[Strawberry]

I've been diabetic for over 5 years and in all of that time I've only met one real live person in my town who has diabetes. I know from reading this forum that I'm not alone in having this disease, but I still feel alone.

I used to care what my BG numbers were and watched my carb intake very carefully. Lately I find myself not caring anymore. How do I get back on the 'wagon' and start caring again?

 

[breezeonby]

I've been diabetic for over 5 years and in all of that time I've only met one real live person in my town who has diabetes. I know from reading this forum that I'm not alone in having this disease, but I still feel alone.

I used to care what my BG numbers were and watched my carb intake very carefully. Lately I find myself not caring anymore. How do I get back on the 'wagon' and start caring again?

Strawberry, I understand how you feel! I have only met a couple of people with diabetes. But I have found people here on the forum who will help and listen to you. When I have a question, I come here and I usually get a couple of responses.

You need to care about your numbers they are very important and if you stop taking care of yourself, you will regret the neglect when complications start to surface. Maybe if you just tried to test a couple of times a day and watch your carbs for a meal then you might be able to get back on track.

Goodluck and we are here for you!

 

[Shanny]

We are definitely here for you, Strawberry . . . come visit us often and tell us about it - I gain so much strength from the other members of this board, and I hope you will too. Maybe just talking with us about not caring, will help you START caring again. Thank you for joining us.

 

[Wink]

There are probably more diabetics around you then you think. I don't make a point of telling people - probaby most of us don't. But when I do mention it there's always someone else around that is also diabetic - Sassy's Mom at the dog park, the receptionist at the vets, 4 out of 11 people at the steering meeting for my carving club, etc.
Then I came here and it seems like everyone is!

 

[espresso]

Strawberry, you got back on the wagon when you decided to come here. Pay attention to the posts already made and we hope to see more of you.

 

[Strawberry]

I used to test my BG between 10-15 times a day and my control was mediocre if not good. Now the new Endocrinologist I went to tells me I don't need to test so often, but I still don't agree with him.

I test when I wake up, before and after each meal and at bedtime. I think that it amounts to a minimum of 8 times. I also prefer to test when I'm not feeling well and before I get behind the wheel. I'm trying to be responsible in my diabetes care, but the Endo seems to think I'm over doing it. He also tells me I should be eating about 150-200 carbs everyday.

I'm overweight and really want to lose weight, but don't see how that is going to happen if I eat so many carbs. I've read on this forum that many people eat low carb diets. I realize that "one size doesn't fit all", but can someone share with me what 'low carb' means to them? Is it a certain amount of carbs each day or just 'trying' to eat things that are low in carbs all day? Sorry if my post is too long. I need help and I'm not getting it from my Endo. I had to beg for a referral to a podiatrist because my feet hurt so bad.

 

[breezeonby]

I used to test my BG between 10-15 times a day and my control was mediocre if not good. Now the new Endocrinologist I went to tells me I don't need to test so often, but I still don't agree with him.

I test when I wake up, before and after each meal and at bedtime. I think that it amounts to a minimum of 8 times. I also prefer to test when I'm not feeling well and before I get behind the wheel. I'm trying to be responsible in my diabetes care, but the Endo seems to think I'm over doing it. He also tells me I should be eating about 150-200 carbs everyday.

I'm overweight and really want to lose weight, but don't see how that is going to happen if I eat so many carbs. I've read on this forum that many people eat low carb diets. I realize that "one size doesn't fit all", but can someone share with me what 'low carb' means to them? Is it a certain amount of carbs each day or just 'trying' to eat things that are low in carbs all day? Sorry if my post is too long. I need help and I'm not getting it from my Endo. I had to beg for a referral to a podiatrist because my feet hurt so bad.

I think that you should be able to test as much as you want. I see that you use the Relion meter, the strips are cheap. Are you getting a prescription from your endo so that you can get your insurance to help pay for your strips? If so, maybe you need to start looking for a new endo. Only testing will tell you how many carbs that your body can handle every day. A good rule of thumb is 45 grams of carbs per meal and 15 grams of carbs per snack. If you are getting high post meal readings then you are eating too many carbs and need to cut back. We have many members who eat very low carb 50-60 grams of carbs per day. They have taken the time to test after eating and found that their body can only deal with so many carbs. If you take insulin, you should be able to handle more carbs, but once again testing will let you know.

