Hi all! I’ve been testing like crazy and eating low-carb and exercising for the past couple of months. It seems to be working for my bg although I haven’t really seen much impact on my weight yet. I’m 5’7” and weigh about 175, so I need to lose some weight, but I know that it could be a LOT worse.
I began this journey in early April after several rounds of prednisone boosted me into high BG that I was not able to recover from and remain diabetic. I take 100 mg of Januvia daily. I have been able to get my bgs back in the normal range with diet and exercise although may fasting is still 110-120 each morning, but that is generally my highest reading of the day. I’ve tried several Dawn Phenonmenon tactics, but none have had much effect.
I’ve read a lot of negative press about the Januvia. I was hoping that if my fasting would come down further the doctor would consider letting me try going med free. He didn’t seem overly optimistic and basically told me that I wasn’t obese enough for me to hang my hopes on weight loss solving the problem, but that he certainly wasn’t going to discourage me from losing weight.
w/ the exercise you might see changes how your clothes fit before you see changes on your scale because you building muscle which is heavier than fat. if your insurance pays for it maybe talk w/a nutrtionist about your diet and see if they can help on that end of the weight loss formula. there are a lot of ways to lose fat for me I tried for a 500 calorie deficit in number of calories I ate vs. the number of calories I burned thru the day ( you can track calories in vs calories out w/ free online sites like fitday.com and think livestrong.com) low carb doesn’t always mean low calories. good luck and keep doing great w/ your numbers
Hi,
I had a similar remark made to me by my endocrinologist when I was 5’5" and 155 lb. As I had weight to lose, I found the remark to be condescending rather than flattering. That day I started my journey with meds. No choice. My understanding is that many Type 2’s carry weight in the belly which causes insulin resistance. If you decrease the fat in the belly, you might have a chance of lowering the numbers. I’ve always wondered if the extra fat in the area is caused by the high sugars or causes the high sugars. I understand that it’s complicated. I have read that Type 1 diabetics on here have temporarily developed this insulin resistance when they have gained weight in this area. The more I read on here, the more I understand that every diabetic has his/her individual problems. Those kind of "no hope’ remarks are counterproductive. I’m going to go for it 3 years later. Who knows ? Maybe if one can reach the ideal weight, a more flexible doctor might appear.
Well, I don’t know that I found the remark particularly flattering LOL. I was more like, " don’t get your hope up that you can just lose weight." At the time I was recovering from Stevens-Johnson’s syndrome and wasn’t in any condition to worry about weight loss anyway. Avoiding stress was the prescription at the time. I teach the emotionally disabled, so that was a treat. I’m trying to figure out a workable routine before school resumes in August.
That’s what I thought you meant.
Hmm…same job…students with mental health issues. Can’t imagine giving a “no hope” message to the students or their parents.
I also have asthma… gave up those inhalers awhile ago… rely on Ventolyn now. What is Stevens-Johnson’s Syndrome?
http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-126614/StevensJohnson-syndrome?q=stevens-johnson+syndrome
In my case it was a severe autoimmune reaction to penicillin. It’s beyond hives. I needed prednisone for like 6 weeks. I also have asthma and stopped using my symbicort. The worst time of year for me is fall, so I’m hoping to get by with a rescue inhaler as well. I can’t use ventolin, though due to my mingraine as it’s a trigger.
Today, I got my hair cut short as it was all falling out from all of the meds and the illness. It’s been a fun ride!
That’s too bad about your hair. There are just so many things that can go wrong. I have to admit that I’m anti-meds… for myself, I mean. My daily numbers are close to Canadian targets right now which is good for my health. I was hoping to get off the meds and take just insulin but with Type 2 here it is insulin +meds. Now that my numbers are so close to target I guess I’ll be stuck with the meds.
The good thing is we are almost finished school so we can spend more time getting everything on track.
Yeah. . . as far as the students there are so many times that just being positive would make a world of difference, but they just don’t hear it enough =/
So let me ask you some questions and provide you with some thought provoking answers.
What was your normal fasting numbers upon waking before you got sick?
Hah, got you there. You may have always had a higher number in the morning!
What tests measure “good” blood sugar control (is it morning fasting)?
Well, if you ask your doctor he would probably tell you A1c and numbers 2hrs after fasting, not your morning number
What test results would be good enough to justify reducing medication?
Most people would suggest that an A1c back in the normal range < 5.7% and numbers 2hrs after a meal < 140 mg/dl more than 90% of the time would be reasonable
Do you still hold hope in your heart that you can become non-diabetic?
