Welcome ~ Please Intro.

Options
17810121315

Replies

  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome Dave,

    Sounds like you are getting back on track. Sometimes despite our best efforts our drug needs increase. The goal is good BG regardless of what drugs we have to take. Do you have a pool nearby? My hubs has a really messed up back from an industrial accident. The one kind of exercise that really works for him is anything in the water. He likes to water walk at the pool. I think he would take water aerobics but he would feel uncomfortable with all the ladies who take that. So once in a while he just goes and walks and moves around.
  • robert65ferguson
    robert65ferguson Posts: 390 Member
    Options
    Hi Dave and welcome to this group. I'm sorry to hear about your accident and the subsequent impact on your health. From the information you have shared, you have already demonstrated to yourself the benefits of exercise. It may be possible to get some advise from your therapist regarding the type of exercise which you can do in your current circumstances. Sharonks suggestion of doing some pool therapy is a really good one since you would avoid putting too much strain on your back. It's a sad fact of life that as diabetics we somtimes have to accept that medication is necessary to help control our blood sugars. Hopefully as you get back into exercise and diet you may be able to come off your meds. I wish you well in your efforts and look forward to your input to the group.
  • lperson97
    lperson97 Posts: 2
    Options
    Hi, I'm a newbie to MFP and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2002. I was diagnosed with major depression in 1980's. I've been a yo-yo patient, working hard at diet and exercise. A1c started at 7.0 and I would get it down to 5.8. And then back up to 7.8 and down to 6.5.

    When my mother died last Oct 2011 I was at 5.8. I had discovered a raw vegan diet and I loved it. Never felt so good. But I blew all that hard work away with my grief over my mother's unexpected death. My A1c crept up, and I'm now at 10.4.

    I'm seeing a registered dietician/nutritionist, and after our first visit, I was inspired, when she helped me not to feel like a failure. So here I am with you in MFP and reaching out for support from my fellow diabetes patients. Together, we can do it.

    Best wishes,
    Laura
  • robert65ferguson
    robert65ferguson Posts: 390 Member
    Options
    Hi Laura and welcome to the group. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. Bereavement and divirce are recognised as some of the most stressful experiences we can have. It is little wonder than as you worked your way through the bereavement process you needed to comfort eat. That is not an uncommon experience. The good news is that you have come to the right place if you're seeking support, encouragement and honest constructive advice. Take your time to look at the various boards on this and similar diabetic support groups. There are a number of pretty knowledgeable people on here who are willing to share their expertise with those of us who are relatively new to the programme. I wish you well as start back on the road to a healthy and active lifestyle and look forward to reading your contributions to the group.
  • beth71770
    beth71770 Posts: 1
    Options
    My name is michelle. I'm 41 yrs old and was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic in march of this year (2012). I have lost 27 pounds since my life change.
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
    Options
    Hi, I’m Chuck and I’m an alc . . oops, wrong group. I would like to join this group to see how others are dealing with their T2D.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome Laura, It sounds like you know what to do, just need to get back on track. I'm sorry about your mother, that is enough to send anyone into a tailspin and stress makes BG go up. There's lots of great supportive people on this board so I'm glad you found us.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome Michelle, You have done so well with your weight loss. Diabetes is always a tough diagnosis but there are lots of supportive people here so keep checking back in.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome Chuck, LOL sense of humor always helps to cope with this. You'll find lots of support and ideas here. Sorry you had to join us but glad you found us.
  • JoyceMccormack1958
    JoyceMccormack1958 Posts: 22 Member
    Options
    Hi, I'm Joyce.

    I was diagnosed with type2 about ten years ago. For the first three or four years I managed it just with diet and excersize and managed to lose about 25lbs. At the time we were living in Italy and the lifestyle made it easy to become healthier. The weather was good, food markets packed with lovely veg and a swimming pool just metres away. Well all good things have to end, my husband's contract was a fixed term non-renewable one. So we moved to Shetland, which is a beautiful place; not Italy though. The weather is challenging, there isn't a food market for fresh veg and in the long winter it always seems to be dark most of the day.

    The move here was quite bumpy one way or another but we just got on with things. Like many people we used food as a comfort blanket and I cooked up some heart warming meals. The upshot of all this is that the weight piled on. I now have over 100lbs to shift, I am taking six 500mg of metformin a day, I have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland, high cholesterol and am taking two lots of meds for high blood pressure. The metformin is playing havoc with my digestive system and as a teacher you can imagine causes problems. So the metformin has got to go ( so has the piglitazone - Actos)

    By the way, I'm 53, married for 25 years and we have two sons: the oldest one is studying Music on the island and is nineteen. My youngest son is still in school, he wants to go into fashion photography and he is fifteen. I probably spend too much time doing things for the family and not enough time doing things for myself.

