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  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
    2t9nty wrote: »
    I have no clue about the response of gestational diabetes to the dietary changes. I know my own glucose levels responded dramatically to lowering the carbs, but I was not pregnant. Do you have a meter to check how effective the changes are before the next appointment?

    Hi 2t9nty. I do have a meter to track my glucose and I send a report of the results to my antenatal team weekly. So far, my glucose levels have (mostly) been kept well controlled using dietary changes which is amazing. I'm not against having to be put on insulin if required but I would like to do my best to avoid it for as long as possible. I started tracking on MFP again (I've previously used it for weight loss ages ago) purely to ensure my carb intake is sufficient (not too high or low) as I got a bit freaked out by my blood glucose results and cut my carbs too much and the hospital team are insistent I need to eat more carbs for the baby.

    Good Evening, well I am a type 2 diabetic. And while I was pregnant 27 years ago, I did have gestational Diabetest which I did control through the rest of the pregnancy through diet.
    I kind of remember that the carbs were set at 150, so yes I can see 100 being ok to do so.
    One of the things to watch for are the foods that raise your blood glucose. Everyone always says sugar, and while true. I found then, and now things like white bread, pasta, almost any type of rice, white flour were items that really increased the blood glucose sugar readings.

    One thing I have found that really is helpul on MFP, is on the macro tracking, is I dropped sugar and track fiber. Because first column is carbs, but by seeing fiber every day, that can get subtracted out of the total carbs to show the net carbs going in our bodies. Also you can run reports that will show all of the macros and nutrients. I still use and often print a report to show my Dr's. After being a gestational diabetic, my numbers went back to normal for 6 years then I became a type 2 diabetic. I take insulin, however by being low carb I have really reduced that, and come off some medications. There is a low carber group here as well. That is pretty active that has some diabetics as well. Good Luck, and sounds like you are on the correct track.
  • lolliopopsnrainbows
    lolliopopsnrainbows Posts: 101 Member
    2t9nty wrote: »
    I have no clue about the response of gestational diabetes to the dietary changes. I know my own glucose levels responded dramatically to lowering the carbs, but I was not pregnant. Do you have a meter to check how effective the changes are before the next appointment?

    Hi 2t9nty. I do have a meter to track my glucose and I send a report of the results to my antenatal team weekly. So far, my glucose levels have (mostly) been kept well controlled using dietary changes which is amazing. I'm not against having to be put on insulin if required but I would like to do my best to avoid it for as long as possible. I started tracking on MFP again (I've previously used it for weight loss ages ago) purely to ensure my carb intake is sufficient (not too high or low) as I got a bit freaked out by my blood glucose results and cut my carbs too much and the hospital team are insistent I need to eat more carbs for the baby.

    Good Evening, well I am a type 2 diabetic. And while I was pregnant 27 years ago, I did have gestational Diabetest which I did control through the rest of the pregnancy through diet.
    I kind of remember that the carbs were set at 150, so yes I can see 100 being ok to do so.
    One of the things to watch for are the foods that raise your blood glucose. Everyone always says sugar, and while true. I found then, and now things like white bread, pasta, almost any type of rice, white flour were items that really increased the blood glucose sugar readings.

    One thing I have found that really is helpul on MFP, is on the macro tracking, is I dropped sugar and track fiber. Because first column is carbs, but by seeing fiber every day, that can get subtracted out of the total carbs to show the net carbs going in our bodies. Also you can run reports that will show all of the macros and nutrients. I still use and often print a report to show my Dr's. After being a gestational diabetic, my numbers went back to normal for 6 years then I became a type 2 diabetic. I take insulin, however by being low carb I have really reduced that, and come off some medications. There is a low carber group here as well. That is pretty active that has some diabetics as well. Good Luck, and sounds like you are on the correct track.

    Thanks so much Maureen. You're spot on with the 150g carbs - I've been advised to aim for 150g with 100g to be the minimum. I'm actually in the UK so the carb content as listed on our foods is net carbs. I found this out the hard way when none of the vegetables I was logging on MFP (which were American, so total carbs) matched up with what was on the labels (British, so net carbs). So that was a learning point to make sure I logged British rather than American foods :smiley:

    I'll hunt down the low carb group and join on there too. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to join a group like that as I imagine what I'm aiming for isn't what most people would consider to be "low carb"....

    It's also reassuring to read that you managed to control your gestational diabetes via diet all the way through. As I said, if I need to go on insulin for the sake of the baby then obviously I will, but I'm also determined to give my body the best chance it has to avoid needing insulin at all or at least delay it as long as possible!
  • Spinster_Sister
    Spinster_Sister Posts: 3 Member
    Hello All!
    I was just diagnosed as type 2 last week and have just taken my first blood reading and first dose of victoza. Darn near the past 20 years I was always a pre-diabetic, between a 5.4-5.8 but my h1c changed from 5.8 to 9.2 over the last 9 months or so.

    Unfortunately with the current medical crisis the diabetic classes was cancelled so I am now looking for true medical diabetic nutrtional/counseling website courses.

