newbie

[hookys]

Good morning all
I'm a newbie on this site but have been diabetic for 3years 4 months after a recent trip to hospital for a operation they kept me in overnight because of my blood sugars were to high ranging from 14.9 to 19.5
my medication is 2x Metformin in the morning and two in the evening (but i never took them properly or regularly) i apologize to all that do.
Since my hospital stay this has been the wake up call i needed (forgot to say i weigh in around 19st) the hospital have put me on gliclazide also and have also been provided with a blood sugar monitor (contour plus machine)
so i now am testing before every meal
any help advice or guidance would be fantastic and a great help food what works best ,snacks, drink when and when not to eat ,exercise and testing

 

[hookys]

Would also like to say i have been advised to blood sugar test before meals but i read that people test 2 hours after can someone advise my testing strategy please and what i should be looking at
tested this morning before breakfast and i was 8.3mml

 

[adrian1der]

So you have a few tools at your disposal. Firstly try and cut back on your intake of carbohydrates. Not just sugar things but starchy things as well - potatoes, rice, pasta, bread etc. Carbs are rapidly converted in your body into glucose. Secondly try and take some exercise. This will also help to reduce your blood glucose level. Cutting down a bit on the carbs and taking some exercise should also lead to weight loss which will in turn reduce your blood glucose. It is a virtuous circle 🙂
Finally the medication will also help

 

[adrian1der]

I test first thing in the morning which approximates a fasting BG reading. Then if you test before a meal and two hours afterwards you can see the effect that the meal had on your levels. Ideally you are looking for a reading below 8.5 two hours afterwards, but in the early days look for a rise of no more than 2 to 3 in the reading. More than that are your BG has risen to much due to something you ate. You can then experiment with different ingredients and portion sizes to find what suits your body best. 8.3 before breakfast is high but not disastrously so. With some modifications to portions and contents you will see that steadily improve. Try and concentrate on checking one meal at a time as otherwise you will finish up looking like a pin cushion 🙂 Keep a record of what you eat and the impact it has on your BG and you'll soon get the hang of things

 

[adrian1der]

Forgot to say that gliclazide can cause hypos where your BG drops too low. Carry some jelly babies with you in case this happens.

 

[adrian1der]

You should read this:

Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Find out about low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), including what the symptoms are, the causes, how to treat it and how to prevent it.

www.nhs.uk

 

[trophywench]

And because of the gliclazide, you must now test your BG before you drive as it's illegal to start to drive if it's too low.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi hookys, welcome to the forum.

Testing in the morning and two hours after your meal is the general advice, unless you're driving as above.

Generally, reducing carbs and sugar works for many along with daily exercise. It's also worth paying attention to your BS reading after meals as that will can guide you with understanding the impact your meals have on your BS levels.

 

[zuludog]

Hello HOOKYS and welcome to the Forum!

Diabetes is the inability of the body to process carbohydrates properly
Carbs are made up of chains of smaller glucose molecules.
These carbs are broken down in the gut and the glucose passes into the bloodstream and then into the cells for use
The transfer of the glucose from the blood into the cells is carried out by the hormone insulin, which is made in the pancreas
Some people do not produce enough insulin, so the glucose accumulates in the blood, and it is this excess of glucose that causes the problems we call diabetes

Diabetes can be treated by medication, but the best way is to reduce the amount of carbs you eat in the first place
As all carbs are made up of glucose, we must reduce all carbs, which means starchy things like pasta, rice, pastry, potatoes, as well as the obviously sweet things such as cakes, biscuits, sweets. & sugary fizzy drinks

So you need to change your diet, which is difficult at first, both in thinking & planning on what to have, and the change in taste, but gradually you get used to it, and it becomes easier
In fact many people take this as the motivation to change other aspects of their diet, like cutting out a lot of fat, processed & junk food, & salt, and eat more veg, olive oil, & fish -- all the healthy stuff we hear about!
If you think about it, a lot of carbs are also associated with fat & junk food, like pizzas, chips, and take aways, so reduce carbs and this happens automatically

There are all sorts of things you can do to exercise; I like walking
It's just about summer now, so you could start with easy walks around a park or into the town centre, or around the local lanes, then build it up from there
You don't need serious hiking gear, just comfy trainers and casual clothes

Diet and exercise and weight loss have a sort of rolling on or combined effect; as you do it and see results, so you can do more, and feel better & livelier
Besides sorting diabetes, this will improve your blood pressure, cholesterol level, and so on

Have a look through older Threads & Posts, especially Newbies, Weight Loss, Food & Carbs, and Exercise
I have posted before about Richard Vobes, in the Thread Easy Walking in the Exercise Section, or Search YouTube for 'Richard Vobes'. He shows how you can get out & about and find interest & relaxation on short walks, in both towns & countryside

 

[hookys]

how many grams of Carbs constitutes a low carb diet or what should i be looking at a day please

 

[adrian1der]

how many grams of Carbs constitutes a low carb diet or what should i be looking at a day please

Everyone is different - that is why a lot of us use the test method to see what our bodies can tolerate

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

how many grams of Carbs constitutes a low carb diet or what should i be looking at a day please

Welcome to the forum @hookys

Great to have you here, and glad that you are looking to tackle your diabetes with the help of your new meds and some hints and tios from members here.

There isn’t a generally recognised definition for what constitutes a moderate, low, or very low carbohydrate diet, but many people on the forum consider 100-120g a day to be a moderate-low carb diet, with 60-100g a day being more determinedly low carb.

As a reference, the general ‘eatwell’ advice for adults is to aim for no more than 250-300g of carbs a day.

 

[hookys]

Welcome to the forum @hookys

Great to have you here, and glad that you are looking to tackle your diabetes with the help of your new meds and some hints and tios from members here.

There isn’t a generally recognised definition for what constitutes a moderate, low, or very low carbohydrate diet, but many people on the forum consider 100-120g a day to be a moderate-low carb diet, with 60-100g a day being more determinedly low carb.

As a reference, the general ‘eatwell’ advice for adults is to aim for no more than 250-300g of carbs a day.

many thanks