Lois - will call you this weekend and we’ll discuss a few things together 
too much to type and not feeling too well.
We’ll get you all fixed up between me, you and the lovely members here at Tudiabetes, we can do this!
Cynthia:
Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. I have all sorts of aches and pains but am fairly well. Actually, Monday night I came up with a fever of 100.8. Felt better the next day but don’t know why I was shivering and running a fever.
Talk to you later.
Lois
Sorry for being so selfish, but I want to keep this as much front page for a while so that I can get help and people don’t forget me. PLEASE don’t forget me. I need all the help in the world with new complication symptoms appearing in my hands and possible eyes.
Lois La Rose
Dear Lois.
Hang in there spring is comming and you will feel much better. I know that Milwaukee is not as cold or the winter as long as in our corner of Siberia but I still find it a real downer. But you may have more snow which I find really annoying. Also the days will get sunnier and longer which in itself will most likely cure the depression. I would lie low for the moment and wait. Time is on your side.
Try and join some sort of an aquatics programme if they have one in your area. I was flyfishing in the river a few days ago ( yes we have this miracle called the Chinook that gives you a one day reprieve from winter on occaision) and found that just walking up stream was an enormous amount of exercise. Get a mountain bike and try to ride if you can much less stress on the joints than walking. Not sure if feeling in the feet is required to ride successfully but is a must for walking.
Anthony:
Nice try…but I can’t go the bike routine. I have no balance and I would have to have somebody with me at all times for 1) tying my feet to the pedals securely and 2) to pick me up when my balance says enough and tosses me on my keester!!!
The only thing I could possibly is to walk about 1/4 block and then turn around. I can only do about 1/2 block all told before the pain sets in and grabs my back, knee and legs. Besides that, the chair exercises designed for me by a physical therapist.
Lois La Rose
May be a stationary bike at home would be more appropriate. You can get toe clips and have somebody put your feet in and away you go. Needs TV or something to keep your interest up.
Anthony:
Had one and sold it. Hate to shoot you down again, but I have to have someone tie my feet (front, back and top) in with bands because I cannot control my feet and have both fallen out of the toe clips and off the bike. This, of course, is contingent upon being able to get any one of my snobbish neighbors to do it for me.
TV is no problem!!
Lois La Rose
Milwaukee, WI
ADDITIONAL PROBLEM!!! Got a notice from the endo’s office from last week’s blood tests. Almost everything normal except BG & A1c. Up to 8.4 from 7.5 in October!!! We’re slipping here, y’all!!
Lois
Dear Lois.
Everybodies A1c is worst if the period includes the holidays. Time to suffer some starvation.
Anthony:
I was waiting for your reply and another stab at a solution.
Whe eomeone gives me a bad number, I d fee humiliated. I guess it’s not as bad as it could get …
Lois La Rose
Milwaukee, WI
i felt like I got punched in the gut yesterday with 8.9…my worst in twelve yrs…always hung out in the 6 zone…
lots of great info. on the thread…my biggest challenge is organizing and planning everything out…
Oh yeah, don’t I know that! You know, I’m actually going to get a table top display board so I can plot this out. I am a very visual person since I got sick and the “abstract” kind of drives me nuts. I can’t seem to get organized lately, so I think it’s the best approach for me. You know, at 55, 3/4 of your brain cells go down south for the rest of the “season!”
Lois La Rose
Lois:
I do arthritis aquatics classes. I do have RA, but a few folks in my class are not arthritic. The water is warm the exercise is healthy and minimal and the company is nice. Well its nice if you don’t mind being the only man in a class of 20 women over 60. I am their pet project. Anyway, it is worth doing. Call the local arthritis chapter and ask if they have an aquatics program. Most do.
Rick
Ridk:
Good idea. I was in one once … way across town. Except for the fact tha I don’t have a swimsuit and wouldn’t be caught dead in one, I think it’s a good way to get moving. Hopefully I can find one on this end of own.
Thaniks.
