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MyFitnessPal Community

Diabetes Support Group~~~Part 1

CALIECAT

It was suggested we have a support group . This is not to take the place of your Doctor but just a place to talk about our problems Everyone welcome to take part in our talks of this hrrible disease .

The Doctors can take care of our medications but we have to control our eating.

I am Caliecat and I hae been a diabetic for 20 years. I found there is little support for us. O h yeah the docors can put us on medications and then tell us to lose weight and exercise. But they can't tell you how to live with it day in and day out. This site has help me more than anything By keeping up with my calories and my carbs. This is a journey we will be on for the rest of our lives. So sure hope MFP is around a long time. Just this past year I have gone to a diabetics speclist and she has help me so much by getting my med adjusted, so if you don;t have a speclist get your Doctor to recomend one.

I have had all the bad effect of being a diabetic A stoke, A light heart attack, No feelings in my feet or legs and the pain that goes with it. It has affected my eyes And heavens knowss what else Every since they put me on insulin I have started gaining more weiht and so hard to get it of. I have lost 6 lbs since i join MFP.

Let us hear from you. I am sure we can help one and another

Replies

pjsatticPhoebeWaleskaGA

Hi Calie, and eveyone, just reading over the posts here and I see that
Caliecat, you have done it again!! This is a wonderful thread, with so many voices giving great advice and being honest about the struggles living with the big D..

just marking my spot so I can find it easily next time..
have a great week..

oh yes, the diabetes counselor told me to have 2-3 servings of carbs per meal,, assuming each serving is around 15g. I'm in that pre- whatchamacallit diabetes group. I have a lot of issues with hypoglycemia, so I am learning to always have protein and carbs together, and not a whole lot of either one

LOL.. time for me to get back on track and weigh myself :blushing: but I don't want to.. on the other hand.. a gain will make me get back on track faster than a loss.. so I've got nothing to lose.. so to speak..
take care

CALIECAT

Phoebe. so very glad you drop by. and please join us often. I know you keep an good eye on Jim. who is a diabetic Hey guys this is Phoebe from http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/47415-seniors-golden-sneakers-club-3-30. Also I have known her a long time before that on another web site group. We also had the pleasure of another friend to post on Golden sneaker yesterday.It is so nice to have my friends with me. She is not a diabetic. And I love meeting new friends.

I thought I did pretty good on my eating yesterday. but I ain 1 lb. this morning. I am not sweating it Tho. I' am sure I had more sodium and fat than I needed So much for eating out yesterday. But now I am in control of what I eat.

For breakfast : 1/2 c. egg beaters. 2 sl. whole wheat toast/butter spray. Coffee/ 1 t. creamer
Lunch: Bean Salad, Will make my own Salsa sauce to go over it for the jar kind is just too high in sodium. And a fruit
Supper: grilled shicken,Salad, Fruit . 1/2 c corn. 1/2 c spinach
Snacks furing the day : yogurt and fruit

CALIECAT

Hi Ladies, so sorry I have not posted. I just got caught on some of the great advice and feedback here and I think this group is great. I must say, I just had one of those "I give up" weekends, as I weighed in on Friday morning and had crept up to 197 lbs. WAH! I was so totally frustrated as I had just started going to the gym and trying to beef up my walking. I thought for five days of doing it, it would show, but not yet.

But it's Monday now. So, even though I gave up, I must had subconsciously kept up with my regime of eating right over the weekend, even though I did not exercise. I weighed in this morning and I was down to 196.5. My body is weird! But this morning, my mindset was better and I will go to the gym this afternoon and for the rest of the week too. I know it helps my glucose readings overall.

I'll see where I'll be by the time Friday rolls around, and I'll also watch my diet. I'm doing this from work right now- was peaking on the site. I have a couple of great recipes that I'll share with you all later. Keep up the fantastic job you are doing, with your weight loss and sticking to your regime. It's hard. We got to stay motivated as much as we can and with each other's support here, I know we can do well. Have a great Monday!

So good to hear from you this morning. Seems like the weekend can really throw us, but look like you come thru fwith flyin colors. Looking forward to your recipes. And have a good day---- Cali

CALIECAT

Here is something that was in my e-mail this morning thought I would share
Controlling Carbs
Research Spotlight: Go Nuts (and Beans)!

