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Just been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2

(60 Posts)
Evie64 Fri 03-Jul-20 20:47:43

Hi all, I've just been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2. The nurse has said with a blood sugar reading of 52, that I should try and bring it down with diet and exercise. I've downloaded an app called My Fitness Pal which is brilliant for recording everything you eat and drink and how many calories you have left for the day and I've already lost a few pounds. However, what I'd really like is a diabetic diet sheet, but according to the nurse, they no longer exist? She said that everyone is different and what makes one diabetics sugar levels rise makes another diabetics stable? I'm trying to cut out carbs but would really benefit for some solid advice about I "can't" eat. Can any of you help please?

greengreengrass Sun 30-Aug-20 14:01:25

well done for facing this.
I'm not diabetic but have risk factors and need to change eating and exercise. It's hard.

Have you tried a health trainer?
Scheme run by local councils and GP surgeries///

Oopsadaisy4 Sun 30-Aug-20 13:59:42

ohmother then I would have 2 people telling me off for nagging.

But it’s the only way, I’m doing it too to show solidarity.

Ohmother Sun 30-Aug-20 12:12:33

* Oopsadaisy4*. Can I come and live at your house? ?. I need a boot camp!

Oopsadaisy4 Sun 30-Aug-20 09:00:36

DH doesn’t need a monitor , because he has me!
No Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit or fruit juice, cakes or biscuits.
No processed food ( apart from those listed below)
No root vegetables
No more glasses of milk.
He has diet free coke occassionally, tea and coffee
Meat with veg.
Eggs, fried, scrambled or boiled
Cauliflower cheese, made with grated cheese and cream.
Fish with salads or veg.
Plus he has bought some ‘Keto’ meals that you add veg to ( not sure about these yet as he’s only just got them)
He’s losing weight and as he is off the sugar he doesn’t feel hungry.
Good, because I am doing a lot of cooking!

annep1 Sun 30-Aug-20 08:06:19

That sounds useful Ohmother
I have a monitor but it doesn't connect. I got it free from the chemist but I buy the strips. They cost about £25. I must speak to the docyor.

Ohmother Sat 29-Aug-20 23:37:07

I got a free monitor and sent a note to the GP ( actually it was an enclosed card in the pack asking for the lancets and testing strips to be given on prescription. The GP agreed. The monitor is a Contour next (one) which via blue tooth connects to my smart phone so I can keep a record of different meals/activities and subsequent readings. Its the first time I’ve found I’ve got a proper overview in 8 years. Contour will provide the monitor free as they get revenue from the matching strips and lancets needed.

annep1 Fri 28-Aug-20 19:34:40

Very true BBbevan. A lesson learnt here.

Enjoy your treat ?

BBbevan Fri 28-Aug-20 19:10:19

annepl well you have to be disciplined. Otherwise all the hard work goes to pot. Sainsbury’s delivery on Sunday. Whoo hooo !!!!

annep1 Fri 28-Aug-20 18:26:32

Oh you did make us laugh BBbevan.grin

You are very disciplined.

BBbevan Fri 28-Aug-20 14:38:42

We have a cake once every 10 days. When the online shopping is delivered. I get quite excited. Sad really. Portuguese custard tarts are my favourite.

annep1 Fri 28-Aug-20 11:22:58

And I must confess I do have a treat once or twice a week which I will miss but I need to get this reading down. I need to take it more seriously.

annep1 Fri 28-Aug-20 11:18:13

ThanksBBevan. I do have a square or two each day but I think that's too much now.

BBbevan Fri 28-Aug-20 06:38:30

annepl very dark chocolate, over 70%, is acceptable now and then

annep1 Thu 27-Aug-20 20:03:44

Thanks Varian. appreciated. I usually have a half glass of wine, not much but I look forward to it. And the diet advice sounds simple enough. Just some willpower for cutting out chocolate.

varian Thu 27-Aug-20 18:41:55

You don't need to avoid one small glass of red wine. Just don't drink a whole bottle in one go!

My OH went for seven years after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, just by using diet and exercise. He wasn't very overweight but did lose a stone. For the last six or seven years he has had a low dose of metformin.

