# 40 and newly diagnosed type 2 - devastated



## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Hi all please can I join?
I was diagnosed on thursday with bloods of 89 which is apparently high. I am a healthy BMI, exercise regularly and only 40 so I am devastated. I live for carbs and I'm so worried my life is over. I got no advice off the doctor just sent packing with a prescription for metformin and told not to eat carbs, watch what fruit I eat and what sauces I eat. I'm really picky with food and work full time with 2 young kids so have no time to cook diff meals for myself. Also all the advice is so confusing, no carbs, no refined sugar, no processed meat, keep fat low and watch portions of cheese - doesnt leave a lot to eat. I've been too frightened to eat all weekend as I've no idea what to eat. Trying to avoid carbs but it's making me feel awful and I've tracked my food on my fitness pal and I'm far too low on calories to carry this on but I'm too scared to eat anything but vegetables and salad or greek yoghurt. I'm miserable. 

I fear this is it and I'll never enjoy a takeaway, meal or or drinks with the girls again but I want to give myself the best chance of getting it under control because I'm so young. 

Any advice would be welcomed.
Thanks


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## Vonny (May 2, 2021)

Hi @Jo121 and welcome to the club you no one wants to join   

When I was diagnosed I too thought my life was over as I was a complete carb monster. The good news is that once you cut them out you lose the cravings for them, honest! I would have a bagel or bacon roll for breakfast and by 11 I'd be craving the baguette I'd get from Greggs for lunch, craving again mid afternoon and basically never satisfied. Now I'm hardly hungry at all.

Re low fat, that piece of advice should be scrapped from the NHS. You need to get your energy from somewhere so most of us follow low carb, normal fat intake. For example, milk has carbs in, and the more fat taken out, the higher the carbs, but double cream has 0 carbs. I tend to exist on cheese, eggs, nuts, veggies and all meats and fish (including processed). I cook for the family and eat the same as them with the exception of bread, potatoes, rice and pasta.

Take a look at the thread "what did you eat yesterday": https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/page-457#post-1057719

It has masses of ideas for low carb food.

Finally, you *will* be able to go out with girls again, have a few drinks and enjoy a takeaway. Everything in moderation. I had the first indian takeout in a year a few weeks ago. Went easy on the rice and naan, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn't spike. Just get your levels under control first and then make sure the treats aren't too often 

Best of luck x


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Thank you so much. It's just such a change and not really foods I like. I feel so angry I've got it. I ate far too many takeaways but I always exercised, dont drink pop only water, and when I do cook all my meals were healthy and balanced just maybe a bit high on the carbs side as we eat so much pasta.
Just looking at my sugar today on mfp and it's high because of the apple bag I had with lunch- an apple!!!! It's blowing my mind something so healthy could cause me problems


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## Vonny (May 2, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> It's blowing my mind something so healthy could cause me problems


Yes, you have to totally rethink your relationship with fruit. Berries are the best options, but avoid bananas and tropical fruit. 

You may start to want to just reduce your carb portions rather than cutting them out entirely. I personally find I can tolerate pasta better than rice, bread or spuds so now have limited amounts of spaghetti or similar. 

The trouble is that everyone is different in what their bodies can tolerate. Monitoring is definitely the best way. Take a reading just before eating and 2 hours again afterwards and it should be no more than 2 or 3 units higher. Thus I know I can have a small portion of pasta or a small tater now and then, but bread is a definite no-no for me.


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Thanks- the doctors told me not to monitor when I asked ad I has GD and had a monitor then and it helped me work out what food I had. Said I dont need a monitor because I'm on metformin but surely if it helps educate me it's the best thing to have?


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## Vonny (May 2, 2021)

Aha, there's another issue! I was actively discouraged by my DN to monitor, but my monitor was the best buy of 2021! I no longer have to monitor regularly because I did it rigorously while reducing my hba1c and I now know what foods work for me and what don't.