 

[Shanny]

Boy, Strawberry . . . your doc sounds like a piece of work. How much trouble would it be to find a new one? If it were me, I'd dump this one as fast as I could. Eating to our meters, which is what Breeze described, is the best way to keep our numbers down, and to do that we have to test. I agree with everything Breeze said. Keep testing, find out which foods send you too high, and eliminate those foods from your menus. (and find a new doc! )

 

[John.in.France]

Strawberry,

I'm a new kid on the block - I live in the middle of France in a hamlet that has all of 12 houses - only 6 of which are occupied all year round. When I was told that I was diabetic in August, that made 3 diabetics in the hamlet. We're common as muck (to use a British expression).

When I got back home from hospital, the wife had already done the homework and put me on a reduced carb diet. Over my three meals, I eat about 80 grams of carbs each day.

I've been testing myself since mid August and this is what my numbers look like now:

Average Morning 80
Average Noon 88
Average Evening 91
Average Fasting Overall 86

Average Post Prandial 1 hour 100
Average Post Prandial 2 hours 102

The concept works and I suggest you have a look at this site:
Blood Sugar 101 where the author of the book on display - a diabetic since 1997 - , describes how to take your Blood sugar in hand and pull it back to sensible values.

Your health matters and the folk on this forum will do all they can to support you - but you need to come back on board and care for yourself. I'm not convinced that your doctor is doing you any favours.

John

 

[Wink]

Low carb can mean alot of things and you have to find what works for you. I've only been aware of my diabetes for a month, but here's my experience.

When I saw the results of my 3 hour test I knew there was a problem so I came here and found out that all carbs could be problems so I quit eating all grains and sugars with few exceptions. Without any goal for carbs, my new eating came out to be 50-60 carbs per day. I had about 3 days of feeling icky with carb withdrawl - I used to live on nothing but carbs. Then I was fine, no hunger, no cravings and eating mostly eggs, cheeseburgers, tuna salad, chicken, broccoli, avocado, almonds and cheese. After a week I finally talked to the doctor for the first time and he said because of my weight I should go on the Atkins diet. I didn't do that right away instead I started testing more vegetables, fruits, small amounts of grain to see what I could eat and keep BG under 140. At 50-60 carbs per day my BG numbers were running between 110-140.

The basis for Atkins is that eating a normal American diet our bodies have learned to use carbs for energy and store pretty much all the fat we eat because carb use is quick and easy for our bodies. If you severely reduce carbs you force the body to switch to a mode where you burn fat - the fat you are eating and the fat you are storing. Atkins starts at 20 g carb per day (mostly from vegies) and increases after that to whatever level works for you. If you cheat when you are in fat burning mode you will mess it up big time because your body will get those "easy" carbs and start craving them again. That's what the book says.

Just a week ago, I decided to try the Atkins. Since I was already so low on carbs I feel fine and not hungry - you can eat as much non-carb as you feel you need so you can eat most meats and cheeses anytime. I'm not seeing the weight loss yet but my BG has really improved the last few days. At 20 carbs per day I'm now seeing a range of 95-120. I do need a wider range of foods to eat and that should improve since I just ordered a bunch of almond flour, carbquick, etc which will be here next week.

So far, it seems to be working for me.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Strawberry,

you are not alone. we all here are in the same boat.

talk to us. vent, cry, yell, type out 5,976 word rants, whatever you want. thats ALL ok here.

we are here for you.

we are all different and react different to different foods.

for me personally, i have no desire to eat and have to force myself to make sure i eat three times a day.

 

[Anthill]

Most Diabetics are alone!!

I am a type one Diabetic who has been alone for nearly 50 years. I have dated more than 20+ girls and I just cannot keep one. I explain that I have this disease and they just go. I wonder why??

Strawberry, There's somebody who would like you as even myself I will find my lady. Some day.

 

[Strawberry]

In reference to 'low carbs' I can do a good job with the exception of breakfast. The Doc tells me to eat oatmeal for my cholesterol and to lose weight. I've learned long ago that my BG goes completely out of control when I used to eat oatmeal. So......if it isn't hot cereal, what else is there? I've tried 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt with several sliced strawberries in it. Even with that my post prandial BG goes out of target.

Breakfast is the hardest meal of my day to get 'right'. Also does anyone else have problems just watching family members enjoying the things that you used to be able to eat? My DH is very slim, eats anything he wants and has very few health problems. He doesn't understand why my BG goes up when I eat 'healthy foods' like he eats.

 

[Joshua Shorter]

does anyone else have problems just watching family members enjoying the things that you used to be able to eat? My DH is very slim, eats anything he wants and has very few health problems. He doesn't understand why my BG goes up when I eat 'healthy foods' like he eats.

