Julz, I was surprised and sad when I realized that you posted here 3 days ago and hadn't gotten a response. Your post somehow didn't come through as a "new" post. I am sure that I am not the only one in our group who missed it. I can completely relate to your feelings about who you tell and don't tell. Incredibly, you and I have very similar stats, starting dates, etc. I still haven't told some people in my family about my diagnosis. Everyone just thinks that I went on some "health kick". Anyway, come on over to the January chat and join us. We would love to have you and get to know you better.
Hi Kimberly! Wow, you are a tiny little thing compared to most of us. Of course, we all have our own bodies and needs, right? Come on over to the January chat when you find time.
Hi Everyone, My name is Sally, and I am from Ontario Canada. I have Been Type 2 now going on to my second year. The first year was just a frustrating, day to day battle with food, and myself. There are still those days that I just throw my hands up in the air and say give me that, and eat it. I am normally sorry later, but I am quick to adjust as soon as my body and diabetes tries to put me to sleep and I feel very bad. Those are far and few between now. I have been managing it well according to my doctor, but fighting some of the other things that come with it. Liver and kidney numbers were off, until I got the food and meds under control. Doing well now. My last visit to the doctor showed everything down and where it should be. I am 5'3 I think maybe 5'4 I am never really sure. I tip the scales at 215, and that needs to change. I have a hard time with exercise as I have permanent plantar fasciitis and arthritis in both knees and shoulder. Sounds like excuses, but pain is something it is hard to exercise through and not be able to walk afterwards. I do still try though, hoping it will all just go away someday....a girl can dream. I have a good sense of humour about it all, and plan to smile my way through it all.
I work at home, running a home daycare, after years of the corporate management thing. I like this better. I am 54, I think, not a really important thing to me. I am a Mom of twins (35 now), married to the most wonderful man in the world, supports me in EVERY thing I do. And even joins in. I guess that is it....the rest as with the above is just stuff.
Hope to get to know you all, get support and give when I can.
Excuse all typing errors and spelling.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Tell us about yourself, your family, your pets, your hobbies, your occupation, your most (and least) favourite books/movies/TV programs/music; – just about anything that helps us know the real ‘you’.
Hi, I'm married, have 1 teenage daughter, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 rabbit, 1 hamster, 13 finches, 15 chickens, 1 rooster and 8 ducks. Yeah, it's an Animal House around here, lol. My hobbies are scrapbooking and shopping. I'm addicted to GSN and 1970-1980's games shows, especially Match Game! I listen to everything from Opera to Metal, including rap!
DIABETES INFORMATION: What Type; when diagnosed; what medications; any complications you’ve experienced.
I was diagnosed Nov 2010 with Type II, with an A1C of 8.4, weighing in around 310# I'm on metformin, 500mg, 3 times daily. The only real complication I've had, and it's more a symptom, is extreme fatigue.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: Height/Weight Statistics. How much you hope to lose and in what timeframe. Formal or informal diet and exercise regimens. Things that work for you. Things you tried, that didn’t.
When I'm a good girl, I'm on a low GI diet, keep my carbs to around 45gr per meal, and 15gr per snack. I try to get in 30 minutes of exercise daily, aerobic dance and walking. But I'm not always a "good girl" so I've been on a plateau for over a year now: stuck at 245# If I don't have 5-6 small meals a day, I overeat, gain weight, and feel generally gross.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS: Anything you’d like to share with the group.
I'm a yo-yo dieter. So it's not the first time I've lost 65#. It is however the first time I've kept it off. I'm bound and determined to get in to ONEDERLAND (I love that term, btw) and a healthy weight for me. I'm also never going to let my diabetes control me again!
PERSONAL INFORMATION: I'm 25 yrs old I got married 2 (almost 3) years ago. I graduated with a Bachelors in Political Science from Cal State Long Beach and my husband is 2 years away from getting his Bachelors in Computer Science. I love to draw with pastels and I prefer using my fingers that just the pastel. My husband loves to program and play computer games in his spare time. We don't have pets and I work as a legal assistant while my husband is a full-time college student and a part time programmer. We just finished watching Drop Dead Diva, Glee and Breaking Bad. Now, we're watching Star Trek from the beginning my husband has me hooked on it now but he also likes Star Wars so, we watch both lol. I listen to a lot of latin rock and my husband likes daft punk. I used to host a weekly radio show for a local non profit called Association of Professionals and Students and my husband used to be their webmaster.
