Before you get to the class, which will help you feel SO much more confident, the quickest recommendation I could give you would be to count carb grams. Have 15-30 with each meal or snack, and try not to exceed 30 at any one sitting. Also, the closer you get to whole grain the better, so tortillas are better than crackers, but triscuits are better, sprouted grain bread better yet, etc. White pasta, I avoid, wheat is better, whole grain better yet, etc.

That one piece can be enough to make a significant difference until you can take the class. Good luck to you! If you ever want to talk about the emotional roller-coaster of all this too, we're here!

Hi Fergie416 and welcome to this group. Being newly diagnosed can be a bit overwhelming and we can all remember being there. I'm glad you have been given a date for your Diabetes Education course which is a great start. At the begining it's easy to get a bit paniced into information overload which can seem very daunting. Take a breath, step back and take time to read over the various boards on this and similar diabetes support groups on MFP. Don't try to do everything in one go, which often leads to discouragement. When you're ready to ask questions you will find lots of very supportive people on here who are very willing to share their knowledge and experience with those who are still learning. The good news is that there is lots we can do to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle. I wish you well for your future and will certainly help in any way I can.

When I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes my doctor recommended I go on the South Beach diet. It is a low carb diet. That changed my life. I must be on a low carb diet to control my diabetes unless I want to be on medication for the rest of my life. If I ate the amount of carbs that are recommended by nutritionist for diabetes I would be on insulin. Instead I control my blood glucose levels with my diet.

Hi Fergie,

The diagnosis is always really overwhelming. I remember what it was like and that was 14 years ago.

If you eat tortillas I would go for the low carb ones. You really want to be aware of the carbs in your food. MFP makes that a lot easier than when I used to have to look everything up in a carb book. The number and type of carbs you can eat are very dependent on what your body will tolerate. I hope they gave you a meter, if not, get one. Most drs. offices have a pile of free ones. You want to find one with cheap test strips because most insurance companies don't cover as many as you really need.

Test often. When you first start out you will feel like you are testing all the time because you are. Test first thing in the morning, one hour, 2 hr and 3 hr after eating a meal. You will start figuring out when your spike after eating is and then can pretty much just test at your highest point. That high point can vary depending on the food you eat and your body. Eventually you can cut back testing to a few times a day. I tend to be high at fasting so I always check first thing in the morning then test 1 or 2 more times a day at different times. I also test when I eat something I'm unsure of.

T2 can really vary from person to person. In general, watching carbs and getting more exercise can help. Losing weight can make you able to reduce your drugs or eliminate them altogether. The goal is to have controlled BG so you don't rot. If it means you take drugs than so be it.

A class will really help you learn a lot about T2 so I'm glad you have one scheduled soon.

@Fergie 416, I'm glad you have found this group helpful. You've made a really good start and provided you stick with the programme you should continue to see results. Feel free to send me a friend request if you think I might be able to help.