# newbie in distress



## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

i have been diagnosed with type 2 and put on metformin my dr just threw the pills at me and that was that, i have no idea what im doing and to make things worse he said i have a enlarged liver, which is giving me some pain in my stomach and side, the horrid thing is iv been taking the Metformin and i have had really bad diarrhea 3 times a day and sick feeling through out the day, someone told me to cut the pills down to 1 a day for the first week then 2 for the second week and so on until my body is used to them, i have cut down to 1 tablet but the sickness feeling is still hounding me on and off throughout the day, can anyone help im desperate, ps there are so many other things i would like to know but for now stopping the sickness is top of the list, thanks for any help you can give.


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## Martin Canty (Jun 30, 2016)

Welcome to the forum, mally, sorry to hear about your problem with Metformin.

Personally I never had any problems but I'm sure that someone will be along shortly who can offer advice. One thing I have heard about is to take the Metformin with food.


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## Gooner9 (Jun 30, 2016)

Hi, I'm new but have had similar experiences to you, I'm 3 months since DX and the doctor told me pretty much nothing, I started on one metformin a day for week 1 building up 1 extra each week, I only take them after a meal and so far have been fine. Maybe cut back but do only take after food. Hope you feel better soon.


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

thank you Martin for the welcome


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

thanks for the advice Gooner9 i have cut to 1 tablet will try that for a week then up it, and yeah i have been taking them after food


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## Amigo (Jun 30, 2016)

mally said:


> i have been diagnosed with type 2 and put on metformin my dr just threw the pills at me and that was that, i have no idea what im doing and to make things worse he said i have a enlarged liver, which is giving me some pain in my stomach and side, the horrid thing is iv been taking the Metformin and i have had really bad diarrhea 3 times a day and sick feeling through out the day, someone told me to cut the pills down to 1 a day for the first week then 2 for the second week and so on until my body is used to them, i have cut down to 1 tablet but the sickness feeling is still hounding me on and off throughout the day, can anyone help im desperate, ps there are so many other things i would like to know but for now stopping the sickness is top of the list, thanks for any help you can give.



Welcome Mally. Your experience unfortunately isn't unusual but it could be that you'd do better with the slow release form of Metformin which is said to be easier on the stomach. Maybe worth discussing with your doctor. A fatty liver is sometimes associated with type 2 diabetes but it can be improved with a good, low carb diet and losing weight if you need to. I had the same diagnosis.
Are you struggling with knowing what to eat and are you testing at home because I've found that helps and guides enormously (even though the doctors often won't supply meters and strips).
Just throw in some specific questions and people will be happy to try and help. Don't feel desperate, if I can do this, you can!  You will work it out but you need to get on top of the sickness first. I gave up on Metformin and am doing it diet and exercise only but don't attempt that without medical advice. I don't know what your levels are. Good luck! Amigo


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

thanks for the welcome Amigo, i weigh 11st 5lbs i was 12 st up to last week, im eating chicken, salad's lots of veg , eggs , granary bread, cheese, raw onions and cut down from 10 cups of tea a day to 0 and on flavoured bottle water, i bought a meter on ebay with strips etc will get that Wednesday but what im looking for i have no clue , i ended up in hospital a few days ago for something else and they tested my sugar level which was 8 they didnt seem concerned so nor was i, but i have no clue what i am suppose to be doing


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## Martin Canty (Jun 30, 2016)

mally said:


> eating chicken, salad's lots of veg , eggs , granary bread, cheese, raw onions


Apart from the bread it's looking good, though my wife wouldn't thank me if I ate raw onions.
The big thing is to cut way back on starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, rice etc