DIABETES INFORMATION: My husband has Type 2 Diabetes and was diagnosed November 2010 when he was 25. He takes Metmorfin and another drug (i forgot the name) Luckily he hasn't had any complications with it.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: My husband is about 5'9" and is top heavy. We've tried working out and eating healthier and in the first few months he lost ~20 lbs. He's never been on a formal diet only eating healthier and excersizing. We try not to eat after 6pm but its been difficult because he has night classes and when we work out its at night so we end up eating afterwards which isn't good.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS: My hope is that I can be a stronger support for my husband. Having diabetes has affected the both of us and it pains me when he says that he worries that he'll die young because of the disease. I know that if I take better care of him by cooking healthier meals and being his gym buddy he'll live a long and healthy life. I aspire to be a lawyer and am presently working on my application process, if all goes well I'll start law school next fall. My husband's dream is to graduate, get his masters and work for Google, and I'm cheering him every step of the way. We have much to live and accomplish and I want to be a better support for him, my hope is that here I can learn that and be there for him when he needs me
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Tell us about yourself, your family, your pets, your hobbies, your occupation, your most (and least) favourite books/movies/TV programs/music; – just about anything that helps us know the real ‘you’. Married Mother of 5, 2 girls 3 boys, 19,14,13,11,8. We have one Shih-poo a sixth child I don't really have any hobbies. I used to be a SAHM bu recently had to return to work. I love going to church, studying my Bible and gospel music. Don't watch tv much but will watch it if someone turns it on. Law & Order SVU, and most Lifetime Movies is what catch my attention
DIABETES INFORMATION: What Type; when diagnosed; what medications; any complications you’ve experienced. I was just diagnosed on 5/14 with Type II, with an A1C of 10.4, weighing in at 188. I started taking metformin, 1000mg, 2 times daily, this past Monday. The symptoms that I have noticed thus far are gas and extreme fatigue about 1 hour after I take the medicine.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: Height/Weight Statistics. How much you hope to lose and in what timeframe. Formal or informal diet and exercise regimens. Things that work for you. Things you tried, that didn’t. I am currently at 185 as of today, my goal is to see 150 then 140-136 is my ultimate goal. I don't have a time frame in mind. I lost 30lbs in 2010 just eating right and walking 3 miles 6 days a week. Now I don't eat like I'm supposed to though I try. Some days I start out well but by the end of the day I have flopped. I don't get any exercise in other than housework and bending and lifting at work.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS: Anything you’d like to share with the group. I just want to see my children all grow up and have families of their own.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: I am an engaged, soon to be married (Jan. 2013) 29 y/o woman who will soon be attending graduate school in the fall! I am currently a nanny, which I love, but wanted to move on to something else which I feel is my "calling"-- working with kids with special needs, specifically autism. I hope to get my Ph.D as well! I love photography, sewing, crocheting, and other fun crafty stuff. (I am kind of addicted to Pinterest.) I am a pretty happy person and really love experiencing everything life has to offer, even though being overweight and having medical problems can "weigh" me down. (Pun intended.)
DIABETES INFORMATION: I have Type 1 Diabetes. I was diagnosed when I was 17 y/o and recently had my 12 year anniversary. I am on an insulin pump and soon will be on a CGMS. I haven't had any specific complications that are common to diabetes. However, I have had seizures due to low blood sugars and also have a few other auto immune disorders that are linked to the endocrine system.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: I am 5'9" and 229. I have slowly been creeping up over the past few years. While I used to be fairly active, that has gone to the wayside more recently because I have been so busy. I want to be at 190 by January 2013 and 169 by May 2013. I know this is going to be tough for me because I also have Hashimoto's--hypothyroidism. I know that WW has worked for me in the past but on a recent stint with them, it didn't... I am going to do a sleep study to see if my sleep issues have underlying diagnoses that could adversely affect my weight loss efforts. I know that exercising at the very least helps me be happy...so I am making an effort for that. Also, I am trying to go as gluten free as possible. I have noticed that it really helps my BGs stay more event.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVEMENTS: I just hope to be successful and not quit when it comes to weight loss. One huge achievement that I recently was able to achieve was winning an online contest to be able to meet with some CEO's and innovators in the diabetes industry to share my thoughts regarding technology and treatment. It required me to create a YouTube video about my thoughts about what could improve my life. I think that was the impetus of wanting to really make an effort to lose weight. I want to be able to go there and look healthy and present myself well. Hopefully, that makes sense