    I just turned 54 a few weeks back and if this has to be my wake up call. No more just vanity or the hopes of possibly stopping any mortal consequences of my pre-diabetes situation. Now, I have and want to fix this issue.

    Anybody using the combination of metformin and victoza?

    Thank you for reading. Onward and (our numbers) downward!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Hello All!
    I was just diagnosed as type 2 last week and have just taken my first blood reading and first dose of victoza. Darn near the past 20 years I was always a pre-diabetic, between a 5.4-5.8 but my h1c changed from 5.8 to 9.2 over the last 9 months or so.

    Unfortunately with the current medical crisis the diabetic classes was cancelled so I am now looking for true medical diabetic nutrtional/counseling website courses.

    I just turned 54 a few weeks back and if this has to be my wake up call. No more just vanity or the hopes of possibly stopping any mortal consequences of my pre-diabetes situation. Now, I have and want to fix this issue.

    Anybody using the combination of metformin and victoza?

    Thank you for reading. Onward and (our numbers) downward!

    No experience with victoza but I’m a fan of metformin. I seem to be in the minority of people who have no gastric issues with it, and it supposedly makes weight loss easier for some people.

    If you are overweight, getting your BMI to normal is the best thing you can do for yourself. Your second priority should be daily exercise, both cardio and strength, and it goes without saying you should be limiting carbs to what is within your body’s ability to tolerate. Get a testing kit, even if your doctor hasn’t prescribed one, and test after every meal until you learn how your meals are affecting you. Log your meals, paying attention to net carbs and tracking them against your testing. Then eat right to keep your sugars within acceptable range. That will give you a meal plan tailored for you, far better than any diabetic education class can.
  • Spinster_Sister
    Spinster_Sister Posts: 3 Member
    edited March 2020
    Thank you for your reply. How quickly after I eat should I test? Also what is acceptable? The meter gave me a green this morning at 157. I just ate a meal, literally 4 minutes ago.

    EDIT: Googled it - 1-2 hours afterwards. I had a vsg, so I will err on 1.5 hrs.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Thank you for your reply. How quickly after I eat should I test? Also what is acceptable? The meter gave me a green this morning at 157. I just ate a meal, literally 4 minutes ago.

    EDIT: Googled it - 1-2 hours afterwards. I had a vsg, so I will err on 1.5 hrs.

    Yep, 1 - 2 hours since the start of your meal is a good guideline.

    It can be good to switch your post-prandial (after meal) testing up a little - from 45 minutes to 2 or 3 hours - until you get the idea of how your blood behaves. I have found that these days, for most meals my peak is about 45 minutes, and it’s come down significantly by 2 hours. When I first started changing my habits, it stayed high much longer because I was more insulin resistant. The less time you spend “above the curve” the better.

    ADA guidelines for diabetics are to stay below 180 after meals and below 130 fasting. However, I try to stay within the range of a normal non-diabetic person. Normal range after meals is up to 140 but rarely above 120, with fasting under 100. That’s the ideal you should be aiming for! Any time your sugars are above 150 it’s at that moment doing damage to your nerves and fine blood vessels, so obviously you want to stay under that as much as possible.

    You can definitely make a big difference to your numbers with lifestyle changes! My a1c at diagnosis was 11, and it’s been under 5 now for three years.

  • lolliopopsnrainbows
    lolliopopsnrainbows Posts: 101 Member
    Thank you for your reply. How quickly after I eat should I test? Also what is acceptable? The meter gave me a green this morning at 157. I just ate a meal, literally 4 minutes ago.

    EDIT: Googled it - 1-2 hours afterwards. I had a vsg, so I will err on 1.5 hrs.

    Hi SpinsterSister - I agree with rheddmobile that testing certain foods that you're unsure about a few times over a time period can be helpful (for example, a certain type of bread that I thought I could tolerate as I got ok readings after 1 hour actually gave me bad readings at 3 minutes). I'm not sure if this is a "thing" for normal diabetes, but within the gestational diabetes community (in the UK at least) this is referred to as "spike testing" and gives you an idea as to whether a food gives you a nice gradual increase and decrease in blood sugar or if it dumps all the sugar into your blood stream in one go (the "spike"). It really helped me to get a handle on what foods I actually could tolerate and what I couldn't.

    I was also told by the diabetes team that it doesn't *particularly* matter what time you choose to test your blood sugars, but that you should be consistent so that you can compare your results from one food to another. Personally, I do 1 hour after starting my meal and aim to finish eating within 10 - 15 minutes.
  • lolliopopsnrainbows
    lolliopopsnrainbows Posts: 101 Member
    That should have said I got bad readings at 30 minutes, not 3 minutes!!
  • grumpybear79
    grumpybear79 Posts: 2 Member
    My name is Robyn and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2016. I also have fibromyalgia and I am obese. I've started a low-fat, low-carb lifestyle and have started exercising.
  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,572 Member
    My name is Robyn and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2016. I also have fibromyalgia and I am obese. I've started a low-fat, low-carb lifestyle and have started exercising.

