Newly diagnosed diabetes

[CdnCarrie]

I take mine before I eat. Been around 6.5 years and still have some GI issues. Well the Ozempic doesn't help either.
I take 5 pills of Metformin a day.

 

[LuvBulldogs]

Thanks luvbulldogs. That was great breading very helpful.
Had a great meeting with the educator.
She really made me feel I can do this.
She wasn’t too happy when I told her about the meter. So she ordered one for me.
Thanks to all of you for the helpful replies

Glad you're feeling more confident. I promise, it'll become easier with time. If you remember only one thing, make it this: Meat + potatoes are safe.
About the meter: Compare the cost of using your insurance with a basic Walmart or Target meter paid out-of-pocket. You might be surprised what's cheaper, and meters are meters.

Yes, you can do this! I “know” you from these forums, and I have confidence in you.

Aww, thanks!

Sorry but yet another question. I started on the metformin last night after dinner since my order finally came in. Anyways the RN said to start on one pill with breakfast but I wanted to get started and unfortunately forgot she said breakfast and started after dinner.
After about 5 hrs I had to actually run to the bathroom.
I can’t see if it’s going to cause issues that one pill is going to turn my stomach inside out.
Any thoughts on this

Two things about Metformin
- It doesn't treat everyone equally, and dosages make a big difference -- but, yes, in general, you should take it with breakfast and dinner. WITH meals.
- Note that Metformin's efficiency "builds up" and isn't fully effective for 4-6 weeks.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Just popped into the app and saw that Weight Watchers has a diabetes program, maybe it can help?

Last night I made lettuce, rice, chicken and black bean bowls, this is an example of what it looks like to the user, to me it is fun to use free foods like meats, fish, eggs, fruits and veggies alongside the things that go through points to make healthy meals. Not sure how many carbs you can have but this allows QR codes and you can just look up fruits and all to take out the guesswork with so much at stake.

 

[Dznypal]

first official reading with meter and what I ate today
breakfast was half muffin and peanut butter on toast
lunch half of fish sandwich with a few fries with bun and cheese small glass of soda
reading before supper was 110 quite shocking
I still have about hr and a half till I can do my after eating number
Ill update then I just wanted to get this out there

also I had some questions from the dr before my meds and meter came in and I had asked why the dr didnt want to use a meter
the reply was
since they knew I was panicking about this whole deal and the fact that Im not on insulin and the A1C wasnt horrible but the dietician did get me one
I really want to know where I was at

another also I thought it was rather strange that the dietician didnt say how many carbs per meal or day or snacks just gave me a picture of a plate showing where and how much food

 

[CdnCarrie]

That’s a lot of carbs!

Toast and muffins and buns and fries and soda.

 

[Dznypal]

The number was good though before supper. Dietician asked what I had for breakfast Bs he said that was ok.
I’m back to feeling I’ll never get the hang of this.
Oh well back to square one

 

[TwoMisfits]

The number was good though before supper. Dietician asked what I had for breakfast Bs he said that was ok.
I’m back to feeling I’ll never get the hang of this.
Oh well back to square one

I haven't posted before, but I figured I'd offer a mindset for meals to make it easier...

It helps to imagine building each meal protein 1st...fat 2nd...and carb 3rd (which should hopefully always bring either fiber or vitamins/minerals)...empty carbs tend to be the bane of a diabetic and should be sparing and thought out for getting the most joy out of them (like a birthday cake slice, mom's thanksgiving pie, etc).

And if you need more food, go back to step 1 - protein and/or build out with low carb veg. I'd have a fridge or freezer full of the stuff ready to eat.

Even though you may have had enough calories today, I honestly did not think you ate enough today as far as nutrients. Saving all produce for dinner isn't gonna be a great long term strategy for long term health. You really want to try to get some in with breakfast and lunch, along with some more protein and fiber.

