Diabetes 2 anyone?

Hi, been to the Docs. 2.5 weeks ago with a fasting of 156mg/dl...Doc said we'll do another fasting in about 3 weeks.... Well that's next week now....Doc wants me to lose weight. Sooo, I've been dieting since and have lost 13 lbs...yeah!.

Anyway, does anyone have a great last meal before a fasting that will not send your sugar soaring?  Last time I did the fasting I had Beef Stew ...  Potatoes, Carrrots, Onions, Gravy, Beef; a big bowlfull of it.  I was real worried about not eating for like 12 hours before the test.

 Some history: I love to snack, I always clean my plate, have seconds sometimes, Nibble when putting the food away, and drink reg. soda when thirsty....etc.

 Now: I've cut  out all of that and only enjoy the smells of people around me eating that stuff now. I've added fiber - mostly wheat and I've been really good about food choices and started drinking water...yuk.  My tummy has been growling a lot, so now I grab some water.

So if anyone has any good recipes for a possible Diabetes Type 2 person, I would appreciate it? 

Joanne (PS...this is not an April Fools Joke-but I wish it was)

Hi :) 

Sounds like you're doing gr8 :)  Keep up the gr8 work!

The good news is that many people can reduce their diabetes blood glucose numbers through eating more appropriately (diet) and adding in more movement (exercise ;)

There are 2 numbers that are important.  The fasting number, which you had was the 156 #.  It is a little high and hopefully you will see a decline in that number, hopefully to below 125.

You should also ask the doctor to do a 90 day look back test called an A1C test; that can tell what your numbers are over the last 90 day period.... and this should be in the 5% range.

This can take more than 60 days to change your numbers and sometimes all you will need to do is lose 5% - 15% of your weight to see the changes begin, but....

and here's the but...  you will need to create a new lifestyle ~ a way to eat and exercise that will nourish your body... and help you be healthier for the rest of your life!!!

Eating does not need to be deprivation and a list of foods you can and can't have...  Food can be an adventure; full of flavor and spice and satisfying meals and snacks... 

you do not need to diet for the rest of your life, but you do need to quit over-eating and you should focus on foods that are full of nutrients and qualities that will feed your body and make you healthier....

Learning about those foods will be an adventure... and you can make the changes as you discover the food.

Concentrate on following your meal plan ~ spreading out your food with 3 balanced meals and balanced snacks in between.

If you choose complex carbohydrates ~ whole fruits and vegetables (instead of juice) that still have their fiber in them... whole grain cereals and breads like oatmeal and multi grain breads and cereals, multi-grain noodles, brown and wild rice... these will take longer to digest and leave you feeling fuller because of the fiber than regular white bread and rice... 

choose leanest meats possible and low fat/no fat dairy, heart healthy fats including salmon and albacore tuna, nuts and peanut butter, olives & olive oil....

now, about that dinner ~ I would have something like 3 - 4 oz of lean meat (chicken or turkey breast, lean porkchop or 4% fat hamburger), perhaps a cup of brown & wild rice, 2 cups of veggies... 

then depending on how early/late the test will be, I would have an evening snack... a protein/carb combo; perhaps light yogurt and a banana...

good luck with your test :) 

ps ~ don't stop and go back to your old ways until you hear the results... assume you're doing fine but will retest in 3 mos or so... and continue on making these changes!!! 

unfortunately, as diabetics we are susceptible to some pretty bad complications and other problems with heart disease, stroke, and all sorts of things... 

the good news is that all of these things can be delayed or maybe even prevented by changing the way we eat... and by adding more activity to our lives!!! 

Hope this helps!  Cheers :)

Here's some information about Type 2 diabetes with good explantions about what's going on. 

Type 2 Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association publishes several really nice cookbooks.  They should be available at your public library.  I think having a look at a cookbook before you buy is a good idea.

Diabetics really can eat anything that anyone else does (yes, including sugar!), but it is even more important for us to watch our portions. 

When eating carbs, try to choose complex carbs (veggies, whole grain, fiber), and pair them up with protein and/or fat wherever possible to slow down the way the carbs get absorbed into the blood stream. 

Learn to love veggies and lean protein sources, then match them up with alternative, fiber-rich choices like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat/grain bread, and you will be well on your way to lowering your sugars.

Thanks I needed that. I have been a type 2 for twelve years or so. I ignored it, and now I notice eyes are getting worse, Keytones are up, blood pressure is always up etc., etc.
Last year I started to tackel the weight problem but, just as I was making some headway (just before Christmas) the bottom fell out. This week I came back to this site and instead of reading all the cute little notes from all the "other" people, I will admit that "I" have a problem with food and start to participate.
This week my Doc will tell me the results of the 3 month average and it won't be good. I hope to turn that around before its too late.
My advise....don't give up the life style change you've make cuz your diabetes will get worse.
Now I have to learn to take my own advise.
Where is a good message board for me? Thanks Gerry.

