Diabetics Progress Reports

[Jewelthief]

Originally Posted by Dave L

Stats: 192/184/115
WOE: Atkins/diabetic

What do the stats mean under members names? Is this meter readings on meds 2 hours after meals?

[COLOR=Teal]Hi, Dave, haven't seen you in awhile!

Stats are something you can edit on your own profile as well... When we see a person's numbers it typically means weight. As in starting weight/present weight/goal weight, which is what they hope to weigh eventually. WOE = way of eating, which can be many different things for folks, like Atkins, low carb but no specific plan, South Beach, WW (Weight Watchers), etc.

Not everyone who uses this message board (LowCarbFriends.com) are diabetic, but pretty much everyone in this diabetes-specific thread either are diabetic or know someone who is, and they want to help them be healthier. A lot of us have found LCF by searching for information on diabetes and controlling our blood sugar, and eating low carb is often an excellent way to get our numbers lower and our bodies experiencing fewer of the debilitating effects of diabetes.

To edit or add your own stats, look above for User Control Panel, and then select Edit Profile. Remember to save your changes, and then when you come back to the message boards your new stats will be under your user name on the left.

Karyn
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[NurseMonkee]

Originally Posted by Jewelthief

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[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Hi, Dave!

No, I haven't and I've been curious about it too... From that link you gave me, there are a dozen local places where I can buy some--I think I will.

I have tried sourdough bread that doesn't always raise my blood sugar, but it seems to depend on who makes it... When I get it at a favorite restaurant (Firebird's), it doesn't affect me much, but when I buy it from a store bakery, it affects me more so. I'm guessing some use different recipes or ingredients, I don't know.

But, thanks for that link. I'll let you know what I find.

How are you doing this week? Still seeing those wide-swinging results?

Karyn[/COLOR]
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I finally picked some EZEKIEL BREAD at Trader Joes and so far am happy to report that it doesn't raise my blood sugar. I still limit myself but it's nice to know that I can have a sandwich without my sugar going through the roof!

[Jewelthief]

[COLOR=Teal]Oh, that is so great! I'm glad to hear this... I haven't been to look for any yet so I'm still without.

One new thing I have been tickled about is pancakes. I have been craving them (I most often crave breads and such) and figured I'd have to make a trip to IHOP and just eat a little bit to finish off the cravings, BUT, I found some mix from Netrition!

[/COLOR]Big Train Low Carb Pancake and Waffle Mix
DaVinci Sugar Free Syrups[COLOR=Teal]

I bought the mix and the sugar free DaVinci pancake syrup... makes 3 large pancakes for a serving, and the syrup is thinner than regular syrups, but tastes just like the real thing to me. Perfect, and doesn't even touch my blood sugar!!!

Sorry, I know you posted about the Ezekiel bread (which I still want to try ) but I just had the pancakes this a.m. so it's fresh in my mind (and belly ).

Good to see you, NurseMonkee!! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Karyn
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[txtapper]

I've been skimming through the posts. Does anyone lift weights or do any kind of resistance training to develop more muscle? Isn't it supposed to be good to have more muscle because muscle feeds the glucose better than fat ....or something like that.

I am not diabetic but I can't get my fasting glucose levels below 103. I can keep them below 120 during the day even after I eat and sometime my level will be lower before I go to bed than in the morning. I don't eat real low carb but I do limit my grains and sugars. I may have to go on a strict low carb diet to get them under control. Not sure yet.

[Dee1904]

I recently purchased a blood glucose monitor and noticed that my blood sugar upon waking in the morning is about 105.

It was 115, but since adding the anti yeast diet along with low carb it has gotten down to 105 and a couple of days it was 94 and 95.

Just wondering if this is a good number or should I be worried.

I also wonder if the yeast overgrowth and die off can cause blood sugar to go up a bit?

[cynda]

Is it ok for a Diabetic to take L'Carnitine to help the weight loss process. I have been on WW for over a year now, at first I lost the weight really fast and then it just stopped. I haven't lost anything in months now. Any suggestions and is it safe to take L'Carnitine to help speed up the process

Cynda

[txtapper]

Dee the numbers in the mid nineties are okay. The other ones not so much but I guess it would depend on your doctor. Mine was 103 when I had testing last october and they wanted me to have a fasting glucose where they give you the sugary drink every two or three hours and I didn't have it. Been trying to get my fasting level into the nineties since then and it has happened a time or two but I have to eat a strict low carb diet. Optimally I would prefer it be in the eighties but don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon. I'm not overweight either.......5'4" 115-120.

my age.....54. And I exercise four to six days a week.