 

[CarolynFH]

The number was good though before supper. Dietician asked what I had for breakfast Bs he said that was ok.
I’m back to feeling I’ll never get the hang of this.
Oh well back to square one

If the dietitian said your breakfast was okay, go with that instead of all the well-meaning, honest, but conflicting advice you’re getting here. I personally need more protein and less sugar at breakfast, so it’s two eggs fried in a spray of oil plus one piece of whole wheat toast for me, but everyone is different. And it’s also possible that the dietitian is going to gradually guide you to eat a little differently at breakfast. I tried a lot of things before I found what worked the best for me. Right now it’s baby steps for you!

 

[NAB]

first official reading with meter and what I ate today
breakfast was half muffin and peanut butter on toast
lunch half of fish sandwich with a few fries with bun and cheese small glass of soda
reading before supper was 110 quite shocking
I still have about hr and a half till I can do my after eating number
Ill update then I just wanted to get this out there

also I had some questions from the dr before my meds and meter came in and I had asked why the dr didnt want to use a meter
the reply was
since they knew I was panicking about this whole deal and the fact that Im not on insulin and the A1C wasnt horrible but the dietician did get me one
I really want to know where I was at

another also I thought it was rather strange that the dietician didnt say how many carbs per meal or day or snacks just gave me a picture of a plate showing where and how much food

If you go back ask those questions . I’m surprised they didn’t tell you that.

A lot of portion size is on labels of what you eat. Like I have cereal for breakfast I measured it out in a bowl and you would be surprised what the portion is…but now I can eye ball that amount.

Don’t be defeated , it takes time. Yes it’s scary but you’re not on insulin so you have time to get it right.

 

[Dznypal]

What kind of cereal do you eat and how much. I remember the first go around I can’t remember what kind of cereal but it was only half cup not much. I could have 1/4 cup milk. on it.

 

[lanejudy]

The number was good though before supper. Dietician asked what I had for breakfast Bs he said that was ok.
I’m back to feeling I’ll never get the hang of this.
Oh well back to square one

You did good. I assume your breakfast is something you and the dietician discussed and ended up settling on that. The half-muffin instead of a full muffin and the peanut butter on toast gets you some protein. A serving of fruit or veggie would help but you are going in the right direction.

Lunch also try adding some veggies. A small garden salad or a few baby carrots.

One trick that works in my family to keep the starch portion small is to prepare a smaller amount. There are 3 of us and I usually make potatoes, rice, etc. as a 2-person serving. It gives us each a taste but nobody can go overboard with it. If you are cooking for just 2 of you, make a single serving and split it. And only 1 starch -- if you have fries, no bread/rolls. If you want the sandwich on a bun, have some carrot sticks instead of fries.

What kind of cereal do you eat and how much. I remember the first go around I can’t remember what kind of cereal but it was only half cup not much. I could have 1/4 cup milk. on it.

Look at the cereal box for the kinds you like. Then use a measuring cup to put that much into your bowl. It is probably less than what you typically have done (if cereal has been a regular food for you). But add some berries so you are getting nutrients as well as carbs.


You will get this! It takes time and trial. Nothing is perfect, nobody is perfect. The fact your treatment team recognized your stress and wanted to keep it simple is good, it means they are willing to work with you gradually.

 

[NAB]

What kind of cereal do you eat and how much. I remember the first go around I can’t remember what kind of cereal but it was only half cup not much. I could have 1/4 cup milk. on it.

Most of mine are 3/4 cup but I don’t eat sugary one .i eat a lot of multi grain Cherrios. I really don’t measure the milk . But again check the label some are less like you said.

But you had a breakfast that was ok they said.

Everyone is different I could do better in my eating too but don’t beat myself up .

 

[EACarlson]

first official reading with meter and what I ate today
breakfast was half muffin and peanut butter on toast
lunch half of fish sandwich with a few fries with bun and cheese small glass of soda
reading before supper was 110 quite shocking
I still have about hr and a half till I can do my after eating number
Ill update then I just wanted to get this out there

also I had some questions from the dr before my meds and meter came in and I had asked why the dr didnt want to use a meter
the reply was
since they knew I was panicking about this whole deal and the fact that Im not on insulin and the A1C wasnt horrible but the dietician did get me one
I really want to know where I was at

another also I thought it was rather strange that the dietician didnt say how many carbs per meal or day or snacks just gave me a picture of a plate showing where and how much food

Diet soda or fully leaded? Otherwise that looks fine to mee. I would probably have eaten more, like the whole sandwich, but I'm also a male over 200lbs.

