Trying again, but I feel lost.

[JoeMama]

I'm going to try to keep this as short as possible though it might get long.

I am diabetic, and have lost at one point lost 35 lbs. I should lose another 60-70.

Recently, it's been more difficult to control my BG levels. And the medications my Dr wants me on are rather expensive, and therefore I have been looking for alternatives including taking supplements and systemic enzimes to help with BG levels. Unfortunately, it's not enough.

My two last changes I can make are diet and exercise which some would tell me that I should have done that in the first place. But that's where I'm at.

I live in a household where I am the diabetic, and everyone is overweight. My wife doesn't cook, I don't want to cook for 5 people who won't eat the food I need to make, and the available foods are frozen usually in boxes. I've been asking my wife to bring more fruits which has been a good change.

I have recently started to replace a meal with a low carb protein shake, fruit for snacks, but have been having difficulty at night, where anything goes, and late at night where I may have a carby snack or cereal.

I was doing the Insanity exercise program which I could get through three weeks, but for one reason or another I stop after a while. I have also gotten through a couple weeks of the T25 program, but again stopped.

In anycase, my BG levels are still too high. I have noticed that I don't see real results from doing low carb (for my BG levels) unless I am within the 40 or lower grams of carbs a day. Any more than that, it's still too high.

From this site, I hope to get some insight from folks following a low carb diet, which foods to eat and maybe gain a list of lowcarb foods that I can create weekly meals from. Second, exchange experiences with supplements or alternative treatments for diabetes. And third, I want to follow up with what exercise folks are doing and seeing results.

At this point, i'm not trying to lose weight, my goals are staying low carb, and being consistent with exercise to bring BG down and better A1C results.

I need this change and I am hopeful.

[Just Jo]

:wave: Hey Joe! Hello from New Mexico and Welcome to the best LC WOE site on the planet.

Many wonderful, experienced and LC WOE successful people on this site who are more than willing to help and support us as we journey thru LC WOE. If you have any questions, just ask, someone will have an answer!

IMHO, you are going to have to decide which LC WOE plan you want to follow and that you will be willing to live with the rest of your life. For those of us that want to keep the weight off, we have embraced the fact that we will have to continue this LC WOE to the grave.

I am doing one of the most restrictive forms of LC WOE, IMHO, which is Atkins '72, eating real food, but none of the prepackaged LC foods aka shakes, meals or franken foods and my menu is really basic and simple (my journal outlines what I eat each day).

Since I am very carb sensitive and a recovering morbidly obese carb addict with portion control issues, A '72 works the best for me.

Wishing you much success on your personal journey!

:rheart: Jo

[Elizellen]

Welcome back to the board, Joe! :wave:

Is it your job to do the cooking? If so then you could perhaps cook low carb friendly meals for you and add starchy stuff like a side or two of pasta, potatoes, rice etc for the others to put on their plate alongside the meat/fish/low carb veggies you are eating.

Many of our members do this so as not to make separate meals for others.

[Nancy LC]

My wife doesn't cook, I don't want to cook for 5 people who won't eat the food I need to make, and the available foods are frozen usually in boxes.
That's a shame that someone isn't cooking. I think a key factor in most people's success is being able to control their environment and planning. Yes, you can do it on will power, but it is very hard. You've got to figure out why you cave and fix it. Keep carby food out-of-sight will probably help a lot.

Doing it with exercise alone isn't going to work. My ex-boyfriend kept thinking he could do that. His BG just gets worse and worse. Also, keep in mind that over-exercising can be bad too. You can injure yourself and then no longer exercise, get too busy to exercise, or if you over-do it you can actually slow down your metabolism with too much cardio.

Also, note this, I think a lot of folks fall into the trap of thinking that being overweight caused their diabetes, it doesn't. It isn't going to go away when you lose weight. Being overweight is your body trying to protect you from high blood sugar. It is trying to dispose of all that sugar harmless, and storing it as fat is how it works.

So a low carb commitment, for a diabetic, probably has to be for life. Medications only work so long and they don't work that well. Diet, however, works really well for T2's. You've just gotta be pretty strict about it, and if you are, your A1C will plummet.

I wish you success and hope. It is a big step, but one many people have taken before.

Reading and research will help get your mind into the right place. There's the Atkins's books, of course, but also look into books from Gary Taubes, Dr. Davis, Dr's Phinney/Volek and more.

Lots of great blogs out there too.

[khrussva]

I too am a diabetic (type 2). I was diagnosed with it just about the same time as I started my Low Carb lifestyle -- but I'm sure I'd been an undiagnosed diabetic for a while. My doctor was supportive of my diet and decided to see if I could manage my blood sugar through diet instead of meds. It turns out, I could. 3 months later, My A1C score was well down into the pre-diebetic range and my health and energy levels were greatly improved. I'm pretty sure that by my next visit, my A1C will be in the normal range. So for me, low carb is the only way to go.

