"Managing Type 2 Diabetes" (How?)
tinaBawesome
Posts: 92 Member
How do YOU control your Type 2 Diabetes? (It wrecks havoc on so much more of your body, than I imagined.) I've been researching the internet and social media for weeks now. I've been looking for local workshops, events or classes near me, to figure this all out. I want to learn, not only so I can lose weight, but to live a healthier lifestyle and that can be difficult without the proper knowledge. Yes, I have a Primary doctor, but I just know the basics, nothing related to blood sugars, recipes, etc. Sure, there's plenty of information out there, but then many are so confusing or misinforming. I just want to get mine under control. Please help if you can relate...
8
Replies
-
Losing weight is probably one of the better therapy's and consuming more whole foods and some scheduled exercise and it doesn't have to be strenuous, it just needs to be more than you do now. I don't and never have had diabetes and just my opinion based on my knowledge gained by spending far too much time researching nutrition.2
-
Have you asked for a referral to a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes. They can be a great resource to help manage your good choices.12
-
neanderthin wrote: »Losing weight is probably one of the better therapy's and consuming more whole foods and some scheduled exercise and it doesn't have to be strenuous, it just needs to be more than you do now. I don't and never have had diabetes and just my opinion based on my knowledge gained by spending far too much time researching nutrition.
This...
Also, have you paid a visit to the American Diabetes Association website? Likely to get much better information there than random websites, blogs, and definitely social media which is pure garbage for stuff like this. Social media is entertainment.
I've never had diabetes, but my dad was type II. He was able to get referred to a registered dietician that specialized in diabetic care. He basically followed the "diabetes plate" as illustrated on the ADA website with the help of his dietician in actually understanding nutrition and what should really be going on that plate. He lost weight and started exercising regularly...primarily daily walks.
https://www.diabetes.org/
ETA: when you start going to all kinds of different sites and blogs and social media, this can often result in paralysis by analysis and information overload (a lot of it bad) when in reality, like my dad always said, just KISS.
8 -
As stated above, the best thing you can do is to quickly get to a healthy BMI.
What I did to bring my a1c from 11 at diagnosis to consistently under 5 (in the normal range, not even pre-diabetic) is called “eating to the meter.” While a diabetic educator is a good start, every diabetic is at a different place in the disease and different people have different tolerances for the same foods. Eating to the meter means getting a blood glucose meter and strips - I recommend the Bauer Contour next plus but Walmart has a good inexpensive option, the main thing is to get strips inexpensively so you won’t be shy about testing often. They are cheaper on Amazon than at a drugstore. Then test before and after meals until you learn how your blood glucose responds to different foods and amounts of foods. Log everything, count your carbs, and try testing at different times after eating - ADA advice is to test 2 hrs after meals, for example. But in my case bg tends to peak about 45 minutes after eating and is nearly back to normal by 2 hrs, so if I followed ADA recommendations I would never know it was high!
Then plan your diet around the foods and amounts you know you can safely eat and keep your bg within range. Again, I don’t follow the ADA recommendations, which say anything below 180 following a meal is okay. It’s not okay. Anything over 150 is cooking your nervous system and doing gradual damage at that moment. Normal following a meal is below 140. So I aim to keep mine below 140 at all times.
Doing this, I found some surprises - for example, I can eat sweet potatoes and oranges in large amounts without spiking my glucose, but even a tiny amount of rice (including brown rice) or flour tortillas will spike me. I can eat a corn tortilla but not a flour one! And someone else might be completely different. I have a friend who can’t eat tomatoes, which don’t spike me. Another surprise I found was that taking naps wrecks my glucose control - if I take a nap and then eat, a meal which normally is fine will send my glucose through the ceiling!
Doing this is guaranteed to give you the information you need. No doctor or dietician can tell you the results of different foods on YOUR body, but testing will. With this information you can make good decisions and become your own advocate.
Also test around exercise, because exercise affects different people differently. For example, there’s another poster here who gets huge spikes from running, whereas for me running lowers my bg rapidly. Many people see a spike during heavy lifting, but lower bg for hours afterwards. If you test you will learn how it affects you.
