Diabetic needing advice
 

I have struggled with my weight for MANY years..losing then gaining 100 lbs only 2x in my life...one with OA (eating no starch or sugar) and then again with Phen-Fen.
I am a full blown Type 2 diabetic now taking 2000 mg Glucophage and 1 Actos daily. My eating is out of control and I know I have to make changes Now if I want to live. My question....I would like to hear from other Type 2 diabetics who have had success with different diets. I am so confused....Is it Atkins, South Beach,..ADA????? I've done sooooo many and spent thousands on every diet book and program that comes out. I will appreciate any suggestions you many have.....Patty.

Hi i sent a message to you let me know if you get it I will be glad to help if I can Jean

type 2 also
 

patty i amalso diabetic and struggling. i am having some sucess with atkins. pretty much like no sugar or white flour. it is going slowly but i have lost about 40 lbs. since oct. being diabetic makes it harder to loose. some of the meds make you gain. i know i gained almost 50 lbs. if i am strict i can get by with no meds, snd i was on 8ameryle and 1000 metform. talk to your doc. about your meds. good luck and let me know if i can help. pat

I am type 2. Five years ago I had major surgery and for the first time in life I was uninterested in food for about ten days. When I started eating, I eat in small quantities. Ate oatmeal for breakfast, cup of soup with whole wheat crackers for lunch and Healthy Choice meals for dinner. If I wanted dessert I ate fruit. Drank V-8 juice instead of wine or soda, ate laughing cow light cheese cubes for appetizers or cottage cheese in with tomatoes or half a bell pepper. The secret: no butter or mayo. Kept them out of the house and off the sandwich if I ate out. Bought everything in individual small containers: frozen dinner; cottage cheese; cheese; v-8 juice. When I had recovered from my surgery, I started walking. I lost 85 lbs in about 7 months, felt great and was off meds. I'd like to say I kept it off, but a combination of stress factors and orthopedic injuries broght me back to my old habits and without the ability to exercise I've put it all back on and then some. Plus I started taking Actos (along with Glucophage and Glucotrol) earlier this year which has compounded the problem. The bottom line here is that you don't need a "name" diet to lose weight, what you need is support and motivation. Right now, I'm in the same boat as you. I know the right moves but can't seem to get motivated even though I know my life depends upon losing the weight.

I'm so glad there is finally some activity on this subject. I actually stopped checking this forum for thread having to do with diabetes. I also have typeII diabetes. When ever I find people with diabetes they seem to have it under control with little or no meds. Well, I unfortunately am not one of them. I have had type II for yrs. Struggling with the weight the entire time. My doc says it's definitely weight related and has even suggested gastric bypass surgery which I have thought about at length and don't want to do.

I was on 2500 mg of metformin and 5mg of glucotrol with fasting numbers still in the 200's. you can see my situation is quite critical. I started exercising regularly about 3 mos ago and without my docs permission :nono: I went of my cholesterol meds(they make me feel horrible) and went down to just 2 metformin(1000) at night, no glucotrol. I try to watch what I eat and the numbers reflect that. My fastings are still bad 180-200 but actually better than when I was on all the meds. I have lost about 14lbs which while doing the same thing on the meds I lost nothing. I am now trying low carb, very low. I need to get the numbers down. I feel like I am running out of time since my mom died at 49 from type II complicated illness(heart) and I'm already 44 and who knows how much damage I've done in the last 10 or so out of control yrs.

Maybe we could form our own little group and see what we can do to beat this dreaded disease. I have a long road ahead of me, but have to do it.
Hope to hear from you all. Thanks :D

donna congrats on the 14 lbs. i realize how much work that took. you can do it. pat

Good Luck to you ladies dieting with diabetes!! I've heard it is a hard thing for a diabetic to diet. I don't know too much about it but I wish you guys luck :)

Hello, I too having been watching the boards for type II information I have had good blood sugar #s using the GI diet it. Good Luck and I will be keeping my eye out for any new info tho share.