[Jewelthief]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Hi, everyone

Dee--I don't know a thing about yeast but there is a site I used online when I was initially diagnosed that helped answer a lot of basic questions for me... like when and how often to test, what numbers to aim for, and even 3 years into being diabetic, I still subscribe to the blog at Blood Sugar 101 because she often posts useful info, or just 'hm, that's interesting to know' type stuff.

Check a few of these sites for general diabetic info:

Blood Sugar 101
Newly Diagnosed
Diabetes Support Forum
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars

I know there are many others, check back through this thread for others' suggestions.

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Cynda--Lots of people, diabetic and not, take supplements and I'm not familiar with L-carnitine, although I've seen it mentioned. If I were you, I'd ask my doctor and/or do a search online to see if others have posted info you can use. Try L-carnitine and diabetes as your search words. You may turn up hundreds, if not thousands of pages, plus you might even post on one of the dLife message boards (link above) to see if other diabetics have tried it.

[COLOR=Magenta]Txtapper--I have similar problems myself and find that I fluctuate during different times of the day or even the month, and often times it doesn't seem like I'm doing a darned thing different than usual.

A couple of suggestions I might make is to check your portions of food and perhaps eat smaller meals more often during the day rather than 3 bigger ones a day. Also try eating smaller amounts of protein at a meal, because even though proteins don't cause spikes like carbs, they do still affect our glucose. And finally, I always test better fasting the longer it's been since I ate (so maybe before bedtime try a light snack of nuts or cheese versus eating an actual meal shortly before sleeping).[COLOR=Black]

HTH, y'all... keep in touch!
Karyn
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[txtapper]

Thanks Karyn for the information. I have started on the Rosedale diet and it has gotten my hunger on control. I eat less protein and carbs and much more fat....good kinds of fat found in nuts mostly.

As far as telling cynda to ask her doctor about l-carnitine it probably wouldn't do any good. He/she probably has not even heard of it. This has been my experience dealing with doctors. They are always twenty years behind the times. The Rosedale diet recommends l-carnitine but I don't take it....yet. Might consider it in the future.

Becky

[Jewelthief]

[COLOR=Green]Hey, Becky

I agree, it's rare to find a doctor that is up on supplements and various diet plans, etc., but since diabetics vary from one to another, not all of us benefit from what the next person is taking. Basically, I just mention people's doctor to be on the safe side...

My doc is pretty cool but she doesn't know much about supplements I've asked her about either. So I do my own research and check out what others have found by reading & posting online.

Good luck with your diet. I think controlling hunger is key and fats help out in a big way towards that.

Karyn
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[Dave L]

Alpha betic B Mulit Vitamin, number 1 nutritional supplement for people with diabetes - alphabetic.com

4 months ago I was 180-210 in the morning. After low carbs and losing 25 pounds, Im 95-105 in the morning, and my Doc said this is fine. I also take the alphabetic vitamin above.
I also went to a sinus doctor and use sprays for infection and I have been sleeping better. Thats when my highs went down. Dave.

[Stormyskies]

I am in a dilema here and need some advice and I know there are a lot of smart people on this thread here.

I take Metformin and Glyburide and my blood sugars have been nearly perfect. If I've been unsually bad and eat a big Mexican food dinner, my blood sugars may go up to 160, but the very next day, they are right back to normal. Well, a few month ago, my Dr. said my thyroid was low, so she put me on a generic form of Synthroid. My hands began itching something fierce and broke out in a rash. She changed me to the true form of Synthroid, but the itching and rash continues. In fact, now the rash is on the back of my hands and upper thigh.

Next she put me on Armour, which is a natural form of thyroid and I've been on it for about a week. I've steadily seen my blood sugars go up. The last few days, I've been very careful with my food choices and last night my blood sugar reading was 218. This morning, it's 146. This is not acceptable! It doesn't make sense to me to take medication for my diabetes, only now to take another medication which is causing the other medicines to not work!

