Fatmad, don't be jealous. Please realize that I'm starting over 100 pounds more than your starting weight. I have so MUCH to lose that 1-2 pounds a week is fairly standard. When I get down to your starting weight (or sooner) it will slow dramatically. I know... I've been there before. /sigh THat's when I usually give up. THis time, now that I'm dx with pre-D, I can't give up. This HAS to be for life. Literally!

I got the results of my labs: A1c is down to 5.8 (from 6.7)! My cholesterol is down about 20 points as well. It was in the normal range already... I don't have lipid problems... but it's nice to have it confirmed that the much-higher-fat diet I've been following as I cut down on carbs isn't having adverse affect on my lipids.

I'm pre-diabetic, and my last A1c last month was 6. didn't see dr as usual he was out of town. I guess what I have seen online that 6 is ok. I have been taking my FBG for a month now, and the numbers range from 97-113. Yesterday I have a 120 and today a 97, is that normal, i know so many things can affect the numbers at any time, diet, exercise tons of carbs, meds which I am not taking any. I hope I never get diabetes I'm already phobic with the numbers being mostly in normal range, what will I be like when they are all over the map.
I have been on kind of the south beach diet and lost 5 lbs this week! Wish I had the energy after work to go back to Curves.

There is a lot of good info out online about Diabetes and what the various numbers mean. I highly recommend Blood Sugar 101, which has very good info about how to test, what the numbers mean, and what various medicines do. She also gives overviews of various studies.

I'd also suggest you find a diabetic-specific board with a lot of traffic to ask more diabetes-specific questions. If you Google "diabetes forum" you'll find a couple.

Now on to your specific questions!

In general, a FBG lower than 100 is "normal" (with lower than 85 optimal), anything above 125 is "high/diabetic", and anything in between is "high/pre-diabetic".

My FBG ranges from mid-90s to 115 or so. This morning I was 110 (after a piece of pie yesterday!).

An A1C over 7 is considered diabetic, under 5.7 is normal (under 5.5 is optimal), and anything above 5.8 and below 7 is pre-diabetic. (specifically, the ADA says anything from 5.7 to 6.4 is within the "category for increased risk of diabetes" -- the new name for pre-diabetic).

The numbers are not hard and fast... various groups and agencies have slightly different numbers. But by and large, if you're over 7 you're diabetic, under 5.5 you're normal, and anything in between is pre-diabetic.

Just got my HA1C done today and am 6.4 so I guess I've moved from diabetic to pre-diabetic based on the above critera. It was 6.7 last test. I wonder if my age has moved back too.

Actually I'm quite encouraged since the past few months have not been good for food and exercise. I must be doing something right.

Good job, Ruth.

I don't know if it's because of the heat, the increased cardio sessions at the gym, all the yard work I've been doing, or a combination of reasons, but I've been dragging a$$ all week. I feel lethargic. My goal is to get the front yard flowers done before the World Cup starts, however, at the rate I'm going, it'll be a wonder if things get done by the final match. Tomorrow I shall charge ahead once again. Today's FBG was 85. Much improved from yesterday's FBG of 109.

CONGRATS on the good numbers, people ... we had from late afternoon on and we need it as some of my trees and bushes are languishing from lack of water ... Hope to go back out tomorrow if weather is as good as it is supposed to be. Gonna get started on that cottage; will take pics. Here's a link to some of my flowers in our side gardens (see three posts in that thread) ...

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/fait...ml#post3333386


Gonna be very busy over the next while. Have a great week ... Rosebud

what a great idea Rosebud, hope it helps things. It sure can't hurt. Giving up nachos has been hard for me. One of my fav snacks. Even baked, with just a bit of cheese and good no sugar salsa is great.
But I also love nuts, but every time I start to add them to my diet, my weight loss stops.
*sigh*

cheated and ate a bran muffin this morning.
It was a guided cheat. I left the house at 530 this morning with an atkins shake in hand, expecting to get breakfast after a quick assist for work, but things dragged on, and I got stuck and got hungry.
I eventually decided that a low sugar bran muffin was better than actually skipping a meal and that it would time me over until lunch. No sugar cravings this evening after getting back to atkins plan, so doubt it will do much damage except pushed me out of ketosis for the day. Oh well, off to bed and looking forward to a few days off now.

