Diabetes Forced Me To Change

[loozeen]

Hi, I'm new here. I discovered that I was diabetic at the end of October in 2003. I have since changed my eating habits. I do not follow anyone's plan in particular. I have simply chosen out of necessity to reduce carbs. I am not counting my carbs because I need a "life" plan. I am not a regimented type person, so I have to do what works for me.

The area that I am lacking in, is excercise. I just hate it! I need another wake up call I guess to get me motivated, like I did when I was told I was diabetic.

I know that excercise is important for me and as a diabetic I can benefit from it as well.

I KNOW I need to do it....somebody say something to motivate me, please!

"heart attack" should be sufficient....huh?

I already fear with my high cholesterol that I'm headed that way.
I take Zetia for my cholesterol but it really is not helping much. I can't take statin drugs which really seem to be the best drugs for reducing cholesterol.

How do you all deal with the excessive protein and high cholesterol?

Well, that's a bit about me....I look forward to diggin in here deeper and getting to know some of you.

[scrapgirl]

Perhaps I can provide you with a little motivation with a true story about my father. He was diagnosed with diabetes about 25 yrs ago. For a bit he took it serious but eventually got slack. He didnt really eat a lot of "sugar", but he didnt monitor his bs and diet as he should. Around 15 yrs ago he had a heart attack. So now, he had diabetes and heart disease to deal with. Over the years, he still didnt treat either with the seriousness it should have commanded. Somewhere in between he had catherizations (1 or 2 I think) for blockages. Then 3 yrs ago he had triple bypass. Last year he had a stroke. He is now visually impaired because of the stroke. He can not work to provide financial support for the household. He also has kidney damage from years of uncontrolled diabetes. Eating...well, he is on a diabetic, heart disease, low protein, low potassium diet. Figure that out. What can he eat...not much and only in moderation. That would be like us doing low cal, low fat, low carb...you are lucky if you can eat enough to get full. His life is a medical nightmare. He cant really excercise much now anyway. He cant workout alone because of balance issues, blood sugar issues, etc. and my mom has to work to pay the bills. Life really does not hold much joy at this point. He sits at home and watches tv all day...ocassionally lying by the pool or taking a short walk to the mail box. All of this from poor choices. If only he had eaten right, excercised, taken care of his diabetes. But now it is too late. The little choices we make now can have HUGE consequenses down the road!

Best of luck...come to my journal any time for support and/or encouragement!!

[Harvey]

Hi and welcome to the forum. If I have your attention for a moment please allow me to tell you about Diabetes. I have had this insidious disease since 1985. I paid no attention to it because with this disease you don't feel sick. My BGs were always above 200, but I didn't care because I felt wonderful and I simply loved to eat...pasta, bread, pizza, potatoes, even potato sandwiches. I ate my way up to Four Hundred Pounds!

In the Fall of 2002 I began to get stabbing pains in my fingers, hands and toes. I kept testing my BGs and they always ran from 250 to 400. Half of my left hand went numb. Half of my left foot from the arch to the toes went numb.

I made up my mind to eliminate starchs, sugars, carbs from my life in an attempt to get my BGs under control. I started on 12/7/02 and I have never looked back. Now my BGs are always normal...and I test six times a day. My high blood pressure is gone and I have been off all medication for diabetes and high blood pressure for over a year now.

My hand and toes are still numb but I look upon this as though they are my guardian angels keeping me on the right path.

Please take care of yourself. Nobody else can do it for you. Visit me in my journal if you need anything.

Eddie

[loozeen]

Thank you Annette and Eddie so much for taking the time to encourage me. When you live with people who don't watch their health and/or eat whatever they want and do whatever they want, it is difficult to swim upstream.

I am trying. I was succeeding but I have become lax in that I now have discovered those "suger-free" foods which I know are still bad and still have carbs. I have got to quit fooling myself.

The brain is such a funny thing. It wants one thing and does another or does it just want it's cake and to eat it too?

I am finding it harder to keep from eating the carbs as there just don't seem to be enough options day in and day out.

I try to limit them. I just don't think I can eliminate them nor do I think all of them should be nor can be.

It's the overall picture and not each bite. Or am I wrong? It is LOW not NO carbs, right?

