Looking for advice

TripleM78

Hello everyone. I am new to the forums but I hope I can ask for some advice.

First a bit about me. I was diagnosed as a diabetic a little less than two years ago. I am Type 2, early. According to my doctor, if I change my habits I should be able to control it enough to the point it is a non issue or even goes away. I work in retail management for a large company, and because of the lack of a set schedule I am unable to keep any sort of rhythm when it comes to eating and exercising. I am looking to keep a low carb diet, doctor recommended no more than 100 grams per day, but I decided to increase slightly to 110 due to what I have eaten.

Basically I am curious to what a good source of info would be for setting up a meal plan and exercise regime. I could get to the gym roughly 3-4 times a week. I have considered some meals through the mail or even subscribing to a couple of fitness sites, however at the moment finances are tight.

I am hoping some people are in a similar situation and wouldn't mind sharing some websites or apps that work well. I don’t really have a background in nutrition or even wellness.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

callsitlikeiseeit

mfp
basic gym membership or regular walks/runs if youre able to
watch your carb intake and BSG levels. test regularly, learn to read your body.

it doesnt cost anything to lose weight or control your diabetes through diet (other than food of course)

Unknown

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ptrcmcc6

I follow a low carb diet. I try to keep my carbs to no more than 60g per day. How I started was I decided to stay away from all of the "white stuff" (sugar, flour, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) and things made from them (bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, candy, etc.). Now, that's not saying I don't eat bread at all. I am not following the Atkins Diet. I do allow myself one slice of low carb bread (Schmidts whole wheat 647 bread - 6g carbs per slice once you subtract the fiber) in the morning for breakfast. I usually make, what I call, a Bird in the Nest where you cut the center of the bread out and fry an egg in the center so now, that one slice of bread, which would normally be 6g carbs, is now probably about 4g carbs because I cut 1/3 of it away. I also eat low carb wraps, which I make my pizza with, and allow myself whole wheat crackers (3g carbs per cracker), every once in awhile, with cheese or peanut butter and s/f jam. Another thing is, I tend to eat foods which are higher in fat because the fat helps to make you feel satiated. Now, we're not talking any kind of fatty foods here. We're talking healthy fats, such as, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, real butter, nuts and nut butters, cheese (if you eat dairy), salmon, tuna, cream, etc. My goals on here are set at 15% carbs, 50% fat, and 35% protein. I get my protein from different sources, such as eggs, beef, chicken, fish, cheese, cream, etc. and I try to get the majority of my carbs from salads and veggies. I'm not going to lie and say it's going to be easy in the beginning. For the first couple of days you will probably feel like eating a horse but go ahead and eat. Just make sure you're eating foods that are low in carbs and high in fat. After the first few days, you'll find you're not even hungry anymore and, not only will your sugar levels be better, but you will start losing weight, to boot. I restarted my low carb journey, again, in mid September and I have lost 12 lbs. so far. Anyway, good luck with your journey. I'll send you a friend request and feel free to stop by my food page to get an idea of how I eat........

spiriteagle99

You don't need a nutrition app, though if your insurance allows access to a registered dietitian (some do when diabetes is diagnosed) you might consult one or take a class. Basically, focus on eating a lot of protein and vegetables, with whole grains and some fruit, limiting simple carbs like white flour and sugary foods. Be especially careful in what you drink, because many drinks have a lot of sugar, like sodas, coffee drinks, juices, etc.

See: http://www.lillydiabetes.com/_assets/pdf/ld90772_dailymealplanguide_drive.pdf

As to exercise, find something you like to do, like walk, row, dance, bicycle, hike, etc. You don't have to join a gym, but there are some that are pretty inexpensive. Walking is simplest and cheapest. My diabetic husband has found a huge difference in his blood sugar when he hikes and it is the only exercise he enjoys doing. But YMMV

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SezxyStef

ptrcmcc6 wrote: »

