Start with small things like portion control and eating less refined sugars. Add more fruits and vegetables (fruit is better for you than a candy bar, so eat that instead of the sweets). If there is only one vegetable you will eat, then eat that to fill you up. Try different ways to add protein into your diet. That will help you fill up. Then get to the gym and start moving your body. You have the membership, now use it! Do you have a friend that will go with you? If not, get some good music to listen to. I have a Kindle Fire and am starting to read more on there and have even watched a few episodes of a great tv show, with my Amazon Prime membership.

Don't try to change it all overnight. You didn't get where you are today overnight. It will take time, but you will start to see results.

I'll help anyway I can.

Also, you can learn a lot from the people on this message board. Many have been doing this longer than I have and many with great success!

Bananas are very high in sugars. Berries are good because they are lower in sugar and high in fiber. Speaking of fiber, Fiber One or Fiber Plus bars are a good substitute for a candy bar or other sweet snack. They only run about 120 calories.

i love almost all fruits but which ones are not that great for us with type 2

Everyone is different. My advice, "eat to your meter". in other words see which ones affect you the most.

Like Rainey suggest, I too dont eat more than 1/2 a banana unless I am out on the bike and need more fuel to get me home when I will eat a full one rather than a chocolate bar at a coffee stop.

Potatoes can spike your BG worse than sugar!! So I limit these, although I have become partial to Sweet Potatoe (I think you call them Yams in the US) which are much better for diabetics.

The best book I read when I was diagnosed is "The first year Type2 Diabetes" by Gretchen Becker a m ine of useful information. I am not normally a fan of the dummies books as they can be a bit patronising, but, in this case the Dummies book on T2 was surprisingly good.

Hi Mary and welcome to this group. All of us can only start from where we are so don't get stressed out. You asked a question about cals/carbs/sugars; as a diabetic our main focus should be on carbs. The consensus view is that it's best to focus on net carbs which is total carb less fibre. With ref to sugars, since they go straight to glucose they are usually lumped in with carbs. The food label will have carbs listed and this should be your target. Anything with a carb content over say 55 per 100 gms should be treated with caution. It's best to focus on complex carbs such as wholegrains etc rather than simple carbs such as white bread, white rice, pasta. Try to substitute wholegrain bread. wholewheat pasta and brown rice. Have a look at some of the open diaries in the group to get an idea for meals etc. Focus on one thing at a time ,only moving on when you have got it under control. Feel free to send me a friend request if you think I may be able to help.

Congrats to you for taking this very big step in taking care of your diabetes! Be proud of yourself! I too had been in denial forever, but am finally awake! Much of the above advice is spot on - I am trying to figure these things out for myself as well. Walking after meals really helped my sugars levels drop. I am avoiding refined flours and sugars as best possible. I think when the weight comes off, I will get even more control. This site is so great for tracking things, you will see what causes the big spikes in your sugar levels pretty easily. Dairy and many fruits are promblematic for me - but most berries are on the low glycemic scale and seem ok for me. I feel much better eating more veggies and hope you will feel that too. You may not love the way they taste now, but you will love how you feel eating them. Oh yeah, try a good indian cookbook for veggies. Good luck!

I'll chime in as well, even though I am still arguing with my diet to get it under control. I used to be a sweet fiend! (One of those that a box of zebra cakes and a box of swiss rolls MIGHT last 2 days, usually not.)

I broke the habit / addiction by switching over to a ton more protein for about 3 weeks. Not easy, and I loved the meals, but couldn't afford the new menu. BUT, in the time I was eating that way, my body decided that sweets were not their own food group. Now, I can't even EAT anything that sweet. It was a bit of a shock when I discovered even fast food milkshakes are too sweet.

But, like others have said, make your changes gradually, and they will stay with you longer. This approach was a bit harsh on the system, but I was determined to keep the weight loss moving. (This was before I was diagnosed with T2 as well.)

Not sure if this will help, but it's there if you want to think about it.

This forum has been really helpful to me as well. Good job on bringing down the number through exercise...and realizing you'll figure out what foods work for or against you as well. It begins as an experiment, in some ways, and ends in a lifestyle!