The excercise has got to come. I've heard you find something that you enjoy doing and do that. I don't enjoy doing any of it! LOL

I hope you all will continue to help me because I really don't have a "buddy" to help me with this and I do think we all need one.

Having this board will no doubt be of great help to me.

I feel like that when people don't have a connection that keeps in touch with them and shows they care, they have a tendency to lose focus.

God Bless.

[waterwoman]

I am a recent convert to this way of life (2 weeks)due to picking up a copy of "Sugar Buster's" in a flea market. Having been diagnosed with diabetes a year ago, it was a revelation to me and made me wonder why the nutritionist in the diabetes class did not emphasize the low carb/sugar free way for us. Since then, I have searched the web and printed out a ton of information, recipes and also started Sommersizing where you don't count anything, but eat healthy (suzannesommers.com). I am losing slowly, but have more energy and am beginning to finally "get it", although expect I'll enjoy more as I understand it thoroughly. In researching diabetes, I found several supplements that help with the insulin resistance and my tests show they are effective. Will be taking another blood test today and will know for sure if all of this is working for me. By the way, love spaghetti squash with no sugar marinara, mushrooms & parmesan! Great leftover for lunch too!

[JLF]

This may be a site I need to go to. I have really watched my carb intake for the past four years, but just as a general rule. I have a high stress job, but get to work out of my home - but I do travel a great deal. I drink, but just whiskey and water. I am about 15 pounds overweight, but hold it well. Married happily, no money problems, with two great sons. So, I thought life was OK.
Now, my doctor just told me I am very close to having diabetes. I am putting two sons through college and scared to death - I just turned "50", so what a birthday gift to receive. Any tips on the best way to change my life habits would be greatly appreciated. - from stress relievers to recipes.

[black57]

:wave: I am not diabetic. However, Dr. Atkins said that if you are hypoglycemic, which I am, then you should consider yourself diabetic. I eat to keep my insulin under control. I don't count my carbs as strictly as I should but I do guess them to be between 30 and 35 grams per day. If it weren't for my sweet tooth I would eat far less carbs. I believe that carbohydrates have become glorified poisons. After I began my low carb journey, I read about cultures who live on virtually no bread, no rice, no potatoes and they have virtually none of the illnesses that we have spoken about on this thread. The native Indians are an example of a culture who, once lived that way. When they were forced onto reservations and given government handouts thir health deteriorated. They ate pasta, rice, etc. and obesity, heart disease and diabetes followed. Now, I am not saying that these things should never be in our diet. If we restrict them and eat them on ocaision, there is no problem. But the simple fact that we feel horrible when we don't have them is a sign that too many carbs are harmful. The body has the power to make BGs without carbohydrates. The fact that there are cultures who live virtually without them is a sign that we don't need them.

I have never heard of glucagon until after I began life as a low carber. With the help of glucagon many people on a low carb diet have been able to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol. Glucagon is produced by the pancreas when insulin is stable. Glucagon can be thought of as a natural statin, I guess. Now how can you get glucagon to become an active player in your health? Stabilize your insulin levels, naturally. How do you stabilize your insulin? Reduce your carbohydrates and teach your body to function on lower amounts of this fuel. :agree:

My mom is diabetic and takes insulin to control her diabetes. She only takes such a small amount but I can't get her to appreciate that if she removed some of those extra carbs in her diet, she would need even less or perhaps no insulin. I am sure that her blood pressure would come down, which would make her happy. Think about it. The little amount of insulin that she takes is to allow her to eat her breads, potatoes and rice.

JMHO, ;)
black57

[black57]

Loozeen, Like you I hate to exercise. I hate it!!! Right now I am planning to pull myself from this computer and visit my local Curves. The entire workout circuit lasts for a half hour and it does make you stronger, you lose weight and inches. I mostly have gained muscle because I have lost many inches but not any weight. For me it is worth it. It is in my neighborhood and it kicks start my day.

Oh another thing. Although I had my little rant on how awful carbohydrates are, you are right, this is a low carb way of eating not no carb. If you are diabetic, it pays to keep you carbohydrates low. However, we get the bulk of our carbs from
good healthy vegetables and some choice fruits such as berries and cantalope. Out of all the fruits the avacado is the most nutritious and is allowed big time on the low carb diet.

