Type II Diabetics - Let's Support Each Other

qtpiesmom

Jenny thats swesome!! your numbers are great.
My husband told me I need new clothes LOL. My sugars are in good working order.
Hope everyone is doing good

jrbanta

Yay for you too qtpiesmom! Feels nice doesn't it? Nice of your husband to notice and comment that you need new clothes :bigsmile:

blackrat150

HI guys,

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes on 21st January 2011. I was advised to lose weight and so I joined MyFitnessPal.
I have drastically changed my diet.

I have lost 63 pounds in 16 weeks and would like to lose another 24 pounds to get down to my ideal weight.

I have just started running every day and am training hard to run a marathon next year (which is something that I've always wanted to do but was always too heavy and too unfit)!

After one week I could run two miles effortlessly and recover in a matter of minutes. If I compare this to the beginning of the week it is an amazing difference as I only lasted a couple of minutes and had to walk!! Iam now running 3-5 miles every day at 6mph!

Am taking Metformin for my T2 and my blood sugars are considerable lower since losing the weight and starting the exercise!

My HbA1c was 15.9 when I was first diagnosed. I have just had my test redone and get the results next week; I will keep to posted!

T2 Diabetes is not a barrier to losing weight or getting fit. OK it's hard; but it's hard for everyone who is overweight to lose weight and get fit. The thing is to just think to yourself; grow some and get on with it!!

Hopefully you will find this informative and helpful. Should anyone want to know more about how I've done it, just ask.

Good Luck

Brian

qtpiesmom

Thanx for that Brian, we are all working on getting healthy slowly and surely we will all get there.
Cant wait to see what my numbers are in June

PoleBoy

I have lost 63 pounds in 16 weeks and would like to lose another 24 pounds to get down to my ideal weight.



Brian

I strongly suggest you slow that rate of weight loss. There's no point acquiring another set of health problems while making your your Type II more managable

rsross1963

I have been a Type II Diabetic for over 23 years now. This lifestyle is difficult when you love food. I weighed the same for 18 years and last December when my medications were changed to Junuvia, Actos, and Glyburide I started gaining weight 20 lbs by March 2011. I have been struggling to get this weight off. I am not perfect but I try to stick to 1400 Calories a day Low-Carb diet. Most days I do great.

I would love to hear from others and what you are doing to lose weight.

stangma

Wow - thanks for all that info on fruits - what a great article. I have been bouncing from insulin resistance to pre diabetes to diabetes, then took control of my eating & my A1C is now under 6..So I am very thankful to have a great dr who educated me.

qtpiesmom

RsRoss I have lost 30 pounds since been on MFP with eating well and exercise to be honest. I love food and allow myself anything I want to eat to tell you the truth. Yes I watch what I eat, Yes I portion control EVERYTHING but I eat what I want. My numbers are never over 126 (7)and usually run between 81 - 117 (4.5 - 7)most days since starting my new life journey. With Just watching how many carbs I eat my numbers for over a year now have never been over 180 (10)and usually ran between 126 - 188 (7 - 8)
I didnt lose weight but maintained it for a year.
I use the plate method with measuring my portions. Do a search for diabetic plate picture if you dont know what that is. Its when you split your plate in half one half is veggies then you split the other half in half and one area is starch and one is meat.
I start every big meal with a salad and depending on what I want to eat will tell me how much veggies and meat I need to balance out.
Its important to maintain good numbers first before weight loss.
I also pay attention the the glycemic index for high sugar / carb items.
I make sure to eat before exercising and an hour after I test so my levels are not low.
I am also seeing a specialist in Septemeber would have been in July but we are going to be in Disneyland to start a new injectable medication which the side effect is weight loss.
If there is anything else I can add or you want to know just ask

Soozcat

BTW, if you folks don't already know about bloodsugar101.com, let me be an obnoxious cheerleader for the site. So much useful information on bringing down your blood sugar to normal levels (actually far more than my doctor has been willing to provide since I was diagnosed. It appears that either she never responds to phone messages or she has slacker receptionists who never pass on her phone messages... why yes, I AM looking for a new primary care provider!).

