New to forum looking for guidance type 2

[Davesooty]

Hi All, my name is Dave and I have been diagnosed nearly a year. When I got diagnosed I upped my excersise although I am fairly fit and active and ate a lot more healthily cutting out chocolate which is a bit of a vice. I still eat healthy but have slipped a little in terms of treats although I don’t over do it.

I have a couple of issues though. Just lately I am getting extremely tired and can’t be bothered doing anything which is not like me also I crave treats following a meal. I can’t seem to figure out what is wrong. Does anyone have similar issues, pleas help
Thanks Dave

 

[Drummer]

As the trigger seems to be meals - are you eating carbohydrates in any quantity?

 

[Davesooty]

As the trigger seems to be meals - are you eating carbohydrates in any quantity?

I eat a lot of whole meal bread

 

[Toucan]

Hello Dave and welcome to the forum,
Sounds as if you are doing well with the exercise, but sorry to hear about the tiredness. There can be many causes of this, and one is anxiety and stress, which many of us are having problems with in these difficult times.

It could also be due to the balance of food that you eat.
Many of us find that for controlling blood sugars it is best to limit the amount of carbs, so as well as cutting out the sugary things there may be a need to cut down on bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc
I mainly eat fresh fish and poultry and some dairy and have learned to love vegetables, and just 1 piece of fruit per day. I also try to avoid too much processed food, and to include plenty of fibre some from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty.

I would suggest reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.
It does all take time to find what’s right for you.

Do you have a glucose monitor? this can be very useful to help if you find out which foods cause your blood sugars to rise, and eventually arrive at a lists that lets you maintain good blood sugar levels, that you enjoy eating, and fits your lifestyle in terms of how much preparation and cooking you like and have time to do.
There is more information on this on test-review-adjust

 

[Davesooty]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I think I need to make some changes I think I’m still in denial

 

[Drummer]

I eat a lot of whole meal bread

That is probably the reason for your tiredness. The starches raise your blood glucose levels, you get a spike which makes you feel weary and then a release of insulin, your glucose levels drop rapidly causing your cravings.
The key to good control is reducing carbohydrate to levels you can cope with.

 

[Davesooty]

Many thanks I thought I was being good

 

[julesob]

good luck Dave! 🙂

 

[Drummer]

So many people newly diagnosed report that they have never been told what their problem is - sometimes they have even been advised that by eating lots of starches they would improve their type two, and the results are usually not good.
All the modern foods, bread, rice - well all grains really, potatoes, root vegetables - and of course sugar, are things which Humans never had to contend with. We can usually eat meat, fish and other seafood, eggs and all sorts of dairy with small amounts of salad and leaves and stems - low carb fruits, and actually get better.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Dave.

Many people don't realise that it is carbohydrates in general and not just sugar which is the problem for diabetics. Even the NHS advice doesn't really tackle this as it suggests people eat wholegrain/wholemeal versions but that in itself is often still too much carbohydrate and some people's digestive systems didn't get the memo about low GI foods and breaks them all down far too quickly. Many of us here find a low (130g carbs a day or less) or very low(less than 50g carbs a day) the best way to control our diabetes. The great thing is that once you cut the carbs right down, you don't crave them anymore and don't need to eat nearly so much but feel a lot better for it. Basically you need to reduce your consumption of bread, pasta, couscous, rice, potatoes in their various forms including crisps and chips and breakfast cereals are high in both sugars and starches so a carbohydrate double whammy to avoid. Even otherwise healthy porridge and fruit need to be rationed.

Keeping a food diary and working out how many carbs you currently consume both as food and drink can be a real eye opener and if you give us an idea of the sort of things you currently eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner we can make suggestions as to what might be better options for you, but the best way is to buy a BG test meter and test before and after food, so that you can actually see what is happening and tailor your diet to keep things more steady.

It also helps to keep plenty of low carb snacks available particularly during the transition period when your body may crave more carbs until it gets used to a new low carb diet. Things like nuts and olives if you like them and boiled eggs with mayonnaise or cooked sausages/salami or chicken legs or chunks of cheese (I was a chocoholic pre diagnosis.... cheese is my new chocolate although I do have a square of 70% or higher dark chocolate with a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter for when I want a quick fix. Really dark chocolate is not moreish like the sweet dairy milk stuff but it is an acquired taste and you might have to persevere at it for a few weeks to find it enjoyable. Aldi do some Gluten Free Nut bars which are only 5.9g carbs per bar and are really satisfying. They come in a 4 pack if you are interested.

Anyway, just a bit more info on what to look out for and how to help improve your diabetes control and dietary cravings. It is likely that your BG readings are currently very high which is causing you to feel tired. Getting them under control by reducing your overall carb intake should make you feel a lot better.

 

[Davesooty]

Barbara thank you for taking the time to write this I appreciate it very much. I was told by the diabetic staff that weetabix was good for breakfast which is mainly what I have except for porridge with a bit of honey but I feel hungry an hour later. I haven’t felt full of energy for a long time now and it’s becoming a problem. I need to do lots of research but the bit I’ve done fills me with dread on what foods are meant to be good for me
Thanks again

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Many thanks I thought I was being good

Dont be discouraged Dave - you‘ve been increasing your exercise, curbing your chocolate consumption and trying to follow the healthy eating advice that you had been given.

