[thisstinks]

Doctor just diagnosed me last Friday over the phone! I was given no other details except to see the dietician on July 18th! I am going to the beach on Sunday and I am scared to death. I bought a monitor and it always spikes in the morning after breakfast no matter what I eat. Up to 172! Even two eggs and spinach! I can usually keep it under 140 as long as I eat every couple of hours but I am not sure I am eating enough. I am starving to death and scared to eat. My fasting glucose was 123 and my two hour glucose tolerance was 253. I want to enjoy the beach with my kids but also want to have some energy. I am so depressed. Pleas help. My husband is frustrated with me. I need a sample menu/snack plan or something.

 

[thisstinks]

Forgot to add my name is Jenn and I am 36.

 

[thisstinks]

And my A1C or whatever you call it was 5.4.

 

[Shalynne]

Hi, Jenn, & Welcome!

Can you call or email your doctor and report your numbers? It does take some time for numbers to decrease and level out, even on the best possible diet for you.

But it is also possible that you need meds to make that happen. I had to call mine for similar reasons (right down to the spinach spike) shortly after diagnosis, and I was already on insulin. Just needed to up the dose. More than once.

In the meantime, your diet looks pretty good ... and you're right, eating small amounts through the day works very well for a lot of us. You're already testing frequently. And you've already noticed that undereating is just as spikeful as overeating! Gotta say, you've already got a great handle on this! (And yeah, it still stinks.)

Wakeup and mornings are often the toughest on us, as far as glucose levels go. I eat lots of string cheese (it packs well and doesn't go bad if you look at it funny), and take a few sticks if I'm on the go. Big piles of salad mix are also great for quick snacking. (Read the dressing label to make sure you don't get a swallow of syrup!)

I keep my carbs low as possible. Veggies such as leafy ones, broccoli and cauliflower are the least likely to spike. Nuts spike some folks and not others. Meat, fish and poultry -- fresh, frozen or canned -- are also good. (Some sausages are carby, but most are OK.) Heavy cream, real butter and real cheese are great! So are eggs. And real mayo.

A big old bowl of tuna or egg salad or both is handy for veggie dipping or spooning.

Our Recipes Sub-Forum is highly recommended.

Your A1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past 90 days or so. It's a great overview, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Your A1c, by the way, is not bad at all.

Glad you found us! Sorry you had to. You'll find lots of info and support here.

Please visit often, and keep us posted!

 

[thisstinks]

Thank you so much! I am trying the low carb thing but have no energy. I also suffer from anxiety which is probably making everything ten times worse. My therapist is the one who wanted me tested for diabetes. Go figure! I am just terrified of passing out in front of my children. They are only 5 and 3. And no, I didn't have gestational diabetes with either one. Any suggestions for breakfast and what to eat for a bedtime snack? I feel terrible in the mornings but numbers are always between 98 and 104 in the mornings.

 

[Shanny]

Hi Jenn . . . some of us would kill for your A1c, but I can see your problem with postprandials. What a shame the medicos hang us out to dry with no more advice than you got. You won't be surprised to learn that this is not the exception.

My guess is your lack of energy is from eating not enough food. Not sure why you would spike on eggs & spinach, unless perhaps you used some non-dairy creamer in your coffee . . . that stuff is poison! Use real cream instead. But you can eat your fill of protein & fats . . . wanna add a few strips of bacon to those eggs? Go right ahead!

For the beach, just think of all the foods you like that are just protein/fat like hot wings (no breading - just wings doused in hot sauce), beef sticks, cheese of all kinds. High fiber veggies are good too, and can be enjoyed with dips like bleu cheese or ranch. Then load up a cooler with all the low-carb things you like & you can eat your fill. If fried chicken is a picnic favorite, you can still enjoy it by using a low-carb breading instead of traditional crumbs or batter. Chips are a no-no of course, but you can make your own chips out of cheese & they're truly exceptionally delicious.

Stay tuned, cuz I think you'll get plenty of suggestions beside Shalynne & me.

Take care & visit us often.

 

[Shalynne]

If you eat enough, you should not pass out from low glucose. I'd take a picnic cooler, chock-full of stuff I can eat.

Keeping hydrated is important too. I'm devoted to unsweetened iced tea, but diet soda works, too, and is great for beach trips.