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Which monitor do you have and I will invest in one. Thanks


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## Vonny (May 2, 2021)

I personally use the SD Gluco Navii simply because the strips and lancets are (relatively) cheap. There is another called I think TEE2+. Someone else should be along soon who can probably give a more comprehensive answer!


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## Leadinglights (May 2, 2021)

The first thing to do is not to panic, this is something you will have to be able to maintain for the rest of your life so what ever route you choose has to be sustainable and also you have to enjoy the food you are having. Looking at low carb normal fat dietary regime is a way that many people find successful at lowering their blood glucose, they also find they will lose weight but that is something you say you don't need to do. 
A good start is to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting down everything you eat and drink, it will he[p you see where you can make some lower carb substitutions or reduce the portion size of the higher carb foods.
If you give an idea of the sort of meals you have people can make some suggestions about where you might save carbs.
Carbs and Cals book or app is a good resource for giving you the carb value of a whole range of foods and many treat it as their bible. 
Obvious things to reduce or cut out are cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta and some of the starchy veg. But there are plenty of foods you can have meat, fish, cheese, dairy, nuts, veg and salads, berries.
The thread What did you eat yesterday should give you a good idea of what Type 2 diabetics have. 
I'm sure a few others will be along to post you some links (I'm not sure how to do that) to some useful information for the newly diagnosed. You will learn at lot from reading some of the posts and how people manage their situation.


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## Drummer (May 2, 2021)

Humans have eaten meat - protein and fat - since before they were human at all, so I suspect that the advice to avoid fat is going against our nature, particularly as my present diet makes me feel so well and my Hba1c is 42 rather than 91.
There is no need to cook different meals for the family - just give them as much of what you are having as they like, and add in some carbs - though my offspring grew very well on lower amounts of carbs than most ate and were always tall and slender, active and willing to learn.


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## trophywench (May 2, 2021)

The only thing that makes bread spuds pasta or rice enjoyable, is what is served with them, otherwise they're mainly tasteless stodge.

Because the incidence of ladies with GD later being diagnosed T2 is so high, my understanding is that these days those ladies were called to have an HBA1c blood test every 12 months thereafter so that the T2 doesn't go on for donkeys years undiscovered and cause as bad side effects as It's previously been known to.  Testing every 12 months gives women a much better outlook of staying heathy for a good many decades thereafter.  Hence I assumed that ladies with GD were warned 'what might happen later' once they were diagnosed with GD.  Was this not the case with yourself or did your pregnancies merely pre-date these newer guidelines?


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Leadinglights said:


> The first thing to do is not to panic, this is something you will have to be able to maintain for the rest of your life so what ever route you choose has to be sustainable and also you have to enjoy the food you are having. Looking at low carb normal fat dietary regime is a way that many people find successful at lowering their blood glucose, they also find they will lose weight but that is something you say you don't need to do.
> A good start is to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting down everything you eat and drink, it will he[p you see where you can make some lower carb substitutions or reduce the portion size of the higher carb foods.
> If you give an idea of the sort of meals you have people can make some suggestions about where you might save carbs.
> Carbs and Cals book or app is a good resource for giving you the carb value of a whole range of foods and many treat it as their bible.
> ...


Thank you. I am panicking massively. Most of my meals are heavily carb centred like rice or pasta dishes. I'm not a huge fan of meat. I eat it but only in small portions and usually have a bit of carb and a bit of meat on the fork at the same time. I can cut out the sweets etc although its torture already going out for the day with my kids today and not having a latte with my hubby and ice cream and pizza with the kids. Without sounding dramatic I feel like I'm not going to enjoy anything again cos food is always such a big part of our days out as a family. I exercise plenty so that's not an issue. Thank you for your advice


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## Inka (May 2, 2021)

Look at what you normally eat and use that as a starting point @Jo121 You can still eat some carbs but just cut your portion right down and fill up your plate with extra green veg or salad. I find that most people eat too much pasta when they have a ‘portion’. Same with rice. Use the sauce you’d normally have with the pasta or rice and put it over some green veg as well as your little pasta/rice portion.