Ping_A1C2U

Hi everyone, I've been type 2 since about '99, never really controlled, just skating the line between bad and worse. I posted more about my story at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/242990-well-hi-diabetic-and-wanting-to-live

Anyhoo, my fasting bg has stayed below 130 for the last 5 weeks with only a couple exceptions (once from attending a house party, and once from a caving in to the french fry craving). I'm having a blast keeping track of my food intake, experimenting with carb limits to see what i can work back into my diet, and exercising so I can eat more. I've learned that there are plenty of healthy options that are delicious and easy enough. Insulin injections were so stigmatized and feared that I was emotionally wrecked, but now that I've done it for a while and seen how much easier it is to control my diabetes with it, it's not so bad. Oh, I quit smoking 4 weeks ago too. Good times

I'm working on getting down to about 235lbs and seeing where I want to go from there. My doctor was very impressed at my 3 week checkup, shook my hand, and told me that I'm awesome - which made my day!

My friends and family on Facebook have been getting a kick out of my daily posting of BG and Blood pressure in the morning, and the accountability has gotten me through some tough moments.

Time for a walk. Cheers!

qtpiesmom

Chris good for you for quitting smoking one of the hardest things to do but onec you do you dont know why you didnt before.
Learning what works carb wise is a great thing just remember when you have carbs BALANCE them with Veggies and meat. If your gonna have fries well eat a double burger NO BUN and NO ketchup. READ LABELS very important. Being you are on injections its a little more tricky balancing how much to give yourself to what your eating. Read things on Glycemic Index to see whats good carbs and whats now.
Glad you came over here too.

Ping_A1C2U

Chris good for you for quitting smoking one of the hardest things to do but onec you do you dont know why you didnt before.
Learning what works carb wise is a great thing just remember when you have carbs BALANCE them with Veggies and meat. If your gonna have fries well eat a double burger NO BUN and NO ketchup. READ LABELS very important. Being you are on injections its a little more tricky balancing how much to give yourself to what your eating. Read things on Glycemic Index to see whats good carbs and whats now.
Glad you came over here too.

The quitting is easy, the random cravings kind of suck though...I quit for about 14 months after my divorce, then started again for no really good reason, so I'm pretty confident this time around. Don't need it, don't want it.

My injections aren't so bad, it's just one a day - based on my average fasting BG for the 3 mornings before - so I don't have to be as strict on carb balancing as I would if it was meal injections.

Going to start working more fruit into my snacks and see what net effect that has on my BG - the post a bit up from this one was great, i picked up some kiwi and peaches at the store tonight

Ping_A1C2U

Good morning, how's everyone doing?

past 30 days - average fasting glucose is 110. I'm pretty excited about that.

amyllu

Hi Everyone, I am T2 diet controlled. Diagnosed about 3yrs ago.
I do try to keep a healthy regime for losing weight but between being disabled with Ankoliing Spondilitis and born Spina Bifida and coping with lots of pain I tend to put the Db on the shelf.
Do have regular checks with the nurse at my surgery and she is quite happy with my levels at the mo' so am hoping that my continuing to lose weight will help anyway.

Qpeace

Thought I'd check in this afternoon.

Seeing a Diabetes specialist was the best thing I ever did. He took me off one med that was causing low blood sugars and put me on an injectible medication that does curb appetite and helps weight loss. I still have to do my part.

The turning point was the iPhone and finding this app because it is with me all the time. And exercise! Omigosh, exercise! It has made a HUGE difference in my blood sugars and blood pressure and weight loss. It feels good to be in smaller clothes and feel stronger.

So here is my encouragement for all of us. We can do this! We can control our disease, minimize complications, and be healthy.