Ahhhhh, yes. The energy thing.

In addition to the understandable stress caused by a new diagnosis, going low-carb all of a sudden can sap your energy level. While it doesn't feel like it right now (ask how I know this), the effect is temporary.

While some folks say it lasts 2-3 days, well, for me it was more like 10. But I put a lot of that down to recuperating from super-high numbers. Coming down may also feel weird. That, too, is temporary.

A multi-vitamin may help you feel better in general.

Wishing you lots of beachy fun!

 

[Patdart]

Accept that the first few days will feel strange, listless, and sorry, but keep it up and you'll find your body learns to convert fat to energy when you are out of glycogen, and you'll begin to feel better fast. Enjoy the beach and be sure to drink lots of water. I always carry nuts in a ziplock bag for fast energy and roughage, so maybe that will help.

Wish I were going with you,

 

[jwags]

A 5.4 HbA1c is a basically normal HbA1c. It really doesn't match up with the numbers you have posted. One of our members posted a link yesterday to Jenny Ruhl's interview. It is an hour interveiw but well worth the time to listen to understand the ins and outs of D management. She also tells us that the HbA1c is not a good indicator of D health. She also has a webstite
Blood Sugar 101 which is fantastic and gives you all the info you need. One of the things that goes wrong with Type 2 diabetics is that our endocrine system gets messed up. There are tons of things that can go wrong. Many time early in the morning our hormones go crazy. These hormones then signal liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose to help us start our day. Instead of adding a little glucose they add a ton and we spike very high. As you have found the best food to eat first thing is protein and fat. Usually later in the day you can eat more carbs. Are you on any medication right now, the drug metformin should help with those spikes.

 

[thisstinks]

I am not on any meds. Haven't even seen the doctor yet who diagnosed me. He is ob-gyn but has a certified diabetes educator at his office. I think I am going to make an appt with a endocrinologist. I do wake up at 3:00 in the morning with a pounding heart and a nervous feeling but if I check by blood sugar it always around 98. Of course, I went back to sleep today and slept in and checked my blood sugar at 9:30 and it was 130 with no food. Currently eating two eggs with a piece of cheese and chicken apple sausage. I also have generalized anxiety and I am prone to panic attacks so all of this isn't helping I am sure. Is it okay to take zoloft? I have only been on it for 2.5 weeks.

 

[moon]

Is it okay to take zoloft? I have only been on it for 2.5 weeks.

Zoloft isn't contraindicated with any diabetes medication that I know of, and since you're not on medication anyway I don't see an issue.

 

[ColaJim]

just the opinion of an ignorant old hillbilly, but:

no need to panic,

if your two hour glucose tolerance was 253, then your metabolism went south quite a while back and a week or a month now is not going to change things much, so relax and evaluate the situation with a calm mind.

Doctor just diagnosed me last Friday over the phone! I was given no other details except to see the dietician on July 18th! I am going to the beach on Sunday and I am scared to death. I bought a monitor and it always spikes in the morning after breakfast no matter what I eat. Up to 172! Even two eggs and spinach! I can usually keep it under 140 as long as I eat every couple of hours but I am not sure I am eating enough. I am starving to death and scared to eat. My fasting glucose was 123 and my two hour glucose tolerance was 253. I want to enjoy the beach with my kids but also want to have some energy. I am so depressed. Pleas help. My husband is frustrated with me. I need a sample menu/snack plan or something.

 

[jwags]

In the early hours of the morning several stress hormones are produced by our body. Those of us who are very sensitive to these hormones may actually be able to feel them with a rush of heat or as you said a pounding heart. Normally as soon as these hormones are produced and spike glucose then some of our natural insulin is released to counteract the rise. In type 2 diabetics sometimes this happens sometimes it may take longer to come down. That is why we usually wake up higher. The drug Metformin helps with this as well as a lower carb diet. How long are you going to the beach for? Will you have a fridge? I would bring lots of high proteins like chicken, beef, eggs, and nuts. Bring lots of raw veggies and some hummus to snack on as well as different kinds of cheese. I use he WASA or GG Brancrisp crackers and spread Almond butter and sugar free jam on them. The website Netrition.com - The Internet's Premier Nutrition Superstore! sells tons of 0 or low carb products. I order about every few months. I buy Walden Farms 0 carb salad dressings, pancake syrups, jam and even BBQ sauce. They also sell lots of energy bars and snacks. I make most of my snacks from scratch using almond flour and flaxseed. It really helps when you get the munchies to be able to grab something yummy and safe for your bgs. I get a lot of my recipes online. One of my favorite places is gluten free sites because they don't use flour. Just swap out the sugar or honey for Splenda, stevia, erythitol or Torani Syrup.