So I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them and what you did. I'm not taking my thyroid pill today. If it's going to do this to me, then I'd rather have a slow thyroid. I mean...which is the lesser of two evils? Having good blood sugars or a working thyroid? I honestly don't know what to do here. I'm going to call the Dr. today, but I wanted to see if anyone here has had this experience. Thanks!

[Buffy45]

Stormy, I was on thyroid meds for many, many years before I became diabetic, so I can't help you from any personal experience, but did want to mention that I am on another diabetic mailing list and just recently people were talking about their thyroid meds raising thieir blood sugar. So, this is certainly something that happens and you and your doctor need to work together to address this. I did want to mention though that if you need thyroid supplementation, it is very improtant that you have it. Don't just not take it, work it through with your doctor. The thyroid is very important in many aspects for your health. Good luck with this!

[Stormyskies]

Thanks Buffy. I was doing a little reading just now on the internet and they're saying that it's one of the bad side effects from thyroid pills to have it raise blood sugars. I am really unhappy about this. I am definitely talking to the Dr. later on today.

When I was on Synthroid, I didn't notice a raise in my blood sugars, but this Armour has really shot it sky high. Maybe she'll try me on another brand of thyroid. :::sigh::: Darn it!!!

[Buffy45]

Just remember that you have to have proper thyroid supplementation, so don't give up. Low thyroid causes many, many problems, especially weight gain.

[NurseMonkee]

Originally Posted by Dave L

Alpha betic B Mulit Vitamin, number 1 nutritional supplement for people with diabetes - alphabetic.com

4 months ago I was 180-210 in the morning. After low carbs and losing 25 pounds, Im 95-105 in the morning, and my Doc said this is fine. I also take the alphabetic vitamin above.
I also went to a sinus doctor and use sprays for infection and I have been sleeping better. Thats when my highs went down. Dave.

Dave,
Does the alphabetic bottle list the ingredient amounts?
I went to their website and it didn't provide any info. Only lists what's included in each pill but not how much of it.

If it is listed, would you mind posting it here? If it's not too much trouble.

[Dave L]

Manufacturer's Description:
This advanced formula delivers an optimal potency of vitamins, minerals and nutrients specifically needed by diabetics - including alpha lipoic acid, chromium, lutein, biotin and vanadium. Alpha Betic mutli-vitamin provides powerful antioxidant protection and helps support :< BR>-glucose metabolism
-cardiovascular health
-eye and nerve function.


I break them in half and take at breakfast & lunch

Supplement Facts
Serving Size:1 caplet
Servings per Container: 30


Ingredient Amount % Daily Value**
Vitamin A 2500 IU 50
Vitamin C 120 mg 200
Vitamin D-3 400 IU 100
Vitamin E 60 IU 200
Thiamin 1.5 mg 100
Riboflavin 1.7 mg 100
Niacin 20 mg 100
Vitamin B-6 2 mg 100
Biotin 300 mcg 100
Pantothenic Acid 10 mg 100
Calcium 100 mg 10
Iodine 150 mcg 100
Magnesium 200 mg 50
Zinc 15 mg 100
Selenium 70 mcg 100
Manganese 5 mg 250
Chromium 200 mcg 167
Potassium 100 mg 3
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100 mg
Lutein 1.5 mg
Vanadium 100 mcg

** Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
† Daily Value not established.





Manufacturer's Directions:
For adults and children 12 years of age and older, take 1 caplet daily.

[Jewelthief]

[COLOR=Teal]Dave, I finally got myself some Ezekiel bread... It is delicious! but it spikes my blood sugar. At 2 hrs. past, my sugar was 174, which is lot higher than I like to end up.

I will eat it but it has to be sparingly. The 174 result I got was eating a sandwich w/2 slices toasted so maybe 1 slice will give me a better result.

Sure is yummy. Similar to an oatmeal bread taste, which I also love but no longer eat...

Karyn
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[Dave L]

https://www.foodforlife.com/procart_...D=27&do=detail

Did you get this one? They make a bunch of stuff. I have 2 pieces with peanut butter every morning, and 2 hours later I `m like in 90`s. With regular wheat bread I`m 130`s. Dave.

