Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.

I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.

I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes

magnolia98 wrote: »

Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.

I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.

I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes

Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but 100g of carbs didn't do the trick for me. I had to get under 40g (net carbs) and not overeat total calories before I was able to get my A1c into non-diabetic range. It was a bit of an adjustment, but I just keep telling myself that fewer carbs = more toes..

rheddmobile wrote: »

RalfLott wrote: »

magnolia98 wrote: »

Good evening! My name is Magdalena or Maggie for short. I've been pre-diabetic for about 9 years and just diagnosed diabetic this May. I am 43 years old, married for 10 months. I am currently trying to bring my a1c down to under 5.5 so that I can live a long healthy life for my husband and I. My current a1c is 6.9, down from 8.8 in May. So steadily going down. I live in Los Angeles California. I currently working as a receptionist in a medical group.

I started using my fitness pal a few years ago but stopped. I just started using it again to help me track my food to help me lose weight. I am trying to follow a low carb/high protein diet. That seems to be helping me keep my glucose level lower. My goal is 100 carbs a day, I try to keep as close to that as much as I can.

I joined this group to talk to other people that are going through the same thing trying to manage their diabetes

Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but 100g of carbs didn't do the trick for me. I had to get under 40g (net carbs) and not overeat total calories before I was able to get my A1c into non-diabetic range. It was a bit of an adjustment, but I just keep telling myself that fewer carbs = more toes..

I manage on up to about 150 - but the main thing is testing after every meal. Counting carbs by itself isn't enough for me, since I ate a 51 net carb pasta meal and was just fine, while 15 g of flour tortilla spikes me. Testing is the only way to learn how your own body reacts!

True! I tested at least 10x daily for almost a full year, and there were constant surprises. Even now, I test 3-4x daily, and there are still surprises!

Hello.
My name is Diane and I just got my blood test results and it looks like I have diabetes. T2D runs in my family, so no surprise, but 2 years ago all numbers were normal and now they are off the chart. Can it really happen that fast? I am obese and need to lose weight so now I'm counting calories. I need to learn how to eat, however, with diabetes -
this is all new to me. I'll see the doctor next week - probably will give me some type of medication but I'm hoping if I lose the weight and exercise more I may not need to be on my very long. Looking for support here. Nice to meet you all.

Hello, everyone! My name is Cheri and I am a 64 yo Type 2 diabetic of 15 years. My top weight was 340 lbs. but have made a few serious efforts to lose weight -- eating raw only (vegetarian with eggs and butter), the HCG diet, and having a personal trainer and eating well balanced meals. I eventually got to my current weight of approximately 230 lbs. (always within a pound or two, no matter what).

Because of my age and because of the things I've learned about uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, I am ready to get serious and want to lose about 55-60 lbs. over the next year (more if possible). I struggle with sugar and bread cravings. But have given them up for the most part, although I will lapse at times. But I'm doing better, so long as I take the time to pack healthy snacks ahead of time and keep healthy food at the ready in my fridge.

I retired a year ago and because I don't have a car began walking and commuting by bus and train. It took awhile to get fit enough to enjoy it, but I now walk 2.5 to 3.0 mph. Now that the weather is cooling down I am stepping up my workouts. Commuting in 100+ degree heat would wipe me out, as it always took 3-5 hours of this to see doctors, go to the library or shopping.

Now that it's cooler, I'm at the gym again, doing the eliptical and treadmill plus lengthy sessions in the pool for balance and stretching exercises (on my own). I sometimes attend a Silver Sneakers class which is great and I've learned some new resistance band exercises. I also do limited workouts on weight machines and with dumbells and a kettlebell at home. And I'm occasionally doing yoga poses at home -- not a full routine as I have a hard time getting up from the floor due to bad knees and lack of strength. I'm trying to regain muscle strength I lost over the years from recliner-sitting and desk work.

Although I'm eating much healthier I'm not working out as hard as I should. And even when I do, I don't seem to get anywhere. I take 1000 mg Metform 2 x day and 45 u Levemir at night to get my BG numbers within normal range. I also struggle with insomnia and get up at least 2 or 3 times at night to go to the bathroom (drinking lots of water) and when I wake at 3 or 4 am I just can't get back to sleep and am tired all day.

I would love to hear from others here who lost weight despite taking insulin and high doses of metformin or other type 2 diabetes medications. Levemir is a slow acting insulin. It has increased my appetite a little and I gained 10 lbs. once I started on insulin. I never had trouble losing weight before insulin, once I put my mind to it. Now it seems extremely difficult. Maybe I'm just in denial -- or being too soft on myself -- my calorie allotment (due to sedentary lifestyle) @ 5'8" is about 1500/day. Thanks for your tips and sharing your experiences. It's now or never!!

