[Eliana]

Urgh. Is he just predestined for diabetes? Or I am just that bad a mother/wife/cook?

We've been eating clean, hearty grains, berries, fruit, a truly good diet since November 9th, and to be honest, prior to that we weren't all THAT bad. His one vice is toast with butter and jelly.

He got his numbers from a blood draw today and his triglycerides and HDL's were WORSE than pre-diet and his blood sugar was 103!! *sigh* This after losing 30 lbs. Both his parents have diabetes. The doctor praised his efforts and told him he's doing nothing wrong and that he is basically delaying the inevitable.

I don't know if my numbers are any good or not. I'll find out after April 9th. If my numbers are bad, I'm really going to wonder if this is somehow my fault since I'm the one who feeds us!!! My husband, one of our sons and I are all obese!!

[2phatinvictoria]

oh **** no... you are not a bad mom/wife/cook..... not at all and stop thinking like that.. he might not be able to avoid it.. and it sucks.. but keep doing what your doing try new things..This is changing your lifestyle and you doing just that.. just think .. if you hadn't started this.. your son wouldn't be learning about healthy eating.. You might just need to examine the foods you eat just to make sure they are good for ya thats all good luck and if it comes out bad.. its just another hurdle you and your family will tackle together!! (im hoping your numbers are good)

[Michelle98272]

Sounds like the Dr. said it is genetic. I can understand how you feel though but why make it your fault if the Dr. said it's not? If he does become diabetic, controlling it will be all that easier with the head start of already eating healthy.

It's much harder for people to find out they are diabetic and then have to totally revamp their eating and possibly add insulin to get their blood sugars under control. Sounds like you are doing all the right things already: healthy eating and information from your Dr about hubby's status. Don't be SO hard on yourself!!

[Eliana]

It's hard not to be hard on yourself when 3 our of 4 family members have diet related issues. I feel like I've been putting my head in the sand all this time denying that it was my fault and that I need to take responsibility for it. I feel like I must be lieing to myself about how healthy our diet is because who would believe us? I feel like surely the doctor must not really believe us, look at us! The three of us. You know? I feel like people must think on the outside we're presenting this healthy front, but we must all be bingeing behind closed doors. I wouldn't believe me!!

It's just frustrating and I appreciate the support greatly.

[MutableParadox]

Another thing to try besides healthy eating is strength training. That will help a lot with insulin levels and pushing back the genetics. I think if you add that in with the healthy eating that would help. Also, you could talk to the Dr about getting a blood sugar monitor. Everyone is different in their spikes of sugars and such. It would be easy to find out trigger foods that way. Good luck and hope your bloodwork turns out okay!

Also, don't give into the "it's genetics". While genetics make it harder and at times unavoidable that is no reason to stop or not try harder! =)

[SlimBy2011]

My mom had diabetes bad, she doesn't anymore. Has been to the doctor to get checked out several times and they all say she's perfectly healthy.

Instead of medicationg her, her doctor told her to cut out everything white. She did and went on a low carb/low calorie diet and now she's completely over it. She can eat whatever she likes (and while she might gain weight, lol) she's no longer diabetic. For a diabetic even "good carbs" can hurt if you're getting too many. It's not about simply eating healthy when you're diabetic. I know people look at eating low carb like it's evil, but if it can save a life, I think it's worth a try, even for just one week.

There are many articles that suggest a low carb diet can cure diabetes.

[lovemyboy]

Well the range of normal that my dr looks at goes to 99 for blood sugar and he is only 4 above that. The numbers may have been even worse had he not lost some weight. Are they going to check again in 6 months?

I second the thing about "good" carbs as well in terms of counting them. If you must count good and bad calories you must consider all good and bad carbs particularily in a carb sensitive person. I think the recommendation for diabetics is no more than 115 grams per day. I think they are supossed to be spaced apart as well.

