Diagnosed Type 2 last week and a bit overwhelmed to be honest. It's just sinking in how much change I have to make. I need to lose about 6 stone which is a LOT- the size of a small human being! I've struggled with weight all my life, and now at 66 I just have to get on with it to have a decent future. Any positive stories would be welcome!
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- Thread starter Midlander
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Neens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome @Midlander there are positive stories to be found on the General Message Board and lots of positivity in the forum. It is a shock when you first get the news, but I we can support you through it. You are in good hands here.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome. Most of us, if not all found the diagnosis somewhat overwhelming. Shock, guilt, embarrassment and grief even, are all common emotions too.
As @Neens has said there are many members of the forum who have lost lots of weight and got their BG levels under control, mostly via a low carbohydrate diet. That involves cutting down on not just the sweet, sugary stuff including quite surprisingly fruit dried fruit and fruit juice, but also starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals etc. That may seem like there is not much left to eat but eggs meat fish, nuts, mushrooms, salads, leafy green veg like cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts and spinach, Mediterranean veg like tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes etc and cauliflower, broccoli and leeks are all good. Full fat dairy like whole milk, cream, cheese, butter and creamy natural yoghurt are also on the menu, so it is not all bad news. When you eat fruit, anything with berries in the name is better than more exotic fruits like bananas or pineapple but keep portions small and just one or two at most portions of fruit a day. Surprisingly eating less carbs not only lowers your Blood Glucose levels but also means that most people lose weight without even trying.
Investing in a Blood Glucose Meter can be very helpful in managing your diabetes as we all have different tolerances not only to carbohydrates in general but different types of carbohydrates, so some people can get away with eating a small portion or potatoes but pasta sends their BG into orbit, whilst others can manage a slice of bread but potatoes are like eating sugar to their system. This is because we all have a different balance of bacteria in our gut which is responsible for breaking down our food, so we all digest carbohydrates differently. Testing before we eat and then 2 hours afterwards will give us an idea of how we responded to that food and if we need to reduce the carbs in that meal next time or remove that particular carbohydrate from our diet altogether. BG meters are relatively inexpensive @ approx. £13 for the instrument itself, but the on going cost of buying test strips for it can tot up the finances and for that reason the 2 meters with the cheapest test strips are often recommended. These are the SD Gluco Navii (previously the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Health TEE2 Blood Glucose Meters. Test strips for both these meters are £8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to £15-20 for some other brands.
Hopefully I have not overloaded you with too much info, but if you don't understand or need more specific advice just ask. Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint so take your time to come to terms with the diagnosis and start to make changes. It doesn't need to happen overnight. I think it took me about 5 weeks to wean myself off carbs and I can say that I really enjoy my new low carb, higher fat diet and feel that it is sustainable for the rest of my life.
As @Neens has said there are many members of the forum who have lost lots of weight and got their BG levels under control, mostly via a low carbohydrate diet. That involves cutting down on not just the sweet, sugary stuff including quite surprisingly fruit dried fruit and fruit juice, but also starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals etc. That may seem like there is not much left to eat but eggs meat fish, nuts, mushrooms, salads, leafy green veg like cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts and spinach, Mediterranean veg like tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes etc and cauliflower, broccoli and leeks are all good. Full fat dairy like whole milk, cream, cheese, butter and creamy natural yoghurt are also on the menu, so it is not all bad news. When you eat fruit, anything with berries in the name is better than more exotic fruits like bananas or pineapple but keep portions small and just one or two at most portions of fruit a day. Surprisingly eating less carbs not only lowers your Blood Glucose levels but also means that most people lose weight without even trying.
Investing in a Blood Glucose Meter can be very helpful in managing your diabetes as we all have different tolerances not only to carbohydrates in general but different types of carbohydrates, so some people can get away with eating a small portion or potatoes but pasta sends their BG into orbit, whilst others can manage a slice of bread but potatoes are like eating sugar to their system. This is because we all have a different balance of bacteria in our gut which is responsible for breaking down our food, so we all digest carbohydrates differently. Testing before we eat and then 2 hours afterwards will give us an idea of how we responded to that food and if we need to reduce the carbs in that meal next time or remove that particular carbohydrate from our diet altogether. BG meters are relatively inexpensive @ approx. £13 for the instrument itself, but the on going cost of buying test strips for it can tot up the finances and for that reason the 2 meters with the cheapest test strips are often recommended. These are the SD Gluco Navii (previously the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Health TEE2 Blood Glucose Meters. Test strips for both these meters are £8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to £15-20 for some other brands.