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

HI - I am a newbie too, so not perhaps the best to advise you, but the forum have been a great support for me.  Told me to get a Codefree blood glucose meter (as they have the cheapest test strips) test before/then 2 hours after started eating breakfast and dinner - keep a record of what is eaten during each meal.  You could try the Low carb/HIGH fat/no added sugar way of life (lots of books on it now), and it is starting to work for me - just 4 weeks in.  I may not now have to go on Metaformin at all at this rate, and I am losing weight slowly too.  All the carbs are said to give us 'fatty liver' which means simply the blood glucose can't be controlled by just our own insulin as we get 'insulin resistant'.  LC/HF diet changes that - I have just put on a new thread tonight of my first few weeks, so this may be helpful to you - if you care to look at it?  Hope to hear you're more confident soon and finding your own way forward.  Regards, Alison


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

i was told granary bread was ok as it had 0 carbs and 0 sugars , im lucky im not hooked on chocolate or cake so guess that helps but im finding it hard to know what i can and cant eat, and being the pills are making me feel sick on and off all day and night i dont want to eat but iv lost alot of weight in a week already


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

heya Alison, iv bought a meter from ebay, iv just stumbled on this group so was not clued in about the meter, iv had so many different things been said when i search on google and every site saids different things and contradicts the other so i am clueless to what i am suppose to do and how to help myself


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## trophywench (Jun 30, 2016)

Mally - that really is total bollards about the bread having zero carbs - most seedy/granary bread has around 18g of carbohydrate per SLICE.

If you make anything with FLOUR (wheat flour, with or without the roughage LOL) - it has carbs.  The only thing being 'brown' does in it's favour is that it slows the speed at which the carbs from that flour, hits our bloodstream, (Same thing with brown rice)  However - the carbs are definitely still there.

There are a couple af alternatives if you MUST eat bread - Burgen Soya & Linseed at about 12g a slice or Lidl protein rolls - but we don't have a Lidl so I haven't tried them and can't tell you the carb value.

BG numbers - if you weren't diabetic, your BG would usually be around 4 or 5,  but may increase a bit soon after a meal.

So - 8 wasn't a disaster - except it is too high to be sat at for long periods, cos it's the highs that knacker up the things like kidneys, eyes, the nervous system, etc.


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

Hi Mally - if you read my earlier new thread on may be help to other newbies you will see what I have been doing.  Most people around you won't understand how to tackle eating for diabetics (think you just cut down on sugar probably); by following the LC/HF 'way of life' one reads THE CARBS on each packet of food, bread, pasta, etc., but most are VERY high - most breads are 23-40+ and way too high.  I only allow myself half a LIDL High Protein roll each morning (if I have bread) and you must read up on this diet - or look around for something which better suits you.  Great the meter is a must (as other forum members advised me); then rocord what you eat in a notebook and see how your meter readings were before, then 2 hours after starting eating - to see which foods push the levels up.  The book I suggest on my earlier thread was told to me by other forum members and it is a good starting place. There are lots of books on LC/HF - recipes online, books, articles, lectures on u-tube.  Look and read, then see what appeals to you.  I must say it costs me a lot less to live on the LC/HF diet/eh 'way of life' but one can't eat all those gorgeous breads and cakes and rice and pasta and limited potatoes/root vegetables etc...... but one has to make a choice to do something to fight back!!! Keep asking questions of everyone on the forums, and find the right way forward for you.  Regards, Alison


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

hello trophywench, love the name , so how many carbs am i able to eat a day ? and what do i need to stay away from


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

yikes iv been having 2 tuna sandwiches one in morning and one in evening in between my dinner


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## Martin Canty (Jun 30, 2016)

mally said:


> how many carbs am i able to eat a day


Difficult question, it depends on how aggressive you want to be in getting your BG under control... I see a lot of people aiming for 130, some of us low-carbers look for under 100 (myself I look for under 50, yesterday was probably 10-15). Now the thing is that you don't want your BG fluctuating wildly (then you really will feel ill).... My advice is to start reducing carbs until you get your meter then you will be able to test & learn what foods you tolerate & what you can't. As a general rule of thumb, if it's packaged food & labeled diet/heart healthy/diabetic friendly then throw it in the trash.
Made from scratch food is best, replacing starchy foods with fresh vegies (ideally the green "above ground" varieties.


