# Just been diagnosed with type 2 help with dieting



## Happyness (May 12, 2016)

Hi I've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes i am lost It's such a minefield i am uncertain what I can eat!  I am overweight by 4 stone I've just lost a stone with slimming world but with their eating plan you can eat as much pasta, rice, potatoes as you like but I am worried if I continue on slimming world I will be eating too many carbs. Any suggestion of a weight loss program for type 2 diabetes ? Thank you


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## Martin Canty (May 12, 2016)

Hi Happyness, welcome to the forum, sorry to have to see you here though.

First thing to do is cut the carbs, they are not good for your diabetes. Startchy foods just don't work well for our blood sugar; you will then start to see weight loss.

People will give you some great beginners advice & references (probably be along shortly). In the meantime ask plenty of questions as there is a lot to take in in a short amount of time.


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## Stitch147 (May 12, 2016)

Hi and welcome to the forum. I personally follow weight watchers, I've lost 7 1/2 stone in just over 2 years. I've greatly reduced the amount of carbs I eat.


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## Kal-el (May 12, 2016)

Hi im new to this forum and new to diabetes, i was diagnosed end of feb and basically been left to fend for myself! But what i do know is eat a healthy balanced diet, eat more fruit and vegetables, ive also more than halved my alcohol intake, eating smaller portions ive cut out McDonald's haha! And I exercise at least 6 times a week & love it! I still have a takaway and a few beers but its all in moderation now and not all the time like it used to be! Hope you get sorted and welcome to the group! Ive also lost 2 stone!!


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## Martin Canty (May 12, 2016)

I am not saying that a lot of T2's have not been helped by diet plans with pre-packaged meals but (looking in the pantry) a lot of my non-D wife's diet products are way too refined & have too many carbs for me to tolerate. It comes down to finding out what your body can tolerate, this is done by testing your Blood Glucose.
My diet consists of pretty much 90% made from scratch food using the best ingredients (price notwithstanding) I can get.... since DX I have lost 50lb (175lb 6.0' guy in his early 50's is not bad, want to get to under 168lb though)

Have they prescribed a meter? What drugs are you on?


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## Happyness (May 13, 2016)

Martin Canty said:


> I am not saying that a lot of T2's have not been helped by diet plans with pre-packaged meals but (looking in the pantry) a lot of my non-D wife's diet products are way too refined & have too many carbs for me to tolerate. It comes down to finding out what your body can tolerate, this is done by testing your Blood Glucose.
> My diet consists of pretty much 90% made from scratch food using the best ingredients (price notwithstanding) I can get.... since DX I have lost 50lb (175lb 6.0' guy in his early 50's is not bad, want to get to under 168lb though)
> 
> Have they prescribed a meter? What drugs are you on?


Hi yes I've just been given a meter Accu check but I really had to beg for it! Otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell if I was doing right or wrong. I'm on Metformin 500gm once a day.  i am not eating a lot at the moment as I am very scared frightened I will loose a limb, eyesight etc if I get it wrong I've never been a smoker but used to drink occasionally but I have cut out all alcohol.


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## LucyLoo (May 13, 2016)

Kal-el said:


> Hi im new to this forum and new to diabetes, i was diagnosed end of feb and basically been left to fend for myself! But what i do know is eat a healthy balanced diet, eat more fruit and vegetables, ive also more than halved my alcohol intake, eating smaller portions ive cut out McDonald's haha! And I exercise at least 6 times a week & love it! I still have a takaway and a few beers but its all in moderation now and not all the time like it used to be! Hope you get sorted and welcome to the group! Ive also lost 2 stone!!



For me being relatively newly diagnosed myself and also being left to fend for myself by the doctors, I personally think that this is great advice!!  It's what I've been doing myself and it is definitely making a difference


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## Alan.tnh (May 13, 2016)

hi Happyness and welcome, When I started looking after my diabetes properly feb this year, I started by testing prior to a meal then again 1 hour, and 2 hours after. Take my brekky at the time. Rice krispies and milk was about 45 to 50 carbs. I tested this for 3 days to make sure it was correct they were terrible for me spiking 4 or 5 mmol. so now I don't eat them. Once you find a replacement and you've tested it a few times if your body likes it. you don't need to continually test it in the same way.  You will find what suits you, I am low carbing now (not last night but that's another story) normally under 70 a day. losing weight feeling much better in myself. Test, review, adjust, it works for me.  I wish you well on your Journey Al.