Hopefully I have not overloaded you with too much info, but if you don't understand or need more specific advice just ask. Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint so take your time to come to terms with the diagnosis and start to make changes. It doesn't need to happen overnight. I think it took me about 5 weeks to wean myself off carbs and I can say that I really enjoy my new low carb, higher fat diet and feel that it is sustainable for the rest of my life.
Toucan
Forum Host
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello @Midlander, welcome to the forum.
You are in a good place to get help and support, and there are many on the forum that have successfully found a way to reduce their blood sugars and loose weight.
There is no ' one size fits all ' though and you need to find the right solution for you. Many of us on the forum find that reducing carbs is a good solution combined with increased exercise.
There is some more detailed information on useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.
I would particularly recommend 'Maggie Davey's letter' which shows how this lady found her way through.
Please keep posting any questions, and let us know how you get on.
You are in a good place to get help and support, and there are many on the forum that have successfully found a way to reduce their blood sugars and loose weight.
There is no ' one size fits all ' though and you need to find the right solution for you. Many of us on the forum find that reducing carbs is a good solution combined with increased exercise.
There is some more detailed information on useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.
I would particularly recommend 'Maggie Davey's letter' which shows how this lady found her way through.
Please keep posting any questions, and let us know how you get on.
Hello MIDLANDER and welcome to the Forum, and to the Club that no-one wants to join!
Take some comfort and reassurance from the fact that you are by no means the only one in this position
You can deal with diabetes - it won't be easy, especially at first, but neither is it impossible, and you learn a new routine
Let's not get into the details for the moment, let's have some general comments first -
The good news (for want of a better expression) is that you can deal with diabetes by changing the way you live; your diet, exercise, and so on, and live quite well & healthily
The bad news is that you must do this all the time now, for the rest of your life
You will get medical advice, though this can vary around the country, but the main part of your treatment and diabetic control is down to you
You will have to Search and learn for yourself what you can & cannot eat; do some sort of exercise, and so on
Follow the links & advice from TOUCAN
Read through past Threads & Posts on this forum, especially General and New To All This; the Exercise & Food sections will also be useful - but not all at once, that would be overwhelming.
You will almost certainly find that all your questions and concerns have been asked and dealt with before; but certainly if you have your own questions, don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask. that's what forums are for
You don't have to become a doctor to look after diabetes, but some understanding of the biology is useful - put simply, it's an inability to deal with carbohydrates
Getting your own general book on diabetes is desirable, there are a few that are recommended, but I like 'Diabetes for Dummies'. It's available from Amazon, new or used, but make sure you get the UK edition
This forum is part of Diabetes UK, and they are very good. Go to the Home Page and there are sections on diet, meal planning, and so on
Finally, don't be frightened by any horror stories -- Oooh, me aunty's leg fell off- If you look after yourself there shouldn't be any problems
Take some comfort and reassurance from the fact that you are by no means the only one in this position
You can deal with diabetes - it won't be easy, especially at first, but neither is it impossible, and you learn a new routine
Let's not get into the details for the moment, let's have some general comments first -
The good news (for want of a better expression) is that you can deal with diabetes by changing the way you live; your diet, exercise, and so on, and live quite well & healthily
The bad news is that you must do this all the time now, for the rest of your life
You will get medical advice, though this can vary around the country, but the main part of your treatment and diabetic control is down to you
You will have to Search and learn for yourself what you can & cannot eat; do some sort of exercise, and so on
Follow the links & advice from TOUCAN
Read through past Threads & Posts on this forum, especially General and New To All This; the Exercise & Food sections will also be useful - but not all at once, that would be overwhelming.
You will almost certainly find that all your questions and concerns have been asked and dealt with before; but certainly if you have your own questions, don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask. that's what forums are for
You don't have to become a doctor to look after diabetes, but some understanding of the biology is useful - put simply, it's an inability to deal with carbohydrates
Getting your own general book on diabetes is desirable, there are a few that are recommended, but I like 'Diabetes for Dummies'. It's available from Amazon, new or used, but make sure you get the UK edition
This forum is part of Diabetes UK, and they are very good. Go to the Home Page and there are sections on diet, meal planning, and so on
Finally, don't be frightened by any horror stories -- Oooh, me aunty's leg fell off- If you look after yourself there shouldn't be any problems
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Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
If you have followed the usual advice and opinion of many that carbs are the things to eat then you might get a shock if you stop consuming a 'healthy' diet and try eating protein and fat.
