Where do you begin?

Type 2
1

I was officially diagnosed this morning with Type 2, and it’s hereditary from both my grandmothers and my mother, so the odds were already stacked against me. I eat very well and I am active. I guess I’m going through the, “Why me?” phase of the diagnosis. I got my pills and strips today, my machine I will receive by next week.


I guess I have to take the bull by the horns and hunker down even more on my diet, and increase my exercise regime...

I have been given a list of things to eat, which I already do, so I don't know what the dietician could tell me..."Please keep doing what you're doing"? I guess my next step is to buy a scale and start by reconfiguring my portion sizes?

When will I be able to dine out with my husband or my friends again?

What is the first thing should I do? Clean out my fridge & cupboards? What did you do?
2

Hi, I was diagnosed on January and I was told to eat small portions of food (low carb, low fat, high fiber, high protein,etc.). My dietitian said that I should not eat more than 60 carbs per each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 3 small snacks between these meals (less than 30 carbs each, low fat, low carb, high fiber, high protein). However, since I check my blood glucose 2 hours after each meal, I found out that the amount of carbs that I am allowed to eat depends also on the type of food I am eating, or the combinations I make. Everyone is different, your body may react different than mine, I guess. What I suggest is that you try to follow a diabetic diet and monitor your glucose at home to see how much food you should eat, Start with a reasonable amount of carbs, then if your glucose is low, then try adding a little more next time and check your glucose again until you come up with just the right amount of food. Try exercising everyday, even for a little while. I think that you should see a dietitian so he or she can give you a specific diet to follow (just to start with),that way you will know what is good and bad for people with diabetes in generla, then do your own trial and error experiment at home combining different food types, increasing or decreasing amounts, combining with exercise, etc… to meet your own personal goals. I believe that the key for success is not only eating the “allowed” food and doing exercise, but to constantly monitor your glucose and experiment with all these variables to see what works best for you. I have been doing this and I am getting better at it, I know that I am able to eat certain foods I love as long as I don’t eat more than certain amount. Good luck on your journey, I wish you the best.

3

What you want to do, for now, is take a deep breath and take things one day at a time. Take your time to visit informational sites, such as Blood Sugar 101, to learn more about Diabetes, and how to manage it.

The main problem our bodies face, as Type 2 Diabetics, is a critical inability to use glucose. It doesn’t mean you ate too much sugar, or that you even got yourself obese. Many Type 2 Diabetes may just have a little bit of weight around their midsection, and if they have a family history, well it triggers those pre-dispositions. Many are not even overweight at all, and very active people. Type 2 Diabetes, contrary to what the media and news would love us to believe, isn’t always 100% preventable. Sometimes it just happens, some medications may cause it, some surgery after-effects may cause it, some other illnesses may provoke it… and we need to learn to deal with those cards we are dealt, little by little… It’s NOT your fault.

So, knowing that our bodies have an inability to utilize glucose properly, you need to consider the foods you eat and the amounts of glucose they will put in your bloodstream. We get about 98% of glucose from carbohydrates, about 58% from protein, and about 30% from fats… So, when you get your glucose meter, play around with your portions of carbohydrates (all these, as you know are pastas, breads, rice, vegetables, sweets), till you reach a magical number that will not let you exceed your blood glucose goals for 1-2 hours after you eat. Test before, and after you eat, and notice how many points a number of carbs has spiked your blood glucose… and then add, or cut back on your portions, depending on your goal. Some meals with high carbs, and high fat content, like pizza… cause higher blood glucose readings a lot later than the usual 2 hours, because fat slows down digestion.

So just kind of be careful with the carbs… Try starting out, say at 30 g of carbs per meal, and then add or subtract, depending on what your meter says. For now, you can eat a lot of non-starchy veggies, and proteins, and eggs for breakfast… which will NOT spike your blood glucose levels, until you get your meter, and can more accurately determine what to eat without problems. We Diabetics are ALL different, and no one single suggestion may work for everyone. Even if it was suggested by the doctor. It’s wonderful if you exercise, and are active… :slight_smile: A regular exercise routine, 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week or more, helps quite a bit in fighting that insulin resistance, and helping deal with burning that glucose. So, if you eat out, try to stick to those protein portions (without breading), and non-starchy veggies (leafy greens, and colorful veggies), for now. :slight_smile:

Deep breaths… baby steps, one day at a time. :slight_smile:

4

Liz - I love you! You said it so well!

