Just Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Nomoremrbigguy

My name is Chris. I was just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am interested in connecting with people who want to reverse their Diabetes.

itsbasschick

i have type 2, although since may first i've lowered my fasting blood sugar down from 300 to 130 or under through diet and exercise, and lowered my after-walk blood sugar from about 240 to 99. walking rocks!

Nomoremrbigguy

Wow! That is amazing! What kind of diet changes did you make?

KHolladay36

I don't have Diabetes....yet. My father in Insulin dependent and now on Dyalisis. My grandmother died of it (also Dyalisis) and now my cousin (the same age as me) was diagnosed with Type 1. I took a health test from work and it said that I was at risk of developing it, like it could happen soon. My levels were too high. Since it runs on both sides of my family, I decided to take charge of my heatlh issues. I have read many articles on exercises to do, how to eat, what to eat, and even bought a textbook on Contemporary Nutrition (from Goodwill: $3.95). I always wanted to be a nutritionist but life had other plans for me. I still read books all of the time, go to the gym and even bough a home eliptical (still kicking my butt).

Hearts_2015

i have type 2, although since may first i've lowered my fasting blood sugar down from 300 to 130 or under through diet and exercise, and lowered my after-walk blood sugar from about 240 to 99. walking rocks!

Great job!!! :happy:

Edited: No, not just great, but AWESOME! I bet you feel so much better now than with your numbers higher, really proud of you as I know it's not something that comes easy without dedication.

Welcome to MFP Chris:drinker: good to have you. You'll likely have the same type of change happen to you as did the poster above when you make life altering changes, it's amazing what getting healthy does for our mind & our body.

You might like to check out the groups section as there are likely T2 groups you might like to join in on.

Hearts

fraklein

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes last October. By eating a low carb/high fat diet, I've lost over 60 pounds, and my FBG is in the normal range every day w/o meds. No calorie counting or exercise. I have several friends in the same category. We also use diabetesforum.com for lot of good ideas on dealing with diabetes.

Lefty634

For the last 4 years I have tried to keep track of what works bringing down my sugar numbers and what hurts. WALKING WALKING WALKING is the best for bringing down your numbers. I have to make sure i watch my portion size. I now know before I go to the gym i have to check my blood sugar if it is low I have to run on the treadmill or lift weights these activities raise my sugar slightly walking will drop it. If I walk at a 120 blood sugar i will bottom out before i get home. I agree the low carb helps a bunch.

djshari

You can check out the T2 support group http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1789-type-2-diabetes-support-group
There are a LOT of resources out there.
Blood Sugar 101 is a great book to start with as it explains a lot.

candivito

I was diagnosed with T2 a little over a week ago. I am doing fine during the day with keeping my BS in line, but my fasting BS in the am is always higher than what it is when I go to bed. Has anyone had this problem?

candivito

adsii1970

I was also diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. As far as your fasting blood/glucose levels being higher in the mornings, yes, I had that problem as well until I began to play around with my diet and the timing of my meals. In the evenings, I try to stay away from meals high in carbs and I have smaller portions. Protein is key; keep the protein serving size at the recommended 3 to 4 oz. I end each meal with a clementine, as it is just sweet enough to satisfy the desires for sugary stuff, yet with natural sugars which your body can handle in moderate quantities.

When it came to the timing, I began to make sure I ate at the same time each evening, within about thirty minutes. I also put at least three hours between bedtime and supper as well. I went from having fasting blood/glucose levels from between 128-140 to now, I range from 70 to 85. It works for me is all I am saying.

marykator

I've been diagnosed as well. Feel free to add

Cathalain

Diagnosed on September 11, 2012. A1C was 14.5, 370 reading. The doctor said, quite bluntly, that if I didn't make changes, I would die before I hit 50 years old.

Nearly two years later, my A1C is 4.9, averages between 75 and 90, and I've lost (to date) 113 pounds. Still a ways to go but I'm CLEARLY better.

I can say, with no hesitation, that getting T2 diabetes has actually been the best thing that could have ever happened to me, because it forced me to WAKE UP and start changing my life for the better. Kind of an unorthodox attitude, I know, but it's how I truly feel about it.

But it's hard when you're first diagnosed. I know. I felt like my world had crashed all around me.

Feel free to add me if you like. You'll get through this. Promise!

Cathalain

I was diagnosed with T2 a little over a week ago. I am doing fine during the day with keeping my BS in line, but my fasting BS in the am is always higher than what it is when I go to bed. Has anyone had this problem?

Common. It's called the "dawn effect" - your liver releases glucose as a result of hormonal signals. Happened to me all the time while I was bringing my A1C down.

My blood sugar was usually stabliilized or at its lowest by lunchtime.

Nothing to worry about, though you can get a better control of it by avoiding carby things before bedtime, that seemed to have helped me.

kristen49233

Type 2er here too--was diagnosed a few years ago, and yes I also have the "dawn effect" in the mornings.

