New and struggling

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

SomethingElse

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all,

Diagnosed with type 2 a few days ago, HbA1c of 96mmol. 38 year old male, no family history. I’ve been given metformin. Gutted, and feel like my world has been turned upside down.

For what it’s worth, I’m vegetarian.

I’m still very scared and confused. I travel for work and holidays, and because I’m relatively young I’m a festival goer in the summer. I’m worried about how all these things will work now. I know I’ll change from beer to whisky at least, I suppose.

Been doing a bit of lurking and confused about what to do next. I’m 18st 5lbs, 6ft tall and need to lose the weight first and foremost if I want to bring this thing under control, maybe into remission.

But, that’s where it’s tricky. I’ve seen some saying low carb, some saying it doesn’t matter, some advising keto (which looks dangerous to me) and there are some studies suggesting high carb plant-based diets work to put diabetes into remission.

I haven’t been given a monitor by the doc, but I’ve got a Libre 2 sensor from a type one friend. I’m going to look at it next weekend when I’m back from a work trip - and I assume right now I wouldn’t see so many spikes since my blood sugar is so high?

I’ve been doing Slimming World with my wife for a few weeks and I’m down 8lbs. That’s without exercise. I read plenty of people who do SW and put it into remission, but no mention of vastly reducing carbs.

I’m just trying to find my way. The idea of struggling every holiday, meal out, never having a takeaway etc just makes me so sad. At the same time I need to shift the weight and be healthier. For now, I’m going to reduce my carbs a bit but worry more about eating a generally healthier diet and mainly keep to SW as it seems to be working.
 
SomethingElse said:
some advising keto (which looks dangerous to me)
Click to expand...
I followed the keto route combined with some intermittent fasting.
Went into remission within 4 months with no meds.
Lost weight and put multiple other health conditions into reverse.

Why do you think keto is "dangerous"?

It's slightly harder being vegetarian but not impossible.

SomethingElse said:
The idea of struggling every holiday
Click to expand...
I've never found eating to make myself healthier a struggle. Once you know what helps and what hinders it can be pretty liberating.

I'm assuming you're vegetarian for 'moral reasons' rather than health?
 
Welcome @SomethingElse A diabetes diagnosis is often a shock and a concern. What you’re feeling is normal. The good news though is that you have a possible solution: lose the excess weight.

Type 2s here follow a variety of diets, including low calorie, low carb, low fat plant-based, Mediterranean, and Slimming World and similar. You need to find what works for you in all ways. It sounds like you’ve made a great start losing those pounds 🙂
 
Thanks both. I suppose with keto I just think it can’t be great to clog your body with fat. Excuse my ignorance though - I’m not an expert. I also see lots of people peddling whatever worked for them.

One person I’m keen on knowing more about is @Eddy Edson as I’ve seen a few of their posts. Seems you lost weight without going crazy low on carbs and wonder how you did it and what you stick to now you’re in remission?

Appreciate I’m veggie and you may be an omnivore but maybe there’ll be similar things.
 
SomethingElse said:
it can’t be great to clog your body with fat.
Click to expand...
You don't clog your body with fat though because fat becomes your fuel replacing glucose from carbohydrate.
Fat is what is consumed both dietary and body fat.
 
I think you need to follow an eating pattern that you can sustain, which might take some trial and error. You will see that people advise on what suits them best, be it low carb, 800cal, keto, Newcastle. Low carb does not mean NO carb (it's actually impossible as even the humble lettuce has carbs.) It's about finding out about what your body tolerates, through testing, and then making sensible choices. Some people are far more sensitive than others.
Holidays do not need to be a problem. I usually go for hotels with a buffet, and this year for the first time, I'm going self catering. If I'm going to a restaurant I check out the online menu and I will ask to swap potato/bread for a salad. I like stir fry veggies with cashew nuts and beansprouts, omelettes when I can get one, and there are usually good vegetarian curries. Takeaways are something to enjoy very occasionally once the weight and HbA1c are reduced.
I personally could not maintain abstinence, and keto made me feel ill, so I looked for moderation. I have a shake made up with water/unsweetened almond milk before my exercise classes, otherwise low carb, with substitutes such as roasted squash, cauliflower mash/rice, soybean pasta. I also have a lot of home made vegetable soups with pulses. 2/3 of my plate are vegetables, but I am not vegetarian.
 
SomethingElse said:
Thanks both. I suppose with keto I just think it can’t be great to clog your body with fat. Excuse my ignorance though - I’m not an expert. I also see lots of people peddling whatever worked for them.

One person I’m keen on knowing more about is @Eddy Edson as I’ve seen a few of their posts. Seems you lost weight without going crazy low on carbs and wonder how you did it and what you stick to now you’re in remission?

Appreciate I’m veggie and you may be an omnivore but maybe there’ll be similar things.
Click to expand...

I think @Eddy Edson eats a plant-based diet but he’ll correct me if I’m wrong. Low carb can be anything under 130g so it doesn’t mean eating none or a miniscule amount.

There are various plant-based diets that might help. Some are vegan, but others allow moderate amounts of animal protein. You could look at Joel Fuhrman, Michael Greger and the Forks Over Knives website if you’re interested.
 