I know I’m Sweet - welcome! You’ll find all the support you need right here.

And like Lizmari said - do not let anyone make you feel that it’s your fault. Now what you do with that, everyone’s right. Read, inform yourself, and learn how to control and manage it.

:slight_smile:

5

dont worry about using a scale…save your money. just use portion sizes. it is close enough and faster. easier to incorporate in daily living. for the first week I chked my sugar every morning and rotated the after meal sugars. like monday after breakfast, tues aftero lunch wed after supper and thurs at bed time. a week of that should give you an idea of how your sugar ranges through the day. after that 1st week, back off to just chking a couple of time a week and when you feel funny… I’m assuming you ar not too bad yet.chk out the mediteranean diet too. it did a better job of controlling spikes.
another thing that took me a long time to figure out is sugars and starches are converted into triglycerides and fat. so if you do the carb diet you will see a hugh spike in those numbers. another thing to watch out for is spagettee. it has a double spike. the second comes long after the first one and often higher than the first.

6

oh, one other thing. watch out for decemer and november. during these months i am usually pissed off and pouty. all the things i love most are abundant apple pie, pecan pie and carmel apples…to name few. oderation is the key then

7

Thanks, MomsL8! :slight_smile: If only doctors said these things to us when we’re diagnosed, there’d be a lot less confusion. Took me a while to get there, myself. lol

8

Welcome I know I’m sweet- Glad to see you here.
I agree with the advises of the members who has replied. I myself had the “fear” transition…not to mention depression and the self pity “why me” effect. And indeed it is important not to overwhelm yourself. Take things one step at a time.

First thing I did then was kept myself informed. I read…and read…and read… I ask professionals and my peers. I researched. I joined this community.
I consulted a diabetes dietitian for recommendations. With the help of my doctor, I made a diabetic journal. At that time it was my bible…I logged in my bg level every after eating…one hour then post prandial, fasting and random. Same goes every after physical activity or exercise. From the logs, my doctor and I established the food/s that I can eat more of, moderate, and the once I should avoid. How much portioning and how frequent. From there, we established trending and impressions.
You can always dine out with your hubby and friends. You just have to choose the food that are low carb and healthy. It is important to test, test, test…do not assume nor guess. Know your body, its changes and how you feel.
I wish you the best =)

9

Welcome to Tudiabetes!

You are going to go through a denial and mourning stage. Just let it happen. I have a diabetic legacy too. Actually a large number of diabetics do. So you are in good company. The best thing I can tell you is to EDUCATE yourself on your condition. Find a Diabetic clinic in your area and consult a dietician. Try to get in on some diabetic classes. Some hospitals may have them.

Perhaps the foods you think are good may not be good for you anymore. You have to worry about carbs, sugar and fiber content more than calories and fat. Now that everythings you eat has the potential to be metabolized into glucose (sugar). This means fruits, pasta, bread, vegatables, etc.

The best thing you can do is to get your BS levels under control which will be a trial and error process to find out what works for your body. This means you will have to TEST yourself by pricking your fingers or another part of your body. This was the hardest thing for me to do because I thought of it as mutilation. I prick myself on my palms about 2 inches under my pinky finger. With out the numbers there isnt a way to tell if the therapy is working.

You can dine and eat anywhere you want but in moderation. Pick foods that are not fried or add to carb count… You know these things.

If you need someone to talk to please send me some mail in my inbox. The general public is not knowledgable about diabetes at all. Most people haven’t seen the high and lows the depression the illness that it brings. People like to compare it their grandmother and you don’t want to hear about it.

Again welcome! We here at tudiabetes, are happy to answer any and all questions. Nothing is too stupid or silly. This is a learning process…

Christalyn

10

I also had diabetes in my family and knew, from the shape my body was taking, that only exercise and careful eating would stave it off, then with a year of gigantic stress (a huge trigger for diabetes), suddenly there it was. All the dietiticians I went to didn’t know how to advise me since I was already eating exactly as they would have suggested. One actually suggested that I needed to eat more than I was.

It was not till I came here a couple years ago and learned the value of low-carbing for diabetics (after all, for blood sugar issues, it is carbs that are the problem) that I began to see results from my diet, both in terms of blood sugar control and even a teensy bit of weight loss. Exercise is also extremely important.

