Hi,

Where has everyone gone? I hope you all made it through Christmas okay!

I had a nice Christmas, went to visit 2 of my kids right before Christmas and exchange gifts with them. We got back home in time for an ice storm!

I've been very careful with my eating this holiday season, and when I go to the doctor on January 8, I should have a good report. My blood sugar readings have been really good! This is such a change from a year ago.

I have lost 71 pounds now. My weight loss has really slowed down. I'm eating at the mid to high range of my points now so I'm losing very slowly. I never have officially started trying to maintain my weight, my body is doing it for me. It's been almost 8 weeks since I made lifetime at WW. This has been an amazing year for me!

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Janet

www.picturetrail.com/janetlf

Woo Hoo! Congratulations! You lost 71 pounds in one year? I did visit your homepage, and you really can motivate us by seeing how well you've done! Thanks for sharing your photos and stories.

Glad you had a nice Christmas. I had a nice one also. No snow, or ice storm. Glad your blood sugar reading is going well. My hubby's a diabetic. I think he's cheating on his eating!

Take care!

HI JANET,
PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU CAN HAVE DIABETES AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TRING FOR YEARS TO CONTROLL MY WEIGHT BUT I ONLY GAIN MORE WEIGHT. I KNOW YOU HAVE TO CUT THE SUGAR OUT OF YOUR DIET ,AND I DO THAT AND I STAY WITH IN MY POINT RANGE BUT STILL I CAN NOT LOSE TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT , TELL ME ANY THING PLEASE, I NEED YOUR HELP.
THANK YOU
HELP . LWEST

Hi LWEST,

Are you on insulin? Type 1 or 2? I'm a type 2. I have had diabetes for almost 18 years, and been on insulin for 8. I have had a lot of trouble controlling my diabetes and at the first of the year I was taking 140-170 units of insulin a day. Insulin will make you gain weight, plus the fact that I was overeating all the time because I felt hungry all the time!

When I started Weight Watchers, I cut back 10 units of insulin with my morning and bedtime shots the first day, and 5 units on my lunch and supper shots. Then every few days I would adjust my insulin again.

I have stayed within my point range every day since I started WW. My blood sugar does best when I don't eat a lot of carbohydrates, so I have smaller portions of rice, potatoes, and pasta, usually no more that 1/2 cup at a meal. I don't eat fried foods any more, except once a week or so I have a hamburger and 1/2 small order of tater tots from Sonic! That's the only time I eat beef too.

I ate at the low to mid point range most of the week, would use a couple of banked points on one day to shake things up. Now I'm eating at the mid to upper point range.

I don't know what to tell you, I think it was the fact that I was using portion control, less insulin, and walking that did it for me. I try to walk 5-6 days a week and do a toning tape 2 or 3 times a week--nothing hard and I don't walk real fast or anything.

Try cutting back on your carbohydrates and see if that helps you. The WW program recommends too many for a diabetic. And they turn to sugar, so it doesn't help your blood sugar.

I just try to focus on the things that affect my blood sugar. Milk products and fruit raise it too much so I don't eat fruit and I take calcium chews to get my calcium. Watch the carbs, but don't cut them out. I make sure I have at least 4 or 5 points of protein a day, and 3-4 points of fat. I eat lots of cooked vegetables. I can't eat them raw. I have nerve damage in my stomach from diabetes and they just sit in my stomach for hours. I take medication for it. I also have to eat a lower fiber diet because of it. I'm not crazy about water, but I drink it! The better my blood sugar, the less insulin I've had to take. I now only take 6 units at breakfast and 2 units at supper!

I hope I've been of some help. Don't get discouraged, if you're staying in your point range, the weight is going to start coming off!





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Janet

www.picturetrail.com/janetlf

HI JANET,
THANK YOU FOR WRITING ME BACK IT REALY MEANS ALOT. IAM GOING TO PRINT OUT YOUR INFORMATION AND KEEP IT I THINK IT WILL HELP ALOT, SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SAID I KNEW SOME I DID'NT. OH I AM NOT ON INSULIN.THANK YOU AGAIN AND I WIIL LET YOU KNOW HOW I DO.


LWEST


F

I'm glad I could help. Let us know how you are doing.

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Janet

www.picturetrail.com/janetlf

Hi: glad to see things are picking up. My holidays were okay, I overate, I am trying to get back on track. I haven't tested my sugar lately, one reason is I am waiting for a free meter I ordered. I hate the Precision Meter I have now, there is nothing precise about it.
LW: I am type 2, I took glucotrol xl for years, trying to loose weight was a constant battle--it still is, but now I am on glucophage, it seems to not make me as hungry..Good luck on your journey.
Di

Di,

What kind of meter are you getting? I can't believe Aetna would give out so many of those Precision meters to diabetics-but they aren't very good so I guess that's why!

budette424,

Hi! I just realized I didn't post back to you. Thank you for the compliments! How long has your husband been a diabetic? Tell him not to cheat! I've got enough complications from doing that for too long-I'd give anything to be able to go back and do it over!