That’s a lot of carbs!

Toast and muffins and buns and fries and soda.

Doesn't look too bad to me. Depends on the size and makeup of the muffin though. A half of the most popular muffin around me would be about 30 carbs, doesn't say how many pieces of toast, but at 15g each even two pieces would be below the number given previously. Half a sandwich bun is 20, a few fries might be another 10. It's going to depend on what type of soda it was. Diet soda would be zero so I would actually say that's a little light.

 

[Dznypal]

Thanks for the breakdown.
The sandwich was from the casino we were playing bingo. Hubby and me share a lot of meals out.
The soda was regular. Diet or zero sugar tears my stomach up.
It was a blueberry muffin with one piece of toast. It was just a small glass of soda. Not as much as a whole can

 

[NAB]

Thanks for the breakdown.
The sandwich was from the casino we were playing bingo. Hubby and me share a lot of meals out.
The soda was regular. Diet or zero sugar tears my stomach up.
It was a blueberry muffin with one piece of toast. It was just a small glass of soda. Not as much as a whole can

It’s hard but you should try to change the soda to water. I hate, hate water but I drink more now since I don’t drink diet soda anymore. I once and awhile have one if we are out and wonder to myself how did I drink so much before usually don’t finish it. Old days I could have like 3 refills.

Regular soda has way too much sugar.

 

[QueenIsabella]

It’s hard but you should try to change the soda to water. I hate, hate water but I drink more now since I don’t drink diet soda anymore. I once and awhile have one if we are out and wonder to myself how did I drink so much before usually don’t finish it. Old days I could have like 3 refills.

Regular soda has way too much sugar.

This cannot be emphasized enough. You need to STOP DRINKING SUGARED SODA!!!!! Drink water. Find another non-sugar substitute that works for you. Stop making excuses. This one habit alone can make or break your diabetes journey.

The good news is, this is one simple thing that you can do, now, and then work on the other stuff--introducing more vegetables, learning portion control, cooking healthier, etc. Those things take time. Switching to water is simple. NO EXCUSES!!!

 

[EACarlson]

Thanks for the breakdown.
The sandwich was from the casino we were playing bingo. Hubby and me share a lot of meals out.
The soda was regular. Diet or zero sugar tears my stomach up.
It was a blueberry muffin with one piece of toast. It was just a small glass of soda. Not as much as a whole can

To echo what others here have said. The fully leaded soda is the only issue with what you had. An 8 ounce glass, so two thirds of a can, has 26g of sugar. Depending on what else was in the sandwich and how the fish was prepared, you're probably alright.

 

[VandVsmama]

Thanks for the breakdown.
The sandwich was from the casino we were playing bingo. Hubby and me share a lot of meals out.
The soda was regular. Diet or zero sugar tears my stomach up.
It was a blueberry muffin with one piece of toast. It was just a small glass of soda. Not as much as a whole can

some food for thought:

