Welcome ~ Please Intro.
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Hi Dennis, I'm glad you find the MFP programme helpful. Well done on your success to date. Hopefully you have realised that dealing with Diabetes requires a lifestyle change and a lifetime committment. Take your time to have a look at the various boards where you will find lots of tips on managing your Diabetes. There are lots of knowledgable people in this group who are always willing to share what they have learned and to provide encouragement. I wish you well in your quest to achieve better control.0
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Hi all! I'm a former triathlon addict that was put out of commission when hit by a car during a 1999 training ride, which led to back surgery to fuse 3 vertebrae. I was left with permanent nerve damage and depression quickly set in as did packing on the pounds without running, cycling, and swimming as part of my daily life. Spent the past decade putting all my energy into work and completely neglected my health even though I have a family history of T2. My annual fasting blood work was always great... not even in the pre-diabetic range, but my health caught up with me in June 2010 when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was immediately placed on Metformin and long acting insulin making me determined to get back to a healthy lifestyle in order to manage my diabetes. Life had other plans with an ovarian cancer scare a few months later leading to a hysterectomy. I wasn't prepared for having to deal with the long recovery from a 10" vertical abdominal incision, much less menopause while learning to manage T2, but life goes on :ohwell: Last 2011, I injured my knee with two meniscus tears making it nearly impossible to once again get much of any exercise until I knee surgery in March 2012.
Feeling 100% recovered from knee surgery, my ENTIRE focus is on living a healthy lifestyle, losing weight, and daily exercise in order to better manage my diabetes. I found myfitnesspal about 2 weeks ago and find it to be an easy way to track my food and exercise. It also keeps me honest with myself on my day to day progress :happy:
Currently, I am on Lantus 30 units daily, Metformin 500mg 2 x day, and due to a recently diagnosed underactive thyroid, I started synthroid as well. My last A1C increased to 7.8 from 7.0 as have my morning BGs causing much frustration... so I have lots of room for improvement. I am really looking forward to this support group to help achieve better control!0 -
Welcome Trindukath. You sure have been through a lot. As your body gets settled with your thyroid meds it should be a little easier to lose weight. I'm glad you found us. This group is great for support and suggestions.0
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Hi Amy,
The diet does get much, much easier. I was diagnosed a year ago in June, and it was devastating to me. I felt so sick while figuring out meds and diet, plus getting my sugar numbers down to where I needed them to be. Now I can honestly say being diagnosed with diabetes was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me for my health. It finally made me wake up and realize I needed to take care of my body rather than just sit back and say..."oh well, I like food". Feel free to add me. I don't always eat perfect, lol. But I have managed to get off most of my meds and my sugars been fairly stable.0 -
Hi Trindukath,
Welcome to the T2 group and mfp
I love this place! 0 -
Hello. New to online support groups and prediabetes. Not sure I am but thinking I will be as of tomorrow after the doctor appointment. Just about everyone on my mothers side has it....so why not me.:ohwell: Last fasting blood test was 6.4 A1C and 137 blood glocuse with the high triglycerides, high LDL, OK HDL. 55 pounds overweight. Think I am going to get yelled at.
So...anyway...could use any suggestions for losing weight. I am very active. I do a lot of house remodeling with my husband and I do a lot of the work along with swimming, gardening....etc. I seem to have too good of an appetite ; ).
So...question. I listed myself as lightly active and I have 1500 calories allotted to me every day. When I do some activity like gardening or canning, should I be adding those as extra and therefore getting the benefit of the extra calories. I have lost about 2 pounds in the last two weeks. That seems about right I think. What do you think?
If you've lost two pounds in two weeks at 1500 calories that sounds about right. If you're canning I probably wouldn't count the activity, nor would I count regular house work, etc. However, other things, like gardening, I would. One note of caution. Gardening usually burns less than what mfp counts because we're not actually working steady for that amount of time. We stop, we get things, we put things away, etc. It all changes the calorie burn.
If you find that you're very active most days, as in, not sitting around, on your feet and moving most of the day. Then you probably count as moderately active. At moderately active you would only log exercise above and beyond what you normally do. Like if you went for a run, went for a long walk that isn't usual, etc.
