Still new at it but starting to get a handle on things...

[RitaW]

Hi there
Have just had my first appointment with the diabetic nurse and......I'm even more confused!! Everyone on the Forum has been really helpful and you all say that self testing is a must. You also said that GP's were reluctant to recommend self testing and you were right. I decided to wait until my appointment to see exactly what I am...pre-diabetic or T2 and she assured me I am now definitely diabetic as my annual tests for the last 3 years have come back around the 6.2-6.4 mark but this last one came back 9.6 so she wanted to put me on Metformin. Since speaking to forum members and doing my homework on T2Diabetes I have been really strict with myself. I started keeping a food diary, cut out all carbs and fruit, upped my veg intake and increased my exercise for the 2 weeks before seeing the nurse because I wanted to see if I could get my levels down by diet and exercise to avoid being put on medication. I even 'borrowed' a Jazz monitor from a friend who had gestational diabetes so for the 2 weeks self tested religously before, and 2 hours after each meal. The results were really interesting...even tho it took me 3 attempts every time for first 3 or 4 days...ouch 😱!! I just couldn't get enough blood out but I soon learnt a few tricks 😛 I took the food diary and test results to show the nurse and...guess what...she told me there was no need to self test as they would be testing me every 3 months. I only had a short time with her and have so many more things I want to ask so I'm seeing her again in couple of weeks. As there is obviously no monitor forthcoming from the surgery I've decided to get the SD Codefree monitor as lots of you recommended, because I know I have to introduce some carbs and fruit back into my diet to keep it balanced and by self testing I can keep a check on what foods suit and don't suit me. Already I am learning what I can safely eat to keep my levels down and what to avoid. The nurse has agreed to hangfire with the Metformin until my next test in 3 months because there was no sign of 'nasties' in my urine sample so she isn't too worried.
I really do want to try and manage this by diet and exercise if I can, avoiding medication for as long as possible. Sorry for going on abit 😉...I just needed to get it off my chest 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

I think you are doing things exactly right. You've clearly got enough sense to shout for help if things go astray, but if you've got a meter to test, that's the key to everything. Just let us know if you need any advice.

And don't worry about having a bit of a rant, this is the place to do it. 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

Gone 1am here. Sorry, why are you confused.
Test as gp, 9.6? What was it? Could be HbA1c. That take an average of your BG covering 2-3 months.
If you want to lower that, your two weeks might not show much difference. If you carry on it's more likely to show in the next one.

 

[Bubbsie]

Hi there
Have just had my first appointment with the diabetic nurse and......I'm even more confused!! Everyone on the Forum has been really helpful and you all say that self testing is a must. You also said that GP's were reluctant to recommend self testing and you were right. I decided to wait until my appointment to see exactly what I am...pre-diabetic or T2 and she assured me I am now definitely diabetic as my annual tests for the last 3 years have come back around the 6.2-6.4 mark but this last one came back 9.6 so she wanted to put me on Metformin. Since speaking to forum members and doing my homework on T2Diabetes I have been really strict with myself. I started keeping a food diary, cut out all carbs and fruit, upped my veg intake and increased my exercise for the 2 weeks before seeing the nurse because I wanted to see if I could get my levels down by diet and exercise to avoid being put on medication. I even 'borrowed' a Jazz monitor from a friend who had gestational diabetes so for the 2 weeks self tested religously before, and 2 hours after each meal. The results were really interesting...even tho it took me 3 attempts every time for first 3 or 4 days...ouch 😱!! I just couldn't get enough blood out but I soon learnt a few tricks 😛 I took the food diary and test results to show the nurse and...guess what...she told me there was no need to self test as they would be testing me every 3 months. I only had a short time with her and have so many more things I want to ask so I'm seeing her again in couple of weeks. As there is obviously no monitor forthcoming from the surgery I've decided to get the SD Codefree monitor as lots of you recommended, because I know I have to introduce some carbs and fruit back into my diet to keep it balanced and by self testing I can keep a check on what foods suit and don't suit me. Already I am learning what I can safely eat to keep my levels down and what to avoid. The nurse has agreed to hangfire with the Metformin until my next test in 3 months because there was no sign of 'nasties' in my urine sample so she isn't too worried.
I really do want to try and manage this by diet and exercise if I can, avoiding medication for as long as possible. Sorry for going on abit 😉...I just needed to get it off my chest 🙂

Hi Rita...surprising how many of our health care professionals warn type 2's not to test...I don't understand why?...my GP...the INR clinic...a DESMOND course I attended...all said 'Surgery will test you every three months'...nonsense...you're absolutely doing the right thing...and it sounds like you have a good grasp of what is needed to bring those numbers down...wish I had known about the forum...and testing at my diagnosis...its been a godsend for me...I do take Metformin...my BG at diagnosis was 17.4...now on average of 6.5... would have been difficult to avoid medication on that basis...hoping to reduce my dosage at next review...as for the finger pricking...I still have days when it takes several goes to get enough on the testing strip...will be interesting to follow your journey...keep us informed...well done.