In time you will learn the patterns and not have to test as often. I’ve had normal a1c for 4 years now and only test in the mornings, plus when I do or eat something unusual, or when I’m sick. (Because stress and sickness will change your bg.)
Best of luck to you, feel free to ask questions.11 -
Can your Dr recommend a dietitian? Also the American diabetes association has a website with info. I cut way back on carbs but am followed by a Dr. It is great you want to take care of yourself3
-
I’m counting daily calories, fat, and fiber
Daily goals include 4 veggies 2 fruit
Now I’m enjoying more fresh food
1 -
I would try to get set up to take a diabetic class.. they are a full 8 hour day, and they feed you lunch, and you test, and they explain diabetes in detail, and answer questions. I didn't enjoy it, but I did find a lot of what they said helpful... like finding out why I was supposed to record LOW blood sugar reactions when I was averaging over 300 mg/dL. I thought it could only be HIGH.
Basically, they cut my carbs in half, to 150 grams.. this was 20 years ago, so maybe it's a bit less simple now. You will need a meter, if you don't have one yet, but after you do the class, I'd ask for a referral to see a dietitian, and design a meal plan.
They did yell at me when I asked.. if cutting carbs in half, helps control blood sugars more.. why not cut it in half again, to 75 grams a day? They told me that was dangerous. About 9 years later, I first read Atkins.
How do I control my blood sugar? Without details, I cut carbs more. People vary. Some might see good control with meds and 150 grams of carbs, some might do well at 100 grams. You need to figure out 2 things. One.. how much meds for diabetes do you want to take. If you are fine taking pills, or even Insulin, then you simply need to figure out how to get your A1C down to the proper level. I decided I want to get off meds, so I am much lower in carbs.
So get your meds set, and then start using those blood sugar readings. They want me under 7.0 A1C. Your doctor may desire 6.5 these days. 7.0 is equivalent to an average of 154 mg/dL over the 3 months between tests.. 6.5 is equivalent to 140 mg/dL.
Back when I was diagnosed.. ONE result of 125 mg/dL, and you were a diabetic.. today they have " pre-diabetics ", which I think is just to make the numbers better, but also to give hope to people who might be able to get back below 125 mg/dL, if they make permanent, quick changes. Does it really matter what they label you though? The important thing is that you should want to be at a normal blood sugar, if you take meds for it, right? Why would 140 mg/dL be OK? It isn't. You still have damage, but it's a goal they hope you will be able to reach.
Do you want to NOT know what you should be at though. Why set a goal, where it is still high? a 6.0 A1C is about an average of 126 mg/dL.. which is the high end of normal.
So what is normal? 70-120. So let's split the difference.. 25 pts. and say the average, from 70 in the morning after fasting, to 120 2 hours after your biggest meal. That is 95 mg/dL. at that level, you should be at a 5.0 A1C ( 97 avg ). A healthy person would be 4.5-5.6 ( sources vary ).. so 5.0 is a good goal.
So how would you reach that? Your doctor puts you on meds, and you cut some carbs, eat the prescribed diet.. see the results, although, you will see daily blood sugar numbers, so you shouldn't be too shocked.
Are the results good.. meaning they hit your goal. 7.0, 6.5, or 5.0? Whatever goal you set, did you reach it? If not, did you improve? If so, give it another 3 mos. See if you improve, or reach your goal. I hope you do.
If you don't though, the doctor will only have one choice.. increase the dose of your pills. That has limits though, and eventually Insulin might be suggested. If you do that, you should be able to reach a normal blood sugar. The goal is not to have an elevated blood sugar, so while your doctor may be fine with 6.5 A1C, are you? That is still elevated.