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

im trying to get as low bg as i can anything to feel better


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

Ha ha - eat the cans of tuna in oil with full fat cream cheese or other good FF cheese, salad (no potatoes or bread).  I'm trying for around 50-60 carbs per day (remember just one bag of crisps is about 55 carbs), and bread is usually high carb - only Burgen seeded soya and linseed is lower, and maybe the Lidl High Protein rolls which weigh about 115g and have about 9.8 carbs each roll - I find them VERY filling (even without a filling), so I have half a roll with egg, bacon, full fat cream cheese/other FF cheese, avacado, ham, salad, salmon, etc..... Low carb/high fat is not boring - as long as you like cheese, egg, meat, oily fish, FF milk and yoghurt, mixed seeds/nuts/berroes, most green vegetables.  To eat low carb you have to have good protien and vegetables and butter/cream cheese/cheese and some fruits - but cut out the starchy/sweet carbs.  Theres good books on 'Carbs & Calories which gives photos of carb content per each meal/serving size.  It takes a lot of getting ones head round and past the 40 years being told to eat Low fat and plenty of carbs - seems they have had it wrong all along, and only been about 2 years since they realised; well SOME have realised their errors!


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

Well trying to get as low bg as possible is our aim - but one can't expect it overnight, or real soon.  If you took to the LC/HF diet - it is said to take about 10 weeks to be fully effective, but I'd say I noticed a difference from about 3 days, then got a meter; now I onto week 4 and things are definitely improving and my bg readings are coming down nicely; I do not feel hungry hardlyh at all (only if I didn't get the meal balanced right), then I ewat a few nuts or cheese or FF plain yoghurt. So give it time; decide what your plant of action to find a way forward is. Ask questions, read, look at u-tube lectures, and keep fighting back.  Regards, Alison


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

PS sorry about the typing mistakes there! Just thinking I need to do my 2 hours after dinner test, as I had late dinner!!!!


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

thanks Alison at least i have a better clue than when i first came on here thanks to everyone, means a lot, iv felt alone and bewildered at times, i will take your advice and read the boards and check other webpages


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## Martin Canty (Jun 30, 2016)

mally said:


> iv felt alone and bewildered at times


We have all been there, it's the nature of the beast...... This is a great forum, out of the few I have been on this is the least judgmental & most supportive (and we have fun)


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## mally (Jun 30, 2016)

thank you Martin


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

Even learning takes time Mally; reading the books and articles help but it still takes some time to get one's head round it.  The fact that health 'professionals' have had it wrong for past 40 years isn't exactly encouraging either; seems they have a lot to re-learn to catch up on what diet changes really do work and stay working when one stays with them!  I was recommended the Gretchen Becker book and am still only about half way through at this time.  Keep fighting back. Rgds Alison


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## Matt Cycle (Jun 30, 2016)

Alison Carr said:


> (remember just one bag of crisps is about 55 carbs)



 I presume you mean the giant bags as a normal sized bag only weighs 25g in total and has about 13g CHO.


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## Alison Carr (Jun 30, 2016)

yep - but even at 13g I would choose something better to use 13g of my 55g daily carbs on than 1 bag of crisps!!!  The Diabetes.co.uk websight has good 365 Recipe cookbook to peruse (read at leisure), plus is another forum to follow (if I am allowed to suggest that?).  Lots of information there too.  Rgds Alison


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## Northerner (Jul 1, 2016)

Hi mally, welcome to the forum  It sounds very much to me like you have been left floundering. Rather than picking up bits and pieces of information here and there, I'd suggest having a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter for starters. Get yourself a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, and you will be in a much better informed position about what it is all about  As has been suggested, testing to discover how different things affect your levels is the best and most efficient method of tailoring your diet so that you can enjoy maximum flexibility in what you eat, but also eat things that you can tolerate well. Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand what this entails. If you have to buy your own meter and test strips, then the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50 (most High St brands will charge £25-£30 for 50 test strips ). To help with making your food choices, I would recommend looking at the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet - this is an approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels. The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction 

Diabetes can be a very individual condition, so it's important to learn the basics and then, by testing, determine your own tolerances to things. The good thing about diabetes is that it can be controlled well with the right knowledge and effort. It can take time and patience, so don't expect to turn things around overnight, but stick with it, ask questions, and you will get there!


