Having trouble getting organized and started

cowonderwoman

I'm ashamed to say I got my diagnosis in April, and I haven't really been able to get on program with my eating and exercise yet. I was in the middle of a ton of personal life stress that just recently subsided, and now I am trying to get organized again. I've had gestational diabetes twice, so I know the "basics" of testing and carb adjustment etc., but I'm not really sure how to set up my diet for long term success. My GP recommended classes at the local diabetes education program, but I'm wondering how much of that will repeat what I know of gestational diabetes. (Also, planning in a series of 6 classes with a FT job and my 2 kiddos is ridiculously hard). Should I try to meet one on one with a nutritionist? Do I need a specialist? Or should I find myself a good home resource and start testing and tweaking the carb/protein ratio as I am used to doing. I am so confused about where to go from here (which is no excuse for being lazy)!

awelmore

Congrats on losing 6 lbs! I have found that getting your diabetes organized is different for each individual. We all have strengths and weaknesses in our lives and the way we go about organizing our lives is part of the differences. Some people need to test more frequently, some less. Some need to log more than others. Some people can keep things together in their heads while others have the attention span of a gnat (that would be me). I have very good control of my blood glucose for the most part and my doctor says I don't have to test that much but I find that I can keep my focus better if I test 4 times a day and log in my food and exercise. This keeps me reminded that I have diabetes and I need to work at keeping my issues in balance.

MFP has been extremely helpful to me. Before MFP, I used Lance Armstrong's Daily Plate. I also have an Excel spreadsheet that I log my glucose with so my doc can look at my overall numbers at a glance. I can get 3 months on one sheet of paper. I log my highest numbers in red and my lowest numbers in bright blue so she can see at a glance how I am doing.

I was diagnosed 7 years ago and was sent to a diabetes nutrition class that really wasn't that helpful. Last year I had a one-on-one with a hospital nutritionist which I found to be not very helpful. Most of the handouts she gave me, I could have gotten online.

The past 7 years have all been trial and error about what works for me. Find some online resources and read everything you can get your hands on. Do your best and don't beat yourself up if you don't always get it right. Only YOU can do what if best. YOU are worth the effort to live your life in as healthy a manner as you can.

Good luck with getting organized. Just do your best and be good to yourself. Keep the long term in the back of your head and concentrate on today-eating right, exercising as much as possible. Let go of yesterday and try to do better today. That's all any of us has to work with -- today.

djshari

Awel I am impressed by your excel spreadsheet - I may consider doing this for my next appointment.

It is overwhelming. I read a lot of books - bought a few magazines - checked out several websites and belong to a few different groups.

My personal approach was I went out and bought a notebook and this is what I bring with me to the doctors office. I write down my current lab results so that I can compare them to previous ones. My doctor has even written her own notes for me in here. I have my meter with me so that she can see ALL my readings but for my notebook I pick a day every week and I write down everything - my readings, my meals, my after meal readings, snacks and any exercise. So I can see on some days for example I exercised and it brought down my reading by this much. Or I ate this food and it spiked me but I ate another meal that didn't. I also put any other notes in here like I was sick on this day or anything else like that. My meter gives the overall #s but the notebook gives more detail. I also used this when I met with the nutritionist.

mkmitch3

I have 3 excel spreadsheets and log on my windows phone. The Doc likes all three and being retired I have time to fiddle. On one sheet besides the glucose readings, I log calories, miles jogged, net calories and carb, sodium, protein and fat intake. My cardiologist appreciates this one. Makes you feel an important part of the process of staying well.

LOL I've been exceling my blood tests forever.