Newbie

[Mimi66]

Hello I’m new to this site and to all this diabetes malarkey !!

I am recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and am struggling with what I can and can’t eat and how to measure food in grams

It seems there is a large increase in the numbers of people presenting with type 2 diabates and I wondered if it was related to the Covid outbreaks and people comfort eating during the isolation times?

I hope you are doing well and I look forward to getting to know you and exchanging useful info etc…

All the best ,

Mimi66

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
Yes you are right that there are a lot of diagnoses being made some may be Covid related. However by taking some action it is a manageable condition.
If you know what your HbA1C is that will indicate how far into the diabetes zone you are anything over 47mmol/mol is diabetes.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach is successful and this link may help you with some explanation and some menu ideas. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
ow carb is suggested as being no more than 130g per day carbs not just sugar as all carbs convert to glucose.
What will help you is to keep a pair of digital scales on your work top and you can then weigh your portions as portion control is important.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is very useful as it gives carb values for different portion sizes of a whole range of foods but also internet search for FOOD X carb, it will usually be per 100g so you need to work out the carbs for your portion.
Looking at the nutritional information on the back of packets etc for Carbs not sugars and ignore the traffic light system on the front.
The learning zone (orange tab at the top ) is also full of info and there are some other approaches and menu suggestions on the main DUK site.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hello @Mimi66 and welcome to the forum.
While some things other than food can raise blood glucose , the main thing that does it is eating more carbohydrate food (sugars and starches) than our body can easily tolerate. Thus for most of use, reducing the carbs we eat (even so-called 'healthy'carbs' such as whole grains, fruit and fruit juice) will help turn down the glucose tap into out blood stream.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Mimi66, welcome to the forum.

It can be pretty overwhelming when first diagnosed so it's natural to struggle as you get your head around things. I'd note down your HbA1c so you can chart your progress then devise a plan of action.

There are no solid guidelines re what to eat as everyone reacts differently but it is generally helpful to reduce carbs/ sugar to help bring your numbers down.

People take many different approaches to achieving this so do feel free to have a look around the site for some ideas.

We've got a helpful Learning Zone section that might be useful and some info on meal plans on the main site.

Learning Zone - Discover more about your diabetes. | Learning Zone

Join our Learning Zone today. Clinically trusted advice about diabetes management based on real experiences. Highly commended by the British Medical Association. Over 35,000 people with diabetes have registered.

learningzone.diabetes.org.uk

I have type 2 diabetes – what can I eat?

If you've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, one of the first things you might be worried about is food. You’re likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks. Medical appointments, taking medication, stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthy, balanced...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Mimi66]

Hello @Mimi66 and welcome to the forum.
While some things other than food can raise blood glucose , the main thing that does it is eating more carbohydrate food (sugars and starches) than our body can easily tolerate. Thus for most of use, reducing the carbs we eat (even so-called 'healthy'carbs' such as whole grains, fruit and fruit juice) will help turn down the glucose tap into out blood stream.

Thanks Ian.

 

[Mimi66]

Hi Mimi66, welcome to the forum.

It can be pretty overwhelming when first diagnosed so it's natural to struggle as you get your head around things. I'd note down your HbA1c so you can chart your progress then devise a plan of action.

There are no solid guidelines re what to eat as everyone reacts differently but it is generally helpful to reduce carbs/ sugar to help bring your numbers down.

People take many different approaches to achieving this so do feel free to have a look around the site for some ideas.

We've got a helpful Learning Zone section that might be useful and some info on meal plans on the main site.

Learning Zone - Discover more about your diabetes. | Learning Zone

Join our Learning Zone today. Clinically trusted advice about diabetes management based on real experiences. Highly commended by the British Medical Association. Over 35,000 people with diabetes have registered.

learningzone.diabetes.org.uk

I have type 2 diabetes – what can I eat?

If you've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, one of the first things you might be worried about is food. You’re likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks. Medical appointments, taking medication, stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthy, balanced...

www.diabetes.org.uk

Thanks Cherrelle

 

[Mimi66]

Hello @Mimi66 and welcome to the forum.
While some things other than food can raise blood glucose , the main thing that does it is eating more carbohydrate food (sugars and starches) than our body can easily tolerate. Thus for most of use, reducing the carbs we eat (even so-called 'healthy'carbs' such as whole grains, fruit and fruit juice) will help turn down the glucose tap into out blood stream.

