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Hello. Same here. I was diagnosed about 10 years ago. Not doing a good job of managing it. Looking for support.1
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Hi @wilmadouglas3546 and @Yadagoy , welcome to the group!
Everyone's experience with diabetes is so different. What are you doing to control your diabetes at the moment, and what changes are you hoping to make?1 -
rheddmobile wrote: »Hi @wilmadouglas3546 and @Yadagoy , welcome to the group!
Everyone's experience with diabetes is so different. What are you doing to control your diabetes at the moment, and what changes are you hoping to make?
Thanks for the welcome. I hope to lower my glucose levels to as close to normal as possible. They're not super high right now, but not great either, and I need to lose a few pounds, too. I just bought a Fitbit today in the hopes of motivating myself to move more. I'm definitely not active enough.0 -
rheddmobile wrote: »Hi @wilmadouglas3546 and @Yadagoy , welcome to the group!
Everyone's experience with diabetes is so different. What are you doing to control your diabetes at the moment, and what changes are you hoping to make?
Thanks for the welcome. I hope to lower my glucose levels to as close to normal as possible. They're not super high right now, but not great either, and I need to lose a few pounds, too. I just bought a Fitbit today in the hopes of motivating myself to move more. I'm definitely not active enough.
Since you asked....
Dr. Bernstein's approach is the only one I know of that's calculated to get a T2D close to non-diabetic BG levels - perhaps because he believes diabetics have every right to expect to be able to do it.
(So..... pay no attention to the ADA, AHA, drug and device manufacturers, and your insulin-dependent uncle who says you have to eat plenty of carbs at every meal!
)
Here are a few short clips, in case you haven't stumbled across his book Diabetes Solution or his YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/03zVNKUwM98
https://youtu.be/mAY_aA4xpQc
https://youtu.be/zJGAbZIvRh8
https://youtu.be/3PZno7Nkuuw
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Hi I'm Amy..44 and have been a type 2 diabetic since the late 90's. Ive been taking pills and trying to cut carbs and 2 years ago I was put on a long acting insulin, 6 months ago I was put on a fast acting insulin before each meal and as needed. My numbers have gotten horrible and I swear my body rejects any kind of medicine that's supposed to help me. I've been testing 6-10 times a day to see where I'm at throughout the day and saw an ad for dexcom or dexacom, but of course my insurance doesn't cover it.
Looking to meet new people who can relate to my situation and hopefully get and give some encouragement
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Hello, My name is Kristin I'm 32 years old from Florida. I have had Type 2 diabetes since 2009 and have always struggled with eating and being compliant. I'm in nursing school getting ready to graduate this December and really want to get healthy so that I can be a role model to my patients. Currently I am researching meal plan ideas to find foods I like and try and figure out a plan that works that I can stick to.
It feels like I've tried everything and just end up failing every time. I know I need to do this for my health but struggle so hard to find motivation to do the right things. I'm hoping talking with other diabetics and being real about my issues will help me to combat what I've been dealing with and really start to make progress this time around.
I'd love to hear any advice from people on how they've handled this life style and what types of meals they enjoy and any motivation at all really...I currently take several medications to manage my diabetes and really would like to bring my A1C down even further at my next appointment (last time it was 7.9 but I've been off the wagon hard these last few months so I'm worried when I check it this month is will be elevated) however I'm hoping getting back on track now will benefit me when I have it drawn in a few months...0 -
wibblywobblymom wrote: »Hello, My name is Kristin I'm 32 years old from Florida. I have had Type 2 diabetes since 2009 and have always struggled with eating and being compliant. I'm in nursing school getting ready to graduate this December and really want to get healthy so that I can be a role model to my patients. Currently I am researching meal plan ideas to find foods I like and try and figure out a plan that works that I can stick to.
It feels like I've tried everything and just end up failing every time. I know I need to do this for my health but struggle so hard to find motivation to do the right things. I'm hoping talking with other diabetics and being real about my issues will help me to combat what I've been dealing with and really start to make progress this time around.
I'd love to hear any advice from people on how they've handled this life style and what types of meals they enjoy and any motivation at all really...I currently take several medications to manage my diabetes and really would like to bring my A1C down even further at my next appointment (last time it was 7.9 but I've been off the wagon hard these last few months so I'm worried when I check it this month is will be elevated) however I'm hoping getting back on track now will benefit me when I have it drawn in a few months...
Hi Kristin! We have people in the group with all different approaches. What works for me is testing frequently, eating to the meter based on how many carbs I can handle, and HIIT workouts daily, plus exercise whenever my glucose gets too high. There has been recent research which found that taking three ten minute walks daily, after meals, benefitted t2s more than one thirty minute walk, and that matches my experience.
One of my main tricks is doing HIIT cycling at home to quickly bring my sugar down, and if I'm not at home, I do bodyweight squats - 30 at a time - in the loo until it comes down, which generally takes only two or three sets. It's nice to have a portable and quick workout which can be done in normal clothes, in no space, without the people around you even knowing you did anything.