Melissa

o,k. i need advice how come my blood sugar goes up at nite. it was 101 when i went to bed [i did not ear after5] and this morning it was 169. anybody got an answer for this? pat

My former endocrinologist told me that my blood sugar is high at night because of the liver (I forgot the technical details). I notice mine has been higher than usual lately and I've been good! If anyone else has a better explanation, I'd sure like to know too.

Thanks, Debbie, for that explanation. I couldn't remember what my doctor had said about the liver. While my blood sugar is high in the morning, by lunch time it goes back down. Still, I'm going to discuss this with the doc when I see him nex. I hope he doesn't increase meds. I'm swallowing enough pills already.

thanks debbie for the info, makes me feel better to know i am not alone in this fight. pat

Hi, Debbie: My doctor and endo pushed for Actos and I finally gave in because my sugar was so high. It did bring it down but it caused my feet to swell and a weight gain of about 25 lbs (on top of already being way overweight) which really put me over the top. I've been trying to lose it but since I can't do much in the way of exercise due to orthpedic problems, so it is slow going. If your blood sugar is high and Glucophage and/or other meds don't work, then you may have to give in. Discuss it thoroughly with your doctor and make sure he does all the necessary tests. Good luck.

High AM Blood Sugar Explained
 

My husband is a Type I and we recently went through nutrition & health training. This is what we heard from the diabetic specialist nurse:

When the blood sugar goes low at night, the liver kicks in to put sugar into the blood stream, but there isn't enough insulin in a diabetic's system to counter it. Having a bedtime snack that includes protien (ie, a piece of cheese & a couple of whole wheat crackers) will keep sugars level and the liver doesn't have to kick in with more sugar. A night snack has definately helped my husband so that he has very few AM highs.

Shiz

Hi, Debbie. This is my second attempt at a reply. The first one got bounced out for some reason. Anyway, your blood sugar numbers are much better than mine. I don't know the daily average, but I have morning highs of 180s (except right after I eat when they go up to 200). Is your doctor having you do a periodic hemoglobin A1c? This tests your blood sugar over a period of months and is often used to determine the amount of medication you need. If she's not, ask why not? Also, my HMO covers meetings with a nurse educator and nutritionist who explained diabetes management. Do you have access to anything like this? Actually, the nutritionist's explanation is not too far from the Zone diet, so if you can follow it, it should work for you. I'm not one for measuring so I just count calories, reducing fats and carbs. I was doing pretty well for the last two weeks, then fell off when I didn't lose very much. Not being able to do any real walking is a barrier for me, but I'm going to get back on the wagon. If you have a regular exercise program, that should help lower blood sugar and keep you from having to do more meds.

Debbie, your A1c's are like mine. Before I started taking Actos, they were over 7. I just took my quarterly test so I'll find out how I'm doing next week. Also may have found a solution to the corn on my foot that has prevented me from walking so hope that will improve the weight loss when I get back on the wagon. I used to have an Aetna HMO and they paid for a nurse educator consult. I now have Blue Shield and they also cover it. they sent me a free blood glucose testing meter although they won't cover the brand Gluchophage (the generic makes me sick). I just love HMOs. Anyway, I hope you can get some help. You might try the American Diabetes Association website to see what they have. I've recently rejoined so I'll be getting their magazine again. It has a lot of good info and keeps you updated on current treatments.

Well it looks like I found the right place for me to get with a group that is fighting the same fight. I'm deb, I live in Louisiana. You know the food here is killer. No pun intended. But I've known I was type2 for a little over a year. I'm 49 in October, 5'3" and 290. that's why I'm 2round. My doctor is not giving me a very good outlook for the future as I have not been able to loose any of this weight. But he's not full of suggestions as to what I should do. I'm really needing some help and support from gals who know where I'm coming from. Can give me some tips on healthy eating ang if the meds are keeping me fat. I'm on actos and also taking meds for dibetic nuropothy ( hope I spelled that right) in my left foot. any advice will be oh so welcome!

