Newly diagnosed type 2 and really low

[Helbee1]

Hi, I was diagnosed with diabetes a couple of weeks back following an HBA1C result of 51. I was tested routinely following on from gestational diabetes in 2018. My previous HBA1C was 41 6 weeks post partum. I missed my test last year due to the first COVID lockdown and then didn’t get round to rescheduling until recently.

My diet has been pretty shocking I’ll admit but I’m desperately upset at my diagnosis. I blame myself for letting this happen and I’m terrified.

I’m trying to make changes to what I eat but I’m finding so much conflicting advice it’s hard to know which is the right path to follow. General ‘healthy’ eating/low carb/high fat/food pairing etc. Do they work? Are they safe? I know I struggled to tolerate much in the way of carbs when I was pregnant and ended up on metformin and Insulin. My GP has prescribed me Metformin 500mg at the moment. Does anybody please have any advice?

 

[Drummer]

Do you still have a test meter? Can you afford to buy strips for it?
If not you can always get one that is cheaper to use. I have a Tee2 from Spirit Healthcare.I eat low carb, with the fats which normally come along with meat - so I have whole chickens or thighs rather than fillets, chops and mince with normal amounts of fat, though I do not add large amounts of fat - a little to scramble eggs and a splash of olive oil when frying - I use heavy cast iron cookware which is polished to a black mirror after decades of use, so it is better than non stick.
I started with Hba1c of 91 eating a diet full of 'healthy' carbs - I was down to the top edge of normal in 6 months.

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Helbee1 .

Sorry to read of your diagnosis, but glad that you have found the forum.
Any carbohydrates that you eat will be converted into glucose once inside you. With Diabetes our bodies are not able to process the glucose we are making so it remains in the blood. So a good starting point is to find out how many carbs you are eating at each meal. If you know this you can then start to reduce this, to match what your body can manage. This can be done by switching to lower carb options and/or reducing the portion size.

If you are able to test your glucose levels before and again two hours after your meal you will also start to see which foods have the biggest impact on you. I know I was happily eating porridge for breakfast before I saw what impact it was having. We are all different and we each need to work out what works for us. The info about carbs is included on packaging, or via google...

There are some useful links in the Newbies section sorted by type of diabetes. There is also the Learning Zone at the top of this page. Have a look around, and do ask any questions that you have. Nothing is considered silly on here. just ask.

 

[Helbee1]

Do you still have a test meter? Can you afford to buy strips for it?
If not you can always get one that is cheaper to use. I have a Tee2 from Spirit Healthcare.I eat low carb, with the fats which normally come along with meat - so I have whole chickens or thighs rather than fillets, chops and mince with normal amounts of fat, though I do not add large amounts of fat - a little to scramble eggs and a splash of olive oil when frying - I use heavy cast iron cookware which is polished to a black mirror after decades of use, so it is better than non stick.
I started with Hba1c of 91 eating a diet full of 'healthy' carbs - I was down to the top edge of normal in 6 months.

Hello. Thank you for your response. I don’t have a test meter any more unfortunately. I’ll look in to getting one maybe.
My usual diet relies heavily on carbs like pasta, bread and potatoes and I’m quite a fussy eater too. I followed a Facebook group when pregnant and found I got much better readings pairing any carbs I had with fat and/or protein but I’m not sure how healthy that might be in the long term?
I remember having a lot of anxiety around food at the time and I seem to be in that place again now. I’m not sleeping well.
there seems to be a lot of positivity on this board so I’m hoping a little bit might rub off on me!

 

[Helbee1]

Welcome to the forum @Helbee1 .

Sorry to read of your diagnosis, but glad that you have found the forum.
Any carbohydrates that you eat will be converted into glucose once inside you. With Diabetes our bodies are not able to process the glucose we are making so it remains in the blood. So a good starting point is to find out how many carbs you are eating at each meal. If you know this you can then start to reduce this, to match what your body can manage. This can be done by switching to lower carb options and/or reducing the portion size.

If you are able to test your glucose levels before and again two hours after your meal you will also start to see which foods have the biggest impact on you. I know I was happily eating porridge for breakfast before I saw what impact it was having. We are all different and we each need to work out what works for us. The info about carbs is included on packaging, or via google...

There are some useful links in the Newbies section sorted by type of diabetes. There is also the Learning Zone at the top of this page. Have a look around, and do ask any questions that you have. Nothing is considered silly on here. just ask.

Hi. Thank you for your response. I’m going to look in to getting a meter so that I can test and find out how I respond to various things. Hopefully I will have a slightly better tolerance to things than I did when pregnant. I will have a look through the links you’ve mentioned too. Thanks

 

[Drummer]

If you are up for making your own there are recipes for bread which is low carb. I eat swede and cauliflower instead of potato and pasta, and use cheese waffles to wrap sausages or bacon.

 

[Helbee1]

If you are up for making your own there are recipes for bread which is low carb. I eat swede and cauliflower instead of potato and pasta, and use cheese waffles to wrap sausages or bacon.

I’m willing to give anything a try really. I’d struggle without bread. Cheese waffles sound right up my street. Thank you for the suggestions

 

[WendyB61]

If you are up for making your own there are recipes for bread which is low carb. I eat swede and cauliflower instead of potato and pasta, and use cheese waffles to wrap sausages or bacon.

