Sinnabun has diabeeeetus

hi! I'm 36 live in Carrollton, north of Dallas. My dr. "Prescribed" this app to help me track my eating and to help me lose weight! I'm supposed to lose 10 lbs by August before he ups my diabetes meds again. I'm pretty scared at the moment because it seems like no matter what I do or how much I exercise, I can't : 1) lose weight 2) get my blood sugar under control. It's making me sad :( HELP!!!

Replies

  • fish2find
    fish2find Posts: 221 Member
    I think its great that your MD is on board and encouraged this program. If it has been "Prescribed" I think you should see if your insurance will pay for premium. Worth a shot IMO.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Start with that thread, it should help you get a grasp of what you need to do to make MFP work for you.

    I'd ask you to go get me some i Fratelli pizza, but that's dangerous territory. ;)

    And just so everyone has the same mental image as me..

    Wilford_Brimley.jpg
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Hi, 85 pounds down with diabetes in remission here. I am on no meds now. I had a whole weight loss team helping me and a dietitian, too. My dietitian also recommended MFP for food tracking.

    In order of priority, this is what I watch as a diabetic.
    1. Fit as many macros (protein/carb/fat) in every meal, in proportion, as possible. The life of a diabetic is one of balance. I visualize the diabetic plate which helps a lot.
    2. Eat on a schedule, starting with breakfast at the same time every day. This will also help you with blood sugar tracking and that balance thing I was talking about. Don't skip any snacks, any meals.
    3. Add your snacks as separate entries by customizing the names of your meals here on MFP.
    4. Track everything you put in your mouth. Use the information that MFP gives you to make better choices.
    5. Once you have an idea how much you are eating in a day, change your strategy, say by reducing your intake by 100 calories a day.
    6. While exercise will really help even things out and give you some flexibility in your diet, weight loss is chiefly from eating at a deficit.

    PlateMethod.jpg

    My snacks, which typically include at least a carb and a protein, are about 100-150 calories each. My breakfast about 400 calories. The rest of my allowance is made up during lunch and dinner. I can have a light lunch with a salad or soup which helps me stay on target, but make sure it is not TOO light because not having enough protein at a meal can spike your sugar just as bad as if you ate a bon-bon.

    Eating enough, but not too much, is a delicate balancing act. I wish you all success.
  • CanadianDaddyphant
    CanadianDaddyphant Posts: 8 Member
    My wife was recently diagnosed with diabeetus as well, MFP has been a fantastic tool in helping her track and manage it. I definitely recommend cruising the groups, lots of good info and tips and recipes. Check out:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group ("closed" but worth asking to join - very active group, lots of support. Even if it heavily dominated by non-veggies so not always helpful to us)
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1772-type-2-diabetes-support-group

    And feel free to add me to check out my food log. I eat almost what she eats, but a few more carbs during the day. In the last month, she had managed to get her blood sugars to almost a third the level they were before!!
  • agal129
    agal129 Posts: 215 Member
    It's pretty simple once you get the hang of tracking your food. I would recommend getting and religiously using a food scale.
  • Sinnabuns
    Sinnabuns Posts: 4 Member
    Wow! Thanks everyone for the great tips! I'm not gonna lie: I'm HONGRY all the time so watching what goes in my tummy has been really hard. But, in my case (as with many others suffering from diabetes) it's a life or death struggle daily. :::lifting a glass of water::: cheers to all my fellow MFP's!
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    I am off my diabetes meds after losing 45 lbs. I try and really focus on protein...lots and lots. Besides filling you up, it controls your glycemic index so you are not starving and craving foods as much. Calories in/calories out are most important when losing weight.