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## mally (Jul 1, 2016)

thank you Northerner i am learning something new all the time so will check out what you have recommended, thank you to everyone for being so helpful and nice


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## Stitch147 (Jul 1, 2016)

Hi Mally and welcome to the forum.


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## mally (Jul 1, 2016)

hello Stitch and thank you


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## Stitch147 (Jul 1, 2016)

I'm 11 months in now and still learning something every day. I have found this forum to be a great help with lots of very knowledgable people on here with years of experience. Not sure I could do it without them


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## mally (Jul 1, 2016)

iv only been diagnosed since last week, im on metformin 500mg and feel sick as a dog all day, on and off , every day, i am having bouts of diarrhoea and i cant even look at food, im getting pins and needles in my hands and i feel generally awful,


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## Stitch147 (Jul 1, 2016)

Definately ask your dr about the slow release version of metformin. I was lucky, I only had bloating for a couple of weeks when I first started taking it, even though it didnt do anything for me as I'm a bit of an oddball diabetic. Hope you start to feel better soon.


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## mally (Jul 1, 2016)

thank you Stitch its so comforting to know there are people to chat to that can throw some light on things


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## Stitch147 (Jul 1, 2016)

Definately. Unless your family and friends have first hand knowledge of diabetes they dont really fully understand what you are going through (thats my experience anyway). My other half has been a great help since I was diagnosed. He says he wont offer me any advice as he hasnt got any idea about diabetes and what I am going through, but he supports me 100% of the way. He even started keeping glucose tablets and shots in the car in case I have a hypo (one of the tablets I am on can cause hypo's). He takes the mickey out of things and thats how I know he understands what I am going through as thats the way that he is. It can be a huge thing to deal with and having support, whether its from people in real life or on this forum, it makes the journey that little bit easier. You are not alone in this struggle.


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## mally (Jul 1, 2016)

thats the thing i did feel at first i was alone and had no one to talk to, i searched the net but every site gave different answers not telling you that people react to things differently and eat differently, theres me thinking everyone eats the same food so could set me a diet plan lol, dumb huh, i have no idea what a hypo is all i know is your hands shake so i eat a strawberry or a sweet then it stops but like i said in my first post im clueless my dr just gave me my prescription and i had to get on with it, iv just called him and he is going to call me back with luck and maybe change my meds, fingers crossed


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## Mark Parrott (Jul 1, 2016)

A hypo can occur when your BG goes below 4.0mmol.  If your body is used to high BG levels, then a false hypo can occur when your BG starts coming down.  Eventually your body will get used to lower BG levels & false hypos won't happen.  Welcome to the forum, BTW.


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## Stitch147 (Jul 1, 2016)

Fingers crossed they can change your meds.
Everyone is definatley different when it comes to diabetes, especially when it comes to diet. I can tolerate porridge for breakfast, others cant. Some can tolerate certain fruits and others cant. Thats why testing should be encouraged as it will show you what foods your body can tolerate and what foods will send your levels soaring. Ive been surprised with some of the things that I can and cant eat. A hypo is when your blood glucose level drops below 4. But if you have high readings you can suffer from a false or high hypo. Your body gets used to running on high numbers (for me my finger prick test was 26 when I was diagnosed) the first time my levels went into the 5's I certainly felt it.


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## mally (Jul 1, 2016)

thanks for the welcome Mark, ahh so im not having a hypo im just shaking because my bg is dropping, will have to get used to that


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## mally (Jul 4, 2016)

after being on metformin for 2 weeks and having to cut down to 1 tab a day because of the diarrhoea i found taking 1 paracetamol, or 1 tablet with paracetamol in it  stops the diarrhoea, worked for me hope it helps someone else.


