“How strict does my diet have to be with type 2 diabetes?”

I recommend following a low carb diet.
https://www.diabetes.org/nutrition/understanding-carbs/get-to-know-carbs

It is possible to eliminate your diabetes all together. But you will need guidance. Diet is 100% the cause and solution for diabetes. Seek someone in the allopathic field who knows how to help you.

You need to see a nutritionist and have diabetes education.

Some dietary changes are needed but this does not have to be so strict as to be unpleasant. How strict you need to be is dependent on several factors such as how severe is your diabetes, do you need to lose wt., etc. Diet for wt. lose may be more difficult that for control of blood sugar. Please get some education about diabetes. See a diabetes educator & a dietician and get educated about your disease. Insurance will pay for diabetes classes. If you have no insurance, a good source of diabetes education is the YMCA. Their course is good & it's cheap. Your Dr. should have gotten you into a diabetes education program where you would get dietary education. Every one with diabetes needs 10-15 hours of diabetes & dietary education. It is your need & your right