Hi, just been diagnosed with type 2. Knew it was coming but still a shock. I know the first thing I need to do is loose weight and be more active. Unfortunately I suffer from depression and a binge eating disorder and I am a compulsive overeater so this is going to be fun! Going to need all the help I can get so looking forward to reading everyone's loss. Have a great day, Kim x
Hi Kim, welcome to the forum
🙂 I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis

The good news is that getting more active and bringing your blood sugar levels under control can significantly improve your moods and self-esteem
🙂 Diabetes is a serious condition, but it is manageable with the right knowledge and application - many people find that the adjustments they make to diet and activity levels actually result in them feeling happier and healthier than they have for some considerable time, so there is actually some good news and something you can look forward to
🙂
I would recommend reading
Jennifer's Advice and
Maggie Davey's letter first of all, so you can get an idea of what to expect and how to approach things. Also highly recommended is
Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - well worth getting a copy
🙂 I would also suggest that you don't try and make drastic changes all at once - this can work for a while, but is often unsustainable and you need to understand your tolerances for different elements of your diet so you can be confident and flexible in your food choices, whilst helping all the time to bring your blood sugar levels under control. I would recommend writing a food diary to begin with, writing down the amount in grams of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink. It's a bit tedious, but it is worth doing for a couple of weeks as it will give you a very clear and true record of your carbohydrate intake, and also provide you with a very useful template to look for areas where you might improve things by reducing or replacing carb-heavy items with lower carb alternatives (e.g. replacing potatoes with more green veg).
Do you have a blood glucose meter and test strips prescribed by your doctor? If not (and many doctors view them as an unnecessary expense) it is well worth asking for one, and if that fails, getting your own so you can learn your individual tolerances for different foods. Have a read of
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this process works. If you do have to buy your own meter and strips, the cheapest option we have come across is the
SD Codefree Meter which has
test strips at around £8 for 50. You will need to test fairly frequently in the beginning, as you learn your tolerances, but after a while you will only need to test occasionally when trying something new or for the occasional 'spot check'. It really is the best tool available for learning how diabetes and food affect you and will set you up to confidently improve your levels and retain maximum flexibility in your diet.
🙂
As for exercise - again, don't go crazy! Set yourself an achieveable goal and try to work towards it - just a short, brisk walk each day will make a difference, and as you start to feel better and stronger you can increase it. Exercise has two main benefits - it improves blood sugar levels by making you more sensitive to the insulin your body is producing, and it also floods your brain with endorphins, the 'feel good' hormones that will help to improve how you are feeling
🙂
Pleas ask us any questions you may have - there's always someone here who can help and we want to support you every step of the way!
🙂