[Wannabehealthy]

Have you been diagnosed with Diabetes or Prediabetes? Diabetes causes different challenges when it comes to weight loss. You have to always consider what you are eating, and when. Some diet plans have restrictions that we cannot follow. We can tweak the diet plan to suit our dietary and lifestyle needs, or we can choose another plan. Some of us configure our own plan and that is fine, as long as it works for us and keeps us healthy. Either way, our blood sugar readings are of utmost importance. Dietary choices and exercise are both necessary to keep our Diabetes under control.

Join us here to discuss strategies to manage both your weight and blood sugar.

[Wannabehealthy]

It's not real hot here today, but there are lots of storms, keeping the humidity levels high. I sure hope we get back to having some sunny days. We need rain, but not this much! LOL Lots of road closures this morning due to flash flooding and landslides from all the heavy rain overnight. I'm glad I don't have to venture out to go to work anymore.

I ate some carbs last night so my blood sugar is way too high, but I slept good...straight through until 6 AM with no wake ups in between. I think the carbs made the difference. I really needed the deep sleep but the blood sugar issue is not good. Back at it today.

Now that I got that piece of exercise equipment out of my exercise room I have more space to move things around. Overall, I am feeling better, but still have some annoying achiness. I'm hoping the exercise will help. Just keep moving!

[fatmad]

my fasting sugars are up a bit (5.8 or 104) because I am not snacking after supper. I want them under 5.6 at the most. I don't want to snack, so I hope they go down with time and weight loss.
This pain in my finger tips is really bugging me too. I'm going to try a magnesium supplement and see if that helps.
Otherwise weight is stable and Things are good. This is one of the days I get to have 3 meals and start with oatmeal. Love this day!

Carol, glad you got that infernal machine out of your exercise room. Enjoy the space and use it well. How is your foot pain these days?

I have some work stress and start the new anti-depressant today. Not sure about it in general in that I can understand that I have depression but antidpressants don't work so very well. If it helps me to sleep better and be more productive though, I will take that.

Have a good day everyone.

[Wannabehealthy]

I wanted to make an additional comment about my carby snack last night. It's always great to get right back on the wagon, but from what I've been reading, it takes 3-5 days to get back into ketosis afterwards. That's very discouraging, because I struggle to stay low carb for more than 3-5 days, so it's possible I just never reach ketosis. My stix never change colors, probably because I don't stick with it enough days in a row. Reading this in the book is helping me stay on track, because I keep reminding myself that if I eat carbs, it will take a few days to get back to where I was, so it makes it easier to give up the carbs whereas before, I would just pop them in my mouth thinking that just a bite or two won't do any harm. Having said that, as long as my blood sugar and weight are going down, I'm not going to worry as much about ketosis, but I WOULD like to see a pink or purple stick, just once!

Mad, my foot pain has turned into more of an ache. I am walking much better. It's actually in both feet, but more in the right, and it also includes my legs, knees, left elbow and hands. It is improving, and I think exercise will help it continue to improve.

I am really so happy to get that thing gone! I probably drove DH nuts all evening exclaiming how happy it made me. In fact, I think the stress relief of finally getting rid of it is what caused me to eat the carbs. I think I have had it listed for sale for about 6 months with not even a nibble. I would have probably accepted whatever this woman offered me for it just to get it out of there, and donating it would have been a last resort. It's great to buy gently used exercise equipment at a good price, but not so easy when you are looking to sell them. This was something I was just not able to use anymore because of my limited mobility.

The evening snack is another way that we are different, Mad. When I stopped the evening snack my fasting blood sugar dropped noticeably. Usually, the only time I have a snack now is if I test at bedtime and feel that my blood sugar is too low for overnight and the snack never includes carbs. It's usually cheese or a hard boiled egg. I am always afraid of having a hypo overnight and sleeping through it.

Hope Trish is feeling better today.

Looking forward to some others joining us in this thread. It's amazing when I see the number of views we get in comparison to the number of posts. Maybe we are scaring them away. LOL Come on in!! We're versatile. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about!!