And spring is here with blueberries and strawberries. Yum!

jrbanta

I can't wait until the Farmer's Market has all the fresh produce to choose from. Love Sunday morning trips to the market with my husband. It's our Sunday date.

Weather isn't cooperating this weekend for outside exercise I'd like to ride my bike so hope for some sunshine or atleast a time without rain.

Have a nice weekend!

sunnygirl73

Hi! I am a type II also (3rd generation). I have had insulin resistence for many years and it finally turned into diabetes. I also have poly cystic ovary syndrome which is a complicated way of saying my hormones are totally messed up. Also, I take thryoid medication. So, needless to say, it is very difficult for me to lose weight and keep it off. I have to be very strict with myself. I have spent the last three years making slow but steady changes to my lifestyle. I have stopped drinking all caffeine including coffe, tea, all sodas. I have cut way back on the sugar. I have increased my fruit and veggie intake significantly. I take several supplements to improve my health. I have switched to a natural sleep aid instead of prescriptions and tylenol p.m. And I finally found a reliable walking partner and am now walking every day that I can. In those three years I have lost 30 pounds just from the changes I have made as well as going back to work and being on my feet all the time. But lately, I have noticed a pattern ly that I will do very well for a few days but by the end of the week I get off track with sugar cravings or mindless eating because I am so tired. So I just need a steady stream of support to stick with it. I would like to lose a total of 120 pounds. I haven't started the logging yet but I will get there. Trying to fit it into my jam packed schedule. It is so great to read all of your experiences and struggles and successes. It is great to know I am not alone in this.

jrbanta

Welcome sunnygirl73! Wow you've accomplished a lot for good health in the past 3 years. Proud of your accomplishments. You may just be in a slump right now. It's hard to maintain our goals sometimes no matter how motivated we are. Stick with it, you've come so far!

I was diagnosed Type II 1 1/2 years ago after a decade of struggling with weight gain and loss, pre diabetic glucose counts, etc. I take Metformin and Lysinopril (to combat high blood pressure). I've been doing MFP since January 2011 and have lost 16 pounds, greater than 12 inches and am exercising regularly. I am conquering my emotional eating habits and have found great support on this site. My A1c is within normal range and I hope it falls a little lower within the range by next fall when I have a recheck.

Nice to meet you!

nburns325

Hi! I'm pretty new to this site, joined maybe 2 weeks ago. I am a type II diabetic - was diagnosed in 2003. I've pretty much been up and down on the A1c scale, high of 9.8, low of 6.1. Up until recently, I was ashamed and unwilling to accept that I was a diabetic. I think I thought that if I ignored it, it would just go away. But instead (surprise, surprise) it got worse. I'm finally coming to terms that this is a life-changer and I have to make a serious lifestyle change or I'm headed down the road of very bad health and bad consequences. I could really use some support from anyone who's willing. I'm doing this with a few friends, which is awesome, but they are trying to lose weight to get in better shape and don't quite understand the diabetes-side of it. I really want to succeed this time and can't do it without support and hard work.

Ping_A1C2U

Hi! I'm pretty new to this site, joined maybe 2 weeks ago. I am a type II diabetic - was diagnosed in 2003. I've pretty much been up and down on the A1c scale, high of 9.8, low of 6.1. Up until recently, I was ashamed and unwilling to accept that I was a diabetic. I think I thought that if I ignored it, it would just go away. But instead (surprise, surprise) it got worse. I'm finally coming to terms that this is a life-changer and I have to make a serious lifestyle change or I'm headed down the road of very bad health and bad consequences. I could really use some support from anyone who's willing. I'm doing this with a few friends, which is awesome, but they are trying to lose weight to get in better shape and don't quite understand the diabetes-side of it. I really want to succeed this time and can't do it without support and hard work.

