Intro....Just found out I'm diabetic

crystalg1226
crystalg1226 Posts: 6
in Introduce Yourself
Hello my name Is Crystal. Just found out today that I am diabetic and got put on medication..which i could live with if my husband and I weren't trying to have a baby. Last year I was pregnant and at 22 weeks my daughter Isabelle was still born. Then, I was told I was pre-diabetic and NOW I think me being diabetic had a lot to do with me losing her :'( Her death could have been prevented, but I was unaware I had diabetes. Now I have been diagnosed and I'm heartbroken AND determined to get my blood sugar under control....

Does anyone have anything in particular that may help in my journey. I have been on Herbalife for a few days and I love it, but other suggestions would be awesome ! Thank yOu

Crystal

Replies

  • AlchemyOfTheBlackSunCult
    AlchemyOfTheBlackSunCult Posts: 58
    Hello my name Is Crystal. Just found out today that I am diabetic and got put on medication..which i could live with if my husband and I weren't trying to have a baby. Last year I was pregnant and at 22 weeks my daughter Isabelle was still born. Then, I was told I was pre-diabetic and NOW I think me being diabetic had a lot to do with me losing her :'( Her death could have been prevented, but I was unaware I had diabetes. Now I have been diagnosed and I'm heartbroken AND determined to get my blood sugar under control....

    Does anyone have anything in particular that may help in my journey. I have been on Herbalife for a few days and I love it, but other suggestions would be awesome ! Thank yOu

    Crystal


    Definitely keep a very very tight track on your daily fiber intake.
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
    For something as serious as diabetes, I would never ask for suggestions on an internet site. You will find way too many "suggestions" that just aren't good ones.

    What you need to do is to ask your doctor to set you up with someone who specializes is in working with diabetic patients. They can advise you much better and more safely than ANYONE on here.

    Now, if you want assistance with your weight, then just burn more calories than you consume. That's it in a nutshell.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,990 Member
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/may/12/type-2-diabetes-diet-cure?INTCMP=SRCH

    There was an article in the Guardian newspaper a couple of days ago about a diet regime that lowers blood glucose. It is pretty harsh though. At least apparently you don't need to do it very long to see results.

    I have had a lot of success with reducing blood glucose using a more conventional diet. I noticed improvements when I lost maybe 10% of body weight.

    Good luck.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    Definitely keep a very very tight track on your daily fiber intake.

    Do you mean carbohydrates??

    Hi, Crystal! I'm sorry you're a new member of the club no one wants to join!

    There's a diabetes group on MFP you might want to check out

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1789-type-2-diabetes-support-group


    And this is the most helpful site I've found on the internet to date
    http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php (also bloodsugar101.com)
  • KevDaniel
    KevDaniel Posts: 449 Member
    Hello my name Is Crystal. Just found out today that I am diabetic and got put on medication..which i could live with if my husband and I weren't trying to have a baby. Last year I was pregnant and at 22 weeks my daughter Isabelle was still born. Then, I was told I was pre-diabetic and NOW I think me being diabetic had a lot to do with me losing her :'( Her death could have been prevented, but I was unaware I had diabetes. Now I have been diagnosed and I'm heartbroken AND determined to get my blood sugar under control....

    Does anyone have anything in particular that may help in my journey. I have been on Herbalife for a few days and I love it, but other suggestions would be awesome ! Thank yOu

    Crystal

    HI Crystal,

    First I am going to assume you were diagnosed with type 2? If not this may not apply. I was diagnosed with Diabetes and was in the hospital for an infection my body could not fix on its own because, well frankly, I was fat, unhealthy and ate garbage. I was put on insulin and meds.

    I wish I could say that is what woke me up, but I stayed pretty big for some time. Finally I decided I wanted more out of my life and began to lose the weight.

    As for the foods, avoiding sugars (including carbs) lots of health lean proteins and veggies.

    The weight loss was the key to annihilating the diabetes. I am no longer a diabetic, and I am sure doctors have told you all of this, but let me just say it is 100% worth. For many reasons.. If you need me for anything I am always here!
  • AlchemyOfTheBlackSunCult
    AlchemyOfTheBlackSunCult Posts: 58
    Definitely keep a very very tight track on your daily fiber intake.

    Do you mean carbohydrates??

    Hi, Crystal! I'm sorry you're a new member of the club no one wants to join!

