# I need help!



## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

I try my best and have cut down on my carbs, but find it difficult.  I don't get any support from my hubby in trying to change diet. I constantly feel tired, so close to tears all the time, I just don't know what to do. I never seem to have the energy to walk the dog, I don't leave the house now as working from home. Is this normal? Do you have any suggestions?


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## Toucan (Jul 19, 2020)

Hello @LindaW-C 
So sorry to hear that you are having such a difficult time.
I can see from your previous post and replies, that you set out well to try and find a good solution to living with Type 2.

Did you manage to get a meter, and do you know what sort of Blood Glucose levels you now have?
It can be very hard to get used to Low carb eating, and for some people it helps to make changes gradually, and as you get used to the changes, hopefully your energy levels may return.
If you can give us some information on your eating plan, then we may be able to help.

It can also be a very lonely situation to deal with, do you have a friend or other family member that you can talk to and will give you some support?


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## HenryBennett (Jul 19, 2020)

I’m very lucky that my wife is happy to eat exactly the same as I do. I’m wondering what your husband is doing to make it difficult for you and how you can counter that. I’m just thinking, for example, if he wants chips you can have salad, have one slice toast rather than two. That sort of thing.


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## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi Toucan and Henry

I haven't got a monitor as I don't know when I should get monitoring. I must contact my Nurse/Team, but all this came just as we went I to lockdown and just coming out of hospital and now working from home. I have cut down on everything and cut out a lot.

I'm not one that can easily open up to friends on a face to face thing. It is different with strangers and using a forum. 

I am just feeling very low today, I just needed to vent.

Thank you both for the advice,


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## trophywench (Jul 19, 2020)

Let me give you something to read about when to test and what to do about the results of the tests 





						Test, Review, Adjust
					

Managing blood glucose levels for type 2 diabetes. Learning how to achieve long term control by testing and diet.




					loraldiabetes.blogspot.com
				



so you only use the testing to your advantage, not for an occasional whim.

By using a meter this way you will learn how much of which foods your body can handle - you don't have to give everything up that increases your BG meter result - think about reducing your portion of whatever it is if it's something you like eating first, before abandoning eating it.

The NHS often won't prescribe testing meters to Type 2s who aren't on any medication which lowers their BG, however if you explain why you think testing would help, they may re-consider.  If they don't, the cheapest ones to buy (both only available online) are the SD Gluco Navii and the Spirit Healthcare Tee 2.  You only get about 10 strips with the meters so you will need to buy more of those (in pots of 50) if you want to use it for more than 2 or 3 days.


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## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi Trophywench

Many thanks that. I will go online and have a look. 

I need to get back to where I was in March and re-start.

Thanks for the advice and support


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## Vonny (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi Linda, my partner also refuses to cut out carbs, so I eat the same as him, but with salad or veggies instead. It's hard sometimes, especially when he has had potatoes with a meal and I've just had green veggies, then he gets a piece of bread to mop up the gravy! It makes me feel hungry even though I'm not.

Since getting my glucose monitor it's been more interesting, as I'm still learning what I can and can't eat. It's fascinating to see your blood sugar spike eating something quite innocuous, then not when you expect it to.

If you're lacking energy, have you tried complex carbs such as unsalted nuts? I've started including them in my diet again, but in sensible portions, unlike the times when I'd happily munch my way through a family sized bag between meals! 

It's so hard when you're not feeling supported; that's another reason I joined this forum. Not just to learn, but to feel like I'm among people who know what I'm going through.

Wishing you all good luck in getting going again x


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## rebrascora (Jul 19, 2020)

I have concerns that your Blood Glucose Levels may be rather high. Being fatigued and emotional are two of the prime symptoms of high BG, so it would have been really useful if you had had a BG meter to know what your levels are right now..... as well as being able to use it to test before and 2 hours after meals to help tailor your diet to your individual response to foods. I am guessing that is probably what @trophywench was angling at with her first post, asking if you have a meter. 
I know it all seems very overwhelming, but breaking it down into one step at a time and having a system really helps. If you can afford a BG meter and some test strips, that is the first step. Then keep a food diary and start testing as per the link Jenny posted about Test, Review, Adjust. 
Anything you don't understand, just come back to us and ask. It takes a while for it all to make sense so don't worry too much about individual readings, you are looking more for trends


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## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi Rebrascora

I can afford,  I will look and purchase a meter. 