If you have diabetes, it may be wise to get the bulk of your fiber from low-glycemic foods high in fiber such as beans, lentils, nuts, pumpernickel bread, and oats. Although experts have long emphasized the importance of a diet rich in fiber and cereal grains for people with diabetes, recent research has shown that it’s the low-glycemic foods high in fiber that help the most with blood sugar control.

Low-glycemic foods are those that have the least impact on blood glucose levels. Only a small percentage of foods have been tested, but you can find these lists in books on the glycemic index or on the official website, www.glycemicindex.com. The very best way to find out the glycemic impact of a food on your own metabolism, however, is to eat the food and test your blood sugar.

The six-month study followed over 200 patients with type 2 diabetes, who were were randomly assigned to either a low-glycemic, high-fiber diet or a conventional, high-fiber diet. Participants were provided a checklist of recommended foods. The low-glycemic diet checklist included:

• pumpernickel, quinoa, and flaxseed breads;
• rye pitas;
• bulgur and flax cereal;
• large-flake oatmeal;
• oat bran;
• wheat bran;
• legumes (beans, peas, lentils, and nuts);
• pasta;
• parboiled rice;
• apples;
• pears;
• oranges;
• peaches; and
• cherries.

Both diets were low in white flour and called for nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese, and participants were instructed to eat five servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit each day. Both groups were strongly advised against nutrient-empty, high-carbohydrate foods such as pancakes, muffins, donuts, bagels, cookies, cakes, french fries, and potato chips.

Participants in the group eating conventional foods high in fiber saw a decrease of about 0.18% in their A1C levels. Members of the low-glycemic group, however, saw a drop averaging about 0.50%. In addition, HDL, or “good cholesterol” increased an average of 1.7 mg/dL in the low-glycemic group. HDL is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease.

SOURCES:
Jenkins, David A., Cyril W. C. Kendall, Gail KcKeown-Eyssen et. al. 2008. Effect of a Low Glycemic Index or a High Cereal Fiber Diet on Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Trial. JAMA 300(23): 2742–2753.

Harvard Health Publications. Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods. (Accessed 3/230/09.)

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2009

All content on dLife.com

Caliecat

pjsatticPhoebeWaleskaGA

I like low glycemic coz it seems you get more to eat, or more variety, I mean. that is a good idea, to be in control enough to test how different foods affect your sugar reading..

I had one slice of bacon this morning, and one homemade biscuit. I can't believe it is 1pm edt already, better get some lunch, I've got lots of lc and smart ones meals, I love the pasta ones.
bye for now, take care

CALIECAT

Good day, ~~~~~~~~waving to you.~~~~~~~~~~~

Nice day outside today.

been to get blood work done

been grocery buying mostlty from the drug dept.

had a nice lunch of a big salad with shredded lettuce, Chop green and Red pepper, onions , cucumbers1/2 c of chili beaans w/ salsa, light ranch dressing. Coffee. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will have an orange later. Between now and supper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Hope this fine you all well and happy And Happy April Fool Day.

:laugh: :noway: :explode: :sad: :sad: :yawn: :brokenheart: :huh:

:laugh: :noway:

See you later alligator---Caliecat

Wolf843

Hey Diabetes support group! I just wanted to offer my support and advice. I have been a Type I Diabetic for 25 years and I am a Physician. I can offer a different view from many other doctors because I have had to live with the disease for almost my entire life, and I know it is not easy.

CALIECAT

Oh please join us. For I really don't Know very much about this terrible disease And don't know how to make this interesting for the people. I would really like your support Our diet is such an important part of our lives and Mfp has really been a big help. Will look forward to hearing more from you.

I look at your profile and you really have a good outlook on life.

Wow A Doctor in the house.

thanks so much

Caliecat

CALIECAT

Good morning,
What a nice day we are having down here in Texas.

Love it just Love it.

Well another day to plan my daily chores. And get my meals all plan out. I will start out with my meals.

For breakfast ---Egg., 1 piece of whole wheat toast,yourt,

mid morning--- Orange

lunch-- big salad with tuna and lot of shedded lettuce and veggies. 1 sl. whiole wheat toast,. apple

Mid aftenoon----Yogurt

supper--grilled chicken. steam veggies, 1/2 c bulgar.Fruit bowl

Yogurt

Have a nice day. and Wolf843 Looking forward to your posting

Wolf843

With knowledge comes power. Therefore, the more knowledge we have about our disease, the more power we have to overcome it.