I've been adding more pictures to my weight loss albums. I plan on adding at least one every month. I'm also going to add an anniversary picture next month. Valentine's Day will be my 32nd wedding anniversary.

Have a good week!

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Janet

www.picturetrail.com/janetlf

I am not sure what type of meter it is..I went to the site diabetes in control, they offer free meters, they give you a description of two meters you choose the one you would like,,,the one I picked sounds like your freesyle, I am not sure because I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE IT...I emailed them earlier this week, one person got back to me but said another person would let me know when I was receiving it,,the other person still has not responded to me,,,so I am patiently waiting..
Have a nice weekend.

Hi All - Glad to see the thread has been picked up again. I lost 3 pounds during the holidays - thank God! I ate what I wanted - just had very tiny amounts. Unfortunately, I finally got to see the endocrinologist and he put me on 12 units of Humolog 75/25 before dinner every day to help bring my sugar down in the morning. It has really helped - taking my BS from 180-190 down to 120-130 in the mornings. I use an insulin pen - so it's not too hard to do the shots - just kind of freaked me out at first! I go back to see him again at the end of January. Good news is that my BP has finally come down to the normal range - I'm hoping to get off one of my four meds soon! I joined the Y at the beginning of December and am trying to walk at least 5 days a week. We've had bad weather and lots of relatives so I've slacked off some. Well, let's keep this one going. Later - Barbi

Janet: CONGRATULATIONS on your successful year! I am lurking here today at this thread and am very impressed. This is a wonderful accomplishment and you should be very proud! Took a look at your pics and you look great! You are truly an inspiration, and now I think I really can reach my goal this year. (lost 28 in 2000, WILL LOSE 20-25 by October!). I hope you have a great year!

Tato
196.4/168/145?

[This message has been edited by Tato (edited 01-16-2001).]

Hi everyone..I've been a mess for months but am now gathering my skirts and back to the business of living.
Janet...you go, girl! 71 pounds is so great. Unfortunately, I understand only to well the complications of years of "denialbetes" myself.
This January marks 39 years I have been an insulin dependent Type I diabetic. I have severe neuropathy (both hands and forearms and feet & legs to the knees) and am beginning to show signs of kidney involvment.
Glad to see folks posting again on this site. Pleased to know all of you.
Whatever happened to Ellie?

Hi everyone,

Tato and caras, thanks! I had my appointment with the endocrinologist on Jan. 8. My doctor was very pleased. My HbA1c was 5.5%. I don't think I've ever had one that low!

I've been very busy the past couple of weeks, but will try to get here to post more often.

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Janet

www.picturetrail.com/janetlf

jlea-Why to go!!!!! I did well for awhile but the holidays killed me and now I am having trouble keeping my bs steady I am on the rollercoaster! It is so hard to get back on plan. But after reading your posts I am ready to pick back up!!!!!! Thanks for you words of wisdom! Sami

Hi guys!

Well, I had quite a scare Tuesday night. I had walked on the treadmill, then took a break while my husband did his walk. We started an exercise tape and was about 10 minutes into it and I started getting chest pains. I talked to my daughter on the phone, she's a nurse, and she said to take aspirin and go to the ER if I felt like I needed to.
The pain eased off, then started again and felt like a vice squeezing my chest and I couldn't breathe. So we headed for the hospital, they started me on oxygen and hooked me up to monitors. I was scared to death. My blood pressure was 183/94 when I got there. (it's normally really low) They started doing tests and by 3:30 a.m. had admitted me to a room. I was there until the next afternoon, after the last blood test was done and they got the results. It was not a heart attack. I had to go to the cardiologist's office for more tests the following morning and they called me yesterday with the good news that there was no problems with my heart, no blockages, no damage, everything looked real good.

It scared me to death, though! My dad died of a heart attack 4 years ago. I will be seeing my family doctor and endocrinologist and seeing if the chest pains are somehow diabetes related. Who knows! Anyway, I am back to normal, if I ever was normal, and back to exercising. My blood pressure was back to it's low range 30 minutes after I got to the hospital and calmed down. My blood sugar stayed crazy for a couple of days but is back to good readings again. What a week.

I'm still losing weight, slowly but surely. I've lost 73 pounds now. I'm still not off of insulin, but most days only taking one shot of 3 units of lente and 2 units of lispro. Some days I need an extra 1 or 2 units of lispro but not often.

I hope everyone's doing good.



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Janet

www.picturetrail.com/janetlf