I will also start and keep a food diary once my meter arrives.

Thank you and i will come back x


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## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

Vonny said:


> Hi Linda, my partner also refuses to cut out carbs, so I eat the same as him, but with salad or veggies instead. It's hard sometimes, especially when he has had potatoes with a meal and I've just had green veggies, then he gets a piece of bread to mop up the gravy! It makes me feel hungry even though I'm not.
> 
> Since getting my glucose monitor it's been more interesting, as I'm still learning what I can and can't eat. It's fascinating to see your blood sugar spike eating something quite innocuous, then not when you expect it to.
> 
> ...


Hi Vonny

Many thanks for that. I do include nuts in my diet, I have made my portions smaller and I do miss my bread when ever there is a sauce I  the meal.


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## rebrascora (Jul 19, 2020)

Linda, can you tell us a bit more about your diagnosis.... how it came about ie symptomatic or routine blood test etc and what your HbA1c reading was and if you are on any medication and if you are significantly overweight or not.... I can't see any of that info in your other posts and it might shed some light on your situation. 

My partner was pretty good at first but it didn't last. He has a really sweet tooth (as did I pre diagnosis) and the other day he came home with 3 carrier bags full of cakes and biscuits and sweets from a local discount shop so every cupboard and drawer that I open is packed with naughties! I cope by making sure I have plenty of low carb snacks for when I get tempted. Salami sticks or my favourite cheese or veggie sticks with sour cream and chive dip or a square of dark chocolate with a spoon of peanut butter or a boiled egg with a spoon of mayonnaise or some brazil nuts or a packet of pork scratchings. Mostly I am not tempted anymore but every now and then I get the wobbles and it is best to get out of the house and go for a walk or find something really absorbing to do to distract me.


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## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

It was my yearly MOT, I gave high blood pressure and high cholesterol, so I have to have it checked. I was informed that I was pre-diabetic, with a level of 49, I was told to go and change my diet and I will be called back later in the year to have it checked. I didn't need to self test, just change my diet and take more exercise.  I was doing really well,  I thought,  I was walking for an hour a day, brisk, with the dog, feeling really well. I cannot pinpoint when or why it started to go wrong. I am overweight,  I am 62, I suffer from arthritis,  so a wreck! That's me.


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## HenryBennett (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi again Linda,

”Food diary” sounds more onerous than it is in practice.

I write the date, the meal, what I’ve eaten and then the three readings - on starting to eat, one hour, two hours.

For example.

Date, breakfast, 1 x wholemeal toast, ½ medium avocado, 2 x bacon - 3 readings.

Over time you’ll build up a bank of all the foods and ingredients (and importantly quantity) you can eat without a surge in BG.

I’ve established that I can safely, once or twice a week have either rice or pasta if I weigh out 60g. This is half what I’ve made over the years. But half a loaf is better than no bread.

I was quite naughty today. We had friends round last evening and bought way too much from M&S. So today I had quiche, crackers, magnum ice cream and more. Way more than I should. But for dinner I had a steak with salad and no carbs. BG measurements were in high 4’s & low 5’s.

Your enemy, unfortunately, is snacks in the house Our friends brought the ice creams. Had they not been in the freezer I’d not have been weak today. But it’s not too difficult to get back on track.

I walk a lot and it’s good you do too.

Stay with it.

Henry


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## LindaW-C (Jul 19, 2020)

HenryBennett said:


> Hi again Linda,
> 
> ”Food diary” sounds more onerous than it is in practice.
> 
> ...


Thanks for that, I will try my best. I'm not one for snacking at the moment, which is good.