You said your BMI is healthy. Is there Type 2 in your family?


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

trophywench said:


> The only thing that makes bread spuds pasta or rice enjoyable, is what is served with them, otherwise they're mainly tasteless stodge.
> 
> Because the incidence of ladies with GD later being diagnosed T2 is so high, my understanding is that these days those ladies were called to have an HBA1c blood test every 12 months thereafter so that the T2 doesn't go on for donkeys years undiscovered and cause as bad side effects as It's previously been known to.  Testing every 12 months gives women a much better outlook of staying heathy for a good many decades thereafter.  Hence I assumed that ladies with GD were warned 'what might happen later' once they were diagnosed with GD.  Was this not the case with yourself or did your pregnancies merely pre-date these newer guidelines?


I got no advice when I had GD and it got so bad I had ketones as I was afraid to eat. After I had my daughter they said to watch diet and dont get overweight that was it. She is now 7 and a half and I've only had this test because I got checked over by a medic as I had covid quite badly and a random pin prick test had a high level of glucose so they advised I got it checked out. I've had no offer of a test each year and even when I got my diagnosis over the phone they did nothing but give me a prescription, tell me to eat low carb then offered a slimming world referral where pasta is free and can eat as much as you want. I feel really let down by my doctors if I'm honest as I dont want fobbed off I want to help myself manage this well


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Inka said:


> Look at what you normally eat and use that as a starting point @Jo121 You can still eat some carbs but just cut your portion right down and fill up your plate with extra green veg or salad. I find that most people eat too much pasta when they have a ‘portion’. Same with rice. Use the sauce you’d normally have with the pasta or rice and put it over some green veg as well as your little pasta/rice portion.
> 
> You said your BMI is healthy. Is there Type 2 in your famil


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## Jo121 (May 2, 2021)

Yes there is both my grandmothers had it. One had a hear attack and then died of heart failure due to bad management of diabetes and the other nearly lost her foot which is what is scaring me. Yes my BMI is mid healthy so I could afford to lose a little weight just not loads. I've always exercised 2 to 3 times a week and always get my 10k steps in too so suppose I'm not starting from scratch getting the exercise sorted too


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## Inka (May 2, 2021)

Ok, so you have a family history. That is, your genes could well have made you susceptible to getting Type 2. It’s not your fault so try not to compare yourself to others or see it as a judgement on you. Yes, it is annoying, but it’s better to know what you’ve got than not know and damage your body.

I really do recommend a food diary. Write down what you normally eat, then go through meal by meal to see what changes you can make to cut out sugar and reduce carbs. If it’s easier for you, just go with adapting your family meals. That’s quicker and also you won’t feel so left out.


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## Nayshiftin (May 2, 2021)

You will get great help here and I hope you feel welcome. Take each day at a time and try to accept your diagnosis. This is not easy and it is bound to make us feel grief as it is a change from what we expected. There is fear but look around many cope very well and have a great life. Tonight I had no rice but cauliflower with my pork and it was really nice. Different but I am not pining for the rice. It is not easy and you do feel why I but you come gradually to realise you are not alone and this is one moment at a time. Go with the flow I say.


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## Leadinglights (May 2, 2021)

There are quite a few people being diagnosed with diabetes following Covid or finding that their blood glucose control is all over the place if already diabetic.
It could have been that which led to your diagnosis now.


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## Drummer (May 2, 2021)

I have coffee with cream when I am out, though I have to chose where I buy it - some chains sell stuff which tastes vile.


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## EllsBells (May 3, 2021)

Hi @Jo12- sorry to hear about your covid and now D diagnosis. My HbA1c was very similar when I was diagnosed. Can I just emphasise not making too many dietary changes too quickly otherwise you risk causing permanent damage. Lots of small changes over time that you can sustain is a much better strategy.

As others have said, keep a food diary for a few weeks and pay attention to your carb intake. Alongside testing before and after meals, you will start to spot what you can't tolerate. I've found I can cope with half (packet recommended) portions of pasta and basmati but I wouldn't have them every day. You'll also find that different foods work differently depending in the time of day. 