The only other option, if meds don't get you to goal, is stop eating the foods which raise your blood glucose so high.. limit the carbs. It works, because, even at the start, cutting carbs is one of the first things they do. That drops blood sugars, especially if you cut the junk food. Your doctor may be reluctant to drop any more though, and at that point, you may find yourself at max pills, or on Insulin, eating half the carbs you want to, and still have elevated blood sugars. You are slowing the damage, but over time, the damage happens. If you are 65, maybe issues 20 years from now, are not a major worry. If you are 28, like I was.. they are. It's been 19 years for me, and before I decided to cut carbs more, on my own, I had a lot of damage to my teeth.. I lost 6, and had chips, and cavities in 21 more. My vision got worse.
I'm at being full time on Insulin, or eating low carb. So far, I decided to eat low carb.. for many that isn't an option.. but I wanted to state that there are options, and you will want to know them, so you can discuss them with your doctor, and make an informed choice on what your goals are, and how you plan to reach them.
If you ask your doctor if a 6.5 A1C drops you to a level where you avoid most of the damage from diabetes, and why should you average 30 pts. ABOVE the average for a healthy person.. how is that safe? They will likely be stumped. You may want to ask to see a specialist for diabetes.. an endocrinologist, because you PCP basically knows very little other than general ideas to IMPROVE your blood sugars.
Do your own research, read up on the disease, ask a LOT of questions, and if you don't get answers, see specialists, and don't settle for the simple plan your PCP will tell you, UNLESS you get to a normal level of blood sugars, on THAT plan.. it's possible their plan works.. and if so, GREAT!! .. but be prepared if it doesn't, to work with your medical team to form a plan that DOES work. This is NOT a general health issue. It is a deadly disease, which ravages the body, just like heart disease or cancer.. neither of which you would treat the way most people treat diabetes.. you would have specialists, and your PCP would deal with your general health.
Good Luck, whatever you decide. I hope you and your doctors get things under control, and you no longer have to ask for advice on the internet. Make them work to get the results YOU can live with.4 -
tinaBawesome wrote: »How do YOU control your Type 2 Diabetes? (It wrecks havoc on so much more of your body, than I imagined.) I've been researching the internet and social media for weeks now. I've been looking for local workshops, events or classes near me, to figure this all out. I want to learn, not only so I can lose weight, but to live a healthier lifestyle and that can be difficult without the proper knowledge. Yes, I have a Primary doctor, but I just know the basics, nothing related to blood sugars, recipes, etc. Sure, there's plenty of information out there, but then many are so confusing or misinforming. I just want to get mine under control. Please help if you can relate...
It can be confusing at first.
And some people may tell you you absolutely have to do keto.
If you want to do keto, and if you think you can sustain yourself doing it? The American Diabetes Association is OK with that.
But many people can’t do keto long term. And that’s OK too.
There are many different reasons for becoming a type 2 diabetic. And there are also many things that work for some people but don’t work for others.
Come join the group here. That’s a good place to start.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1772-type-2-diabetes-support-group
When were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed in February. But my husband has been diabetic for 30+ years due to Agent Orange exposure.
I’ve been his main caregiver after he had a series of strokes over a decade ago. So I was already pretty aware of many things. But not everything, I have learned.
Anyhow, one of the best things you can do is use your blood glucose monitor to figure out which foods spike your sugar levels the most.
It’s easy.
Test before your eat, just like normal. Then test an hour after. If your glucose is almost back to normal? That’s a good food for you (to eat in moderation)
Test again two hours after. If your blood sugar is still elevated after two hours? You should probably avoid that food. Or eat it sparingly.
Different people react differently. So it is best to check for yourself. For example: Rice doesn’t spike my husband at all. Potatoes, however, will either spike his glucose or (weirdly) give him a low. So we have to be especially careful.
Me? I can eat a reasonable serving of potatoes. Rice? That seems to send my glucose levels to the moon. Which means sushi is only for very rare occasions for me now.