    There's a diabetes group on MFP you might want to check out

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1789-type-2-diabetes-support-group


    And this is the most helpful site I've found on the internet to date
    http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php (also bloodsugar101.com)

    Nope, fiber regulates insulin levels and is pretty much the only thing (to my knowledge) that prevents type 2 diabetes. Why do you think we are always told to "avoid sugar at all costs"..but then we are told to "eat as much fruits and veggies as possible". Fruits and veggies have tons of sugar in them (moreso fruits), but fruits contain a very high amount of fiber, which regulates insulin and blood glucose levels. This doesn't mean eat 300 grams of sugar and have 100 grams of fiber and call it a day, but you definitely want to make sure you are consuming ~35-55 grams of fiber daily, that goes for everyone, diabetics, pre-diabetics, and healthy individuals
  • craigwirku
    craigwirku Posts: 1 Member
    I second the point of talk to a doctor first and foremost. Take anything anyone says here with a grain of salt and use critical thinking when you build your plan. If you are a self starter and motivated you can really get informed about diabetes and if you are type II it is actually curable through diet and behavior modification for most people. Lose weight, eat healthily and exercise. Next thing you know meds and conditions evaporate.

    Go the library and check out Eat to Live which is a whole foods diet book. Check out the Harvard health pyramid and daily plate. Check out the Mediterranean diet. Get really familiar with what diabetes is, insulin, glycemic load of foods (starchy and sugary will cause spikes in your blood sugar). Search for "quantified self diabetes" for a nice list of self analysis projects that should shed light on a lot of these topics. Invest in a could stored wifi scale (Aria or Withings) and start taking daily weigh ins - the charting of the trend line is invaluable and will show you the direction of your weight. Cloud stored glucose monitor would be a sound investment - analyze what happens in conjunction with your food logging - glycemic index will be better understood then.

    Its your life and you are worth the time and energy investment to fix your health and get it back in order again.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,990 Member
    In my experience in the UK, you will be referred by your GP to a nutrition course for diabetics, along with getting medication The course will recommend a diet with foods low on the glycemic index. Google glycemic index or GI. I was also told to limit carbs to about 45 grams per meal or sitting to avoid blood glucose spikes during the day.

    Since losing some weight my blood sugars have been low enough that my GP recommended I start experimenting with reducing my medication (Metformin tablets). I am down to 500g of Metformin daily (the smallest dose), and hope to get off it entirely soon.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member


    Nope, fiber regulates insulin levels and is pretty much the only thing (to my knowledge) that prevents type 2 diabetes. Why do you think we are always told to "avoid sugar at all costs"..but then we are told to "eat as much fruits and veggies as possible". Fruits and veggies have tons of sugar in them (moreso fruits), but fruits contain a very high amount of fiber, which regulates insulin and blood glucose levels. This doesn't mean eat 300 grams of sugar and have 100 grams of fiber and call it a day, but you definitely want to make sure you are consuming ~35-55 grams of fiber daily, that goes for everyone, diabetics, pre-diabetics, and healthy individuals

    While i don't dispute that fiber is important, diabetes are NOT told to "eat as much fruits and veggies as possible". Fruits and starchy vegetables need to evaluated on an individual basis to determine their effect on blood glucose. That's why it's important to "eat to one's meter"

    I personally need to restrict fruits to only low-sugar varieties (berries), limit legumes to a 1/2 servings and have eliminated grains completely in order to keep my glucose readings in the normal range and my A1c below 5.7. Another diabetic's mileage may vary.
  • mammakat0830
    mammakat0830 Posts: 117 Member
    My name is Katherine and I am diabetic (for over 10 years). I love MFP and have seen great success decreasing my medication levels by doing this program. Friend me if you would like.

    I monitor my carb intake and calorie intake.
  • SexyDexie
    SexyDexie Posts: 48 Member
    Let me guess here: they told you you had diabetes, gave you a prescription for insulin/metformin etc and sent you on your way confused? That happened to me January 2012 and the doctor sent me to the HMO website to figure out what to do.

    Well it was not until recently that I finally got a handle on my glucose levels, and I gave up wheat, rice and potatoes, and got my carbs from veggies and a little bit of fruit. I keep my carbs under 100g per day with and replaced the loss with fat. Leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower have become my go to veggies.

