Hello I am back Bigger and now with diabetes

[rabrijumo]

Hi,
My name is Rachael and I started lowcarb in 2000
lost 80 lbs 390 to 310
stalled for over a year
binged my way past my previous high weight
continued to binge until Nov 1 when I was diagnosed with diabetes
:help:
I am freaking out blaming myself and crying
I stopped bingeing but my eating is disorganized
I need to set up an appt with a diabetic educator and dietician but I need to make them understand that my plan must be low carb
Low carb living was the only time I ever felt right physically while losing weight
So I am looking for any help I can get THANKS RACHAEL

[j13]

I'm sorry to hear about the diabetes...I hope you can keep to it this time. It might be worthwhile to keep in mind that freaking out and crying aren't going to do you any good now - you've got a reality that you've got to deal with. One step at a time, one day at a time, one meal at a time. Don't get insane, just try to deal with it in the present by making the best decisions you can starting right now. We can't undo the past, no matter how badly we might want to.

Good luck - you can do it!

-j.

[Charran]

HI Rachael! I know it's a hard thing to be diagnosed with a serious disease. I am also diabetic, so I know those feelings only too well. I went through all the different stages so I understand what you're going through. At first it all seems very over-whelming, but in time things will seem much better as you educate yourself and get your eating and exercising in place. I wish you luck with the diabetic educator and dietician. I personally never had any luck with them at all. They basically all handed me the standard "diabetic diet" and then explained what kind of medication I could go on when my BS got too high. It wasnt' long before I took matters into my own hands and went the low carb way. Yes, diabetes is a serious condition and we do have to know about and be aware of all the complications that can occur, but on the other hand, it doesn't have to be a death sentence. This is something you can have control over and only you can decide your fate. Feel free to visit the diabetes thread here. There is alot of information there. As well, I would be happy to help you in anyway I can, so please visit my journal if you would like. Having someone to talk to who has experienced the same things as you is important. I wish you all the best!

[fatnfedup]

Hi Rachel- I sure like J's advice. Just get a plan of action. You can beat the diabetes and the weight. I'm sure it must be scary but the good thing is it's got your attention.

Just like J said, you can't change the past but you sure can change your future!!

I look forward the fighting the fat with you!

[Annie1gi]

Hi Rachael,

My fiancee has diabetes, and he just got out of the hospital on Saturday, while he was there they told him to watch his carbs. He has been eating some of the things I make for myself, but eats all kinds of other carby crap, maybe now he might just listen.

I totally agree with the above posts, you have to make a plan that you can stick with, I know my doctor is so pleased about my recent blood work and my numbers have all dropped to an almost normal in everything. He wasn't a big promoter of Atkins until he saw the proof twice with the blood work and the scale for himself. He now tells me to keep doing whatever it is that I have been doing which (he knows is l/c!)

You can do this girl! Good luck and welcome to the forum, can I also suggest journalling your food.....to be totally accountable, and maybe someone can make suggestions if you need them?

Take care!
Annie

[rabrijumo]

Thank you everyone! I knew coming here would help me find support! I have way backed down on my carbs, no candy of course, limiting my breads. I have to take the next step: full low carb. I just............ no I wont put it off!
today
breafast steak and cheesy eggs coffee w/liquid splenda and cream
bloood sugar fasting 204 before lunch 160

[Bat Spit]

Welcome back Rachael!

Sometimes we have to hit bottom before we're willing to make a necessary lifestyle change. I know I certainly did.

You can do this. You can get a handle on your life and make changes.

Be sure to check out the diabetes section of this forum, and read Dr. Bernstein's book. It is fabulous, and he's a diabetic himself.

Hang out here a lot. It's always nice to talk to people in your boat.

[Ghosty73]

Hi, Rachael - and hi to everyone else, too - this is my first post! :wave: Your post struck a cord with me, Rachael, as I think you and I have several similarities. For one, I am a former low-carber who has gone waaaaaaay off plan and is now trying to come back. Also, I have some blood sugar issues (not diabetic, but more on the hypoglycemic side). I have only been back on plan now for two days, but I already feel SO much better. It's funny how, when we come back to the WOE that is right for us, it just seems to fall into place. Already I am free from headaches, irritability -- I wonder why I ever left! Best of luck, Rachael - I look forward to seeing your progress and your return to the good health you deserve.

[leekno]

Rachael I fooled myself after losing a lot of weight back in the 80s. I thought I wasn,t the person who had somehow gained all that weight. But alas it was me and I too have gained it back with a vengence. But I finaly woke up and realised I had to take resposibility for all my actions.. Because it is not about anyone outside of ourself. When I went back on lc I wanted to tell off the nay sayers then after reading someones post in this forum I realised it is only about me and no one else...I prey that you chose to be healthy and stay determined against all nay sayers...Thank god lc is not a sentence if you learn as much as you can. I cannot speak for anyone else but for me it has given me a new lease on life and I am getting better everyday.....
Lee

[Dogbert199]

I was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome, pre-diabetic, and also found myself over 390 and in shock.

When it's all said and done, the question is do you want to be beaten by your eating habits, or will you take ownership of them.

I've failed a number of times, but I keep coming back because I can't give up.

I encourage you to not give up either. . .

The nice thing about a site like this is that we're all really obese (by definition if you're in Triple Digits Club), but we're all working on the same goal, and each of us knows what it's like, in some sense or another, to hit that point of threshold.

