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3K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  beefy 
#1 ·
I'm new here, I was diagnosed with diabetes in mid April with an a1c of 6.7 and doc put me on metformin in early may. He told me to test 1 time a day when I wake up and track it for him, but did not explain what is good or bad for the numbers. It is usually around 110 to 114 with occasional lower and higher spikes. Is that good? Should I test more often? And if so when? I want to understand this better so I can relax a bit, these last 2 months I have been on edge and I don't know what to do, what to eat, when to eat. It's just all so scary, hope someone will help answer these questions. I have diabetes for dummies but I must be really dumb because I can't make sense of it, dosnt help I not a book worm at all. Thank you in advance for any and all help. I should have broke this down in to 5 questions so I could put my pic on here, feels so impersonal and rude posting with a blank box, lol
 
#2 ·
Hello, Dennis. If I were you, I'd test before & after meals in addition to your wake-up test, for awhile at least - it will help you learn which foods affect your numbers adversely, and those foods can then be limited or eliminated from your menus. The easiest rule to follow is to keep ALL readings under 140. Your wake-up numbers are pretty good, and they'll get better if you begin to chart what you eat and your after-meal numbers.

Metformin is a good drug - I take it myself - but it can't do all the work, dietary modifications need to be made too.

As regards what to eat, just steer clear of rice, pasta, potatoes, anything made with grain, and of course sweets.

Welcome to DF - thank you for joining us! :)
 
#8 ·
Lipids are the different kinds of cholesterol. Sorry for the confusion - when they order tests for me, it's called lipids panel, basic metabolic panel, etc.

I had a notion to ask you how tall you are, because one of our sons is 6'7", and his bones alone prob'ly weight 150! He's lean as a rail. He built a big house for himself & his family (he's a carpenter/cabinetmaker) - made 12' ceilings so he wouldn't have to be constantly ducking at least in his own house - made the counters high enough he wouldn't have to bend over all the time (his wife & kids are tall too), and wouldn't you know? A killer tornado came along last month & destroyed everything. :(
 
#9 ·
Aww, that's too bad, I'm sorry to hear that. A different pcp probably 4-5 years ago had me tested, all he told me was my good cholesterol wasn't as good as it should be and the bad was good. All he did was confuse me. But I don't know what the results were and probably doesn't apply now it was so long ago.
 
#10 ·
Welcome Dennis. Doctors don't do a very good job educating us on what diabetes is and how to manage it. Metformin is a good start. I am on 2550 mg and it really works. As Shanny said it is also important to control the carbs in your diet. This is where more testing is definitely a good idea. Start testing 2 hours after you eat. The best bgs should be in the range of 120-140 or lower. The lower you can get the better your control will be. The way you get those bg numbers is by looking at the carbs in your meal. Start reading labels and measuring portions. It is important to look at portion size. If 1 portion is 1/2 cup and 25 carbs, if you eat 1 cup then you have consumed 50 carbs. Many people underestimate how much they eat. So start measuring. If your bgs are still higher then subtract some more carbs. For me I had to eliminate bread, rice, pasta, cereal, potaotes and of course sugar. But I did it and normally eat 10-15 carbs per meal and about 5-10 for snacks. By testing a lot I did get my HbA1c down to a normal range.
 
#12 ·
Hi Dennis - welcome to the forum. Sorry your body is going through such turmoil - I'm sure you're looking forward to it settling down already ...

Metformin curbed my appetite (as did switching from high-carb to low-carb diet) and I lost weight without thinking about it. I was eating less, but because I wasn't hungry the weight loss was a sudden added benefit vs an effort as it always had been.

One of the best sites that explains many aspects of diabetes - and is written in plain english - is Blood Sugar 101. I haven't read Diabetes for Dummies, but my guess is that it is not as comprehensive as the site above, and does not cite studies to back up the information.

It's a lot to digest all at once, but trust us: it gets easier. Really :)
 
#14 ·
110-114 is pretty good. But what's with doctors - test once a day? That's ridiculous, especially for a new diabetic. I was testing 8 times in the beginning, now after three months I test about 3 times because a lot of my meals are the same. My doctor in the beginning didn't even prescribe me a meter and strips - had to come here to find out about that!
 
#15 ·
Welcome, Dennis! :welcome:

I haven't read Diabetes for Dummies, but every time I've read a For Dummies book, it's never answered my questions. And I am a bookworm!

You've got a lot of great responses, I see. That's the kind of place this is. You just can't beat the advice you get from folks who are walking the same path. Glad you found us.

Please come by often, and keep us posted!

(My box is still blank, too!)
 
#17 ·
#18 ·
:welcome: from me also Dennis. I purchased Dr. Richard Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book also and found it great.

The best things I did for my blood sugar were:

Diet: Lowered my carb intake to between 10-15% of my calories, increased my fat intake a bit, and kept my protein intake high.

Exercise: I do aerobic exercise 6 days per week. Usually for a minimum​
of an hour, sometimes up to 3 hours. (I'm a little obsessive.)

I'm also on Metformin (Extended-Release, 2x 1000mg per day) and have also lost a decent amount of weight (around 75lbs of fat now.)

Good Luck!
 
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