I am very mindful of the Glycemic Index of foods (how fast they affect your blood sugar). I eat low carb (less than 30 net carbs per day) and I try to avoid eating any food that is high on the GI charts. So grains, starches, and high sugar fruits are foods that I avoid. I do occationally have fruit that is lower in carbs (berries, cantaloupe, tomato, etc.) but I eat them in very small quantities and along with fat and other low carb foods to minimize the impact on my blood sugar. So far, it has been working. But I agree with the others -- you need to pick a plan (and I would suggest a very low carb plan, like mine) and follow it. You can manage and lower your blood sugar with how you eat and (assuming you are a Type 2 diabetic) in time you could get off of meds altogether. If you can do it, managing you diabetes through diet really is the best way to go.

Like most everyone else, my house is filled with things I cannot eat. My wife just can't seem to give up the sweets. I've had to learn to deal with it. She also can't cook -- if she does dinner it is all heat-and-serve processed food that I can't eat. So I have taken the lead roll in cooking family meals. For a while, I'd do meals that included what I could eat and then I'd add a few sides that the carb eaters would enjoy (just like Elizellen said). But guess what? My family actually liked the LC food I was making. We have several family members with weight issues also and the message relayed to them was that we all needed to eat more healthy or they'd end up like me. For a time, we were all eating low carb. Two of my daughters have stuck with it and I don't bother cooking any extra carby junk. The carb eaters are on their own for adding to what ever I prepare. As it turns out, even those still eating higher carbs are still eating far less of it than they were before and I'm sure they are the better for it.

If I can do it, you can do it. I've had to learn what to eat and what not to eat. I've had to learn how to cook some. But it has all been SO worth it. I feel better than I have felt in years, I am getting healthy again, and my family is learning how to eat better. It is win, win, win all the way around.

Welcome. I wish you the best. This is a great place to hang out, learn, and get support. If you need help, just ask and there are plenty of people who can tell you what you need to know.

[jessdamess]

Welcome back to the board, Joe! :wave:

Is it your job to do the cooking? If so then you could perhaps cook low carb friendly meals for you and add starchy stuff like a side or two of pasta, potatoes, rice etc for the others to put on their plate alongside the meat/fish/low carb veggies you are eating.

Many of our members do this so as not to make separate meals for others.

I second this. That is exactly what I do for my family of 6. They get healthy foods plus the carby things they like. Low-carb food doesn't have to be bland and boring either.

[LilyB]

My blood sugar was not "high", but it was absolutely MOST REACTIVE... the entire time I weighed under 120. There are at least four generations before me who developed "adult onset" diabetes... and two generations since me who show all the markers of having reactive blood sugars.

The more I lowered my fat per the recommendations, and ate more healthy grains, the wilder my fluctuations... and that is WITHOUT soda, candy, or any of that stuff.

I'm a little heavy these days, (I am also packing some additional 20-30 lbs of solid muscle) but my sugars are much steadier than they ever were in my low fat days. I cook 75% low carb, and if people don't want what I fix... there's the stove, and there's the pantry/fridge/freezer... knock yourself out. ;)

[bkloots]

Welcome, JoeMama. You've come to a good place to fix that lost feeling.

I think what Ken says is the most relevant to your situation. I ditto other advice that you get a couple of good books on low-carb and find a plan to follow. Gary Taubes's Why We Get Fat is a good summary of low-carb science. It includes a low carb diet guide at the back.

As for cooking? The food you "need to make" is basically meat, meat, and meat. Is anybody in your family opposed to bacon? Juicy burgers? Baked chicken with the delicious skin still on?

Do you have a grill?

I buy pork chops in big quantities at Costco and freeze them in meal-size packages. Likewise burger patties, precooked bacon, and sausage patties. Grab and go rotisserie chicken has some carbs, but it's fine for a "fast food" meal once in a while.

Keep it simple. No one will starve.

Best wishes.

P.S. Low-carb will help you sleep better and avoid night-time snacking. For now, ditch the fruit. Get some pepperonis, some nuts (almonds, macadamias), some string cheese.

Also, weight training, or resistance training, goes well with low-carb. Just start with a few push-ups--mind your form! This works your whole body at once.

[KDH]

Ditch the strenuous exercise, ditch the fruit (wet bags of candy) and never again eat food out of a box. This is YOUR LIFE, the only one you will ever have, and it is your obligation to make the most of it.

Watch the "butter makes your pants fall off" and "lard makes you lean" YouTube videos. That guy makes it all very clear.

[NoWhammies]

Hiya Jo:

I have two indispensable cooking tools in my home - my slow cooker and our smoker/grill. I make virtually all of our meals in one or the other of these appliances, with occasional use of the oven or the stovetop. Making low-carb foods in the slow cooker is super easy and nearly fail proof. Plus, it allows you to throw a bunch of ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a meal. Plus, clean up is super easy.

