I'm freaking out and feel alone.

[sarah.miller 43]

I am 25 years old and recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I've been having the hardest time watching what I eat. My family and friends don't understand what I'm going through, it's hard having to say no to carbs and sugar.I'm getting married in November and we plan to have kids in the future. I'm scared type 2 diabetes is going to cause me to have a lot of complications. I need help.

[notme 2,912]

Don't be scared, Sarah, get mad. Diabetes will make you get healthy. You will eat healthy, exercise and stay healthy. Complications can be greatly reduced if not avoided if you use it as your motivation.

 

I am glad you decided to join......step one in taking control. Baby steps.....get healthy get in shape for your wedding and stay in shape for your future babies. You can prove to yourself that you have what it takes to keep your youthful health. I have had type one diabetes for over thirty years. I am healthy.

 

Do some reading and ask lots of questions. We are here to help.

[sarah.miller 43]

Thank you so much!

How do you deal with family members and friends eating carbs and sugar around you?

[notme 2,912]

Well Sarah, sometimes that is a struggle. What I do is look back at what I have eaten the past few days. If I have been following my diet, sometimes I indulge. Usually, I just try and find things I like that will substitute for the carbs and I leave the junk to others. I love snap peas and ranch dressing, I enjoy roasted almonds, salami slices with cream cheese inside (I put the cream cheese on top and fols it in half, I add blue berries on the plate to cut through the fat. Sometimes I add chopped water chestnuts to the cream cheese.

 

My family knows I am a low carb eater and they always seem to find something I love to put out when we get together. It is a process, but you will find they will start to follow your healthy diet.

 

I have been eating this way now for about a year and a half and have dropped 30 pounds. My cholesterol is now normal, despite the extra natural fats in my diet. It seems processed foods made my cholesterol high, not fats. Go figure, right?

[princesslinda 2,839]

Welcome Sarah!  I'll be having my 9th year D-versary on Monday.  It's scary to get that diagnosis, but diabetes can be managed and you can have a long and happy life with it, and it soon becomes another part of your life.  Congrats on your upcoming wedding!  Exciting times for you. 

Hope you have a meter, as it will be your guide to let you know what foods are most problematic for you and to help you make smarter food choices.  If you test just before you eat, then again 2 hrs after your first bite you'll soon find many blood sugar friendly foods and eating won't be as stressful.

 

Carbs are our enemy, so minimizing them is a must.  Rice, pasta, potatoes, bread and sweets are all things to avoid.  Certainly you can have cake at your wedding and enjoy your reception, but in general, your treats should be of the low-carb and sugar free varieties.  We have a recipe section here with lots of good ideas.

 

A book I found very helpful when newly diagnosed was " The First Year: Type II Diabetes," by Gretchen Becker. She's T2 herself.

 

You have your entire life ahead of you, making good choices now will serve you well now and in the future, and these good choices may help your husband and future  children have a healthier life as well.

Bottom line, you're going to be okay!
 

[Kit 26,669]

Its the same as with any diet.  You just know you can't so you don't.  I guess it is easier for me as I've watched many family members suffer from complications and so it makes the risks very real.  My brother went blind from diabetic retinopathy 3 weeks before I was diagnosed.  That was a very real eye opener.

 

Now, not eating carbs does not mean you are deprived of everything good in the food world.  No, you can't eat chips whilke watching TV, but you can make chips out of just cheese in one minute in the microwave.  All you need is some cheese and some parchment paper.  You can use various cheeses and even mix with some seasonings to spice things up how you like.  Parmesean and paprika are good.  So is pepperjack all by itself.

 

You can check out our recipe section.  There are lots of ideas and links to low carb recipe sites.  Its a little bit more work than just buying from the store, but well worth the extra energy IMO.

 

Some people like mashed cauliflower in place of potatoes.  I don't personally, but its just a personal preference.  There are a number of low carb bread recipes out there that use almond flour, coconut flour, flax, and similar.  You might be surprised at what all options are available out there.

[princesslinda 2,839]

Thank you so much!

How do you deal with family members and friends eating carbs and sugar around you?

You just learn to deal with it.  Seriously, it's hard sometimes, but you can't expect them to not eat something just because you can't.  Same goes for your spouse.  My husband eats what foods I cook, but we always have Oreos on hand as he's a cookie person.  I've learned to keep Carb Smart ice cream bars and sugar free jello around for when I want something sweet.  Always check labels for carbs, as sometimes the sugar-free versions have more carbs that the regular version. 

[notme 2,912]

Seriously Linda!!!! Oreos aren't cookies! have you seen "Tate's" cookies at Costco or your local store. They are amazingly good and only 9 carbs per cookie. Chocolate chip, Double chocolate, white chocolate and macadamia and dark chocolate. Gluten free for some of their flavors.

[sarah.miller 43]

Thank you ladies, I really appreciate y'alls help!!

[princesslinda 2,839]

Trader Joe's has a buttery almond thin cookie that is really good with hot tea in the mornings. Reminds me of those "windmill" cookies that were around when I was a kid. They are light and crispy, about 3 carbs each.

Sarah, you sound like my neighbor (i'm from TN, we're big on "y'all."

[mbc1963 427]

Hi Sarah!

 

I didn't make a fuss about my new way of eating... even waited a while to tell my mother. (Just didn't want the questions!) I'm sure my mother informed my whole family. After a couple months, I'd lost sigificant weight, and my younger sister started eating LC too! She has since dropped probably 40 pounds. So now when we have family get-togethers, people ask us how we've lost so much. There's generally something you can eat - take the insides out of a wrap, eat a salad with steak on it, do eggs and bacon at brunch. I even do pizza - I just eat the toppings and maybe a tiny taste of the crust.