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## GA60 (Jul 5, 2016)

Hi Mally and welcome, I've only just joined and haven't got any real advice apart from stay happy, things will get sorted


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## Martin Canty (Jul 5, 2016)

mally said:


> im not having a hypo im just shaking because my bg is dropping


Remember that feeling, shaky, confused, lethargic as your body is telling you something important, i.e. something is out of normal (though the old normal was high BG which is not good).... Same with the feeling of High BG, for me I feel very lethargic if my BG is higher than normal (usually there are warning signs, like I've just (foolishly) eaten from the garden of Eden!!!!)


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## mally (Jul 5, 2016)

heya GA60, nice to meet you, so i went to my chemist and he took me into a side room and asked me what i was eating and i told him pretty much nothing, i have 1 small chicken piece a day with salad iv cut all my sugars out and carbs and he said i am wrong to do this, he said to eat what iv always eaten but cut the portions down, also no white bread but potatoes, pasta, bacon , sausages, etc was fine because its the Metformin that does the work and if you cut all the carbs and sugars out there is no point in taking Metformin, im learning more every day


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## Dave68 (Jul 5, 2016)

trophywench said:


> Mally - that really is total bollards about the bread having zero carbs - most seedy/granary bread has around 18g of carbohydrate per SLICE.
> 
> If you make anything with FLOUR (wheat flour, with or without the roughage LOL) - it has carbs.  The only thing being 'brown' does in it's favour is that it slows the speed at which the carbs from that flour, hits our bloodstream, (Same thing with brown rice)  However - the carbs are definitely still there.
> 
> ...



So 12 is not good then ?


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## Alison Carr (Jul 5, 2016)

Mally  love - I was prescribed Metaformin and have not yet used it (yet); I said I wished to try and control the diabetes by diet alone (nor would I take the statins).  The doctor wasn't keen as my blood glucose levels had gone up so much, but I was insistent.  Spent the next few days (and long/late evenings reading, listening to lectures eg., 'Professor Tim Noakes lectures, and his book: The Real Meal Revolution were some. I watched his u-tube video lecture on LC/HF and why humans should eat this way, then other leads people on the forum suggested.   I looked at the various diets and I decided to try the 'Low Carb / High Fat / no added sugar' life-style change as MY personal choice - as I could fit it in with my lifestyle and still change my previous eating lifestyle without having to buy expensive type foods.  (NB I think I keep the full fat yoghurt and cheese manufacturers in business, ha ha).

Therefore my normal type day of food is:  Breakfast (NO cereals as too high in carbs and sugars) meals I choose are: full English breakfast without the bread or hash browns; bacon and eggs and fried mushrooms, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, cheese + tomato omelette (can add ham/bacon or whatever you like).  NB I asked for an electric omelette maker for a Birthday present and it is just SO easy and useful !  Or I have just half a Lidl High Protein Bread Roll spread thickly with FULL FAT soft cheese and add toppings, etc.  These bread rolls are only 9.8 carbs, but I find them so filling that I can't eat a whole one!

Lunch I always have a good sized pot - made up at home with Full Fat natural plain yogurt (Greek possibly, and preferably bio live yoghurt) and I add mixed seeds and chopped nuts, 8 or so blueberries and sometimes raspberries - and stir.  That fills me up and the high fat keeps my body fed until dinner time. 

Dinner: well any meat or protein you like, fried too in REAL butter & Olive Oil, with any green vegetables you like, but root vegetables only in very small amounts as they are high in carbs.  I often use the recommended broccoli & cauliflower mash nowadays with full fat cream cheese stirred through it i instead of carbs.  I avoid pasta, rice, breads, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pulses etc., and always count the CARBS not the Calories.  The LC/HF lifestyle means you have plenty of protein and fats so that the body is using fats for fuel, ie., the body gets used to living off good fats and uses it's own body fat - rather than relying on starchy carbohydrates - which push up the blood sugar.....  I am hardly ever hungry on this type of food and my blood sugars have come down to near normal levels. 

