New,, still in shock and disbelief

[williamandrewclose]

Hey,, recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
It's completely winded me, because I've always been healthy, train, do yoga, eat healthy, don't drink, smoke etc
My health has always been number 1 priority, so i never seen this coming.
I don't know how I can improve, whenever I do all that I've read I need to do, but I will try,, I have to.
Any advice?
Advice on what to eat, and what I can't eat?
Thanks
William

 

[mashedupmatt]

Hi @williamandrewclose and welcome to the forum - a diabetes diagnosis is a big shock - we all know here - a good starter is the learning zone at the top of the page (orange link) and the main Diabetes UK Website - as a type 1 myself my dietary needs are different to yours, but a low carb approach is recommended I understand (not No Carb), which obviously means refined sugars, but also bread, pasta, rice etc. - I'm sure someone will pop along soon to provide some better advice than I can give but glad you have found us

 

[goodybags]

Hey,, recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
It's completely winded me, because I've always been healthy, train, do yoga, eat healthy, don't drink, smoke etc
My health has always been number 1 priority, so i never seen this coming.
I don't know how I can improve, whenever I do all that I've read I need to do, but I will try,, I have to.
Any advice?
Advice on what to eat, and what I can't eat?
Thanks
William

hi @williamandrewclose welcome to what you will soon find is the best place to get the support you might need
you will find in time I’m sure the bast way to manage your condition

one initial thought you said you want to improve
we’re you told what number your Hba1c score was (on being diagnosed this will be a number above 48) if you share some of us get an idea as depending how high your Hba1c is

the learning zone has already been pointed out that can be a good place to do some research, another good place to look (for dietary advice)
can be the freshwell program a healthy low carb diet is a good option
see here for details https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes

 

[saffron15]

@williamandrewclose welcome to the forum. I joined last August after an less than adequate appointment with aDCN. I had requested a diabetes test in June having discovered my annual blood test re hypertension wasn't being tested. I was upset and bewildered. My first test was 69 and second was 64.

Do you want to share your hba1c result? It gives an idea of what effort you may need to make. I'm retired and following an early menopause put on the weight. I unknowingly started eating low carb and the weight started to drop. You don't need to lose weight but should check your waist measurement because you might have belly fat which once lost can help your blood glucose. Waist should be no more than half your height. Go through what you eat and cut out sugar added to cereal or drinks. Carbs turn to sugar and are in all the things you add to a meal bread, rice, pasta potatoes. Cut out or reduce processed food like crisps. Meat fish eggs cheese most veg and nuts less sweet fruit eg berries are fine. You can make sure you eat fat and protein. Stop, replace or reduce carbs. Most people go for 120 to 130 gms.



I see a link to Freshwell has been posted it is an excellent resource and will give you an idea what food to reduce.



This website on bottom left has lots of useful websites.


Take things steadily, don't panic ask lots of questions.

Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN

newforestpcn.co.uk

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Firstly, there is no real way to categorically diagnose you with Type 2 diabetes. You get a diabetes diagnosis if you have an HbA1c blood test result in excess of 47.... In reality it should be 2 blood tests above that figure unless you have obvious symptoms of diabetes. The Type of diabetes can be a more complex process, but often becomes a simple guess based on age and statistics. Basically about 90% of people with diabetes have Type 2 so that makes it most likely and if you are a mature adult, many doctors and nurses again assume Type 2 because many believe Type 1 only develops in children and young adults, but there are many of us here who developed it much later in life.... and were also misdiagnosed initially as Type 2, so I personally never take assume a Type 2 diagnosis is correct, particularly if people are slim and fit and healthy and particularly if they suddenly develop symptoms and have a very high HbA1c at diagnosis. As a result of that I would be curious to know how your diagnosis came about... ie. were you symptomatic and if so, which symptoms and what your HbA1c was. I am not saying that you can't get slim Type 2s or fit Type 2s just like you can get overweight Type 1s, but it starts to sow a seed of doubt in my mind when people don't particularly "fit the bill" if that makes sense.

I appreciate that you may not wish to share the information I have asked about or indeed may not yet know your HbA1c result, but if ytou are comfortable sharing that info. it does enable us to give you more appropriate guidance.

