Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, I don't know if you read the most recent blog post by Dr Fung. It is very unusual for him to recommend a med for diabetes. He usually speaks only of low carb and IF. He discussed the 3 best meds for diabetes and Trulicity is one of them. I was reading about Trulicity online. It is REALLY expensive!!! Who could afford to pay that?
Going to eye appointments then over to see niece and new baby at the hospital before going to DD to do his medicine for next week. I will decide then if I need to call to try to get him into see the doctor or PA tomorrow after DS and my beauty appointment. Shopping after that and probably eating out.
Carol Sue I have actually decided to follow the ADA diet plan they gave me. As much as I hate spending the money and counting points, I still might join WW online.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, I don't recall you mentioning the birth of your niece's baby. Did she have a boy or girl? I hope both mother and baby are doing well.
I had my steak for dinner. I was so hungry for steak for some reason. It was good. I had some cooked vegetables, carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. DH made some mashed potatoes since he likes them with dinner most nights. I will try too wash that pot without eating any. LOL Now I hope to not eat any more until my 1 scrambled egg this evening before bed.
My DIL is not coming. My 8 year old grandson's ear was swollen and red. His Dad is out-of-town for work and she didn't know what to do. She took him to Med Express and they said he had cellulitis, probably from the swimming pool at day camp. He got meds, and is not to go to camp for 5 days, so now he is at his other grandma's for the rest of the week. It's a shame because he enjoys that camp so much, but he has a good time at his grandparent's too.
I got my hair cut this afternoon and I think I will put some highlights in this evening.
Trish, I was reading some posts from a couple of days ago, and you said something about reading how type 2 diabetics don't need insulin. But thats definitely NOT true.
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, though some of us can reverse or slow down the progression. But as we have been learning on our journeys through this process, the reversal, with comes with weight loss, is not easy and can make it hard to control our blood sugars. (like having a small late night snack, to prevent high fasting sugars, may alter our weight loss plan)
But as the disease progresses, some people do need insulin. While metformin is one of the best medications for type 2 diabetics, some people can't take it. (like you) and if you don't tolerate other medications, insulin may be the best way to manage it.
This is something only your own caregiver can decide with you, not a book or a website, written by people who do not know you, your story, your situation, and your other issues with medications or health issues. Its a big picture thing that needs your own personal health care provider making decision with you, personally.
When I counsel my own clients who have gestational diabetes, I also remind them: THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT
I repeat THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT
If diabetes is progressing for you, you must manage it as best you can. With diet, exercise and medications, as best as YOU can manage.
fatmad Thanks for the encouragement and info. I just may have to rethink low carbing along with IF since I have read what you shared and reading on Dr. Fung site that Carol Sue shared. Even the ADA now has a low carb plan although not Atkins low. I could follow that one.
Carol Sue My niece went in the hospital to have the baby boy Wednesday. He and Mother are doing fine. We didn't get to go see them in the hospital. Our eye appointment took all morning and our eyes were so dilated that we decided to go for me to do DD meds and then come home.
We have no eye damage from the diabetes. We both have cataracts. Mine has just starting and my eyes have had very little change in the past 8 years so I don't need new glasses or surgery. DH has decided that he needs to have cataract surgery. He will have the right eye done September 6th and then have the left one down when that one is healed. It took a lot of time and very thorough exams but I'm glad we had it done and DH is having his cataract surgery done.
I read up on the best meds for diabetes. DH is one the best ones Metformin and Jardiance according to the article you shared Carol Sue. I wish I could at least take the Jardiance, but I have a tendency toward the yeast infections. I'll have to discuss that with my doc next week. Right now I'm working on the diet and exercise. The bs is coming down, but not as quickly as it was with the Trulicity.
Eating was fairly well. I do need to be drinking more water. They say it doesn't have to be water as long as you drink plenty of liquids, but I personally think water is important.
Tomorrow would have been my DD and Mama's 75 anniversary. We are going out with him for breakfast in the morning after DS and I get our hair done. I am going to bed early tonight since I am exhausted because I've had to get up way to early for me the past few days because of early appointments.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Mad, for me, I disagree that this is not my fault. I used to be a very healthy eater. I exercised regularly and maintained my weight in the 130 range. My labs were excellent. As my 40s approached, my lifestyle changed. My eating and exercise went to pot, and I gained weight, at which time my heart disease and diabetes developed. So in my case, I do believe it IS my fault. It is due to lack of exercise and a very poor diet. If I knew then what I know now I would not be in this predicament. But I do appreciate your knowledge on the subject.