You DO need to eat well for energy and stabilisation, but not lots of carbs.  Please do more reading and decide on which type of diet will best suit your own lifestye.  However trying Low Fat/High Carbs and sugars is NOT going to work; nor can you mix low fat and high fat products with low carbs; you need to eat your proteins.

I have read many messages and books now saying Some people on LC/HF diet have reversed their diabetes and come off their medication after a few months.  The LC/HF lifestyle takes about 10 weeks to adjust to I gather - so I am still working at it = I am still learning and reading and looking at recipes to find what I can/cannot eat.  But YOU MUST EAT.  Regards Alison


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## Alison Carr (Jul 5, 2016)

PS to the above message - you CAN eat sausage, but look for the low CARB high meat/low cereal ones such as The Black Farmer ones. On LC/HF way of life one needs to eat - Eggs, full fat cheeses/cottage cheese/cream cheeses, full fat milk and yoghurts, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, tuna, meats (most types fine, even fatty, and limited processed meats).  Then most green vegetables grown above ground. One is seldom ever hungry and for me (and many others) it works!  Limited fruits, but berries are lower; and tomatoes are fine. The Carb & Cal book is great, and the new edition has photos of different sized servings and their carb content for each.  Lots of diet syles, and lots of associated books/recipes out there.  Regards, Alison


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## Martin Canty (Jul 5, 2016)

Alison Carr said:


> Some people on LC/HF diet have reversed their diabetes and come off their medication after a few months


I will preface this with saying that we all react differently, however, following a Ketogenic diet like Alison is describing, my FBG is pretty much stable at between 4.5  to 5, even after a busy 4th July (extra staffing a fire engine) & getting in late I succumbed to  some really yummy Potato Chips at near midnight, this morning my FBG was still only 5.7.


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## Alison Carr (Jul 5, 2016)

As to breads - well a long as one counts them as part of one's daily approximate carb count, in moderation; (some people try for 50 carbs a day, others 100, others 150g per day). I, personally, am trying to be around the 50-60g carbs a day, and believe me I LOVED bread.  However I'm finding that indeed my body does not need much carbs when I am on this LC/HF way of eating.  One does have to work at finding out what works for one's own needs - this is why I got a blood glucose meter and use it before/ then 2 hours after starting to eat my breakfast, and before/after dinner so I can see what works for me in each meal/day. I always have the same lunch so once I had established that it did not raise my blood glucose levels I stick with my yoghurt mix lunch, and enjoy it.  Good luck with ones choices, but do EAT well. Rgds Alison


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## Alison Carr (Jul 6, 2016)

Hi Grovesy - not sure where that fits in?!    I was initially answering Mally saying 'she wasn't eating hardly anything'; that the chemist took her aside and said (rightly) that she has to eat.  Indeed we are all different and different things work for all of us, but whatever we try or decide on we HAVE to eat well - with or without medication.  Could well be that I will eventually have to take medication as well as controlling diabetes by diet in the future, I will just have to see how it goes for me.  Like you I might find I cannot just live on he LC/HFreduced carbs diet long-term, but Mally needs to find her way to an eating plan which suits her, and works for her soonest.  Regards, Alison


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

so i got my tester and did my levels 3 hours after my breakfast and i was 6.8 mmol/l not sure if thats a good level but it must be better than 10


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## Annette (Jul 6, 2016)

mally said:


> so i got my tester and did my levels 3 hours after my breakfast and i was 6.8 mmol/l not sure if thats a good level but it must be better than 10


That's a pretty good level, mally - but what were you before breakfast?
The key is to know how much you rise - so test before, and then test 2 hours after, and compare the two. Aim for a rise of less than 3 (preferably less than 2, but to begin with 3 is ok to aim for).
But in general, try for levels that are 4-7 before eating, and up to 8ish after eating. (personal tolerances/preferences vary. this is the levels advised by DUK and Drs in general.)