Also, if you're still hungry on 1500 calories you can probably increase them to 1600 or 1700 and still lose weight. Sometimes people on here start lower and as they get closer to goal or plateau, they'll increase their calories a little to 'jump start' their metabolism. It really all depends on the person and perspective, but calories numbers are something that you can tweak here and there to get the right balance.0 -
Hi Trindukath and welcome to this group. Take your time to look at the various boards where you will find lots of good suggestions and helpful and supportive people. As an athlete you start with a great advantage in that you have lots of knowledge about training and nutrition which will stand you in good stead. There are a number of experienced people on here who are always willing to share their expertise with the rest of us. It's good to have you with us and hopefully to learn from you about exercise and nutrition although not many of us will aspire to become triathletes. I look forward to your input to the group.0
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Hello. My name is Shelley, and I was diagnosed with T2D just yesterday, July 23, 2012. Ugh. My Glucose was 163 and my A1C was 7.8. My Dr. prescibed Metformin @ 500mg 2x a day. I'm sooo new to all of this and have enjoyed reading your posts. I've lost 23 lbs in the last 4 mos and am loving myfitnesspal. It's helping me so much. Right now I'm just trying to read and educate myself on Diabetes and what foods are not good/good for me. I understand that exercise/strength training is very important, so am starting a program with that today. bleh. life change. I don't seem to have any of the other symptoms. In December, my glucose was 106, so it seems I'm just entering this arena. I'm hoping, as I'm sure all of you have, that this medication will do its job and I can be off of the medication sooner rather than later. Does anyone have any advice for me as to how to approach this process?0
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Hi Shelley and welcome to the group. I'm glad you're finding lots of help on MFP. You are already making great progress by realising the importance of exercise which can do nothing but good. You have also identified the importance of learning as much as you can. Information is indeed power. If your Dr has not yet booked you on to a Diabetes Education course, this is something which you should follow up as soon as possible. Assuming you have already input your personal data and have received a starting target, the next step would be to pick some aspect and tackle that before moving on to the next subject. A good starting point would be to try and gain control over your daily intake of carbs since this will directly affect your glucose levels. Many people would take say 45 gms of carb per meal with say 30 left for snacks if required as a starting point and then work from there. You can customise your proportion of micronutrients or simply accept what MFP gives. Bear in mind that the Carb target given by MFP is usually too high for diabetics and will require adjustment. You should also note that each diabetic reacts differently and that what works for one person may not necessaryily work for you. Each of us has to find out what works us by trial and error and if you test, by regular testing. The good news is that with determination, honesty, perserverance and persistance you can continue to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle. I wish you well on your journey.0
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Welcome Shelley. It sounds like you were caught pretty early and that is good. So much damage gets done before people are diagnosed. I second the taking a diabetes education course or meeting with a nutritionist. T2s have different needs than others. Carbs are the big thing to watch. Like Robert said, start with about 45 per meal and test often to figure out whether that works for you and what foods work for you. I think testing is very important and get frustrated with drs. and insurance cos. who say that we only need to test once a day. How can we figure out what is working for us if we don't test after we eat it?
Exercise also will really help your insulin resistance. Try to at least take a walk every day. More exercise is good but I always think walking is also a great exercise regardless. I still walk even though I also run and do other stuff.0 -
Hi, My name is Bobbie. I live in Ft. Washington, MD. I was diagnosed with Type 2 in 1996. I did everything the Dr. told me...quit smoking , lost 60 lbs and was working out 5-6 days a week. I still had to go on insulin. I got very discouraged and gained the weight back and went into a depression. I have other health prob's and take numerous medications. I am not on insulin anymore, but I take metphormin and glipizide. My A1c is 6.9. My Dr. tells me I have great control, but I can remember when it got down to 4.9, that's when I was working out 5-6 times a week. I do very well for a little while, then I get depressed again and stop taking care of myself. Does anyone else have the problem of getting so discouraged??, or suffer from depression?. I have recently started tracking my calories and have started walking on a treadmill. I want to be healthy for my daughter (only child), and be able to have granchildren someday, but it is so hard to be on track ALL the time. I tire very easily and really have to force myself to walk. When I don't see good results I feel like giving up again. I hate that is such a struggle on an hourly basis, constantly having to pay attention to everything that goes in my mouth!! I need encouragement and reminders to keep myself on track !!..Please!!0
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Hi Bobbie and welcome to this group. I'm sorry you are finding it so hard to gain a good level of control. Some of the difficulties you describe are common to many of us. It is easy to get hung up on numbers and we need to be realistic in achieving a level at which we can function normally. Presumably you have discussed your difficulties with your Dr, if you haven't then that should be your first step. If you haven't been on a diabetic education course then this is something you could follow up. Assuming you have input your personal details to the MFP website, you may want to try adjusting your micronutrients to find a ratio which suits you. You say that you have had something of a stop start approach to your diabetes. One inescapable fact about diabetes is that once we have this complaint we can never relax or lower our guard. Persistance is vital as is determination. You have said you want to do this for your daughter and that is a really great incentive. Each time you are tempted to backslide you need to remind yourself of your desire to see your grandchildren. The really good news is that we can improve our control using this programme and we can achieve a good level of control and achieve an active and healthy lifestyle. I wish you well in your quest.0
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Hi,
I'm 35 years old and was diagnosed as a diabetic about 4 years ago, though realistically I probably have been for 5-6 years or longer but was avoiding doctors and avoiding facing my issues for some time. My mother has it as well, as did her mother before her. I brought on the disease faster that necessary with a sedentary lifestyle and fast food diet and what feels like a serious addiction to sugary sodas. I've been over 300 lbs for many years and hit a high of 350 last spring (I'm 6'4" fwiw). In past year I dropped about 25 pounds without changing my diet or exercise habits at all, just by controlling blood sugar with meds and by using a testosterone supplement (bloodwork showed that to be very low as well). But the weight loss stopped there and I finally began taking steps to improve my diet and exercise habits as well.
