Newly Diagnosed Type 2

[Nemesis]

Hi all,

just joined as have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Wondering how on earth I missed the symptoms developing and how I can eat a low carb/ high protein diet as high protein on my diet app gives higher fat % too😱. I have never really done food groups other than 'food I eat' and 'food I don't eat' so I think I have a lot to learn!

 

[adrian1der]

Hi Nemesis and welcome. My approach has been eat what I always did but with smaller portions of the carb heavy foods (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread). In my case the smaller portion is non at all but you need to find something that works for you. Remember, whatever dietary plan you decide on has to be sustainable in the long term. If you limit your carbs, the next step is exercise. Even light exercise will help (a walk or even house work). Lower carbs and more exercise should also help with weight loss if you need to loose any (I do!). These, together with medication, are the steps you can take to manage your condition. It is doable! Any questions ask away - there is no such thing as a silly question here although there may be silly answers!

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Nemesis, welcome to the forum.

Type 2 can easily creep up on you so don't be too hard on yourself. It's a lifestyle change which can be daunting at first but you'll get the hang of it.

I'd start by getting to grips with testing 2 hours after eating so you can see the impact your current meals are having and the adjust accordingly.

We're here to help so any questions or concerns, just let us know.

 

[Nemesis]

Hi Nemesis and welcome. My approach has been eat what I always did but with smaller portions of the carb heavy foods (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread). In my case the smaller portion is non at all but you need to find something that works for you. Remember, whatever dietary plan you decide on has to be sustainable in the long term. If you limit your carbs, the next step is exercise. Even light exercise will help (a walk or even house work). Lower carbs and more exercise should also help with weight loss if you need to loose any (I do!). These, together with medication, are the steps you can take to manage your condition. It is doable! Any questions ask away - there is no such thing as a silly question here although there may be silly answers!

Thank you so much, I am hoping to make minor adjustments to my diet and I like the sound of what you have done as I think it unrealistic I will be able to cut out certain foods all together, like you say finding the right balance is key. I do need to loose weight, a little too much padding around the middle! Exercise I have never warmed to though I have been more active this year so find it a little disappointing this was clearly not enough but I will just have to work harder at it.

 

[adrian1der]

Why not set yourself a goal? How about 30 minute walk every lunch time. It will soon become a habit that you'll miss when you don't do it. I need nagging to get things done so I use the app HabitBull which reminds me when I need to do things. Once you get into the swing of things you'll find you want to go further

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Nemesis

One of the biggest questions when trying to get to grips with your diabetes is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.

I agree with @adrian1der - it can be wise to make changes gradually and sustainably, rather than starting ‘full tilt’ only to find you fall off the wagon in a few weeks. Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint!

Many new members find it can be really helpful at the start to keep a food diary for a week or two. Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. Along with an estimate of the amount of carbohydrate in the meals and snacks. This will allow you to easily spot the ’low hanging fruit’ and give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu.

The really tricky thing is that blood glucose responses to various foods are highly individual, and as @Cherrelle DUK rightly suggests, it can be impossible to say which types and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself.

Some members choose to use a BG meter, taking a reading before and again 2hrs after eating, to see what the differences are, to identify any carbs that seem to be spiking their BG (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing amounts of carbs and trying different types (sometimes just having things at a different time of day makes a difference). Gradually tweaking and tailoring your menu to find one that gives your the BG results you are looking for and which you can sustain ling-term

Unfortunately it is unlikely you will be offered a BG meter by your BG (though some do, so worth an ask?). And while all meters need to meet accuracy criteria, some make more use of the permitted variation than others, especially at the more affordable end. Plus there is a wide variety of ongoing costs for the strips, some of which are as much as £30 for a pot of 50 strips. If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50

Good luck with everything - keep asking questions, and let us know how you get on 🙂