    I was also diagnosed T2 in 2016. The low carb diet helped me lose weight and get my glucose numbers under control. You can do it too!
  • LunarVelvet
    LunarVelvet Posts: 1 Member
    Hi everyone. I'm 34 and have been T2 for a few years. Unfortunately I have Binge-eating disorder which makes changing my diet for diabetes almost impossible (for now).

    I am currently on medication, but I don't take my blood sugars since it can trigger my eating disorder. So if anyone has any tips in that area that'd be wonderful. My doctor would like me to start testing regularly and I absolutely agree.

    Does anyone know if there is a way to track sugars on mfp too? It'd be handy to see how my food affects my sugars all in one place rather than use multiples websites and apps.
  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,572 Member
    Hi everyone. I'm 34 and have been T2 for a few years. Unfortunately I have Binge-eating disorder which makes changing my diet for diabetes almost impossible (for now).

    I am currently on medication, but I don't take my blood sugars since it can trigger my eating disorder. So if anyone has any tips in that area that'd be wonderful. My doctor would like me to start testing regularly and I absolutely agree.

    Does anyone know if there is a way to track sugars on mfp too? It'd be handy to see how my food affects my sugars all in one place rather than use multiples websites and apps.

    I use the phone app MySugr to track glucose. I was not able to figure out a good way to do it in MFP.

    I am no help with the triggers. For me the glucose readings keep me accountable with the diet, and it gives me insight into how I react to certain foods. We are all different, and I get that.

  • emt4jesus
    emt4jesus Posts: 15 Member
    Hi everyone. I'm 60 yrs old and have been an uncontrolled T2 since my early 30's. I weighed 500+ pounds by the time I was 45 and was told I would not see 50 if I didn't do something drastic. I had bariatric surgery and went from 500 to 295 fairly quick with my A1C dropping from 13+ to 6.5. In the last three years, I've slipped back into some old habits with my A1C getting up to 7.8. I'm back to my low carb eating habits and in just the last three weeks seen my weekly glucose average drop from 175 to 110. My doctor has suggested that I get an insulin pump but I'm not sure that is for me. Anyway, looking forward to sharing ideas.
  • jlip2
    jlip2 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, I am John. T2 for about 9 yrs. Trying to get back on track.
  • eesh78
    eesh78 Posts: 20 Member
    Hi everyone. I'm 42 and was diagnosed with diabetes t2 almost 3 years ago and have never quite managed to control it and as a result my cholesterol level was borderline high from the results of my last blood test.
    I also am severely anaemic and really need to get my diet under control.

    Thanks for reading.
  • sweeetypie1
    sweeetypie1 Posts: 122 Member
    Does anyone else have a hard time losing weight while taking glimperide? I do.
  • tonyeff
    tonyeff Posts: 1 Member
    Hi All. I'm Tony. 46 and type 2, diagnosed a day after lockdown started in Ireland (My area has just been locked down again. Hols version 2 cancelled). It was a mighty steep learning curve as all the usual supports were closed. My GP gave me an envelope with some booklets and scant instructions. I felt like I'd been dropped in the middle of the Pacific in a rowing boat and told "it's that way". I was 102kg and 155cm small. The myFitnessPal app was my saviour. I'm now 82kg and a lot fitter. I have about another 12kg to go. My blood sugars are relatively stable as long as I strictly control what I eat. Between the app, my kitchen scales, my fitbit and my dog I think I'm mostly managing. I do have the odd panic regarding the enormity of change to my life. I learn something new every day and I'm eager to continue in that manner.
  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,572 Member
    tonyeff wrote: »
    Hi All. I'm Tony. 46 and type 2, diagnosed a day after lockdown started in Ireland (My area has just been locked down again. Hols version 2 cancelled). It was a mighty steep learning curve as all the usual supports were closed. My GP gave me an envelope with some booklets and scant instructions. I felt like I'd been dropped in the middle of the Pacific in a rowing boat and told "it's that way". I was 102kg and 155cm small. The myFitnessPal app was my saviour. I'm now 82kg and a lot fitter. I have about another 12kg to go. My blood sugars are relatively stable as long as I strictly control what I eat. Between the app, my kitchen scales, my fitbit and my dog I think I'm mostly managing. I do have the odd panic regarding the enormity of change to my life. I learn something new every day and I'm eager to continue in that manner.

    Managing the intake, monitoring the blood glucose and getting weight more or less on target is the combo that worked for me. Stay the course!

    My GP asked if I would like a referral to a dietitian, and I asked if he thought it would help. He replied, "I don't think it ever has." I think basically you have to figure out what works and do that. If you are not monitoring glucose levels, especially at the start, you don't have any feedback to know what is working.
  • leon3az
    leon3az Posts: 1 Member
    Hello. My name is Manny and I was just diagnosed with Type 2. Doc put me on Metformin but didn't give me any information beyond that. I am looking to learn more as I adjust my eating habits and increase exercise. I've been overweight almost all of my life and am looking to lose at least 50 pounds to hopefully help manage health conditions and set myself on a better path. Appreciate this group being here to share info and resources
  • Photis2020
    Photis2020 Posts: 3 Member
    Hello. New to MFP altogether and new to dealing with T2 diabetes in any serious way since I was diagnosed two years ago. Finally ready to give all this an honest try