There are some easy swaps out there. Courgetti and pre-riced cauliflower can be bought from the supermarket. I've converted one of the men in my life to courgetti when I made him a creamy seafood sauce with it, which was a total surprise!

You've got this!


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## Jo121 (May 3, 2021)

EllsBells said:


> Hi @Jo12- sorry to hear about your covid and now D diagnosis. My HbA1c was very similar when I was diagnosed. Can I just emphasise not making too many dietary changes too quickly otherwise you risk causing permanent damage. Lots of small changes over time that you can sustain is a much better strategy.
> 
> As others have said, keep a food diary for a few weeks and pay attention to your carb intake. Alongside testing before and after meals, you will start to spot what you can't tolerate. I've found I can cope with half (packet recommended) portions of pasta and basmati but I wouldn't have them every day. You'll also find that different foods work differently depending in the time of day.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I fear I may have already done too many changes the last few days. I've had hardly any carbs or calories if im honest as too scared to eat as dont want to eat the wrong thing or do anymore damage. I need to sort a monitor I think as I've no idea what's affecting me personally and what I can tolerate. My fear is how it will fit with meals out and holidays etc as I dont want to eat nothing nice again for the rest of my life (pizza is one of my fav foods and the thought of not having that again makes me very sad) but at the same time I dont want to damage my health. I also feel so guilty as I'm sure I could have prevented myself getting this by having a better diet. I think I just stupidly thought because I was slim and exercised it wouldnt get me.


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## EllsBells (May 3, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> Thank you. I fear I may have already done too many changes the last few days. I've had hardly any carbs or calories if im honest as too scared to eat as dont want to eat the wrong thing or do anymore damage. I need to sort a monitor I think as I've no idea what's affecting me personally and what I can tolerate. My fear is how it will fit with meals out and holidays etc as I dont want to eat nothing nice again for the rest of my life (pizza is one of my fav foods and the thought of not having that again makes me very sad) but at the same time I dont want to damage my health. I also feel so guilty as I'm sure I could have prevented myself getting this by having a better diet. I think I just stupidly thought because I was slim and exercised it wouldnt get me.


Oh bless you. Honestly, take a deep breath and relax a little.

Just eat normally and start recording what you are eating. Your diabetes isn't going anywhere in a hurry so nor do you. There isn't anything forbidden - it's simply going to be a case of quantities or special treats. 

I haven't touched a pizza since December but the last time I did, I became insanely thirsty and downed 3 large glasses of water and still had a mouth like the Sahara. It was horrid and has put me off going near one!

Having a spot glucose monitor makes sorting levels out so much simpler because you can adjust diet as you go - you don't necessarily need to make massive changes. Some have found they can get a free starter kit when contacting suppliers about strips so do look into that.


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## Leadinglights (May 3, 2021)

You seem to be desperately worried about never being able to eat the things you like, but if you start to plan your menu around the things you like but look at the portion size of those. I'm sure there are things on your list that are relatively low carb so just increase the portion size of those. Don't worry too much about calories or fats as they in themselves will not impact on your blood glucose levels. You imply you don't need to lose weight so it is important you have enough protein and good fat in your diet.
The monitor when you get it will help you see what you can tolerate and hopefully find some substitutes.
When I first started to monitor I shocked myself when I had had some pasta and then a pancake, it was the last time I did that. But I can still have a pancake if I don't have much carb in my main course so just some meat or fish and veg.