If no one else in the house will eat what I'm making, I still make a big batch and freeze it. Then I have healthy options at the ready whenever I need a quick meal on the go.

[JoeMama]

I appreciate all of your comments. Many good ideas here.

I am still unclear however, about the comments about not doing too much exercise. Can someone explain that to me?

Any of you managing BG levels with diet and/or supplements?

[Just Jo]

I am still unclear however, about the comments about not doing too much exercise. Joe, I know many people doing A '72 & other forms of LC WOE that don't exercise. In all honesty, you have to do a lot of exercising to burn a lot of calories (like professional athletes do for 6-8 hours a day).

IMHO, exercising is like the cherry on top of this LC WOE, you may not burn a significant amount of calories but the overall health benefits are a huge bonus. I exercise like a crazy woman, I like the way it makes me feel and I think my "loose skin" from losing the tonnage would have been more if I hadn't. (Sorry if that's TMI!)

Onward and DOWNWARD, dude! :cheer:

:rheart: Jo

[Maori]

Great info. Welcome and best wishes.

[JEY100]

Ditch the strenuous exercise, ditch the fruit (wet bags of candy) and never again eat food out of a box. This is YOUR LIFE, the only one you will ever have, and it is your obligation to make the most of it.

Watch the "butter makes your pants fall off" and "lard makes you lean" YouTube videos. That guy makes it all very clear.

Good post, KDH...Those are great videos! Watch all of Bob's videos and read his posts here: https://www.facebook.com/buttermakesyourpantsfalloff?ref=ts&fref=ts

Also watch the CBN story of Dr. Westman's program for diabetics. Dump the sugar, Eat Fat and cure diabetes. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/february/dump-sugar-eat-fat-and-cure-diabetes/ Janet is a friend through the local support group and she continues to lose weight, well over 100 pounds now, and her blood sugars are completely normal!

There is an entire sub-forum on diabetes here, many good presentations and easy to understand videos about how to control blood sugars through diet. Read back three or four pages of threads for tons of good info: http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45&page=1&sort=lastpost&order=&pp=25&daysprune=-1

[bkloots]

About exercise...

If you are aiming for a ketogenic level of carb consumption (do the research if you don't know what that is), your body may require 2-3 weeks of adjustment to the new fuel supply. During that time, you will need to consume plenty of water and possibly more salt, often taken in the form of bouillon. You may experience depressed energy during that time, which could make strenuous exercise (eg. An hour of cardio or heavy weight lifting) difficult.

After the adjustment period, you can do whatever exercise you like. And you should.

Exercise is good for cardio/pulmonary health and for strengthening muscles and bones. However, the "calorie burning" effects of exercise are often overstated. Most low-carb losers drop weight successfully with or without exercise.

Exercise is also shown to improve blood pressure, and possibly to increase the HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Just do it. But you don't have to knock yourself out.

Best wishes.
P.S. I like brisk walking (I have some audio tapes with a great beat) and I use exercise videos for resistance training. Jari Love's Ripped! is fun--very little equipment. There are many to choose from at all levels of experience and equipment. You have to find something you actually enjoy in order to keep doing it.

[khrussva]

Any of you managing BG levels with diet and/or supplements?

Yes -- with diet. I don't eat foods that have a significant impact on blood sugar (AKA BG). No sweets, no bread, no cereal, no pasta, no starchy vegetables (like potatoes, corn, or beans) and very limited fruit. I eat a variety of LC veggies, some nuts & seeds, meat, dairy (except milk) and plenty of fat. I read the labels of packaged food and watch out for added sugar & starch. I keep it low carb every meal, every snack, everyday. The carbs I do have are eaten in combination with fat and protein so that any impact on BG is minimized. So even the food that would have some impact on BG has less of an impact than it would if it were eaten by itself. Keeping my carbs low and my BG stable, my cravings and relentless hunger went away. This is how you manage BG with diet. It may sound difficult to do -- and it is at first. But this is a very healthy way to eat and your body will thank you for it. It is your high carb diet that got you into this mess in the first place. If you want to manage you BG with diet, the carby food has got to be eliminated.