When watching your diet everyone knows that you should avoid sugar as much as possible but he has found he has to be just as careful with carbohydrates. He can only have one and a half slices of toast, never two, but he still indulges in his favourite roast potatoes now and then.

annep1 Thu 27-Aug-20 18:29:04

Should I avoid my small glass of red wine?

Riverwalk Thu 27-Aug-20 17:59:17

But he still gets calls and letters asking him to attend Diabetic Clinic! Hmmm-me smells a fee payable to GP!

No, it's nothing to do with fees to the GP. As I explained to someone on another thread, your husband is obviously prone to developing Type 2 but his lifestyle changes have prevented it so far. It's in his interests to be monitored.

annep1 Thu 27-Aug-20 17:51:06

I am so glad to find this thread. Have just come home with 10 day heart monitor and doctor rang to arrange repeating my HbA1c in four weeks as it was 50. I'm not feeling very cheerful and feeling my age. (69)
Lots of good helpful advice here. Gransnet is good.

Perdita33 Fri 24-Jul-20 21:58:52

A good way to test what foods raise your blood sugar is the Freestyle Libre continuous glucose monitor. It costs about €50 and lasts for 14 days. You stick it on the back of your arm and scan it with your mobile phone.

I'm pre-diabetic and struggling to reduce my HBA1C , depite loding weight and eating low carb. I've also tried intermittent fasting and regularly miss breakfast. I try to fast for 24 hours once a week. I can recommend the Diet Doctor website and reading The Diabetes Code by Jason Fung.

Newquay Mon 20-Jul-20 08:44:34

When DH has his annual blood test (he has high BP well controlled by meds) he was told he was pre diabetic. So. . .he immediately stopped having a biscuit/Kit Kat every day, no longer bought sweets and only drinks water-not squash. We also upped our daily walk-although he’s always active gardening. Ta! Dah! No longer pre diabetic! But he still gets calls and letters asking him to attend Diabetic Clinic! Hmmm-me smells a fee payable to GP!

Izabella Mon 20-Jul-20 08:02:00

This may be helpful infoman

www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html These are UK levels. In the USA they work on a different system.

Nothing to do with cholesterol levels

For testing kits go onto the Amazon website an search for code free blood glucose monitor..

infoman Mon 20-Jul-20 07:15:04

Questions
Blood sugar monitors is it a machine that "breaks the skin" or is it a strip of some sort,
is this where you get a level of 22 from?
Blood sugar levels between 4.5 and 6.5?
is this different from Cholesterol levels
or is the number 22 mentioned aboved the coorect measure

PaperMonster Sun 19-Jul-20 19:55:31

Hi, first post here. Have a look at diabetes.co.uk - great source of information. Get yourself a monitor - you test before eating and then two hours after your first bite.

Go low carb - this not only means no bread/rice/potatoes but all veg grown underground except celeriac. Also beans/legumes are very carby. Wave bye bye to fruit except for a handful of berries. I think someone mentioned apples and pears in another post - generally too sugary so will do more harm than good.

I get a low carb bread and have two slices a day and they don’t adversely affect my numbers - but I only know this because I tested.

There are also some other items I can tolerate but other T2Ds can’t. But you can’t find out how your body reacts without a monitor.

I eat more fat than I used to, and most people worry about cholesterol - it really isn’t a problem.

DietDoctor website is very useful! Their mug bread toasted is quite moreish and I occasionally make a mug cake. Although my go to pudding is extra thick cream with dark choc chips. Look at your milk and go lactose-free,or whole milk.

HTH and good luck.

ninathenana Fri 17-Jul-20 17:09:21

The US system is very different to UK. When I was diagnosed 10 yrs ago mine was 22 and I was told very dangerous. I'm not sure a reading in the 50s using my tester is even possible.

overthehill Fri 17-Jul-20 16:16:25

I was diagnosed 21 years ago. Don't beat yourself up. One thing to beware of which you might not think of is fructose which is prevalent in fruit. There is a train of thought which I agree with, as this is more harmful to diabetics than sugar. If you look at the fodmap diet it recommends fruit you can eat that are low in fructans. Strawberries grapes clementine are examples whereas apples pears peaches are to be avoided. Good luck