[Mary Huskey]

On January 1st I am starting a new diet for myself.....

10 Carb max daily
1 diet pop a day if need be (diet cherry Pepsi)
walk 1 hr a day but try for 2 hours (outside of everyday things)
I will be weighing in every day as soon as i stand up to go to bed and every night
I will make sure to track my BS before every meal and 2 hours after every meal.

Mary’s New Year Resolutions for 2011:
I am going to attempt to be nicer to everyone.
I am going to attempt to let the little shit roll of my shoulders.
I am going to plan my son a great 6th birthday party.
I am going to get control of my diabetes.
I am going to lose at least 20lbs.
I am going to stick to my 10 carb, only 1 diet pop daily diet.
I am going to attempt to have another child. (Pregnant around July or August)
I am going to keep my house clean as I possibly can having a 5 and 39 year old.
I am going to excel at all my spring classes, take summer semester off and kick ass in my fall classes.
I am going to grow as a person and become more aware with who I really want to be.
I am going to find a banging doctor who has a clue what they are doing when it comes to diabetes.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Mary, Goals are a good thing.

im going to chirp in here, please listen with an open mind.

10 carbs a day is doable. very difficult, but doable. when you say "10 carbs" i am guessing you mean man made carbs? remember that veggies have carbs, and fruit has a LOT of carbs.

great choice on the diet pepsi with wild cherry (thats what i drink 99.7% of the time). its my only vice that i have not given up. i mean that quite literally.

do NOT weigh in twice a day. do not weigh in once a day. you are going to see numbers all over the place, and its not going to help.

i weigh in once a week, Wednesday morning at 10:30am, every week. if i miss that time, i sometimes will weigh in Thursdays at 10:30 am. i have done this for the last 13 months.

this is going to be difficult Mary, theres no two ways around it. weight loss IS difficult. it CAN be done.

 

[Mary Huskey]

Mary, Goals are a good thing.

im going to chirp in here, please listen with an open mind.

10 carbs a day is doable. very difficult, but doable. when you say "10 carbs" i am guessing you mean man made carbs? remember that veggies have carbs, and fruit has a LOT of carbs.

great choice on the diet pepsi with wild cherry (thats what i drink 99.7% of the time). its my only vice that i have not given up. i mean that quite literally.

do NOT weigh in twice a day. do not weigh in once a day. you are going to see numbers all over the place, and its not going to help.

i weigh in once a week, Wednesday morning at 10:30am, every week. if i miss that time, i sometimes will weigh in Thursdays at 10:30 am. i have done this for the last 13 months.

this is going to be difficult Mary, theres no two ways around it. weight loss IS difficult. it CAN be done.

Arnt you who told me you can go without any carbs? I looked at this calorie king book i have chicken breast has no carbs and so forth am i not looking in the right place? I know it wont be easy but if i dont lose the weight and get my BS under control I fear I wont wake up. I am tired of not sleeping because of this fear of not waking up.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

i did say that. but that doesnt mean that you can give up veggies alltogether.

let me ask you, do you have strong will power?
i hope so.

do not cheat on eating, ever. i couldnt tell you the last time i had candy or junk food

 

[Mary Huskey]

i did say that. but that doesnt mean that you can give up veggies alltogether.

let me ask you, do you have strong will power?
i hope so.

do not cheat on eating, ever. i couldnt tell you the last time i had candy or junk food

at this point I have nothing but will power. What more motivation do i need? I sit before falling asleep at night and pray to go I open my eyes the next morning to see my 5 year old son. I have to have the will power I have no other choice but to lose the weight and get my BS under control Its no joke it will kill me! I am at the point where I do something or start saying goodbye to everyone I love and cherish.

Believe me I HAVE to do this I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT DEATH AND THAT is not and option for me.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

at this point I have nothing but will power. What more motivation do i need? I sit before falling asleep at night and pray to go I open my eyes the next morning to see my 5 year old son. I have to have the will power I have no other choice but to lose the weight and get my BS under control Its no joke it will kill me! I am at the point where I do something or start saying goodbye to everyone I love and cherish.

Believe me I HAVE to do this I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT DEATH AND THAT is not and option for me.

Good Mary. Glad to hear your will to fight to win.

as i said, it CAN be done. it WILL be difficult. it is sometimes difficult for me, and ive been at it for only 11 months now.

Heres what i did when i started this journey:

Start by eating foods where the label says 0 carbohydrates.
then got out the scale and MEASURED what the label said was "one serving"
then eat.
then do something else.

eat three times between the time i got up and before i went to sleep.

DO NOT SNACK. repeat, DO NOT SNACK.

if snacking MUST happen, then only Pork Rinds are acceptable.
but really, i didnt have any snacks for the first few months.

i had the advantage of only having to care for myself. the people i live with take care of themselves.

