# Confused about carbs .. help !



## Lairyfairy (Feb 3, 2011)

Lordy, I'm so confused about the advice I have been given and read about carbs.  

I thought that dietary advice was for a good portion of starchy carbs as the basis of a meal, and yet in other places I see only modest amounts of carbs to be eaten.  I just don't know whether I am doing my diet right anymore.

I need to lose weight and have lost around 9lbs since Christmas so I can't have been doing things too wrong, but every time I try and put a meal together (or a snack) I worry that I'm including too many carbs and pushing my bs up too high.  I don't know what food affects my blood sugar as the nurse told me not to test as she will do it when I visit but I have got an Abbott meter which I have (not very successfully) tried but I could only get 2 results out of the 10 strips as it kept giving error messages even though I put the stylus level up to 3 and kept pricking my finger to get enough blood for a reading.  I guess I need to practice more and so I have ordered a box of strips online.

Sorry I have wandered and rambled a bit from my original post - brain running at tangents 

I would be very grateful for advice.

Lairy x


----------



## macast (Feb 3, 2011)

I'd hate to go against your DSN .... but in the Diabetes UK magazine I was given when I was diagnosed it does say that you should test.  if you don't test how do you know what is happening with your BG levels with the foods you eat ???


----------



## Lairyfairy (Feb 3, 2011)

I know, and that seems a bit weird to me.  I saw her when I was diagnosed back in December and again on 21st January when she did a meter test (non-fasting).  I won't see her again until March when I have the full bloods taken 3 months after first diagnosis.

I thought I would get a meter anyway so that I could see what foods affect me as at the moment its just pot luck.


----------



## macast (Feb 3, 2011)

my DSN didn't say anything about testing at our first meeting on 5th of January..... but I went ahead and got a meter from Abbotts and tested away.  I now have a really good idea of what foods in my normal diet affect me

when I saw my DSN 2 weeks ago she said it was good that I had tested but that she suggested that I only test when I am eating a new food that I have not tested for before

hope that helps Lairy


----------



## Lairyfairy (Feb 3, 2011)

Will give it a go when I get the strips.  At least it will give me an insight as to what is happening when I eat certain foods.  I don't feel any different when I eat, except extreme tiredness if overdoing the carbs.

 Thanks Macast


----------



## mcdonagh47 (Feb 3, 2011)

Lairyfairy said:


> Lordy, I'm so confused about the advice I have been given and read about carbs.
> 
> Lairy x



The official advice from both the NHS and DiabetesUk is ....

 A low GI, Mediterranean style diet with ..
45 - 60 % of calories coming from carbs - depending on exercise and level of activity
10-20% of calories from protein
upto 35 % of calories from fats ( including at least 25% from "good fats" ( unsaturated fats, olive oil, oily fish etc))
There is also a suggestion to eat "some" starchy carbs with each meal in order to help keep bgs stable and avoid a roller-coaster of ups and downs.

The most popular education course for new t2s is called "X-Pert Patient". One of the main foci/focuses in that is Carbohydrate Awareness - start thinking about how muchg carb you are eating. X-Pert sees 15grams of Carbs as a "Carb Portion" and suggests T2s should eat betwen 8 CPs and 15 Cps a day depending on their frame and level of exercise/work.
A typical CP might be one slice of bread or two small new potatoes.

Ask/demand to go on an educational course ( Desmond or X-Pert) it is your right under the NICE Guidelines on T2 Diabetes.

In the meantime please go to the Newbies section and check out Maggie Davey's "Open Letter to Newly Diagnosed T2s". You might also try to find the diet advice of a poster on here called Wallycorker. - he has sorted a good regime based on high veggies.

You should also check out the blog of the Australian T2 - Alan S- who has been posting on here recently.He advocates a "Low Spike Diet" ( i.e. a diet which prevents high readings after meals). He has also written a book ( see the REcommennded books section).

Two big slogans in the T2 Community are "TEst,Test,Test" and "Eat to your meter".


----------



## Lairyfairy (Feb 3, 2011)

Wow thanks McDonagh.  Fantastic information which I will check out.

Lairy x


----------



## Mark T (Feb 4, 2011)

If you are using the Abbot FreeStyle Freedoom Lite monitor (which is I think the one you can get free), then this bit of advice that was offered me in this thread  might help you to get good readings more often!



AlisonM said:


> Mark, I use the same meter and I find it helps to hold the blood drop at the side of the strip next to one of the black dots. I had a few problems with it at the start as well and while it doesn't need much blood it is a little tricky till you get the hang of it.
> 
> The rules are:
> 
> ...


----------



## Lairyfairy (Feb 4, 2011)

Many thanks for the advice Mark


----------



## macast (Feb 4, 2011)

Mark T said:


> If you are using the Abbot FreeStyle Freedoom Lite monitor (which is I think the one you can get free),



hi Mark..... I got the Optium Xceed free from Abbotts


----------



## Lairyfairy (Feb 4, 2011)

Macast ... does your doctor prescribe the strips for your Optimum Xceed or do you have to buy them yourself?  I will tell mine that I have got the Freestyle lite from Abbots and ask if they will prescribe the strips for me.  Until then I have ordered some over the net.


----------



## macast (Feb 4, 2011)

Lairyfairy said:


> Macast ... does your doctor prescribe the strips for your Optimum Xceed or do you have to buy them yourself?  I will tell mine that I have got the Freestyle lite from Abbots and ask if they will prescribe the strips for me.  Until then I have ordered some over the net.



inside all the paperwork from Abbotts sent with the meter was a request to give to your doctor.  I just filled it in and gave it to my DSN and she did a prescription there and then and went off to get a doc to sign it!!  but I did order some off ebay to get me started as the 10 included with the meter isn't very many 

good luck with it Lairy


----------

