treats.

Anyway, the link to the thread I mentioned is here if you fancy joining us...

Any questions you have, please feel free to ask and if you need any help, shout up. Your BG meter should be a huge help in getting to understand how your body responds to the foods you eat and enable you to tailor your diet to your body's individual response. Good luck with your diabetes journey. We are here to support you with it.
Click to expand...
Thankyou Barbara. Love to join the group. How do I do it?
 
Thank you
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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