 

[Wink]

A limit of 10 carbs per day is going to be very difficult, I think. You might want to take a look at the Atkins website. All the info is there for free. The introduction phase allows 20 carbs per day but those carbs need to be "nutrient dense" foods - 15 of the carbs need to come from non-starchy vegetables. There are lists of exactly what foods are acceptable. Dropping the carbs this low forces your body to switch from carb burning mode to fat burning - fats become a good thing for your diet. Be prepared to go through some carb withdrawl during the first couple of weeks.. I felt like crap for just a few days.

After the first two weeks you can decide whether to stay at that level or gradually add more good carbs as long as you continue to lose weight.

I've set my own limit at 25 carbs per day - and 10 are reserved for vegetable/fruit. I rarely eat them all - some days I go as low as 9 carbs in a day but I never go over the limit. My body is very stubborn about holding on to weight but I am losing about a pound a week.

It might be worth looking into. Good luck and be sure to ask for help anytime.

 

[Guest]

onya Mary... I think it's great setting yourself some goals. I have had 12 years so far of trying to manage my diabetes. One thing I have learnt is that goal setting can get stressful if it's not met... so my advice to you is please don't stress yourself out as stress is no good either. You just have to have the attitude of "I'll give it my best" and there's always going to be things beyond your control and can have an impact on you... life happens. I have mentioned on one of my posts already that so many other things affect your BGLs... not just food and exercise. Your whole life is one big balancing act with diabetes. I've previously lost 20kgs and I've gained & lost weight ever since... although I've never fully gained back the 20kgs which is good. I have another hormone condition that doesn't help with weight. With carbs I think you really need to find what works for you and not be too harsh suddenly.... look for the good carbs and be sensible. If you're on insulin... you really do need to focus on eating low GI carbs more than the high GI as you need that lasting energy... fruit & vegies always good... but cereal/grains/legumes good too (not the highly processed stuff though). You probably will find yourself having to adjust your goals every now & then throughout the new year. By the way... Happy New Year to everyone! (it's not that far off here... 4.5 hours).

 

[Checochinican]

Mary, I was overweight from childhood. I lost weight numerous times but always regained. Five years ago, I took it off and have kept it off. Here's how:

First, I invested in a good balance beam scale, the kind hospitals and doctors use. They give consistent results and are accurate within one quarter pound.

Second, I did weigh every morning, but not because I expected the number to change daily. The knowledge that I'd be on that scales the next morning kept me from over-eating the night before.

Third, I cut my calorie intake way down, and I don't recommend that for everyone. I paid particular attention to getting enough protein and took vitamin/mineral supplements.

Back to your goals - too many! Except for those dealing with your health problems, they all seem to be "Let's make Mary a better person."

Nuts to that. Realize you are already an okay person. Focus on getting more pleasure from life, treat yourself kindly, and don't beat yourself up if you fail to meet your own standards sometimes.

 

[thcri]

10 Carb max daily

I will be weighing in every day as soon as i stand up to go to bed and every night

do NOT weigh in twice a day. do not weigh in once a day. you are going to see numbers all over the place, and its not going to help.

i weigh in once a week, Wednesday morning at 10:30am, every week. if i miss that time, i sometimes will weigh in Thursdays at 10:30 am. i have done this for the last 13 months.

this is going to be difficult Mary, theres no two ways around it. weight loss IS difficult. it CAN be done.

I think good weight loss comes with a good exercise plan. 10 carbs per day will limit any good exercise as you won't have the energy. I am type II and ride my bike 1 to 7 hours at a time. As I ride I have to take Shot Bloks which is basically carbs. I think you are going to have to find some balance with the carbs. Light walking your probably ok but I still think with time you will only tire yourself and won't have any energy. Adkins was mentioned and even there where your allowed 20 carbs a day a side effect is being tired. Even during the winter now where I am spinning I drink a glass of Whey Protein before and after I work out or my BS will increase dramatically.

As for weighing in every day I agree with TBP and you will just end up frustrated. I do a bit more than once a week but find one day a week and do it in the morning after you get up and before you eat.

Just some suggestions and I wish you luck. It is a great feeling emotionally and physically after you shed weight.

 

[Mary Huskey]

I have upped the carbs to 25

I will weigh in daily bc to me that will make me stick with the weight loss plan

I think my goals are fine, I am a complete Bitch to everyone for everything due to my past so yes my goals are fine for me!

I know I wont see weight loss daily however again I am not doing it for the numbers I am doing it for the humiliation it brings hanging on the wall.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

I have upped the carbs to 25

I will weigh in daily bc to me that will make me stick with the weight loss plan

I think my goals are fine, I am a complete Bitch to everyone for everything due to my past so yes my goals are fine for me!