Lois
Lois,
There are a ton of great posts here with good information. I am going to take the cheerleader role with you because I can totally relate to what you are going through and everyone needs a cheerleader You can do this, just break it down into little pieces and stop looking at the big picture for now. If you look at all you want to accomplish all at one time, it is overwhelming. Just change something small and build on that. Once you do that for a couple of weeks, add the next mini goal to your to do list. Remember it took you years to get frustrated like you are now so it will take some time to change your habits. Here is an example of how I made small changes, I added one new type of healthy, easy to make food to my shopping cart each week. I did this and it took me 6 months but now I have gotten into the habit of buying healthy stuff I like that is still easy to make. For example, now I will get Steam Fresh brown rice in the freezer section, along with Steam Fresh veggies, and I just add some kind of protein that is easy and I like. It takes me a total of 6 minutes to look in the freezer, grab the bags, nuke them, and then eat. Then the leftovers I can eat the next night with a different protein so I actually get two meals out of this. Once I got the hang of eating a bit better, I added another mini goal to my list, and so on. It took me over a year to change some habits but it wasn’t as hard breaking it down like this. I hope this will help you.
I actually hate exercise, I despise it. I also have chronic pain from sarcoidosis and myositis, two “great” autoimmune disorders I was just diagnosed with. So I live in chronic pain and it hurts to exercise now. I like the idea of a class in the pool, my joints would hurt less and I won’t sweat in a pool! Thanks for the idea guys…
So as I said, you can do it! I know you can with the support of the folks here at this site. If there is anything I can do to support you and help you, let me know. I understand how hard it can be, I’ve been there…I also have a diagnosis of depression so I get that it is hard to be motivated when you feel crappy emotionally.
Hi Lois :o)
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Never let ANYONE treat you poorly. Not even ■■■■■■■ doctors. You should have kicked him in the nards and said… well that’s my exercise for the day. How was that?? YOU JERK YOU ARE FIRED!!
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Learn to steam veggies. Walmart has this awesome “Rice Steamer” that you use in the microwave. 5 mins and veggies and or rice is beautifully cooked. Chicken breasts steam nicely too! (chicken and veg… is one pot cooking)
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If you don’t like it… don’t eat it. It’s not required eating you know.
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Take a walk, work in the yard, turn on the music and dance while you vacuum.
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When you feel you need to eat for comfort, eat some ice, or frozen sugar free jello. Want chocolate? Make your own sugar free hot cocoa using powdered milk, sugar free sweetner, cocoa… You can make this ahead of time and just scoop and add hot water.
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Use coupons as much as you can for all the “non food items” you use every day. Makeup, shampoo, toothpaste, cleaners, toilet paper, etc… so you can free up cash for Fresh foods. (let me know if you are interested via PM and I’ll teach you how)
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Get to know your herbal Tea. Some are great with no sweetners at all.
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Remember half of the hunger you feel is your body telling you that you are dehydrated. Drink 8oz of water before EVERY meal. (hot water makes you feel full)
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Learn the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs. Try to buy and eat only complex carbs. You’ll slip up occasionally… but that’s ok… just begin again.
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If your meal is larger than your own two fists held together you are eating too much. Try to get so you eat about ONE fist. (takes time… you can measure, but I prefer just taking less and less over time)
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You have a choice… lose weight by sticking to it… or lose weight by having your legs chopped off. Choose life with a whole body. OK?
My starting weight was 225 in December (remember I am not on meds or “officially” diagnosed, but my fasting glucose was over 250 by my brothers meter) I weighed this morning. 195 lbs. 2 months later.
YOU Can do this…
Suzanne:
I took an aquatics class You’d like it. One thing to think about is… that it is often less expensive to take a “swimming” class at a local community college that gives you the run of the Local YMCA than it is to joing the YMCA. For me it’s like $97 for 1 class… but I can use all the equipment and take any class. I just have to put in the time. 
s
oops sorry… that’s $97 for the P.E. Class… but that is 3 months at the YMCA (Normally $150 here)
Sylvia:
I’ll check into this.
Lois
Doing the reward thing works when I need to get motivated to do things I dread. If I finish (or start!) ___, I’ll give myself ___. A lot more fun & satisfying than doing something because I have to. Silly, but it puts it in a more positive light. Also, instead of telling myself I hate to do it, I decide to think of it in a more upbeat way. Not saying I succeed:) I think when we’re constantly telling ourselves how much we don’t want to do something, it becomes an endless negative loop in our heads. Self-fulling negativism.
I set small, doable goals so I can succeed & feel good about it. Too overwhelming to change everything at once & it becomes a mountain.
I’m not good at meal planning either. My fantasy is having someone cook for me, as well having them go to the supermarket & clean it all up afterwards!
Any friends to share meals with? Maybe take turns making dinner, or doing a potluck.