What sort of foods do you find most tempting? I have trouble with bread, I can just about handle a sandwich but that's my uppermost limit. On the other hand I can eat lots of potatoes and fruit without trouble. Tolerance for specific foods is very individual, so you do have to test and get to know your body's preferences.3 -
rheddmobile wrote: »wibblywobblymom wrote: »Hello, My name is Kristin I'm 32 years old from Florida. I have had Type 2 diabetes since 2009 and have always struggled with eating and being compliant. I'm in nursing school getting ready to graduate this December and really want to get healthy so that I can be a role model to my patients. Currently I am researching meal plan ideas to find foods I like and try and figure out a plan that works that I can stick to.
It feels like I've tried everything and just end up failing every time. I know I need to do this for my health but struggle so hard to find motivation to do the right things. I'm hoping talking with other diabetics and being real about my issues will help me to combat what I've been dealing with and really start to make progress this time around.
I'd love to hear any advice from people on how they've handled this life style and what types of meals they enjoy and any motivation at all really...I currently take several medications to manage my diabetes and really would like to bring my A1C down even further at my next appointment (last time it was 7.9 but I've been off the wagon hard these last few months so I'm worried when I check it this month is will be elevated) however I'm hoping getting back on track now will benefit me when I have it drawn in a few months...
Hi Kristin! We have people in the group with all different approaches. What works for me is testing frequently, eating to the meter based on how many carbs I can handle, and HIIT workouts daily, plus exercise whenever my glucose gets too high. There has been recent research which found that taking three ten minute walks daily, after meals, benefitted t2s more than one thirty minute walk, and that matches my experience.
One of my main tricks is doing HIIT cycling at home to quickly bring my sugar down, and if I'm not at home, I do bodyweight squats - 30 at a time - in the loo until it comes down, which generally takes only two or three sets. It's nice to have a portable and quick workout which can be done in normal clothes, in no space, without the people around you even knowing you did anything.
What sort of foods do you find most tempting? I have trouble with bread, I can just about handle a sandwich but that's my uppermost limit. On the other hand I can eat lots of potatoes and fruit without trouble. Tolerance for specific foods is very individual, so you do have to test and get to know your body's preferences.
That info about walking for just 10 minutes after a meal is good to know, easy to do & implement--thanks!...I'll have to start doing that daily.
Also, I found the same thing with me regarding potatoes--I'm fine with a baked potato that I mash and put butter on (I eat it all, including the shell) but mashed potatoes at a restaurant are bad for my blood sugar (they're probably the instant kind). I have the same issues with rice at restaurants--it's spikes my blood sugar, so I avoid it. Like you said, tolerance for certain foods seems so individual so "testing" with the glucometer is essential to getting & keeping diabetes under control.
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Hi all. I'm Mike and I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1994. Have stumbled along for all these years losing weight, watching what I eat, etc. and doing pretty well, and then going off the wagon and not caring about what I ate or what my Bg was. I am not sure what caused my mindset to change recently, but now I want to take care of this diabetes thing and live a healthier life style. My DW and I went to see a nutritionist and she suggested MFP. We both (DW and I) have been using the app for a week and have both seen progress in our weight loss and eating food that is better for us. My Bg has been very good (fasting in the 90s, postprandial no higher than 145). I am pretty excited about how I am doing so far. Hoping to stay as motivated as I am right now, and looking for mutual support and encouragement. I have looked through the posts in this group and everyone seems to be so helpful. I hope I can provide a wee bit of advice or encouragement along the way.3
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My name is Casey, Diagnosed T2 in March of this year (2017) and have been on metformin 2x daily. I have been fairly successful in controlling it with diet and exercise. My highest reading since I started tracking has been 144, usually I'm about 85 two hrs after eating and about 105 fasting. It has been a lifestyle change for sure and I'm hoping that dropping this excess weight will allow me to cut back the meds and keep me off from insulin.1
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Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.
I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.
I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes2 -
Welcome0
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magnolia98 wrote: »Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.
I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.
I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes
Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but 100g of carbs didn't do the trick for me. I had to get under 40g (net carbs) and not overeat total calories before I was able to get my A1c into non-diabetic range. It was a bit of an adjustment, but I just keep telling myself that fewer carbs = more toes..
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magnolia98 wrote: »Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.
I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.
I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes
Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but 100g of carbs didn't do the trick for me. I had to get under 40g (net carbs) and not overeat total calories before I was able to get my A1c into non-diabetic range. It was a bit of an adjustment, but I just keep telling myself that fewer carbs = more toes..
I manage on up to about 150 - but the main thing is testing after every meal. Counting carbs by itself isn't enough for me, since I ate a 51 net carb pasta meal and was just fine, while 15 g of flour tortilla spikes me. Testing is the only way to learn how your own body reacts!2 -
rheddmobile wrote: »magnolia98 wrote: »Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.
I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.
I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes
Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but 100g of carbs didn't do the trick for me. I had to get under 40g (net carbs) and not overeat total calories before I was able to get my A1c into non-diabetic range. It was a bit of an adjustment, but I just keep telling myself that fewer carbs = more toes..
