hi all im new im 55 years old and have type 2 i was diagnosed valentines day not the best gift ever but hey ho my HBa1c was 51 i knew it was coming so started low carbing ive now lost 16lbs so far much of it tummy fat i still need to lose another stone i think but dont want to be too thin i miss chocolate sooo much but i have a few squres of dark 70 -90 per cent nice to meet you all i do worry about my mortality with this disease any opinions would be appreciated
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new and a bit anxious
- Thread starter tracieann
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merrymunky
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello and welcome to the forum. You are definitely in the right place for advice and support.
I can’t comment on mortality other than saying that it seems as though a lot of T2 sufferers here seem to enjoy better health as the levels come down and their diet/exercise is sorted out.
Your diagnosis, whilst being clearly diabetic isn’t terrible by any standards. I’m 38 and was diagnosed in January with an hba1c of 75. I have a way to go I think.
I think if you reduce your refined sugars (severely) and cut down on carb filled foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes, bread etc that it a good start.
You have to remember that any foods containing carbs (yes it seems that means most foods) will convert to sugar and that’s our problem. We can’t tolerate them well. You may find that you tolerate some carbs better than other people so. It’s trial and error.
Also worth remembering that ANYTHING you eat will cause your blood sugar to rise. Even in the lucky non diabetic types. It’s just a case of finding foods you can tolerate that don’t cause your sugars to go soaring.
I’m sure you will find much more in the way of advice from people here. Good luck on your journey.
I can’t comment on mortality other than saying that it seems as though a lot of T2 sufferers here seem to enjoy better health as the levels come down and their diet/exercise is sorted out.
Your diagnosis, whilst being clearly diabetic isn’t terrible by any standards. I’m 38 and was diagnosed in January with an hba1c of 75. I have a way to go I think.
I think if you reduce your refined sugars (severely) and cut down on carb filled foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes, bread etc that it a good start.
You have to remember that any foods containing carbs (yes it seems that means most foods) will convert to sugar and that’s our problem. We can’t tolerate them well. You may find that you tolerate some carbs better than other people so. It’s trial and error.
Also worth remembering that ANYTHING you eat will cause your blood sugar to rise. Even in the lucky non diabetic types. It’s just a case of finding foods you can tolerate that don’t cause your sugars to go soaring.
I’m sure you will find much more in the way of advice from people here. Good luck on your journey.
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Tracie and welcome. Good advice from Merrymunkey. Personally I’m trying not to think too much about the mortality side of things, just concentrating on getting my numbers down and trying to find foods that I like that like me. You’ve lost a great deal of weight already so you are on the right road but it’s definitely the low carbs that are going to help. Your DN will be arranging your eye test, follow up blood tests etc so if you do all you can to help yourself it will give you the best chance of staying healthy and living a long life. As you can see from my stats below my glucose levels were huge but they are coming down, yours are not too bad. Good luck with it all and ask any questions you want, we are here to help each other.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi Tracie and welcome from me too.
We have a lot in common. I am also 55yrs old and I was a chocoholic and sugar addict up until a few weeks ago but I have kicked it and you can too. I was also just diagnosed on Feb 13th this year which is the day after my birthday and before Valentines, so a double whammy for me.
My HbA1c was 112 so I had to take pretty drastic action and started a very strict diet which was to cut out added sugar altogether (I ate fruit instead of sweets but to a lesser extent), low fat, low salt, and small wholegrain portions of carbs. I was started on Metformin and increased to max dose and then Gliclazide added. My Blood Glucose readings would not come down and whilst I have lost more than a stone and a half in those 6 weeks and am down to a normal BMI and love the new slimmer me, my BG levels were consistently between 15-26 and not shifting until a few days ago when someone here on the forum very kindly suggested I cut out all starchy food. As soon as I replaced my morning porridge with an omelette it started to drop. I have cut out bread and potatoes and pasta and rice and I got my first reading below 10 today and I am absolutely delighted.
Figuring out what you can get away with and what you need to avoid is really important and my blood glucose meter has been invaluable in helping me through this. Have you been supplied with one by your health professionals? If not, ask for one or if they cannot provide one, spend the money you would have blown on chocolate and get one yourself. I have been provided with a Nexus GlucoRx and it is very easy to use. The nurse told me to use it twice a day 2hrs after food, 2-3 times a week, but the only way to figure out what affects you is to test MUCH more frequently. I test before a meal and then test an hour later and then another hour later and maybe even 3+ hours later and then start again at the next meal time and keep a diary with what you eat and what your readings are. My sister downloaded an app called The Sugar Diary onto my phone and it enables me to record all my food and readings and plot graphs so that I can see what is affecting me. I'm not tech savvy at all but it is really easy to use after the first few entries and it is really helping me get to grips with this.