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## Drummer (Jul 20, 2020)

I am really sensitive to carbs, but I can manage Livlife bread, which is just 4 gm of carbs per slice - although they are small slices I can have a couple with kippers - which taste too strong without, but I really like them. I also make extremely thick sandwiches stuffed with meat and salad stuff.
The Livlife bread I can get from Waitrose, though there is also a protein bread which is 4 gm per slice and I get that from Asda.
Lidl had some stir fry in the frozen section last time I was there and they were very low carb.
I have been eating even less recently, but had reduced to just two meals a day after a couple of years eating low carb. I have roast veges, stirfries and salads with the meat, fish, eggs or cheeses. I have cream in my coffee, but do not add great amounts of fat or oil, I don't buy lean meat though - the natural fat is needed for energy.


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## LindaW-C (Jul 20, 2020)

Hi Drummer

Many thanks for that, never heard of LivLife bread! I will have a look. 

Kippers!!!!! Oh no....


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## zuludog (Jul 20, 2020)

Hello LINDAW-C

Sorry to see that you're not getting the support you'd like. Perhaps you could ask for a visit by the District Nurse or similar, if we still have such things, to talk to you both?
Failing that, find a decent website that explains the symptoms, causes, and complications of diabetes and get him to look at that and sort it out somehow
But you seem to have understood that you need to reduce your carbohydrate intake, and that's well on the way to winning the fight

As I've posted on other threads, nothing in the body happens in isolation. things like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, potential cardiovascular problems, and being overweight are all connected
Plus there are less tangible things like tiredness and feelings of worry & anxiety that are common with diabetes

You will probably find that if you change your diet and do your best to get a bit of exercise, as you deal with diabetes the other things will improve as well
This means cutting out carbohydrates, stodge, and junk food, and eating more veg & salads
Have a look at the Living with Diabetes section on www.diabetes.org.uk and there is a lot of advice about this

But you should obtain a blood glucose monitor, either from your GP or buying yourself, then you can see what your levels are, and how they are changing
there will be instructions with the meter, or Search YouTube for 'diabetic finger prick test'.


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## LindaW-C (Jul 20, 2020)

Hi Zuludog

Many thanks for that. I am at the moment researching monitors when I really should be working, but never mind. 

There are SO MANY!  I have kept to the two that have already been suggested. What is the difference between 23g and 28g Lancets?

I need to re-focus.

Thank you to all that gave given advice and support, it is very much appreciated.


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## Deleted member 27171 (Jul 20, 2020)

Hi @LindaW-C

Don't worry too much about the lancets to begin with - the g is the gauge of the lancet, but what is most important is that the lancets fit the device that comes with the meter. Some devices are gentler than others so if you do find the one which comes with the meter a bit aggressive on even the lowest setting you can look about for another,  but would just stick to the one supplied with the meter initially and see how that goes.

You might find the Meds&Kit booklet helpful for a comparison of meters, but the cost of test strips can vary widely so that's worth keeping an eye on if you're self funding; https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/products/meds-kit

Essentially though, all you need is a meter that is easy to use and will give you an accurate reading (which they have all been shown to do if given MHRA approval) so cheap and cheerful is probably the best way to go to start with.


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## zuludog (Jul 20, 2020)

I have a Tee 2 meter supplied by my GP as I inject insulin

It's simple and does the job
I think it has a memory and possibly other features, but i don't bother with that, i just do a straightforward test and write the results in a notebook
I don't know about the type or cost of lancets, I use those supplied on my prescription
But a few years ago my GP did change to the T2 as they said that was one of the cheapest available  

My DSN = Diabetic Specialist Nurse says it's better to do a full whack of tests during one day than to do a couple here & there over a few days

In the same notebook i keep a food diary and record my weight and blood pressure, and any other relevant information
I have a home BP meter, an Omron M2 Basic, and that's also a simple one; price is about £25

Also some bathroom scales, simple digital ones by Boots, they were about £17 a few years ago
It's useful to get those that can be switched between Imperial and Metric; I use Metric most of the time


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