• A diabetic drinking non-diet soda (aka full sugar soda) is a little similar to continuing to dig yourself into a big hole in the ground when the hole is already 6 feet deep and you wonder why you can't get out of the hole. First step: you have to stop digging. So you have to stop drinking non-diet soda. Period.
• For example, one 12-oz serving of fully leaded Coca-Cola has 39 gm of sugar. 39 grams!
• If you're a Coke drinker and you've tried regular Diet Coke and it doesn't agree with you, then try Coke Zero instead and see if that works better. Coke Zero tastes really similar to regular Coke, not as medicine-y as Diet Coke.
• let's say you only drank 6 oz of Coke. Ok, that's just under 20 gm of sugar.
• Depending on what the label says, that one piece of toast all on its own without anything on it could be 14 gm of carbs.
• Blueberry muffin - Add on another 14-35 gm of carbs, based on size of muffin and how much sugar it has in it.
• If you're a "I must have some sort of bread at breakfast" type of person, go to the health food section of the bread aisle and start reading labels. Try out a few different types of high fiber/whole grain bread. Higher # of grams of fiber = total net carbs will be lower. And this will mean that the bread you buy will be more expensive than a more generic store brand, for example. Put butter or peanut butter on the toast. Not jam/jelly. Using jam or jelly is like main-lining more diabetes into your veins.
• Figure out a way to cook eggs for breakfast in a way that you won't mind eating eggs for breakfast. Eggs & bacon, eggs & sausage, prepare some sort of breakfast casserole at the start of the week and heat a serving of it up every morning...you get the idea. Add some veg in the casserole. Minced up bell peppers, for example, so you get a little bit of veg in at breakfast, too.
• Don't do what my Type 2 diabetic MIL did for the 30 yr she had diabetes & eat Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast every morning. 30 gm of total carbs in a 1 cup serving.
• If you're a coffee drinker and normally use cream & sugar, find a sugar substitute that works for you which isn't actually sugar. But don't use actual sugar in your coffee anymore. For same reason as why you shouldn't drink regular non-diet soda.
• When you have a hankering for something sweet, consider preparing some keto desserts ahead of time.

Here's one that comes from the "Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook":

"Frosty" chocolate shake: this tastes like a Wendy's frosty.
Serves 2
10 min prep, 1 hr to chill
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz coconut milk
1 TB Swerve natural sweetener
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder

per serving: 444 calories, 47 gm total fat, 15 gm total carbs (7 gm net carbs), 2 gm fiber, 4 gm protein

1. pour cream into medium cold metal bowl. With hand mixer and cold beaters, beat the cream until it forms peaks.
2. slowly pour in the coconut milk and gently stir it into the cream. Add sweetener, vanilla, and cocoa powder, and beat until fully combined.
3. pour into 2 tall glasses. Chill in freezer for 1 hr before serving.

 

[lanejudy]

Higher # of grams of fiber = total net carbs will be lower.

I can't speak for all diabetics, but among any providers my family has seen for diabetes none use net carbs -- it's always Total Carbs. Net carbs is a keto or low carb diet thing.

 

[VandVsmama]

Some other little changes you could consider:

• switch the ketchup you use at home to the no-sugar-added kind. Heinz makes one that's 1 gm of total carbs for a 1 TB serving.
• Look at the labels of the salad dressing you use at home. A lot of brands have a surprising amount of added sugar in them...EVEN THE ONES LABELLED AS 'DIET'! BUT the Olive Garden Signature Italian salad dressing (you can buy in grocery store) has 2 gm total carbs for a 2 TB serving...I consider those #s pretty good for salad dressing.
• BBQ sauce - check labels. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce has 18 gm total carbs for a 2 TB serving. But the Sweet Baby Ray's No Sugar Added BBQ sauce has 4 gm of carbs for that same 2 TB serving.
• Read the label of the peanut butter you're using. For example, a 2 TB serving of Jif has 6 gm net carbs, but a store brand of 'no sugar added/natural' peanut butter has 2 gm net carbs for that same 2 TB serving.
• if you're a coffee drinker, switch from low-fat milk in your coffee to heavy cream. 2 TB of heavy cream has 0.9 gm of carbs, but 2 TB of 1% fat milk has ~ 2 gm of carbs. Not necessarily if you're a 'one cup of coffee per day" person, but if you like having refills, then those 2 gm for each cup of coffee will add up quickly after 3-4 cups of coffee.
• if you drink full sugar soda all day, switch to water. Or if you hate plain water, add a slice of lemon into your water bottle. Or if you don't like the taste of lemon water, put a mushed up blackberry into the water and try it that way (blackberries are a very low carb fruit).