Healthy Gluten Free Recipes | Elana's Pantry
Comfy Belly
Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home
Low Carb Diets at About.com - Atkins South Beach and More Low Carb Diets

 

[thisstinks]

Thanks ColaJim. Little harder to manage with a clear mind when I have anxiety but I have to for my kids. I am very sensitive to every sensation in my body (I have health anxiety actually). And thanks for the good snack info. I actually love raw broccoli and cauliflower and have been eating almonds and sunflower seeds and cheese sticks for snacks. I didn't know I could eat hummus! I love that. I want to walk on the beach every morning should I eat before or after? If I need to eat before should I eat a carb? Carbs do me bad in the morning but not so bad at night. And you guys keep your blood sugar from not moving at all or staying under 120 at all times?

 

[Shalynne]

I also see no reason to stop the Zoloft.

We all react somewhat differently to diet and exercise. But I believe it shouldn't make much difference whether you eat before or after exercise. Might want to test a time or two to see if it does make a difference to you. But just getting the exercise in is the main thing.

If you exercise after, you may want to start within an hour or so after eating.

Including a goodly dollop of fat (and perhaps vinegar; unsweetened dill pickles and salad are good ways to do this) with your carbs should slow down their effect, and lower any spiking.

Our glucose goals also vary, depending on where we are in our diabetes, any additional conditions we may have, our lifestyle, etc.

I started out with a goal of under 200 at all times! Then, week by week (or so), I kept ratcheting it down. Some do stay under 120, or lower, at all times. I ain't one of them. Yet. And I know I'll never be perfect. But the occasional, short-lived spike is not lethal.

It takes time -- for most it's weeks, at minimum -- to lower those levels. Many of us require meds to do it at all. Type 1s will always require insulin, while Type 2s vary widely.

Do you know what type you are? Docs don't always do all of the blood tests unless we ask for them.

 

[thisstinks]

They told me I was type 2. Are there tests I need to take?

 

[HardBackStrider]

Yes daily testing of you glucose levels plus full blood work at least every three months. Well least this is what I have been doing. Likely also depends on your exercise level and weight and age.

 

[Shalynne]

They told me I was type 2. Are there tests I need to take?

If you're referring to tests to determine the type of diabetes you're blessed with, you may want to ask the doc if that testing was done.

Those tests include test(s) for antibodies in the blood (if you've got antibodies, that points to Type 1), and a c-peptide test to determine how your pancreas is functioning.

I found out my HMO tends to diagnose "diabetes," period, and they make a presumption as to the type. I was not pleased, and requested the tests so I could get a real diagnosis.

This is important, but not worth panicking about. Just one more question on your list for the doc.

 

[smorgan]

Do you have any lows that you know of? It seems strange that you could have high morning and after-meal numbers with a non-diabetic A1C. It's possible in a couple of ways. I'm just concerned that one of those ways is that you are having extreme lows at other times when you are not testing giving the low overall average.

Another cause could be that you just "cycle" red blood cells faster then the average person (shorter red blood cell life) and that will cause the A1C to register much lower.

In any case, none of your numbers are telling me this will be difficult to take care of so worrying or stress is not really called for. When I was stressing about pills being a few days late, my nurse practitioner reminded me that there is little doubt I walked around like that for a good number of years so a few weeks aren't going to hurt that much one way or the other.

Finally, please don't starve yourself. That is neither healthy nor needed. Just take your time, read and learn as much as you can and you will have the numbers you want.

 

[thisstinks]

Wel, the lowest reading I have had since I started using a meter about two weeks ago was 78. I bought a meter when my therapist suggested I might blood sugar problems. Only my blood sugar is high when I have a panic attack. I have no idea what is going on with my body. Between diabetes and panic attacks I am slowly losing my mind.