Just diagnosed - help!

[sendismylife]

Hello and thank you for reading. I have just been diagnosed with diabetes and am feeling really confused about what I can and can’t eat, how much of what I should be aiming for in a day and so on. I would be really grateful if you were able to give me some advice, point me in useful directions for websites and hopefully help me to feel less guilty for getting this. Thank you to anyone who responds.

Diabetes U.K. has lots of good info and some diet plans

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxu769aHYgwMVUZVQBh1ybgeDEAAYASABEgIw-_D_BwE

Lots of questions, what type of diabetes? What has the GP said? What are your hba1c levels? Are you on medication? Are you overweight?

In general, cutting out sugar and following a low carb diet is recommended as well as increasing exercise . How low to go carb wise etc depends on the answers to the above questions.

If they've not explained much yet, do you have follow up appointments with anyone?

Have a look at dafne.nhs.uk

Doctor was surprised my BMI is fine. From a blood test, my level was I think 120, finger prick yesterday evening was 18. Have been put on Metformin. Also am anaemic so given iron tablets. Hopefully it will stop me fainting. I spoke to the pharmacist today and have an appointment with the diabetes nurse in a fortnight. She said it was probably related to gestational diabetes. Nurse then was surprised that I had gestational diabetes despite being pretty low BMI. I just feel like I am not sure what I should be doing as yet.

Are you currently pregnant OP? I'm not sure whether you meant you'd previously had gestational diabetes or whether thats what you have now?

I'm also normal bmi and was borderline for GD over 20 years ago.

I was briefly diagnosed type 2 but used diet and exercise to get to (high) normal hba1c. That's without medication as it took a while to get a diagnosis due to a number of things.

If you are pregnant and/or on medication you need to be careful about dropping your blood sugar too low which can be dangerous.

I think it's hard to do that as a type 2 without medication.

Not pregnant. Child is now 14.

Having GD in the past is a risk factor for type 2. I was normal bmi but at the top end. Ended up below the bottom of normal bmi but gradually trying to put a few pounds on whilst still not having sugar and low caring.

I think it's harder to get your blood sugars down when you aren't overweight to start with.

And you aren't doing nothing, you are on medication, you have appointments coming up so I wouldn't panic and do anything too drastic, but cutting out sugar and not going mad on carbs would be a good interim thing while you are waiting.

Today I have had whole grain cereal for breakfast, replaced sandwiches with lentil soup for lunch etc. I think my hardest thing will be not snacking but I expect I will get used to it in time. Hoping to lose lots of weight!

I have nuts for a snack and also make keto friendly cookies and granola bars or have a couple of squares of 90% dark chocolate. Im OK with artificial sweeteners though but appreciate others sometimes aren't.

Some of the Kind bars are low on carbs and sugar and I've been having Paleo granola for breakfast sometimes.

When I do have carbs I try to make them wholegrain and eat them with fats. So small bit of wholegrain bread or keto bread with peanut butter or full fat cream cheese or butter and pate.

I don't do keto anymore as such. I eat low carb, keto type meals still work but I don't get obsessed about having onion or tomatoes in them or about the fractional differences between the carbs in a stockcube. It's easy to get obsessed.

Full fat Greek yoghurt with berries (I buy frozen and just use small amounts) makes a good breakfast as does eggs.

Good luck with your new journey OP.

Meant to say that I wouldn't go full keto if you are on medication unless your GP etc recommend it. Advice on how many carbs qualifies as low carb really varies. There is a calculator that you can use that does it as a % of your suggested calorie intake based on your weight. I think nhs say under 150g a day, the calculator comes out at about 60g a day for me (5'10 and 8st 12) I tend to just try to stay under about 90, about 30g per meal roughly. Keto is generally under 20g but some people can push that to 50g and still stay in fat burning mode.

At my most obsessed I was prob under about 5g carbs a day and nearly developed an eating disorder.

@sendismylife - about 10% of people with diabetes have type 1, and about 90% type 2 (there are various other types as well). In the 10% of those with type 2, onset is not related to lifestyle. If you're feeling guilty (!), and esp. if you have a healthy BMI etc. then it's quite possible that you fit into this smaller group. I have a slim, active, super-healthy DM who simply does not eat UPF - and is classed as pre-diabetic. Also have a type 1 DD.

Have a read of some of Michael Mosley's books - he was diagnosed with type 2 and reversed this by making diet/lifestyle changes.