Overwhelmed with it all

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Good evening, a little background of myself is that I was diagnosed 2 years ago with Type II diabetes (although I was told a was pre-diabetic 10 years ago when I had a myocarditis attack). I didn't understand at that time what it actually meant - just glad I was alive.
At the time of diagnosis I was put on Metformin 1 tablet. I lost weight over a stone) and life ticked along. I slacked and didn't follow any diet and didn't exercise and carried on in denial with my health and diabetes.

I started a blood pressure monitoring scheme which has now ended and incidentally my GP prescribed Atorvastatin and Ramipril on a visit in the Autumn as my cholesterol was high.

I started feeling unwell with dizzyness, getting up in the night to use bathroom multiple times, drinking more, not retaining information but carried on thinking it was the menopause! I also lost weight over a stone and thought it was stress as there was and is a lot going on personally.
At a medication review in the New Year I was asked how I was feeling and told the GP who said I'm not surprised your HbA1c is through the roof at 104mmol - what have I been doing ... I had another blood check to confirm result and was told to return a week later and I was put on increased dose of Metformin - 2 tablets by locum GP and told to return in a month. Meanwhile I spoke with a medical team who were concerned about me and told me to ask for a referral to Diabetes. I returned to GP who wasn't happy at my request really but did refer and also increased my Metformin to 2 tablets in the morning and 2 at night.
I had my appointment a few weeks ago and the Consultant and my HbA1c was 94mmol. Last year it was 50mmol. We discussed options and I chose a Gliptin (Sitagliptin) to try and get me to target. I felt this was the least invasive as my mum was at end of life and I couldn't get to grip with anything more complicated like testing strips and driving. I was given an education on a monitoring system in case I need to go on Gliclazide but could use it now if I want to. I have a prescription for all the testing and to be honest I haven't used it and I can't remember the process. My mum passed Tuesday and I haven't even looked at it. I have only just received the hospital letter which has prompted me to see if the GP has prescribed the new medication.
I am so overwhelmed with why the HbA1c spiked so randomly and scared by it. I know I need to change my lifestyle and again overwhelmed by that. I can't even begin to look at the machine. I have to "shield" and just plain overwhelmed and internally scared which seems ridiculous when I just have to get to grips with it and I just don't want to be on tablets all the time.
Sorry for the ramble. Family say its my own doing and yes it is but I need support and although they try their best ie don't e

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Hitchcock & Hollywood

I am so sorry to hear about your Mum, it sounds like you’ve been having a very difficult time recently, and it is only natural that diabetes has had to take a bit of a back seat.

Do you have any siblings or anyone to share the necessary arrangements and mountains of paperwork that will be following? I would imagine that some of the appointments (registration etc) may have to be done differently at the moment?

Be kind to yourself, and try to take time out to begin to process.

As for your diabetes, it may be that the stress you have been experiencing has adversely impacted on your BG levels? It may be that your diabetes has changed, or even that you may have a different form of diabetes and may be LADA rather than T2?

It might be worth keeping a food diary and noting the toype and approx grams of carbs in different meals/snacks as a simple, methodical way of beginning to gather information in order to form a diabetes ‘plan of action’. But remember this is just information, it’s not a judgement of effort, or achievement. It’s just useful to help you make a plan.

Sincere condolences again.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Many thanks for your response and condolences. Mum's funeral was Tuesday and yes I'm taking time out to "heal".

Can you tell me what LADA stands for please? I'm really quite naive to diabetes and didn't even realise it could change - I thought the Metformin would just keep me at the right level - my education is pretty poor and I think your suggestion of a food diary at this stage is a good one which I'll start. Is there an amount of carbs I shouldn't go over - all I know is a "fist" pump of carbs per meal? My hands are tiny so I never stuck to that 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome. So very sorry to hear that you have recently lost your Mum. Even when it is expected, it is still a very sad time. Adding increased BG levels into the mix will make things even more difficult as high levels tend to make you emotional and it is difficult to concentrate, as you are finding out and the disturbed sleep due to frequent bathroom visits all makes life feel like a very steep uphill struggle.