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

thanks Annette for your input, i only received my tester 3 hours after my egg this morning but now i have it i can check properly


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## Alison Carr (Jul 6, 2016)

Thats a really good reading AFTER food Mally; I'm trying to get my readings down to that - but without medication it is harder.  Getting near it most times though for me; but now at least I am keeping under the 10 too.  Glad to hear you had eggs for breakfast (as trophywench said - the old adage "GO TO WORK ON AN EGG" is still a good-un.  Your doctors practice should arrange for you to see a dietician; go on a short diabetes information course - like The Desmond Program (usually two sessions on either your choice of mornings/afternoons/ or evenings).  Ring your doctors and ask to speak to the diabetes nurse or her to ring you; or book an appointment to see her.


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

my dr has passed me on to diabetic clinic that was 3 weeks ago im also waiting for a liver scan as its enlarged but thanks to these boards i am learning, it makes all the difference knowing your not alone


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

so today before my dinner i was 5.6 and 2 hours after dinner i am 5.7, i hope thats a good result


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## Annette (Jul 6, 2016)

I would say, as perfect as you can get.


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## Martin Canty (Jul 6, 2016)

mally said:


> so today before my dinner i was 5.6 and 2 hours after dinner i am 5.7, i hope thats a good result


Awesome!!!! Just for interest, what was your dinner?


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

ok the diet i have been keeping to is 2 scrambled or boiled eggs for breakfast, then i may have half an apple with a few strawberrys or cherrys, then for dinner i have a breast of chicken with salad a few slices of yellow and red herbs with coleslaw then for tea i have half a tin of tuna or salmon, and maybe some various nuts if im peckish, but it seems to be working, iv also had granary bread when im really hungry. oh and iv lost 1 st in 2 weeks


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## Alison Carr (Jul 6, 2016)

Hi Mally - thats a bit toooo much to loose in 2 weeks - probably (hopefully) due to the fact that recently you said you were all but starving yourself by just eating a bit of chicken in a day.  Chivy your doctors surgery to hurry the visit with the diabetic nurse, then ask to see the dietician and go on one of the courses.  That will help even more than us supporting you; but we're always here and will motivate and support you as you gain more knowledge. With the help of the dietician you can work out an eating plan to suit your specific needs and way of lifethat is right for you and your health.  Above all don't starve yourself - your body needs energy from some source daily.  Regards, Alison


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

thank you Alison, i have lost weight fast because of the diarrhea but i find its easing up now and the sick feeling is finally subsiding, 2 weeks in,  for the first time i feel ok and even taken some exercise today so things are looking up


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## Martin Canty (Jul 6, 2016)

mally said:


> because of the diarrhea


One thing we often fail to mention on this forum is the importance of hydration..... A few liters of water a day can really have a positive effect on the body's metabolism.


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

i drink water all day long and yes it really makes a difference thanks Martin


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## Alison Carr (Jul 6, 2016)

Just keep on fighting back and you will win.  But keep on at your doctors for your appointment with the nurse - these days if you don't push it they don't bother. What with 5 minute restrictions on doctors appointments for each problem one doesn't feel like they have time to care. So you have to keep on at them as your health matters to you, and you need support - re diabetic nurse/dietician and information/learning about diabetes courses. Ring them up and ask just how long you have to wait!!!  and Keep smiling - Regards, Alison


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## mally (Jul 6, 2016)

i will do that tomorrow, thanks Alison


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## mally (Jul 7, 2016)

so this was my levels from this morning, 5.8 after waking up this morning, 5.7 after my breakfast and 5.3 after my dinner, run out of strips so will have to wait now for more to arrive, but i feel a little better every day


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## grovesy (Jul 7, 2016)

They are good numbers!


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## mally (Jul 7, 2016)

iv been keeping away from the carbs and sugar, exercising twice a day , walking for 30mins


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## Alison Carr (Jul 7, 2016)

All sounds positive; if you weren't settling down with eating and Metaformin there is a 'slow-release version' which you could have asked for (of course it is more expensive so they don't start off with it)!  Hope you've managed to arrange an appointment with the diabetic nurse.  Regards, Alison


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