Trish, I'm glad your eye appointments went well. I am very nervous about mine. My friend just had her cataract surgery, first one, then the other a couple weeks later. She is happy with the results.
I agree with you that water is better than other liquids. I feel better when I'm keeping up with my water. I also agree that you do not have to do Atkins low carb. Each person needs to adjust their carbs according to their own blood sugar readings and IF helps a lot.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 07-21-2017 at 07:28 AM.
Carol Sue I can see how that my situation is my fault too, because when I am single, my weight is good because I eat differently. My eating is more like IE and when I ate that way I was actually doing IF as well because many days I ate only 1 maybe 2 times a day. I just wasn't hungry. I was even more active too although not exercising formally. I was just busy, busy.
I also was doing pretty good when I went to the chiropractor and he had magazines laying around which were more vegetarian style of eating. I starting thinking that maybe I should eating that way and playing around with my diet. DH had a BIL who was diagnosed diabetic and he insisted on checking my bs one day right after we had eaten a nice steak dinner and my bs was 145. Mind you, we had just eaten less than 30 minutes before and he said "You have diabetes". I told him that I didn't because it hadn't been 30 minutes since we had eaten. I started playing around with my diet even more and it has been down hill ever since. I wish I had never let him check it. I was on WW and losing weight. I've been fighting this crap every since.
I believe the berberine and the ADA diet is working and I haven't even gotten on it really well yet. My weight was the same 2 days in a row and my FBS this morning was 141 and that was after eating Chinese food yesterday. However, they don't put the sauce on their sweet 'n sour chicken so I didn't have the sauce. Obviously the carbs are not a problem for me. Thank God. So I am on the ADA plan. I did notice that they have made a big change. Their plan is 3 meals and a snack although with the WWSO for dinner, I notice I don't need a snack.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, it seems to me that you are more pre-diabetic than diabetic, but some doctors don't consider pre-diabetes. Either you are or you aren't. My blood sugar rarely goes below 100, or even below 120, but that is because I am very afraid of taking my Glimiperide the way it is prescribed ever since I had that low of 44. God knows what would have happened if I had not got up and checked BS. Maybe that low was what woke me up. I still get very high readings when I eat carbs, so I am so much more carb sensitive than you are. And I'm not bragging. LOL It has to be low carb for me, or more meds, and I don't want more meds.
Carol Sue I think it is the fiber that I eat that makes the difference. My bs reading before our main meal was 114. So my bs is coming down without meds. I am only taking chromium picolinate and berberine for bs.
I was so proud of myself today. We went to Dennis over close to my DS and DD. I ordered 2 eggs 2 sausage links and wheat toast. The girl brought what I ordered plus 2 pancakes with a big glob of butter. I told her I didn't order pancakes. She left it any way. I've been wanting pancakes, but I was starting my ADA plan today eating the way they fed me in the hospital. I had her bring a take home plate and sent it home with DS for my BIL. I love the kind of pancake DS gets. I allowed myself "one" bite and I was satisfied with that.
This is the day that I get chicken tenders from the local chicken place. DH loves their rolls and gravy. I got the chicken tenders, rolls and gravy and decided to come home and add the sides home cooked. They gave me a roll in the hospital so I allowed myself one roll and no gravy. I am finding that I can be satisfied eating what I enjoy with a reasonable amount without overeating. That might be the berberine as well. Maybe it is beginning to curb my appetite. I did read that it did help some people lose weight. Cutting calories is key to that. I am very pleased. Next week will settle down and I will get the exercise going more. This actually looks promising to me.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, good job on passing on the pancakes. I love them and DH makes them occasionally. Sometimes I have one or two and sometimes not. Depends on how strong my willpower is that day.
They gave me 1 bread portion at each meal in the hospital, too. Usually a slice of toast in the AM and a small dinner roll at lunch and dinner. Seems that that is standard for a diabetic diet in the hospital, and I was able to lose on that diet and keep BS in line. I believe it was my own problem of gradual growing portions that caused me to stop losing.
