[jenbaz1979]

Hi all I’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes however I’m very confused at the minute As my doctor isn’t very helpful they’ve give me a blood sugar monitor and told me to back in a month , so i don’t know how they will know which way to treat me for example with diet or tablets.
Any help would be greatly appreciated..

[buddy7]

Hi jenbaz! Hello good evening and welcome to the forum, you have chosen a great site for support and understanding ones condition, and to top it all, a wealth of good information, so sorry to here your Dr was not helpful.

Diabetes has become your new journey, you will need a lot of help, please do not hesitate to visit us here often, ask as many questions you like, one way to learn of this condition, we're here to help you.

Use your meter to test test test, monitor those results, a healthy balance diet with plenty of exercise at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, this is just for starters.

[genie86333]

Hi, Jenbaz!

Welcome to the forum.

What most people find is necessary is to cut back on carbs. This means eliminating or cutting down on "white" foods: bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, flour, sugar. How much you cut back on carbs is up to you, but you need to find an amount that allows your blood sugar to stay at healthy levels. You didn't mention what your blood sugar readings are right now, but you should aim for keeping your blood sugar at or under 7.5 at 2 hours after the first bite of food. If your blood sugar is already higher than that because it's not under control yet, then eat things that don't raise your blood sugar much (try to keep it from going up more than a point or so from before the meal to 2 hours later)

Keep a log of what foods you get the best results with. Eat those things more often & the things that raise your blood sugar significantly less often or not at all.

Stick around here & ask lots of questions.

[jenbaz1979]

HI guys can i just wanted to ask iv been monitoring my blood sugar level for only a week now but its never dropped below 11 which is 196 and this was at the end of the day about 5 hours after my last meal does this mean i shouldn’t eat until its even lower ?Also its always higher when i wake up than it was before i went to bed is this normal if there is such a thing?

[Jae]

Hi jenbaz!

Mine gave me a monitor told me test morning and night and to cut out "white stuff" potatoes, bread, rice. Come back in 3 months and they would do a a1c test. I have learned testing before and after a meal (1 hour past and 2 hours) is much more important then morning and night.

Thankfully my first stop from the doctor's office was the book store. I had to learn more about food then I ever wanted to know or even imagined there was to know. Then I had to learn how each one effects ME. We are all different. I have learned you can never test to much. SugarStats.Com gives you a great overview of your readings.

Good Luck
Jae

[sumi]

Hi Jen welcome,
From the sound of it, you are doing some research which is great. With levels only coming down to 11, you should be on some meds. Usually we start out on metformin which has the least side effects of any med. but can cause unpleasant symptoms in many, including diarrhea and upset stomach. These are usually minimized by slowly increasing your dose, and usually ease off after a short time. However, most of the improvement that you can achieve will be from diet and exercise. If you read through the threads, particulary Introductions, you will see lots of advice on what to eat. You will learn to count carbs, and cut them back to the level at which your bg becomes better. This means, at least for a start, no 'white' food. No rice, potatoes, bread, sugar, pasta. Lots of green veggies, meats, cheeses. The good news is that fats, like oil and butter will not affect your bg readings. I don't know if you exercise regularly, but you must. If this is new to you, try starting with two 10 minute walks a day. You will be amazed at how well this works to lower your bg reading. As you may be thinking by now, you are about to become healthy. Please read Jenny Ruhl's website Blood Sugar 101. It contain lots of information which you should find interesting. It also explains the Dawn Phenomenom which is what is causing your higher morning numbers. Also, remember, it will take a little time for your numbers to come down. You do not have to stop eating until then.

[kgm0612]

Hi & Welcome.

Please give us a sample of what you are eating during the course of a day.

It's important to test, follow a low carb diet, keep a journal of the foods you're eating so you'll know which ones you do well with and which ones you need to avoid, and get in some form of exercise if you're not already doing so.

Karen