I think we've all been there at one point or another - I know I have been guilty of not taking it seriously and ignoring my heath rather than deal with the emotional aspect of living with it. You can do it, and while it's not always sunshine and lollipops, you will feel so much better emotionally/mentally as your work shows results. Hang in there, and remember you're not alone

nburns325

Hi! I'm pretty new to this site, joined maybe 2 weeks ago. I am a type II diabetic - was diagnosed in 2003. I've pretty much been up and down on the A1c scale, high of 9.8, low of 6.1. Up until recently, I was ashamed and unwilling to accept that I was a diabetic. I think I thought that if I ignored it, it would just go away. But instead (surprise, surprise) it got worse. I'm finally coming to terms that this is a life-changer and I have to make a serious lifestyle change or I'm headed down the road of very bad health and bad consequences. I could really use some support from anyone who's willing. I'm doing this with a few friends, which is awesome, but they are trying to lose weight to get in better shape and don't quite understand the diabetes-side of it. I really want to succeed this time and can't do it without support and hard work.

I think we've all been there at one point or another - I know I have been guilty of not taking it seriously and ignoring my heath rather than deal with the emotional aspect of living with it. You can do it, and while it's not always sunshine and lollipops, you will feel so much better emotionally/mentally as your work shows results. Hang in there, and remember you're not alone

Thanks for your note! It's great to belong to a site like this where we can support each other so much! And to also have the experience of being there... Sometimes it's hard to be strong when it feels like no one else understands how tough it is!

betterlife2011

Hello everyone!!! My name is nellie i was dianosed with type 2 almost two years ago and i was so frustrated because the docter i had would not explain anything to me or send me to a dietian or anything alls she did was say take metformin hcl 500 once a day and if sugars dont go to 100 or 80 take two a day. and keep carbs at 15 a serving for 6 servings aday and only 1200 calories a day/ I had no clue what she meant . I have been triing to keep "carbs" at 6 servings of 15 but i dont eat fruit or veggis that much because other things have carbs in it i have no clue but i finally got the courage to change docters i have had to travel an hour to a new doc but she sat down with me friday and talked about my muscle issues in my right leg and told me that i was doin ok but she wants to send me to a specialist and dietian for the diabetes something i asked my old docter many times to do with no prevail. So she will schedule it this week so i know what to do So i was happpy that i found a good docter and then i log on today and find this post and read u guys advice and suggestions u have been given and i have learned alot more than i knew THANK YOU I have a question what kind of fruit and veggis are good for u and how do u stop the cravings for potatoes i love mashed potatoes and its been hard to stop i gave in last night lol but i need to loose about 150lbs for my diabetes high blood preassure and high cholesterol i have sleep inssues and muscle issues in my right leg which makes alot of exercise scary to do but i did 25 minutes of zumba today yeah its small but i did it If anyone has any advice i would greatly appreiciate it, Also the idea of a goal to keep for this week is great mine is to get some kind of exercise in a day for atleast 25 mins as for i wiegh 278 went down from 286 so hopefully i can continue everyone take care and have a good monday nite ttyl:drinker:

katzpawz

I've been out of the loop for a little while (house guests, travelling and more house guests). I have been reading most of the posts, even though I haven't been posting myself.

Welcome to all the new folks. We're glad you found our thread!

I'm a little under the weather with a cold, so I'll keep this post short.

Have a great week everyone!

katzpawz

Ping_A1C2U

Hello everyone!!! My name is nellie

hi Nellie, I'm Chris...welcome!

I have a question what kind of fruit and veggis are good for u

All of them are good for you really, but some should be eaten with caution. You can't eat a couple of bananas and expect your sugar not to spike...things like apples, strawberries, pears, peaches, kiwi are things that I try to mix in with my diet, along with avocado. What I found worked well for me is to eat the same thing for lunch every day for a couple days, and take my blood sugar 2 hours after i started eating lunch - giving me a baseline sugar, then i'd have the same lunch but add an apple, and test 2 hours later...finding that things like banana and pineapple cause pretty decent spikes, apples and strawberries surprisingly not so bad. I've also found that it's very helpful to eat them in conjunction with some protein or fat, which seems to change the way they metabolize- so i'll have an apple with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, or a stick of string cheese (when i'm adding them as a snack), or i'll eat them after i eat my lunch/dinner so that the carbs become part of the overall meal.