I lost three stone without trying and could not believe my eyes when I stepped on the scales for the first time in over a year.
Now over three years from diagnosis I see normal blood glucose levels, and top end of normal for Hba1c.
I was 65 years old at diagnosis, but now feel a lot younger.
I lost three stone without trying and could not believe my eyes when I stepped on the scales for the first time in over a year.
Now over three years from diagnosis I see normal blood glucose levels, and top end of normal for Hba1c.
I was 65 years old at diagnosis, but now feel a lot younger.
D
Deleted member 25429
Guest
Mine is positive . I’ve managed to loose almost 8 stone in the last 20 months . I’m type 1 but choose low carb food so I don’t have to inject too much insulin . You can do it , just take one day at a time . Good luck and let us know how you get on x
Hi and welcome 🙂 the others have said it also I just wanted to reiterate that you are certainly not alone, when I started my journey I also had a lot of weight to lose but having yo-yo dieted all my life I focused on getting my blood glucose levels back in norma range and never gave a thought to weight. I followed the low carb road and due to having problems with my ticker, exercise was limited, so I started walking....slowly!! I resorted to borrowing a neighbours dog so I didn’t feel such a plonker when I had to stop to catch my breath 
I was amazed to find that my jeans started to feel looser......and looser......within 6 months I had dropped 4 stone and was walking up to an hour a night 😱 I dont get to walk as often now due to changing jobs but the weight has stayed off, bloods are in normal range, I am loving the food I eat and cant imagine going back to eating carbs like I used to 😛 It takes a while to get your head around it but we will all help you so stick with us, ask any questions and believe in yourself, its not so bad when you get used to it 😎
I was amazed to find that my jeans started to feel looser......and looser......within 6 months I had dropped 4 stone and was walking up to an hour a night 😱 I dont get to walk as often now due to changing jobs but the weight has stayed off, bloods are in normal range, I am loving the food I eat and cant imagine going back to eating carbs like I used to 😛 It takes a while to get your head around it but we will all help you so stick with us, ask any questions and believe in yourself, its not so bad when you get used to it 😎
D
Deleted member 25429
Guest
We have a dog , if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t walk nearly as muchHi and welcome 🙂 the others have said it also I just wanted to reiterate that you are certainly not alone, when I started my journey I also had a lot of weight to lose but having yo-yo dieted all my life I focused on getting my blood glucose levels back in norma range and never gave a thought to weight. I followed the low carb road and due to having problems with my ticker, exercise was limited, so I started walking....slowly!! I resorted to borrowing a neighbours dog so I didn’t feel such a plonker when I had to stop to catch my breath
DebbieC
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
Hi welcome....good advice above from much more experienced than me... my son lost 4.5 stone since September by reducing carb intake ... for us that has been quite miraculous... so don’t despair... he also put his T2 in remission... please say if I can offer any help
Debbie
Debbie
Hi @Midlander welcome. You have made a great choice already, by joining this forum. Loads of inspiring tales to read and ideas in abundance to help you through, Dont panic, take you time. Do a bit of research, get ideas and opinions, talk with your health care team, find things that work well for you and that you can maintain long term. It will get easier in time. The important thing is you have recognised the need for change and change you will im sure of that, little steps at a time so they become second nature. Like me at home, my husband asked why i dont use the downstairs loo any more?, i told him "because climbing the stairs is a little bit of exercise for me and every bit counts" 😉 We are all here for you. Let us know how you're getting on.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Midlander
Deb RR
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Welcome to this forum. You have come to the right place this forum is very informative and everybody is so helpful. I was diagnosed a week ago and like you it’s been very daunting. The changes we have to make same and achievable but for the cost of a life We can both do this. I had a blood rating of 83 and have been given two months to reduce that down to 50 to avoid going on medication. I found a scare like that has given me no option but to change my ways for a healthy future. Researching on Google has been a godsend for me and this forum is amazing.
I have felt inspired just reading other members stories and they have all given me hope that not just i but we can do this.
Good luck. Keep in touch and I will look forward to following your progress.
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