11

Oh, and…how cool that you (and some of your responders) have found TuDiabetes so soon after diagnosis! I wandered about in the “wilderness” by myself for years after diagnosis, and it was not until a couple years ago that, desperate for some peer support, I found this site!

12

dietician might be able help you figure out portion sizes and help w/ the amount of carbs/fats/protien you should be eating

you will be able to dine out (there 's a ton of great food out there and we can eat it - even carbs in pasta and desserts if we’re smart and careful)

cleaning the problem foods is probably a good idea and finding low carb snacks like nuts and jerky

one thing I did was track my foods/exercise/ and blood sugar readings so i could figure out what works and what didn’t. sometimes D doesn’t make sense but the journal help me find trends and helps me control my sugars a lot better though it can be a pain in the butt

13

Love the handle–DuckDiabetes–hehehe!

Thank you, I will do that. I’m getting the One Touch Ultra mini in a couple of days, and yes, I’m going through what should I eat, so I throw out all canned goods in my cupboard. Scared to eat as well. Since yesterday I’ve had this slight headache but I think it’s mostly from not taking enough carbs in. Double edged sword. :frowning:

I will check out your blog, as I feel I must write something myself. I knew 2010 was going to be filled with tons of different stuff, but not in a million years I thought diabetes was going to be on my list.

14

Hi Aquarius,

I know this is going to be a serious challenge for me because I love healthy food, and I exercise often, including high intensity activites such as boxing and spinning class. So I know I have to eat often, but I must now revisit how often I should exercise, what intensity while keeping in mind what I can eat before & afterwards.

My diabetic specialist has enrolled me in classes at my nearby hospital so that’s a good start. But I feel like I can’t waste any time and must make the cahnges immediately as fear is currently driving these emotions. I’ll be buying a food scale so I can get used to 1/3 of corn, instead of 1 corn on the cob…Sigh,

15

LOL–thanks Danny!!! I expect my first month to be a painful with all the needle pricks I’ll have to endure. I already do incorporate a Mediterranean diet, with lots of olive oil and fish. I mostly cook my own meals so I know my way around the kitchen. :smiley:

Yes, I will get educated on triglycerides and what spikes mean. I was reading briefly last night about them and I became overhelmed, so I have to start again. I also read that cheese is a no-no, unless is no to low fat cheese. Sigh. For years I’ve been begging my husband to make me his 5-cheese lasagna, I guess I can stop doing that now. :frowning:

16

Hi Teena,

Thanks for the warm welcome. How long did it take you to get started? My fear is that is I don’t start now, I could be eating something at the wrong time. I’ve got the cart-before-the horse syndrome. This weekend I’ll start my journel and a blog. Just to keep track of these firsts that I’m experiencing.

I picked up my Metafli…whatever they’re called last night and I’ll be getting my device by this weekend, so I guess between now and then I’ll be reading and reading and reading and reading…

17

Thanks Ellie.

Yes, a co-worker sent me the link and has been providing me with tons of helpful information. She’s helping me to stay in the right direction when it comes to getting information. She told me this site is probably the best site out there to help me get connected with other diabetics, both old and new.

As for exercise I’m pretty active, and I’m not sure how much more weight I can lose, but I guess there’s alwasy room for more without going overboard. :slight_smile:

18

I love nuts, but I guess I have to pay closer attention to what kind of nuts and quantity. I love Cashsews but I know 1/4 is the allowance, which I try to stick with. I hear walnuts are great but I hate the taste of them. I think my next grocery shopping experience will take a lot longer than ususal, so I better go to a 24-hour one–hehehe.

I generally stick to egg noodles and not regular pasta. I don’t eat bagels, but I love rice and lentils. :smiley:

Fast food can give me an upset stomach, especially places like Pizza Hut so I don’t have those kind of things. I read the labels when I go shopping but the one listing I never even glanced at were the sugars in relation to the carbs, and that’s the 1 think I should have been most focused on. Well, I guess the most important thing is I can still read! :slight_smile:

19

carbs is where it is at. sugar but total carbs is the number you should look at

20

I eat cheese… I eat a lot of cheese. lol :slight_smile: It’s the high carbs that cause triglycerides to soar… it really, really is. Once your numbers normalize, and you find your magical carb number, your other numbers will start getting in line, too…