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## D2PAUL (May 4, 2021)

very similar here 
foccus on future go low carb ec]xercise a good bit every day 
loose weight and you never know what may happen

i went from 70 to 36 in 12 weeks but its a lid=festyle change not a short term thing


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## Spoon (May 4, 2021)

Honestly a type 2 diabetes diagnosis would send most screaming into the arms of an eating disorder and if you’re anything like me, you will starve  then eat all the stuff you tell yourself you can’t just for spite. GPs have a lot to learn. You can’t just dump this info on someone and expect them to be alright with it! So you have every right to feel devastated but please be reassured it’s not your fault. Bodies fail. Also don’t start drastically changing your diet. You say you have been prescribed metformin? Give that a go first and see how it goes with your normal diet. Do buy a blood glucose monitor and test. I wasn’t given one and my bg got so out of control I am now on insulin, so I agree it’s scandalous Type 2’s just get told to go on a diet and that’s it! Makes no sense!! Only When you have all the information about your own body’s reactions  make a decision about what to eat. You have plenty of time. Low carb never worked for me until I got my blood sugar under control with the medications first and even now I have some carbs in my day. Sending a big hug  be kind to yourself xx


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## Spoon (May 4, 2021)

Spoon said:


> Honestly a type 2 diabetes diagnosis would send most screaming into the arms of an eating disorder and if you’re anything like me, you will starve  then eat all the stuff you tell yourself you can’t just for spite. GPs have a lot to learn. You can’t just dump this info on someone and expect them to be alright with it! So you have every right to feel devastated but please be reassured it’s not your fault. Bodies fail. Also don’t start drastically changing your diet. You say you have been prescribed metformin? Give that a go first and see how it goes with your normal diet. Do buy a blood glucose monitor and test. I wasn’t given one and my bg got so out of control I am now on insulin, so I agree it’s scandalous Type 2’s just get told to go on a diet and that’s it! Makes no sense!! Only When you have all the information about your own body’s reactions  make a decision about what to eat. You have plenty of time. Low carb never worked for me until I got my blood sugar under control with the medications first and even now I have some carbs in my day. Sending a big hug  be kind to yourself xx


Also extreme exercise (spinning and the like) can make blood glucose go up, as can stress and hormones. Walking or swimming is better if it affects you that way. If you’ve been ill that will also make it go up - a HBA1C measures glucose over the preceding 3 months, so if you’re just getting over covid that will have an effect. Diabetes isn’t just down to the food you eat or don’t eat. This aspect gets forgotten.


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## adrian1der (May 4, 2021)

Anitram said:


> Yes, it is high but some of us - me included - were in three figures when diagnosed. By adopting a low carb way of eating (ie, less that 130g per day) I managed to bring mine right down and others have done the same.
> 
> Far from having to cook separate meals I still eat the same as the rest of the household but where they have potatoes (in whatever form) I'll have mashed cauliflower or mashed celeriac. Where they have rice I'll have riced cauliflower. Where they have an 80g portion of pasta I'll have 30g. So all I've done is switch to low carb alternatives or just smaller portions and 2 years after diagnosis I feel fitter and healthier than I've done in years.
> 
> ...


I'm fully behind @Anitram here. Like Martin I still cook normally - I even bake bread and cakes for the family. I just don't have the carb heavy bits. They have half a bowl of curry and half a bowl of rice. I get a full bowl of curry!


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 7, 2021)

How have things been going @Jo121 ?

Have you decided to get a BG meter to check your reaction to different foods?


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## Jo121 (May 7, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> How have things been going @Jo121 ?
> 
> Have you decided to get a BG meter to check your reaction to different foods?


Not great tbh. I'm really down about the whole thing and struggling mentally (crying uncontrollably at any given time throughout the day)  I spoke to my doctor again and they dont want me to get a monitor as they feel I will become obsessed but I think I probably will end up with one because this week has been awful. I'm tracking all my food but  being a full time working mother of 2 young kids everything about diabetes is just taking time I dont have. There's no convenience foods I can grab and I've a week full of medical appointments next week that I really dont have time for. It's just putting huge pressure on my already stressful life.

I've tracked my food all week and been super careful but I'm now struggling to eat. Averaging 1000calories a day max which is not enough but I'm such a fussy eater I literally dont like anything I can now eat apart from veggies and salad. I only like a small amount of meat at once so plates of meat and veg just turns my stomach and I dont have time to cook diff meals for me and rest of the family so a lot of days I've just had veg with a small amount of meat so little calories. I'm struggling for work lunches too as going to supermarket every few days to get salad is again time consuming. I used to get meal prep lunches from a local healthy living company that I could just grab and go on a morning but these are more low fat than low carb so no good.

