Carol Sue Why am I not surprised that y'all went to the casino. LOL!! I too will be surprised if he waits 2 weeks. Bless his heart he does love it. I remember my Daddy's testimony was that before he became a Christian and got involved with church so much that he loved playing poker. He said he won most of the time. In fact, when he was in WW2, he would play poker with the other soldiers and he took his winnings and mailed it to my Mother. She would put it in savings and when he came home, they had enough money to make a down payment on their first house. I always liked gambling but not enough confidence to do it all the time. I like Knowing I am going o win.

Another good day and I was surprised that I never got hungry after the chilli dogs. I thought about eating a 2nd meal but nothing sounded good. Since I only want to eat if I'm really hungry, I suppose that the best thing to do is just take this One Day at a Time and take advantage of it hoping that I will get in the habit of eating only when hungry.

I read on one of the IF groups on FB that a lot of people who do IF can't sleep. I am not having that problem but maybe that is because I take magnesium which they are told to take and it will help them sleep. For now I am just enjoying what I am doing for as long as it lasts.

Carol and Trish, yes I am a NICU nurse. Even at the height of the pandemic, parents have always been able to visit their babies in our unit. Only 2 people would have bands and they couldn't change people(though of course some tried). The only ones that are not allowed to visit at all is parents who have Covid. Even if it's just one of them, both are considered exposed. We have an Ipad so the family can call in and see their babies when we can accommodate them.

My work schedule is 12 hour nights so on those 2-3 days I usually eat 2 meals at home on my first day, then once during the shift, and sometime between driving home(a yogurt or something like that) or right when I get home. I try to keep it lighter when I have to go right to bed. The quiche was a really good choice for this. I need to make another one today and some soup. I went to Walmart yesterday and the shelves were nearly naked! I managed to get most of what I needed though, I love the chopped salad kits and those were full and affordable. I am glad my kids are making good choices, and my son is helping me. He loves to grill chicken and steak so I have some meat to put on or with my salads. I can't wait until spring so that I can go to the local farmer's markets for fresh produce. It is so much less expensive. I have been using Misfits Market to have fresh organic fruits, veggies, and fish delivered to my door. That is surprisingly affordable as well with good quality foods. I need to order this afternoon as a matter of fact. This keeps fruits and veggies readily available without having to keep running to the store.

I didn't know there were facebook groups for intermittent fasting. Is this a good place to get information or should I look elsewhere. I have been eating my first meal later in the day, especially when I have eaten late the night before. I really need to get myself back to not eating after 8pm. My morning blood sugars are much better when I do. Today it was 130 when I woke up but I still haven't eaten and now it's 123.

Pretty good sleep last night. We ate in the Food Court before leaving the casino so I had food in my stomach going to bed. It didn't bother me too much. So my eating window yesterday was 8 hours, longer than usual. I want to make up for it with a fast until dinner today. I'm not hungry, just having coffee.

​​​​​​Adrienne I learned most of my IF info from kindle books and online information. Basicaloy, its just choosing a time period when you have no calories. I eat my first meal around 11-12 and its usually scrambled eggs. My second meal is around 4 pm, dinner. I don't do this every day. Some days I ear earlier and sometimes I eat in the evening after dinner. There are so many ways to do it. I recommend starting with a 12 hour fast then lengthen it gradually. It can take time to get used to not eating. Everyone will tell you the best way to do it but the best way is what works for you. You can also do 5:2 which is 2 fasting days and 5 eating days. Or every other day fasting. With 5:2 and EOD you can eat up to 500 calories on your fasting day. Some people do OMAD, eating just one big meal a day. An average of 8 hours is when you are sleeping so you just add a few hours before and after. My problem is my husband eats every 2 hours and wants me to eat with him. Its hard to resist.

Fatmad who posts here does extended fasting, more than 24 hours. She is also a nurse, retired.

Trish I never gambled before I met DH. When I met him he played poker. Then he played the daily number lottery. Then we started going to casinos once in a while. It increased gradually til now. When you win big you get hooked on it. But I don't think anyone comes out ahead in the long run. We always make sure our bills are paid first. DH says other people have different hobbies. We don't travel, drink or smoke and this is our vice. I would be ok if we went once a month. I'm glad I can take my Kindle and read in the food court sometimes. I don't like the long ride home. If he leaves this earth before me I will not go. If I leave before him he will have to find another gambling companion. I don't know if he would go that far alone, maybe to the local casino.