Anyhow. Come join the group.7 -
I’ve found sushi chefs are cool with using cucumber matchsticks to replace rice in either rolls or nigiri. Obviously not optimal but it allows me to enjoy the fish with more of a sushi mouthfeel than just plain sashimi.MargaretYakoda wrote: »tinaBawesome wrote: »How do YOU control your Type 2 Diabetes? (It wrecks havoc on so much more of your body, than I imagined.) I've been researching the internet and social media for weeks now. I've been looking for local workshops, events or classes near me, to figure this all out. I want to learn, not only so I can lose weight, but to live a healthier lifestyle and that can be difficult without the proper knowledge. Yes, I have a Primary doctor, but I just know the basics, nothing related to blood sugars, recipes, etc. Sure, there's plenty of information out there, but then many are so confusing or misinforming. I just want to get mine under control. Please help if you can relate...
It can be confusing at first.
And some people may tell you you absolutely have to do keto.
If you want to do keto, and if you think you can sustain yourself doing it? The American Diabetes Association is OK with that.
But many people can’t do keto long term. And that’s OK too.
There are many different reasons for becoming a type 2 diabetic. And there are also many things that work for some people but don’t work for others.
Come join the group here. That’s a good place to start.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1772-type-2-diabetes-support-group
When were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed in February. But my husband has been diabetic for 30+ years due to Agent Orange exposure.
I’ve been his main caregiver after he had a series of strokes over a decade ago. So I was already pretty aware of many things. But not everything, I have learned.
Anyhow, one of the best things you can do is use your blood glucose monitor to figure out which foods spike your sugar levels the most.
It’s easy.
Test before your eat, just like normal. Then test an hour after. If your glucose is almost back to normal? That’s a good food for you (to eat in moderation)
Test again two hours after. If your blood sugar is still elevated after two hours? You should probably avoid that food. Or eat it sparingly.
Different people react differently. So it is best to check for yourself. For example: Rice doesn’t spike my husband at all. Potatoes, however, will either spike his glucose or (weirdly) give him a low. So we have to be especially careful.
Me? I can eat a reasonable serving of potatoes. Rice? That seems to send my glucose levels to the moon. Which means sushi is only for very rare occasions for me now.
Anyhow. Come join the group.
3 -
I started with reducing carbs dramatically (Max 30 net. Carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohols). Took my A1c from 9.2 to 5.7 in six months. Two weeks after reducing carbs my hypertension went away and over the six month period many of my skin allergies as well as a nagging cough disappeared too. After getting the blood sugar under control, I focused on losing weight (using my fitness pal CICO) keeping to a max of 50 net carbs and increasing exercise (mostly weight lifting and disc golf...i.e. walking) as my weight approaches "normal" BMI, I find I can allow myself more healthy carbs once in a while with normal blood sugar response. One thing that was key for me was finding low carb replacements (home baking) for sweets as I still wanted the taste of them just not the carbs that typically come with them. Best of luck on your journey.2
-
rheddmobile wrote: »I’ve found sushi chefs are cool with using cucumber matchsticks to replace rice in either rolls or nigiri. Obviously not optimal but it allows me to enjoy the fish with more of a sushi mouthfeel than just plain sashimi.