There are many different kinds of Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus Type I, Diabetes Mellitus Type II, and Diabetes insipidus to name a few) all with many different mechanisms, or ways that the disease actually works. Diabetes Mellitus is essentially a problem with the hormone insulin. In type I diabetics there is a hitch with insulin production and in type II diabetics there is trouble with how the body reacts to insulin.

So let’s start with the common thread, insulin. Insulin is a protein that is synthesized, or made, in certain cells located in the pancreas. These cells are given the special name “beta cells of the islets of Langerhans.” Because that is quite a mouthful to say often, it is usually shortened to just “beta cells.” The beta cells have an elegant way in which they can sense how much glucose is floating around in the blood. As the glucose level goes up, so does insulin production. And conversely, if glucose levels go down, so does insulin production.

So what does insulin do? And why do we need it? Insulin’s main function is to allow the transport of glucose from the blood into our cells. Glucose is the chief fuel the body uses for energy to function. So while cells can make do without glucose for a short while, it is imperative to maintain the supply of glucose inside the cell to prevent the breakdown of much more important molecules for energy. Insulin is also often hailed as one of the only truly anabolic hormones. Which means that it stimulates the body to build molecules. You may have heard of other anabolic hormones, such as anabolic steroids, which some athletes use to build more muscle. However, unlike insulin, these other hormones will also stimulate the body to break down other molecules in the body. The two types of tissues that are most strongly influenced by insulin are muscle cells (myocytes) and fat cells (adipocytes). And since we know that insulin is an anabolic hormone, it causes adipose tissue to make more fat and myocytes to absorb more amino acids, the building blocks for protein and thus ‘muscle.’

To be continued…questions in the mean time are welcome and encouraged!

CALIECAT

I have some questions.
I am type 2 My doctor has me on
Humalog --5 units before Breakfast MY Doctor said 2 carbs
7 units before Lunch---2 carbs
8 units before dinner---3 carbs
Lantus 20 units before bed time

My sliding scales is 161-200 1 units
extra 201-240 2 units
241-280 3 units
281-320 4 units
321-360 5 units
361-400 6 units

But My questions is: How many carbs Do I need at each meal? I would like to have better control of my blood sugar. I am 78 years old and have had type 2 for around 20 years. never been completely under control.
caliecat

CALIECAT

Thanks so much Wolf. I enjoy having you on this site. Maybe now I can find out more about this.
I had a sister to die with type 1 at 1 years of age. Back then some 80+ years aod they just didn't know much about it. So my Mother told me. She was their first born.

I hope soon we will have more to join us .

Caliecat

Wolf843

You're very welcome, and I'm so happy to be here! I hope more will join us as well! I'm so sorry to hear about your sister, but you're right hardly anything was known about diabetes then compared to today. Insulin was just starting to be used to treat diabetes. It was originally made from grinding bovine (cow) pancreases and trying to extract the insulin. It was a very imperfect science with many impurities and side effects, but it was able to keep diabetics alive. Thankfully, today we have synthetic human insulin that is actually produced from genetically manipulated E. coli bacteria, and is very pure with very few side effects.

As far as how many carbs to eat per meal…
It looks like you are using carb choices, so 1 carb choice should equal 15 grams of carbohydrates. The trick is learning how much of a certain food is 15 grams of carbohydrates or 1 carb choice.
The Humalog insulin that you take with every meal is a short acting insulin, and it acts like the insulin that the pancreas secrets whenever we eat and our blood sugar goes up. For example, the 5 units at breakfast will only cover 2 carb choices/30 grams of carbohydrates. If you eat more, you will not have enough insulin and your blood sugar will go too high. If you eat less, you may have too much insulin and your blood sugar will go too low. If you take extra care to only eat the number of carbohydrates that you take insulin for, your blood sugar should be under much better control. Then if it is not, your insulin regimen can be tweaked to improve it.

I noticed on your meal plan that you have snacks that contain carbohydrates. My suggestion would be to switch to low carb foods for the snacks, or consider taking an additional insulin injection to cover the carbohydrates you consume (that is of course assuming you are not hypoglycemic!).

CALIECAT

Thanks Wolf. And if my blood sugar is low at meal below 80 i consided low for I gets the shakes by then Do i just take my normal dose. I will try to be accurate of counting my carbs Ithink that is my problem,. not counting them correctly I think you are a gift from Heaven. Thank you so much. I have pm the others here to get them to tell them about you. Hoping they will all drop in today.
Thanks again

One more question do insulin make you gain weight? I have heard it did or are we just using that as an excuse?