Hello! I’m a type 2 who’s been on insulin for about ten years now. My blood sugar is quite brittle - ranging from 1.7 to 30, so they keep upping my insulin dose. Depressing, because now I’ve got the weight gain that comes with it. I’m moderately active. I play Roller Derby so that’s two, three hour intense practices a week plus I go to the gym three times a week. I’m still rocking at 260lbs a 6 feet tall. I was 220 earlier this summer.

I joined My Fitness Pal because I’m getting an insulin pump, hoping that will help to keep thing on a more even keel and reducing the amount of overall insulin that I will require.

I love this app! I’ve got to bring in reports, which used to include print outs from my meters, logs of food and exercise, and print outs from my FitBit. I’ve now combined all of these into this one app. I can log my insulin, my blood sugar, my meals (and get a more accurate carb count) and my exercise. I’m actually a little excited for my next appointment at the end of October. It’s going to be SO much easier to follow!

Oh, checking in from Hanna, Alberta, Canada. Small town about two hours east of Calgary.

Hi everyone, Im new to this group, I have diabetes, was diagnosed about 15 years ago and was treated with just oral meds, am now on insulin, I need to lose weight badly . Would like to meet new friends.

Hi. My name is Richard and I've recently been diagnosed with T2D (September 2017) which was discovered during new patient lab tests after finally getting a new primary care physician. My a1c was recorded at 6.9 and the doc has given me 3 months to get it together and then retest before she starts writing prescriptions. So I've made some big life changes that I have been promising myself for years, now that I apparently have the appropriate motivation. As a stats and numbers kind of guy, MFP has proven to be a good fit (pun intended). 12 weeks after diagnosis I'm 16 lbs down in weight, go to the gym 4 times a week, walk my dogs every day, have a personal trainer and kissed candy and soda goodbye. I've even put beer on hold (temporarily). It's been an interesting rebalancing exercise (again pun intended). Trying to find the secret to a balanced, tasty and desirable eating plan.

Hi! I am Carma. I was diagnosed as type 2 in 2003. I have been on an interesting journey. I was adopted when I was 3 1/2 months old. In 2009 I found my biological family. My birth mother had five more children. All of them have type 2 diabetes. Both of my birth mothers parents had it as well. I have gone through a roller coaster and I am an emotional eater. I married to the love of my life and want to be around to have adventures with him. So it is time to tell this body I am in charge!

I am on Lantus long acting, Apidra for meal time insulin. My husband and I wake up at an insane hour so we can go and workout together. I try to go at least three to four times a week. Meanwhile my veteran goes into military mode and can do at least 5 to 6 days a week.

So that is a little about me. :-)

Hello all,

My name is Michael and I am a new type 2 diabetic looking for info on diet and living.

Hi, I'm Sandy. I was diagnosed with T2 in 2006. My doctor wants to me an injection to control my A1C, and she told me to think about the surgery, because I'm overweight all my life. I asked my doctor to give me 3 months to bring down A1C from 8.1 to 7. I'm addicted to carbs, and I don't like to cook either. Please help! Thanks in advance.

Hello!

Dear fellow MFP folks, who also have Type II Diabetes, good wishes on reaching your goals.

I was just diagnosed and have an A1c of 11.4, I am at 201 lbs. and 5' 6" tall, I am 53. This is new to me and it seems like there are "tools" today to help people like me (us) "fine tune" our treatment. MFP is one and a blood meter that "syncs" automatically with MFP through my iphone - would be another, (if it exists).

I am seeking to learn about my daily intake of calories, nutrients, water, in terms of: total amount, proration at each meal of calories and nutrients, timing of meals over the day. Dally I would also like to “sync” this very detailed diary and record with estimations of my blood sugar levels timed before eating, and one and two hours after each meal.
This could seem a rather invasive or intense monitoring, but as a newly diagnosed type II diabetic, it seems this is the kind of data which would help me. I could learn how my specific diet interacts with my specific diabetes. If I later go to the MD, DO, or nutritionist, with this level of detailed data trended over time, I think that will help them guide my treatment best.

Do you know if MFP “syncs” automatically with any blood meters? (I have heard of one that connects to your iPhone)
I would like to test intensively at first to learn about me and my interactions with foods / sugars etc. For example, testing:

Before each meal
One hour after each meal
Two hours after each meal
And also sync with MFP Premium time stamped meals – using data with health team.

Please give counsel and advice from your view. This might seem like overkill but I think of it more as an experiment to learn about me and may specific diabetes / health plan.