It's quite normal to be shocked and concerned when you are diagnosed with diabetes, but try not to worry (yes, I know it's easy to say)
You can live well with diabetes, though you will almost certainly need to make some changes
The main change is a reduction in your carb consumption, though many people take their diagnosis as the motivation to change the way they're living, eat more veg, do more exercise, cut down on fags & booze, and all the rest of the healthy stuff we hear about
It is important to understand that carbohydrates include starchy foods such as bread, spuds, pasta, rice, etc, as well as obviously sweet & sugary things like sweets, cakes, biscuits, & puddings

The biochemistry and metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, weight loss, and hormones such as insulin is quite complicated and not easy to follow, but many people are coming round to the idea of a low carb diet for weight loss and diabetes control, or even remission

Also after decades there is an opinion that fat and cholesterol are not the Big Baddies that they were thought to be, and this poor image was due to sloppy & selective research combined with pressure from the American food industry
The opinion is also turning against statins as their side effects and even their lack of long term effectiveness are being questioned
This view is not wholly accepted by everyone, but nevertheless low carb diets have produced some impressive results

Put simply, the body uses carbs as its first source of energy, and any excess carbs are stored as fat
Thus to reduce your weight you must reduce the amount of carbs you eat to such a level that your body must break into its stores of fat

Have a look at videos by Dr David Unwin and Dr Paul Mercer, though there are others, plus low carb recipes & meal plans
Dr Mercer produces videos on other medical aspects besides fat/carb weight loss but it's easy enough to find the relevant ones

You have probably taken years to acquire your weight (haven't we all !?) so it will probably also take weeks & months to reduce your weight to a reasonable level, say the end of summer, so be patient
You usually find that as you lose weight you pee a lot! In fact you should drink more water anyway as this helps to flush out the waste products
Exercise will help as well

Nothing in the body happens in isolation. We tend to think of -
Weight - stop ..... joints - stop ...... skin - stop...... and so on
But people often report that as their weight & diabetic control improve, so do their joints, skin problems, general weakness & tiredness and so on
 
Last edited:
Cheers @zuludog. I think once it all sets in and I get on with it I might be ok.

I’ve reduced my carbs for the last few days, down to ~100g per day and I’m managing with it. Combined with exercise I’m optimistic I can do this.

At home it probably won’t be an issue, when I visit the US this summer I’m going to struggle. Im going to just have to give myself some leeway and get on it when I’m back. As for my festival, I’m probably going to do the same - but I know I can take Huel (the black one) and switch my beers to lower carb beers and I should be ok.

I had cauliflower rice tonight, and maybe next time I get an Indian takeaway I’ll get spinach and paneer and make the cauliflower rice at home. I feel a bit optimistic tonight, but I can’t guarantee I’m going to feel that way all the time.

Maybe if I do hit remission I can stick to this plan but give myself the odd carby treat a little more often.

In a way, this is the kick in the backside I needed. I wish it hadn’t happened, but if I’d carried on the way I was I may not have developed diabetes but might have died from some other obesity related illness.
 
SomethingElse said:
In a way, this is the kick in the backside I needed. I wish it hadn’t happened, but if I’d carried on the way I was I may not have developed diabetes but might have died from some other obesity related illness.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum @SomethingElse

And glad you have de-lurked 🙂

It can be a really overwhelming experience getting a diagnosis with diabetes, and you can experience some pretty intense emotions which some liken to a form of grieving (including anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and ultimately acceptance).

Your comment really caught my eye, because it’s an experience that many members share. Where there diabetes diagnosis becomes a sort of catalyst to begin to make some positive changes towards a healthier lifestyle - perhaps changes they have been intending to make for years. Some reflect that they haven’t felt as ‘healthy’ and energised for years.

Well gone on the positive start you’ve made. We have a few members who have successfully used WeightWatchers or Slimming World as part of their weight-loss / diabetes management. Some find they need to make some adaptations to the general programme - it really depends on your personal reaction to carbohydrates and the portion-sizes in your meals.

Good luck! And let us know how you get on 🙂
 
Yes, Spinach and Paneer is great to have with an Indian curry. I always have some of that whenever I eat in an Indian restaurant (since Cauliflower Rice isn't an option).
 
SomethingElse said:
Cheers @zuludog. I think once it all sets in and I get on with it I might be ok.

I’ve reduced my carbs for the last few days, down to ~100g per day and I’m managing with it. Combined with exercise I’m optimistic I can do this.

At home it probably won’t be an issue, when I visit the US this summer I’m going to struggle. Im going to just have to give myself some leeway and get on it when I’m back. As for my festival, I’m probably going to do the same - but I know I can take Huel (the black one) and switch my beers to lower carb beers and I should be ok.

I had cauliflower rice tonight, and maybe next time I get an Indian takeaway I’ll get spinach and paneer and make the cauliflower rice at home. I feel a bit optimistic tonight, but I can’t guarantee I’m going to feel that way all the time.

Maybe if I do hit remission I can stick to this plan but give myself the odd carby treat a little more often.

In a way, this is the kick in the backside I needed. I wish it hadn’t happened, but if I’d carried on the way I was I may not have developed diabetes but might have died from some other obesity related illness.
Click to expand...
It seems that you have been fed all the negatives about fat, so you avoid lowering your blood glucose levels in the easiest way which might also bring about effortless weightloss - I did low carb at no more than 50gm of carbs a day and it was so easy and effective I can only advise it rather than arguing about it. It seems as easy as breathing and it solved the problem in a matter of weeks back in early 2017. It is still working and diet is really not an issue. I don't eat out much, as I don't need to, but most places seem to cope well enough on the few occasions I buy a meal.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top