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newbie seeking advice

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J

john l

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello my name is John, today i was told i have type 2 diabetes. my blood test result level was shocking high (85) so the doctors have put me straight on metformin 500mg so this hit me like a tonne of bricks. I am really over weight and i was just wanting some advice on good places to look at meals and snacks to help me loose some weight and meals that are good for getting levels lower. I obviously have not been to any meetings/groups yet but i just wanted to get a head start.
 
Hi John, welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about the shock of your diagnosis, it hits us all I'm afraid, but that doesn't lessen how you feel currently.
Mine was 80 at diagnosis, and I'm on metformin. I needed to lose 40kg, and am about a quarter of the way there.
There's a forum for weight loss and if you sign up for the learning zone (it's the orange tab at the top of the page) I believe there's some diet and exercise advice in there too.
The sorts of food that'll put your blood sugar levels up are the obvious ones like biscuits, cakes, chocolates, and less obvious ones like potatoes, bread, pasta and other carbohydrates. You don't have to suddently stop eating bread etc, but take some time to think about what you eat at the moment, and what you can change and swap for something else to help with your blood glucose. People post what they've eaten on this forum if you want to see what other people have. Bear in mind it's a mix of people with different types of diabetes, and on different medications.
Your GP surgery may be able to get you a referral for a diabetes course which will cover food and weight loss too, so that might help.
Best wishes, Sarah
 
Windy said:
Hi John, welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about the shock of your diagnosis, it hits us all I'm afraid, but that doesn't lessen how you feel currently.
Mine was 80 at diagnosis, and I'm on metformin. I needed to lose 40kg, and am about a quarter of the way there.
There's a forum for weight loss and if you sign up for the learning zone (it's the orange tab at the top of the page) I believe there's some diet and exercise advice in there too.
The sorts of food that'll put your blood sugar levels up are the obvious ones like biscuits, cakes, chocolates, and less obvious ones like potatoes, bread, pasta and other carbohydrates. You don't have to suddently stop eating bread etc, but take some time to think about what you eat at the moment, and what you can change and swap for something else to help with your blood glucose. People post what they've eaten on this forum if you want to see what other people have. Bear in mind it's a mix of people with different types of diabetes, and on different medications.
Your GP surgery may be able to get you a referral for a diabetes course which will cover food and weight loss too, so that might help.
Best wishes, Sarah
Click to expand...
thanks for the reply, i'm still taking it all in at the moment, i will have a look at the rest of the page over the next few days. i've just put a app on my phone called NHS food scanner this looks like a nice app as if something is not that great it shows you alternatives. thanks again.
 
john l said:
thanks for the reply, i'm still taking it all in at the moment, i will have a look at the rest of the page over the next few days. i've just put a app on my phone called NHS food scanner this looks like a nice app as if something is not that great it shows you alternatives. thanks again.
Click to expand...
I have had a quick look at that app and it is not really aimed at people with diagnosed Type 2 diabetes more of a healthy eating program for non diabetics. Some of the recipes look as if they may be OK but you would need to be selective in choosing those with lower carbohydrates which rules out most of them which include rice, pasta, potatoes, bread as in pizza, cereals otherwise blood glucose levels will be pushed up. Sadly the standard NHS Eatwell Plate is not the best for Type 2 diabetics as it is too high in carbs for many people to tolerate.
Looking for low carb meals which will have reduced carbohydrates by having lower carb substitutes would be a better option. There are recipes here in the food forum that you could look at for ideas.
 
Leadinglights said:
I have had a quick look at that app and it is not really aimed at people with diagnosed Type 2 diabetes more of a healthy eating program for non diabetics. Some of the recipes look as if they may be OK but you would need to be selective in choosing those with lower carbohydrates which rules out most of them which include rice, pasta, potatoes, bread as in pizza, cereals otherwise blood glucose levels will be pushed up. Sadly the standard NHS Eatwell Plate is not the best for Type 2 diabetics as it is too high in carbs for many people to tolerate.
Looking for low carb meals which will have reduced carbohydrates by having lower carb substitutes would be a better option. There are recipes here in the food forum that you could look at for ideas.
Click to expand...
I only put it on my phone to check sugar levels in foods, this is all new to me as only diagnosed today so it’s all been a bit of a panic today, I will get more info as I go along this journey with helpful comments and advice like this, thanks.
 
I suggest you take a look at MyFitBit or NutraCheck as they will help you measure both cals, to lose weight, and carbs so you can reduce them. It is suggested Type 2 could aim to have less than 130gm carbs a day. Some people go a lot lower as they are very sensitive to carbs. If you go down the carb reduction route you should do it slowly, as too quickly can damage the blood vessels in your eyes
 
Felinia said:
I suggest you take a look at MyFitBit or NutraCheck as they will help you measure both cals, to lose weight, and carbs so you can reduce them. It is suggested Type 2 could aim to have less than 130gm carbs a day. Some people go a lot lower as they are very sensitive to carbs. If you go down the carb reduction route you should do it slowly, as too quickly can damage the blood vessels in your eyes
Click to expand...
Thanks for this reply I will look into this much appreciated
 
Hi. If you need ideas of what to eat for certain meals, do a google search on low carb or keto recipes, they will give you so many ideas. Please don't lower your carbs all at once as that can cause other problems, just do one meal at a time. Lowering your carbs will help you lose weight and any exercise you can manage, even if going up and down a step, a little dance or a brisk walk will all help. Start everything slowly, it is far better for you that way.
 
