My Doctor???? Jeeeez

SkinnyFatAlbert

I used a lower carb approach to go from 290ish to where I'm at now, about 240. There are TONS of info out there on the web. What worked for me (keeping in mind I'm not a nutritionist and did this out of simplicity not a medical need) are following a couple basic rules most of the time (I did a couple meals a week that didn't fit these rules).

1. Eat foods that are ingredients rather than foods that have ingredients. (This isn't a clean vs dirty issue but more of a simplicity thing as far as what my goals were as far as changing my lifestyle.)

2. Avoid or reduce foods which you know are really carby. You've got a little head start if you follow rule one. Beyond that, sugar and bread are obvious ones to watch. Potatoes, pasta, beans, corns, all fruits, and carrots are ones to watch too.

3. You don't have to eliminate carbs completely but rather can benefit from just watch your portions of them. Have a single serving with your meal rather than the portion you might of normally had. It was sobering for me to see how much a single serving of pasta, beans, or rice was vs what I usually ate.

maybeazure

My husband and several people in his family are diabetic, so I've done some reading on it. I'm not an expert, but from what I have read losing weight is the absolute best treatment for type 2 diabetes. My husband is insulin dependent, but just by losing 30 pounds (he still has over 100 to go) and beginning an exercise program he has been able to reduce the insulin by 50%. He doesn't count carbs or sugar, he just counts calories. I think he'll get off the insulin altogether.

I think that maybe your doctor is saying that by continuing to lose weight you will be able to avoid getting the diabetes diagnosis altogether. If you do you will save tons and tons of money and probably live longer.

iechick

We have an HSA for insurance and totally understand where you're coming from-no specialists are covered until we hit our $3,000 deductible, and then it goes to 80/20. However, even with the out of pocket costs we go see specialists when the need arises and we just work out payment plans with their office if the bill is to much for us to pay at once. We just took my daughter to an ENT and when I told them about our insurance they gave us a nice discount because we were paying out of pocket.

In your situation I'd definitely call your doctor's office and ask for a referral, or ask friends and family and they might know of a specialist that could help you.

Peg_M

Thanks for all the responses. Even tho some are a little on the rude side. I have done research and as I stated there are so many different ideas about what low carb is. I like my Dr and I did ask some questions I just felt he was not that helpful. I have been losing and will continue losing. I don't know if JUST losing weight will bring down the numbers .I am doing more research on low carb diets and am going to walk more. It was just last Friday that I was there so it is too soon to know if lowering carbs is going to help bring the numbers down. Thanks all and good luck on your journeys.:

shannashannabobana

I had to do a health screening at work for insurance. It showed I had a fasting glucose count of 128. So I made an appointment at my Dr and he took an A1C count and said I was border line diabetic. So his advice....LOSE WEIGHT!! I told him I have lost 18 lbs and he looked at my chart and said yes you are down 13 since your last visit. So I asked him if I should see someone to help with a low carb diet and he more or less said well insurance usually don't pay for it. He did nothing to help and had no information about how I should manage my nutrients. I have googled low carb and there is everything from only 20 g of carb a day which is very low to saying 150 is low. If my Dr didn't say much more than LOSE WEIGHT then how am I supposed to know what to do???

losing weight isn't rocket science, create a deficit and profit

If she's borderline diabetic, she will probably need a little more than 'create a deficit'.

Maybe the mention of low-carb is what stymied him. Many diabetes educators do not recommend low carb, in fact I was kind of appauled at the number of carbs recommended for my coworker, who was in a similar situation (borderline lab).

As mentioned, you can find a TON of information online. Check out the diabetes forums or for low carb suggestions you can check some of the paleo primal folks.

And yes, a bit of walking will help your insulin sensitivity...

Acg67

I had to do a health screening at work for insurance. It showed I had a fasting glucose count of 128. So I made an appointment at my Dr and he took an A1C count and said I was border line diabetic. So his advice....LOSE WEIGHT!! I told him I have lost 18 lbs and he looked at my chart and said yes you are down 13 since your last visit. So I asked him if I should see someone to help with a low carb diet and he more or less said well insurance usually don't pay for it. He did nothing to help and had no information about how I should manage my nutrients. I have googled low carb and there is everything from only 20 g of carb a day which is very low to saying 150 is low. If my Dr didn't say much more than LOSE WEIGHT then how am I supposed to know what to do???

losing weight isn't rocket science, create a deficit and profit

If she's borderline diabetic, she will probably need a little more than 'create a deficit'.

Maybe the mention of low-carb is what stymied him. Many diabetes educators do not recommend low carb, in fact I was kind of appauled at the number of carbs recommended for my coworker, who was in a similar situation (borderline lab).

As mentioned, you can find a TON of information online. Check out the diabetes forums or for low carb suggestions you can check some of the paleo primal folks.

And yes, a bit of walking will help your insulin sensitivity...

Right, since deficits obviously don't work in borderline diabetics, my bad

seltzermint555

If my Dr didn't say much more than LOSE WEIGHT then how am I supposed to know what to do???

Become your own expert. Research, read, talk to people who know their stuff, ask lots of questions, try some things out, be persistent, be patient, think rationally and logically, constantly reassess. It's your health and quality of life. There's no such thing as "too much work."

I agree. My best friend actually decided to go a lot further with her low carb diet than her doctor suggested (kind of against her doc's advice) but her A1C went from scary-dangerous to just borderline in a few months, and now she is not considered diabetic at all.

It is my understanding that MANY (most?) healthcare providers are super impressed and happy with patients who make any effort toward a diabetic diet instead of just taking meds for it.

kbmnurse

Call your ins company and find out if they offer any services or have health professionals available for you to talk to. Google information. Get a new MD.