Glad to have found this site as I am a diabeic on Avandia and Amaryl. Have high A.M. readings of 170-160. Seem to be hungry all the time. As a senior I find it very hard to lose lbs. Will try cheese and crackers at night. Also have bouts with low glucose about 4P.M. Any one have a snack idea for this with few calories? For those who have lost-congrats- as I know it's not easy.
9216

Welcome to you both, 1 round and 9216. I, too, am glad to find a site to discuss the problems of being overweight and diabetic. Deb, you do live in the land of temptation! :devil: Somehow you're going to have to figure out how to keep the spicyness of your regional foods while tossing out most of the fats. I'm in the same boat as you. I already have the complication of gastroparesis (my stomach muscles have slowed down so I can't process meals without taking a pill). I have had some orthopedic problems which make it hard for me to walk so I've put on lots of weight. Then I started taking Actos which makes the fat from inside (bad fat) move to the outside (less bad fat) and causes edema so I've put on about 30 lbs since March. I'm now down to 15 mg of Actos. What strengh are you taking, Deb? I also take Glucotrol XR and Glucophage (1000 mg). My doctor has assured me I can lose weight while taking Actos but I've found it's not easy. I've been very discouraged but a few weeks ago, I decided to try. I went to WebMD and used their calorie calculator to figure out how many calories I needed to maintain my present weight. It was about 3300. So I decided to reduce that and went down to about 1300 calories. I did this off and on for a few weeks and I did lose weight -- but not a lot. However I fell off the wagon and have put it all back on again. :( But I felt much better when I was on the low calorie diet. During that time, 9216, I had to figure out what to snack on that wasn't too high in calories. I ate apples, which are bulky and make me full. Also small containers of yogurt (about 11-150 calories). I also tried some snack bars under the brand name of Glucerma (Walgreen's has them). They are made for diabetics and supposedly keep the blood surgar even. You might want to try that. Well, I've blathered on quite a bit. So I better stop. Hope we can keep this thread going. It's nice to have support.

welcome 9216 and round 2 i have had diabetes 2 for 6 years. i took actos and that does make you gain when i told the dr. i wanted off he took me off and said now maybe you can lose weight. went on ameryle and metform. then i went low carb and i now take only metform went my sugar gets high. talk to your dr. i will write more about snacks later. pat

Thanks to Rosetta and Paperdoll. Have tried Glucerna snack bars which seem to be O.K. Now I have Glucerna Shakes which will try. Apples seem to be good and will start eating them more often. I lead a very busy life for a senior in northern MN with much traveling so I am not always able to eat small meals more often. The snack bars have helped. Seems what works well one day doesn't the next. Cholesterol is down and blood pressure also but it seems I'm taking too many pills. OH Those Golden Years!!

Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back. But I've been working some really wierd hours this last week. I think that makes it hard for me to loose too. My system dosen't know when meal time is. :dizzy: and taking meds is hard to do at the same time everyday. Well I'm glad to get the insite on the Actos. I feel like calling my doctor and giving him one of those talks he's so apt to pass out. :mad: sounds like I could learn alot here. I'm really trying to watch the carbs right now and also drinking as much water as I can get in. That one is hard for me as I'm not a real water drinker. Your right about the land of temptation :^: and I do like my spicy foods. I'll have to see if I can adapt but won't be easy. Well got to go for now as I'm at work and I think they really don't mean for me to be chating. Be back tomorrow have a good morning all :coffee:
Deb

Hi guys. I haven't posted in here for a while, but saw the thread. I'm type II and have lost almost 20lbs since being diagnosed (November 2003). I was originally on 1000mg of glucophage per day, but w/the weight loss, I'm now down to 500mg/day. Hopefully very soon I'll be off it altogether.

I just wanted to share some of what has been helpful to me and some things my doctor and nutritionist told me. I do realize everyone is different and we all need to follow our doctors guidelines, but hopefully some of this might be helpful.