Its unfortunate that some of that advice has been confusing, and hasn’t helped you tailor your diet to reduce your individual glucose variation - unfortunately you are not alone. It really isn’t uncommon sadly for people diagnosed with diabetes to be left without advice on how to effectively tailor their diet to reduce BG levels

Many members here find ‘eating to their BG meter’ is a practical and effective way of seeing how their meals and snacks are affecting their BG levels.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I haven’t felt full of energy for a long time now and it’s becoming a problem.

It might be helpful to know what your BG levels are when you are feeling either tired or hungry. High and erratic BG can make you feel both those things. High BG generally makes me feel sluggish and weary, and rapidly rising (or falling!) BG can trigger hunger pangs for me.

 

[Davesooty]

Thanks that’s the same for me in terms of feeling sluggish I was naively hoping for a quick fix like jelly babies that didn’t work. I have been looking at low carb diets and it looks the way to go or at least try.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again Dave. I'm pleased you found what I wrote helpful. Changing your way of eating is daunting Most of us have spent all our lives filling our plates up with carbs at every meal. The prospect of not doing that is disturbing but once you get the hang of it and figure out all the other lovely things that you can eat without a problem, it gets easier. Food is a major part of our lives and dramatically changing what we eat is understandably scary but it doesn't mean your new food regime will be any less enjoyable, just different. The important thing is to be open minded about trying new things and changing your tastes. I was a complete sugar addict and chocoholic pre diagnosis and I ate far too much bread and I loved potatoes. I love the fact that I no longer crave sugar, and cakes and biscuits and I don't even find it difficult to refuse when people are passing around a box of my favourite chocolates or eating cake and biscuits in front of me...... this is a total revelation because I was a glutton for such things. The last time I had proper bread was Christmas day with some homemade soup and I don't even miss it anymore. I have a square of dark chocolate with peanut butter most days but one is enough and I usually break it into quarters and spread it out during the day. I have always taken sugar in my coffee (and I am 56) but for the past 10 months I have double cream instead and I love it. How can I feel deprived when I have cream in my coffee every morning? Cream is lower carb than milk, makes the coffee taste smoother and quite sweet still and most importantly the fat in the cream makes me feel full and satisfied. All our lives we have been advised to eat low fat but what if that advice was incorrect as some eminent scientists now suspect? The reduction of fat in our diet is partly why we eat too many carbs and those carbs cause us to want more carbs until we reach breaking point and develop diabetes. We currently have a diabetes epidemic which follows a generation of low fat advice. Fat takes longer to digest so it keep you feeling full for longer and it provides slow release energy and slows the breakdown of any carbs you do eat and best of all, it tastes good. I was sceptical and anxious about going against NHS/government advice and eating more fat but when you eat less carbs you have to find an alternative source of calories and fat and protein are the only other options. Earing carbohydrates is making you ill so you don't have a lot to lose by eating fat instead in my opinion and so far the things that would be expected of eating more fat have not happened. I have not put on weight and my cholesterol has decreased, even though I eat cream and cheese and creamy yoghurt and butter and fatty meat and eggs almost every day.

Anyway, I am rambling on far too much but do some research, get yourself a cheap and cheerful BG meter with test strips and start figuring out what works for you but be prepared to increase your fat and protein intake if you cut back on carbs, both to provide you with an alternative source of fuel/energy but also to make your food taste good which makes your new way of eating sustainable long term without needing a huge effort of will power and that prevents it from being daunting.

 

[Davesooty]

Thank you again

 

[trophywench]

I (non medically I stress!) also diagnose the prob to be too high blood glucose levels. Because a diabetic (every one of us) has a problem efficiently dealing with too many carbs, in effect your bodily cells are starving.

Please don't immediately despair and think you'll need to instantly give up everything you like - because you won't! Your first task is to find out which things you need to cut down on, by testing both before and after food and subsequently see just how much of that carb containing foodstuff your body can cope with OK.

Some things - yeah you may need to cut down on so much it's not really worthwhile eating it any more - eg for me that's bananas. Any more than ONE bite of a banana and my BG shoots high and stays there practically all day, plus my husband isn't very fond of them either so the rest of it gets lobbed in the bin. Waste of money buying any then, so for me that was easy giving them up!

 

[Davesooty]

Many thanks I’m finding this forum the best thing yet with some great advice from people who have experience I’m not one for social media but all this helps
I’m thinking cutting out bread and potatoes to start with.

 

[Toucan]

I was told by the diabetic staff that weetabix was good for breakfast which is mainly what I have except for porridge with a bit of honey but I feel hungry an hour later.

Hello again Dave,
Yes, cutting out bread and potatoes is a good start, but don't forget to replace with other things that will stop you feeling hungry.

Some ideas for breakfast to replace the Weetabix:
I'm about to have my weekend breakfast 'fry' - Mushrooms, tomatoes, egg and a turkey rasher. For me I know that won't put my blood sugars up and I won't be hungry until lunchtime.
Another frequent breakfast for me is a small portion of blueberries (my 1 fruit for the day as fruit is surprisingly high in carbs) plus Full fat Greek yoghurt, nuts and seeds.

We are all different though and you will need to find out what works for you, and testing with a meter is a good way to do this.
I'm sure you will find the way through, and that it will make you feel a lot better with more energy - It certainly has for me.

 

[Davesooty]

Many thanks
I eat a lot of fruit thinking I’m being healthy
What do you eat for snacks ?
I’ve always had to have something every 2 hours