Oh, and protein is so important yet it doesn't receive the credit that it deserves for good health. Protein is a good insulin stabilizer. It builds muscle and can be made into glucose when there is a shortage of carbohydrates.

Good Luck,
Black57

[black57]

JLF, there are so many good foods to eat on low carb that I am gaining weight on it. :yum: Do you ever watch Low Carb and Loving it with George Stella. It comes on the Food Network and Mr. Stella, who once weighed 400 lbs, makes low carb meals. I have had no problems with preparing meals and finding varieties of foods. Meat, of course, is easy to find but make attempst at eating vegetables that you do not like or have no experience with eating. I grew up in a household where my dad had a huge garden. We had all kinds of greens, squash, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage. He even had a strawberry patch, blueberry bushes. We had peach trees, apple trees and plumb trees. I remember a gooseberry bush next to the driveway. All those veggies made me a miserable kid but it taught me to really enjoy those various foods.I have seen adults who would faint at the sight of a head of kale. I met the head of produce at one store and he hated vegetables.

There is a recipe section on these boards. I found an excellent recipe for cheese cake. Check those out.

JLF, you have been told that your are aproaching diabetes. I strongly believe that the best way to treat diabetes is by stabilizing your insulin, of course. To do that you must reduce the amount of sugar that you consume. Carbohydrates in any form is sugar. One nice thing about diabetes is you can take control, unlike cancer which may make you feel totally helpless. You are not helpless. You can stabilize insulin by simply lowering your carb consumption. One of the many jobs of insulin is to "shove" glucose into cells. This would not be necessary if the cells were already absorbing sugars on their own. After years of absorbing an overabundance of sugars, the cells grow to become resistant and require more and more insulin to shove the sugar into them. If the insulin you have is not enough to shove the sugar ( glucose ) into your cells then the sugar will, eventually, spill into your urine. It has to go somewhere. So, is the answer to treat diabetes - more insulin? No, the answer is less sugar, less carbohydrates. If you have fewer carbs then you will need less insulin and it is available to do its other jobs. :agree:

JMO,
Black57

[scrapgirl]

Loozeen...You are right, it is low carb, not no carb. A very popular misconception. I would encourage you to visit the atkins.com website if you dont have a book to guide you. There is a ton of info on the site for free. Food guides, etc. I think once you see the acceptable foods, even for induction (the first phase of the atkins plan) you will be pleased. There are many advantages from starting with induction and working your way up, but if you dont feel you can tackle that, do the best you can. You could eat only acceptable foods, but eat as much as you need to, etc. If diabetes control is your focus, rather than solely weight loss, I would say cut out one bad food at a time. Maybe work on eating no breads or no sugars...maybe no pasta. Once you have mastered one, move on. I love my atkins low carb and think it is ideal for diabetes control ASSUMING YOU HAVE NO KIDNEY DAMAGE. I suppose if you do, maybe you can do a more modified version, much like the pregnant lc'ers do. I would surely consult your dr.

Anyway, the point being, do the research and learn what lc'ing really is about. If you havent read a book or done the research, I guarantee you you will be surprised. The media hasnt a clue. I hope that you will start a journal so we can visit and support you. There are so many people here, you will always find someone who understands your current situation...whatever it may be. I have told you of my diabetic father and I also have a 19yr old diabetic cousin who has had the disease since she was 5. I am fairly familiar with it and will help if I can. You are always welcome to come to my journal for guidance or support.
Just click on the journal link at the bottom of the post! Have a great day!!

[MISSRED197]

Hi and welcome to the forum!!!:Party:

You are in the perfect place for support and motivation!!!

Best of luck!!!!

Hugs~

[Harvey]

Hi....I'm just putting my two cents in again. It would be helpful if you would start a journal of your own. It would be helpful for you to keep a food log...fitday is good. You must check your BGs at the proper times before and after you eat. Then you will be able to see how you react to different foods. Your system might be a lot more sensitive to some foods than to others. For us diabetics it is more a question of which carbs we can tolerate. Each of us is different. It's important for you to test and observe.