[pattygirl63]

My fbs was back down to 145 this morning which is very good since I've only been off some of the OTC meds I was taken for only one day. Weight was even down .2 lbs from yesterday so all is going well. I just want to get over this cough. I will get some cough drops when I go out today as DH wants to go to Sam's and the local store. I don't really feel up to it, but I will go. DS reminded me that I can ride a cart, but I really need to walk. So I will see.

Sorry going to cut this short today and will try to get back later. I've been disinfecting my house a little bit each day. I need to rest a little before DH gets up and is ready to leave.

Carol Sue I'm glad the lady showed up to buy the exercise machine.

Have a good day.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, one time at Walmart I tried to ride one of the carts ad I crashed into a woman's cart and knocked over a display. LOL I didn't need the cart, but we were back by automotive waiting for them to install our battery and the cart was sitting there so I wanted to try driving it. I sure hope I never need to, because I'm not very good at it.
Today we went to Goodwill. It was 25% off senior day. I bought a cane. DH was mad that I bought it, but I told him I'm getting near to needing one so I would rather buy it for $5 than have to pay more for it when I needed it. It is one of those with the 4 little legs on the bottom that stay standing up by themselves. I will be happy if I never need it but if I do I will be glad that I have it.

We went to Bob Evans for dinner. We both ordered fried cod, and I had carrots and cole slaw with mine. For rolls I got the banana bread and brought it home for DH to have with his coffee tomorrow. They don't take anything off our bill if I say I don't want it.

Then I went to the grocery store and bought some meat so I can cook at home. We were out of everything.

I sure hope you're feeling better and didn't wear yourself out shopping.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I don't always use my cane, but I am so glad to have it. I have one in my car that I use when I need it and I have one in the house. I do use the one in the house when I'm extremely tired or my back hurts. I am glad I have mine.

We had a little bit of rain this week, but not enough. Looks like the farmers have lost their corn this year as all the corn fields are dead. It is a real shame. We really need more rain. We have been having temps in the upper 90s. Makes it awfully hot especially when you don't feel good.

We went to Sam's and by the time we came out I was so wiped out, but we still went to HEB. By the time we headed home I was just too tired to cook so we got Chinese. The only thing about Chinese is that you are hungry later. I am really struggling to keep from eating anything else tonight. BS before dinner was 114. Last night it was 118 before dinner. So I guess things are getting better. Now to get through tonight without eating anything else.

[fatmad]

I had popcorn at the movies last night, and FBS is up to 6.3 today. so 114. I don't like being over 100.
Doing either a 23 hour or 40 hour fast, haven't decided if I will have supper tonight or wait until lunch tomorrow. My weight is not up much for eating all the popcorn. (Maybe because I had water instead of a diet pop?) but I am in a cycle now. A fast, then a couple of days of eating well, a treat in there, and then a fast again. Just doing short fasts for now. I was encouraged to hear there are others on the sites not doing strict Keto diets, and not doing prolonged fasts who are doing well and losing weight. I think some of them have gotten a little addicted to the fasting. And they reduce their food too much and don't eat enough overall, getting into the same low calorie ruts so many diets push us into, that our metabolism slows too much.
I am happier following Dr. Fungs overall plan and not over doing anything. I can always fast longer and mix it up if I stop losing weight.
Carol, so glad you are doing a bit better, but I agree, if you are having mobility issues, having the cane is a good idea. If it helps you stay mobile on days when you are having difficulty walking, its good for you.
I am also wondering about a walker for you. Maybe ask your doctor. My Dad had one, and not because of mobility, but to rest his heart. The doctors explained that by using the walker, he was staying mobile (and could walk faster) but his damaged heart didn't have to work so hard to keep him moving. When he went on the oxygen concentrator full time, it was a great way to "carry" his device around too. When we were just in and out of the car and not walking around much he left it behind or in the car, but it was great for going to the mall.
I know its a big step sometimes, mentally and emotionally. I'm not saying its time. But we want to protect that heart of yours, its a big heart, and deserves TLC.