    A friend at work joins MFP about a year ago and has lost about 50lbs and is nearly at goal. I have struggled with my weight for years. This was one of the thins that led to the diagnosis of T2. I don't like taking all the meds that I am taking at the moment. Finding out about MFP has made me more determined to lose weight. Like many other posters have found the pounds are slow to go. However they are going! So if anyone out there wants to hold my hand (metaphorically) please do so.
  • robert65ferguson
    robert65ferguson Posts: 390 Member
    Options
    Hi Joyce, welcome to this group, where I hope you will find the level of support you need. You are starting with a number of advantages, eg you managed to gain conrtrol of your weight and achieved a level of control through diet and exercise. The fact that you gained significant weight simply underlines the need for constant vigilence. Your additional conditions will impact on your Diabetes so it would be important to focus on one thing at a time, gaining control where you can and adapting where this is not possible. Carb control would be one area worth looking at in terms of your food choices. Take your time to look around the boards in this and other diabetic support groups. There's lots of useful information on here which you can use. You say that you're determined to implement change which is a good attitude to have. There are lots of supportive people in this group who are willing to help but the discipline and determination required must come from yourself. I wish you well and am willing to share what I have learned through MFP if you think I can help.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome Joyce,

    Wow, Italy sounds beautiful. I have never really traveled much and doubt I will ever see Europe.

    I live in a climate that is pretty dreary much of the year and it does make it pretty easy to eat creamy rich foods. I eat a lot more frozen veggies during that time even though they aren't as good as fresh. I also try to eat seasonal stuff like turnips, kale, broccoli and cauliflower. Carrots are usually cheap all year long too.

    I also wonder if light therapy might help. Around here, a lot of people have lamps that put out light like sunlight and it is supposed to cheer you up some.

    Make sure you take time out for you. It is difficult when you have a job and a family but if you aren't healthy you can't take care of them. I make it a point to exercise even though I'm busy. I know that it helps me have the energy I need and it will let me live longer to pay off all the student loans I'm piling up (I'm 46 and have 2 more years to get my BS).

    Look around on the site, there are lots of great recipes. We are always here to support you.
  • crowntech
    crowntech Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    New member so I hope I'm doing the correct.

    I received the news Jan 2011 that I was a type 2 diabetic with a A1C of 12+ and was instantly put on 2 insulins. With a much needed diet change and excercise as of 1 month ago I am off both insulins but now taking metformin and my newest A1C is 5.3!!! I am 48 years old, customer service manager and still looking at loosing another 40#. I've lost 45#'s on my own and then hit a brick wall. Tried Weight Watchers and they told me I was eating 2 healthy, joined Curves and did well but needed something more. I now go to a personal trainer 2 x's week who is really helping me tone up but still not loosing the wt. He doesn't know much about diabetics and how he wants me to eat doesn't fit into my low carb diet. I read diet mags all the time and I just get more confused. Anyone with some helpful tips would be appreciated.

    Thanks and good luck to anyone with diabetics.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome crowntech, it sounds like you are doing really well. It can be difficult to lose weight as a diabetic. I have seen some studies that say that it isn't our imagination but with metabolic issues we really do have a harder time. I know it can be discouraging. Just like with the BG part of diabetes I think we have to experiment and see what our bodies need to lose weight. And remember that as you build muscle you may be losing fat but you don't see the scale change. Go by how your measurements are and how your clothes fit. Often, I have not lost any weight but will drop a few inches. Glad you found us.
  • ebbyzone
    ebbyzone Posts: 17
    Options
    Hi Everyone,

    My name is Ebony and I was diagnosed with diabetes about eight months ago. Unfortunately I found out the hard way. I was sick for a while with an upset stomach which progressively got worse, and coupled with breathing issues and exhaustion...and about a week after that I woke up in the hospital and had no idea where the time had gone.

    Anywho, after a few weeks in there (complete with dialysis and more), I finally made it home and started really paying attention to the carbohydrate content of my food (I was already an avid label reader due to having celiac and lactose intolerance). I've always been overweight, but I did lose about 20 lbs before my medication regimen was changed (Prandin, and then later Met were added to my insulin), but have had trouble losing anything else for several months now. I'm hoping that using the tools here on MFP will help me get myself back on track.

