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Old 03-18-2012, 01:57 PM   #1  
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Default Where else do you go for diabetes weight loss support?

I haven't been on this part of the forum much, but since I recently started on Met ER, I've been looking for more support for my weightloss efforts that helps me with my type 2. I've been on some diabetes forums, but not a lot of weight loss help there. And as for my actual endocrinologist, he's a worthless heap of a man! He only types info on the computer and never looks at me, doesn't hear a thing I say, comes back with a standardized script they feed them at university and doesn't offer anything useful...if I wanted that, I would still be married to my X!

Really, if diabetes is so horrible to have, why isn't there more effective support from the medical community? We diabetics seem to have to resort to helping each other with anecdotal comments (This worked for me, that didn't work for me, I don't believe the ADA, I do believe Dr. Bernstein...).

I have questions. Like why am I hearing that weight loss surgery seems to resolve issues with type 2 diabetes? And is that really true? Should I be concentrating more on controlling my blood sugar at this point and then work on the weight loss? Or should I just take the Met ER and continue with my former efforts to lose weight and hope the meds help? Why does cardio exercise make my blood sugar go up even more in the mornings and should I just do it later in the day? How important is it to keep to a daily schedule (eating, sleeping, exercising) when I'm only taking Met ER? Can I do Intermittent Fasting while on Met ER? Are my morning fasting numbers only high in the morning and would they be lower later in the day if I continued fasting?

I don't expect you all to answer these questions. I just want to know where you have gone to get definitive answers to questions like these.
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Old 03-18-2012, 02:28 PM   #2  
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Your are in the right forum. There are many posts in the Diabetes Support thread.
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Old 03-18-2012, 08:09 PM   #3  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geoblewis View Post
I haven't been on this part of the forum much, but since I recently started on Met ER, I've been looking for more support for my weightloss efforts that helps me with my type 2. I've been on some diabetes forums, but not a lot of weight loss help there. And as for my actual endocrinologist, he's a worthless heap of a man! He only types info on the computer and never looks at me, doesn't hear a thing I say, comes back with a standardized script they feed them at university and doesn't offer anything useful...if I wanted that, I would still be married to my X!

Really, if diabetes is so horrible to have, why isn't there more effective support from the medical community? We diabetics seem to have to resort to helping each other with anecdotal comments (This worked for me, that didn't work for me, I don't believe the ADA, I do believe Dr. Bernstein...).

I have questions. Like why am I hearing that weight loss surgery seems to resolve issues with type 2 diabetes? And is that really true? Should I be concentrating more on controlling my blood sugar at this point and then work on the weight loss? Or should I just take the Met ER and continue with my former efforts to lose weight and hope the meds help? Why does cardio exercise make my blood sugar go up even more in the mornings and should I just do it later in the day? How important is it to keep to a daily schedule (eating, sleeping, exercising) when I'm only taking Met ER? Can I do Intermittent Fasting while on Met ER? Are my morning fasting numbers only high in the morning and would they be lower later in the day if I continued fasting?

I don't expect you all to answer these questions. I just want to know where you have gone to get definitive answers to questions like these.
I think most people get more specific help from diabetic educators and nutritionists, but many of us have been unhappy with those people as they are really programmed into one way of thinking/eating and are not helpful otherwise. Mine were very "concerned" about me doing atkins, even when my numbers were good and I was losing weight, which is what I wanted.
I like the "diabetes101" website for info too.
I say test test test and see what makes spikes and what is even. Remember though, we are talking testing either ac (before food) and pc testing is 2 hrs after starting the meal or snack. The met ER should help the fasting numbers over time. (read about the liver dumping glucose overnight on diabetes 101)
We all have high readings after exercise, but you should still exercise. the benefits of exercise are not seen immediately, but more long term, helping reduce insulin resistance. If you test later in the day after exercise and are fine, then you are doing fine.
I have read some of the research about weight loss surgery helping diabetes, and it seems NO ONE UNDERSTANDS WHY. Same weight loss without surgery does not produce the same benefit. Its interesting, but not enough yet to encourage people who are only obese or moderately obese to do that over lifestyle change, given the risks and negative side effects of WLS.
YOu have already lost a lot of weight, so what you are doing is very successful, and while you may need to tweak your diet a bit to regulate sugars, I personally wouldn't change at this point. Just mho
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Old 03-18-2012, 09:31 PM   #4  
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I am PCOS/IR. Insulin resistant = prediabetic. I take Metform extended release.