I, like many of you on this post didn't want to take meds, but after MANY discussions w/my doctor, I did end up on glucophage. She assured me that glucophage would not make me gain weight, and could also help me to lose weight, which it did. She also said that it is the only drug for diabetes that doesn't make it harder to lose weight or make you gain weight. So, I'm feeling very fortune that I didn't have to take any other meds.

She also said that if I lost some weight, I could probably reduce or eliminate the glucophage, which has also been true.

And now, the thing that made the biggest difference, was seeing the nutritionist. We went through the review of my meds and my blood sugar readings and he was saying that eventually the glucophage won't work as well and then my body will need a different type of drug or drug in addition to the glucophage. This scared me. I knew from what my doctor had said that those other drugs make you gain, so I decided right there that I was going to lose weight and get off the drugs if at all possible. It just seemed like such a depressing, sad situation to have my body deteriorate to that extent. He made the future seem sooo bleak. I don't think it was intentional, just honest.

So, my diet now consists mostly of vegetables and low-fat protein. I only eat carbohydrates that are high in fiber. No junk, nothing processed. If I can't make it myself, I don't eat it, or much of it. Anyway, it has really helped me to lose weight without being hungry which has only added to the success.

The other thing that I found that really keeps my blood sugar in check is running in the morning. If I run in the morning I am assured of very good readings throughout the day. I can also tolerate a little more carbohydrate that way, and still lose weight.

Thanks for letting me share. I'm glad a thread started back up again for those of us with diabetes. It is definely harder to lose weight with this disease, but it can be done.

This is my third attempt at posting tonight. I am so frustrated. Both prior times the computer claimed I wasn't logged in when I was. Grrr! I'll try again.
9216. Glad the Glucerma bars worked for you. They're a little sweet but come in handy when there's nothing else. What do you do running around Minnestoa? Sounds like you're pretty active. I'm nearing senior hood and already know about the pills. Ugh! At the way things are going, by the time I retire, I won't have to worry about meds because I won't be able to afford them.

2round. Sounds like you're getting motivated to do some serious losing. ;) I've heard that spices rev up you're metabolism. So if you can cut the calories and keep the spice you'll get more benefits that you expected. As for the pill taking, if you have microsoft office, you can set your computer calendar to remind you to take the pill. I do this at work and it works. Also, I take pills first thing in a.m. and last thing at night so I remember them. I hope your work hours stablize soon.

Kerri - you got the message that we all need to get.

Debbie - yes, it's all in the mind. I've played many stupid mind games and got myself into the bad state I'm in now. It's one day at a time and don't let one bad moment be the excuse to screw up the rest of the day.

Hope this gets posted. Good evening to you all.

Great Support
 

Thanks for help Rosettastone and Paperdoll. Apple does seem to work for mid-afternoon snack better than bars but they do come in handy. Also carry glucose tablets. I travel as my husband and I shoot skeet and sporting clays and hunt. Are leaving for Texas next week and so I will not be back on line for a month or so. Then hopefully I will be able to report a weight loss !!!! Have a good day.

hi all hope everyone has a good weekend. i was going to post some good snacks for diabeti cwith peanutbutter or cream cheese. sugarfree jello withcool whip. nuts or sunflower seeds. sugar free yogurt. there are alot of sugarfree bars out there and they taste wonderful but the sugar alcohols will stop weight loss on some. for drin
ks cyrstal lite good also sugar free juices alone or mixed with diet soda. pat

Well it seems I'm having trouble getting a post out too tonight. :mad: After a nice long post that didn't make it you get the readers digest version.