This is the hardest one to answer and the one that will keep you up at night. It took me perhaps a year to accept that I was diabetic and that it would never just go away. I can’t answer for you. Maybe. You were sick and steroids can certainly bring on diabetes. But will going off medication mean you are non-diabetic? For me, I had times where I went off medication, but in the end, all it meant was that I was able to attain good control with diet and exercise, I was still diabetic.
ps. Januvia is not considered to have much effect on fasting numbers. Metformin is considered to have more of an effect on fastings. Byetta works along the same mechanism as Januvia but is thought to be more effect and has the other effect of helping you lose weight (but Byetta is injected). Perhaps you could talk with your doctor about metformin?
True! I may have always had a higher number in the morning. Although today it was 97!!! Just one day, but it was under 100!!! My first A1c was 7.9, but he wasn’t too concerned as my daily readings had only leveled out and and improved following the steroids for about a month, so he was pretty confident that the next one would be better.
My numbers 2hrs after a meal are under 120 more than 90% of the time. I get hung up on the fasting because that is the number that he asks for when I come in. I have numerous health concerns and labels don’t bother me. I want to be as healthy and medication free as possible. I have avoided metformin because I also have celiac disease and the GI side effects are pretty extreme for me. I’m allergic to Sulfa which knocked out several D meds as well. I’m not sure about Byetta.
You know. . . If I avoid gluten the celiac disease isn’t a problem, if I stay out of the sun, no lupus flare (generally speaking), I’m just trying to be proactive with diabetes as well. Although soon there won’t be anything left that I CAN eat LOL!
Hmm… “Ventolin” sp
Actually the haircut looks really good!
The link for Stevens-Johnson’s didn’t work and I looked it up. I can’t imagine dealing with that plus everything else. How do you manage to go to work every day?
I’ll leave the med info to bsc. He always has such great info.
I think I know how you feel about the foods. Pretty much for me, if it tastes good, I need to avoid it. Bland foods are pretty much my diet, and makes it easier to control weight. Eating bland is also a way to tell a good cook from a poor one. Take meat for example, it can be poorly cooked and tastes great with the right spices. However, if it tastes great when cooked without the spices, you have come across a really good cook.
Yes! My grandmother was the best cook! Of course, my grandfather was diabetic and one of the first on insulin. I’m now so thankful that I learned to love those bland meals. Of course if only my grandmother was here to weigh and measure every bite…
How about you. Have you learned to cook bland foods well?
I wasn’t trying to be spelling police or I certainly wouldn’t have typo-butchered migraine in the same sentence! LOL. I missed most of the month of March from school, although Spring Break was also in March, so that helped.
My husband is a God-send. I also have amazing kids. I try to be VERY proactive and they all help me take VERY good care of myself. We eat very healthy which is part of the reason we were a little blind-sided by the diabetes. I just try to deal with what comes next and not get too bogged down, but I was definitely drowning this year. I NEEDED summer break, THANKS BTW I like the hair too =)
That is SO true! Once when I was a kid we had a chef come out to personally thank my dad for NOT asking for steak sauce! I’d never actually SEEN a chef before! I LOVE to grill because you can get so much flavor with few spices. I also LOVE roasted veggies!
I’m sorry, I have concluded that eating enjoyment does not relate to health. I consider myself a great cook. My friends look forward to coming to dinner at my house. I don’t eat bland, and I enjoy eating. Although I have actively tried to disengage from eating foods that are unhealthy,that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy eating. In fact, I eat lots of food that bring me joy. Yes, joy and happiness. Food is one of those things that brings us joy in life. If we don’t have joy in life, then what is the point?
Hmm… For me, metformin has taken away the “joy of eating”. lol
Lucky for me , my husband does most of the cooking. He does a great job!
Did you know that, in the old days, diabetic diets included jugs of cream and dollops of butter?
I agree with that. I don’t eat bland food, though. I was a good cook before the gluten-free low-carb restrictions were forced on me. I’m not sure what would have been the would have happened if that hadn’t been the case. I do have to make my own gluten-free/low-carb spice mixes most of the time, but they’re usually better tasting in the end. I don’t think that great meals must inclde potoatoes, etc. Although small amounts don’t spike me, too much. I’ve never been big on sweets, so no big loss there.
My kids have been happy with cauliflower tossed with olive oil, garlic, parm, salt & pepper replacing macaroni and cheese with meatloaf. In fact my sixteen year old likes it better! We also have a roasted brussel sprout recipe that we use with about any veggie they really like.
You’re preaching to the choir on the food equating joy. I was pretty depressed for weeks, and I’m sure it will come around again peiodically. I still maintain, though, a properly cooked slab of meat needs very little other than salt and pepper!
I dont think that you should underestimate the good that exercise and diet can have on your sugars. I was put on metformin but while taking it, everything I put in my mouth tasted like metal so I didnt want to eat at all. I quit the pills and started eating a low carb and low fat diet along with 30 minutes on the treadmill everyday. In the past month I have lost 8 lbs and when I test my sugar after exercising it is between 4.5 and 5.5 I know everybodys needs are not the same but just wanted to encourage you to keep trying with the exercise.
