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New Type 2

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W

Wispiwill

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone,

Newly diagnosed with Type 2 which came as a bit of shock to me as there's no family history and I don't tend to eat sweets and stuff. I can only think it's because I'm a) overweight b) have a history of skipping meals (bad me) and c) tend to stress over everything.

So far I've been told that I have to lose weight (no surprise there) and I've got to make appointments for a more in-depth eye exam and an education group. Lovely.

I've been told that my diabetes can be managed through diet - no medication required (at this point anyway). I've also been told to lower my cholesterol which they say isn't quite right. Other than that my health is normal for me (ie c**p). Don't really have many details about it at this point other than I was JUST over the limit (in both the diabetes and the cholesterol).

Would appreciate any help/advice but mostly just felt I should intro myself. So ...there we go.

Thanks.
 
Don't worry Wispiwill I'm sure there will be plenty of members come along and give you good advice. Yes stress can be a killer and we have all been guilty of skipping meals and some of us being overweight.
If you are determined you will hopefully achieve getting your blood glucose levels down.
 
Hi Wispiwill and a warm welcome to our friendly and supportive forum from another Type2. Sorry to hear you've been dx (Diagnosed) but glad you found your way here. There are many knowledgeable and experienced folk here so if you need to know anything, anything at all, then please don't hesitate to ask. We will do our best to help. Being dx comes as a shock doesnt it. It can also be daunting and overwhelming. But despair not as you are in good company. Diabetes is a condition which can be easily managed with the right diet and exercise regimes.

It's best to avoid certain foods such as white flour ~ white bread ~ pasta ~ rice ~ veggies grown beneath the soil ~ potatoes ~ mashed potatoes ~ two or three new baby spuds are ok. Cauliflour rice is fine and even mashed cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes. We call grapes *sugar bombs*.

To help you with the right diet I'll recommend a book to you which I've recommended to many Newbies. It's called CARB & CALORIE COUNTER. Photo attached. Amazon £10.19. Paperback.
20170808_191413.jpg
Here's the link:~
https://www.amazon.co.uk

It has over 1700 photographs of a wide range of popular food and drink items. The Carborhydrate ~ CALORIE ~ Protein ~ Fat ~ Saturated fat ~ and Fibre values are clearly displayed in colour-coded circles below each photo.

This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick and easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink we consume. CARB & CALORIE COUNTER is the perfect support tool for Carborhydrate counting in Diabetes ~ Weight management ~ Portion control ~ and general healthy eating.

Take a looksie into the following links, you will find them very beneficial:~

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes
There are more links within this link with much more info that you will benefit.
....in particular:- Type 2 : The First Year by Gretchen Becker. She educated herself re Type2 Diabetes. It's a must read book. Can be purchased from Amazon, Paperback ~ or Kindle (I think!)

To begin with its best to test your bgls (Blood glucose levels) upon waking BEFORE you get out of bed ~ pre meals ~ and 2hrs post meals. The two hours post prandial will determine which foods you can or cannot tolerate.
It is also usual to have a 3 monthly HbA1c blood test to determine how much glucose is in your blood for the previous 12 weeks. This is usually arranged by your DSN or GP.

Below is a Diabetes Help Line should you need to seek advice or help with regard to any Diabetes query:~

Email: helpline@diabetes.org. UK
Telephone:~ 0345 123 2399. 9am ~6pm. Mon~Fri.

Many folk here abide by a low carb high fat diet and have not only lost weight but have reduced their HbA1c drastically. However, some people can't follow this diet due to other health issues.

I apologise for the length of my post but trust you will find the above information helpful. Stay in touch and do please keep us updated as to your progress.
WL


Dx Type2 April 2016
Diet control and exercise only.
 
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Hi @Wispiwill
Welcome to the fourm.
There is a wealth of experience, knowledge and information here just ask and someone will come back to you fairly quickly.
No question is a stupid question so never be afraid to ask about anything.
Keep posting and keep us updated. We are all genuinely interested
 
Thanks everyone for your kind replies. Especial thanks to wirralass for the links and extensive info. I'll grab a copy of those books asap. I'm also planning to get me a blood glucose monitor if I don't get given one (still waiting for appointments so we'll see). In the meantime - just keeping up with the exercise and diet.

Once again, thanks.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. When you go to your appointment, ask lots of questions and take a wee notebook and pen, so you keep track. Good luck and don’t beat yourself up.
 
Welcome to the club, Wispiwill. Look forward to hearing more from you - bet your head is reeling at the moment! Great advice from Carolg to take a notebook with you to your appointment.
 
Thanks again everyone.

The appointments that I'm waiting for are to check my eyes and also the education group - DESMOND. Not sure how many questions I'll be able to ask at that but we'll see.
 
The three session course I went on was pretty hopeless - no useful information really, and a lot of bad advice.
Luckily I was already eating low carb and my Hba1c dropped rapidly.
Cutting out grains potatoes and sugary fruits seems to keep me in the normal range.
I can eat up to about 50gm of carbs a day, but as I have weight to lose I am cutting back a little each month - but will have to make another cut tomorrow as my weight is not reducing - until I can go out into the garden and use the trampoline each day I simply need to cut down.
Although I eat low carb and high (ish) fat my ratios for cholesterol are good normal or ideal. My last triglyceride was 1.5, down from 2 at the first recheck after diagnosis - so eating fat is not doing what we are told it does - not for me, anyway.
 
Sounds about right. I always remember that the things we're told we MUST do today are the things we must AVOID tomorrow. That's why a place like this, full of people who are living the problem and dealing with it on a daily basis is so much more helpful (and knowledgeable) than people for whom it's a theory. I just wish I had more information on my tests. I suspect I'm going to have to actually ask them (hate that).
 
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