I started my Low Carb plan on Feb 3. On March 10, I had a doctor visit where I had the A1C and fasting BG tests. The doctor called me in for another appointment a few days later to give me the the bad news -- that I was a full fledged diabetic. She was, however a little puzzled by the results. I'd told her I was on a diet on my first visit -- but (as she explained later) every heavy patient says that so she does not pay much attention until she sees some results. Anyway -- she was puzzled because my A1C score of 7.0 indicated I had major issues with high BG over the previous 3 or 4 months, but my fasting BG was under 100 (i.e. not too bad). So we discussed my diet and what I was eating. She said that what I was doing appeared to be doing the job -- so she told me to just keep it up and we'd do a followup in 3 months to see how it is working. I asked her if I needed to get a meter and measure my BG on a regular basis. She said no - "just keep doing what you are doing." At my 3 month appointment, my A1C had dropped to 6.0 and my fasting BG was 87. I was also 40 pounds lighter without any exercise. My doctor told me "You are healing yourself". She said as long as I keep eating the way I'm eating, there is no need for another follow-up appointment. I won't see her again until my next annual checkup in March. By then, I expect to have lost 150 pounds eating this way. I'm losing weight without being hungry and taking control of my diabetes at the same time. What could be any better than that? I've felt so great and have had so much energy that I have started exercising on a regular basis. I almost can't help it. I do lots of walking and have recently added 3 days a week of upper body weight training.

Now, if I were on meds, I think the doctor would have had me monitor my BG regularly. A low carb diet will really drop and stablize your BG and the meds you are taking can drop it too low. It is best to work closely with your doctor to figure out how to adjust your meds to keep your BG at good levels while you work on managing your BG through diet.

Well, that is pretty much how I did it. As I said in my earlier post, I think I had been suffering from high BG issues well before I was diagnosed. I had frequent urination, frequent urinary tract infections, blury eyes, skin issues, nerve pain in my feet, I was dead tired all the time and constantly hungry. Life was becoming miserable. That was 8 months ago. Today I have none of it. I'm about as healthy as you can be for a 325 pound 51 year old man. Mark my words... if you get serious and do what it takes to eat right everyday, you will be very glad you did. The carby junk you now think you cannot live without won't even be missed.

[bkloots]

Ken, I'm thrilled to read your story. Thanks for taking the time to provide the detail. You've done an amazing job--but of course the important thing is that you are experiencing the healing benefits. Congrats! May you enjoy the new you for decades to come.

[Nancy LC]

I appreciate all of your comments. Many good ideas here.

I am still unclear however, about the comments about not doing too much exercise. Can someone explain that to me?

Any of you managing BG levels with diet and/or supplements?
Check out "The Art and Science of Low Carb Living" by Phinney/Volek. They cite some studies about people slowing their metabolism by exercising (cardio) too much.

Check out "Mark's Daily Apple" and his posts about "chronic cardio". I'm not saying all exercise is bad. I think the key is building muscle and doing a little cardio and perhaps lots of low key moving, like walking. Certainly you want to avoid "Biggest Loser" style of exercise. Those folks end up with far, far slower metabolisms have have an almost impossible time maintaining their losses.

[KDH]

I appreciate all of your comments. Many good ideas here.

I am still unclear however, about the comments about not doing too much exercise. Can someone explain that to me?

Any of you managing BG levels with diet and/or supplements?

Exercise is great for a lot of things. Keeping you strong, flexible, etc. But for weight loss? Not so much. There's a train of thought out there that strenuous exercise actually raises your glucose levels, due to the cortisol levels that increase with stress. And there is the inflammation that comes with constant pounding on joints, etc. All I can say is that it's never particularly helped me. Nor has fruit.

I started this way of eating 12 years ago when I was diagnosed diabetic and put on metformin. That nasty stuff made me so sick, I figured "if this helps me digest carbs, I'll just skip the carbs!" and started from there. I may have been up and down at the bottom range of my weight, but I have been able to control my blood sugar levels through diet ONLY all through my 30s and into my 40s fairly easily. No sugar, no grain, no starch. It's that easy. (and yes, fructose is sugar)

[JoeMama]

Thank Ken! Very inspirational!

[JoeMama]

Thanks Nancy and KDH.

I'll have to seek out those references.

[JEY100]

Earlier Barabara suggested you read Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes for its explanation of LC and a basic plan. It is also a great book to help you understand why exercise is useless for weight loss. One good comment was along the lines that the advice we are given on how to work up an appetite (Eat Less and Exercise More) is the exact same advice your doctor gives you to Lose Weight. That will not work...never has. Gary talks about exercise in a new documentary you can rent on-line, Carb-Loaded. http://carbloaded.com. Also in a one hour talk about the book on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTUspjZG-wc

[bkloots]

Just a caution: don't use the notion that "exercise is useless for weight loss" as an excuse.

Cardio exercise alone--hours of spinning or running or jumping on a trampoline--will never "burn" enough calories to make a dent in what you will eat to fuel the activity. However, Regular use of your heart and lungs in some form of moderate exertion is still a good thing.

Building muscle through targeted resistance training CAN work to burn more fuel. That's one reason why men (with genetically more muscle than women) often lose fat faster than women on a low-carb diet. Dang it.

The trick is to find some form of activity you enjoy and will actually do on a regular basis. For Dr. Atkins, it was tennis.

Your decision.