One of the things that many of us find really helpful is to use a BG meter to do some testing around meals, to see how our particular body responds to the different foods we eat and then use that info to tailor our diet to what our particular body can cope with. It kind of allows us to "see" our diabetes meal by meal in numbers form and helps us to see which foods and some of them like porridge and wholewheat products like bread and pasta can be otherwise healthy, but our diabetes can make them challenging for our particular body. Porridge is a particularly contentious food, as it is recommended by most doctors and nurses and indeed some members of this forum find it lives up to it's slow release reputation, but for others of us, it acts like rocket fuel on our Blood Glucose (BG) levels. Even with injected insulin as a Type 1, I even best jumbo porridge oats send my levels into orbit in double quick time. Investing in a BG meter should enable you to find which foods are your Kryptonite and which are slower release and easier for your body to manage.

Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts on the information in your opening post. I look forward to hearing more from you and hopefully we can help you to find a strategy to help you figure your diabetes out.

 

[trophywench]

Yes - but the thing to concentrate on first is trying to low-ER the amount of carbohydrate in your day to day diet. ie stodge eg bread, pastry, spuds, rice, breakfast cereals, tropical and/or dried fruit, oh! - and sugar in all its forms.

 

[JimG]

No one can tell you how to feel but I hope that my experience helps. I was diagnosed type 2 in 2009. The impact didn't hit me at first. I had suspected diabetes partly because I had insect bite that took an age to clear up. However, a few weeks later I can still remember collecting the tablets, testing kit, sharps safe and bringing them home. I put them all on the table at home and started to cry. I read a book about someone's experience of the first year of a diabetes diagnosis. After that I decided that I would not let diabetes define who I was or what I did. Change diet, change exercise routine, keep going on the meds and just get on with life and these things simply become second nature - at least that is how it is for me.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hey,, recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
It's completely winded me, because I've always been healthy, train, do yoga, eat healthy, don't drink, smoke etc
My health has always been number 1 priority, so i never seen this coming.
I don't know how I can improve, whenever I do all that I've read I need to do, but I will try,, I have to.
Any advice?
Advice on what to eat, and what I can't eat?
Thanks
William

Welcome to the forum @williamandrewclose

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It sounds like it has come completely out of the blue, and was rather unexpected for you. Do you have anyone in your close family with T2?

Like @rebrascora I’m interested in how your diagnosis came about, and how your Dr decided which type of diabetes you have.

Were you experiencing symptoms that took you to the Dr (eg needing the toilet more often, extreme thirst, fatigue). Or was your diabetes picked up at a routine screening appointment?

Are you considered overweight for your height?

Did you unintentionally lose any weight before your diagnosis?

Were you told the result of your HbA1c - which gives a guide to your general glucose levels over the past 3-4 months?

 

[Martin.A]

Hey,, recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
It's completely winded me, because I've always been healthy, train, do yoga, eat healthy, don't drink, smoke etc
My health has always been number 1 priority, so i never seen this coming.
I don't know how I can improve, whenever I do all that I've read I need to do, but I will try,, I have to.
Any advice?
Advice on what to eat, and what I can't eat?
Thanks
William

My story is similar to @JimG. I came home from my GP appointment, put a box of Metformin on the kitchen worktop and told my wife I had to take it every day for the rest of my life. Only later, having spent time trying to gain as much knowledge as I could about managing diabetes, did I learn about the possibility of remission and decided to go for it. I lost some weight, adopted a low carb diet and became more active. 5 months later my HbA1c was back to normal. As an added bonus my DN had told me I could stop taking Metformin as she didn't think I needed it. I've kept the weight off, have developed a sustainable low carb diet, kept up the exercise regime and feel fitter and healthier for it.

 

[JITR]

My story is similar to @JimG. I came home from my GP appointment, put a box of Metformin on the kitchen worktop and told my wife I had to take it every day for the rest of my life. Only later, having spent time trying to gain as much knowledge as I could about managing diabetes, did I learn about the possibility of remission and decided to go for it. I lost some weight, adopted a low carb diet and became more active. 5 months later my HbA1c was back to normal. As an added bonus my DN had told me I could stop taking Metformin as she didn't think I needed it. I've kept the weight off, have developed a sustainable low carb diet, kept up the exercise regime and feel fitter and healthier for it.

Spot on.

IMHO Wes Streeting should instruct every GP and DN to inform every newly diagnosed T2D about the possibilities of remission.