Eddie

[Harvey]

Hi....I just went back to re-read your post. You mentioned some medication you were taking but I didn't see any medication for the diabetes. Are you taking any medication for diabetes. If you are, it is doubly important to check your BGs as necessary. You must keep records and work with your doctor because if you truly follow our WOE he will be reducing or eliminating your medication in short order.

You must come to terms with you diabetes. It will be your constant companion. I'm not trying to scare you. I only want to help as I have experience with this disease.

Eddie

[loozeen]

I am on Avandia for my diabetes. My doctor that I was going to just seemed so complaicant about my diabetes. He even missed telling me I had it for a year! I found out that and had a few other complaints about him and his overall staff and procedures that I decided it was time to get another doctor. I had been going to him for years too.

I accept my diabetes. I have an occasional high carb treat of something but it is hot a habit. I have lost 35 pounds so I think I'm doing fairly well.

I would like to get back to cutting more than I now am though because I'm not at the weight I want to be and the way I am eating now is more like a maitenance plan not a losing plan.

I know these things that I need to do ( don't we all? )...it's just lacking the motivation.

Hopefully, with the fine folks on this board helping me out to keep me focused, I will get back on track.

You all are so sweet to be so helpful and to be here to encourage others. That means a great deal.

I remember one time ( years ago ), I order the Richard Simmons Deal-a-Meal. It wasn't long after I did that I received a phone call from "him" ( not him, but a representative ). I was elated and felt so good that "he" cared enough to check on me and my progress but as I continued to talk to this person I found out it was just a sales tactic to sell me more stuff. I was crushed.

Support means so much to someone who is struggling.

Hope I answered all the questions you all asked me.

I think I will check out Suzannes Somers site as that makes sense to me what was said ( don't remember who mentioned it )...but thanks.

There are so many people suffering from the ills or poor health. I'm glad the government has finally stepped in to do something about it. It's high time. We are the most unfit nation on earth.
We live like Kings with our rich resources and feast like kings as well, eating what's not good for us and as much as we want.

I'm wanting to be healthy. Fifty is just around the corner and I want to feel better than I have in my forties. These years have been a real drag ....literally! Draggin my self around to do stuff, etc.

God Bless.

[Harvey]

Hi Loozen.....it's me putting my two cents in again.

You do seem to know what you're doing and sincere congratulations on the 35 lb. loss. That is quite an achievement. You have come to the right place for love and support. We Low Carbers are a close knit tribe......we love our WOE.....and we will defend it. We will help and support you all we can.

Having said that, and with all due respect, I would like to advance my opinion. It's just my opinion. Here I am quoting my mentor, Dr. Fred Pescatore:

"Remaining on this diet MUST become the PRIMARY DRIVING FORCE of your life. You will do everything in your power to honor this commitment. You will do WHATEVER it takes to reach goal. There is simply no other choice. Every action you take, every food you eat gets you closer to or further away from goal. Make a very serious commitment....one as serious as a heart attack...as serious as if your life depends upon it....because it does."

My friend, you must be your motivator. I won't bother you again unless you want to speak to me...I have a journal.

Eddie

[Atlgirl]

im right there with you! Hypoglycemia forced me to change! I had to drop out of my summer school session, because i was beyond exhausted and didnt know why. I couldnt think, or do anything practically. The health center kept on telling me it was stress. they EVEN gave me a blood test! "You're just fine." I went to the practitioner, and they diagnosed me with hypoglycemia. It was a real eye opener. I was drinking at LEAST a 2 liter of diet coke a day, to keep me awake and motivated. And little debbie was my best friend. Once my doctor said my eating habits could send me into shock and later a coma if i kept up these habits, that certainly shook me up. Anyways, i had to seriously revamp my diet, my doctor suggested atkins, since its been proven that hypoglycemics can get the blood sugar under control with high protein high fat diets. And sure enough, i have never felt better!! Gave up diet coke, and no more headaches. I have more energy now than then and losing weight is a plus! So stick with it! Im here for you!

[loozeen]

Eddie, I appreciate your response and the kind way in which you said it.
I'm kinda busy and don't have too much time to dig in all the nooks and crannies here. There is so much here to consume! ( my mention of
TMI ) in another post elsewhere. I feel like I have dark sunglasses on and am trying to find my way through a maze.