Firstly, try to relax because the wonderful members of the forum will steadily help you work your way through what needs to be done as regards managing your diabetes and once your BG (Blood Glucose) levels start to come down to a more reasonable level, you will think more clearly and everything will become less difficult. We often say that diabetes is a lifelong marathon, not a sprint, so it is important not to run head long into it or stand at the starting line with your head in the sand but pace yourself. Make small simple changes which are sustainable.

Diabetes is about carbohydrates, not just sugars as many people assume, so any foods which contain sugars or starches will cause your blood glucose levels to rise. That means the obvious cakes, biscuits and sweets but also bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals and even otherwise healthy foods like porridge and fruit. Starting to keep a food diary is a good way to see how many carbs you are currently eating and figure out where you can make swaps to lower carb foods which will help reduce your Blood Glucose levels.
I think it is easiest to start with breakfast because most of us have the same food most mornings. If you normally have toast or cereal or porridge, try swapping it for an omelette with whatever filling you fancy (I like onions and mushrooms and cheese) or a full English cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs and sausage and mushrooms but minus any bread, hash browns or baked beans. If you prefer something lighter, try some creamy (not low fat) natural Greek Yoghurt with a few berries like rasps and/or strawberries/blueberries/blackberries and maybe a dessert spoon of mixed seeds and/or chopped nuts. Try just making that one change for a week or two to get into a new habit and then maybe consider making changes to the things that you snack on, again choosing low carb options. I'm not going to go into details of that just now because you need to do this one step at a time. Just change one thing and get used to that before you change something else.

As regards home testing, there are You Tube videos which you can watch which demonstrate how to use them, but it sounds like you are feeling too overwhelmed to tackle that at the moment, so put it out of your head for the time being and we can guide you with that when you are ready.

We all understand how daunting it all can seem and even the most experienced diabetics hit spells when they lose control or have burn out and can't get to grips with it, which is when this forum really comes into it's own because we all understand how frustrating and overwhelming it can be and do our best to support each other without being judgemental.

It is possible that you could eventually manage your diabetes through diet and lifestyle changes without the need for medication and there are plenty of inspiring stories of members here who have achieved that, but it is also possible that you have a different type of diabetes than type 2 which requires different medication, but starting with an honest food diary and then choosing one meal and making some low carbohydrate changes to that meal is a good a start.

Good luck and if you have any questions at all please feel free to ask them. It is important to make time for yourself and look after your health and now is as good a time to start doing that as any.

 

[rebrascora]

LADA is Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It is a form of slow onset Type 1 which can initially present like Type 2 and even respond to Type 2 medication in the early stages which might be a few months or many years. Eventually the beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin are slowly killed off by the body's immune system until the remaining beta cells struggle to produce enough insulin to regulate the glucose in the blood and levels start to rise. Following a low carb diet can take the strain off those remaining beta cells and give them a chance to cope and being under less strain, they may also be at less risk from the immune system attacking them, so it can slow the progression.
Type 1 diabetes is where the body's immune system kills off the beta cells in the pancreas quite rapidly and people go from normal HbA1c to very high levels in the space of a few weeks. Those people require daily insulin injections to keep them alive.
Type 2 diabetes is usually caused by insulin resistance. This is where the body has been producing large amounts of insulin (perhaps to cope with an excess of dietary carbohydrates) and eventually it becomes less responsive to the insulin. The mechanism for this can be much more complicated than that and often involves the build up of fatty deposits in the liver and pancreas which makes the health and function of both organs more restricted.

Hope that explains it a bit. Usually if you are carrying a bit too much weight around your middle particularly, it is likely to be Type 2. Weight loss can make a big difference in helping to push it into remission and many people find that following a low carb diet not only helps to reduce their BG levels but also causes them to lose weight, so both results improve their diabetes management.

 

[trophywench]

The only thing I've heard of where the measurement is 'one fistful' is one portion of a vegetable, and it works for all and sundry because our hands reflect the size of our own frame. The protein portion should be roughly the same size as a normal pack of 52 playing cards, hence I suppose on the now outdated 'Eatwell' plate which said the carbs should be one third of the plate, the same pack of cards or fistful, would have applied.

However - once we get the diagnosis of a condition when the only food our body now finds exceptionally challenging is carbohydrates, it would just be potty to continue to eat the same amount of them as we used to, as clearly your body just can't cope with them, can it?