Caliecat

pjsatticPhoebeWaleskaGA

Hi Marie, and Hi Wolf.. hope you are both ahving a great Saturday. Sunny here, looking forward to walking. I park far away from the stores when I go shopping, to get in a brisk walk, plan to visit grand opening of Petsmart today.. I like to see everyone bring their pets too.

Marie, I read that you had hummus. Tell me about it.. is it a carb? or does it have protein. What does the taste resemble?

We had a 'cooked' breakfast today, my once or twice a week splurge. I bought a light sausage to try, it was pretty good/egg beaters with one real egg with shredded lowfat cheddar cheese. I know everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but somedays I don't want it.. I admit I feel pretty good on the days that I have it.. I bought some Special K protein shakes to try when we go back to work.. I like carnation instant breakfast too. either way, as long as I don't eat too much carbs, I can avoid the hypoglycemia issues.

I read a story about a man who lost weight by cutting out all animal products until dinner every day. At dinner, he ate what he pleased. I keep wondering how in the world you would get protein in there? I can only think of soy based products.. or protein bars. hmmmm, I don't know about that.. but I do like the protein bars.. like breakfast, I feel better when I eat them, instead of sweets.

take care

CALIECAT

My dear Phoebe So good to see you pop in again.
For my breakfast i had 1/2 c cooked oatmeal 1 egg beater 1 fresh orange 1/2c skim milk
For my lunch It will be a Gourmet On The Go Meal over sheddaed lettuce With 5 wheat crackers, fruit
For my Supper it will be Salmon, Bulgar, Spinach pickle beets
Snack Ypgurt

Trying to eat Clean like barbercat. I am going to send Beth some of these Gourmet meals , She was saying that she was getting her cousin to send her some Star kist tuna meals to eat over there in Alfg..
For when the mess hall didn't have a oood foods. They are pretty good. This one I am having for lunch is Whole grain and beans
Calories 170
fat 5 g
sodium 360
carbs 26
fiber 7g. protein 5 g Pretty well balance meal

Its going to get up to 80 here today so it is a nice day a walk with sammy dog.
enjoy your day Love Marie

Wolf843

Hey CalieCat! Yes, if you have low blood sugar, then you should correct it first before giving yourself insulin. I would sugest eating maybe one carb choice then rechecking yourself in 30-45 minutes and see how much it raises your blood sugar.

I will try to answer your insulin and gaining weight question a little later tonight! I'm running a little low on time right now!

CALIECAT

Thanks Wolf I have always wonder about that. I really have to watch that for when I get a low I just want to eat and eat some more.Goning to have to used my will power on that problems. I am doing better for I know in 15 to 20 minuets I will be back to normal. I have just been on insulin for about a year. On the oral meds I never had no lows. Had some highs tho. Thanks

CALIECAT

Good Day----

It's a little cool here today. Have a new chocolate cake recipe I want to try out for Easter for the family.
I think I will cut the recipe in half and my husband will have something to snack on. Chocolate is his faverite. As for me I will have a bowl of fresh strawberries over Wheat toast. With some yogurt on top.

So far I have had a good eating day.

Hope you are all doing well.
Caliecat

CALIECAT

Just dropping by to say good night.

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Caliecat

txladybug41

Just dropping in for a minute to say hello. Glad we got a doc in the group. I've been busy with my mom lately. Her blood pressure had been up and we made a couple of trips to the clinic this week, regarding that and carpal tunnell syndrome in the hand she had broke over the winter. What luck, eh? Anyways, she is feeling better now that we've done some change up in her medicine. The weather was so good this past weekend, we finally got a garden started in her backyard, with tomato plants, bell peppers, cucumber, squash, and also planted some bulbs for onions and garlic. If they all come up and grow healthy, I'll have a busy spring weeding, watering, and just taking care of them. It's a fun project and gets me out from the house. But with this, it gets me away from my computer too. So I apologize for not posting over the weekend, but now you all know why.

I must agree that taking insulin and humalog sure makes it very difficult to lose weight. I'm at a complete standstill lately. I'm trying to watch what I eat, but I guess I have to beef up my walking. I've done that in the past, and I toggle back and forth: I either eat well and don't exercise enough or I excercise enough and don't eat as well as I should . Hmff! Guess that's why I'm stuck, right? LOL.