Good morning. My darned meter finally gave up - I think it needs a new battery which means a trip to town. That won't happen until Monday at the earliest.

Today is a food-filled day with a lunch date and then a spaghetti supper fund raiser tonight. I have to make an appearance at the supper but refuse to eat mass-produced pasta. I'll sneak out early and come home for a decent meal of ww pasta and clam sauce.

taking a huge step here and going to clean house and start Atkins. Tired of being fat and now worrying about becoming a diabetic, has finally convinced me to change and learn a new way of doing my life. So Atkins here I come.

HI ~ We've been really busy the last fews days; but we've had really nice weather too. Got a bit of a sunburn on my face and neck yesterday; today, we are all taking a rest -- sure need that. I have been doing some grass snipping and watering my trees and bushes each day; good exercise for sure. Eating has been OK; all this extra stuff can make you hungry though, so gotta watch that.

MAD ~ yes, some people find eating nuts stalls their weightloss, but you really have to be diligent to only eat NON-SALTED nuts and COUNT THEM OUT to make sure you only eat a serving's worth (6 or 7 nuts at once). This does take some extra discipline on our parts.

Hope you all have a great weekend ... Rosebud

Well, I succumbed to the carb monster at the diner last night and ended up eating spaghetti AND a slice of my pornographic rum cake. It's a good thing my meter isn't working or I'd be in higher than usual FBGL, I'm sure. Breakfast was fine and lunch will be salad with some protein but dinner is another challenge - another command performance at a fish-fry! I'm hoping for decent fish and cole slaw and will stay away from the darned dessert table.

Weight is back up to 195 this morning. "The wages of sin is death" is a scary thought so I'll pull up my socks and get with it this week. I'm still contemplating Atkins but it's about to be strawberry season here. I know I crash on Atkins induction but may start monitoring total carbs better. Right now they are 1/3 of my calories.

Fatmad - Nuts are great, but I have to limit myself to pumpkin seeds. I have no self control when it comes to almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.

Me Too - Wish you all the best on Atkins.

Ruth - Mmmm, pasta. I would have succumbed as well. Pasta was my drug of choice in the past. Sending you some good vibes and will power dust.

This is the second day of rain. We had some hail yesterday and a flash flood warning. The mountains even got a dusting of snow. With all the World Cup matches this weekend, we've been indoors most of the time anyway. Today is my dad's birthday. We roasted a couple of pork shoulders last night and will be having a diabetic feast today.

Had a nice weekend off for a couple of days, my Dad visited, and we had a grad banquet to attend for the youngest daughter, which included a special father/daughter dance. Was a lovely treat.
Had to work today though, was called in when it got to busy for the troup to handle. Hoping for a good sleep tonight. Am just beat after the day of work.

Karen, if you are going with Atkins, get the book (even if from the Library) and start going to the Atkins forum too. I couldn't stick to induction at first, I cut my carbs down slowly and went to it backward, but am able to keep to it pretty well these days.

Ruth, same to you, cut some carbs out, especially days when you are going to these stable tables. Try lower carb during the day, and choose your foods carefully! I did have a dessert at the banquet, choose a cheesecake with no sauce, and didn't eat the crust. NO SPIKES!
Otherwise I was able to stick to plan, just ate LOTS of salad, and slices of ham. Avoided the potatoes pasta and rice in order to have that little slice of cheesecake. Was well worth it.
It has rained most of the weekend, but Friday was nice and got the laundry and housework done.

Gotta plan for tomorrow. I have been doing MUCH better with meal planning and packing and as a result, have stuck to plan much better. The sugars are great but the weight isn't budging.

** Sigh ** Well, it's 196 on the scale this morning and I can see 200 just over the horizon. I am a bit concerned about cutting carbs too much when my meter isn't working so will try to get it fixed OR a new battery today. It's as if my 6,4 HA1C on Wednesday put me into denial, not good when I still had three foodie events to get through. There's only one this week and it's a luncheon so should not be too bad.