Keeping a food diary is a good idea to begin with, so you or we can have a look at it and see where we can find carbs, to give you a better idea of what you might be better to cut down on and what you might be better to eat more of or leave the same. Start off by cutting down asap on anything containing actual sugar and sugar itself in drinks.

Sadly, stress also affects our blood glucose and will increase the latter when it's high - so none of that helps, it does the opposite. Also when our BG is too high - it affects our mental wellbeing and thus our ability to deal with some things so I accept that fingerprick testing seems too much for you right now.

Let's see if we can help guide you towards the straight and narrow and stay nearby to offer support when you need some.

 

[SB2015]

Many thanks for your response and condolences. Mum's funeral was Tuesday and yes I'm taking time out to "heal".

Can you tell me what LADA stands for please? I'm really quite naive to diabetes and didn't even realise it could change - I thought the Metformin would just keep me at the right level - my education is pretty poor and I think your suggestion of a food diary at this stage is a good one which I'll start. Is there an amount of carbs I shouldn't go over - all I know is a "fist" pump of carbs per meal? My hands are tiny so I never stuck to that 🙂

Welcome to forum @Hitchcock & Hollywood .

I was sorry to read of your Mum’s death.
Take care and take time to grieve and be kind to yourself.

You ask about LADA, which is Latent Autoimmune Disease in Adults. This is basically developing T1 as an adult, which is what happened to me. It comes on more slowly for adults than for youngsters, so is often misdiagnosed as T2, especially by GPs, many of whom are still unaware that T1 can develop in adults. LADA can be picked up by additional blood tests, but will also initially respond to treatments used for T2, until beta cells have been destroyed by the antibodies. It might be worth asking about this.

A food diary will be very helpful whichever type of diabetes you have. Monitoring the amount of carbohydrates (not just sugars) can help you to make decisions about changes to your diet and exercise.

Take your time and deal with things when you can.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Hi and welcome. So very sorry to hear that you have recently lost your Mum. Even when it is expected, it is still a very sad time. Adding increased BG levels into the mix will make things even more difficult as high levels tend to make you emotional and it is difficult to concentrate, as you are finding out and the disturbed sleep due to frequent bathroom visits all makes life feel like a very steep uphill struggle.

Firstly, try to relax because the wonderful members of the forum will steadily help you work your way through what needs to be done as regards managing your diabetes and once your BG (Blood Glucose) levels start to come down to a more reasonable level, you will think more clearly and everything will become less difficult. We often say that diabetes is a lifelong marathon, not a sprint, so it is important not to run head long into it or stand at the starting line with your head in the sand but pace yourself. Make small simple changes which are sustainable.

Diabetes is about carbohydrates, not just sugars as many people assume, so any foods which contain sugars or starches will cause your blood glucose levels to rise. That means the obvious cakes, biscuits and sweets but also bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals and even otherwise healthy foods like porridge and fruit. Starting to keep a food diary is a good way to see how many carbs you are currently eating and figure out where you can make swaps to lower carb foods which will help reduce your Blood Glucose levels.
I think it is easiest to start with breakfast because most of us have the same food most mornings. If you normally have toast or cereal or porridge, try swapping it for an omelette with whatever filling you fancy (I like onions and mushrooms and cheese) or a full English cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs and sausage and mushrooms but minus any bread, hash browns or baked beans. If you prefer something lighter, try some creamy (not low fat) natural Greek Yoghurt with a few berries like rasps and/or strawberries/blueberries/blackberries and maybe a dessert spoon of mixed seeds and/or chopped nuts. Try just making that one change for a week or two to get into a new habit and then maybe consider making changes to the things that you snack on, again choosing low carb options. I'm not going to go into details of that just now because you need to do this one step at a time. Just change one thing and get used to that before you change something else.

As regards home testing, there are You Tube videos which you can watch which demonstrate how to use them, but it sounds like you are feeling too overwhelmed to tackle that at the moment, so put it out of your head for the time being and we can guide you with that when you are ready.

We all understand how daunting it all can seem and even the most experienced diabetics hit spells when they lose control or have burn out and can't get to grips with it, which is when this forum really comes into it's own because we all understand how frustrating and overwhelming it can be and do our best to support each other without being judgemental.