Adrienne I found 2 FB goups that I joined and I just read not active. They have files and I have just started reading. I also read their discussions and I've learned that many people do different things. They seem to recommend 16 hr fasts with 8 hr eating window but then that is up to each person. I will look up their names and let you know. Like Carol Sue and even Fatmad will tell you, we read a lot of online and highly recommend Dr. Jason Fung's books which are more medical explanations if you haven't read them. Some of his books have a medical info I don't understand but I did understand enough to know the benefits to diabetics is awesome.

Carol Sue I got hooked on scratch offs when they first passed the Lottery in TX. I won a lot, but one day I realized that I was losing more than I was winning so I stopped buying them. I did he same thing with Powrball etc. Now I save that money instead.

DH is up and going to be ready to go to pharmacy and Alce hardware. So I'll BBL.
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Well what a day this has been. I had meds called in to a local pharmacy closer to us and when I got there, they were not preferred like the local grocery store is. DH Farxiga for 90 days was $30 higher than what it will be at the grocery store and mo $0 medication was $3. That isn't so bad for me but that meant DH Eliquist will be $30 higher when I order it next month plus he has 3 other meds that will cost more. We had already picked up 2 meds... one for him and one for me and I had to call back and cancel the Farxiga and another one they wouldn't have till Monday any way. My doctor's nurse is such a sweetheart and she helped me get everything switched back to the grocery store. I found it very interesting that the pharmacy closest to me was not very friendly. The girl helping us didn't seem to know what she was doing, but I think she was new. They didn't seem all that interested in us. The lady I had to deal with in getting things straightened where we got our shingle vaccine couldn't have been nicer. We will have to drive a little farther but it will be well worth it.

Weight was pretty much the same today as yesterday and FBG was back down to 94 today. We were going to get taco bell on the way home, but no one was there. I'm wondering if people were out sick. We ended up at McDs and even they seemed to be shorthanded although open. So we had burgers and my eating has been a little too carby so not sure how that will work out tomorrow, but I won't be eating anything else until tomorrow at 3ish.

I overate today. I am disappointed in myself as tomorrow is my weigh in day. I don't want to see the scale. This is why I don't like a weigh in day because you can get a bump up any day.

Trizh, I'm sorry you are having problems with the pharmacy and your meds. Did you look into mail order? I do both mail order and Walmart.

Our Taco Bell has been closed for remodeling. I don't know if this was the best time to do that because they might not get workers to reopen. They aren't very busy to begin with. It seems that only burger places get busy around here. Our Chinese and Mexican restaurants never get very busy. McDonalds and Wendys always have a line around the building. None are open for indoor dining and I wonder if they ever will. Our McDonalds is the MC Donald museum and used to get a lot of business off the turnpike. Only drive thru now.

It is snowing now. I don't know how much we will get. Couple inches. I think the road crews will work overnight so roads are good for morning rush hour. I am looking forward to spring. 2 more months and it will be March. I'm wishing my life away. Enjoy each day, its a gift!

HI everyone: have been gone this week. My dog Buddy had his surgery on Tuesday, so we have been preoccupied with his recovery since then. He had two benign tumours removed. One is on his forepaw, and keeping it dry during walks has taken some doing, while its not deep, there is a lot of snow. Pain management has also been a bit of a challenge. We go to the vet this afternoon to remove the bandage and do a wound check. I will take the stitches out next week. He is doing ok.
I am 157 today. I finally managed to fast yesterday. This is only my 2nd prolonged fast since new years. I have not been able to do the ADF (alternate day fasting) like I did before Christmas. But at least I am not gaining. I did some 2MAD and a couple of days of OMAD in there.
Adrienne: I think we need advice geared to shift workers. Not just diet, but a whole thing of lifestyle advice. Working this way is really hard on our bodies. I gained a lot of weight working nights, because I would eat to stay awake. I also had the habit of eating with my cup of tea, and I drank a lot of tea to stay awake on nights as well. Even when I stopped working as a nurse, I was a midwife a did a lot lot night work. I did not eat as much then.
Eventually, I found fasting overnight worked well, and I switched to ice water to drink to stay awake. But I still had to eat on the way home in the morning sometimes. It kept me awake for the drive home, and gave me carbs to shift my blood sugar and the drop an hour later helped my to get to sleep. Talk about using food as a drug.
You may find that some version of fasting is helpful for you. Reading Dr. Fung's book(s) helps. The simple 16 hour fast and 2 meals may work for a start. IMHO, starting there works for most people, (if you can manage not to overeat at those two meals) and it may not be until you hit long plateaux before you need to go to longer fasts. While he now recommends low carb/keto eating, most people who were not eating that way still lost weight on their regular diets with IF.
That part where shift workers need help is navigating the timing for eating and managing sleep shifts when not working etc. Our bodies get confused and no wonder.