Oh Thanks! I will definitely ask the next time we get sushi! 0 -
I have been a diabetic for 10 years, and in that time followed my registered dietician' s recommendations, which is 3 to 4 carbs choices per meal, 4 oz protein 2 times a day, 2 fruits, and 2 or 3 servings of vegetables. I had a hard time with not eating what everyone else eats, and portion control. After 10 years of wishy-washy compliance, I went low carb, my numbers which were already high, went through the roof. I didn't understand why my sister did so well with it and I came to hate meat and went back to my old ways. The numbers never went down. My type 2 diabetes was out of control as well as my arthritis and AFib. A month ago, I knew that I wasn't going to live to my 67th birthday next year if I didn't scrap all my food addictions and change. I read something from 4 different doctors who outlined the same research and who advocate a high fiber, low fat plant based approach - Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Neal Barnard, and Dr. Joel Furman. Their theory backed by research, is that the lipids (fats) blocking the receptors in cells prevent insulin from diverting glucose in the cells, thereby causing insulin resistance. They advocate 10 to 15 percent of calories from fat, which causes the lipids to lessen and insulin to be able to do its job. They all advocate vegan or vegetarian plant based diets. It seemed a little radical, but I knew I could do it, since I am only a meat liker, not a meat lover. I ate mostly vegetables and fruits and grains growing up and didn't like eggs or meat. I was a pretty skinny, healthy kid. I have gone back to that way of eating, a mostly plant based diet as Tom Brady calls it. I have great success. After 1 month, my weight is down 13 pounds, I have less pain, I'm more agile, and even though A1c is a 3 month average, I dropped it from 8.4 two months ago to 7.1. My endocrinologist is encouraging me with my weekly updates that I am doing great. I am down 8 inches in my waist and hips. The food is easy. I do like the suggestion made by someone here about glucose checks before and after each meal. It will give me additional knowledge about how foods affect me. My fasting glucose in the morning used to be 190, now it is in the 120's. I have two snacks a day to even things out a bit, usually fruit, but sometimes popcorn. I only eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and plant based proteins with some low fat milk and eggs a couple of times a week with no more than 15% of calories from fat. My 6-year chronic diarrhea has disappeared. I am loving the numbers. These are lower than when I was diagnosed. I do want to say, that no matter what satisfies your taste, and diet you choose to follow, consider lowering your fats as much as possible and increase your fiber as much as you can. Your gut will thank you and your cells will thank you by doing their job in a more efficient way. Blessings to you all.4
-
I want to thank @tinaBawesome for starting this thread. "Eating to the meter" is a new one on me and something I'm very glad to learn about. Also joined the Type 2 Diabetes Support Group today. Looking forward to better BG!1
-
Have you asked for a referral to a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes. They can be a great resource to help manage your good choices.
Yes I have. Unfortunately my insurance only covers a teeny tiny %. I have been told to use different lingo though - "Educator", instead of a "Nutritionist". I still have to call about that. I also asked my Primary for a Referral to an Endocrinologist, but he wants to see me first. I don't understand why, since I'm not getting anywhere with him really.2 -
rheddmobile wrote: »As stated above, the best thing you can do is to quickly get to a healthy BMI.
What I did to bring my a1c from 11 at diagnosis to consistently under 5 (in the normal range, not even pre-diabetic) is called “eating to the meter.” While a diabetic educator is a good start, every diabetic is at a different place in the disease and different people have different tolerances for the same foods. Eating to the meter means getting a blood glucose meter and strips - I recommend the Bauer Contour next plus but Walmart has a good inexpensive option, the main thing is to get strips inexpensively so you won’t be shy about testing often. They are cheaper on Amazon than at a drugstore. Then test before and after meals until you learn how your blood glucose responds to different foods and amounts of foods. Log everything, count your carbs, and try testing at different times after eating - ADA advice is to test 2 hrs after meals, for example. But in my case bg tends to peak about 45 minutes after eating and is nearly back to normal by 2 hrs, so if I followed ADA recommendations I would never know it was high!
Then plan your diet around the foods and amounts you know you can safely eat and keep your bg within range. Again, I don’t follow the ADA recommendations, which say anything below 180 following a meal is okay. It’s not okay. Anything over 150 is cooking your nervous system and doing gradual damage at that moment. Normal following a meal is below 140. So I aim to keep mine below 140 at all times.
Doing this, I found some surprises - for example, I can eat sweet potatoes and oranges in large amounts without spiking my glucose, but even a tiny amount of rice (including brown rice) or flour tortillas will spike me. I can eat a corn tortilla but not a flour one! And someone else might be completely different. I have a friend who can’t eat tomatoes, which don’t spike me. Another surprise I found was that taking naps wrecks my glucose control - if I take a nap and then eat, a meal which normally is fine will send my glucose through the ceiling!
Doing this is guaranteed to give you the information you need. No doctor or dietician can tell you the results of different foods on YOUR body, but testing will. With this information you can make good decisions and become your own advocate.