    My blood sugar is pretty well controlled so far (a1c's in the 5 range and my doctor keeps dialing back on the insulin). Ultimately, I'd like my health to improve enough to get off of insulin altogether. I'm on less than half of what I was on when I was discharged from the hospital, and my doctor feels pretty confident that we'll be able to keep dialing it back. So I guess we'll see there.

    All of that to say, here I am!
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Hi Ebony,

    It sounds like you are making great progress. I'm glad you found us. This is a very supportive group. MFP is a great tool to analyze your eating habits. I have found it very helpful to figure out why I will have changes in my BG and whether they are food or exercise related. Understanding what your body is doing is so important for diabetics. Welcome to the group!
  • dangoch
    dangoch Posts: 4
    Options
    Hi Everyone

    This sure looks like an active group. I've been T2D for about 15 years or so and have been on a bg roller coaster ever since. I have to admit that my body isn't totally to blame for this roller coaster ride, unless you include my conscious brain making bad choices as part of my body (I guess it is). OK, it's my body's fault :). Anyway, I know what to do, I just don't always do it. I'm sure I'm unique in this behavior, anyone?

    Anyway, I'm 61, male and take so many drugs I'm a personal friend of the neighborhood pharmacist. I'm taking Juvamet and Lantus, which seems to do pretty good. I was doing great until "they" made me stop taking Avandia. Probably a good idea, but my bgs were really good until I stopped. Then everything went haywire. My A1C was 10 last month and so my PCP decided it was time to get serious. So now I'm seeing an endo and I hope she can get me back in shape.

    I'm by nature a slug. about 1 1/2 years ago, I joined the local Y and "try" to go 3 times a week. I probably get there on average about twice a week, but in the time since I joined, I've noticed a significant improvement in my general health. I'm 50 lbs over weight, but I've lost about 30 lbs in these last 1 1/2 years just by not being such a slug.

    Now I'm trying to deal with my other nature, pig. As I said before, I know what I need to do, but when I pig out with a 2500 cal dinner tonight, what can I say, I'm a pig. So to get this under some control, I joined MFP this last week and I'm impressed. I am taking diabetes classes and go to endo tomorrow and I know the strict diet is coming, but right now, I'm recording EVERYTHING I eat. A real eye opener. I've never done it before because it was too hard to keep doing. I might have done a meal once or twice, but here I've recorded the last 5 days, everything. Of those 5 days, most have been under my goal calories. Not today. But the deal I made for myself is to make a good habit of recording and getting a trend line. I'm also going to weigh myself every week. So I'm establishing a baseline. In a week, I'll be taking my nutrition class and that is maybe when I'll begin in earnest.

    I'm looking for Nor Cal (San Jose) T2Ds that use fitbit. That may be too specific, but any local under 30s females can friend me too (just kidding, I'm happily married). I'll see what happens. I'm chatty but don't typically like twitter or facebook, so I'm not exactly what kids today would say is being social.

    I'm looking forward to losing 50 lbs. Should be "fun"

    Best Regards

    Dan
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Welcome Dan,

    No, none of us are guilty of knowing what to do and not doing it! Must just be you.

    I sort of wish I had done a baseline of my regular eating habits. I have been trying to find my maintenance level of intake and outgo and still am not sure what it is. Since I am metabolically challenged I don't think the standard charts do it for me. I tried to think of what I used to eat and figure out the cals and sort of have an idea of what I was eating but it is difficult to do months after you ate something. Logging is eye opening. It is amazing where cals sneak in on you. I have also found MFP to be a great tool to keep track of carbs. I tend to be a carb counter so the huge database is really helpful.

    It's great that you are getting back on track. The class and meet with endo should help you get going again. Also, walking is about the best thing you can do, it takes no real equipment and even half an hour at lunch is so good for you.
  • Coppak
    Coppak Posts: 4
    Options
    Wed 08/15/12 03:09 PM

    Hello,

    My name is Sabrina. I have had fibromyalgia, CFS, type two diabetes, and depression for 20+ years.

    Even so I try to walk 30 min a day and move as much as possible. Trying to live a normal life can be a challange at best.

    I'm looking for someone else who understands what i'm going through on the bad days.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Coppak
  • penny39
    penny39 Posts: 266 Member
    Options
    Hi,
    My name is Penny! Type 2 since 2004. I am 40 years old. Had many ups and downs. Looking to lose 25-30 pounds. Looking forward to meeting new people. Please friend me. Thanks!