[WarMaiden]

Here's an interesting article: http://www.slate.com/id/2248754/pagenum/all/

I would advise that your husband adopt a much more South Beach type of diet, cutting out all grain carbs, at least initially, and see what that does to his numbers. He doesn't need grains; no one does.

I don't agree with the doctor that he's "delaying the inevitable." I think that with the proper diet, he could remain free of diabetes and even reverse his pre-diabetes. However, it is going to take even more significant dietary changes than he has already made.

[Beverlyjoy]

Please don't take any blame for his blood sugar woes. Sounds like he is determined to go in that direction because of a family history.

You both can be as careful as you can. Perhaps, he would benefit from speaking with a dietician or nutritionist who could help him learn the best way to manage his food.

[CJZee]

First off, 103 is just over the *artificial* line for pre-diabetes, so it is not as bad as it sounds -- he definitely has an opportunity to REVERSE this so it does NOT progress to full-blown diabetes.

I agree with some previous posters, I would cut out grains and most fruits, at least until he gets out of the danger zone. And it would give him a lot of good information if he starts testing his blood sugar upon arising and 1-2 hours after meals to get a good feel for what spikes his blood sugar. That way he will know what foods to avoid and you won't have to guess.

This is a good website that gives some great info: Link to Diabetes 101

[synger]

More and more studies of diabetes are suggesting that you don't get diabetes from being obese... but rather that your body doesn't deal well with carbohydrates, so you eat more to satisfy it, and thus become obese. I know that when I was on a fairly strict low-fat, high-carb, all-healthy diet, I was ALWAYS hungry and grumpy and a bear to live with. My body does NOT deal well with carbs.

I'm pre-diabetic (with a fasting blood sugar above 100 but lower than the 120 needed for full-blown diabetes diagnosis). What's really helped me, other than talking with the diabetes counselor through my doctor, and learning more about pre-diabetes, has been to buy an inexpensive blood monitor from Wal-mart and to see how the various meals I eat affect my blood sugars one hour and two hours after I begin eating.

From this, I've found that I can have an apple, but that bananas spike my sugars too much. I can have a quarter cup of brown rice, but that much oatmeal brings a spike. (/grumble... and I really love oatmeal, too!)

Once I have that sort of information, I can more easily focus my meal plans around the foods that I can eat and keep my sugars level. I focus on veggies and lean protein, and a few fruits once in a while. Occasionally I have a small bit of potato or whole grain, but it's a once a day thing rather than a three times a day thing, and never by itself. So, for instance, today I had a chicken sandwich, and ate the filling, and one slice of the whole grain bread.

Your fasting blood sugar number only shows what your sugar in the morning before you have anything to eat; it doesn't really show how you're reacting to the foods that you eat.

I highly recommend Blood Sugar 101, which has some really good info on it. She also has a blog that explains some of the latest diabetes studies in laymen's terms, which I've found very helpful.

Bottom line... it is NOT your fault! And there IS something you can do, if nothing else than to know how your blood sugar reacts to what you eat, and choose your foods accordingly.

[PaulaM]

It seems like they are always changing the "good level" numbers for everything. Blood pressure used to be 120/80, now they want it to be lower. Diabetes used to be 125, now they worry when you are over 99. Sometimes it feels like you can't win. I think he can easily prevent diabetes by doing what the above posters said and get lots of exercise.

[CJZee]

Originally Posted by PaulaM

Diabetes used to be 125, now they worry when you are over 99.

It is hard when the targets change all the time. But I am personally happy they started talking about "pre-diabetes" because it gives us an opportunity to actually nip it in the bud before it progresses to diabetes.

I am not diabetic OR pre-diabetic, but my fasting blood sugar was 99 several years ago and my doctor told me I would probably be pre-diabetic the next time I came in. This was a huge wake-up call. I never knew I was so close to the edge. I cut out the "whites", all sugar and sweet foods, went lower-carb, and got a meter to test my blood sugar. Now my fasting blood sugar is in the 60's or 70's. It has made all the difference in me being able to ward off a horrible disease which runs in my family.