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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Hi.
- Thread starter Lben384
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Hi @Lben384 You certainly aren't alone, the vast majority of the medical profession has lied about Obesity and T2 diabetes for decades!
Thank you for the replies, made me feel so welcome. My blood sugars are so uncontrolled, and all of a sudden I realise I need to sort my self out. I love savoury and am a typical comfort eater. I just need help and advice on diet, what to eat etc.
i have recently been getting a bad pain in one of my ankles and leg swelling, which I assume must be connected. So it’s now time for action!
i have recently been getting a bad pain in one of my ankles and leg swelling, which I assume must be connected. So it’s now time for action!
ColinUK
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- Type 2
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Don’t be too hard on yourself for what you might have done had you been motivated. What matters is that you’re here now and you’re ready to make changes and take control of your life rather than let the diabetes control you.
I wasn’t even aware I was diabetic, it was a random health check (yearly Mot). It was a few years ago, I assumed as I wasn’t feeling poorly I needn’t worry. Obviously the older you get, problems arise, and now I want to get on track, I’m struggling with it all. Carbohydrates etc. I just get the urge to eat rubbish, I’ve just got to get into the mindset.
- Relationship to Diabetes
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Ah @Lben384 
Be kind to yourself. No one asks for a diagnosis with this condition, and unfortunately because of the media narrative (and even some healthcare professionals) it can be strongly associated with guilt and stigma - which are very demotivating. Plus there aren’t necessarily immediate and obvious consequences to the choices we make, either beneficial ones or less ideal ones, so there isn’t a positive feedback loop to maintain your motivation.
But give yourself credit. You have noticed that things aren’t working, and decided to change that. And that is a massive step.
One of the good things about diabetes management is that absolutely no positive decision is wasted. They all add up, bit by bit. You don’t have to fix everything straight away. Just keep chipping away at it.
When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about reaction to diabetes so far, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. And you have started on that journey today.
And you have a very powerful tool to guide you 🙂 You can use your BG meter, taking a reading before and again 2hrs after eating, to see what the differences are, to identify any carbs that seem to be spiking your levels (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Ideally you would want to see a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L at the 2hr mark.
Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of the carbs where you see bigger rises. You might find that you are particularly sensitive to carbohydrate from one source (eg bread), but have more liberty with others (eg oats or basmati rice) - It’s all very individual! You might even find that just having things at a different time of day makes a difference - with breakfast time possibly being the trickiest.
Over weeks and months of experimentation you can gradually tweak and tailor your menu to find one that suits your tastebuds, your waistline, your budget and your BG levels - and a way of eating that is flexible enough to be sustainable long-term. 🙂
And we are here to support and encourage you along the way.
Be kind to yourself. No one asks for a diagnosis with this condition, and unfortunately because of the media narrative (and even some healthcare professionals) it can be strongly associated with guilt and stigma - which are very demotivating. Plus there aren’t necessarily immediate and obvious consequences to the choices we make, either beneficial ones or less ideal ones, so there isn’t a positive feedback loop to maintain your motivation.
But give yourself credit. You have noticed that things aren’t working, and decided to change that. And that is a massive step.
One of the good things about diabetes management is that absolutely no positive decision is wasted. They all add up, bit by bit. You don’t have to fix everything straight away. Just keep chipping away at it.
When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about reaction to diabetes so far, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. And you have started on that journey today.
And you have a very powerful tool to guide you 🙂 You can use your BG meter, taking a reading before and again 2hrs after eating, to see what the differences are, to identify any carbs that seem to be spiking your levels (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Ideally you would want to see a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L at the 2hr mark.
Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of the carbs where you see bigger rises. You might find that you are particularly sensitive to carbohydrate from one source (eg bread), but have more liberty with others (eg oats or basmati rice) - It’s all very individual! You might even find that just having things at a different time of day makes a difference - with breakfast time possibly being the trickiest.
Over weeks and months of experimentation you can gradually tweak and tailor your menu to find one that suits your tastebuds, your waistline, your budget and your BG levels - and a way of eating that is flexible enough to be sustainable long-term. 🙂
And we are here to support and encourage you along the way.