Stay positive and keep striving for your goals!

Best, Joe

jfriona6204 wrote: »

Hello!

Dear fellow MFP folks, who also have Type II Diabetes, good wishes on reaching your goals.

I was just diagnosed and have an A1c of 11.4, I am at 201 lbs. and 5' 6" tall, I am 53. This is new to me and it seems like there are "tools" today to help people like me (us) "fine tune" our treatment. MFP is one and a blood meter that "syncs" automatically with MFP through my iphone - would be another, (if it exists).

I am seeking to learn about my daily intake of calories, nutrients, water, in terms of: total amount, proration at each meal of calories and nutrients, timing of meals over the day. Dally I would also like to “sync” this very detailed diary and record with estimations of my blood sugar levels timed before eating, and one and two hours after each meal.
This could seem a rather invasive or intense monitoring, but as a newly diagnosed type II diabetic, it seems this is the kind of data which would help me. I could learn how my specific diet interacts with my specific diabetes. If I later go to the MD, DO, or nutritionist, with this level of detailed data trended over time, I think that will help them guide my treatment best.

Do you know if MFP “syncs” automatically with any blood meters? (I have heard of one that connects to your iPhone)
I would like to test intensively at first to learn about me and my interactions with foods / sugars etc. For example, testing:

Before each meal
One hour after each meal
Two hours after each meal
And also sync with MFP Premium time stamped meals – using data with health team.

Please give counsel and advice from your view. This might seem like overkill but I think of it more as an experiment to learn about me and may specific diabetes / health plan.

Stay positive and keep striving for your goals!

Best, Joe

Your plan sounds great! I'm not aware of any way to automatically sync your meter. I use an app called Glucose Wiz to record my readings and make notes on when I tested in relation to what I've eaten, and another app called Nowandthen to keep track of when I eat. It's cumbersome using three different apps, and if you figure out a more streamlined way of tracking, please share it. But it does work! My A1c was about where yours is when I was diagnosed and is now 4.7 after losing 113 lbs and improving my diet and fitness. My doctor is always very impressed by the reports generated by GlucoseWiz, but if your doctor has a preferred app, you should look into it.

One thing I would recommend is to change your MFP settings to show fiber in one of the columns - I removed sugar and added fiber - so that it's easier to calculate net carbs. Another thing is, buy a meter which has inexpensive strips so you don't feel reluctant about testing several times a day. Mine is the Bayer Contour next, which also gets good reviews on accuracy and strips cost about $22 per 100 on Amazon, but the model isn't important as long as the strips are a reasonable price.

Different people have very different reactions to specific foods - for example I can eat lots of potatoes and very little rice, while some people are the opposite - so testing as you describe is very helpful! After a year of regular testing I still get surprises, such as when I have an illness or am under stress.

Are you currently on any meds? That would affect when you should test. I currently test first thing on waking, after breakfast (which lets me know if anything weird is up with me that day) and after any new foods. But when starting out you should test, test test until you know what your sugar looks like in the middle of the night, before and after different workouts, and so on. My experience is that I generally peak about 45 minutes after eating, and am almost normal by 2 hrs, which is when many doctors recommend testing after meals. If I waited that long to test I would have no idea of my real spikes! I also know from testing that if I do have a spike, I can quickly bring my levels down with 15 minutes of stationary bike, or if I'm in a location away from my bike, using bodyweight squats - which you can even do in a bathroom with no one knowing if you have to!

Exercise is very important as well as diet - and studies have found that three ten minute walks after meals are better for control than one thirty minute walk. Higher intensity exercise may temporarily raise levels due to stress, but improves control long term. When I was diagnosed last year I was completely sedentary; today I run three times a week and lift weights twice a week. It really, really makes a difference - on days I work out, I can eat pasta, fruit, and French fries, and on days I don't, I can't tolerate those things without a spike.

Welcome and feel free to ask any questions you may have!

Hello my name is Chris, I'm 59 years old I have type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, and just found out I have arthritis in my knees. Exercising is very difficult for me so any tips on that would be appreciated. I love to cook so right now I'm trying to adjust the recipes for my favorite things to make them more healthy.

Hi all! I'm Brenda. T2 since 2012. I am on Metformin 1000mg twice a day and Glipizide (sp) 5mg twice a day. Recent A1c (January) was 6.6 so pretty much under control but I have days when my BG goes down pretty low. One thing that I am not doing that I KNOW I should be doing is checking my BG three times a day. No excuse, just get tried of doing it I reckon...

It is nice to be in this group and thank you for allowing me to join.