I think I'm going to really struggle as I dont like any pure protein foods. I'm also panicking massively about an upcoming holiday to blackpool as usually on hol I'd have treats and bad food most days as we would eat out but that's no longer and option so I'm worrying so much I'd cancel if it wasnt for the kids.

So sorry for the long reply -top and bottom I'm struggling to come to terms with it


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 7, 2021)

Oh @Jo121  

I am so sorry to hear what a tough time you are having. Please be kind to yourself. Diabetes is generally a slow-moving foe, and times like holidays usually involve a few treats and goodies. It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed at the start, but this will get easier. It sounds like you’ve made major changes, and perhaps these aren’t sustainable for you.

I wonder if it might help to share some of the family meals you would usually have, and see if members here can suggest some swaps and tweaks? eg There are lower carb alternatives to pasta which you might be able to cook for you, while the rest of the family has ‘regular’. Alternatively some people find that cooking pasta, cooling it, and then reheating it significantly affects the impact it has on their BG levels.

I wonder if the ‘not knowing’ about what is happening after food might actually be worse for you than being able to check and see. Your Dr is right about the risk of monitoring becoming burdensome... but it can also be liberating too. If you check after a regular portion and don’t like the rise, try a reduced portion. But if the regular portion is OK then there’s no reason to avoid it!


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## Jo121 (May 7, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Oh @Jo121
> 
> I am so sorry to hear what a tough time you are having. Please be kind to yourself. Diabetes is generally a slow-moving foe, and times like holidays usually involve a few treats and goodies. It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed at the start, but this will get easier. It sounds like you’ve made major changes, and perhaps these aren’t sustainable for you.
> 
> ...


Thank you I do feel I'd rather know what food has done us I remember when I had gestational diabetes the monitor showed some of my fav things were ok like sweet potatoes and an egg sandwich on brown bread.

The types of meals I make are all homemade with no jars but things like-
Lasagne
Spag bog
Chillie
Keema curry
Roast dinners
Chicken tikka masala
Macaroni cheese
Pesto past
Quiche
Pizza
Fajitas
Enchiladas
Toad in the hole
These can likely be tweaked but I struggle to eat the meat bit if it's not paired with some carb on the fork at the same time. 
The changes arent sustainable but I've no idea where to start as this week has been hectic so my kids and hubby have had macaroni cheese, and pizza this week. I'm swapped my meal prep lunches for salad as well. Only thing that hasnt changed is breakfast because I always eat berries, natural greek yoghurt and one weetabix before diabetes with toast as a weekend treat
Thanks


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## Leadinglights (May 7, 2021)

Some of those meals look as if they are quite high in carbs but with some substitutions you could reduce their impact. Have you tried edamame or black bean pasta which is much lower in carb than standard pasta. Stir fries are a good option as you can add just as much meat as you can cope with. Cauliflower rice to go with your chili or sliced courgette instead of the pasta in a lasagne
It might be worth while investing a some recipe books for keto or low carb, I have The Diabetes weight-loss cook book by Caldesi which has some good recipes in. 
If you have reheating facilities where you work you could take soup for lunch or left over from your dinner, but a nice mixed salad with cheese, boiled egg or tuna and coleslaw could make a good option for lunch.


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## Drummer (May 7, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> Thank you I do feel I'd rather know what food has done us I remember when I had gestational diabetes the monitor showed some of my fav things were ok like sweet potatoes and an egg sandwich on brown bread.
> 
> The types of meals I make are all homemade with no jars but things like-
> Lasagne
> ...