Thank you everydayupsanddowns. Reading your thread has really helped me, yes I have been beating myself up and feeling the stigma that I have felt being diabetic. It’s made me more determined to get control and prove I can do this and have fun. I will miss my crisps though!
I will be posting for support and to let you all know, how things are going.
I will be posting for support and to let you all know, how things are going.
harbottle
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- In remission from Type 2
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When I saw the DN I commented that I wish I'd sorted out my weight earlier. She just said "As it runs in the family, you might have got it anyway." I know people who had it diagnosed in their 30s when they were slim. So I try not to beat myself up about it. It seems it's a complex condition with many different 'types'.
My tastebuds have completely changed. I did go through a 'oh I can't eat a pizza again' phase that made me feel a little sad, and still occasionally does, but in general I find the freshly made food we now eat to be far more satisfy and actually quite enjoyable to make. (I hate being diabetic, but am trying to find some plus points!).
My tastebuds have completely changed. I did go through a 'oh I can't eat a pizza again' phase that made me feel a little sad, and still occasionally does, but in general I find the freshly made food we now eat to be far more satisfy and actually quite enjoyable to make. (I hate being diabetic, but am trying to find some plus points!).
I’ve been in denial fir a few years too but originally I did get back to normal bg doing low carb so I’m back in that after an hba1c of 106, so a big wake up call for me too!
Mrs Mimoo
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I tried to eat a spoon of ice cream this week. Horrible - pure sugar. So I'm quite glad I can't eat it! But I do miss pizza.... and pasta. Instead I have an omlette with peperoni slices.
harbottle
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Now that omelette sound heavenly! I might have to try that. I just had one for tea stuffed with mushrooms.
Gosh
my last Hb1ac was 75, I take it his is high, it doesn’t geteplainedmuch.
harbottle
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- In remission from Type 2
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Mine was 83, which is an average of nearly 13 mmol/L, which is getting to the point where it can be bad (I’ve seen mid-teens as being where kidneys can get affected). 75 is around 12.
Maybe people with more knowledge can explain.
I had no explanation either, just given a number and told to get it down to between 42 and 48.
Maybe people with more knowledge can explain.
I had no explanation either, just given a number and told to get it down to between 42 and 48.
Leadinglights
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- Type 2
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Those results of 75mmol/mol or 83mmol/mol would be the HbA1C test which is an average of the blood glucose levels over a 3 month period and anything over 48mmol/mol gives you a diabetes diagnosis. So the message is to try to get it down to below 42mmol/mol as that is normal.
People do try to equate that to the spot readings they would get from a home monitor but although there is a sort of correlation it is measuring something different being a snapshot at that moment in time. Those readings will vary for all sorts of reasons that most significant is the food you eat.
Getting your spot readings to a lower level within the range 4-7mmol/l before food or fasting and no more than 8.5 mmol/l 2 hours after food will result in a more normal HbA1C.
In the early days when your HbA1C is high then you may be a fair way off those ranges but by looking for no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase 2 hours after food will allow those better food choices.
People do try to equate that to the spot readings they would get from a home monitor but although there is a sort of correlation it is measuring something different being a snapshot at that moment in time. Those readings will vary for all sorts of reasons that most significant is the food you eat.
Getting your spot readings to a lower level within the range 4-7mmol/l before food or fasting and no more than 8.5 mmol/l 2 hours after food will result in a more normal HbA1C.
In the early days when your HbA1C is high then you may be a fair way off those ranges but by looking for no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase 2 hours after food will allow those better food choices.
harbottle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- In remission from Type 2
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@Leadinglights yes, it's an average and doesn't mean it's always been at that level during the 3 months. A few high spikes could skew it as could low periods. When I was first diagnosed I did some testing (Before changing diet) and saw readings of between 6 and 9.1. Shortly after being diagnosed I found a website that converts between the various values and tries to calculate averages and so on.
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