I just tracked my food from yesterday. After entering all my meals I was around 1300 calories, but then I honestly added in little snacks and bites of things I had throughout the day and it ended up at 1600! So I have to be more conscious of those little snacks and eliminate them. I had a couple crackers riding in the car. Part of me wishes DH would not bring them, but he gets hungry and needs that little snack. I do it just because it's there. Also, I had a few walnuts, maybe 1/4 cup. They are very healthy, but nuts have a lot of calories and they add up. I can usually lose if I keep my calories around 1500 or below, so by going over slightly each day I am maintaining my current weight. Tracking is an eye opener, and I am going to try to continue doing it and get those little bites out of my diet.
Last night I had a hardboiled egg in the refrigerator and decided to eat that instead of my fried egg at bedtime. I used some mayo and minced celery and made it into 2 deviled egg pieces. For some reason, that did not keep my overnight blood sugar low. It might be because that's also when I ate the few pieces of walnut, and also had 2 tsps of cottage cheese. OR, it could be because this morning I woke up at 6AM, but fell back to sleep and slept until 10 AM. I must have been really tired. So I was checking FBG much later than usual. When I went to bed it was 114, when I got up at 10 it was 187. I think I really needed that extra sleep, but it's going to make today feel like a really short day. I am still not hungry at 11 AM and before I know it, it's going to be time for dinner. I am hungry for salmon, so that's what I'm planning. Depends on what DH wants. I'm going to look online for how to poach salmon and try that.
I will say that with what I ate yesterday, I felt no hunger, except the feeling before each meal that it was time to eat. I know that previously, a while back, I had to be eating well over 2000 calories, so I have cut back and there's very little unhealthy food in my diet. I do need to get more fiber, though.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
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Height: 5'2
I just ate some scrambled eggs and turkey bacon. I don't like bacon. It's too salty and greasy for me. Since I read so many low carb forums, I feel like my whole problem revolves around the fact that I don't eat bacon. It's not because I'm afraid of fat....I just don't like it. But I decided to try turkey bacon to see if I could enjoy that. Nope. Still don't like it. But I won't waste it, so I'm eating it. I used to love sausage, but now I don't even like that, and can only tolerate hamburger if it's very lean ground beef. In my defense, I also don't eat cookies, candy, donuts, cake, pie, and just occasionally, ice cream.
The only plan I have never tried is all veggies all the time. Maybe that would work for me, although I don't see myself going without meat forever, and I want my eating plan to be something I can do for the rest of my life. If I don't lose some of this weight, "the rest my life" might not be very long.
Carol Sue I'm glad you are tracking what you eat. It really does help me to track on MFP. I am using the rule we had in Overeater's Anonymous where we had to plan our meal each morning or even the night before. It helps me keep my calories and sodium low.
I read some more on the T-2 diabetes website last night. I have joined it so I can get more info from them and can even ask the dieticians questions if I need to. I am very impressed. I like the fact that this site gives me info on what to eat and then encourages me to choose the foods that I like to make it work for me. It does give some ideas of what plans are good like the DASH and Mediterranean Diet. And it does have a DASH meal plan on there. I am amazed at some of the breakfasts. Like it has a recipe on there for a breakfast taco with scrambled egg, veggies and beans. I may have to try that one. I don't have any soft tacos right now though. It doesn't make me feel like I'm dieting. Wish I had known that when we were eating breakfast at Taco Bell. LOL
I am using their guidelines along with what I learned while in the hospital. Although I still get more carbs at main meal, I see that I can have the 3 balanced meals and still have a snack at night if I need or want it as long as the snack is no more than 100 calories. However, for me, eating at bedtime does not work for me at all. In fact, I ate too much last night and while my fbg was not extremely high, it was 8 pts higher than yesterday. I try not to eat anything at least 4 hrs before I go to bed.
I am going to change my exercise schedule. I still plan to do 30 minutes on the bike 5 days a week. But I plan to do them Sat, Sun, Tue, Wed and Thur. Not sure what our eating out days will be if any since DBIL is going to start working evenings from 2 to 10:30. DS will want to spend those days with DD. So the change just might be good for me at this time while changing my exercise/diet routine.
