Hi Jeni, welcome to the forum
🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. What are the pills - metformin perhaps? When did you do your test, was it when you woke up, before or after you ate, and if after eating how long after? Your blood sugar levels will generally be at their highest an hour or two after eating, and at their lowest when you get up, although as you will find this is not always the case!
It will take a while for your levels to begin to come down into the normal range, so don't worry at this early stage if the numbers you are seeing look a bit on the high side. There is a lot to learn and it takes time - some people say you never stop learning! But it is something that you can learn to manage well. Many of our members have been able to reduce their levels to the same as a non-diabetic person, although they still need to be careful about what they eat and their activity levels.
Have a look in our
Useful links thread for some pointers to some very good information to get you started. I'd highly recommend you get a copy of
Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - many of our members have found it to be of tremendous help in these early, often confusing days after diagnosis.
Regarding your question, what you need to bear in mind is that ALL carbohydrates will raise your blood sugar levels, not just sugar or sweet stuff. So potatoes, rice, pasta, bread are all things that can raise levels. The trick is to find out which you can tolerate and in what quantities. Following the GL diet helps with this - it isn't a weight loss diet, but an approach to eating food which will release its energy steadily and slowly and have least impact on your blood sugar levels. You use your meter to determine the effects of different foods on your levels. There are some book suggestions in the Useful Links thread.
Please ask any questions you may have, and we will do our bet to help out - nothing is considered 'silly'!
🙂
