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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.
Just found out I have type 2
- Thread starter Barnieboo
- Start date
- Status
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Don't worry - you can fix it.
Welcome to the club no one wants to join, but the essential message is that diabetics can't cope with carbohydrates, and they are the sugars and starches.
Ordinary type twos can, in many instances, get back to normal by checking how they react to various foods and then seeing how much of the lower carb ones they can cope with. For that a glucose meter with affordable strips is required, and some electronic scales are helpful.
Were you told your Hba1c level? You ought to be able to find it out from your surgery and it is useful to know just how high in the range you have gone.
Ahh thanks for your reply, was not told very much to be honest, not sure what my Hba 1c levels or what are these ??? are to be honest, was told over the phone on a 15min call from a nurse and was told to make an appointment in Nov to have more bloods done, then was told she would leave leaflets at the front desk and the call about ended was asked a few lifestyle questions etc
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi and welcome
Were you prescribed any medications? If not, there is a chance that you are at the lower end of the diabetic scale and can reduce your blood glucose by lifestyle changes. A diabetic is a person who has an HbA1c (blood test done for diagnosis which records the average blood glucose over about 3 months) of 48 and above. A pre-diabetic is 42-47.
Drummer has offered excellent advice about measuring before eating and 2 hours after first bite. This test is different from the HbA1c as it measures the glucose at that particular moment. You would hope to see a rise of less than 3mmol (it will make sense when you have had a chance to absorb all the information.) Any more and there is some carbs in the meal your body is struggling to cope with. That way you will soon learn what you can eat without spiking your blood glucose. There is no hard and fast rule - every body reacts differently, so it is trial and error.
Most Type 2 react well to reducing their carbs - bread, potato, rice, pasta, processed foods, pastries, cakes, biscuits, sweets, some fruits. This usually means portion control for staples (hence digital scales), and discipline. Many of us have substitutes, for example cauliflower rice/mash, courgetti, squash ribbons and slices. I monitor my daily carbs with an app (I use NutraCheck but there are others). I experimented with my daily carb intake, between 50gm and 130gm a day, settling on 90gm. Some people who are very sensitive to carbs are better at the lower end of the scale - again, it's a very individual thing, and I think that's why people find at first that the information can be confusing or a bit woolly. I suggest you look at the Food and Recipe section of this Forum for ideas, from Type 2 members.
The other lifestyle changes that help are weight loss (if you need it) and exercise. I hadn't been in a swimming pool for 50 years, but now I go 3 times a week if I can, and I feel so much better for it. I also have a mini exercise bike at home, for lockdown purposes!!! But even a short walk every day will help, or a short cycle ride. It doesn't mean pounding away in a gym if you don't want to.
Regarding information, I suggest you work your way through the Learning Zone (orange tab at top), one module a day, so you can take it all in. And please ask any questions you may have, we all had to learn when first diagnosed. Best wishes
Were you prescribed any medications? If not, there is a chance that you are at the lower end of the diabetic scale and can reduce your blood glucose by lifestyle changes. A diabetic is a person who has an HbA1c (blood test done for diagnosis which records the average blood glucose over about 3 months) of 48 and above. A pre-diabetic is 42-47.
Drummer has offered excellent advice about measuring before eating and 2 hours after first bite. This test is different from the HbA1c as it measures the glucose at that particular moment. You would hope to see a rise of less than 3mmol (it will make sense when you have had a chance to absorb all the information.) Any more and there is some carbs in the meal your body is struggling to cope with. That way you will soon learn what you can eat without spiking your blood glucose. There is no hard and fast rule - every body reacts differently, so it is trial and error.
Most Type 2 react well to reducing their carbs - bread, potato, rice, pasta, processed foods, pastries, cakes, biscuits, sweets, some fruits. This usually means portion control for staples (hence digital scales), and discipline. Many of us have substitutes, for example cauliflower rice/mash, courgetti, squash ribbons and slices. I monitor my daily carbs with an app (I use NutraCheck but there are others). I experimented with my daily carb intake, between 50gm and 130gm a day, settling on 90gm. Some people who are very sensitive to carbs are better at the lower end of the scale - again, it's a very individual thing, and I think that's why people find at first that the information can be confusing or a bit woolly. I suggest you look at the Food and Recipe section of this Forum for ideas, from Type 2 members.
The other lifestyle changes that help are weight loss (if you need it) and exercise. I hadn't been in a swimming pool for 50 years, but now I go 3 times a week if I can, and I feel so much better for it. I also have a mini exercise bike at home, for lockdown purposes!!! But even a short walk every day will help, or a short cycle ride. It doesn't mean pounding away in a gym if you don't want to.
Regarding information, I suggest you work your way through the Learning Zone (orange tab at top), one module a day, so you can take it all in. And please ask any questions you may have, we all had to learn when first diagnosed. Best wishes
Thanks for your wonderful information my head at the moment is like spaghetti lol. Will keep reading etc and see where I get to xx
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @Barnieboo
There is so much to take in at the start but you have already been given a lot of useful information.
An understanding of carbs is so useful as it is all of these (not just sugars) that get converted to glucose once they are inside us. With Diabetes we are not able to match the Insulin needed to process the glucose in our system. This can be for various reasons. If you know how many carbs you are eating at present that is a good starting point as you can then make swaps and/or reduce portions to bring these numbers down.
It will help to ask for the results of your blood tests, such as the HbA1c, as it is a measure of the average glucose in Your blood. You can then monitor your progress as you start to get to grips with your condition.
there is loads of in in the Learning Zone (a tab at the top of this page or in the menu (…) on a phone) and also in the various threads on here. Do ask any questions that you have as there is lots of experience to tap into on here.
There is so much to take in at the start but you have already been given a lot of useful information.
An understanding of carbs is so useful as it is all of these (not just sugars) that get converted to glucose once they are inside us. With Diabetes we are not able to match the Insulin needed to process the glucose in our system. This can be for various reasons. If you know how many carbs you are eating at present that is a good starting point as you can then make swaps and/or reduce portions to bring these numbers down.
It will help to ask for the results of your blood tests, such as the HbA1c, as it is a measure of the average glucose in Your blood. You can then monitor your progress as you start to get to grips with your condition.
there is loads of in in the Learning Zone (a tab at the top of this page or in the menu (…) on a phone) and also in the various threads on here. Do ask any questions that you have as there is lots of experience to tap into on here.
Great response...I have a treadmill to walk every day on, don't need to run or can't.. and if it is a nice day I go walkies outdorors too. It took me a while to sort my head out as it was a shock but now I have some control over my blood sugars... I was not told anything by my GP and I think I was in denial initially...but...got it together and sorted my diet and exercise out step by step with help from the people on these forums.
Unbelievable doctor's diabetes 2 advice on LBC this morning. He said cutting down on fats was the way to go to reduce the impact of D2. Where has he been? Lots of callers corrected him and I recommended he visits diabetesUK advice and forums. The presenter did not know what foods were carbohydrates...education education education.
Pine Marten
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Barnieboo, I'm not adding to the excellent information and advice already given, except to say take your time to read around stuff and absorb what you need to know!
The nurse/doc should give you your blood test results including your HbA1c (so don't be fobbed off) and it will certainly help you to take control of your type 2. Lots of friendly people here to answer any questions you might have, so let us know how you get on. Welcome to the forum 🙂
The nurse/doc should give you your blood test results including your HbA1c (so don't be fobbed off) and it will certainly help you to take control of your type 2. Lots of friendly people here to answer any questions you might have, so let us know how you get on. Welcome to the forum 🙂
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