I have promised myself to get in a two mile walk in every day this week, come heck or high water , and try harder on watching my carb/fat/calorie intake. I must get this under better control. However, the majority of my glucose readings are lower than 150 when I do exercise. And for me, that's been wonderful. I have to be more consistent though and that's where I have to be discliplined. Sure is hard, but reading what you have to eat daily is inspiring for me. I think I can see what foods sound/look better that I haven't tried.

Anyways, just wanted to say hello to our "doc" in the house. So glad you are here and when I get caught up with myself and think of a question, I'll be sure to ask.

have a great day everyone. And a good week of eating healthy, exercise, and just maintaining good glucose readings.

Chriss

CALIECAT

Good morning Chriss. so nice to see you this cold day. Is it cold down in your neck o the woodsin Texas. we are expecting a hard freeze to night . I hope this is our Easter spell. Hope your mother is better.
Wolf seems to be a really nice guy. So good of him to take time out for us. I go to my doctor in the morning to see what my blood work is. I had a real good one last time. The best ever. We got to keep working on it till we get our problems taken care of. It is a working progress for us.
Keep posting the more you post the better focus you will be. my misson this week is to cut the creamer out of my coffee. And next week cut out coffee. Will try the green tea.
again welccome back.

Caliecat

CALIECAT

Good afternoon everybody,did not warm up much at all today. we are in for a another col niht then itt wil start warming up some. thats good for these old bones do not like this cold weather.
Have a nice evening. ejoy your dinner tonight.
Caliecat

CALIECAT

Candies are a good way to treat low blood glucose when you're on the go, but those noisy foil and plastic wrappers could prove embarrassing during a concert or at the theater. Try this tip, and leave the show-stopping to the professionals:
Put jellybeans or some other soft candy into a plastic sandwich bag. The plastic bag makes very little noise when opened, and the candy won't make any noise when you chew it. Make sure you know how many candies you need to treat a typical low, and make up a bunch of single-use "bean bags." That way you will have a ready source of tasty, portion-controlled carbohydrate whenever you need it. These snacks also work well when you need a quiet middle-of-the-night sugar boost.

I got this in my e-mail this morning and thought I would share.
Caliecat

CALIECAT

Don't think I drop in at all today. Hope this find everyone. Missing you guys.

Chriss are the Bluebonnets in bloom down there in So. Texas? They are blooming here and are so pretty. Not as many around in our area for all the building going on here. DThere is one big batch by Walmart but it is up for sale so soon they will be gone.

I got my blood work back yesterday and everything is fine, My doctor was proud of me. This is 6 months streighdt it has been good. And also lost 5 lbs from my last visit. 3 months. I am a slow loser.

Phoebe--- MIssed you

Wolf--- you give up on us? Drop in anytime. Love having you.
Caliecat

CALIECAT

Good morning all. Had a good night rest and ready for a new day.

My bllod sugar was 96 this morning and real happy about that. Wish the scales would come down, I am just such a slow loser. It is getting close to Easter and I have a coconut cake to make for the family. I think this will be my last one to make. My faverite cake.I will have one tiny piece of it.

Hope this find you all happy today and not under too much stress.
Have a Happy Easter and enjoy your family.
Caliecat

CALIECAT

Just dropping in to say have a good night. Kind of quite around here.
Caliecat

K2T4e2n6

I am trying to lose "baby weight" (which is probably now considered "not working out as hard as I used to" weight) and am worried about getting diabetes. EVERYone on my mom's side has it, my sister has it and my aunt (my mom's sister and the last hold out) has recently been diagnosed. My brother (a college football player) and myself are the last two left. It's kind of scary...

I know that they all developed diabetes after putting on some weight so it is my goal to get down to a healthy weight to avoid this. Does anyone know of any other lifestyle changes or information that might be beneficial to me? I know that you can take pills for it as oppossed to the insulin needles (which terrify me) but I would like to avoid that as well if at all possible.

Congratulations to everyone living with this. My mom has had it since I was a kid so I considered it "normal" and never thought twice about her taking insulin shots. I just knew it kept her healthy. As I've gotten older though I realize how threatening it is and kudos to everyone who is dealing with this everyday.

CALIECAT

Hi K2---glad to see you here. I don't know much about preventing it. Keep your weight down,exercise and a good eating proogram and be sure to not overload on carbs.Your Mom should be able to help you a lot. Keep in touch with us and let us know how you are doing. Or just come back and chat with us. Love having you. Maybe Wplf will pop back in and give you better anwser.
Caliecat

Wolf843

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been very busy.

Please don't give up on me! :flowerforyou: