Diabetics Progress Reports

[4devochki]

tx tapper, did you ask about weight lifting? I just started a couple of weeks ago, and am loving it. Too early to tell if it's helping, but I feel great. There are lots of good websites on weight lifting (for women--am I right in assuming that?). One I'm learning a lot from right now is Women's Weight Training

[txtapper]

I have no idea what to tell you. It depends on who you talk to as to what are good levels to maintain. Some say fasting under 110 and some say under 100. If I even think about eating halfway "normal" (halfway I remind you) my glucose goes up to 135 two hours after a meal but three hours it's back down to 100. I have to really watch the carbs. If you can get your fasting glucose in the 80's you're doing good but I really believe the A1C is the best way to judge. I've never had one.

[AllisonB]

I can't remember if I've posted this earlier, but check with your insurance carrier to see if buying your supplies (meter, strips, lancets) through your pharmacy's 'medical supply' division (if they have one), or an online medical supply house (I use one in Twinsburg, OH) will save you money. I get my supplies free, no co-pay, when purchased as 'medical supplies', but have a substantial co-pay if I go through my pharmacy. My carrier, BC/BS, told me about this

There is also a seller on ebay that sells brand new (sealed, retail boxed) One Touch meters for $5.

[Cherylg]

I have a question - and it may sound stupid - but, if I have a cup of coffee in am and then take my blood sugar, is that considerd fasting?? - I use half and half and a sweet low?

[goodcelt]

If you're fasting, you can only have plain coffee, tea or water.

[BrandNewMe2004]

Originally Posted by Cherylg

I have a question - and it may sound stupid - but, if I have a cup of coffee in am and then take my blood sugar, is that considerd fasting?? - I use half and half and a sweet low?

Definitely not a fasting # that way, IMO. Coffee, and 1/2 & 1/2 can impact that #. Plus, I've had one group say that you should test before getting out of bed, because even the movements of getting up and going to the bathroom will change the #'s from true fasting.
Yeah - I don't get that either, because all doctor's/lab tests are done after getting your butt down to an office somewhere.
And, hey - if I wanted to get up at 6am before my DP kicks in, I'm sure my fastings would all look normal.
So - how much of a difference does all that make, ? dunno, but you might test pre and post-coffee to see if it's making a difference for you.

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by Dave L

Good info, I guess I thought that what the news says everyday. I still have to take meds Mon-Fri. I have lost 35 pounds since June 08, and my numbers keep getting better. I was 215, now 180. Oatmeal, nuts, fruits, & veggies is where 90% of my carbs come from. I still think you are right about over the years it is a result, but its a result from being inactive and eating the wrong foods and when we get older (35+) you can not do it unless you live at the gym.

Dave,

Great job. 35 pounds since June is awesome!! I agree, clearly being inactive and eating the wrong foods just enables weight gain as we get older.

Keep up the good work. Maybe it is time to think about a new goal, beyond losing weight. Perhaps building muscle and losing bodyfat?

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by AllisonB

I can't remember if I've posted this earlier, but check with your insurance carrier to see if buying your supplies (meter, strips, lancets) through your pharmacy's 'medical supply' division (if they have one), or an online medical supply house (I use one in Twinsburg, OH) will save you money. I get my supplies free, no co-pay, when purchased as 'medical supplies', but have a substantial co-pay if I go through my pharmacy. My carrier, BC/BS, told me about this

There is also a seller on ebay that sells brand new (sealed, retail boxed) One Touch meters for $5.

For the most part, state laws require that insurance companies cover diabetes (see Diabetes: State mandates for insurance coverage) (although surprisingly not in Ohio). You will need a diagnosis and a prescription from your doctor. In many cases, insurance companies will have an in-house mail order division that can supply even more substantially discounted supplies. I get a ninety day supply of test strips or lancets just for one co-pay. Most meters can be obtained for free.

You can also check with your local diabetes education center to see what they might suggest. Often, they or your doctor have lots of samples of meters and strips to give out.

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by BrandNewMe2004

Definitely not a fasting # that way, IMO. Coffee, and 1/2 & 1/2 can impact that #. Plus, I've had one group say that you should test before getting out of bed, because even the movements of getting up and going to the bathroom will change the #'s from true fasting.
Yeah - I don't get that either, because all doctor's/lab tests are done after getting your butt down to an office somewhere.
And, hey - if I wanted to get up at 6am before my DP kicks in, I'm sure my fastings would all look normal.
So - how much of a difference does all that make, ? dunno, but you might test pre and post-coffee to see if it's making a difference for you.

BrandNewMe is right. To get an accurate fasting, just water. Also as she notes a fasting morning number can be substantially different from a fasting number during the day and it varies by individual. I often find my morning number is 110-130 mg/dl, while my fasting number during the day is 80-100 mg/dl.

[Cherylg]

Thanks, guys! I always meant to ask this and kept forgetting. Makes sense to me that fasting would be just that but a friend of mine whose husband is a major diabetic told me different. But now that I found this great thread, I know I am getting good info

I go to American Diabetes Whoelsale online for my supplies - they have good prices!

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

Dave,

Great job. 35 pounds since June is awesome!! I agree, clearly being inactive and eating the wrong foods just enables weight gain as we get older.

Keep up the good work. Maybe it is time to think about a new goal, beyond losing weight. Perhaps building muscle and losing bodyfat?

I have been running 3-4 miles @ 5.5 on treadmill 3 days a week, and a little lifting. Now that its winter so many people come to gym, it takes 2 hours to do my work out, I wish I had a gym at home. LOL

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by Dave L

I have been running 3-4 miles @ 5.5 on treadmill 3 days a week, and a little lifting. Now that its winter so many people come to gym, it takes 2 hours to do my work out, I wish I had a gym at home. LOL

Dave,

That is great. I can sympathize with the amount of time. 2 hours is a lot, and it adds up. Have you thought about interval training? It can be more time efficient and as effective as endurance cardio.

[Cherylg]

Can someone tell me what is the Dawn Phenomon?? (sp)

[RW City Sue]

Hi Cheryl,

I talked to a diabetes nurse about my morning bgs being higher than my bedtime reading. As I understand it, that is what Dawn Phenomenon is about--blood sugar going up even though nothing has been eaten since bedtime.

She basically thought that my liver was putting out sugar overnite while I was not eating and she suggested a small bedtime snack to help trigger a release of my own insulin (I'm type 2).

Do you have the book, Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution? I consider it must reading for diabetics He says about Dawn Phenomenon that research suggests that the liver deactivates more insulin during the early morning hours than at other times of day.

Hope this helps answer your question.

[Cherylg]

Thanks, Sue! I had taken that book out of the library but I think I will go out and buy it (or maybe Santa will bring it)

I am high in the morning

[Dave L]

Did not know what it was till i just googled it. LOL

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

Dave,

That is great. I can sympathize with the amount of time. 2 hours is a lot, and it adds up. Have you thought about interval training? It can be more time efficient and as effective as endurance cardio.

[BrandNewMe2004]

Got my latest round of blood tests. Some CHO went down, liver and all that are fine. A1C is 7.1.
Starting a new plan. I think I've lost weight over T-Day. I'm very hopeful.

[hummbabybear]

Hello, new to the board. I have prediabetes - glucose fasting score of 118 in 2006 and 119 in 2008. My doctor mentioned that I needed to live a healthier lifestyle. After reading about prediabetes in September, I decided to lose weight and have lost about 20 lbs. limiting carbs to 20 per day and exercise about 4 hours per week. I'll take another test in March.

My HDL was borderline. Any word on whether the low carb diet negatively affects HDL? Will the weight loss balance that out?

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by hummbabybear

Hello, new to the board. I have prediabetes - glucose fasting score of 118 in 2006 and 119 in 2008. My doctor mentioned that I needed to live a healthier lifestyle. After reading about prediabetes in September, I decided to lose weight and have lost about 20 lbs. limiting carbs to 20 per day and exercise about 4 hours per week. I'll take another test in March.

My HDL was borderline. Any word on whether the low carb diet negatively affects HDL? Will the weight loss balance that out?

Welcome to my world. I have to congratulate you. By taking action now, you can make some very positive changes and get your health under control. Let it go a couple years and you will find it much harder to deal with.

HDL should be > 40 mg/dl. Eating healthy fats really helps. Read May Enig's book "Know your fats" for the real scoop. Other things that really help HDL include exercise (you are on top of that, right?) and a glass or two of medicinal red wine every evening. Select a dry red wine with little residual sugar. Low HDL can also be caused by a vitamin D deficiency, so if you don't get much sun, you might try 1000-2000 iu supplement of vit D. Also, most important, I'm glad I did not forget. Fish oil. Get some fish oil gel caps with high levels of EPA and DHA (500-700 mg/cap). I take 8-10 caps a day, but you could just take a normal dose (I am not normal) and take 1-2 caps a day and that will help.

[BrandNewMe2004]

Weigh-in this morning. 302.4. I was up to 310 before leaving due to going off plan again. I had serious GI issues while gone - still do to some extent, but I also tried to eat healthier and started South Beach (my Dad has lost 50 pounds and looks amazing!).
Still haven't found my meter in the luggage. I hope I didn't leave it up north...

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by HezzieLee

I'm new to the whole Pre diabeties thing. Does your doctor have any of you testing your blood sugar? Mine doesn't. labs every 3 months and 1500mg of XR daily. I was so overwhelmed by it all that I just forgot to ask- of course he's darn near impossible to get a hold of by phone...
Do you think it would help? My GTT was 146. I know very little else.

Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to get a monitor and check yourself whenever you feel like it. You don't need a prescription for monitor or testing strips. I get mine online. You'll feel a lot more in control if you regularly test yourself.

I don't recommend any abbots lab products--I can get wildly different readings on them from the same drop of blood. Most of the others are just fine, though.

[faithful]

Hello all!

I'm so thankful that you all share your experiences via this site.

(Background: I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago and have had to try to figure it out on my own. I almost completely cut out sweets around that time. I wasn't a big carb eater. After having children, I found out I had a dairy allergy and stopped dairy. My youngest, whom I breastfeed reacts to almost all grains. In avoiding dairy and grains - I recently started eating a lot more whole grain carbs due to hunger and trying to provide nutrition.)

Recently I discover that my levels are spiking 185 - 240 then crashing to around 67 if I eat carbs. My fasting blood sugar varies from 70 - 134 depending on if I have eaten carbs the day before. My doctor I just started working with says he thinks I have diabetes and will probably need medication because I have almost all of the symptoms even though my A1c level is 5.5. I've been referred to an endo - waiting for an appointment. I'm underweight. I have started exercising everyday for 30min for the past 9 days. I'd rally like to know my options before meeting with endo so I at least know what to ask.

Questions:

How many carbs do you eat to gain weight?

If I restrict them to much then I feel the hypo symptoms even though leves in 70-85 range?

Can low carb help with this?

What do you snack on? I feel hungry almost all the time.


Thanks so much for your help!

[2big4britjez]

Thankful I found this thread!

I was diagnosed with Type 2 on Monday this week. My A1C was 6.2 and doc said it was high. I've checked my bg for the last 6 months or so, trying to monitor it and keep it around 93-96, so the doc appt came out of left field for me. Been lcing for over a year, but like my beer & wine.

Time to kick that lifestyle in the rear!

Before I left the doc office, she gave me brochures to take with. One of them included diabetes meal plans and suggested 15 gm carbs per serving, following the governmental food pyramid.

Talk about conflicting advice! She knows I've been lcing, approves of Atkins, so why would she hand me something with the pyramid on it?

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by faithful

Hello all!

I'm so thankful that you all share your experiences via this site.

(Background: I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago and have had to try to figure it out on my own. I almost completely cut out sweets around that time. I wasn't a big carb eater. After having children, I found out I had a dairy allergy and stopped dairy. My youngest, whom I breastfeed reacts to almost all grains. In avoiding dairy and grains - I recently started eating a lot more whole grain carbs due to hunger and trying to provide nutrition.)

Recently I discover that my levels are spiking 185 - 240 then crashing to around 67 if I eat carbs. My fasting blood sugar varies from 70 - 134 depending on if I have eaten carbs the day before. My doctor I just started working with says he thinks I have diabetes and will probably need medication because I have almost all of the symptoms even though my A1c level is 5.5. I've been referred to an endo - waiting for an appointment. I'm underweight. I have started exercising everyday for 30min for the past 9 days. I'd rally like to know my options before meeting with endo so I at least know what to ask.

Questions:

How many carbs do you eat to gain weight?

If I restrict them to much then I feel the hypo symptoms even though leves in 70-85 range?

Can low carb help with this?

What do you snack on? I feel hungry almost all the time.


Thanks so much for your help!

Well, you sure ask some tough questions! First of all, yes low carb can help avoid blood sugar spikes/crashes. It does take a while to get used to low-carbing and not be hungry for some people, especially diabetics. Eating more veggies and fats helps. Maybe also fiber supplements or herbal appetite suppressants.

Many people feel hypo symptoms at 70-85. A 70 blood sugar for me turns me into a blubbering idiot with numb lips. 85-90 is as low as I can go without symptoms. Some people feel it less than 100. There are books you can read to explain why.

You say that in avoiding dairy and grains you started eating a lot more whole grains. That doesn't make sense to me. Maybe you meant that you are avoiding wheat and eat other grains instead? If so, it may be that you are celiac, and sensitive to gluten in other grains besides wheat. I'm sure nutritionists would disagree, but really you don't need to eat grains to be healthy. Meat, eggs, veggies, dairy (for those not sensitive), nuts, seeds can provide enough nutrition to stay healthy. Many people have cut out grains from their diet (I for one) and experienced better health than ever.

As for the amount of carbs that can be eaten to avoid weight gain, for me my upper limit is about 30 grams per day, but it's optimal to stay under 20. That number will be different for everyone. I believe that Atkins calls it your personal "critical carbohydrate level", and you find it by raising your carbs 5 grams at a time until you begin to gain weight (or something like that). Dr. Bernstein recommends 30 grams carbs a day for diabetics in general.

I hope that's somewhat helpful. Some stuff to think about, anyway.

[30something]

This is what worked for me: 62 yo t 2 diabetes since 2005. I thought I was 30+ lbs over wt, carried it fairly well as I am tall, started out as a consistent size 12 x 10+ yrs.........post hysterectomy, thought I would never lose wt, went to the gym 5 x wk, was toned but overwt, always on a diet, did Atkins 80% of the time and yo-yo'd when I went off it for vacations, holidays etc., then tried the Zone Diet 2004 to avoid taking statins (b/f diabetes), lipids went up rather than down, so I take zocor, dx'd with diabetes 10-05:

I lost 50+ lbs over 2 yrs, 26 lbs/year, slow but consistent, on 5 meal Diabetic Diet Plan, 5 small balanced meals, eat every 3-4 hours, carbs, protein, fat gm prescription was based on my wt, ht, activity level...................................

Never hungry, never full, blood sugar was stable (I take Metformin ER 1000 mg/day), if I eat more than 22 carb gms or eat carbs without protein and fat balance bs shoots up. Although wt may have contributed to diagnosis at age 60, my genetics are truly type 2 diabetes. I warded off diabetes for yrs following low carb, my younger thin sister is now insulin dependent diabetic. I want to not have to take insulin.

My goal is blood glucose under 140 3 hrs after I eat, usually bs is 101, 120 at 2 hrs on my small balanced meals.

In January 08 I stopped losing wt which was good as I was getting too thin, lost 3 sizes over the 2 yrs etc. I switched back to 3 low to mod carb balanced meals per day in Jan, just recently started to gain wt no apparent reason except 3 meals/day..............actually reduced daily carbs to 60 gms and upped the fat gms somewhat................. I stopped losing wt and maintained for 6-9 mos. Just started putting on wt. which I attribute to lack of balanced meals, more fat gms etc.

So I am adding back the frequent balanced small meals...........its hard to be disciplined to get all 5 meals in, so 4 sm meals is my target for 1 mo. putting everything I eat into fitday to keep me honest and on track and will increase to 5 sm. meals.

Non diabetic husband lost 36 lbs. in less than 1 yr. following 5 sm. balanced meals and stopped losing when he switched to 3 low-mod balanced meals.

Denise

[Deannak12]

Everyone I know who has type II is overweight. I feel like something is off somewhere (besides my glucose levels...yes!!). I'm too old to be diagnosed with type I.
__________________

I have no idea you age but FWIW I was diagnoised a type 1 diabetic officially this past May I was 31 years old. My journy started around 2001 or so I started rapidly losing weight my starting was totally normal but I'd literly wake up 5lbs less than the day before no matter how much I ate. All the doctors figured I had an eatting disorder I was finially told I was glocuse intollorant and put on some orals they seemed to stablize me and my life moved on. I managed to have a child and put on some weight even to the point I wanted to loose a bit (around 140 at my pre diagnoisis peek) Then this past spring I seemed to get infection after infection finially a bad UTI that would NOT go away I lost a good deal of weight and grew so week I could hardly stand up. Testing was done and my sugars were fasting in the 600s and spiking in the 1000s. I was told type 2 given orals and sent on my way.. The orals did nothing I got sicker finially I ended up hospilized and proper testing was done. I tested postive for GAD antiboties giving me a correct type 1 LADA a slow onset type 1. I now manage it with insulin basal and bolus low carb diets and excerise.

[Cherylg]

Wow - I did not know sugar could go that high? -

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by Deannak12

I have no idea you age but FWIW I was diagnoised a type 1 diabetic officially this past May I was 31 years old. My journy started around 2001 or so I started rapidly losing weight my starting was totally normal but I'd literly wake up 5lbs less than the day before no matter how much I ate. All the doctors figured I had an eatting disorder I was finially told I was glocuse intollorant and put on some orals they seemed to stablize me and my life moved on. I managed to have a child and put on some weight even to the point I wanted to loose a bit (around 140 at my pre diagnoisis peek) Then this past spring I seemed to get infection after infection finially a bad UTI that would NOT go away I lost a good deal of weight and grew so week I could hardly stand up. Testing was done and my sugars were fasting in the 600s and spiking in the 1000s. I was told type 2 given orals and sent on my way.. The orals did nothing I got sicker finially I ended up hospilized and proper testing was done. I tested postive for GAD antiboties giving me a correct type 1 LADA a slow onset type 1. I now manage it with insulin basal and bolus low carb diets and excerise.

Yes, you can go that high, and yes those levels are serious enough to warrant an immediate trip to the ER. Frankly, sending you on the way home with some oral medications with a fasting level of 600 was a poor medical decision. At that level you can become really sick and might even die. I am really happy you came through it.

[Cherylg]

Brian - is there a difference etween Metformin Hydrochloride tablets and my other bottle just says Metformin????

Anyone else's input?

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by Cherylg

Brian - is there a difference etween Metformin Hydrochloride tablets and my other bottle just says Metformin????

Anyone else's input?

Metformin, Metformin RR, Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Riomet. These are all names for metformin hydrochloride. The only major difference is between regular Met and Met extended release (ER or XR), where the extended release obviously works over a longer period of time. You can take the ER once or at most twice a day, but the regular should be spaced more over the day. There are some who say there is a difference in effectiveness (Dr. Bernstein prefers glucophage), but I don't think it is enough to worry about.