Diabetic needs help

Had a look at your profile and as you are in the US guess you do measure differently. Diet wise, I have the standard allowances for sugar, fat etc. And I do edge slightly overly sugar sometimes, but am always under on fat and carbs. My salt can be a but high too, but I'm working on that. Fortunately I'm notthat sweet toothed but ive had to knock the alcohol on the head and have only indulged twice this year.

My husband is a Type 2 Diabetic; I (thankfully) am not. Although he is the diabetic, I try to eat what he does, so he doesn't feel like he is missing out on anything. He does not have a sedentary position job and is on his feet all day. He is not overweight and tries to stay active. His numbers skyrocket on some days and we have now figured out how to control them...for the most part. Although I don't succeed in getting him to eat healthy all the time (due to his weakness for bread and potatoes); his numbers are the best when he stays away from red meat, eggs, white breads, starches, potatoes, and of course sugar. I try to help him eat more grains, more vegetables and higher protein (in poultry and fish, not beef and pork). Try giving up red meat for a couple weeks (switch from ground beef to ground turkey), stay away from (real) eggs, switch to whole grain bread (not whole wheat), eat your vegetables, and ban potatoes and sugars from your life. Absolutely stay away from fast food and learn to experiment with recipes at home. It has to be a lifestyle commitment for you and your family to keep you healthy. Keep up with your weight loss, it will only be beneficial and good luck!

I was diagnosed with Type 2 last August and right afterwards I did a COMPLETE change in my lifestyle. I started eating less and exercising more. And yes when I say I was eating less, yes there were times I was worried that I was starving myself but then my body got used to it.

When I was diagnosed my a1c was at 11.2. At my first three month checkup I dropped it down to 6.2 and then my last appt in February I was down to an a1c of 5.8 (1/10 % off of normal).

As far as what I ate during that time...I basically cut out any and all sugars (voluntary sugars at least) so no sweets. I ate lean meats and low fat cheese, ALOT more WHOLE GRAIN. I kind of got into a pattern of things that I eat (especially during the work week) since I am the type that can eat the same things over and over without getting sick of them. I would still "treat" myself from time to time but the main thing I watched then and still now were CARBS AND SUGAR. Did I start reading labels alot closer...You bet. Also eating slower helps a ton...It takes the body about 20 minutes to start feeling the filling effect of food, so if you scarf food like I do you have tendency to overeat. So I have slowed my eating pace as well.

To me a huge part of this was not only cutting down on my portion sizes and getting rid of the excess carbs that I HAD been eating...Exercise and lots of water help as well.

I went from being diagnosed and weighing 235 pounds to now I am at around 191 pounds. And if I can drop my a1c in the "normal" range my doc is saying we can try taking me off of the Metformin (at least on a trial basis). My Blood Pressure was so high that they almost didn't treat me, they almost packed me into an ambulance and sent me to the ER for fear that I would and I quote, "STROKE OUT" Those words were enough motivation for me to kick myself in the *kitten* and get strict with myself. Now my BP is a perfect 120/70

Now I am comfotable eating some sweets (I will occasionally have a handful of M&M's...Just won't eat the entire bag) and indulging myself with foods that I had cut out for a few months. That is another thing that you will find, there are certain foods that will affect your Glucose levels more...For me it is pizza.

The number one thing that I always try to keep in mind is something that my nutritionist told me. She said you know what, LIFE HAPPENS...sometimes you are going to eat something that isn't as good for you. It is alright, just make sure that it doesn't become a habit. My problem was that ALL I ATE was carbs. Going to Chipotle and being able to eat TWO BURRITOS was no issue. Now I will go there and have a bowl and be perfectly fine.

Just keep trying to make the changes, eat less food but BETTER food, make sure you are getting your exercise on a daily basis, drink LOTS of water and remember, YOU CAN DO THIS...If I can, I am sure you can.

Good luck and drop me a line if you need a motivational kick to the backend.