Gerry,

There are some really good message boards at the American Diabetes Association website... www.diabetes.org

All the people posting are living with diabetes and are really good about helping you figure things out so you can gain control of the disease.

Lisa

Their Nutrition and Recipes section is excellent

wow united2gether learned alot from you - and congrats to you joanne - i've no recipes to share but would just like to say that i've type 2 diabetes also and have found 2 foods that REALLY do help me - don't know about anyone else - but the 2 foods i think are worth trying are buckwheat and bitter melon - both take a bit of getting used to but i've grown to love them and they really do help me - i prepare my buckwheat 1 cup buckwheat to 1 cup water in a rice cooker - this food really gives me a feeling of being full and satisfied and whenever i eat buckwheat i find my levels don't spike nearly as much (its a several points difference so for me that's significant) - bitter melon is a veggie and again, seems to really keep my sugar levels in check - if anyone else with type 2 has tried either of these foods i'd like to hear their stories

just a postscript - i love buckwheat cabbage rolls (i use buckwheat instead of rice, wrapped with softened cabbage leaves, tucked into a roaster and smothered with tomato soup - a really delicious and healthy supper - i usually prepare a large roaster and then freeze dinner size portions

how's it going?

Hi United, (thanks for asking)

I had my follow up visit...I tested my sugars that A.M. it was 120 mg/dL...Of course as it goes in the office the test was 126 mg/dL...He listed me labeled be as having "elevated sugars" since I had provided him a list of my tests and the fasting ones weren't over the 120 mark....He wants me go come back June 4 and will do the A1C test again (he said my first test was 6.5% - I can't remember if that's a real bad score or not for a non-diabetic person)....So as for the losing weight part of my visit...he was glad that I lost 14 lbs, I was making progress but he said "Ya know if you only lose 2 lbs a month that would be great too and by the way that equals 24 lbs in a year"....so I guess according to him, I went over board...I figure I need to lose the weight now, not by the end of a full year, if I want my sugar levels to be less than elevated.  Since being on this site and entering a days worth of food and seeing my actual calorie intake, I have added some more foods to my day (although, they aren't exactly a good diabetic's combination of foods)...So since my docs visit, I've lost a couple of pounds, but scale is so different  from before I go to bed and after I get up from sleeping (like 4 lbs)...it's hard to say what I really weigh from day to day.  I'm working on main goal: to stay normal.

Hi joanne and everyone, I have type 2 diabetes as well and have learned a lot from the American Diabetes site that the others have already suggested you visit.  In the eight years I've been struggling with this I've found it's easy to backslide and fall back into old habits.  I don't think it will ever come easy for me.  It's a struggle all the time but if you can master the art of moderation, you really can control your sugars by limiting carbs somewhat and exercising a little.  My best advice to myself is always just to jump back on the horse after I fall off (so to speak).  It's easy to say to heck with it and eat whatever you want in greater portions than you should once you give yourself permission to indulge.  At least it works that way for me.  I try really hard to make it be about what I can eat, rather than what I can't.  Sounds like you are all doing great.  Let's keep it up.  Dora

I was diagnosed with diabetes about 5 wks. ago and I'm just getting to know which foods take up/down my blood sugar. I'm doing well and I'm finding out that it's not so bad.  I have neuropothy in both legs from not being diagnosed soon enough, but now I can slow down the progress by monitoring myself.  I always came up negative on the blood glucose tests each year, so I was told that I didn't have diabetes.  Now they say that I have had it for years. I'm now balancing out what I eat each day with 3meals and 3 snacks and I'm learning about my body.  I'm overweight  with high blood pressure and high tryglicerides so I'm watching my fat intake. So far I have lost 15 lbs. and I have brought down my blood pressure to normal in the past 3 months since I've stated my diet.  I no longer have swollen fingers every morning, but sometimes my blood sugar is a little high.  My counselor told me that some diabetics have a condition that causes their sugar to go up while they sleep so I've started to eat a low carb snack before going to bed and it seems to be getting better.  I like oatmeal.  It fills me up. I learned to eat it with about 1/2 tsp of sugar.  It has 18gms of carbs in it and that is 1 carb choice for a diabetic. I try to have 2 carb choices each meal and 1 carb choice for each snack.  I eat a lot of veggies and I'm actually enjoying it.  I found out that I have to keep track of me because no one else can do it for me.  Going to the doctors if okay, but they will only tell you what you need to do, but only you can do it.