I was sent to diabetes class when pregnant which was a group of pregnant women in a classroom type setting. I've taken self to dietitian for individual counseling. Both styles gave me my calorie/exchanges sheets for my own needs, extra suggestions, advice and in the case of the dietitian, follow up appts.

I also participate in various online boards for PCOS/IR but when I cruised prediabetic/diabetic ones I didn't find it as helpful as Soulcysters. That has a whole Metformin section by itself if that helps you any.

There's also the losing weight with PCOS article in case that helps you any in the Stickies of the Diet and Exercise forum there. Here's the main link

http://www.soulcysters.net/forum.php

It's not quite the same, I know. Prediabetes is not Type II just yet, and Type II with diet and meds is not the same level as Type II with insulin shots and all.

And we are each uniquely different too.

But something is something I suppose even if what you have and what I have are related but not exactly in the same place?

For me blood sugar and weight loss are something to approach together. Weight loss improves IR. Keeping a daily schedule helps me not just pace out the meds I have to take but my sleep -- which has a weight loss connection. Not just with late night eating but we need good sleep since body does a lot of its repair work then. There's also the leptin/ghrelin hormone thing



Surgery, fasting -- can't speak to that. Not in my experince.

GL!
A.

Last edited by astrophe; 03-18-2012 at 10:20 PM.
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Old 03-18-2012, 10:15 PM   #5  
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Hi Georgia!

When I was first diagnosed I cruised around on various sites. I became even more confused. I had sessions with a diabetes educator and a dietician. It was a good starting point but not the absolute answers. My dr is a really great guy but my appointments are limited in time.... Not great solutions.

Fatmad is an expert on this forum and I get great advice from her.

Should I be concentrating more on controlling my blood sugar at this point and then work on the weight loss? In my case, controlling sugar went hand in hand with weight loss. In the end, losing weight will always help you with your blood sugar control.

The high morning numbers have several causes. See Diabetes 101 for a description of the "dawn effect" and possible solutions.

The fact that my bs went up when I work out scared me a lot in the beginning. Through trial and error, I learned how to control it a little but my numbers always go up when I work out really hard or long. But, they always come down within a couple of hours. Exercise is important with the long term control and weight control.

I think the biggest problem with diabetes is that it is so different for everyone. If there was an answer that worked for everyone, it would be easy to prescribe. My dr said the best thing ever: He said, "you must learn how to control YOUR blood sugar". So, while some diabetics can't eat potatoes, I can eat potatoes with no problem but I can't eat berries or oatmeal without a spike. The only way that I learned that was by testing a lot and experimenting myself.

I can't speak to the surgery question. I considered it when I was diagnosed but I wanted to try to control my weight and sugar.

As for intermittent fasting, I don't know. I know that I have to eat something with my metformin. But I dont take the extended release version.

Hang in there!

Rie
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Old 03-19-2012, 12:59 PM   #6  
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Thank you all so much for your wisdom. I have actually gone back to the beginning of the diabetes forum here and am wading through everyone's posts. Wow! If only we had time to compile it all!

The links to additional info was great. I've been all over Diabetes101 and am learning so much! Dawn effect seems to be my big issue. I stupidly had a big carby meal last night and this morning I woke up with a bg reading of 178. That is NOT happening again, because I'm seeing a trend here...when my bg is higher than 140 when I go to bed and the next morning, I will not lose any weight.

PCOS has also been one of my issues that's not been addressed medically. I'm trying to connect with the Soulcysters website but it seems to be down. When I was having issues with getting pregnant, PCOS was just coming to the fore but no one mentioned anything about it to me. It took me a long time to get pregnant, but I succeeded twice, so nothing was ever mentioned to me about it. And now that I'm on serious approach to menopause, the local endocrinologists in my small town don't really pay attention to me because there's not a lot out there about PCOS at this lifestage.

Testing and reading, diet and exercise and repeat!
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