It is possible that you could eventually manage your diabetes through diet and lifestyle changes without the need for medication and there are plenty of inspiring stories of members here who have achieved that, but it is also possible that you have a different type of diabetes than type 2 which requires different medication, but starting with an honest food diary and then choosing one meal and making some low carbohydrate changes to that meal is a good a start.

Good luck and if you have any questions at all please feel free to ask them. It is important to make time for yourself and look after your health and now is as good a time to start doing that as any.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply which I found very helpful and thank you for your condolences - I do appreciate it.

I'm so pleased that you understand what I am going through as I thought I had dementia at one stage. I'm trying to relax and "heal" and not stress which is really difficult at times especially if I can't sleep but I'm realistic to acknowledge it and calm down.

I have started my food diary this morning. To be honest I used to just look at the sugar and not the carbs. I have started with breakfast and am reading the labels - very interesting and I'm cringing at the figures on my cereals I eat!! But its my beginning and if I can actually buy any eggs I'll certainly be swapping over as I have the time to cook at the moment. Sincerely thank you.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

LADA is Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It is a form of slow onset Type 1 which can initially present like Type 2 and even respond to Type 2 medication in the early stages which might be a few months or many years. Eventually the beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin are slowly killed off by the body's immune system until the remaining beta cells struggle to produce enough insulin to regulate the glucose in the blood and levels start to rise. Following a low carb diet can take the strain off those remaining beta cells and give them a chance to cope and being under less strain, they may also be at less risk from the immune system attacking them, so it can slow the progression.
Type 1 diabetes is where the body's immune system kills off the beta cells in the pancreas quite rapidly and people go from normal HbA1c to very high levels in the space of a few weeks. Those people require daily insulin injections to keep them alive.
Type 2 diabetes is usually caused by insulin resistance. This is where the body has been producing large amounts of insulin (perhaps to cope with an excess of dietary carbohydrates) and eventually it becomes less responsive to the insulin. The mechanism for this can be much more complicated than that and often involves the build up of fatty deposits in the liver and pancreas which makes the health and function of both organs more restricted.

Hope that explains it a bit. Usually if you are carrying a bit too much weight around your middle particularly, it is likely to be Type 2. Weight loss can make a big difference in helping to push it into remission and many people find that following a low carb diet not only helps to reduce their BG levels but also causes them to lose weight, so both results improve their diabetes management.

Thanks again 🙂 I didn't know LADA existed! I hope I've not got that. I am carrying weight around my middle still even though I've lost weight. Hopefully following a low carb diet will help with my management. I realise I need to take this seriously and look after myself. Regards.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

The only thing I've heard of where the measurement is 'one fistful' is one portion of a vegetable, and it works for all and sundry because our hands reflect the size of our own frame. The protein portion should be roughly the same size as a normal pack of 52 playing cards, hence I suppose on the now outdated 'Eatwell' plate which said the carbs should be one third of the plate, the same pack of cards or fistful, would have applied.

However - once we get the diagnosis of a condition when the only food our body now finds exceptionally challenging is carbohydrates, it would just be potty to continue to eat the same amount of them as we used to, as clearly your body just can't cope with them, can it?

Keeping a food diary is a good idea to begin with, so you or we can have a look at it and see where we can find carbs, to give you a better idea of what you might be better to cut down on and what you might be better to eat more of or leave the same. Start off by cutting down asap on anything containing actual sugar and sugar itself in drinks.

Sadly, stress also affects our blood glucose and will increase the latter when it's high - so none of that helps, it does the opposite. Also when our BG is too high - it affects our mental wellbeing and thus our ability to deal with some things so I accept that fingerprick testing seems too much for you right now.

Let's see if we can help guide you towards the straight and narrow and stay nearby to offer support when you need some.

Hi, again thank you too for taking the time to reply to me - I do appreciate your words. You are totally correct - it is potty to continue eating the carbs like I have been and I accept that now and have started my food diary today to monitor them. I really do need the support as I'm quite ignorant - more fool me - but have had such a scare I need to look after myself. Many thanks.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Welcome to forum @Hitchcock & Hollywood .

I was sorry to read of your Mum’s death.
Take care and take time to grieve and be kind to yourself.