Hope everyone does well. Its cold here and will be deep cold for a few days, so I bundle up for walking the dog.

Hello,
I am rather new to this forum and I would like to ask this thread group a few questions about blood sugar test kits. I am 66 and at my last Dr apt my fasting blood sugar was 106, it has been creeping up over the last 10 years. My father had T2 diabetes, diagnosed in his early 60's, my brother also T2 found out in his 40's. Dr ordered blood work after my office visit so I never got to speak with her about the results, I only found them on the patient portal online. The only notes she made was to lose 10% of weight on a low carb diet.
I am doing keto, losing slowly, but I am down 10 lbs in a little over a month. I have a lot more to lose.
I want to get a meter to test my FBS, do any of you have one you would recommend? So many out there, I know my dad used a One Touch but that was 27 years ago.
thanks

Welcome, Ann! Good to see you here. Its good that you got your blood sugar checked before it got out of control. Losing weight and exercising, walking is good, will help. A 15 minute walk after meals will help lower blood sugar.

I use a Reiion Glucose Meter from Walmart. It is sold over-the-counter, low cost, and the strips are low cost, too. Most meters cost more and the strips are much more expensive. The brand name meters are more accurate but are mostly needed for people who inject insulin.

I'm glad your doctor recommended a low carb diet. So many are still recommending lots of carbs for diabetes. Good for you for losing 10 lbs. That's a good start. Keep up the good work!

I hope you continue posting here. Tell us more about yourself and join in on our conversations.ww

Mad, I hope your dog is doing well. Your fasting is keeping you well under 160.

I slept good again, falling back to sleep after waking. That's usually my biggest problem. I don't know if I'm getting on the scale or not. I really screwed up yesterday!

We got 1.5 inches of snow but its only 18 degrees. Freezing! They said on the radio that the ice melter can't keep up so there's ice under the snow. I hope it warms up a bit more. I want to go out for dinner. Its all about food!!

Trish and Adrienne, you are lucky to be in a warmer climate.,

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We went out for breakfast but it was almost noon so I was hungry. Then to Walmart. They haven't had Crispix cereal for 2weeks and I checked in a grocery store and they were out too. I hope its not discontinued. I like to switch between Crispix and Cheerios.

I just read that Kellogg workers are on strike since October! That's a long strike, over the holidays. Rice Krispies are not available either but there are some similar available in generic. There are no generic Crispix.

Ann Welcome to the group and I can't add anything more than what Carol Sue said. I use Relion because I liked being able to buy the strips cheaper because my doc didn't require me to test more than once a day and I wanted to check more in the beginning to learn what foods raise my blood sugar and what didn't. My new TX docg told me not to waste my money testing but, as much as I like him, I think that is bad advice. Example, i over did carbs yesterday so I wasn't surprised to see a higher FBG. I wouldn't want to go to the doctor in Feb and have a high A1c because I thought I could eat that many carbs. I think the best way to be successful at keeping my bs in control is being in control of it myself. You are smart to do that now before it gets really bad.

Adrienne There is a FB group that is for beginners with tips etc. I just asked them a question and when I tried to go back to it, it wasn't there. I hope it isn't going to close for some reason as they do have good info. I also saw on one of the FB groups that said you can go on line and find a Fasting app that helps with fasting. I don't want to do that but it is out there.

Fatmad I hope your little puppy heals well and never has the problems again. Congratulations on getting back to 157.

Carol Sue We did get things straightened out with our pharmacy as we are using the one at our local grocery store. They were very helpful in getting things straightened out. I was using the book I got from my advantage insurance that was written in Spanish. The only things written in English was the names of doctors and pharmacies. I didn't realize that the one close to us was Standard rather than Preferred. I didn't doe mail in medicine because DH doesn't want it. I told him that I can't understand why he won't let me order Farxiga and Eliquist through mail orderss because it is about $40 less for 3 mos than what I will have to pay even at Preferred pharmacy. But as you know, Hubby have their crazy ideas.

I got up and went to the store before I went to the beauty shop. Even though I was getting a couple of frozen items, I knew they would be fine since temperature here was still freezing when I got home from the beauty shop. My weight was up but not sure how bad because this was my early morning weight. Tomorrow is WI day and I am dreading it. Even FBG was 114 up from yesterdays 94. Besides the loaded carb day yesterday, we've eaten too many take out this week. Plus I promised DH that I would make homemade pizza today.

Today is going to be a 2 meal day and not sure but might make this a 8 hr eating window. The FB fasting groups recomends setting up a 16:8 plan for each day. I read where someone told someone else that she plans her eating window, but if she goes by how things go. She may shorten her eating window or lengthen a little but still has a long fasting time. This sounds to me like intermittent fasting intuitively which I really like because some days I want don't want to eat breakfast and some days I do. It would fit my eating only when hungry woe.

Have a good day everybody.

I didn't feel well so we didn't go out to eat. We were already on the way but DH just got a pizza instead. That made me happy. I just didn't feel like eating a big meal.

I used to get all my meds thru mail order but when I found out that Wal-Mart was on our preferred I started getting my diabetes meds there. So I get some mail order and some from Walmart.

DH stopped at the local grocery and they had no Crispix, but they had the same thing in store brand so he bought it. I hope its similar.

Carol Sue Sorry you weren't feeling good and hope you will feel better after a good nights sleep. Hope your store brand cereal will taste as good as the name brand.

Well, I managed to eat 6 hr eatid ng window and will shoot for the same thing tomorrow. I will WI tomorrow and hope things won't be too bad. Today has felt like it was way too long because I got up so early. I hope I can get a good nights sleep. It is supposed to be cold and raining tonight and tomorrow.

Hi everyone: did ok yesterday, although I need to work through my sugar addiction as always.

Welcome Ann: I think its a good idea to learn more about your blood sugar. As you lose weight, you may be dumping stored sugar from your liver, however, so only morning fasting sugar may not be the best indicator. Any glucose meter will do, because you are looking at your normals and your changes. Here, I can get a free meter, but have to buy the test strips. I use the one touch brand, but you could check and see which strips are cheaper. For someone who tests sporadically, like me, the cost is not as much to bear as those are on insulin and must test more frequently. (so many are now getting those implants with instant meters!)
106 fasting is not crazy bad, so good for you working to get your weight down to help this out.
However, a single fasting glucose does not tell us much. Did your doctor order an A1C? did you do a full glucose tolerance test?
I would suggest going to the site BloodSugar101.com and read about options. I chose to go on Metformin and have stayed on it in spite of improvements that have moved me to "normal" and not "prediabetic". Lots of reasons for my choices, but that's not the right choice for everyone. I do this with my physician's help and understanding.

Its very cold today, so dog walks will be interesting. Its -17 C (thats 1 in F!) so will be wearing long johns and snow pants when we go. Have a good Weekend friends.

I had a long nap last evening. 2-3 hours at least. I only slept 5 hours last night but feel refreshed. I think the nap was due to too many carbs. I need to change that. I peeked at my weight again. Still at 190. I would like to see 188 by Friday's weigh in because the 190 is most likely carb fluid retention. At least when I'm sleeping I'm not eating! . I cannot allow myself to slip back into poor eating habitts.

It is still extremely cold here. We were really spoiled with the warm weather in December. 30 would feel great right about now.

Trish, 6 hour eating window seems good to me. 2 meals should give you needed nutrients. I have to keep in mind that vegetables are a good choice if I get hungry beyond my window. If I'm not hungry enough to eat something nutritious then I shouldn't be eating at all.

Mad, you had some good suggestions for Ann.

Typed a nice long post and lost it. 3fc seems to be working kind of jerky like on my pc. Maybe the cold weather is affecting the enternet. LOL

Although I saw 184 a few days this past week, the final WI # today was 187.6 which gives me a 1.4 lb loss for the 1st week of 2022 and FBG was back down to 101. Although I wish I could have been 184, I won’t complain about a 1.4 lb weight loss. If I could average that a week for the year, my weight would be almost normal in one year by passing my goal of 150. So I will gladly take it. I've always wanted to lose fast, but maybe I should rememeber that slow and steady is the best way to go.

I’m not going to worry about whether I have a 5, 6, 7 or 8 hr eating window as long as I have a good length of fasting of at least 16 hrs most days. The group I found that I really liked on FB has either closed out or been blocked so I am back to fasting on my own which is no big deal to me.

Ate Brunch around 12:25 so I’m good for at least 8 hrs. I also started exercise routine again today. I’ve done about 35 minutes not counting all my other activities of today. I have a goal but since I’m so bad about not sticking to it, I’m just take it One Day at a Time.

Carol Sue I also need to remember that when I want a snack in the evening that veggies are an excellent choice.

Have a nice day everybody and I hope those of you in extreme cold will stay warm, safe, and able to keep power on.