The glycemic index is really helpful here as a starting point, the lower the GI of something, the less likely it is going to cause a blood sugar spike.

and how do u stop the cravings for potatoes i love mashed potatoes and its been hard to stop

I won't sugar coat it - i don't think that you ever can get to not "craving" it, but you learn to manage it, and you learn to work them into your meal in decent portions balanced with the rest of your plate.

Before I cared what my sugar was, a typical meal for me was maybe a spoonfull of veggies (token veggies i call them), half a plate of carbs (pasta/potatos/etc), and half a plate of protein (meat).

When I started to pay attention to my sugar religiously, I cut way down on carbs, too far really, and it made me discouraged...so i started working them back in slowly. I'll still have some potatoes, but i'll have a small spoonful and a large helping of veggies. I'll eat large bites of the veggies then small bites of the starch and somehow my mind is ok with that.

I find it helpful to make my plate, with nice small portions, then put the bad stuff away - if there's left overs or whatever, they go into containers and into the fridge.

Also the idea of a goal to keep for this week is great mine is to get some kind of exercise in a day for atleast 25 mins

This is a great and achievable goal, and you can do it. Remember, exercise does not mean you have to kill yourself with exertion, or break a drenching sweat, or run marathons...get your heart rate up a little, doing whatever you can, even if it's just sitting in your chair and swinging your arms around for a few minutes. As you do whatever activity (zumba sounds fantastic), you'll find that it's not long before you can go another minute, or 2 minutes, or 5...but remember - likely, whatever exercise you get, it's probably more than you got before you "had to", so any is better than none. It took some fair amount of time for you to develop T2 diabetes, but the good news is that it won't take as long to manage it - but it won't happen overnight, and it won't always be easy - but absolutely, without a doubt, it's something everyone can do. You can do it, I believe in you.

nburns325

Hello everyone!!! My name is nellie

hi Nellie, I'm Chris...welcome!

I have a question what kind of fruit and veggis are good for u

All of them are good for you really, but some should be eaten with caution. You can't eat a couple of bananas and expect your sugar not to spike...things like apples, strawberries, pears, peaches, kiwi are things that I try to mix in with my diet, along with avocado. What I found worked well for me is to eat the same thing for lunch every day for a couple days, and take my blood sugar 2 hours after i started eating lunch - giving me a baseline sugar, then i'd have the same lunch but add an apple, and test 2 hours later...finding that things like banana and pineapple cause pretty decent spikes, apples and strawberries surprisingly not so bad. I've also found that it's very helpful to eat them in conjunction with some protein or fat, which seems to change the way they metabolize- so i'll have an apple with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, or a stick of string cheese (when i'm adding them as a snack), or i'll eat them after i eat my lunch/dinner so that the carbs become part of the overall meal.

The glycemic index is really helpful here as a starting point, the lower the GI of something, the less likely it is going to cause a blood sugar spike.

and how do u stop the cravings for potatoes i love mashed potatoes and its been hard to stop

I won't sugar coat it - i don't think that you ever can get to not "craving" it, but you learn to manage it, and you learn to work them into your meal in decent portions balanced with the rest of your plate.

Before I cared what my sugar was, a typical meal for me was maybe a spoonfull of veggies (token veggies i call them), half a plate of carbs (pasta/potatos/etc), and half a plate of protein (meat).

When I started to pay attention to my sugar religiously, I cut way down on carbs, too far really, and it made me discouraged...so i started working them back in slowly. I'll still have some potatoes, but i'll have a small spoonful and a large helping of veggies. I'll eat large bites of the veggies then small bites of the starch and somehow my mind is ok with that.

I find it helpful to make my plate, with nice small portions, then put the bad stuff away - if there's left overs or whatever, they go into containers and into the fridge.