Amazingly I have lost the urge for sweet stuff and this is the woman who could happily eat a whole tin of condensed milk with a spoon without stopping for breath or consume a whole box of Cadbury's Cream Eggs at one go.... just no off switch. Having cut everything naughty out of my diet for 6 weeks my taste buds have been reprogrammed and it is almost like I now eat in colour whereas before when I was addicted to sugar it was just black and white. I hope you are able to realise such a transformation too. I do have a bar of 70% chocolate there in the cupboard if I need it, but it has lasted me 6 weeks and is only half gone and I don't crave it and people can eat naughty stuff in front of me and it doesn't really bother me anymore, so I have had a huge change of mentality and lifestyle and it is so nice to be free of the sugar addiction.
I still have a long way to go as I have not managed to get my BG into the normal range yet but they are heading towards it and I am struggling with muscle fatigue but the past few days since I cut the starchy foods out as well, I have really turned a corner and now strongly believe that I will be able to come off the medication in the not too distant future and control it with diet.
I really wish you luck with your journey. The past few weeks have been very hard for me and there have been times when I have been in tears and shouted and screamed in frustration but I am now starting top see light shining brightly at the end of the tunnel.
I am just new to this but as someone who is going through the same thing at the same time as you, if I can help you in any way, please feel free to ask. Maybe we can share meal ideas or just offer moral support.
We have a lot in common. I am also 55yrs old and I was a chocoholic and sugar addict up until a few weeks ago but I have kicked it and you can too. I was also just diagnosed on Feb 13th this year which is the day after my birthday and before Valentines, so a double whammy for me.
My HbA1c was 112 so I had to take pretty drastic action and started a very strict diet which was to cut out added sugar altogether (I ate fruit instead of sweets but to a lesser extent), low fat, low salt, and small wholegrain portions of carbs. I was started on Metformin and increased to max dose and then Gliclazide added. My Blood Glucose readings would not come down and whilst I have lost more than a stone and a half in those 6 weeks and am down to a normal BMI and love the new slimmer me, my BG levels were consistently between 15-26 and not shifting until a few days ago when someone here on the forum very kindly suggested I cut out all starchy food. As soon as I replaced my morning porridge with an omelette it started to drop. I have cut out bread and potatoes and pasta and rice and I got my first reading below 10 today and I am absolutely delighted.
Figuring out what you can get away with and what you need to avoid is really important and my blood glucose meter has been invaluable in helping me through this. Have you been supplied with one by your health professionals? If not, ask for one or if they cannot provide one, spend the money you would have blown on chocolate and get one yourself. I have been provided with a Nexus GlucoRx and it is very easy to use. The nurse told me to use it twice a day 2hrs after food, 2-3 times a week, but the only way to figure out what affects you is to test MUCH more frequently. I test before a meal and then test an hour later and then another hour later and maybe even 3+ hours later and then start again at the next meal time and keep a diary with what you eat and what your readings are. My sister downloaded an app called The Sugar Diary onto my phone and it enables me to record all my food and readings and plot graphs so that I can see what is affecting me. I'm not tech savvy at all but it is really easy to use after the first few entries and it is really helping me get to grips with this.
Amazingly I have lost the urge for sweet stuff and this is the woman who could happily eat a whole tin of condensed milk with a spoon without stopping for breath or consume a whole box of Cadbury's Cream Eggs at one go.... just no off switch. Having cut everything naughty out of my diet for 6 weeks my taste buds have been reprogrammed and it is almost like I now eat in colour whereas before when I was addicted to sugar it was just black and white. I hope you are able to realise such a transformation too. I do have a bar of 70% chocolate there in the cupboard if I need it, but it has lasted me 6 weeks and is only half gone and I don't crave it and people can eat naughty stuff in front of me and it doesn't really bother me anymore, so I have had a huge change of mentality and lifestyle and it is so nice to be free of the sugar addiction.
I still have a long way to go as I have not managed to get my BG into the normal range yet but they are heading towards it and I am struggling with muscle fatigue but the past few days since I cut the starchy foods out as well, I have really turned a corner and now strongly believe that I will be able to come off the medication in the not too distant future and control it with diet.
I really wish you luck with your journey. The past few weeks have been very hard for me and there have been times when I have been in tears and shouted and screamed in frustration but I am now starting top see light shining brightly at the end of the tunnel.
I am just new to this but as someone who is going through the same thing at the same time as you, if I can help you in any way, please feel free to ask. Maybe we can share meal ideas or just offer moral support.
thank you for all your wonderful support i feel reassured just hearing from you all im taking this seriously and am on minimal carbs i can do per day really trying hard do enjoy the high cocoa chocolate a bit takes the craving away which is what i need more fruit and veg than ever my cholesterol has lowered too which is good Rebrascora thanks so much we can relate well to each other will take advice from you all thanks again
Hi and welcome to the club! This forum is fab, I'm loving it and it's making me feel not so alone with this - I'm newly diagnosed too, feeling bit overwhelmed - hadn't really given my mortality a thought until now!!!! But wanted to ask rebrascora what she uses to replace all the carbs - this is what I'm finding really hard - so am still having some (not a lot) of wholemeal bread, rice, pasta and some potatoes occasionally. This week I'm going to try to not eat any - just having fish, chicken, veg (don't really eat much red meat) - but I do miss the carbs from a meal!
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