 

It was a sad and cary diagnosis for me, and I was over 50. It must be very frustrating at such a young age. But you can totally take control of this!

[sarah.miller 43]

Yes Linda, I'm a southern girl. I love Trader Joe's. They have the best sushi.

 

Thank you Mbc1963, yes it is very scary to be diagnosed at 25. It's time for me to take control of my life.

 

I really appreciate everyones help.

[Moonpie 5,856]

the hardest part of eating with family or friends, is when they turn into the food police, as in: you shouldn't eat that or why aren't you eating that? I have learned to ignore it,  & go on my merry way, there is little point in trying to explain ( at least in my family) Good luck. You will do fine.

[ant hill 2,891]

Hello & Welcome to the best place for Diabetics,

This is the place to get Diet Advice and if you are a cook in your kitchen then you are well on the way to a Better You!!! Learn all you can Sarah on Low Carb High Fat ideas.We are not at all that Perfect as you learn by your mistakes as that's Practice.

[Diana_CT 13,848]

Once you learn what and how much you can eat it does mean that you can't splurge once and a while like for birthdays or going out on dates. It just means you have to plan ahead and cut back on carbs before and after the event and limit the portions.  

[Peggy_TX 3,109]

 I love Trader Joe's. They have the best sushi.

 

 

I would live on sushi...  except that it would kill me

A bite here and there is fine, but more than that is a bad idea  

Sashimi is awesome -- but SUSHI is (by definition) "sugared rice"    (turn the trader joe's package over and look at the carbs.....)     

[ant hill 2,891]

Yes Sushi is nice but an expensive snack, Carb Free!!!!

[Peggy_TX 3,109]

Yes Sushi is nice but an expensive snack, Carb Free!!!!

no

SASHIMI is expensive and carb free

SUSHI is rice and sugar   just happens that some versions ALSO have fish.    but sushi refers to the sugared rice

[ant hill 2,891]

no

SASHIMI is expensive and carb free

SUSHI is rice and sugar   just happens that some versions ALSO have fish.    but sushi refers to the sugared rice

Whopps!!!! I mean the other way round, Thanks Peg.

[Cormac_Doyle 188]

I love to go to the local sushi restaurant.

 

Sushi and Sashimi are exactly the same cost.

 

Order sushi and at least 50% of the dish will be rice.

 

No sugar in either (this is a REAL Japanese restaurant), but to a diabetic's body, there's not much difference between white rice and sugar.

 

I love to go (no more than every 6-8 weeks - too expensive ... although my first date with my wife was in that restaurant, so we will never NOT go!), 

We order 3 sashimi dishes each, two bows of miso soup, one crab sushi each, and some warm Saki. Perfect evening. The guys presessnt it as a really ornately decorated dish each. Beautiful, tasty, and I know exactly how much insulin to bolus for while we are waiting for it to arrive!!!

 

Perfect date night. I just wish I had the money to do it more often!!!

[Peggy_TX 3,109]

 

No sugar in either (this is a REAL Japanese restaurant), but to a diabetic's body, there's not much difference between white rice and sugar.

 

 

You might want to check on that

The perfect portions of vinegar and sugar are exactly what japanese sushi prides itself on......

 

Other than that, I totally agree.    A sashimi/miso dinner, usually with a shared role and a perfect saki, is on our "must do" list nearly every weekend.   (and if I hit the plum wine for dessert, the pen is going to have to come out     LOL)

 

But getting back to the original poster...   sushi at trader joes is just a carb-bomb.     24g carbs for THREE PIECES of a california role.   I think there are 8 to a package, so that makes it 64g of carbs in something you'd grab for a "healthy" lunch!!

 

MOST of the TJ salads are the same.   But they DO label them well.   Turn every package over and read the lables.   There are lots of yummy quick-grab-lunches that come in UNDER 20g carbs.   Most are too high for a lot of the low-carbers on this board, but they're going to be better for you than the sushi.  

 

 (and don't pass over the "mini-brie" in the cheese section!!!  OMG delicious single serving brie.   High in cals -- so watch out if that's an issues -- but I think they are only 1 or 2g carbs)

[moneymeister 3,348]

Hi Sarah,

 

I remember freaking out too. My head was just, "no, no, no this can't be happening!". I remember going to the grocery store and crying in the aisles because I had no idea what had carbs and what didn't have carbs and all my favorite things were definitely not okay...those dern labels I never read before...it SUCKED!

 

 I am so glad to read that you are taking this seriously and realize that the future of your health and the future of your family is involved with your choices. I lost my dad at 52 to diabetic complications after 20 years of dying slowly. It's a brutal and slow way to go. When I was diagnosed, my first thought was, "how do I not die too?" Well, the answer to that is by making better choices every day. Keeping the A1c in line to limit cell damage. We do have control over our future and our outcomes, by a wide margin. Being upset and panicking is normal, but you will be okay once you learn how to live with it.

 

Sarah, you can do this. It will take time and attention and a little planning. You'll need to learn how foods effect your blood glucose. Monitoring your blood levels an hour or so after you eat will show you what foods you tolerate and foods you don't. Eat to your meter and let that be your compass for decision making. 

 

PS, shopping usually is done on the grocery store's perimeter...most box stuff won't work because of high carb content. 

[jims_forum 1,250]

Wonderful comments from you all helping Sarah. Drop the carbs - limit grains, portion control, eat to your meter to smoke out bad choices, have a a daily calorie target, get sufficient exercise and do not overeat unless you are working at the pharaoh's stone works

lifting heavy rocks and no apologies needed for others on comments - your health and glucose control come first,

 

Best wishes and good luck and yes it takes time and patience to swing this monster under control - steady on target is key!

[sarah.miller 43]

Thank you everyone!! Y'all have all been very helpful and I appreciate it!

[adiantum 31,667]

How have you been Sarah?