PERSONAL INFORMATION: My name is Gina, I am a 43 year old mother of one. I work full time and go to school to finish my Bachelor's degree. I have a wonderful husband and 14-year old son who are supportive and have made a lot of sacrifices so I can go to school. We have two cats, a cockatiel, a parakeet, a hamster, a California banded Kingsnake, and three aquariums of freshwater fish. I live in sunny central Florida, and work at a university as an admissions specialist. I make jewelry out of tiny beads, love embroidery and cross-stitch and am toying with taking up mosaics. My goal for my break between semesters is to learn to use my loom correctly and get started on Christmas presents. DH and I are huge nerds, we love Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Wars, the Batman series, the Matrix, Indiana Jones, Glee, and anything Gordon Ramsey puts out there. We are going to see the ST: TNG episodes on the big screen tonight! DIABETES INFORMATION: I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes 5 years ago. Since then, I have lost 23 lbs just by changing my diet, increasing my activity level, and the medication (Metformin & Byetta, but I kicked Byetta to the curb, and now only take Metformin) I was placed on. My mom was diagnosed with Type II a year later, and several of my friends have been diagnosed as well. It has been a joy to mentor them through the changes in their lives. DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: I am between 273 and 285 right now, and 5'11". I am working on shedding the fat more than toning, since I could have six-pack abs and you would never see them under the layer of fat. I watch my glucose levels daily, I am partially following the "Eat This, Not That" diet by Men's Health magazine. I have tried myriad diet programs in my life and have never been able to stay on them. With this eating program, I am able to adjust to a night out, or meals on vacation very easily. There are at least 4 books in the series available. I am working to get myself to a 15 minute mile on the treadmill. I also do core strength training to help speed up my metabolism. SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVEMENTS: I fully intend to drop 20 lbs before my family vacation in September. I am training/following an eating program so I can run the Disney Princess half-marathon in February. I hope to get my body into better shape, and to inspire my less than ambitious friends to join me. I can't wait to be at my ideal weight when I graduate.
Last edited by LadyKnight1; 07-23-2012 at 09:01 AM.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Tell us about yourself, your family, your pets, your hobbies, your occupation, your most (and least) favourite books/movies/TV programs/music; – just about anything that helps us know the real ‘you’.
Married, Mom of three (27 & 27 b/g twins, 23 boy genius), two labradors (65 lb female and 120 lb male - full siblings).
DIABETES INFORMATION: What Type; when diagnosed; what medications; any complications you’ve experienced.
Type 2 for longer than I care to remember... on lots of stuff but working my way down. Latest A1C 5.9. Morning bs getting too low (63 this morning) so am cutting back on Levemir.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: Height/Weight Statistics. How much you hope to lose and in what timeframe. Formal or informal diet and exercise regimens. Things that work for you. Things you tried, that didn’t.
Staying low GI - mostly low to no grains, just a bit of potato (purple and occasional sweet), cut out wheat 6 months ago. I do mega-housework to music. Due to an long time ankle injury I have to be careful but can do a lot of sweating with upper body.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS:
Lose weight! :-) Get my fitness up, be as healthy as I can be. Would like to get back to part time work as a para-ed aid or tutor (work I've done before and we're out of money - so hopefully health and state budget will recover at the same time!) Have 95% of masters in education - lots of opinions and experience in Special Education.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: I am Melissa. I am 39 years old. I live with my sister. I have 2 cats that I love. I am curently unemployed but actively looking. I listen to all kinds of music from Johny Cash to Linkin Park and read about health and self help books. I watch tv like Law and Order CI , Top Chef, and the Voice. I also knit.
DIABETES INFORMATION: I have type 2 Diabetes. I diagnosised about a little over a month ago. I am just on metaformin although I think I need a med adjustment . My morning sugar is high.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN:I am 5'3 and weigh 199. I hope to go down to 140 if possible. I am not good at staying on any particular diet for long. I have been vegan, done Atkins, tried diet pills, nothing works. I am now trying to do the stanard American Diabetes Association diet. Also I joined a gym to workout a couple times a week.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS:
I am looking for advise and support.Height/Weight Statistics.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: My name is Beth. I just turned 50. I'm married (second marriage). I only have one kid left at home (17 year old daughter). DS (20) was here for a week, but just went back to school. My stepdaughter (24) was just here, too, but she left Saturday.
We like to entertain and we like to travel. We had about 25 people here (plus day trippers) for a 3 day New Year's Day party. Last year, we went on a Caribbean cruise, to Sacramento & Reno for a week, and spent 2 weeks in Japan. This year, we aren't traveling out of the country, but we're planning long weekends in St Louis and Niagara Falls, a week in Dallas/Ft Worth, and a week or so in San Diego.