Trish, keep doing what is working.
And big hellos to everyone. I will likely check in tomorrow and Sunday, and be gone for the week. We won't have internet at the cottage this year, so I will not be online for the weekdays we are gone.

[Wannabehealthy]

I didn't get up until 9:30 today. I was awake often during the night and 3 times I had to get up and stand on my foot because I was having a cramp. Standing on it relieves it, but it wakes you up and makes it hard to fall back to sleep. I am usually the one who gets up around 5-6 to let the dog out and then it's really hard to go back to bed. This morning, DH got up for something, so he let the dog out so I didn't have to.

I am wondering if I am low on magnesium or potassium or something that is causing these foot cramps so often. I don't want to take a supplement unless I know I need it, so I might ask my doctor to check these things. I prefer to eat foods that contain the minerals and I have checked and I am eating those foods regularly.

I lowered my Vit D from 10K IU to 5K IU at the warning from someone on another forum as I have never had that checked either. I can't imagine I am not low though, living in the gloomy state of PA and staying inside most of the time.

Trish, I'm sorry to hear of the bad weather in TX that is ruining all the corn fields. Our farmers here always complain that they don't get enough rain but they can't say that this year!! There are a lot of storms, though, and that isn't always the kind of rain they need. They need a fine, steady rain. Our corn isn't usually ready until August. We do start to see some being sold on the roadside now but that is not local. They bring it in from other states to sell. No one could have corn here this early. When we see it piled in the back of the truck it's usually a local farmer. If there are cloth bags of corn on the truck, it was brought in and could be a couple days old or more.

DH doesn't like Chinese food so we have only had it once or twice. The local asian buffet has grilled salmon so DH would eat that and veggies. He really doesn't like to eat anywhere that does not have potatoes. He always asks at Taco Bell if they have french fries. LOL I don't know why they say you are hungry so soon after eating it. Maybe it's the rice or the MSG that they use. They have an Asian station at the casino buffet but the only thing I ever take is the pot stickers or a piece of the General Tso's or Orange Chicken. I only take enough for a taste because the sauces are full of sugar.

Mad, I have 2 walkers. One regular walker belonged to my MIL. She got it from Medicare but never used it. She refused, but her mobility wasn't too bad and she didn't go out a lot in the last few years. We took it when she passed away just in case. Then we saw one of those walkers with the seat at Goodwill and bought that, too. I am prepared!! LOL But I don't want to use them until I really have to.

I think the real purpose of longer fasts is for autophagy. Autophagy promotes longer, healthier life by getting rid of dead cells in the body. I think that's good, but I do agree that there are those who get addicted to it and start wanting to see how long they can go. I think it can become an eating disorder of a sort. Weight can be lost and blood sugar can be controlled with shorter fasts. So many people do the longer fasts, but quickly regain after the fast is over. They may have a net loss, but they could get that from shorter daily fasts. That's my opinion, not fact.

Are you Diabetic or Pre-Diabetic? Your blood sugars might be higher than they should be but they are always much lower than mine, even when I'm eating very low carb. I tested at 112 this morning and was delighted to see that number!! Under 100 for me is usually caused by too much med, and if my fasting is that low I figure I probably had a hypo overnight. Do you take Metformin?

I wish I had known when I started to become prediabetic, but I don't know if I would have taken action. At that time, I knew nothing about Diabetes. If I had known then what I know now I would have stopped it in it's tracks. At one time they had a health fair at work and my fasting blood sugar tested at 120. The nurse told me to see my doctor about it, but I "felt fine" so I didn't heed the warning. It was when I had my heart surgery and my blood sugar went sky high that I was actually diagnosed. When I mentioned it to my PCP he said "You were getting up there." With my weight gain, I should have been more aware. Even after diagnosis I still ate the wrong diet with too many carbs. As I read more about it I started to change my diet and saw the improvement. At this point, I believe I have a lot of cell damage from over the years not being informed. My doctor is one who still believes it's a progressive disease and the only way to control it is to increase meds. That's what they are taught. I don't think there are many doctors who believe it can be controlled with diet and exercise the way we have learned. Dr Fung is a blessing to us that he makes this information available to us free of charge.