[Jewelthief]

[COLOR=Green]Dave, I think I got that brand... Mine was the orange package, which I think is their original bread. Like I said, loved the taste and I might even try some of the other flavors, but I can't eat much at a time.

You know, one of the differences (I bet there's a few ) between us is that you're taking diabetic meds, and I don't take anything. I used to handle more carbs better when I was on Metformin, but I've been off of it since July a year ago, and while I do fine eating lower carb, when I throw in something else like a bread product, it takes longer for my body to process it.

Some days I wish I was still taking the Met, but I eventually come to my senses and understand that it's GOOD not to be medicating myself, but to me, it gave me a better "cushion" to eating a bit more carb than I do without taking meds.

Karyn
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[Dave L]

Yes you are right, when I try skipping aday of meds mine goes back up, but is big difference with that bread and others.

[BABSY]

I am takin 24 units of lantus sometimes. Is it supposed to be taken at night? Cuz I notice it takes hours for it to start working.

[Jewelthief]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Hi, Babsy

I just read a good explanation of how insulin works and why, etc. at Jenny's blog (she's BloodSugar101 here on LCF), and I'm going to post a direct link to it. I don't use insulin myself but I bet it would give you some answers to your questions, especially if what you're using doesn't seem to be helping enough. She mentions Lantus specifically.

[/COLOR]Diabetes Update: Making Insulin Work
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Karyn
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[NurseMonkee]

DAVE - Thanks for posting the alpha-betic info. I compared it to my flintstones (LOL, Yes, flintstones) and its a lot similar, but the alpha-betic has a couple of addictional ingredients. I think I will pick up a bottle and give it a try.

KARYN - Bummer about your sugar going up with the bread. I've only bought it once and I am already in love with it. It luckily didn't raise my sugar too much. The only thing is that the bread spoils real fast. Someone told me that you have to keep it in the freezer. Not really into frozen bread! LOL.

Hope all are doing well.

[Jewelthief]

Originally Posted by NurseMonkee

KARYN - Bummer about your sugar going up with the bread. I've only bought it once and I am already in love with it. It luckily didn't raise my sugar too much. The only thing is that the bread spoils real fast. Someone told me that you have to keep it in the freezer. Not really into frozen bread! LOL.

Hope all are doing well.

[COLOR=Olive]
I bought mine out of the freezer and have been keeping it in the fridge... So far so good as I am toasting it when I do have it. I never kept bread in the fridge before 1) preferring it room temp, and 2) I really thought it made it go stale faster. The packaging on the Ezekiel bread did suggest fridge or freezer so I figured I'd give it a try--considering it is a suggestion of the manufacturer and they might know their products better than me.

I do enjoy it, just will eat it sparingly...

Karyn
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[Dave L]

The alpha-betic vitimin will help lower your blood sugar.
The bread is sent to stores frozen, but once you buy it, you keep in the refridgerator. a loft will last 2 weeks

Originally Posted by NurseMonkee

DAVE - Thanks for posting the alpha-betic info. I compared it to my flintstones (LOL, Yes, flintstones) and its a lot similar, but the alpha-betic has a couple of addictional ingredients. I think I will pick up a bottle and give it a try.

KARYN - Bummer about your sugar going up with the bread. I've only bought it once and I am already in love with it. It luckily didn't raise my sugar too much. The only thing is that the bread spoils real fast. Someone told me that you have to keep it in the freezer. Not really into frozen bread! LOL.

Hope all are doing well.

[NurseMonkee]

Thanks Dave.
I added it to my list of things to buy.
I haven't really been checking my blood sugar lately.
Got tired of sticking my finger a million times.
I have to get back on track though.
Back to healthy habits and checking regularly.

[Dave L]

A1C

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Just got mine back, and was 5.5 and BFS was 115, my doctor said this was great. I see some say under 100 FBS is what it should be, but my doc said 120 or less is fine? 3 1/2 months ago it was 6.9 A1C with 180 FBS. He said lose 10 more pounds, and keep with diet, and in 3 months should be off all meds? Any thoughts?

[txtapper]

Dave that sounds like a great improvement. Yes most docs or most health professionals want it under 100. some even recommend 90 or under.

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by txtapper

Dave that sounds like a great improvement. Yes most docs or most health professionals want it under 100. some even recommend 90 or under.

I hope it will get that low at next time I test. Thanks Dave.