Amazing and inspiring story!

@chango69,

It has been about 6 months(or so) and about 60 lbs since I started making a genuine effort to lower my blood sugar through diet and exercise. I started to see improvements in my blood chemistry after I lost about 25-30 lbs. I had high a1c, high fasting glucose, as well as very high cholesterol and other lipids.

Not anymore.

I don't know for sure, but I "feel" that it's the exercise component that has helped the most with blood sugar, more so than diet. For me, the key ingredient in successfully executing an exercise regimen was finding stuff that I liked, and that was challenging. For me, I found that I liked racquetball - even though I'm not really very good at it (I'm generally a spaz, completely non-athletic). Since I can't play r-ball every day (way to hard on the body - especially the shoulder) I use the elliptical every other day. Lately, I've added other cardio exercises to mix it up a little (treadmill, rowing machine) and occasional strength training.

You asked about diet:

I eat lots of protein. I have a steak (4 or 5 oz, lean,lean, lean) for breakfast several days a week. They're quick and easy to prepare. I found a local butcher shop that sells fresh, cut to order steak for far less than it costs in a grocery store.

I also eat an orange or an apple pretty much every day, shortly after my arrival at work ( which is after the gym ). This holds me over until lunch usually. Occasionally I'll have another fruit late in the day as well, if I feel hungry.

For lunch, I often have "surimi". I have found that I really like surimi - that's the imitation crab that they put in some california rolls, and in the "krab salad" at sizzler - albeit without the creamy sauce. A half cup of surimi has only 70 cals, no fat at all, and it's quite satisfying - and inexpensive, for a high protein meal. (Trans-ocean brand "Crab Supreme" is a good value, and it's on sale often at the store I frequent) Sometimes, I'll pop a (small) potato in the nuke as well. Relatively low cals per unit of fat, and very high potassium. Also, I sometimes have ground turkey meatballs. Frozen, and nuked. (Foster Farms Italian style, bought in a large freezer bag is a good value, again especially on sale.)

For dinner, I don't really have any pattern; I eat pretty much whatever I'd like. (I eat out quite often, as I live near a Thai neighborhood in LA - Yum!) I am conscious not to pig out, though.

Generally speaking, after I lost about 40 lbs, I stopped being as militant about my diet, though I still count calories and keep them low. I just don't restrict myself with respect to what types of food I eat as much. I have pretty much anything I want - as long as it's in moderation, and in line with my total caloric intake goals. For example, if the others at work are ordering pizza and wings, I'll join in. The difference is that now, I'll eat just a few wings and one slice, instead of an entire order of 20, and 3 slices.

Another example - I now eat candy every now and then, but in small amounts - a gummy worm or two, 5 or 10 jelly bellies for instance. I have found that this is more than enough for me now. I just want a bit - a taste - not a meal. I never liked sweets too much, so candy has never been a problem food for me.

I have noticed that after the first few months of regular exercise, my appetite has been greatly reduced overall, and it's severely reduced immediately after exercising - the effect lasts a couple of hours. That makes it much easier to decline all of those opportunities to eat. I also don't really want to gorge as much as before, even at a buffet. I think that some of this is psychological.

At my last blood test, about two weeks ago, my a1c was 5.6, the highest number in the "normal" range, cholesterol at 199 - highest in the normal range, and the "good cholesterol" was on the high side. I haven't been taking any drugs (was taking metaformin, simvastatin) for a couple of months now, either, but don't tell my doc.

Keep it up. You'll get your results at some point.

The doctors have told me that even losing 10 percent of your biody weight will bring down your sugar. However, if they were way to high to start with that may not be enough to get them back into the optiimal range. Exercising for thirty minutes brings my sugar down about 50 points immediately. Try testing before and after exercise and see what happens. Everyone's body reacts a little differently. Just as a postnote you will be suprised how much better you will feel when your sugar is back into the optimal range. I know from experience. Good luck!!