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## bilbie (May 13, 2016)

It's very normal to be in a spin. simple is to cut the sugars, including fruit/juice and the grains & starches. Eat everything else.

a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

what to expect the first week
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

This gives a simple overview to how it works
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. They don’t give up easy and it’s biochemical
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEayi6IBjZw&list=PLCD72F4109EDC4BD8&index=6

blood testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php


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## Happyness (May 13, 2016)

Thank you for these links they will be very useful


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## Northerner (May 13, 2016)

Happyness said:


> Hi I've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes i am lost It's such a minefield i am uncertain what I can eat!  I am overweight by 4 stone I've just lost a stone with slimming world but with their eating plan you can eat as much pasta, rice, potatoes as you like but I am worried if I continue on slimming world I will be eating too many carbs. Any suggestion of a weight loss program for type 2 diabetes ? Thank you


Hi Happyness, welcome to the forum  I would suggest looking at this thread, which describes Slimming World plans:

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/advice-on-best-slimming-world-plans.37192/

Regarding diabetes in general, if you understand it better then you will have greater success in managing it and not be feeling quite so confused about all the information that is flying around  I'd recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and getting a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which should all make things clearer for you. It's great that you have a test meter, following the advice in Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S will help you to understand how to use testing effectively to tailor your diet to your own particular tolerances. 

Above all, try not to be overwhelmed by everything, take things at your own pace and ask any questions if things crop up that you find confusing or that worry you - we are all here to help


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## Happyness (May 13, 2016)

Thank you it is overwhelming but I am positive once I am confident on what I can eat.  Your link will be useful thank you.


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## Mark Parrott (May 14, 2016)

Hi Happiness & welcome to the forum. I am also LCHF & follow the recipes on the diet doctor website. You will soon get the hang of it & before long you'll be an expert like me.


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## Superheavy (May 14, 2016)

Hi Happyness,

Well done on losing that first stone...it's probably already having an impact. For me, as a bona-fide salad dodger in my pre-diabetes days, introducing a lot more green into the diet. For someone who has followed the traditional diet norms previously, I think the counter-intuitive thing is taking on board that fat is actually okay, and its the carbs that need to be reduced. As with others, I've found that cooking from scratch, or at least as best I can, makes a big difference. I'll have a few slices of Nimble bread, but mostly avoid bread where possible, plus I might have a couple of roasties with the Sunday roast, but apart from that don't really do potatoes any more. 

Actually looking at the carb levels of some things really shocked me though, my old Fray Bentos pies take up a two or three day intake of carbs for me now! For me, testing is key, as that's how you know you are doing well. Combine it with regular exercise, and the weight will come off.


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## Happyness (May 14, 2016)

Thank you I have been looking at the diet doctor website that I was recommended on here, I am sure it will be very useful.  You are right some of the everyday things I used to eat were extremely high in carbs. I am now taking my reading glasses with me to the supermarket so I can check the values also making a list of menus to cook from scratch rather than the ready meals I used to use because of feeling exhausted and just couldn't be bothered to prepare meals.


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## HOBIE (May 14, 2016)

Welcome to the forum Happyness


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## Martin Canty (May 14, 2016)

Happyness said:


> I have been looking at the diet doctor website that I was recommended on here


Hi Happyness,
The LCHF way of eating works very well for many of us, both in weight loss & managing diabetes. Once you get your head around some of the concepts it's actually very easy to follow... And I find that I don't eat nearly as much & rather more infrequently (suits my schedule) than I did on a more conventional ADA plan.

As an example, Lunch today (my first meal since Thursday as I fasted yesterday) was a Butter Lettuce leaf wrap with mayo (home made) a slice of pastrami & a slice of provolone... Nicely full now.


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## deleted profile 999 (May 18, 2016)

I went vegan, lots of greens and other vegies, tofu, soya protein chunks, tempeh and seitan, and shed 5 ½ stone (now at an ideal weight I think).  You do end end with reasonable sized meals but with a lot less calories.  I find I have to snack to get enough calories for the day (plenty of nuts and seeds etc)

If you're exercising, try to get as much in before you eat (i.e. before breakfast), that way your body will burn the fat that's stored as opposed to the stuff you've just consumed.


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