Carol Sue I don't get hungry eating this way either and a lot of times I won't even need or want a snack. It kind of depends on how early we eat our main meal.
I need to change my ticker as I am considering this as my first day on the ADA plan and my weight is up. I think I will make Saturday my WI day.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
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Height: 5'2
Trish, I really cannot plan ahead what my meals will be because of having to work around DH's eating. My first meal of the day is almost always eggs. Sometimes they have some sauteed mushrooms or kale mixed in like a omlet, or lately I have been switching off to some cottage cheese. For a while I was mixing some beans in with my eggs which would be similar to the breakfast tacos you mentioned, but without a taco shell. I use canned beans. I drain and rinse them, then freeze small portions in snack bags. I can add a chunk of them still frozen and they defrost in the cooking. Maybe I should go back to that to get some fiber. This will only be when I cook my own eggs though, because DH won't do those additions. I like lentils the most, but can't find them canned. I buy cans of lentil soup, then drain and rinse. I still get some of the flavor from the soup seasonings.
Taco Bell probably uses some ingredients you would not want to include. Better to make them at home and know what you're eating.
Is that the ADA Diabetes site you are on? Diabetes.org? The only problem I have with the ADA is the amount of starchy carbs they recommend. My blood sugar runs too high for me to include them, unless I take more meds, and so far, I refuse. I would rather omit the carbs and go without the meds. Just my preference.
I know I need to add more fiber but want to do that without increasing starchy carbs, like adding beans and my fiber cereal.
Carol Sue Type2Diabetes.com is the place I joined. I like it better than the diabetes.com. Although this one uses ADA term, I think it is not associated with the ADA as I think Diabetes.com is.
It says that you need to talk to your doctor about how many carbs you need for each day. So they don't tell you that you have to eat a certain amount of starchy carbs. However, it does recommend that your carbs come from the lower glycemic index carbs and they recommend eating whole grains along with fruits, veggies and dairy carbs. . So that leaves me to eat the amount of carbs I choose to eat. I am getting my carbs from fruit, veggies, dairy and whole grains as they recommend which is also mostly the way I was eating in the hospital.
I noticed cans of Pregresso lentil soup at Walmart the other day, but didn't get it. I wasn't impressed with the last can of Pregresso soup I bought because it was all liquid and very little food in it. I have some dry lentils that I need to cook so I can use them. I could use them in eggs and salads. I have a pot of collard greens on the stove to store in the fridge so I can put some in eggs or my WW dinners this week. Eating greens has always lowered my bs.
I like this way of eating because I can have fruit and dairy. It is a whole lot more satisfying. I am not needing snacks in between. Another thing I noticed was that it says to eat our meals 4 to 5 hrs apart. So I can eat breakfast @ 10 or 11 then eat at 3 and have my last meal around 7ish so that I probably won't even need a snack. This will fit into the 8:16 IF ratio.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, I usually get the Progresso Lentil soup and drain/rinse it. I think Aldi's has an off brand, too. I don't want to cook dry, and I rarely see them anyway.
I might have to rethink the turkey bacon. I ate the eggs and bacon around 12:30 I think. I tested my blood sugar at 3 and it was only 101. I haven't had a blood sugar reading that low in ages. So I will see how things go for the next 5 days, or however long this bacon lasts. I might be able to live with it if it's going to help that much. Maybe it was just a fluke and the bacon didn't matter. I am finding that it's dinner that raises my blood sugar, so that's where my attention should lie.
I don't think my doctor would have a clue as to how many carbs I should eat. I want to decide that according to my blood sugar readings. Doctor's want you to take meds to control blood sugar. I don't want to. I want to control with diet and exercise. Back when I was diagnosed was when someone should have been telling me what to do. No one told me anything. Gave me a meter and told me to check BS and record results in a little notebook. Didn't tell me what to do with the notebook. Didn't tell me what to do if it was high. Didn't even tell me how high was too high. I had to read and research for myself. Little to no carb and my blood sugar is in the very low 100s. Carbs, and blood sugar goes into the 200s. Sounds pretty clear to me what I need to do. We are all different. I struggle, and make mistakes, but I'll get there.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 07-22-2017 at 10:15 PM.