Rather than pasta try cauliflower cheese, which always seems to be well liked. I usually use frozen cauliflower as it is just for me. I steam it until almost cooked and then pile it up in a warm bowl, cover it with cream cheese, sprinkle on any herb or spice you like, then add grated cheese - I like red Leicester, then put the dish back into the warm oven until the cheese is melting and just very lightly tanned. 
Try fat head pizza, make curry with roughly chopped cauliflower instead of rice (there is cauliflower rice but I don't like it) I make pancakes with eggs and mozzarella cheese plus a little almond flour - I make them small so they can be flipped with a fish slice, as they break easily, but they taste great with lemon juice and artificial sweetener. 
There are cheese waffles, aka chaffles, great with a rasher of thick sliced bacon or a sausage.


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## Jo121 (May 8, 2021)

Leadinglights said:


> Some of those meals look as if they are quite high in carbs but with some substitutions you could reduce their impact. Have you tried edamame or black bean pasta which is much lower in carb than standard pasta. Stir fries are a good option as you can add just as much meat as you can cope with. Cauliflower rice to go with your chili or sliced courgette instead of the pasta in a lasagne
> It might be worth while investing a some recipe books for keto or low carb, I have The Diabetes weight-loss cook book by Caldesi which has some good recipes in.
> If you have reheating facilities where you work you could take soup for lunch or left over from your dinner, but a nice mixed salad with cheese, boiled egg or tuna and coleslaw could make a good option for lunch.


Thank you thays my problem all my meals were low fat high carb.its going to be a huge overhaul and I think that's what I'm struggling to cope with


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## Jo121 (May 8, 2021)

Thank you


Drummer said:


> Rather than pasta try cauliflower cheese, which always seems to be well liked. I usually use frozen cauliflower as it is just for me. I steam it until almost cooked and then pile it up in a warm bowl, cover it with cream cheese, sprinkle on any herb or spice you like, then add grated cheese - I like red Leicester, then put the dish back into the warm oven until the cheese is melting and just very lightly tanned.
> Try fat head pizza, make curry with roughly chopped cauliflower instead of rice (there is cauliflower rice but I don't like it) I make pancakes with eggs and mozzarella cheese plus a little almond flour - I make them small so they can be flipped with a fish slice, as they break easily, but they taste great with lemon juice and artificial sweetener.
> There are cheese waffles, aka chaffles, great with a rasher of thick sliced bacon or a sausage.


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## Leadinglights (May 8, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> Thank you thays my problem all my meals were low fat high carb.its going to be a huge overhaul and I think that's what I'm struggling to cope with


A diabetes diagnosis means you have to engage with making some changes but take it step by step to find foods which you like and a diet which will be sustainable and it will become a way of life and your tastes may change. If you are not keen on meat then look for vegetarian low carb recipes to get ideas.


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## Ditto (May 8, 2021)

Hello @Jo121 and welcome to the forum.


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## Drummer (May 8, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> Thank you thays my problem all my meals were low fat high carb.its going to be a huge overhaul and I think that's what I'm struggling to cope with


I had been arguing that the diet I was always pushed to use - ever since I was in my early 20s made me feel unwell - low fat high carb. I was almost spherical when diagnosed type 2 at the age of 65 - I used the diet advice to light the barbecue .


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## Jo121 (May 8, 2021)

Drummer said:


> I had been arguing that the diet I was always pushed to use - ever since I was in my early 20s made me feel unwell - low fat high carb. I was almost spherical when diagnosed type 2 at the age of 65 - I used the diet advice to light the barbecue .


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## Jo121 (May 8, 2021)

It's strange as well as my doctor tried to refer me to slimming world when he gave me my diagnosis- a diet that promotes high carbs low fat


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## Drummer (May 8, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> It's strange as well as my doctor tried to refer me to slimming world when he gave me my diagnosis- a diet that promotes high carbs low fat


A triumph of opinion over fact, and why so many people have low fatted themselves out of years of visiting their grandchildren.


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## Leadinglights (May 8, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> It's strange as well as my doctor tried to refer me to slimming world when he gave me my diagnosis- a diet that promotes high carbs low fat


Just came across a website stepawayfromthecarbs.com loads for recipes for all sorts of things.
I was looking up crispy seaweed.