You ask about LADA, which is Latent Autoimmune Disease in Adults. This is basically developing T1 as an adult, which is what happened to me. It comes on more slowly for adults than for youngsters, so is often misdiagnosed as T2, especially by GPs, many of whom are still unaware that T1 can develop in adults. LADA can be picked up by additional blood tests, but will also initially respond to treatments used for T2, until beta cells have been destroyed by the antibodies. It might be worth asking about this.

A food diary will be very helpful whichever type of diabetes you have. Monitoring the amount of carbohydrates (not just sugars) can help you to make decisions about changes to your diet and exercise.

Take your time and deal with things when you can.

Thank you so much for your condolences and kind words - I do appreciate them 🙂 I really didn't know LADA existed! I have received replies from yourself and others for which I'm so grateful for and will take on board the advice. Kind regards.

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @Hitchcock & Hollywood, I've just read through this and I too would like to say I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mum - and stress really can play havoc with things so do look after yourself and be kind to yourself.

Welcome to the forum, you will get lots of support and encouragement here from the lovely members. I second what the others have advised about learning about and coping with your diagnosis, and also take time to deal with your grief - focusing on continuing your food diary may help here, as you will be doing something positive to help yourself. Keep in touch, ask any questions you like, and we'll do our best to answer them. All the best to you xxx

 

[rebrascora]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply which I found very helpful and thank you for your condolences - I do appreciate it.

I'm so pleased that you understand what I am going through as I thought I had dementia at one stage. I'm trying to relax and "heal" and not stress which is really difficult at times especially if I can't sleep but I'm realistic to acknowledge it and calm down.

I have started my food diary this morning. To be honest I used to just look at the sugar and not the carbs. I have started with breakfast and am reading the labels - very interesting and I'm cringing at the figures on my cereals I eat!! But its my beginning and if I can actually buy any eggs I'll certainly be swapping over as I have the time to cook at the moment. Sincerely thank you.

Wish you lived closer! My chucks are in peak production at the moment and since I am not seeing family and friends to give the eggs away as I normally would, I am starting to get seriously backlogged with them. I have managed to give some to neighbours and passers by but I am currently trying to find homes for 7 dozen, with more being produced daily! Spent a couple of hours just washing and sorting them yesterday! Would happily have given you some if you lived nearby.

I know what you mean about feeling like you are losing your mind and thinking that maybe the menopause is to blame etc, but you really will feel so much better once you get your diet sorted out and your blood glucose levels into range.
I make sure I have plenty of low carb treats in the house so that when I get the munchies or need the emotional crutch of comfort eating, I have plenty of things that I can hit without it messing up my glucose levels. Nuts are great and olives and cheese.... cheese is my new chocolate! Sausages or salami sticks or chicken drumsticks work well or veggie sticks with sour cream and chive dip... or a square of 70% dark chocolate with a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter gives me a sweet fix without sending my BG rocketing. Pork scratchings are my really guilty carb free pleasure when I feel like I am desperately struggling and a glass of rum and coke or a glass of red wine every now and then doesn't hurt as long as it is diet coke. You don't have to feel deprived following a low carb diet because this has to be sustainable for the rest of your life, so finding foods which you enjoy is key.... We have some inspirational bakers here who make low carb cakes which even their non diabetic partners enjoy, so once you start feeling a bit better, there are plenty of foods that you can experiment with to create great tasting low carb dishes. It just takes a willingness to change and learn new ways of cooking and eating, which can be difficult after a lifetime of piling your plate with carbs at every meal but so worthwhile. Once you get the hang of what to buy and how to cook it, it all becomes so much easier, but it takes time and a bit of experimenting to figure out what works for you as an individual.... Reading nutritional information on the back of packaging is a big part of that and when you are ready, testing your blood before and after meals to see how your body responded to what you ate...... but for the time being, just keep your diary and perhaps start thinking about making a low carb change to just one mealtime. If you want a ready to buy product for breakfast, Eat Natural do a low carb Granola which is just 34g of carbs per 100g. I sometimes have 40g of that with 5 or 6 raspberries or half a dozen blueberries and a couple of dessert spoons of creamy yoghurt with a few mixed seeds or chopped nuts. It is medium carb at about 25-30g carbs but may be half what you are currently eating for breakfast, so that may be something to try as a half way measure.... working out how many carbs you currently consume really helps to figure out where you can make cuts.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Hi @Hitchcock & Hollywood, I've just read through this and I too would like to say I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mum - and stress really can play havoc with things so do look after yourself and be kind to yourself.