I am on a decorating kick. Last year, I decided I wanted to learn how to decorate and to make my house feel polished and put together. It's a slower process than I'd like (time and budget), but we totally re-did the basement rec room and my office, and did a lot with our living room and our bedroom, and the guest room is in progress.
I read a lot (fantasy/science fiction, mostly). I spent a good chunk of last year involved with the presidential campaign. I thought I'd have more time on my hands once that was over, but it hasn't turned out that way.
I'm also very involved with a local (and regional) social group. Where this relates to weight loss is that we have a huge gathering every spring for about 100-120 people, and my BFF and I are in charge of the food. It's held at a local hotel, but we bring in all the food. We'll cook for Friday night, have soup, salad, and sandwiches for Saturday lunch, and bring in take out for Saturday night. Breakfasts are heavy continental, and there are constant snacks.
DIABETES INFORMATION: I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about 6 years ago--and mostly act as if I don't have it. I take my meds (Metformin and Glipizide), but otherwise ignore it--don't follow any of the diet guidelines. My blood sugar was recently tested at 200--I don't test it myself. I even know I'm playing with fire. Pretending it doesn't exist isn't going to make it go away.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: I'm just under 5'2" and weighed 230 this morning. I have a series of goals--214 is when my BMI goes under 40. At right around 200, my blood sugar and cholesterol should be back under control. Sure, I'd love to get down to 125, but that isn't realistic. If I can get myself down to 185 and stay there, that sounds realistic.
Unfortunately, I don't have a plan right now--I'm working on getting myself committed to making changes that will make a difference.
Twice I've lost quite a bit of weight with surgery (not WLS--jaw and back). And twice I've lost quite a bit of weight with a carb restricted regimen. I'm not doing any regular exercise right now--and I know that has to change. I take about a 10 minute walk at work with a co-worker a couple of times a week--but we're not regular about it.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS:
I am hoping that being with other people in my situation, where weight loss is a definite health issue will help me follow through on what I know I need to do. Although I definitely want to lose weight, it goes hand in hand with improving my diet and exercise--if I do that, the diabetes will be more under control, as well as getting the weight under control.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: My name is Dorothy, I am 48, married with 5 kids (ages 11-24) I homeschool my kids and I work as a birth doula and childbirth educator.
DIABETES INFORMATION: Type 2, Diagnosed last year, on metformin 500 mg 2X a day,
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: I'm 5'8'' and weigh 210. My goal is to lose 50 lbs by my 50th birthday, which is in 15 months. That's a little over 3 lbs a month; certainly doable, right? I just started the Shred diet and am trying to exercise at least 5 times a week for 30 min a day. In the past I've lost weight on low carb and weight watchers, but no more than 25 lbs (which I then gained back) After being diagnosed, I tried cutting out sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes and starchy veggies. I lost 16 lbs in 4 months, and then plateaued for the last 6 months. Frustrated that my glucose readings haven't gone down all that much even with removing just about all processed carbs. I'm hoping that the Shred diet will kickstart my weight loss and get me into a regular program of exercise as well.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS: I want to lose 50 lbs by my 50th birthday, which is a little over 15 months away. I want to avoid going on insulin as long as possible. I would LOVE to see my fasting glucose levels be close to 100 (right now they are between 125-145) and eventually I would like to get off the metformin, but not sure if that's possible. Let's see what happens when I lose the weight!
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Hi, I'm Leanne, and I started out as a stay-at-home mom who then became a romance writer and got a job working as an editor for an online publishing company.
I am married to a wonderfully supportive man who works weird hours and doesn't often do his share of the chores. But that's okay, I love him anyway. We have one daughter who is 15 going on 30. Busy, busy, busy teenage socialite life (very unlike her mother who would stay at home behind her computer all day if she could).
I spend my time tending to household chores, running the editing department of an online publishing house, and writing when I feel so inspired. (Yes, I'm actually published.) I read, and my favorite pastime is travel. Anywhere I can any time I can.
DIABETES INFORMATION: Type II diabetes. 15 years ago, not long after giving birth to my daughter, I was diagnosed with PCOS. I went for a second opinion and was told that no, I didn't have it, I just needed to lose weight. I wound up losing 80 lbs using diet pills, and kept it off a couple of years until in 2003 when I had a miscarriage. Within a month of the miscarriage, I began gaining weight rapidly, no matter what I did. I sought a doctor's help, and was told that I wasn't exercising enough. (I was walking 3 miles a day). I went to another Dr. who told me "You obviously don't know how to count calories." Yeah, because I'm a moron and didn't count every calorie that went into my mouth every day. (I was eating around 1000 cal a day and still gaining.) At this point all they kept checking was my fasting glucose and my thyroid levels. Those were fine, then.