In the last couple months I've cut sodas completely out and began walking 5-6 days a week for 30 minutes. My appetite went crazy without the sugar from the sodas. Initially, I just ate and focused hard on avoiding the soda, but now I'm 5 weeks without a soda and feeling comfortable with that. The next step for me is to keep a better count of what I'm putting into my body. I've been eating more fruits and veggies and cut my bad fast food habit in half but really have no idea how many calories I was eating before. I've only been here a few days but already I feel like inputting all my details into MFP has been quite enlightening and helpful.
I currently take 1000mg of Metformin twice a day. I took glimperide for about 2 years but was able to get off of that 4 months ago. The worst A1C I ever had measured was 9.5%, but for the last year and a half they've been under 6.5%, at my last checkup a few weeks ago I believe it was at 5.8%. I'm really happy with all that but I know it won't stay like that forever if I don't make permanent improvements in my diet and exercise habits, and that's why i'm here and saying hi.
Richard0 -
Hey, all! My name is Emily. I was diagnosed as T2 in 2006. Since my dx, I have lost about 50 pounds and have 50 more to go. My blood glucose levels and A1c have been fairly good for a long time. I did have a huge swing up in 2009, which was brought under control with 20 units of Lantus every day along with my usual metformin and glipizide. I have been seeing another creep up with my levels and am working hard to get things back under control and reduce my meds to where Lantus is my only diabetes medicine.
I am using MFP to better monitor my intake and how it affects my levels. I look forward to learning more and meeting new people.0 -
Thank you so much for your reply. It's not as daunting as it would have been to me a year ago since I have already been using MFP since March; it just seems like I need to continue doing what I'm already doing with an extra critical eye on my carbs and sugars. YOu kind of answered a question I've had, but I still wonder how do these numbers regarding carbs, sugars, etc., that have been given to me on MFP line up with what they should be now that I have been diagnosed? Shelley0
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Thank you, Sharon. The suggestion of 45 carbs per meal is a good one. My daily allotment from MFP is 175, so I will definitely limit that to what you and Robert suggested. I will need to investigate and find a nutrition class and/or a support group here in my city.0
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Welcome Bobbie,
Diabetes is discouraging. I was diagnosed 14 years ago and have had my bad moments. It is a lifelong battle but you just have to keep forging ahead. I learned to accept that I'm T2, I will always be drug dependent and while I need to watch what I eat I can splurge once in a while. As you replace bad eating habits with good ones it becomes easier and you don't have to think about it so much because you just do it. Pretty soon that daily walk isn't a chore but some me time. It does get better. You have already come so far. You've lost weight, you quit smoking (that's a huge one, most diabetic amputees got there by smoking). It really does get better.0 -
Welcome Richard,
You have been doing a wonderful job. I like how you are tackling one issue at a time. When I get overwhelmed with too many changes I'm more likely to throw in the towel. MFP is a great tool to figure out what you are eating. I'm glad you've found us.0 -
Thank you, Sharon. The suggestion of 45 carbs per meal is a good one. My daily allotment from MFP is 175, so I will definitely limit that to what you and Robert suggested. I will need to investigate and find a nutrition class and/or a support group here in my city.
This is a good starting level. I test a lot when I'm trying something new. You can then figure out whether that is an ok amount or whether you need to cut out more or have more leeway. You will also be able to figure out when to eat carbs. Before the dr. put me on amaryl I could eat carbs after about 3pm or I'd be really high in the a.m. Now that I have new drugs I'm having much better and more normal eating patterns.0 -
Hello Gentle People
My name is Dave
I live in Tumtum Wa.
I have had type 2 for the past 12 years, The first 4 years i managed it with exersise and diet, then i had to start using met-4-men, and over the past year and half i started using Insolin.
The first 6 months of being on insulin i was doing good loosing weight and exersizing well, and watching my carb intake charting everything. Then I was involved in a auto accident where i got rearended. I hurt my back pretty bad and spent the next 10 months on different therapys. this past month i started walking again and up to 2 miles, i do strenthing exersizes every other day except when my back hurts pretty bad a little pain I can deal with I just let my body tell me when to stop.
it is hard to get back to what i was doing previously last year, after i went to one of those 1 day workshops on diabeties and saw what it would do to my eyes it inspired me to take care of my healt and was walking and exersizing everyday. i think i need to find some inspiration once again so i can get back on the ball and get back to taking care of my health.
thank you all for taking the time to read this
Dave0