Thanks so much, it’s like today has just been a whirlwind in my head and I wanted everything in place and done in 24 hours, I know this may sound daft but that’s how today has felt. So it starts tomorrow we’ll today when I get up as it’s now Saturday and I will do this, thanks so much for the reply, means a lot.
 
Oh dear, your day must have felt really long if you are on Saturday already :rofl: nope, still only Friday I'm afraid. One step at a time - it is a journey and not a marathon, no need to rush everything. Take it and deal with it bit by bit, one meal at a time, one exercise at a time, one BG at a time, it is the only way you get onto the right path for your own personal journey, though we are all here walking our own paths beside you.
 
Hi there John, I use the free app, myfitness pal for food measuring. It reads barcodes so is useful; I am currently sticking to the Newcastle Diet and have lost just over 10kg on this. It's been gradual and I eat two liquid meal replacements a day and one 'meal' which is lean protein with green veg. I also have anextra salad at lunch. Low carb (and low cal at the moment) seems to be helping me. Good luck and these forums are very very helpful.
 
Good Luck, all mentioned it is a learning curve, and it is best to try to do things at your pace. Everyone is different. I have had to stop the metformin as tried again. I cope with the statins I have but even on one metformin, I cannot cope. Many have no side effects and settle and it helps. Likewise, I cannot stick to a low-carb diet it is not enough to eat. I cannot fast either so that's me. I am looking for a diet I can eat as a healthy way of eating that reduces my blood sugar. At the moment I find that cutting back with smaller portions and changing some of the rice potatoes and pasta with things like cauliflower rice and celeriac and leeks or courgettes works better, Soe days I diet well others I do not. I have masses to lose but knowing the Newcastle diet 800 cals a day is not me. For many, it is the best way. All the best in what you choose.
 
Mrs Mimoo said:
Hi there John, I use the free app, myfitness pal for food measuring. It reads barcodes so is useful; I am currently sticking to the Newcastle Diet and have lost just over 10kg on this. It's been gradual and I eat two liquid meal replacements a day and one 'meal' which is lean protein with green veg. I also have anextra salad at lunch. Low carb (and low cal at the moment) seems to be helping me. Good luck and these forums are very very helpful.
Click to expand...
thanks i will look that diet up.
 
Welcome to the forum @john l

It is not at all unusual to have that sense of whirlwind/panic in the beginning, and wanting ti get everything ‘sorted’ straight away, but as others have said, living with diabetes is a marathon not a sprint, and diabetes itself is usually a bit of a plodder, slowly moving and you have plenty of time to experiment, adjust, try some different approaches and see what works for you.

The Learning Zone is a great recommendation to give you a good grounding in the diabetes basics. Also frequently recommended on the forum are Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually and will give you a solid starting point.

But the other thing you will quickly notice on the forum is that everyone’s diabetes is slightly different, and behaves slightly differently. There’s no one set of rules that apply universally and work for everyone to give perfect BG results. It’s very much a case of absorbing as many options as you can, and then trying things out to see what is sustainable and effective for you long term. Finding an approach, a way of eating, and BG management strategies that work for you, and that you can stick with in the long term.

Good luck and let us know how you get on 🙂
 
Mrs Mimoo said:

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes | Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre | Newcastle University

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes and ongoing remission
www.ncl.ac.uk
Click to expand...
If you decide to look into the Newcastle diet as suggested by Mrs Mimoo, I can recommend getting a copy of the book by Professor Roy Taylor (proceeds go to Diabetes UK, so he's making no money from it), who ran the trial along with other academics, including Dr Mike Lean, who put together this free diet plan Lean team diet. It's quite heavy on lentil soup and porridge, but the recipes are nutritionally balanced.
You don't have to suddenly jump into a low calorie diet (or any diet at all), get your head together first. Cut down a bit on sweet and carbohydrate rich foods initially, then make your plan when you're ready.
Best wishes, Sarah
 
Best wishes with your start on a life time journey.
I'm three months into my journey and would suggest not jumping in too deep.
I found all the (sometimes conflicting) information about what to eat and not eat very confusing.
The obvious steps are:-
  • cut down or remove items with added sugar (in tea, office and fizzy drinks). Avoid fruit juice - it's concentrated.
  • Avoid and reduce chocolate and sweet thing like cakes and ice cream
  • Stop smoking if you do!!!!!
  • Avoid or reduce alcohol intake.
  • Move more - even an extra ten minutes walking a day pays dividends.
I know that might seem like all the fun has gone from life but after a few weeks of struggling it will become a lot easier.
These seem to be the "low hanging fruit" and should help tame your BG level!
Information is vital - start off with the Learning Zone films on this site.
Good Luck!
 
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