I manage on up to about 150 - but the main thing is testing after every meal. Counting carbs by itself isn't enough for me, since I ate a 51 net carb pasta meal and was just fine, while 15 g of flour tortilla spikes me. Testing is the only way to learn how your own body reacts!
True! I tested at least 10x daily for almost a full year, and there were constant surprises. Even now, I test 3-4x daily, and there are still surprises!
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Welcome to the group!
I know for sure if I only ate 100 g of carbs/day, I wouldn't need any insulin at all (with meals or at night before bed) and could probably ditch my diabetes pills too (Invokana & Metformin) but I like my carbs just a bit too much to make that kind of sacrifice just yet. Maybe someday I'll have to but I hope I "got serious" about fixing my diabetes in time to turn it around without having to do that.
Right now I'm down to just 3 units of meal-time insulin (Novolog) for 2 of my 4 meals/day and 0 for the other 2 meals and just 3 units of bedtime insulin (Levemir) per day with my total daily carbs ranging from 160 to 180 g.
With careful Blood Glucose (BG) monitoring before/after my meals along with keeping an eye on the carb content of those meals (& the macro "balance" of those meals too--i.e. I try to have each meal match, as closely as possible, my daily macro percentages), I'm hoping to be off all my insulin (Levemir & Novolog) as well as my Invokana (a pill I take at night that helps the kidneys remove sugar from the blood) by the end of the year and by then I will have been working at this for 12 long months, which seems more like forever! A "side effect" of all this BG & carb monitoring has been a weight loss of 87 lbs since New Year's & I hope to lose another 25-30 lbs by the end of this year.
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Hello.
My name is Diane and I just got my blood test results and it looks like I have diabetes. T2D runs in my family, so no surprise, but 2 years ago all numbers were normal and now they are off the chart. Can it really happen that fast? I am obese and need to lose weight so now I'm counting calories. I need to learn how to eat, however, with diabetes -
this is all new to me. I'll see the doctor next week - probably will give me some type of medication but I'm hoping if I lose the weight and exercise more I may not need to be on my very long. Looking for support here. Nice to meet you all.1 -
Welcome Diane. I am newly diagnosed T2 also.0
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Hello, everyone! My name is Cheri and I am a 64 yo Type 2 diabetic of 15 years. My top weight was 340 lbs. but have made a few serious efforts to lose weight -- eating raw only (vegetarian with eggs and butter), the HCG diet, and having a personal trainer and eating well balanced meals. I eventually got to my current weight of approximately 230 lbs. (always within a pound or two, no matter what).
Because of my age and because of the things I've learned about uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, I am ready to get serious and want to lose about 55-60 lbs. over the next year (more if possible). I struggle with sugar and bread cravings. But have given them up for the most part, although I will lapse at times. But I'm doing better, so long as I take the time to pack healthy snacks ahead of time and keep healthy food at the ready in my fridge.
I retired a year ago and because I don't have a car began walking and commuting by bus and train. It took awhile to get fit enough to enjoy it, but I now walk 2.5 to 3.0 mph. Now that the weather is cooling down I am stepping up my workouts. Commuting in 100+ degree heat would wipe me out, as it always took 3-5 hours of this to see doctors, go to the library or shopping.
Now that it's cooler, I'm at the gym again, doing the eliptical and treadmill plus lengthy sessions in the pool for balance and stretching exercises (on my own). I sometimes attend a Silver Sneakers class which is great and I've learned some new resistance band exercises. I also do limited workouts on weight machines and with dumbells and a kettlebell at home. And I'm occasionally doing yoga poses at home -- not a full routine as I have a hard time getting up from the floor due to bad knees and lack of strength. I'm trying to regain muscle strength I lost over the years from recliner-sitting and desk work.
Although I'm eating much healthier I'm not working out as hard as I should. And even when I do, I don't seem to get anywhere. I take 1000 mg Metform 2 x day and 45 u Levemir at night to get my BG numbers within normal range. I also struggle with insomnia and get up at least 2 or 3 times at night to go to the bathroom (drinking lots of water) and when I wake at 3 or 4 am I just can't get back to sleep and am tired all day.
I would love to hear from others here who lost weight despite taking insulin and high doses of metformin or other type 2 diabetes medications. Levemir is a slow acting insulin. It has increased my appetite a little and I gained 10 lbs. once I started on insulin. I never had trouble losing weight before insulin, once I put my mind to it. Now it seems extremely difficult. Maybe I'm just in denial -- or being too soft on myself -- my calorie allotment (due to sedentary lifestyle) @ 5'8" is about 1500/day. Thanks for your tips and sharing your experiences. It's now or never!!1 -
Hello everyone. My name is Grace I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and at the moment am pre diabetic . Diabetes does run in both sides of my family with both my parents now recently diagnosed. I am doing a flexatarian diet, which means eating more vegetables and very little meat or animal products. I limit my fruit intake. I am here to learn as much as i can since I am sure I will eventually get it. My glucose has been fluctuating from normal to pre diabetic fasting, and after meals. I have started 1200 calories a day and even short walks daily.0