Welcome to the forum, you will get lots of support and encouragement here from the lovely members. I second what the others have advised about learning about and coping with your diagnosis, and also take time to deal with your grief - focusing on continuing your food diary may help here, as you will be doing something positive to help yourself. Keep in touch, ask any questions you like, and we'll do our best to answer them. All the best to you xxx

Many thanks for your condolences - it's very kind of you. I am completing a food diary still and after a couple of weeks will post the breakfasts and see what response I get. It is keeping me focused you are right 🙂 Many thanks for your support.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Wish you lived closer! My chucks are in peak production at the moment and since I am not seeing family and friends to give the eggs away as I normally would, I am starting to get seriously backlogged with them. I have managed to give some to neighbours and passers by but I am currently trying to find homes for 7 dozen, with more being produced daily! Spent a couple of hours just washing and sorting them yesterday! Would happily have given you some if you lived nearby.

I know what you mean about feeling like you are losing your mind and thinking that maybe the menopause is to blame etc, but you really will feel so much better once you get your diet sorted out and your blood glucose levels into range.
I make sure I have plenty of low carb treats in the house so that when I get the munchies or need the emotional crutch of comfort eating, I have plenty of things that I can hit without it messing up my glucose levels. Nuts are great and olives and cheese.... cheese is my new chocolate! Sausages or salami sticks or chicken drumsticks work well or veggie sticks with sour cream and chive dip... or a square of 70% dark chocolate with a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter gives me a sweet fix without sending my BG rocketing. Pork scratchings are my really guilty carb free pleasure when I feel like I am desperately struggling and a glass of rum and coke or a glass of red wine every now and then doesn't hurt as long as it is diet coke. You don't have to feel deprived following a low carb diet because this has to be sustainable for the rest of your life, so finding foods which you enjoy is key.... We have some inspirational bakers here who make low carb cakes which even their non diabetic partners enjoy, so once you start feeling a bit better, there are plenty of foods that you can experiment with to create great tasting low carb dishes. It just takes a willingness to change and learn new ways of cooking and eating, which can be difficult after a lifetime of piling your plate with carbs at every meal but so worthwhile. Once you get the hang of what to buy and how to cook it, it all becomes so much easier, but it takes time and a bit of experimenting to figure out what works for you as an individual.... Reading nutritional information on the back of packaging is a big part of that and when you are ready, testing your blood before and after meals to see how your body responded to what you ate...... but for the time being, just keep your diary and perhaps start thinking about making a low carb change to just one mealtime. If you want a ready to buy product for breakfast, Eat Natural do a low carb Granola which is just 34g of carbs per 100g. I sometimes have 40g of that with 5 or 6 raspberries or half a dozen blueberries and a couple of dessert spoons of creamy yoghurt with a few mixed seeds or chopped nuts. It is medium carb at about 25-30g carbs but may be half what you are currently eating for breakfast, so that may be something to try as a half way measure.... working out how many carbs you currently consume really helps to figure out where you can make cuts.

Apologies for the late reply - you sound the perfect neighbour 🙂 Free Eggs!!

You hit the nail on the head with regards to munchies - I didn't make the right choices previously and your suggestions of what works for you sound right up my street.... pork scratchings I love 🙂 I do love olives too but could probably eat a whole pot! But yes its sinking in now - its allowing treats when needed but making right choices and being prepared for those moments and trying not to eat the treats all at once!! The granola sounds yummy -- I will give that a go.

I have started to pay attention to the nutritional information around carbs - I never did previously - just looked at the sugar.

I've realised in the last few days also that what I choose to eat has got to sustain me also and although its only been a few days with my diary, I am becoming more educated like you say and your suggestions are a great help to me.

I do need to have a read and explore the site more so thank you for the advice.

I've never craved eggs so much 🙂

 

[Ditto]

Hello and welcome to the forum. 🙂 I am very sorry about your Mum.

 

[Hitchcock & Hollywood]

Hello and welcome to the forum. 🙂 I am very sorry about your Mum.

Hi Ditto - thank you for your condolences 🙂 We plan to celebrate mum's life when hopefully things get back to "normal".
There's a lot of information on the forum which I'm pleased about - still getting to grips with it. best wishes