Loved what you said at the end of your post. You are right. I must commit and I must look to myself ( or my Lord ), for my motivation.

Thanks!

[tofi]

Hi Loozeen. Something you may not know: it is really MUCH easier to follow a plan and eat ONLY what is on the list than try to figure out your own. Not only do you have "instructions", but the plans get you to really low carbs which cuts the cravings and the hunger and keeps you much more strictly on the straight and increasingly narrow.

Until you try it, you think that you 'can't live without food x" but once you try, you almost don't recognize yourself as you find you have NO interest in food X.

You've lost well, but you aren't doing this to lose weight only. Your life depends on it. Complications of diabetes, as you've read above, include heart disease, stroke and physical disability, numb limbs & maybe amputation, blindness, and kidney failure leading to tethering yourself to a dialysis machine. Oh yes, death after a very poor quality of life.

All of that from just choosing of foods. LCing gives you so many luscious food choices and will protect you from all the consequences of eating carbage.

So unless you look forward to being old and handicapped while you're still young, get serious. In this case, food IS medicine. And you are the author and cause of your disease.

[loozeen]

The other day we went to an AYCE buffet. It was a smorgasboard of food I could eat! Loved it.

I so hate to cook. And it's difficult when you have different type eaters in the house.

I guess I do what I can and keep sane at the same time.

Diabetes is a frightening disease. I pray mine never leads to a poor quality of life. But I know I must put "feet" on those prayers and DO more than pray.

Having quick foods to grab when you are feeling hungry ( to me ) is important.

Thank you to all who have responded to this and my other thread "TMI".

God Bless

[OtistheCat]

Hi Loozene I've read so much, but still not enough. I, too hate to exercise, but I try to do as much as I can. I haven't been low carbing for very long, since the 18th of June 2004. I have lost 10 pounds, and my blood tests have lowered considerably. I also take Zetia, along with Niaspan before bedtime. The combination plus the low carbing has lowered my cholesterol in less than 2 months. (See my Journal for numbers). I have Diabetes with eye involvement. I am hoping that the low carbing will lower my glucose numbers, so that I won't have to take meds for it (Diabetes). I've been recently diagnosed Diabetic (about 2 months ago). I also need motivation.... although I am scared to death. You'd think that'd be motivation enough. You see, other than one of my eyes being blurry, I have absolutely no symptoms. I am overweight, I guess that's a symptom. I try hard, but sometimes I fail. Reading the posts in your Journal from the person's father that did nothing about his Diabetes, kind of made me want to ride the stationary bicycle. In fact, when I get off this PC. I'm going to exercise. Let's keep helping each other. :agree: :wave:

[CurvyChick]

Hi Loozen...I am new here and this is my first post. What prompted me to reply to you is how you said that you hate to exercise. I also used to hate to exercise until I joined Curves. I joined exactly 7 weeks ago and have lost an incredible 37 pounds! (Low carb eating is also a big factor in my weight loss) As Black57 said it is only a half hour out of your day and gives you tons of energy!!! I used to be sluggish and now I'm ready for anything. They usually have offers to try the workout for free to see if it's for you. Just a suggestion. It has improved my life tremendously.

Kris :)

[adkpam]

[QUOTE=loozeen]How do you all deal with the excessive protein and high cholesterol?[QUOTE]

Well, I consider it "enough" protein and my cholesterol is just fine!

I know what you mean about exercise, but what I used to do is tape movies, usually things my husband wouldn't like, (like Lifetime!) and watch the movies while I did my floor exercises and exercise bike. Worked great! Now I don't have that much room so I will actually read a book while walking my 3 miles around a local lake...also works for me.

What is it you don't like? The lack of company, the boredom, the thing you've picked? All of these are subject to change!

[loozeen]

I hate the pain mostly! LOL

I may try Curves. I don't like doing excercise by myself, you are right about that and the boredom. I could ride my excercise bike and watch tv but it really doesn't appeal to me.

I'll get it all figured out or cave in eventually. I know I have to.

I love the fact that one of you said you've lost 37 pounds since you joined Curves. That's awesome and a good incentive for me.

Thanks for your continued support.