Also the idea of a goal to keep for this week is great mine is to get some kind of exercise in a day for atleast 25 mins

This is a great and achievable goal, and you can do it. Remember, exercise does not mean you have to kill yourself with exertion, or break a drenching sweat, or run marathons...get your heart rate up a little, doing whatever you can, even if it's just sitting in your chair and swinging your arms around for a few minutes. As you do whatever activity (zumba sounds fantastic), you'll find that it's not long before you can go another minute, or 2 minutes, or 5...but remember - likely, whatever exercise you get, it's probably more than you got before you "had to", so any is better than none. It took some fair amount of time for you to develop T2 diabetes, but the good news is that it won't take as long to manage it - but it won't happen overnight, and it won't always be easy - but absolutely, without a doubt, it's something everyone can do. You can do it, I believe in you.

---

Wow Chris, what a great post! Some great ideas/tips for everyone!!!

bongowillie

Walking The Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock, longest walking bridge in the world, 1.6 miles round trip, today did 3 laps and 2/10th of a mile to = 5 mile total..weight is down to a all time low of 214 and blood sugar month average at 99..video of The Big Dam Bridge is on my Facebook page..BongoWillie's Diabetic Blog..Bridge is on the way home..so i stop by after work and do it everyday if possible, started about a week ago

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bongos-Diabetic-BLOG/125655144171061?sk=wall

jrbanta

bongowillie-Congrats on your all time low for your weight and your average glucose for the month! Fantastic results!

Nellie- My favorite fruits that are also the lowest in sugar are blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. I put 1/4 - 1/2 cup of one of them on my plain cheerios in the morning with 8 oz. of Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Breeze (40 cal's. 0 g sugar, 2 g carb).

Chris-great posts and response to Nellie which I enjoyed reading also.

Katzpawz-Welcome back!

Any body want to share some ideas on their favorite meal recipes for breakfast, lunch or dinner or foods they eat weekly that fit into a T2 meal plan? I'm bored with my choices!!

Thanks,:flowerforyou:
Jenny

Noctuary

*bump for later folks!

betterlife2011

:happy: Thank u Chris for ur advice i will try no i will do that check my sugar and then eat fruit to see what it does . Also thank you everyone for the advice and friend requests and if anyone else wants to be friends on here just request me k i would love it. Today was a busy day i had lab work and other appointments so what i did to get my workout in i walked up and down stairs and parked further away then usual. So i have been doin some activity a day so far and i will keep it up . Everyone take care and ill check in later its late here and im tired Good nite everyone ttyl take care

titletown

Hey gang,

Great thread!

I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes around five years ago and didn't take it very serious at first. Before I knew it, I was having to up my meds, add new ones for cholesterol and high blood pressure and finally my Dr wanted me to start taking a statin for my cholesterol and that scared me because of all the bad press those type drugs get.

I guess that was my wake-up call, that was a little over 2 years ago. That coupled with the fact that I was starting to lose some feeling in a couple of my toes, that really shook me and the remaining numbness in those two toes to thsi day is all the reminder I need should a craving come up, but if you eat right, those situations along with hunger pangs are really few and far between, at least for me.

Since that time I've shed 87 lbs to date, hit my original goal weight of 225 earlier this week and decided to go another 10-15 lbs lower and get in better overall shape.

During this journey, some amazing things happened aside from the way my body now looks.

I have been totally off all meds for closing in on 6 months now, my blood sugar is always under 100, lots of times in the 70's and 80's in the morning and my high blood pressure is now borderline acceptable if not in the good range, most of the time. Have not had my cholesterol checked in a while, have that scheduled for next months but I'm positive that is now in the good range now as well, due to the diet I've been adhering to here over he past few months.

Type II can be fully managed for a lot of folks if they take the initiative to change how they eat and how much they move

Feel free to add me as a friend if you want, I'd be more than happy to give advise to anyone that will listen, this is to important not to want to share.