Also test around exercise, because exercise affects different people differently. For example, there’s another poster here who gets huge spikes from running, whereas for me running lowers my bg rapidly. Many people see a spike during heavy lifting, but lower bg for hours afterwards. If you test you will learn how it affects you.
In time you will learn the patterns and not have to test as often. I’ve had normal a1c for 4 years now and only test in the mornings, plus when I do or eat something unusual, or when I’m sick. (Because stress and sickness will change your bg.)
Best of luck to you, feel free to ask questions.
Wow - this was a lot of wonderful information. Thank you for taking the time to write me about this. I will take notes on what you suggested, especially about checking my blood sugar. I bought a quick, compact one from Walmart the other day, because I was desperate to see where I'm at. I was last checked at my ob's office, 2 weeks ago and she was worried for me. It was 384 and I didn't even know what that all meant...2 -
I know this is a long shot, but if you happen to have access to Livongo through your insurance, I highly recommend it. Wonderful support for diabetics (and those with other health issues).
0 -
russellholtslander1 wrote: »I would try to get set up to take a diabetic class.. they are a full 8 hour day, and they feed you lunch, and you test, and they explain diabetes in detail, and answer questions. I didn't enjoy it, but I did find a lot of what they said helpful... like finding out why I was supposed to record LOW blood sugar reactions when I was averaging over 300 mg/dL. I thought it could only be HIGH.
Basically, they cut my carbs in half, to 150 grams.. this was 20 years ago, so maybe it's a bit less simple now. You will need a meter, if you don't have one yet, but after you do the class, I'd ask for a referral to see a dietitian, and design a meal plan.
They did yell at me when I asked.. if cutting carbs in half, helps control blood sugars more.. why not cut it in half again, to 75 grams a day? They told me that was dangerous. About 9 years later, I first read Atkins.
How do I control my blood sugar? Without details, I cut carbs more. People vary. Some might see good control with meds and 150 grams of carbs, some might do well at 100 grams. You need to figure out 2 things. One.. how much meds for diabetes do you want to take. If you are fine taking pills, or even Insulin, then you simply need to figure out how to get your A1C down to the proper level. I decided I want to get off meds, so I am much lower in carbs.
So get your meds set, and then start using those blood sugar readings. They want me under 7.0 A1C. Your doctor may desire 6.5 these days. 7.0 is equivalent to an average of 154 mg/dL over the 3 months between tests.. 6.5 is equivalent to 140 mg/dL.
Back when I was diagnosed.. ONE result of 125 mg/dL, and you were a diabetic.. today they have " pre-diabetics ", which I think is just to make the numbers better, but also to give hope to people who might be able to get back below 125 mg/dL, if they make permanent, quick changes. Does it really matter what they label you though? The important thing is that you should want to be at a normal blood sugar, if you take meds for it, right? Why would 140 mg/dL be OK? It isn't. You still have damage, but it's a goal they hope you will be able to reach.
Do you want to NOT know what you should be at though. Why set a goal, where it is still high? a 6.0 A1C is about an average of 126 mg/dL.. which is the high end of normal.
So what is normal? 70-120. So let's split the difference.. 25 pts. and say the average, from 70 in the morning after fasting, to 120 2 hours after your biggest meal. That is 95 mg/dL. at that level, you should be at a 5.0 A1C ( 97 avg ). A healthy person would be 4.5-5.6 ( sources vary ).. so 5.0 is a good goal.
So how would you reach that? Your doctor puts you on meds, and you cut some carbs, eat the prescribed diet.. see the results, although, you will see daily blood sugar numbers, so you shouldn't be too shocked.
Are the results good.. meaning they hit your goal. 7.0, 6.5, or 5.0? Whatever goal you set, did you reach it? If not, did you improve? If so, give it another 3 mos. See if you improve, or reach your goal. I hope you do.
If you don't though, the doctor will only have one choice.. increase the dose of your pills. That has limits though, and eventually Insulin might be suggested. If you do that, you should be able to reach a normal blood sugar. The goal is not to have an elevated blood sugar, so while your doctor may be fine with 6.5 A1C, are you? That is still elevated.