Good luck. . . and welcome back.

[NewRuth]

Welcome Rachael!

You've made an important step getting back to low carb. You can do this.

How about setting up a journal? It seems that that's where a lot of support on this forum is given.

Also, welcome to Ghosty73!

[rabrijumo]

WELL THANKS FOR ALL THE RESPONSES
Today has been a good day, I can feel the low carb difference. I have little appetite maybe cuz of the metformin, I dont know. I am less emotional more determined thanks to all the words I have read here!

breakfast / lunch 1/2 decaf cofee w/cream and liquid splenda egg salad w/helmanns mayo
snack walnuts
dinner pork chop salad w/ranch dsg steamed broccoli

[MicheleK]

Welcome to the forums sweetie, it sounds like you're off to a GREAT start!

:wave:

[Analog6]

Control the eoght and the diabetes will follow. There is a piece by a woman named Jenny which is posted on sites for those newly diagnosed.
Link: http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm

I've reproduced a bit of it here. Italics are mine.

You might want to try some experiments.

First: Eat whatever you've been currently eating... but write it all down.
Test yourself at the following times:

Upon waking (fasting)
1 hour after each meal
2 hours after each meal
At bedtime

That means 8 x each day. What you will discover by this is how long after a meal your highest reading comes... and how fast you return to "normal". Also, you may see that a meal that included bread, fruit or other carbs gives you a higher reading.

Then for the next few days, try to curb your carbs. Eliminate breads, cereals, rice, beans, any wheat products, potato, corn, fruit... get all your carbs from veggies. Test at the same schedule above.

If you try this for a few days, you may find some pretty good readings. It's worth a few days to discover. Eventually you can slowly add back carbs until you see them affecting your meter.

--------------------

My question to this advice is always WHY add back carbs if you have good readings? To me that is your body telling you the balance is right, the blood sugar readings are good, let's stick with this Boss, I like it!

You are on the right track, get rid of that bread and I'm sure you'll feel 100% improved.

Good luck.

[MizKitty]

Dear Rachel,
I've been in your shoes too, and remember all too well how scared I was upon hearing I was diabetic.
Unless you really luck out, don't expect much help from the dietician. Most likely, she will give you some handouts from the American Diabetes Association for a low calorie high carb diet, that just does not work. The ADA refuses to recognize or recommend low carbing, even with irrefutable proof it works, because they don't think anyone will stick to it.

Don't be too hard on yourself for the weight you've gained. That was the diabetes-insulin resistance at work. You see, (and this is greatly simplified, but) when you eat carbs, your pancreas releases insulin to remove the glucose from your blood. The insulin tries to deliver it to your muscles for fuel and storage. In type II's, for some reason, the muscle cells develop resistance to insulin, and this process breaks down. The pancreas sees that blood sugar levels are not going down, and pumps out even more insulin. Insulin is your fat storage hormone. So what do you think happens?

So even though it's commonly reported that obesity causes diabetes, the opposite is also true: diabetes causes obesity.
It's a vicious circle.

To stop this from happening, all you have to do is not eat carbs.
Eat protein and fat, and your blood sugar does not spike up, and your pancreas does not pump out excess insulin. And there's nothing to store as fat.

Keep an eye on the calories, and the weight will fall off faster than you might expect.

When I eat the standard high carb American diet, my bloodsugar readings are in the 240 - 290 range, even with insulin, metformin, actos and glipizide (My diabetes is bad).

When I keep my carbs to around net 30 for the day spread evenly, my numbers range 110 - 130, and I've stopped the glipizide. I hope eventually, as I lose more weight, I'll be able to make further reductions in the meds.

The only way the ADA diet works, is through restricting calories and portions. Rather than telling you don't eat carbs, they just have you not eat very much at all. (What's their standard advice? 6 small meals instead of 3?) Not eating very much is another way of not having so many carbs(sugar) in your blood. But this approach leaves you hungry and craving and feeling deprived.

You know from reading Atkins, that you can eat more normal portions and not feel hungry or have cravings if you just don't eat the carbs!

Did you know Atkins last published book (he was working on it when he died and his colleagues finished it) was specifically for diabetics? Well actually it was aimed more at pre-diabetics, but please get yourself a copy of it, "Atkins Diabetes Revolution"

Another great resource is Dr Richard Bernsteins "Diabetes Solution". He's lived a healthy life for 50 years with diabetes, through low carbing, and his book is very helpful.

Chin up... there's lots of us here to support you, and you're going to be ok! I've got to share this with you, too.... as much as I HATE that I'm diabetic, I have found that it makes dieting easier. Back when I dieted *just* to lose weight, it was easy to eat the piece of cake and think "I'll do better tomorrow". Now that my goal is to keep my blood sugar down and *save my life*... and i know what the piece of cake will do to that goal.... you'd have to hold a gun to my head to get me to eat that cake. I'd tried LC-ing before many times in the past without much luck, but I probably never did it completely cheat free.... But when you DO lowcarb cheat free, it's true, your appetitie, hunger and cravings absolutely go away and it gets pretty easy not having to think about food all the time.

So get a blood glucose meter and make a commitment to testing often throughout the day. You won't even want to cheat when you know you're going to see it on that meter!

Good luck to you! Check my journal if you want, I keep daily food logs there, or if you want to talk more about your Rx.