[Damaramu]

Hi everyone!

I've been lurking here unregistered for a bit and really liked what I saw. Tons of friendly, knowledgeable people, and most importantly - this board is no ghost town!

A little about myself:

I'm 34, a bit overweight (I'm actively working on that - I've lost about 36 pounds since May!), watch what I eat like a hawk, and a bit paranoid about my predicament.

4 or 5 years ago I was diagnosed as insulin resistant. Fast forward to the present, I think I'm still insulin resistant. My doctor has never said flat out that I have diabetes and I never questioned him about it. I know my A1C count from bloodwork done 2 months ago was something like 8.

My doc has me on 1000mg's of Metformin. I've learned to always take it with food or suffer it's wrath! I've been fairly asymptomatic when it comes to side effects. Just recently though, it seems 30 minutes after taking it I get a little drowsy with the slightest hint of dizziness.

I just bought a blood glucose monitor yesterday as I was really curious on as to my levels should really be as I see conflicting data all over the place. For now, I'm going by what I see on the Mayo Clinic's website:

Know your target range

Your doctor will set your target blood sugar range. For many people who have diabetes, target levels are:

* Fasting at least eight hours (fasting blood sugar level) — between 90 and 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or 5 and 7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)
* Before meals — between 70 and 130 mg/dL (4 and 7 mmol/L)
* One to two hours after meals — lower than 180 mg/dL (10 mmol/L)

I tested this morning when I woke up: 138 mg/dL

I ate 1/2 cup of oatmeal (the raw good kind) cooked in a cup of skim milk and another cup of skim milk on the side w/ blueberries. 2 hours later I tested: 138 mg/dL

So yeah, I'm new to this - everything APPEARS ok. My fasting levels seem a little high when you compare it to the Mayo Clinics' recommendations. Oh yeah, I'm also recording all of this in a spreadsheet to show my doc next time I see him (in about a month).

So with that, "Hi everyone!" and I'll keep on working out, controlling my carbs/sugar intake, and taking my meds!

eace:

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Hi Dama and welcome to the Forum.

Sorry to put it bluntly, but there is no doubt in my mind that you have diabetes.

i really hope i am wrong, but your A1C of 8 tells me otherwise.

Cuting the carbs will help you manage your BG numbers and lose even more weight. Keep in mind what has Carbs and what doesnt. (milk has a good amount of carbs in it)

glad to hear that you picked up a meter, thats going to be able to tell you what you will and wont be able to eat going forward in life

 

[Shanny]

Welcome, Damaramu . . . thank you for joining us.

Your numbers look high enough to me to be considered diabetic. I was myself, diagnosed with an A1c of 7.6, so you can understand my puzzlement that your doc hasn't passed judgment yet!

At any rate, you're among friends . . . get to work with that meter, and whenever you eat anything that runs your blood sugar over 140, scratch that food from your menus for now.

A very comprehensive diabetes website is Blood Sugar 101. The author of this site is diabetic herself, and cites all the studies and research to substantiate her statements. It has been a godsend to me and many many diabetic patients.

Make yourself at home here and we hope you visit often!

:welcome:

p.s. Here is a graph of good blood sugar levels from BS101:

 

[Joshua Shorter]

Welcome to the forum.
There are many people on here who are great and want you to be succesful managing this condition. I agree with ThoseBackPages, I think there is no question you are diabetic.
The target ranges most people try to adhere to are much tougher than those put out by Mayo. There is significant evidence that any reading or 140 mg/dL (7.7 mmol/L) causes severe damage. I also try to keep my fasting bg under 120.
Hope you stick around for a while.

 

[Damaramu]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Yeah, my A1C count prior to that was crazy high, like 10!

My doc put me on Janumet, which I took for a while but had to stop cause it was making me feel hypoglycemic. So when I had that second blood work done, I was off my meds for a good 2 or 3 weeks.

I think he wants me to get more blood work done the next time I go in, in about a month or so.

I'm really anxious to see what my A1C count is since I started taking Metformin!

 

[Shanny]

Metformin is a good basic drug for treatment of insulin resistance, i.e. diabetes . . . but to gain the most good from it, you need to restrict your carb intake too. Get a good carb counter like CalorieKing, and try to get your carbs under 100g per day. This is just for starters. Eating to your meter, as previously described, will get you to however much carb your body can tolerate without exceeding the target blood sugar range.

Build your menus around meat/poultry/fish, eggs/cheese, high fiber vegetables like leafy greens, cabbage, kale, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Sharply limit or avoid pasta, rice, breads, potatoes, most fruits, fruit juices & soft drinks. Anything made with white flour or sugar.