I kind of gave up on doctors and myself for a little while. I live in Canada, so doctor hopping isn't easy, seeing there aren't enough doctors to go around. About a year later, my period had completely stopped and I was topping the scale around 330 lbs (the 80 plus another 20 I had originally lost). I was able to get in with a different doctor by being sneaky. I was very sick. No energy. Headaches and blurred vision.
The new doc ran a huge panel of blood tests and gave me the bad news. I was diabetic, and I had turned diabetic because my PCOS had not been diagnosed and treated.
That was 8 years ago. Since then I've also been diagnosed with an ASD (a hole in the wall of my heart that needs to be fixed with open-heart surgery). The surgeon won't touch me until I get down to at least 250lbs (I weighed 316 the first time I saw him 2 years ago)
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: Right now I'm 5'7" and weigh 270. I'm on the Ideal Protein diet (just a month into it) and have already lost 12 lbs. I'm hoping to hit the 250 mark by this summer, and then surgery in the fall. Though I'll stay on the diet through the summer to get off as much as possible.
The only exercise I can do is walking, because of the ASD, I have back flow into the right side of my heart, which makes it very difficult to breathe when I get exerted. This is fine, since on IP they say don't exercise. I try to go out for a nice walk a few times a week.
Over the last couple of years, to get from the 330 to where I was 285 before I started IP, I was put on Metformin, which helped me lose about 20 lbs. Then I went to the gym for a few months and lost another 20 until I tore a tendon in my rotator cuff. That was 2 years ago, and until IP, I've only been able to maintain, not lose.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS: Since starting IP, I've been able to lose weight, and it feels great. My ultimate goal is to get below the 200 mark on the scale. I haven't been there since I was a freshman in high school. But my biggest goal is to get the heart surgery done with so that isn't hanging over my head...also I'll feel much better when it's fixed, and will be able to do many more things.
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Tell us about yourself, your family, your pets, your hobbies, your occupation, your most (and least) favourite books/movies/TV programs/music; – just about anything that helps us know the real ‘you’.
My name is Liz, and I'm 27. I live on the Central Coast of California with my husband of 7 years, plus our cat and dog, and two Arabian horses. I work A LOT, 6 days a week, generally 60 hours a week with an hour commute (cries a little.) My husband is in school and often says he's looking for work, but isn't.. however that is a whole 'nother conversation.
I love my job, I'm a social media manager/private label coordinator for a mid sized cosmetic company. It's a lot of fun and has lots of variety which is definitely necessary for me as I am a very creative person. I also work for Crossmark Marketing on nights and weekends, and teach flute lessons somewhere in between there.
Once upon a time I was in the Marines as a flute player, and then I went to college and also studied flute. I'm a semi-pro player, pick up gigs when I can but I don't practice much so it's hard to do.
DIABETES INFORMATION: What Type; when diagnosed; what medications; any complications you’ve experienced.
Well this is going to sound terrible, but I have not actually seen the doctor to be diagnosed with diabetes. I do know that I have type 2, it's more of an affordability/convenience/anti-doctor thing for me.
DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: Height/Weight Statistics. How much you hope to lose and in what timeframe. Formal or informal diet and exercise regimens. Things that work for you. Things you tried, that didn’t.
I pretty much eat whatever I want right now, but that's going to change to a plant based, whole foods diet. I know that low fat/low carb diets work well for diabetics and I NOT a calorie counter, so it's really my only long term solution. Atkins and low carb high protein diets work well for me as well, but I feel it's not as healthy of a long-term solution.
SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVMENTS: Anything you’d like to share with the group.
I'm planning on competing in the RCP Tiburon mile swim in September, and maybe even run a Marathon like the Big Sur marathon next year.
I'm addicted to GSN and 1970-1980's games shows, especially Match Game! I listen to everything from Opera to Metal, including rap! 
I'm on metformin, 500mg, 3 times daily. The only real complication I've had, and it's more a symptom, is extreme fatigue.
If I don't have 5-6 small meals a day, I overeat, gain weight, and feel generally gross.
Hi.
We have one daughter who is 15 going on 30. Busy, busy, busy teenage socialite life (very unlike her mother who would stay at home behind her computer all day if she could).