I'm going to have to wait on that talk with the doc on maybe changing meds for a bit. I'm not due to go back for a while and I'm hoping to ;lose a few pounds before I do. Maybe I can avoid the gloom and doom speach, and he always seems to think I'm depressed. Go figure. :dizzy:

Well I did lose 2 pounds this week. Not sure if it was all the overtime I was putting in or the diet but I guess we'll see after another week. Going to try the apple thing. Not a real fan of apples but willing to give it a try. Good thing is the Hubby likes fruit too. I think we could both stand to eat better, and he really does supprot me best he can. But he's a snacker. And loves for me to snack with him. I'm going to have to try and get a grip on that one. For now just trying to take the babysteps. :^:

Check back later gals. :p

WOOHOO 2round. 2 lbs is a great loss. keep going we have to do it slow with disbetes'

pat

Hey guys! There's a sugar free sweet snack that I fall back on a lot. I put a little whipping cream in a diet soda and it tastes like an italian soda.

Just one more add-in to the other good ideas listed above. That's the hardest part for me w/having to watch carbs is needing/feeling like I need something sweet.

Glad you guys are doing well. It is definitely a slow weight loss w/diabetes. But, we can do it!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Well its Monday and back to grind of another week. So far today Ive been able to hang in there. But have one heck of a headache. Wonder what thats all about.
I guess I could have done better this weekend as far as watching the carbs, but its hard on weekends when I'm with the hubby all weekend. Sure could use some tips on how to get through the weekends. He's a snacker, and alot of sundays we go to the inlaws and have Sunday dinner. I love my Mother in law to death. But she cooks to please her man, and its not exactly the best for me. With or without the diabetes. :?: I'm sure some of you have learned how to deal with these kind of situations. In 2 weeks we'er going to the Dallas area for a family reunion. That will be a food feast from ****. So I'm feeling the stress already. How do I eat right and not look like I'm not part of the family.
Have a great day
deb :coffee:

deb family reunions are hard the only advice i can give is eat what is good for you and tiny dabs of everything else. you can say you want to try everything.
i can see where southern cooking is hard. we went to a cajun fest this weekend. tried alot of food i had never had. then the music it was great even if it put me off program.
have fun. pat

Hi everyone. I had posting problems earlier. Maybe it's the site's way of saying I was too longwinded. This message will definitely be shorter. 2round - kudos for losing those two pounds! :D Maybe you can explain to your mil that you're being picky about what you eat because you have an illness that can affect the quality of your life and the length of your life and that it's not anything personal against her yummy food. Maybe you can convince hubby of this too and get him to join you in healthy snacks. Thanks, paperdoll and Love 2 for the snack suggestions. That soda suggestion sounds intriguing. But I don't trust myself around whipping cream -- or a jar of peanut butter. I do keep individual containers of sugar free jello with fruit bits around. I also like to eat cherry tomatoes -- it's like eating popcorn and I don't worry if I eat the whole basket. Another thing I do is cut up bell peppers in strips and put fat-free cottage cheese in them -- like h'ordeourves. I also like Laughing Cow lite cheese wedges with Ak-Mak whole wheat crackers.

I picked up a flyer at my doctor's office the other day and found a flyer for a website called DiabetesWATCH.com. It's run by a drug company but it does have a lot of useful information.

Well, hope this posts. Have a nice evening.

Thanks for the lite snack ideas. I'll make it a point next time in the store to pick up some bit size veggis to have on hand for munching.I'm just a toddler at this process. But am determind to get on track. Stepped on the scale today and am still holding at the 2 pound lose. But holding is better than gaining. Am also grateful for the advice on how to handle family. I just a big softy and hate to hurt anyones feelings.
On testing this morning I was 132 but was down to 96 by 10 am. I think stress makes me swing up and down sometimes. I'm really in the wrong profession to stay stress free. Can you say lets all take a deep breath and relax. You gals stay sweet and I'll check in tomorrow. ;)
deb

Hi 2round. Glad you're holding the 2-lb loss. Your numbers are very good. Mine are much higher, even with all the pills and the swollen feet (it's one of the problems with Actos). What makes your job so stressful? Maybe you need a "Spa Day." :bubbles: Hmmm.