 

[Damaramu]

Build your menus around meat/poultry/fish, eggs/cheese, high fiber vegetables like leafy greens, cabbage, kale, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Sharply limit or avoid pasta, rice, breads, potatoes, most fruits, fruit juices & soft drinks. Anything made with white flour or sugar.

Way ahead of you! I think I need to lower my carb intake even more than what I've done.

I do the dark green leafy stuff already, so that should be no problem!

I eat brown rice about once or twice every couple of weeks and limit
myself to about a cup when I do. I usually eat it in conjunction with this 6 bean soup my wife makes.

As far as fruit goes, I mostly eat grapes, clementines, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes and bananas. Especially the bananas.

Is there anything in that list I should limit or omit all together?

I saw the recipe for Almond Flour Pancakes and I'm DYING to try it out!

 

[Joshua Shorter]

All of those fruits will raise your blood glucose. I limit those tremendously.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Way ahead of you! I think I need to lower my carb intake even more than what I've done.

I do the dark green leafy stuff already, so that should be no problem!

I eat brown rice about once or twice every couple of weeks and limit
myself to about a cup when I do. I usually eat it in conjunction with this 6 bean soup my wife makes.

As far as fruit goes, I mostly eat grapes, clementines, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes and bananas. Especially the bananas.

Is there anything in that list I should limit or omit all together?

I saw the recipe for Almond Flour Pancakes and I'm DYING to try it out!

Grapes and Bananas are THE worst fruit as far as high natural sugar content.

also, combining rice AND beans together screams huge spike to me

 

[onaughmae]

Way ahead of you! I think I need to lower my carb intake even more than what I've done.

I do the dark green leafy stuff already, so that should be no problem!

I eat brown rice about once or twice every couple of weeks and limit
myself to about a cup when I do. I usually eat it in conjunction with this 6 bean soup my wife makes.

As far as fruit goes, I mostly eat grapes, clementines, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes and bananas. Especially the bananas.

Is there anything in that list I should limit or omit all together?

I saw the recipe for Almond Flour Pancakes and I'm DYING to try it out!

Bananas and grapes both are very high in natural sugar (carbs). I tolerate berries fairly well. I have pretty much given up bananas though. Did you know that a serving of banana is actually only 1/2 of a small one...I mean really...who eats half a small banana? Calorie King is awesome for finding carbs counts of many foods..including some fast foods and restaurants.

 

[Damaramu]

Huh, I had no idea! Alright, those are off the menu! So beans OR rice, but not both? Not a problem! Good thing I only eat those once in a blue moon!

Man, I'm gonna miss bananas. They were my go to "healthy" snack while at work!

It's funny as some websites I've come across say "no problem!" when it comes to eating those fruits.

 

[Damaramu]

Well, I just tested my BG after eating a chicken/veggie stir fry & grilled cheese sandwich precisely 2 hours ago and the result was: 108 mg/dL

 

[Shanny]

Well, I just tested my BG after eating a chicken/veggie stir fry & grilled cheese sandwich precisely 2 hours ago and the result was: 108 mg/dL

Looking good. Next time test at the one-hour interval too, and you'll learn how big a spike you actually get from this meal. You want to be under 140 at one hour.

As for beans and/or rice, you'll have to eat them and test. Both of them spike me. I have to use very small portions if I eat them at all - especially rice (even brown rice - that's the only kind I would ever use).

 

[onaughmae]

Well, I just tested my BG after eating a chicken/veggie stir fry & grilled cheese sandwich precisely 2 hours ago and the result was: 108 mg/dL

That looks great Ya know, we are all different it seems with what our bodies can handle or not. For most of us, pizza is death on a plate Some can enjoy a nice bowl of watermelon....I cant eat it at all.....I can eat a fairly good serving of grapes with little trouble while some people cant eat them at all. The best way to tell what is good for you is to test before you eat, then at least 2 hours afterward...that way you know what foods you can handle with little problem.

 

[Damaramu]

That's so true. Thanks for the advice everyone! It's been a major help and I'm gonna make some appropriate changes to my diet!

I can't wait to try some of the recipies I found here!

 

[ThoseBackPages]

One day at a a time, that's all we've got

 

[Shanny]

That's so true. Thanks for the advice everyone! It's been a major help and I'm gonna make some appropriate changes to my diet!

I can't wait to try some of the recipies I found here!

Just remember this isn't a sprint to any finish line. Just when you think you're on the home stretch, diabetes cranks a big ol' curve & a few steep hills onto the route . . . learn to be vigilant and flexible.

 

[Damaramu]

Quite true! Just want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row!

 

[Damaramu]

Fasting levels this morning was 94 mg/dL!

 

[onaughmae]

Fasting levels this morning was 94 mg/dL!

awesome