    You will have to figure out what veggies are best for you...Good Luck!!
  • Tessish
    Tessish Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Crystal,
    Congratulations on fighting back against diabetes. I am so sorry to hear that you lost your daughter, and I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you understand that her death is not your fault. Since you are trying again, I suggest you talk to your doctor about how to minimize risk for any future pregnancies, and bring her/him any unanswered questions that can help you heal. I do not know why baby Isabelle didn't make it, and chances are that no one does. I do know that pregnancy is so complex, the fact that we exist at all is nothing short of miraculous.You should not have to carry any feelings of guilt from that loss into your weight loss efforts or your future pregnancies.
    I would like to echo a previous comment about using caution in taking advice from strangers on the internet. There is so much great information, but it is mixed in with some very misleading information. It is also critical that you know your needs are different than many/most of the other people trying to lose weight on this site because you are trying to get pregnant. Many of the techniques that can be really effective to help people lose weight quickly put extra stress on your body. That may be a risk some people are willing to take, but not appropriate for someone who is just starting medication or who may be pregnant. It is so important to get good information from your doctor or nutritionist.

    I wish you the best of luck.
    Tess

    PS Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic. The quality of their information is excellent, and easy to read.
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes/DS00585

    And here is a link to "good food, great medicine," a book by a physician who specializes in integrative medicine. He has done his homework in researching diets that have the best outcomes, and strongly advocates the "Mediterranean" diet. It explains his approach and includes lots of recipes. Worth a look.
    http://www.goodfoodgreatmedicine.com/

    Hello my name Is Crystal. Just found out today that I am diabetic and got put on medication..which i could live with if my husband and I weren't trying to have a baby. Last year I was pregnant and at 22 weeks my daughter Isabelle was still born. Then, I was told I was pre-diabetic and NOW I think me being diabetic had a lot to do with me losing her :'( Her death could have been prevented, but I was unaware I had diabetes. Now I have been diagnosed and I'm heartbroken AND determined to get my blood sugar under control....

    Does anyone have anything in particular that may help in my journey. I have been on Herbalife for a few days and I love it, but other suggestions would be awesome ! Thank yOu

    Crystal
  • Linda8380
    Linda8380 Posts: 1
    Hi Crystal!

    I am a soon-to-be (Lord willing!) 57 year old female, who was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic back in November. Though my father was a Type 1 diabetic and was totally insulin dependent for the last 12 years of his life (he died at 52 in 1976), I kept trying to ignore the fact that my day might be coming.

    I have one child, a son, and I didn't have him until I was 37 years old. Guess what? I was a gestational diabetic. I went through all the training about what to do, while pregnant, and diabetic. But that was way back in 1994. We have gained a lot more knowledge about diabetes since then! Regardless, I think that was God's way of telling me to clean up my act or else - and I choose to ignore him. So he had to slap me up against the head again and now I'm taking this very seriously.

    First I want to tell you how very sorry I am that you lost your baby girl. I know that was probably the darkest day of your life and my heart goes out to you. Please do not beat yourself up about this, or carry the guilt. You said that it was your fault and I doubt seriously that is the case. Unless your diabetes is totally and completely out of control, which I don't think it is or you would probably be on insulin injections and not pills, then you probably were NOT the reason you didn't carry your little darling to full term. So, before you can move on, you need to release the guilt and be grateful for each new day, get your diabetes under control, and look forward to the day when you finally get to hold your new baby.

    Now talk to your doctor and get his opinion but, more importantly, ask him or her to refer you to someone else. Tell them you want to talk to a dietician to get on an eating plan. Call your health insurance company and tell them the same thing. When I was diagnosed, my doctor gave me 4 or 5 brochures to read and sent me on my way. I was so overwhelmed with all the printed matter, and confused by a lot of it, that I called my HMO and asked them what I could do. They hooked me up with a dietician and some diabetes educational classes. THEY WERE SOOOOOOOOOOO HELPFUL!!!!! If you can attend some in your area, even if it costs you a few bucks, do it! You will have others in the class in the same situation and you may gain information from them too. And who knows. Maybe you'll meet a workout buddy, or walking pal, or something like that too.

    Lastly, learn what to eat and do it, and DEFINITELY watch your carb intake. I am VERY limited on the pasta, potatoes, breads, etc., that I eat. That was very hard for me because I grew up poor and all of those foods are cheap and my mom filled all of us kids up on them daily. So my body (and mind!) is very used to those starchy items and they are just not good for diabetics!

    Good luck with your journey sweetie. I can't wait to hear how well you do - because I know you will!

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