I remember when I was first diagnosed...what a reality check! I would go as far as saying that I went through a few weeks of depression...wondering how did I let myself get so far out of control?? But like someone else stated above...it was a good thing it happened. Hard telling what condition my body would be in if I hadn't gotten the wake up call as well.

I'm managed to lose some weight and my numbers have stayed pretty good--now I'm really focusing on getting my carb count under control!! I love my carbs! :sad:

Goal: to get off of my Metformin completely!!

Good luck to you OP and feel free to add me if you'd like.

candivito

Thank you, adsli1970, for the information. I will start tracking my times in the evening. Cathalain, thank you also for the information and the weight loss you experienced is amazing!

bimmerjt9

My doctor says I have pre diabetes, I've hit the elliptical, upped the fruit/veggies while cutting the carbs & fat. Next appointmenr in October. Hope to see a big improvement .

fataalic

I am like right under becoming pre-diabetic. I walk on my breaks and lunch, about 50-60 minutes a day. I eat lunch at my desk at work so that I could walk during my lunch time.
I can control my eating at work, but when I get home all i want to do is eat...Weekends are bad too. And that's where the real problem lays...finding a way to control food intake and cravings...

airangel59

There is hope:flowerforyou:

I was diagnosed with Type 2 May 11,2012 ....A1C 6.9%....Glucose was 108:sad:
I joined MFP June 7, 2012
I was taken off Metformin (as well as 2 Rx for HTN & 2 for chol/trig) on Sept 13,2013:bigsmile:
In June 2014...A1C 5.3% ... Glucose 86

I AM a walker, everyday, for at least an hour (tracked via Runkeeper, Fitbit Flex & Garmin Vivofit)
My starting BMI 44%...Current BMI 22%

itsbasschick

i've found walking better for lowering blood sugar than any other exercise, and i avoid fruits except for VERY small amounts of strawberries. fruits are full of sugar, and for me at least they increase blood sugar more than almost anything else i eat, even at fairly small amounts. my blood sugar does better with complex carbs than fruits - oats and barley are two of my faves, and small servings of bread / potatoes work just fine for me as long as portions are controlled.

My doctor says I have pre diabetes, I've hit the elliptical, upped the fruit/veggies while cutting the carbs & fat. Next appointmenr in October. Hope to see a big improvement .

prgirl39mfp

I was a type 2 in April last year and now I am a pre diabetic. Lost 25 pounds and have 45 more to go. Eating better and exercise. Not easy but doable.

Cerakoala

Hi Chris!!! I was diagnosed at age 27 with type 2 and sleep apnea. Which is what lead me here. 3 years later I am down over 200lbs no longer have sleep apnea and off all diabetes medication. I control it strictly with diet and exercise. As other posters have said above it is not easy but it is very possible! Start by logging all food that goes into your body, no matter what and weigh everything When I look at macros I focus on carbs and sugar. While I try to meet the other ones those are the ones that are most important to me due to my diabetes. Best of luck on your journey, I would love to support you and will send you a friend request

LAT1963

Read up on low-carb diets. Atkins, South Beach...while you may not follow those diets exactly, knowing about them can help you make better food choices.

You absolutely must exercise though. The primary problem in type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance in your muscles.

Normally insulin signals muscles to uptake sugar from the blood. Type 2 happens when you've been putting so much sugar into your blood via your diet, and your muscles have been getting the 'insulin! uptake sugar!" signal for so long, that your muscles have basically said "enough of this noise!" and down-regulated their insulin receptors.

The only way to get your muscles to up-regulate those receptors is to exercise and work off their stored glycogen repeatedly, so that they actually "want" to respond to the insulin again.

Then you have to hope that you succeed in this before your pancreas burns out from secreting too much insulin for a prolonged period, at which point the diabetes becomes irreversible and you wind up on insulin because your pancreas can no longer produce it.

(gross oversimplification but good enough for dieter use).

Peloton73

There's a lot of amazing inspiration in this thread. It makes me smile.

I can say, with no hesitation, that getting T2 diabetes has actually been the best thing that could have ever happened to me, because it forced me to WAKE UP and start changing my life for the better. Kind of an unorthodox attitude, I know, but it's how I truly feel about it.

But it's hard when you're first diagnosed. I know. I felt like my world had crashed all around me.

I am right with you! I had mentioned the same thing my profile. Lol.

With regards to the dawn effect/phenomenon, this is something that is not one size fits all. Definitely experiment and see what works for you. I used to eat dinner at 5pm and then have a protein (string cheese) before bedtime and still had a high bg in the morning. I ended up finding my "sweet spot" by eating dinner later at 7:30pm and nothing but water for the rest of the night. Test often in the beginning to see what works for you.