I have had this problem. Fortunately my immediate family has responded very well to my diagnosis and they eat close to the same things I do on a regular basis.
We did have a birthday party for my niece yesterday and it was hard to not have a big slice of cake and bowl of ice cream. As thosebackpages said, this is a safe place where you can rant as much as you want. Never a need to apologize here.
Welcome and good luck!!

 

[Shanny]

Your doc is a little behind the learning curve for diabetic diets. He needs to learn that cereal is one of the worst offenders in raising BG. He also needs to learn that many, if not most diabetics are a lot more carb-sensitive in the morning especially. Keeping your BG low and stable will benefit your cholestol levels in and of itself, and low carb eating will help with weight loss.

The definition of "healthy eating" gets turned upsidedown for diabetic patients. All the whole grains, fruit, milk & wonderful "health" foods are disastrous for BG. It would be a lot easier for many of us if the general population (medical team included!) were less judgemental, and better aware that eating to our meters is the one way we can ensure long complication-free lives for ourselves.

As for breakfast, eat anything you like. I often eat deviled eggs for breakfast; today I think I'll have hot wings. Other days I have bacon or sausage & egg. If I have avocados on hand or guacamole made up, I eat that for breakfast too, along with some of these cheese crisps for dipping.

You don't have to adhere to traditional "breakfast" foods . . . eat whatever you like that doesn't raise your BG. We had dinner out awhile back & I ordered a steak that was way more than one meal for me. So I brought home the leftover steak and ate it for breakfast the next day. Now I'm a fervent believer in steak for breakfast!

And whether or not you husband understands WHY your BG goes up, is less important than accepting that it DOES go up, and that can create serious health problems for you.

 

[Joshua Shorter]

Steak for breakfast is the best!!

 

[Strawberry]

I'm very grateful to have other ideas for breakfast besides oatmeal (although I love it). This morning I was in a rush because I had numerous errands to run in town, so I stopped at McD's and had a 'sausage burrito'. Pre prandial BG was 129 and now 2 hrs later my post prandial is a whopping 192. That number is way out of my target and I also had taken my meal time dose of Symlin. The other thing that may have contributed to the rise is I changed my infusion set this morning too - as weird as it sounds my BG always seems to go up after an infusion set change. Sigh......I don't feel like I'm very good at controlling this darned diabetes - it is more like it controls me

 

[ThoseBackPages]

I'm very grateful to have other ideas for breakfast besides oatmeal (although I love it). This morning I was in a rush because I had numerous errands to run in town, so I stopped at McD's and had a 'sausage burrito'. Pre prandial BG was 129 and now 2 hrs later my post prandial is a whopping 192. That number is way out of my target and I also had taken my meal time dose of Symlin. The other thing that may have contributed to the rise is I changed my infusion set this morning too - as weird as it sounds my BG always seems to go up after an infusion set change. Sigh......I don't feel like I'm very good at controlling this darned diabetes - it is more like it controls me

i wouldnt eat mcdonalds if you paid me. that being said, you mentioned burrito, that sounds like a man made bread-like item. that will be a huge BG spiker

 

[Shanny]

We're all wrestling for control, believe me! And the only way we can get it is by identifying the culprits so we can avoid them. Your sausage burrito - courtesy of that flour tortilla - is almost as many carbs as a cupful of oatmeal.

Here's another splendid breakfast offering . . . Eggs Benedict.

There are a few products on the market that are reasonable facsimiles, like the thin buns in the eggs benedict recipe, and you about have to eat 'em & test to know which ones you can tolerate (I can tolerate HALF a thin bun! ) . I still enjoy my burritos, but I make 'em with Olé high-fiber tortillas and once in awhile I even take my Olé ones along to the restaurant & swap out the restaurant ones for my "safe" one! I do this at Arby's when we go there - having found that I can make a splendiferous wrap by throwing out the buns from their regular Arby sandwiches & wrapping the meat in my Olé tortilla with a drizzle of Horsy Sauce & Arby Sauce . . . heavenly! heheh!

There are a lot of tricks we can use to enjoy low-carb menus without sacrificing quality! Just stay tuned . . . we're just getting started!

 

[Wink]

I hate eating as soon as I get up but I know I have to to stop the rise so I frequently have pumpkin pie for breakfast - no crust & fake sugar of course... pretty sure I found the recipe around here somewhere. That holds me until a more civilized time to eat tuna salad or something.