I know I wont see weight loss daily however again I am not doing it for the numbers I am doing it for the humiliation it brings hanging on the wall.

then i suggest that you weigh in at the same time, all the time, as you weigh different amounts, depending on the time of day

 

[Mary Huskey]

then i suggest that you weigh in at the same time, all the time, as you weigh different amounts, depending on the time of day

I was thinking about 1030-11am what time you think is best

Now I set my carbs at 25 however i am not going to make myself eat all 25 if i dont need to

In this book i have it says chicken has no carbs
skinless breast and i cook them in the rotisserie let them cool in fridge next day dice them for a salad

 

[Guest]

glad to hear you've started implementing your goals Mary The best time I find to weigh yourself is as soon as you get up in the morning and before you eat or drink anything. I'm an early riser so I can get to work... so I tend to weigh myself about 5.30am or so. Out of interest I also weigh myself at the end of the day to see what sort of weight gain there is... usually you are always heavier so it doesn't look good. lol. But the mornings will make you feel better! I've managed to keep my weight stable... I'm still a good 15kgs overweight though (not sure what pounds that is...is it 30?) Lately I'm happy though as I've managed to lose a few kgs without trying and I really struggled with weight loss over the years. I have another condition which makes it slow for me. One year I tried Optifast meal replacement and was on it for 3 months... I lost total of 7kgs when doc said I should've lost double that. I'm classed by my GP & endo docs as having "metabolic syndrome" as I have all the contributing factors for that. So I wish you the best... you'll do just fine... slow is better than quick by the way.

 

[Wink]

I also weigh first thing in the morning because I think it has less variables - no food in the tummy, always wearing the same thing, etc. That's my official weight for the day and goes on the charts. I do weigh myself several times a day - probably wouldn't work for everyone but does for me. If I like the number it encourages me to continue to do well, if I don't like the number it makes me do better to reverse it. Either way it keeps me on track.

There are no carbs in any pure meat, pure cheese, or fat - only if fillers or sugars are added (like honey ham... ). Low fat and sugar-free foods usually have carbs added. You have to watch the labels. Heavy cream is very low carb but skim milk is high. Real butter is zero carb but watch out of low calorie "spreads".

Search the internet for low-carb recipes rather than diabetic recipes. With the determination you're showing you'll do great!

 

[Shanny]

We have a balance scale too, and I weigh nearly every day - soon as I get up, before I test or take my meds, before I dress or eat/drink anything. It keeps me honest . . . I've weighed over 200# for at least 25 years & top weight was 250# (I'm 5'4"). So I go fairly low-carb, but I pretty much follow Vicky's admonition about fats. Using moderate amounts of fat will make your low-carb dieting a great deal easier, and certain fats/oils like coconut oil provide some real benefits. If you add a pat of butter to some spears of grilled asparagus, it will slow the absorption of what few high-fiber carbs it contains (I think asparagus is one that's about a wash though - one spear has 1g carbs, but it's 1g of dietary fiber too, so cancels itself out.)

Do test as much as possible, though, Mary . . . and always keep some glucose tabs in your pocket. You're on insulin, but not under a doctor's supervision, and you're going very low carb. You don't wanna make any mistakes here. Keep us posted, okay?

(edit) After all my blowing about asparagus, I thought mebbe I'd better look it up just to be sure . . . turns out one spear also has 1g protein! Lotta nutrition packed into that little green stalk!

 

[Checochinican]

I think my goals are fine, I am a complete Bitch to everyone for everything due to my past so yes my goals are fine for me!
.

Mary, I was out of line to criticize your personal goals. Sorry!

What struck me was what I thought was low self esteem and maybe depression. I will stand by my hope that you can add some pleasure to your daily life, and cut yourself some slack when you don't measure up to your own standards.

 

[thcri]

I have upped the carbs to 25

I will weigh in daily bc to me that will make me stick with the weight loss plan

I think my goals are fine, I am a complete Bitch to everyone for everything due to my past so yes my goals are fine for me!

I know I wont see weight loss daily however again I am not doing it for the numbers I am doing it for the humiliation it brings hanging on the wall.

I like your limit of 25, that is great and yes your right, you don't have to use them. I know I have days where I don't but days when I go way over. It depends a lot on the days I work out.

I wish you the best in 2011 and achieving your goals. Keep up up to date on your progress.


Murph

 

[jwags]

I have done anywhere from 30-70 carbs a day over the last 4 years. I got good reslults with all levels. First you need to realise all vegetables, even salad has carbs. A green salad is probably around 10 carbs if you have lots of cut up veggies in it. There is nothing wrong with carbs from natural sources. Eat lots of spinach, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, squashes, etc. Make fat your friend. Eat a source of fat at every meal. Be careful of nuts. Many feel they will add weight on. If you haven't read him get a copy of
Dr Bernstein's, Diabetes Solutions Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars. Official Web Site
Your primary concern should be lowering your HbA1c to under 6, especially if you want to get pregnant. The weight loss may take a little while longer . Dr Bernstein is a great framework to using insulin on a low carb diet. He also has full meal plans in the back of his book. He recomends 6 carbs for breakfast, 12 for lunch and 12 for dinner. A lot of success stories with people following his plan.

 

[onaughmae]

Congrats on your determination! I think however we need to meet our goals is what works for us. I am weighing in every day when I get up and before I get in the shower. I quit smoking and gained 25 pounds in just a few months! So..I am back on weight watchers. It worked for me before and is working again. I realize that it is too carb heavy for some diabetics, but it works for me...so I am looking forward to getting those stop-smoking-pounds off!