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## AndreaM (May 9, 2021)

Hi Jo, 

I am newly diagnosed and having a massively difficult time too. Like you, I have fits of crying, my moods are all over the place and I seem to be in a constant state of hyper-awareness, self-loathing and hate for what I knowingly did to myself. I was a carb fiend - pastas, rice, bread....those were the basis of 80% of my meals. I struggle daily with what to make for meals and to be honest, I'm up to my eyeballs in salads. I'm 43 with a toddler who I love more than life itself and am so terrified that this condition will shorten my time with her.

I spend a lot of time chiding myself for being so reckless with my health and trying to wish it away. Obviously, there is no use in any of that. I am doing my best to move forward, but depression as a result of the diagnosis has me pinned down and I can't seem to get out of it. Not yet, anyway.

I know I will eventually come to terms with this condition, but right now, I will honestly say I'm not ok at all. This is a process that we all must go through. I hope we both find a new "normal" and learn to be happy again. Just want you to know you're not alone and that I completely empathize with what you're feeling and with what you're going through.


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## Jo121 (May 9, 2021)

AndreaM said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> I am newly diagnosed and having a massively difficult time too. Like you, I have fits of crying, my moods are all over the place and I seem to be in a constant state of hyper-awareness, self-loathing and hate for what I knowingly did to myself. I was a carb fiend - pastas, rice, bread....those were the basis of 80% of my meals. I struggle daily with what to make for meals and to be honest, I'm up to my eyeballs in salads. I'm 43 with a toddler who I love more than life itself and am so terrified that this condition will shorten my time with her.
> 
> ...


Oh Andrea you have described exactly as I am feeling. I am so sorry you are going through this as it is hell. I'm the same as 80percent of my meals were carbs and I dont like much else. Heres hoping we can feel better soon. Big hugs


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## AndreaM (May 10, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> Oh Andrea you have described exactly as I am feeling. I am so sorry you are going through this as it is hell. I'm the same as 80percent of my meals were carbs and I dont like much else. Heres hoping we can feel better soon. Big hugs


Hi Jo, 
How are you feeling today?

After giving myself time to grieve, I decided today that the pity party is over and it is time to make changes in my life. I don't want to be dependent on insulin nor do I want to be popping medication (hopefully not) to help manage my sugars. Every choice I make will either harm or help me and I choose to make positive choices. I will be trying out new recipes, increasing my activity and closely monitoring my progress. 

I wish you all the very best and hope that brighter days will be ahead.


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## Jo121 (May 10, 2021)

AndreaM said:


> Hi Jo,
> How are you feeling today?
> 
> After giving myself time to grieve, I decided today that the pity party is over and it is time to make changes in my life. I don't want to be dependent on insulin nor do I want to be popping medication (hopefully not) to help manage my sugars. Every choice I make will either harm or help me and I choose to make positive choices. I will be trying out new recipes, increasing my activity and closely monitoring my progress.
> ...


Good for you Andrea. I'm a little better today but I have work and I know I dont think about it until after work.  Work is keeping me sane at the mo if I'm honest as I cant Google anything or think about it. It feels normal


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## adrian1der (May 10, 2021)

Jo121 said:


> The types of meals I make are all homemade with no jars but things like-
> Lasagne
> Spag bog
> Chillie
> ...


Some ideas 
Lasagne - use aubergine instead of pasta (bit like an Italian flavoured moussaka)
Spag boll - white cabbage linguine or corgetti spaghetti
Curry - cauli rice. Works well with chilli as well.
Roast dinners - meat and two veg (skip or have only a small portion of potatoes)
Quiche - make it without the pastry crust. This is one of my favourite ways of using up what I have in the fridge
I haven't (yet) found a substitute for tortillas or toad in the hole.


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## Jo121 (May 10, 2021)

adrian1der said:


> Some ideas
> Lasagne - use aubergine instead of pasta (bit like an Italian flavoured moussaka)
> Spag boll - white cabbage linguine or corgetti spaghetti
> Curry - cauli rice. Works well with chilli as well.
> ...


Thanks


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