# confused



## rachel baker (Jun 28, 2011)

hello. i was diagnosed in february this year with type 2, im controlling it by diet, and have lost a stone and a half and feel really good as needed to lose it but i get really confused and am not sure if im doing it right.:confused


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## Northerner (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi Rachel, welcome to the forum  The best advice I can offer you is to get hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - highly recommended by our members! There is also a lot of  good information in our Useful links thread.

Apart from all that, please feel free to ask us anything that is confusing or worrying you - there are lots of friendly people here with all sorts of experiences to share - nothing is considered 'silly'!

Great weight loss, it sounds like you are trying really hard to get to grips with this, and the good news is that, although we'd much rather we didn't have it, many people find they become much happier and healthier from the diet and lifestyle changes they make  I look forward to hearing more from you.


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## Mark T (Jun 28, 2011)

Welcome to the forums Rachel


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## rachel baker (Jun 28, 2011)

thankyou. i bought that book the other week and found it useful, its good to keep going back to.


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## Northerner (Jun 28, 2011)

rachel baker said:


> thankyou. i bought that book the other week and found it useful, its good to keep going back to.



Excellent  What are the things that you are not sure if you are doing right? There's a lot of conflicting information around so it can be very hard to sort out what the best things to do are. Diabetes can be a very individual thing and affect different people in different ways - you need to find out what works best for you. Are you testing your blood sugar levels at all?


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## Steff (Jun 28, 2011)

Rachel hi and a warm welcome to the forum


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## rachel baker (Jun 28, 2011)

hi, no not doing levels, have to go back in august to have them done. i just get muddled with labels and things, and how much sugar i can actually have, i do limit the sugar and everythings fat free or low fat.


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## rachel baker (Jun 28, 2011)

thankyou. x


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## Northerner (Jun 28, 2011)

rachel baker said:


> hi, no not doing levels, have to go back in august to have them done. i just get muddled with labels and things, and how much sugar i can actually have, i do limit the sugar and everythings fat free or low fat.



The thing to bear in mind is that it's not just sugar you need to look out for, but all forms of carbohydrate - sugar is just one type. Some carbohydrates raise blood glucose levels quickly, like sugar, but also refined white flour products like white bread, or rissotto (arborio) rice, or mashed potato fr example. Others release the glucose more slowly, so these should form the main part of your carb intake. It's all explained very well in the GL Diet books:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7719
http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7337

GL is a way of combining foods so that the overall effect of a meal has a steady, slow release of energy - sounds complicated but it's not really! 

Also, it's a good idea to keep a food diary so that you can see how much carb, fat, protein etc. you are eating. It may sound a little tedious, but it will help you to spot areas where improvements might be made. Ideally, you should be testing before and after meals so that you can learn the effects of different foods on you personally - people can react differently.


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## rachel baker (Jun 28, 2011)

I was told by the desmond course i went on that i didnt need to test as my blood count is only 6.9 and im not on any medication, so not sure about that.  i do eat a lot of fruit and veg, brown bread and watch for sugar all the time, but i do lapse occasionally and thats what i worry about. i think because i feel well in myself and have no symptons at all i forget and and go off track.


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## Northerner (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi Rachel, this is a common thing to be told and some people are perfectly happy not testing, but it is really the only way to understand how you, personally, tolerate different foods. For example, some people are fine with cereals, others (by testing) discover that their blood sugar levels 'spike' i.e. they shoot up quickly before settling back down to more reasonable levels. It's only by testing that you can know how you react and whether it is OK to continue eating something or whether to exclude it from your diet (or at the very least keep it for a special treat!). 

The problem is that the test strips are expensive so doctors are keen to restrict prescribing them. Have a read of Diabetes UK's page about self-testing and see what you think:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Our_Views/Position_statements/Self-monitoring_of_blood_glucose/

How about exercise? This is excellent for helping to keep your levels stable - is there anything you enjoy doing regularly?


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## rachel baker (Jun 28, 2011)

Ye I cycle a lot and do lots of   walking especially at work,


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## Northerner (Jun 28, 2011)

rachel baker said:


> Ye I cycle a lot and do lots of   walking especially at work,



Excellent!  You should add your mileage to our virtual trip through Europe! 

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=17871


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## am64 (Jun 28, 2011)

hi rachel sounds like you are on the right track well done with the wieght loss ...the best advice i was given was to take all in moderation as this is a lifestyle change ...x good luck x


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## rachel baker (Jul 26, 2011)

hi. iv been looking on the diabeties uk site at their recipes and lots of them seem to have sugar in them, are these all ok to eat, obviously in moderation.


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## Northerner (Jul 26, 2011)

rachel baker said:


> hi. iv been looking on the diabeties uk site at their recipes and lots of them seem to have sugar in them, are these all ok to eat, obviously in moderation.



Hi Rachel, the only way to find out what (and in what quantities) you can tolerate happily is to test your blood sugars before and after eating to see what effect they have on your levels. I use the GL (Glycaemic Load) principles with my meals - this essentially means that it is possible to combine higher sugar items with other items so that the effect on your levels is reduced - for example, eating a small dessert after a main meal will not digest as quickly as if you were to eat it on its own. There are a couple of good books here that explain it all very well:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7719

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7337


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## rachel baker (Aug 8, 2011)

Hi, just got my results back from my 6 month check and they have gone down from 6.9 to 6.5. feel more positive now as i feel i have done something right so happy days.


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## Steff (Aug 8, 2011)

rachel baker said:


> Hi, just got my results back from my 6 month check and they have gone down from 6.9 to 6.5. feel more positive now as i feel i have done something right so happy days.



Great stuff Rachel fantastic result well done.


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## Northerner (Aug 8, 2011)

rachel baker said:


> Hi, just got my results back from my 6 month check and they have gone down from 6.9 to 6.5. feel more positive now as i feel i have done something right so happy days.



Well done Rachel, that's a great result!  Hope they were pleased with you!


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## obaidkasiri (Aug 8, 2011)

hello RACHEL and welcome to the forum


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## rachel baker (Aug 8, 2011)

Thankyou. yes they were pleased, my colesterol is still up abit but has come down, but they wasnt to concerned about that, the weight is still coming off which im really happy about aswell.


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