Thanks Ian

 

[Drummer]

@Mimi66 the way to calculate the amount of carbs in grams is usually to either look on the packet or for the usual value as listed on the internet. I have a little notebook of the things I usually eat as they have under 11% carbs.
To work out the amount for a meal a set of kitchen scales is useful, as you can put the plate on the scale and return the display to zero to see how much you are adding. To calculate the carbs for the meal you multiply the carb content of the food just added by the weight of it just added, and then add up the individual items.
It can be a bit daunting at first, but after a few days you should be able to start to estimate and not need to do so many calculations.

 

[Jenni49]

I am fairly recently diagnosed as well. Part of the reason so many of us are being diagnosed now I think is due to no check ups at the doctor. I had what I now realise were symptoms, but had not seen the doc since before covid. I use My Fitness Pal to log what I eat and keep an eye on the carb count, just use the free one no need to pay for premium. I must admit despite being at it for only 3 months it is a pain measuring everything but I keep telling myself it’s for a my health. Since diagnosis at the very end of March I have managed to drop my levels from 79 to 60 and have lost a stone but the weight loss I feel is slow. My doc has me on 20carbs per meal for the moment she says that will relax slightly once my levels are better but there are times I would kill for a baked potato! Good luck!

Hello I’m new to this site and to all this diabetes malarkey !!

I am recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and am struggling with what I can and can’t eat and how to measure food in grams

It seems there is a large increase in the numbers of people presenting with type 2 diabates and I wondered if it was related to the Covid outbreaks and people comfort eating during the isolation times?

I hope you are doing well and I look forward to getting to know you and exchanging useful info etc…

All the best ,

Mimi66

 

[ianf0ster]

I am fairly recently diagnosed as well. Part of the reason so many of us are being diagnosed now I think is due to no check ups at the doctor. I had what I now realise were symptoms, but had not seen the doc since before covid. I use My Fitness Pal to log what I eat and keep an eye on the carb count, just use the free one no need to pay for premium. I must admit despite being at it for only 3 months it is a pain measuring everything but I keep telling myself it’s for a my health. Since diagnosis at the very end of March I have managed to drop my levels from 79 to 60 and have lost a stone but the weight loss I feel is slow. My doc has me on 20carbs per meal for the moment she says that will relax slightly once my levels are better but there are times I would kill for a baked potato! Good luck!

Hi Jenni49. 14lbs weight loss in around 10 or 11 weeks is just about perfect. It's the blood Glucose that you need to concentrate on and the rest will follow.
Losing weight at a rate of between 1 to 2 lbs per week is exactly what I did. No need to worry if you go a week or a few with no weight loss, so long as the BG levels are good! Even after my finger-prick Blood Glucose level got down to my current (in-remission for over 2yrs) levels, my weight was still dropping slowly until I decided it was low enough for me and I increased my intake of proteins and fats a little to end that phase and go into weight maintenance mode.

Remember that although skin is elastic, it isn't completely elastic, so a slow and steady weight loss helps prevent unsightly loose hanging skin. I know somebody (not diabetic) who lost weight very fast on a crash diet, she was one of the few (perhaps 5%) who then managed to adapt to normal eating, but still had to have an operation to remove all the loose skin before her wedding (for the photos)!

 

[Jenni49]

Hi Jenni49. 14lbs weight loss in around 10 or 11 weeks is just about perfect. It's the blood Glucose that you need to concentrate on and the rest will follow.
Losing weight at a rate of between 1 to 2 lbs per week is exactly what I did. No need to worry if you go a week or a few with no weight loss, so long as the BG levels are good! Even after my finger-prick Blood Glucose level got down to my current (in-remission for over 2yrs) levels, my weight was still dropping slowly until I decided it was low enough for me and I increased my intake of proteins and fats a little to end that phase and go into weight maintenance mode.

Remember that although skin is elastic, it isn't completely elastic, so a slow and steady weight loss helps prevent unsightly loose hanging skin. I know somebody (not diabetic) who lost weight very fast on a crash diet, she was one of the few (perhaps 5%) who then managed to adapt to normal eating, but still had to have an operation to remove all the loose skin before her wedding (for the photos)!

Thanks, that is helpful