 

[Marsbartoastie]

I'm so glad you found this forum and got the information you needed...rather than some of the nonsense you hear elsewhere. What you're doing is spot on. Just keep at it and you'll quickly learn how best to manage your BG levels. It'll be interesting to follow your progress. Thanks for posting.

 

[grovesy]

My Diabetes appointments with the nurse are uaslly 20 minutes!

 

[Mark Parrott]

Hi Rita. You are doing all the right things. I really dispair some of the GP's & DSN's with their no need to test rubbish. They put all Type 2 diabetics in the same thingy. We are all different & need to be treated as individuals. If you only relied on the 3 monthly HbA1c, how would you know how you were doing inbetween tests? It would all be guesswork. Ridiculous!😡

 

[RitaW]

I'm so glad you found this forum and got the information you needed...rather than some of the nonsense you hear elsewhere. What you're doing is spot on. Just keep at it and you'll quickly learn how best to manage your BG levels. It'll be interesting to follow your progress. Thanks for posting.

Hi Marsbartoastie
Love the name Thanks for replying. I'm interested to see you're following a low carb full fat diet with intermittent fasting. Any tips for me to try? Trying porridge for first time with sprinkle of cinnamon in since being diagnosed (late breakfast..been to dentists). We'll see what the monitor has to say in a couple of hours 🙂

 

[robert@fm]

If we were told "there's no need to keep your eyes open while driving, just a quick glimpse at the road once every 3 months is enough", we would all see that for the ill-advised and dangerous advice it is, so why do medics take the equivalent stand regarding blood glucose testing? 🙄 It's really down to "we'll save a bit of money in the short term, and never mind the increased cost of dealing with the complications down the line, that will be the next administration's problem".

 

[Marsbartoastie]

Hi Marsbartoastie
Love the name Thanks for replying. I'm interested to see you're following a low carb full fat diet with intermittent fasting. Any tips for me to try? Trying porridge for first time with sprinkle of cinnamon in since being diagnosed (late breakfast..been to dentists). We'll see what the monitor has to say in a couple of hours 🙂

I have porridge for breko every day. I add a bit of vanilla paste which makes it taste a bit like a pudding.

Low carb full fat is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. My best tip would be to fill up on good veg. I posted some recipes for making everyday veg more interesting. They're under Food & Carb Queries in a thread called Marsbartoastie's Veg Ideas. LIDL protein rolls are a bit of a personal favourite and certainly worth trying.

I try to do my intermittent fasting overnight. This simply means eating as early as possible in the evening and then having nothing until a late breakfast the following day. In a good week I can manage this about four times and it seems to be doing the trick for me.

Keep at it lovely...you will see results 🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

Hi Rita, the thing about this forum vs the medical community is that we live with D on a daily basis & have developed our own strategies for managing our disease often by comparing & discussing what works & what doesn't on this forum.

 

[Bubbsie]

I have porridge for breko every day. I add a bit of vanilla paste which makes it taste a bit like a pudding.

Low carb full fat is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. My best tip would be to fill up on good veg. I posted some recipes for making everyday veg more interesting. They're under Food & Carb Queries in a thread called Marsbartoastie's Veg Ideas. LIDL protein rolls are a bit of a personal favourite and certainly worth trying.

I try to do my intermittent fasting overnight. This simply means eating as early as possible in the evening and then having nothing until a late breakfast the following day. In a good week I can manage this about four times and it seems to be doing the trick for me.

Keep at it lovely...you will see results 🙂

I'm following this Rita...best advice I have had on diet from MBT...not great with veggies...but it seems to be working for me so far.

 

[RitaW]

I have porridge for breko every day. I add a bit of vanilla paste which makes it taste a bit like a pudding.

Low carb full fat is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. My best tip would be to fill up on good veg. I posted some recipes for making everyday veg more interesting. They're under Food & Carb Queries in a thread called Marsbartoastie's Veg Ideas. LIDL protein rolls are a bit of a personal favourite and certainly worth trying.

