Newly diagnosed Type 2

[Brummiemum]

Well hello everyone out there in cyberspace ! I’m 61 and after a very recent blood test was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I was advised that I’ll need to take Metformin and a Statin. This came as a little bit of a shock, and I’m sure many of you have had the same reaction. But after that initial response, I decided that I’ll just have to get used to it and try my best to lose weight and improve my health prospects. My diet is generally good, Pescatarian and non dairy, but I’ve got to be honest and say that my exercise level is pretty pathetic! I work part time from home, and I don’t really get out that much socially, because I’m a carer for my husband. Being at home so much has made me lose a bit of confidence, and I don’t really like going out for walks on my own. Maybe some of you will identify with this?

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum.
I have reposted this reply that I posted to someone in your situation in the hope it will help.
It is often a feeling people get when first diagnosed but sometimes it is a relief as it can explain symptoms you have been having but equally people sometimes will have had no indication of an issue. However it is a very manageable condition and learning how to manage rather than control will depend very much on you and how you engage with changes that you need to make with your diet.
That very much depends on what your HbA1C is that has given your diagnosis and as you have been prescribed metformin at this stage, your HbA1C is most likely well into the diabetic zone. It would be helpful to know what that is and if you have weight to lose as that would be helpful to know so people can give appropriate suggestions.

Have a look around the forum as there are a few recently diagnosed posting and they have had some responses with some ideas but also the Learning Zone (orange tab at the top) will guide you through some of the terminology and has some links that may help.
There are different approaches that people find suits them so finding the right way for you is important as otherwise it will not be sustainable.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach works for them, low carb being no more than 130g total carb not just sugar, but definitely not NO carb, this link may help with ideas for that way. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/. If you don't eat meat or dairy then you can base meals on fish, eggs, vegetables and salads and fruit like berries. Do you use some of the plant based dairy as those could give you more options.
Other people find a low calorie or shakes-based regime suits them.
Increasing exercise if you can will also help, brisk walking is good, it doesn't need to be the gym unless that is your thing.

 

[trophywench]

You'll probably think I'm bats here, but on another forum (now deceased LOL) we had a member who started a bit of a 'thing' which any number of members decided to join in with. She used to climb the steps of famous places with steps without even going out of her house. She'd look up how many steps were in eg the leaning Tower of Pisa, Or the height of a hill/mountain cos she knew how high her stairs each were, divide em by how many on their staircase and see how long it took her to match that. Then you'd get a post saying where she'd been this week, sometimes eg I'm still only halfway up the Empire State building and a bit bored now so I'm fitting in climbing Snowdon too, for a change!

I could still do with joining in this initiative myself frankly - but we still live in a bungalow!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well hello everyone out there in cyberspace ! I’m 61 and after a very recent blood test was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I was advised that I’ll need to take Metformin and a Statin. This came as a little bit of a shock, and I’m sure many of you have had the same reaction. But after that initial response, I decided that I’ll just have to get used to it and try my best to lose weight and improve my health prospects. My diet is generally good, Pescatarian and non dairy, but I’ve got to be honest and say that my exercise level is pretty pathetic! I work part time from home, and I don’t really get out that much socially, because I’m a carer for my husband. Being at home so much has made me lose a bit of confidence, and I don’t really like going out for walks on my own. Maybe some of you will identify with this?

Welcome to the forum @Brummiemum

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis with diabetes - and feeling shocked and just a little overwhelmed is very common. Great to hear you have a practical and pragmatic ‘can do’ attitude, and are determined to improve things.

I can completely understand how you might have lost confidence - it’s all too easy for that to happen when you aren’t really looking isn’t it! One of our members @Docb has quite a bit of experience with the support systems that are supposed to be in place for carers. He may be able to give you some pointers?

Weight loss will help with insulin sensitivity, and some find that significant weight loss (especially around the middle) can even reset their metabolism somewhat.

Others find that moderating or reducing their total carbohydrate intake helps their metabolism cope more effectively with the foods they are eating and reduces their blood glucose levels. This sort of low carb way of eating is quite popular on the forum:

Low-carb diet and meal plan

Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating. Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.

www.diabetes.org.uk