The only other option, if meds don't get you to goal, is stop eating the foods which raise your blood glucose so high.. limit the carbs. It works, because, even at the start, cutting carbs is one of the first things they do. That drops blood sugars, especially if you cut the junk food. Your doctor may be reluctant to drop any more though, and at that point, you may find yourself at max pills, or on Insulin, eating half the carbs you want to, and still have elevated blood sugars. You are slowing the damage, but over time, the damage happens. If you are 65, maybe issues 20 years from now, are not a major worry. If you are 28, like I was.. they are. It's been 19 years for me, and before I decided to cut carbs more, on my own, I had a lot of damage to my teeth.. I lost 6, and had chips, and cavities in 21 more. My vision got worse.
I'm at being full time on Insulin, or eating low carb. So far, I decided to eat low carb.. for many that isn't an option.. but I wanted to state that there are options, and you will want to know them, so you can discuss them with your doctor, and make an informed choice on what your goals are, and how you plan to reach them.
If you ask your doctor if a 6.5 A1C drops you to a level where you avoid most of the damage from diabetes, and why should you average 30 pts. ABOVE the average for a healthy person.. how is that safe? They will likely be stumped. You may want to ask to see a specialist for diabetes.. an endocrinologist, because you PCP basically knows very little other than general ideas to IMPROVE your blood sugars.
Do your own research, read up on the disease, ask a LOT of questions, and if you don't get answers, see specialists, and don't settle for the simple plan your PCP will tell you, UNLESS you get to a normal level of blood sugars, on THAT plan.. it's possible their plan works.. and if so, GREAT!! .. but be prepared if it doesn't, to work with your medical team to form a plan that DOES work. This is NOT a general health issue. It is a deadly disease, which ravages the body, just like heart disease or cancer.. neither of which you would treat the way most people treat diabetes.. you would have specialists, and your PCP would deal with your general health.
Good Luck, whatever you decide. I hope you and your doctors get things under control, and you no longer have to ask for advice on the internet. Make them work to get the results YOU can live with.
WOW - again, thanks so much for the Awesome advice! I can't believe you took the time to write this all out for me. I really appreciate it. I'm aware social media isn't the end all to be all, but I do find some really kind, understanding, thoughtful people, that are willing to reach out with their own experiences and advice and/or support. 🤗2 -
MargaretYakoda wrote: »tinaBawesome wrote: »How do YOU control your Type 2 Diabetes? (It wrecks havoc on so much more of your body, than I imagined.) I've been researching the internet and social media for weeks now. I've been looking for local workshops, events or classes near me, to figure this all out. I want to learn, not only so I can lose weight, but to live a healthier lifestyle and that can be difficult without the proper knowledge. Yes, I have a Primary doctor, but I just know the basics, nothing related to blood sugars, recipes, etc. Sure, there's plenty of information out there, but then many are so confusing or misinforming. I just want to get mine under control. Please help if you can relate...
It can be confusing at first.
And some people may tell you you absolutely have to do keto.
If you want to do keto, and if you think you can sustain yourself doing it? The American Diabetes Association is OK with that.
But many people can’t do keto long term. And that’s OK too.
There are many different reasons for becoming a type 2 diabetic. And there are also many things that work for some people but don’t work for others.
Come join the group here. That’s a good place to start.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1772-type-2-diabetes-support-group
When were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed in February. But my husband has been diabetic for 30+ years due to Agent Orange exposure.
I’ve been his main caregiver after he had a series of strokes over a decade ago. So I was already pretty aware of many things. But not everything, I have learned.
Anyhow, one of the best things you can do is use your blood glucose monitor to figure out which foods spike your sugar levels the most.
It’s easy.
Test before your eat, just like normal. Then test an hour after. If your glucose is almost back to normal? That’s a good food for you (to eat in moderation)
Test again two hours after. If your blood sugar is still elevated after two hours? You should probably avoid that food. Or eat it sparingly.
