I have three months to get my Diabetes in Remission

[Coinster66]

Just recently diagnosed with type2 Diabetes, Reading was 53 October down to 52. Nurse said I will give you 3 months to get to 48. I will eat anything, this helps a lot. I have had no Crisps or Alcohol for 8 weeks, cut down vastly on Chocky Biscuits. I am a Night Worker so we tend to eat and eat when we get tired, Chocky Biscuit is a good sugar kick at 5am to get you through the shift until 7am. I have lost 4lb in weight, not a lot but I do feel a lot fitter. I do a Brisk walk every day and I cycle to and from work. I am 61 with Slightly high blood pressure also, as I said I will eat anything, looking for some food advice Please, I do the cooking at home for myself and the other half.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Coinster66

Well done on your weight loss!

Well done on cutting back on the choccy bics too. I can imagine how they must call to you on a night shift 😱 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.

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.

You can use a 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 BG (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 between the before and 2hr check. It’s not about avoiding any foods entirely, it’s more about matching your menu with what your body can cope with.

Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing the portions of carbs or trying different types (sometimes just having something at a different time of day can make a difference). With a gradual and sustained approach, testing, reviewing, adjustigng… 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.

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50

If you would like a good overview of T2 diabetes, you might like to register for the Learning Zone (link in the main menu). Additionally, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually and will give you a solid starting point.

Good luck, and let is know how you get on!

 

[Drummer]

Ah - at least what your nurse actually said is more achievable - remission is somewhat variable but it usually involves normal numbers for a couple of years.
By cutting down on the carbs I went from 91 to 47 in 80 days, so if you have made a significant reduction in your carb intake you should achieve that target easily.
I eat just twice a day now, and have a fair variety of foods, lots of stews, curries and casseroles, but with low carb veges rather than high starch ones. I steam cauliflower and chop it up to have instead of rice.
On cold mornings I cook bubble and squeak made with swede - I used to do it with veges, but then I tried it with cheese. I beat in an egg, cook it in a frying pan until the underneath is done, then put it under the grill for a while on low, spread grated cheese on top and put it back under the grill slightly hotter to melt the cheese and turn it golden brown.
I don't suffer from flagging energy levels even after being out all day.

 

[Coinster66]

I love Stews and Omelettes, Chicken ,Beef, Mince, I love Fish also, I will try any food. I have Tried the Quark Kvarg Desserts this week on my night shifts, along with my Chicken stew. I am open to suggestions, the wife bought me a High Blood Pressure Monitor, now she is buying a Blood Glucose Monitor, so I will be having a go at testing. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Coinster66]

Welcome to the forum @Coinster66

Well done on your weight loss!

Well done on cutting back on the choccy bics too. I can imagine how they must call to you on a night shift 😱 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.

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.

You can use a 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 BG (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 between the before and 2hr check. It’s not about avoiding any foods entirely, it’s more about matching your menu with what your body can cope with.

Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing the portions of carbs or trying different types (sometimes just having something at a different time of day can make a difference). With a gradual and sustained approach, testing, reviewing, adjustigng… 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.

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50

If you would like a good overview of T2 diabetes, you might like to register for the Learning Zone (link in the main menu). Additionally, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually and will give you a solid starting point.

Good luck, and let is know how you get on!

I will be trying out a BG meter ,as the wife is buying me one. As I will try any food, this should hopefully help me to stay healthy. I do take Statins and Amplodipine 5mg, Clopidogrel as I had a TIA ( Mini Stroke ) 5 years ago, this drove me to give up smoking a.s.a.p. did not bother me as much as I thought it would. So I have a new challenge to loose some weight and get myself healthier, through eating the right food and monitoring my BG Levels. Thank You for your support and advice, very much appreciated.