Where do you get cheese waffles from?

 

[Drummer]

I bought a waffle maker. I have a Bamix blender, so it is just a matter of putting an egg and grated cheese into a narrow jug along with a little almond or coconut or psyllium flour, a quick whizz and it makes two 'chaffles' as they are called.
There are various options to make sweet or savoury versions.
The bacon 'chaffy' - with a rasher of extra thick bacon works very well.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Helbee1, warm welcome to the forum.

So sorry to hear that you're feeling low following this diagnosis. Getting your head around managing diabetes can be really tricky let alone following giving birth so it's perfectly natural to feel overwhelmed.

You're absolutely right, there's a lot of conflicting advice floating around which makes it that more difficult. The good thing is that you have a monitor now so can see for yourself how certain foods impact you.

I'd jot down what I'm eating for a week and the blood sugar reading two hours after. That will give you an idea of what foods are having a positive impact and which foods may need replacing.

 

[Ermintrude]

Hello @Helbee1

I'm new too. Had a Hb1ac result of 44 and was told 10 days ago that I was "at very high risk" of developing type 2 diabetes.

Didnt get much advice at that appointment as it was for something else. But was told to watch my sugar and exercise so I got sweaty enough to need a shower for 30 mins 5 times a week.

So like you I looked for advice and theres a lot out there and it's very confusing. I've had so much help from everyone here.

I was feeling so overwhelmed, but my plan now, after so much helpful advice on here, is to change one thing at a time. So I've cut full sugar drinks out entirely, and am trying hard to get 30 mins of exercise in daily.

Wishing you the very best of luck with it all.

 

[Helbee1]

Hi Helbee1, warm welcome to the forum.

So sorry to hear that you're feeling low following this diagnosis. Getting your head around managing diabetes can be really tricky let alone following giving birth so it's perfectly natural to feel overwhelmed.

You're absolutely right, there's a lot of conflicting advice floating around which makes it that more difficult. The good thing is that you have a monitor now so can see for yourself how certain foods impact you.

I'd jot down what I'm eating for a week and the blood sugar reading two hours after. That will give you an idea of what foods are having a positive impact and which foods may need replacing.

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. A food diary sounds like a really good idea. I’ve tried really hard to cut down on the obviously carby/sugary stuff but it seems sugar is hidden in everything! This forum seems really supportive and knowledgeable So hopefully I’ll find a lot of ideas to help me navigate my way round this diagnosis.

 

[Helbee1]

Hello @Helbee1

I'm new too. Had a Hb1ac result of 44 and was told 10 days ago that I was "at very high risk" of developing type 2 diabetes.

Didnt get much advice at that appointment as it was for something else. But was told to watch my sugar and exercise so I got sweaty enough to need a shower for 30 mins 5 times a week.

So like you I looked for advice and theres a lot out there and it's very confusing. I've had so much help from everyone here.

I was feeling so overwhelmed, but my plan now, after so much helpful advice on here, is to change one thing at a time. So I've cut full sugar drinks out entirely, and am trying hard to get 30 mins of exercise in daily.

Wishing you the very best of luck with it all.

Hello,

It’s all a bit overwhelming isn’t it?! One thing at a time sounds like the right thing to do. I think I’ll try that too.
Wishing you lots of luck too

 

[EllsBells]

Welcome! You're only just over the threshold for diabetes so, hopefully, you'll only need to make a few minor tweaks to lifestyle and diet to bring it all back into line again. 🙂

 

[Helbee1]

Welcome! You're only just over the threshold for diabetes so, hopefully, you'll only need to make a few minor tweaks to lifestyle and diet to bring it all back into line again. 🙂

Thank you! I really hope that’s the case.

 

[Toucan]

Hello @Helbee1 and @Ermintude

There is a confusing amount of information around, particularly regarding what to eat.
The answer isn't simple and differs for each one of us. There is no 'one size fits all'
It is good to take things steadily to work out what is best for you and arrive at a solution that is sustainable for the long term.
Keeping a diary and/or using a meter is a big help in doing this.

Meters that many of us use include:
SD Gluco Navii and Spirit Tee2
Something else that has helped me a lot is the Carbs and Cals Book
Carbs & Cals - a guide for counting -Diabetes UK shop - Diabetes UK Shop
It is well illustrated and brings home quite clearly the amount of carbs in a wide range of foods, and the importance of portion size as well.

 

[Helbee1]

Hello @Helbee1 and @Ermintude

There is a confusing amount of information around, particularly regarding what to eat.
The answer isn't simple and differs for each one of us. There is no 'one size fits all'
It is good to take things steadily to work out what is best for you and arrive at a solution that is sustainable for the long term.
Keeping a diary and/or using a meter is a big help in doing this.

Meters that many of us use include:
SD Gluco Navii and Spirit Tee2
Something else that has helped me a lot is the Carbs and Cals Book
Carbs & Cals - a guide for counting -Diabetes UK shop - Diabetes UK Shop
It is well illustrated and brings home quite clearly the amount of carbs in a wide range of foods, and the importance of portion size as well.

Hi,
Thank you for the advice. I’ll take a look at the carbs and cals book. That sounds like it’d be really helpful. I’m also looking at meters as it sounds like testing is the only way to properly get a handle on what I can really eat so it’s helpful to know which ones would be best to go for.