I try to do my intermittent fasting overnight. This simply means eating as early as possible in the evening and then having nothing until a late breakfast the following day. In a good week I can manage this about four times and it seems to be doing the trick for me.

Keep at it lovely...you will see results 🙂

Hi MBT...thanks for the tips. Porridge did send my level up but still manageable. Think I might try Weetabix tomorrow. Luckily I love any veg and that, along with meat, fish, salad and eggs cooked any which way...make up my staple diet at the moment. Curley kale, spinach, courgettes, brussels, cabbage, cauliflower, broccolli, runner beans, peppers, peas....any veg other than root veg. I'll certainly look up your thread about veg ideas. I need to nip into Lidl as well and look for these protein rolls that quite a few people on here have mentioned. I snack on oatcakes (love the seeded ones) with a Babybel and a few nuts. This might be a daft question but would I be doing myself harm by allowing the odd treat like a glass of wine or small piece of lemon drizzle cake or an icecream occasionly? You can see how I live on the edge can't you?!😛 I know it would push my levels up but I guess I would have to behave the following day. Or is that not how it works? You can tell I'm new to this. I would definately be able to manage the overnight fasting so I'll give that a go as well. Thanks again for your advice 🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

harm by allowing the odd treat like a glass of wine or small piece of lemon drizzle cake or an icecream occasionly?

Totally Toxic..... Only kidding!!! I don't like sweet stuff so I wouldn't do the latter, but love a glass or two of wine.... It's OK to indulge yourself every so often, the problem is unlike the insulin dependent D's we can't correct with extra insulin.
BTW, red wine is meant to be quite good for you, that's my excuse anyway.

 

[RitaW]

Totally Toxic..... Only kidding!!! I don't like sweet stuff so I wouldn't do the latter, but love a glass or two of wine.... It's OK to indulge yourself every so often, the problem is unlike the insulin dependent D's we can't correct with extra insulin.
BTW, red wine is meant to be quite good for you, that's my excuse anyway.

Hi Martin...I actually prefer red wine but thought it would have a higher sugar content because of the tanin. Another on the edge question...how 'safe' are sausages? Just love sausage and mash but made do with sausage and veg instead!!

 

[Martin Canty]

how 'safe' are sausages?

Sausages are good, some of them contain a little carb in the filler and/or spices (just look at the nutrition label - 1-2g per link is OK. People worry about the fat, but I don't, I just would buy quality sausages. Note, diet foods replace fat with carbs to make them palatable, carbs are our enemy not quality fat.

As for the mash, some people like cauliflower mash.... not the real thing.... none of those rustic lumps which I loved......

Gravy..... I use guar gum for the thickening agent, be careful though, a little goes a long way.

 

[Martin Canty]

As an addendum, I have had very good results with Celeriac in place of mashed potatoes...... Could probably do 1/2 & 1/2 (recommend waxy potatoes though)

 

[Marsbartoastie]

Try the cauliflower mash with cream cheese...it's delicious. I now prefer it to mashed potato and it's perfect with sausages.

Treats are a must. Your healthy eating is now a lifestyle and I couldn't contemplate a life that didn't involve chocolate. Don't regard anything as 'off limits'...just enjoy a little of what you fancy and then bring your levels back down. It's good to bear this in mind when someone brings cake to work or cooks for you. It's normal and sociable to join in. As long as these indulgences don't become a daily habit and remain 'treats' then all will be well.

Try making 'ice cream' like this:
Freeze a banana (peel and wrap in clingfilm first to prevent browning)
Freeze some strawberries (about 10-12)
Put the frozen fruit in a blender with a small pot of full fat yogurt
Add a little vanilla
Blend until you achieve an ice cream consistency
This makes enough for two people. It tastes lovely and doesn't raise my BG too much.

 

[graj0]

I know I have to introduce some carbs and fruit back into my diet to keep it balanced and by self testing I can keep a check on what foods suit and don't suit me.

You don't have to, unless you want to, and you know it doesn't make your BG spike. You're obviously doing the right thing, living to the meter is pretty important. As you can see, some people can tolerate porridge or Weetabix, not everyone though.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Back to red wine, I have a few glasses every weekend. Generally it will lower BG as the liveris busy getting rid of the alcohol. Only beer type drinks can be a problem but I still have the odd one. Spirits are virtually carb free. Like anyone though, whether D or no D, all in moderation.🙂