[Wannabehealthy]

I gave up sugar for Lent this year and did very well with it, but have fallen back into the trap since then. It's mainly the chocolate DH has been buying. Milky Way Fun Size. I started another challenge, to stay off it until my doctor's appt in August. I was doing very well until last night when someone online asked me about the 85% chocolate bars I buy from Aldi's. I got the bar out to check it, and ended up eating a piece. No big deal. It was not one of the Milky Way bars so I will be able to continue on. But I'm wondering what effect that had on my blood sugar which was only 112 this morning....much lower than usual. I had heard in the past that when you eat sugar, you get a blood sugar spike, but then it plummets. So although you get an energy surge, it is not lasting. I wonder if that's what did it for me? Also, this dark chocolate contains Reveratrol, same as red wine, and it is known to lower blood sugar. I had also heard that a small drink of red wine at bedtime can lower fasting blood sugar. Just wondering. I'm not much of a drinker. I think I would prefer the piece of dark chocolate. LOL

[fatmad]

Carol: I'm still officially pre-diabetic.
I have impaired fasting glucose, and impaired one and two hour glucose tolerance. At the start I just had one impaired value. A1Cs have gone from 5.6 to 5.7 and most recent 5.9 so they are getting worse too. Not at the magic 6.0 that causes the diabetes diagnosis here.
When this started, I asked for metformin because I hoped that with that, and diet and exercise, I would be able to stop things from getting worse.
Well, I am now on 3 metformin (1500 mg.day) and while I do exercise, I had not been successful in losing weight and keeping it off. A few times I have gotten below 170 since this all started, but only with a lot of effort, and I reverted too easily to bad habits and regained.
So this stuff with weight loss with Dr. Fung is relatively effortless.
You may remember, I hate to track food. I always felt it added to my obsession with food. Made me think about it all too much. Drove me crazy.
No I don't have to do that. When eating, I am lower carb and higher fat, but I am not counting calories, or even carbs and fat grams or anything.
Just making sure I have veggies and fat, and some protein, like a normal meal.
It just feels...... easy.
Today, I was teaching a course this morning, and they had snacks out. Pretty good stuff, some fresh fruit, but also muffins.
I did not spend time thinking about the food. I was like, no this is a fast day, none for me.
I did not think constantly of those muffins, feeling deprived that i should not have one.
Thats a big NSV for me. If the carb cravings will stay away, even after a day like yesterday where I had oatmeal for breakfast and popcorn for a snack, I can have a day without craving carbs, wow, thats amazing.

I think you should try a little salt and some magnesium and see if that helps the foot cramps. Are you on a diuretic? would you maybe need potassium? Getting things checked at the doctor is a good idea too.

[pattygirl63]

I ended up eating something last night. It wasn't low carb because I didn't have any low carb friendly snack foods in the house. I changed that today when I went by the store on the way home from the beauty shop. I think the cough drops I'm having to use to calm the cough may be setting off the hunger. It is affecting bs but fbs wasn't as high as I thought it would have been so that is good. I am back OP with some good protein for an extra meal if needed and or a snack. Still want to stay within 8 hr eating window.

Fatmad I read on the FB site I'm on where someone asked if any one on 8:16 was successfully losing weight and a few answered and said yes they were and shared their weight loss. So I think it works for some. You are doing great with your fasting. I know there are days my fasting goes longer than others depending on what I'm doing that day.

Beautician wasn't concerned with me coming since I was on antibiotic. In fact I took my last one when I got home. I read on the box that it stays in system for 6 to 10 days so I am happy about that. It felt good to get my hair done, but I as short winded when I got home. I think the heat was probably part of the problem too. I've decided to stay home the next few days. It is supposed to be really hot today up to 101 so it is a good idea for me to stay home.

I start out sleeping in bed but then have to move to living room to recliner when coughing starts up. I think when I get to the place where I can get a good night of sleep in the bed that I will feel better.

