No More Dieting

Aesop101

Sad to say my story is a typical one here in America. In fact, the first post I read today was along the same lines.

In December I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had an A1C of 14.7. The day before I went to the doctor I fainted. I became dizzy and started falling. I knew I was falling but I couldn't stop it. Fortunately for me I landed against a stack of toilet paper and wasn't injured except I tweaked my elbow.

I had every single sign of diabetes, urinating often, thirsty, muscle aches, and exhaustion. I hurt so bad I thought it was Leukemia. I felt like there were tiny needles throughout my whole body. I was coming home so exhausted that I sometimes wondered if I would make it. I thought I was working too hard. LOL. One evening I thought that if I laid down, I would never get up.

This started more than a year ago and only got worse. Reflecting, the first sign was that peanut butter made me nauseated. I thought it was the peanut butter, so I tried a different brand. Nope, nauseated again. Oh well, I'm allergic to peanut butter. Then one day I ate a bologna sandwich and became nauseated. I thought it was the bologna; It wasn't, it was the bread as I found out later. Then I became nauseated every day. I could only eat one meal a day and lost over 70 pounds. That went on for months. I kept telling everyone I wasn't dieting, and I wasn't. I did log my food, but I wasn't really dieting.

As I said earlier, I had every sign. I kept thinking it was the effects of a flu bug I had back in January of 2023. I thought it was the water pills I took for high blood pressure and so on. The only smart thing I did was go to the doctor. My glucose was nearly 400! When the doctor told me I had diabetes my life flashed before my eyes. My job is to take people to their doctor appointments and that included dialysis. Some of my clients are missing legs. So, I had a perspective that most don't. I've had three clients die in my short tenure on the job. People that I thought well of and enjoyed. I took that diagnosis very seriously!

Here's the part that was referenced in the title. I quit dieting and started diabetic meal planning. No more starches, pasta, bread, sweets etc. My favorite Google search is "Can a diabetic have ..........(insert food). Lucky me, I love greens and fruit, although no bananas. A typical meal would be something like Salmon, collard greens, and a fruit salad made with plain Greek yogurt. Say goodbye to burger biggies, fries, and ketchup. After seeing the doctor, it took me a week of eating right to have any energy. You won't gain weight on a diabetic meal plan. Hence, the phrase "I quit dieting."

Today I feel much better. My glucose is down in the 130s, At the insistence of the doctor I now go to a Wellness Center to see a dietician and a trainer. I am not tempted to go back to my old eating habits. I just don't want to be sick anymore.

neanderthin

I hope all goes well for you.

xbowhunter

Thanks for sharing.

Sounds like a low carb eating plan. I am on a low carb plan myself. Best decision I ever made. I am at my best consuming low carb high protein meal plan.

Corina1143

Thank you so much for describing your symptoms. So helpful.
Wish you the best.

NYPhotographer2021

So happy you are feeling better! Did you have help figuring out what to eat, or just Google different food types? In 2022, my A1c was 7.25 or something like that and I was put on Metformin. In September I started eating Keto and was fairly strict. I kept track of my carbs and did my best to keep it under 25g each day. My A1c dropped down to 4.5 and I lost over 60 pounds. I stopped eating Keto last year and I need to do something. Keto was just too strict for me. Right now, just watchin calories, trying to stay under what MFP calculated for me. Looking for something like what you posted.Thanks!

rileysowner

When I had a pre-diabetic HbA1C blood test come back (this was after I had been losing weight for almost 3 months eating low cal but eating lots of "healthy" carbs) I went keto and within weeks my glucose readings were normal, and my next HbA1C was normal as well. I have been doing Keto for almost a year now, and I will not stop as it works for me. That way of eating might not be sustainable for you, but when I consider how it has improved my health not just in terms of blood glucose but also blood pressure normal, joint pain is basically gone, greater mental focus, tooth sensitivity gone, and more, I can't imagine going back to anything even remotely like the macro breakdown of the standard American diet.

Aesop101

NYPhotographer2021 wrote: »

So happy you are feeling better! Did you have help figuring out what to eat, or just Google different food types? In 2022, my A1c was 7.25 or something like that and I was put on Metformin. In September I started eating Keto and was fairly strict. I kept track of my carbs and did my best to keep it under 25g each day. My A1c dropped down to 4.5 and I lost over 60 pounds. I stopped eating Keto last year and I need to do something. Keto was just too strict for me. Right now, just watchin calories, trying to stay under what MFP calculated for me. Looking for something like what you posted.Thanks!

Aesop101

First, lowering your A1C to 4.5 is a wonderful accomplishment.

The Nurse Practitioner gave me a list of what not to eat and what to eat. It was a great starting point. Then it was to Google, Can a diabetic have..........? The problem with Google the first answer mostly seemed to be the wrong answer. I would dig a little bit deeper. A good example is I looked up Turkey Smoked Sausage. The first answer said that Turkey was good for you. I dug deeper, the answer was a resounding no because of all the additives.

I don't follow fad diets; however, Keto is the real deal!