I follow a low carb diet. I try to keep my carbs to no more than 60g per day. How I started was I decided to stay away from all of the "white stuff" (sugar, flour, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) and things made from them (bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, candy, etc.). Now, that's not saying I don't eat bread at all. I am not following the Atkins Diet. I do allow myself one slice of low carb bread (Schmidts whole wheat 647 bread - 6g carbs per slice once you subtract the fiber) in the morning for breakfast. I usually make, what I call, a Bird in the Nest where you cut the center of the bread out and fry an egg in the center so now, that one slice of bread, which would normally be 6g carbs, is now probably about 4g carbs because I cut 1/3 of it away. I also eat low carb wraps, which I make my pizza with, and allow myself whole wheat crackers (3g carbs per cracker), every once in awhile, with cheese or peanut butter and s/f jam. Another thing is, I tend to eat foods which are higher in fat because the fat helps to make you feel satiated. Now, we're not talking any kind of fatty foods here. We're talking healthy fats, such as, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, real butter, nuts and nut butters, cheese (if you eat dairy), salmon, tuna, cream, etc. My goals on here are set at 15% carbs, 50% fat, and 35% protein. I get my protein from different sources, such as eggs, beef, chicken, fish, cheese, cream, etc. and I try to get the majority of my carbs from salads and veggies. I'm not going to lie and say it's going to be easy in the beginning. For the first couple of days you will probably feel like eating a horse but go ahead and eat. Just make sure you're eating foods that are low in carbs and high in fat. After the first few days, you'll find you're not even hungry anymore and, not only will your sugar levels be better, but you will start losing weight, to boot. I restarted my low carb journey, again, in mid September and I have lost 12 lbs. so far. Anyway, good luck with your journey. I'll send you a friend request and feel free to stop by my food page to get an idea of how I eat........

hello wall of text...please use breaks the next time.

But that being said you don't have to stop eating carbs to lose weight unless the doctor has suggested it due to the diabetes.

The key for weight loss is cico..

OP just enter your stats here....put in weekly weight loss goal and follow the calories given by MFP but make sure you log accurately and consistently.

Buy a food scale to ensure this...and make sure the entries you use make sense.

As for the workouts....try walking or fitnessblender.com or any of the many many videos on Youtube until you find something you like.

I lift heavy weights, run, walk, bike,, swim etc...

leggup

There was a study recently that showed losing about 30 lbs reversed type 2 diabetes for recently diagnosed individuals. I am struggling to find it, but webmd makes similar claims: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-guide/reversing-type-2-diabetes#1 Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight and building up to 150 minutes of exercise a week may help you to slow or stop the progress of type 2 diabetes. So it's great you're watching your carb intake from a blood sugar perspective, but calories are the key to weight loss.

TripleM78 wrote: »

Basically I am curious to what a good source of info would be for setting up a meal plan and exercise regime. I could get to the gym roughly 3-4 times a week. I have considered some meals through the mail or even subscribing to a couple of fitness sites, however at the moment finances are tight

I use a $12 food scale to weigh my food. Then I enter the food into myfitnesspal. I use MapMyRun (free) synced with myfitnesspal in order to log my cardio exercises. I eat within the restrictions that MyFitnesspal gives me, which, right now, is, for my height and weight, 1,480 calories per day (185g carbs, 49 g fat, 74 g protein). I am targetting 1 lb per week weight loss and I am already a healthy weight, so your numbers WILL be different. You can manually change the % carbs in your Myfitnesspal goals settings. I have it set to 50%.

For exercise, I walk my dogs 1 mile per day. I go swing dancing a few times a week for several hours. I am trying to be more consistent with weight lifting. I use the program Starting Strength (free) as a framework. https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs In the evenings, if I don't feel like I've moved enough that day, I pull up cardio videos on youtube. I like fitnessblender and psychetruth (more for stretching for psychetruth).

jgnatca

I was T2 for over a decade in remission after significant weight loss. I've been to LOTS of nutrition classes. The very first lesson is to get on a routine. Have appropriate snacks on you if need be. You are essentially taking over an automatic function by being alert and following a routine.

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/create-your-plate/

I spent my first few months diarizing my food, my sugar levels, and how I felt. Eventually I learned what it felt like if my sugar was too low or too high. I learned a LOT about what is in my food. Drinks are tricky; they can hide a LOT of calories.

Please have breakfast, and a very similar breakfast, at the same time every day. Always have some protein in there. This sets you up for the rest of your day.

Here's a sample list of portable snacks to have on hand. Since your day in retail can be so crazy, I think you should carry something with you at all times.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504

The lesson with diabetes is you don't want to be too high or too low. Never too hungry or too full. As soon as you start to feel faint, eat something. Extra points if it has protein in it. That will prevent a future high.

Exercise also will benefit you best if on a routine. If you exercise right after eating, it will help moderate your high; a very good thing. Don't exercise if you are starving; you will dip down too low.