• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

stupid question I know

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

Rick43

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I'm still getting my head round this whole diabetes, the problem is that I can't seem to get my blood sugar levels below 9.0, the majority of the time its touching the 12 mark, what could I be doing wrong :(

spoke with the diabetic nurse about this and she said they would look at my meds once I've had my full bloods done in august

any help would be brill

thanks

Richard
 
Hi Richard, welcome to the forum. Have you been diagnosed long and do your know what your HbA1c was; also just wondering what sort of foods you are eating, do you feel able to give us a list of perhaps what you have eaten today so perhaps we can see if there are high carb things you could reduce. Your level of 9 is not too bad if this is after food but obviously would be better if it were lower. It is difficult for all of us to sort out what we should and shouldn’t be eating but apart from certain foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and potatoes is can be very individual. Again welcome x
PS there are no stupid questions on this site lol
 
HI Richard welcome to the forum.🙂 I won`t go into the wherewithal's of it all as T1 me compared to T2 you is different but we can still help each other out. @SueEK has asked you a question, if you can be so kind too respond we would be very grateful.
 
I have been diagnosed type 2 for 71 days, got told that my HbA1 was way to high, but not given a number, I'm due to have the HbA1 don't next week, so will ask for all the info.

today I did my bloods first thing it was 9.4, took my meds and had a bowl of porridge with half-fat milk, 3hrs later did bloods it was 13.3. had a cheese toast (wholemeal bread) at 3:00pm, did bloods at 6:00pm came in at 9.0, just done bloods before bed time they are 10.9.
I only drink water, no soft drinks or alcohol
most sleep I get before I need to drink or visit the toilet is 2 hrs.
GP, said he'll look at adjusting my meds once I've done the HbA1

as it stands today was good with regards to blood sugar levels
 
Hi @Rick43

Do you carb count and weigh your portions of food? Porridge is very carby and many diabetics cant handle it, also bread is very carby as well and no slice weighs the same

What other things do you eat?
xx
 
Hi, Rick

T2s should be between 4 and 7 in the morning, before eating or drinking anything, and below 8.5 two hours after eating, so you are running a little high. What did you eat in the evening that may have pushed your level up?

Martin
slice wholemeal bread, I eat some fruit at lunch time, mainly a banana and satsuma

regards
 
Hi @Rick43

Do you carb count and weigh your portions of food? Porridge is very carby and many diabetics cant handle it, also bread is very carby as well and no slice weighs the same

What other things do you eat?
xx
no I don't carb count yet or weigh food portions yet, but I'm sure that will change very soon.
as for the porridge, I'll see what I can find to replace it.

thanks
 
no I don't carb count yet or weigh food portions yet, but I'm sure that will change very soon.
as for the porridge, I'll see what I can find to replace it.

thanks
unfortunately I doubt you'll see much lower numbers unless you start controlling your portions and watching your carb intake, so first reducing your intake of things like porridge, breakfast cereals, bread (although there are lower carb options available) potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles, potatoes etc, many type 2's and some type 1's opt for a very low carb diet to gain better control of their levels and keep them in range, I really would recommend starting this asap and keeping a food diary and testing before and then again 2 hours after eating to gain an understanding of the way certain foods effect you as an individual
xx
 
unfortunately I doubt you'll see much lower numbers unless you start controlling your portions and watching your carb intake, so first reducing your intake of things like porridge, breakfast cereals, bread (although there are lower carb options available) potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles, potatoes etc, many type 2's and some type 1's opt for a very low carb diet to gain better control of their levels and keep them in range, I really would recommend starting this asap and keeping a food diary and testing before and then again 2 hours after eating to gain an understanding of the way certain foods effect you as an individual
xx

thanks, I created a spread sheet for inputing my blood/sugar levels when I first got diagnosed, this consists of date, time I took meds, time of BG, food item/s. I'll just add an additional two columns alongside the food items for carbs and food weight/portion.

thanks for your help

Richard
 
Bananas are high carb, as much as 21g per 100g. That would be 20% of my daily carb target. The lowest carb fruits are berries such as blackberries raspberries and strawberries (if you can manage them - some members can't).

For low carb eat as much fresh fish, fresh meat, salads and green veg as you like.

Martin
thanks, I'll give them a try

regards

Richard
 
Personally I would not recommend being really drastic in your reduction straight away as you will feel very hungry and then it is tempting to eat lots of carbs to fill you up. Testing is all important and you will see spikes fairly easily on foods that do not like you and then of course avoid those. It will take a time but the important thing is to do it steadily so that you can maintain your new way of eating. Please keep asking questions if you need to, we are happy to answer anything at all. All the best.
 
Personally I would not recommend being really drastic in your reduction straight away as you will feel very hungry and then it is tempting to eat lots of carbs to fill you up. Testing is all important and you will see spikes fairly easily on foods that do not like you and then of course avoid those. It will take a time but the important thing is to do it steadily so that you can maintain your new way of eating. Please keep asking questions if you need to, we are happy to answer anything at all. All the best.
thank you
 
slice wholemeal bread, I eat some fruit at lunch time, mainly a banana and satsuma

regards
Hi Richard,
Have you tried soya and linseed bread? Burgen do a good one and it's lower carb and low GI so you may find this helps your blood sugar more than wholemeal.

I am just starting out on this whole type 2 malarkey myself, but I have found lots of salad, oily fish and sprinkling lemon or lime juice on fish are good. Might be worth looking into Mediterranean or Greek diet as these tend to be lower carb.

Good luck!
 
Unfortunately you are choosing to eat high carb low fat foods, so there is little chance of your blood glucose reducing very much.
My daily intake of carbs is 40 gm maximum, as I am very sensitive to them, but that keeps my after meal readings in the 6 point somethings after eating.
 
I'm still new to all this, I'm afraid :(
I've arranged to see a dietician to help put together a diet that will be compatible with both my diabetes and Crohn's disease
 
Hi Richard,
Have you tried soya and linseed bread? Burgen do a good one and it's lower carb and low GI so you may find this helps your blood sugar more than wholemeal.

I am just starting out on this whole type 2 malarkey myself, but I have found lots of salad, oily fish and sprinkling lemon or lime juice on fish are good. Might be worth looking into Mediterranean or Greek diet as these tend to be lower carb.

Good luck!

Recently I have been getting into (as we used to say when I was a young man) Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food
Last week I bought

Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics - Delicious Dishes to Control or Avoid Diabetes by Robin Ellis
About £5 used from Amazon

Have browse round their section on books of diabetic recipes; there are several on reducing sugar and carbohydrate, just choose one or two that look interesting
I have always found that Amazon used books are in good condition, and very reasonably priced
 
I'm still new to all this, I'm afraid :(
I've arranged to see a dietician to help put together a diet that will be compatible with both my diabetes and Crohn's disease
Hope they can help.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top