[Wannabehealthy]

Mad, I don't know what my A1c was when I was diagnosed. They never told me in the hospital and I didn't know enough about diabetes to ask. I know my fasting and random blood sugars were pretty high because of the surgery and also the steroids they had given me, but they diagnosed me based on A1c. That was in 2008. I have been off and on low carb since then and sometimes went for months with very poor eating and no testing or A1c at all. I know that I have had A1cs as low as 5.7 and as high as 8.1 over the years. My doctor is usually satisfied if I stay below 7. My most recent was 7.4 but that was after being hospitalized, given steroids, and having those readings of 300-500 in the hospital. I believe part of that was due to the doctor in the hospital was not experienced with diabetes and was not giving me enough insulin, plus, they were not feeding me a diabetes friendly diet. Their concern was mainly about the heart attack. So that A1c reflected those higher readings. I expect to be below 7 the next time.

I am on 3 Metformin a day 850mg 3Xday, which is the max allowed. This past week I forgot to put the third one in my pill box so I have only been taking 2 per day. And blood sugar is still better. I am also on Glimiperide, 2MG 2Xday, but I don't always take the full dose. When I am eating low carb, I take less. If I took the full dose I would be getting lows. I cut them in half, and sometimes in 4th and take them based on my blood sugar readings. On days when I eat carbs, I often end up taking the prescribed dose. I will not tell my doctor that I'm reducing the dose because I want to have them available for when I need them. When he increased me to this dose he said "Be careful...they are 2MG." So I am being careful.

This morning fasting was 112. I ate scrambled eggs and had coffee and took Met and 1MG of Glimiperide...a half pill. For lunch I ate cucumber slices with mayo in a lc pita. I just tested and I am at 111. So I'm happy with these results. I am more concerned about blood sugar right now than weight loss although I feel I can't help but lose weight eating like this. I have not tracked calories, carbs or anything else for a few weeks. If my blood sugar is good I assume I am eating right. I only weigh about once a week. I am not hungry. The biggest problem is DH. He is not happy when I'm eating like this because he wants the food he wants. He is free to eat whatever he wants. I will fix it for him, but he wants me to eat it too. He had an eating buddy for 37 years. LOL He could lure me to anything with the promise of a good meal. He does not like this change. But the thing is, he was attracted to me as a thin woman of 135 lbs who had no medical issues and took no meds, and this is how I ate back then to stay that way. He can't have it both ways, now, can he? LOL

Trish, I have Halls SF cough drops on hand at all times because of my chronic cough. I have never checked to see what effect they have on my blood sugar, but I try not to use them more than I have to. I have found that sometimes Tylenol Extra Strength will calm my cough, but mine is not from a cold.. I'm not really sure what it's from. So many doctors have tested me for different things and have not been able to cure it. I think it's either post nasal drip because of sinus issues I have, or from my hiatal hernia. My cough changes when I have a cold and I can tell the difference. I think it will just take you some time to let this run it's course.

[TamTam]

I usually post on the IE boards. But I also have Type 2 diabetes that needs to be better controlled. I just got put on a once a week shot, it stars with a "B" don't remember the name. I also take Metformin in the morning and at night. I am going to the dietitian next week for what I call "Remedial Diabetes Class". It is so hard to eat right, I work retail so eating when hungry can get tricky. Anyway hope I can get this under control. Thanks for the listening ear.

[Wannabehealthy]

Hi Tam Tam. You have been a member here for quite a long time! I've seen you post before and I posted on IE for a while and Trish did, too. That thread doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic lately. Welcome to our Diabetes thread.

I don't have any experience with injectables for diabetes, but some others might. I only take pills, Metformin and Glimiperide. I hope you have success with your new med.

What type of diet do you eat? I am trying to eat low carb to manage my blood sugar. I do good for a while and then not so good for a while. IE has helped me tremendously. I have learned to work torward eating only when hungry, and paying attention to my hunger to stop when I am no longer hungry. I have eliminated a lot of the snacking that was causing me to overeat.

Do you exercise? It can really help control blood sugar, even just a walk after meals. I like it when I do it but I'm very good at procrastonating.

I hope you come back and tell us more about yourself. We'd love to have you join our group.