Different people react differently. So it is best to check for yourself. For example: Rice doesn’t spike my husband at all. Potatoes, however, will either spike his glucose or (weirdly) give him a low. So we have to be especially careful.
Me? I can eat a reasonable serving of potatoes. Rice? That seems to send my glucose levels to the moon. Which means sushi is only for very rare occasions for me now.
Anyhow. Come join the group.
Thank you for the group referral. I did join you. 😊0 -
tinaBawesome wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »As stated above, the best thing you can do is to quickly get to a healthy BMI.
What I did to bring my a1c from 11 at diagnosis to consistently under 5 (in the normal range, not even pre-diabetic) is called “eating to the meter.” While a diabetic educator is a good start, every diabetic is at a different place in the disease and different people have different tolerances for the same foods. Eating to the meter means getting a blood glucose meter and strips - I recommend the Bauer Contour next plus but Walmart has a good inexpensive option, the main thing is to get strips inexpensively so you won’t be shy about testing often. They are cheaper on Amazon than at a drugstore. Then test before and after meals until you learn how your blood glucose responds to different foods and amounts of foods. Log everything, count your carbs, and try testing at different times after eating - ADA advice is to test 2 hrs after meals, for example. But in my case bg tends to peak about 45 minutes after eating and is nearly back to normal by 2 hrs, so if I followed ADA recommendations I would never know it was high!
Then plan your diet around the foods and amounts you know you can safely eat and keep your bg within range. Again, I don’t follow the ADA recommendations, which say anything below 180 following a meal is okay. It’s not okay. Anything over 150 is cooking your nervous system and doing gradual damage at that moment. Normal following a meal is below 140. So I aim to keep mine below 140 at all times.
Doing this, I found some surprises - for example, I can eat sweet potatoes and oranges in large amounts without spiking my glucose, but even a tiny amount of rice (including brown rice) or flour tortillas will spike me. I can eat a corn tortilla but not a flour one! And someone else might be completely different. I have a friend who can’t eat tomatoes, which don’t spike me. Another surprise I found was that taking naps wrecks my glucose control - if I take a nap and then eat, a meal which normally is fine will send my glucose through the ceiling!
Doing this is guaranteed to give you the information you need. No doctor or dietician can tell you the results of different foods on YOUR body, but testing will. With this information you can make good decisions and become your own advocate.
Also test around exercise, because exercise affects different people differently. For example, there’s another poster here who gets huge spikes from running, whereas for me running lowers my bg rapidly. Many people see a spike during heavy lifting, but lower bg for hours afterwards. If you test you will learn how it affects you.
In time you will learn the patterns and not have to test as often. I’ve had normal a1c for 4 years now and only test in the mornings, plus when I do or eat something unusual, or when I’m sick. (Because stress and sickness will change your bg.)
Best of luck to you, feel free to ask questions.
Wow - this was a lot of wonderful information. Thank you for taking the time to write me about this. I will take notes on what you suggested, especially about checking my blood sugar. I bought a quick, compact one from Walmart the other day, because I was desperate to see where I'm at. I was last checked at my ob's office, 2 weeks ago and she was worried for me. It was 384 and I didn't even know what that all meant...
Yikes, that’s pretty high - a lot of doctors would put you on insulin immediately with that number. Did she give you any meds? How are you doing now? You mentioned an Ob, are you pregnant?1 -
“Yes I have. Unfortunately my insurance only covers a teeny tiny %. I have been told to use different lingo though - "Educator", instead of a "Nutritionist". I still have to call about that. I also asked my Primary for a Referral to an Endocrinologist, but he wants to see me first. I don't understand why, since I'm not getting anywhere with him really.“
I’m so sorry about your insurance. My Registered Dietician was not covered by my insurance either. I was able to set up a cash pay program which cost me about the same as my insurance copays would. Demand a referral from your doctor and call about cash pay. Also, there is a big difference between a nutritionist (anyone can call themselves that and would not be covered by insurance) and a registered dietician (educated snd certified.)1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions