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Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,095
Registered: ‎03-17-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!


@violann wrote:

@Q4u- I find your post REALLY INSPIRING.

 

I have noticed, when comparing notes with friends and reading anecdotal histories online, that many highly trained and hard working certified dieticians and other research and medically based diabetes experts are seemingly overly willing to be quite relaxed about rules and expectations for those who are newly diagnosd as diabetics or pre diabetics.

 

This approach is sometimes justified on the grounds that it's somehow unrealistic to assume that anyone is motivated enough to do EVERYTHING to control blood sugar and avoid taking medications or enthusiam for taking less medication rather than more.

 

I sometimes think that the BEST dieticians/diabetes educators/trainers are those who HAVE DEALT WITH DIABETES THEMSELVES, and for myself, preferable have been morbidly obese and hopeless. A slim, healthy, muscular, well proportioned woman doesn't REALLY have what I need her to have to convincingly tell me what I need to do.

 

Someone who has lost weight, learned to eat correctly, learned that habits can be changed and that yes, you CAN live comfortably without eating a one pound Hershey Bar every day of your life for years, has a better perspective on my life and how I live it.

 

GOOD FOR YOU for living EXACTLY! I can't do Glucerna myself. Too tasty, too Hershey Bar-ish. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!


You are SO right.....in that everyone is different and we have to find out what is going on with ourselves.  For example, I didn't know that milk would have such an affect on me.....  and I love cereal and milk.  Even Glucerna offered a cereal quite a long time ago (it's off the market now) and I enjoyed it but even using a scant amount of milk and I was reacting to it.... a spike and a drop.  I realized that milk can be used if my numbers drop, but no more than 4 - 6 oz.  It raises it quickly for me.  In the beginning I made mistakes like everyone else and tried to learn from them.  I remember eating something I wanted and didn't realize that it would spike my sugars very dramatically which then led to a fall... bringing my sugars down to their lowest they have ever been... 37!  I felt so wretched and had trouble bringing them up and swore I would never (in my power) allow that to happen again~! 

 

I agree in that there is so much advice coming from those who have never had Diabetes.  Some believe that diet can reverse it.... which goes against everything we know about this disease.  For one.... stress (whether mental or physical) CAN RAISE BLOOD SUGARS SIGNIFICANTLY, even if the patient is following a strict diabetes diet!!  If you have Diabetes, you understand this ...

 

This isn't heresay .... it's absolutely true!  I fell down our stair case in 2010 and nearly died.  I had a concussion and 3 brain bleeds from landing on my face (cheekbone) hitting the wood bannister.  When I was in the hospital, my blood sugars were through the roof!  I didn't even have food at all the first day.... and they were constantly checking my sugars and giving me shots of insulin~!  I've never had to take insulin or up my medication since.

 

Thank you for all your kind words... Woman Happy

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,095
Registered: ‎03-17-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!

By physical stress, I'm talking about pain....

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,095
Registered: ‎03-17-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!


@Imadickens wrote:

@Q4u wrote:

I am also Diabetic and had no idea other than I felt like my brain was syrup in the afternoon (not like me).... and tired.  When I was diagnosed my A1C was 12 and my blood sugar was 499).  I was almost admitted into the hospital.

 

I was immediately put in a Diabetes Class (I was with Kaiser at the time)... and learned SO much.  I did exactly what they told me to do.  I cut out all simple carbs (white flour), only had complex carbs when I had them.  Ate salads (would put my fork in the dressing, knocked it off again and then went into the salad), lean meats (beef once a week no bigger than 5 oz., egg whites, chicken, fish, vegetables, some fruit (I can't eat bananas, can't drink milk because they spike my sugars) and I also use Glucerna's shakes on occasion as well as their little snack bars (no more than two a day).  I was extremely strict the first three months and when I went in for my 3 month A1C it was 6.3, and also lost 12lbs that first month.  I've been learning all I can about Diabetes and my own body ever since, and it's been 9 years now.  

 

It's a long haul. the changes are for life but it's NOT a life sentence.  There's a great feelilng in finally controlling what I eat.  I never had to do that before and was a sweets person. I don't even want sweets now.  I'm not kidding, I have no desire for any of it.  I consider a few strawberries tasting just like candy.   I feel very good most of the time and I can feel if my blood sugars are dropping and will get about 6oz of skim milk to off set it, but that doesn't happen much anymore.

 

I wish for you the best of health, that you find a class on Diabetes to attend and that your journey won't be difficult.  Remember too, that everyone here is morea than willing to help at any time.....  Good luck!


Thanks for the inspiration! You are such a success story! I do believe that someday I won't crave sweets! I have been doing better, my number went from A1c of 6.7 in May to 6.1  today! I lost ten pounds in those months as well. I think my problem has been my thyroid has been way out of whack! I have felt so awful that I just ate what I could grab, no thought of its health and nutrition value! Today my doc lowered my Synthroid from .200 to .150. The nurse told me it was going to be .175 which confused me after she told me my thyroid number was  0.01! Far from normal range! It was 13.2 in December! So, hopefully I will feel better soon and be mentally able to monitor which foods do what to my levels! Every Wednesday our paper runs lists of classes and support groups given by the hospital. I keep looking, but never see anything for diabetes or nutrition! I'm going to phone hospital on Monday. I really appreciate your encouragement and will keep trying! Glad you have it figured out! It gives me hope!😘


You sound like you are doing all the right things IMHO, and can be proud of your own successes!  Going down to 6.1 is fantastic and losing weight is imperative.  I think you're doing GREAT!  Keep up the good work!  Try calling your local hospital and asking about any Diabetes class, usually presented by nurses and often covered by insurance.  Woman Happy  

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*
Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,504
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!

Most (hopefully) diabetics with a sweet tooth learn what works for them as substitutes. You can't eat sweet, carb-laden things the way you did pre-D, but you learn to compromise and learn which types of sweet or quasi-sweet things are the lesser of evils - and some of this may surprise you.

 

For example, regular ice cream is the go-to with ice cream. Low fat ice cream usually has *more* carbs than regular, and No Sugar ice cream only shaves a little off. I do like the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches & bars.

 

Dairy might not be ideal, but a piece of cheesecake is a better choice than a piece of "death by chocolate" cake. The choice to have an occasional dessert is about living so you do not feel completely deprived all the time - the deprived and miserable are the ones who go off their diet/eating routine, diabetic or not. My aim is to watch my carbs but I do not Just Say No to everything "normal" people enjoy.

 

Especially in hot weather, a treat I love is blackberries with vanilla yogurt, sweetened with Splenda. Totally satisfies my sweet tooth.

 

Every "body" is different. The old "just stop eating any sugar at all and you'll totally stop craving it" isn't true for everyone. I cut "easy" carbs everywhere I can, and that includes drinking diet soda and using artificial sweeteners for cereal, iced tea, etc. and using sugar-free jams and syrups. It makes life happier for me and makes me *more* apt to be vigilant in other areas of my diet.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,095
Registered: ‎03-17-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!


@Moonchilde wrote:

Most (hopefully) diabetics with a sweet tooth learn what works for them as substitutes. You can't eat sweet, carb-laden things the way you did pre-D, but you learn to compromise and learn which types of sweet or quasi-sweet things are the lesser of evils - and some of this may surprise you.

 

For example, regular ice cream is the go-to with ice cream. Low fat ice cream usually has *more* carbs than regular, and No Sugar ice cream only shaves a little off. I do like the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches & bars.

 

Dairy might not be ideal, but a piece of cheesecake is a better choice than a piece of "death by chocolate" cake. The choice to have an occasional dessert is about living so you do not feel completely deprived all the time - the deprived and miserable are the ones who go off their diet/eating routine, diabetic or not. My aim is to watch my carbs but I do not Just Say No to everything "normal" people enjoy.

 

Especially in hot weather, a treat I love is blackberries with vanilla yogurt, sweetened with Splenda. Totally satisfies my sweet tooth.

 

Every "body" is different. The old "just stop eating any sugar at all and you'll totally stop craving it" isn't true for everyone. I cut "easy" carbs everywhere I can, and that includes drinking diet soda and using artificial sweeteners for cereal, iced tea, etc. and using sugar-free jams and syrups. It makes life happier for me and makes me *more* apt to be vigilant in other areas of my diet.


You've brought up some very excellent points and why we must be more in tune with our bodies than regular people.  For me, because of my sensitivity to milk, I'm unable to have any ice cream, even sugar-free or no-sugar added because I react like a son of a gun to the milk/cream in the ice cream, and believe me... that's been the one thing I've really missed.  So I have to be careful with dairy.  I'm one of those that really has given up all sugars and found after 6 months that I no longer have the craving for it.  Cantalope, strawberries, watermelon (in moderation) taste decedant to me and I never found fruit exciting prior to Diabetes.  And popcorn is practically free for me! Pretty much no reaction to 3 cups of popcorn (no butter, little salt).  It's definitely a journey discovering all this because one set of "rules" sure doesn't work for everyone.....  And my very best to everyone traveling this road.....

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,928
Registered: ‎11-01-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!


@Q4u wrote:

By physical stress, I'm talking about pain....


Stress even without physical pain can cause blood sugar to go up. There are lots of things other than food that can cause an increase.

Super Contributor
Posts: 283
Registered: ‎03-22-2015

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!


@willdob3 wrote:

@Q4u wrote:

By physical stress, I'm talking about pain....


Stress even without physical pain can cause blood sugar to go up. There are lots of things other than food that can cause an increase.


 

 

Mine would always go up before and during my period!  Then there is the issue of dawn phenomenon that affects some diabetics. These frustrating things that can make our glucose numbers go up - even though we haven't had anything to eat.  Then there is the VERY frustrating thing with our blood sugar going UP during and after exercise - and with me, the less I eat beforehand, the bigger my spike. I lost count of how many times I cried after working out and seeing this happen.  Over time, this trend decreased, and my numbers did come back down.

 

Diabetes makes no sense sometimes.  That's why I read as much as I could, and tested very often in the beginning. It was very interesting to keep track of how my body reacted in relation to what I'd eaten and my activity level. I kept track of everything, and came up with a plan that worked best for me - and my lifestyle. 

 

That is the main reason I still take the metformin. It helps with my fasting numbers and spikes from exercise.   It also allows me to enjoy fruit and higher glycemic veggies like corn, tomatoes, black beans, etc. 

 

I keep my a1c right around 5, but I did have to give up many favorite things. Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread...   I do cheat and allow myself to have a little bit of these on special occasions, but I do pay for it with higher numbers for a day.  The rest of the time, I try to stick with a low carb, moderate protein and fat diet. Which is basically one serving of protein with lots of veggies and salads. I use healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and olive oil.   Someone mentioned milk - I buy the Hood Calorie countdown milk (or the store brand equivalent). It is much lower in sugar than regular milk. 

 

The best thing any new diabetic can do is to read as much as they can about it, from different sources. And test, test, test and learn about your own body.  It was testing that finally made many light bulbs turn on in my brain. The learning process sometimes hurt, but I needed to do it..   Seeing the results made it much more difficult to ignore what I was doing to my body. And seeing the "rewards" of good numbers when I was starting to get it!  

 

About supplements - I also recommend the r-alpha lipoic acid. I take it with evening primrose oil because I read (Dr. Bernstein)  that the epo helps the body use the r-ala.  It does really help with the neuropathy.  I also take krill oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin D, and the Lessman Ultimate Eye Support.  I'm going to be ordering some of the B-12 mentioned in this thread. I've been at this for a while, but I'm still learning new things. :-) 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,504
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!

I haven't personally noticed spikes from daily stress or flu, but I do go high in very hot weather, out of nowhere.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,308
Registered: ‎06-15-2016

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!


@Anita Hug wrote:

@willdob3 wrote:

@Q4u wrote:

By physical stress, I'm talking about pain....


Stress even without physical pain can cause blood sugar to go up. There are lots of things other than food that can cause an increase.


 

 

Mine would always go up before and during my period!  Then there is the issue of dawn phenomenon that affects some diabetics. These frustrating things that can make our glucose numbers go up - even though we haven't had anything to eat.  Then there is the VERY frustrating thing with our blood sugar going UP during and after exercise - and with me, the less I eat beforehand, the bigger my spike. I lost count of how many times I cried after working out and seeing this happen.  Over time, this trend decreased, and my numbers did come back down.

 

Diabetes makes no sense sometimes.  That's why I read as much as I could, and tested very often in the beginning. It was very interesting to keep track of how my body reacted in relation to what I'd eaten and my activity level. I kept track of everything, and came up with a plan that worked best for me - and my lifestyle. 

 

That is the main reason I still take the metformin. It helps with my fasting numbers and spikes from exercise.   It also allows me to enjoy fruit and higher glycemic veggies like corn, tomatoes, black beans, etc. 

 

I keep my a1c right around 5, but I did have to give up many favorite things. Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread...   I do cheat and allow myself to have a little bit of these on special occasions, but I do pay for it with higher numbers for a day.  The rest of the time, I try to stick with a low carb, moderate protein and fat diet. Which is basically one serving of protein with lots of veggies and salads. I use healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and olive oil.   Someone mentioned milk - I buy the Hood Calorie countdown milk (or the store brand equivalent). It is much lower in sugar than regular milk. 

 

The best thing any new diabetic can do is to read as much as they can about it, from different sources. And test, test, test and learn about your own body.  It was testing that finally made many light bulbs turn on in my brain. The learning process sometimes hurt, but I needed to do it..   Seeing the results made it much more difficult to ignore what I was doing to my body. And seeing the "rewards" of good numbers when I was starting to get it!  

 

About supplements - I also recommend the r-alpha lipoic acid. I take it with evening primrose oil because I read (Dr. Bernstein)  that the epo helps the body use the r-ala.  It does really help with the neuropathy.  I also take krill oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin D, and the Lessman Ultimate Eye Support.  I'm going to be ordering some of the B-12 mentioned in this thread. I've been at this for a while, but I'm still learning new things. :-) 


I read and reread all these posts and some are starting to blend together, so I don't remember if you told me how long you've had the D. Your post was very interesting and had great info, thanks! You mention spikes after exercise, etc. ((I had radical hysterectomy 15 years ago, no more monthly's for me!🤗). When it does spike or drop, can you tell by the way you feel? Also, you said your level is usually about 5 . Is there a number that's too low, or a recommended norm? I have heard/read different things about the high, mine was 6.7 only once, usually 5.8-6.2, but I don't think I've heard a recommended number or a too low.

 

I do believe stress effects mine. Before I was diagnosed I was hospitalized for an undiagnosed problem. I was put in Cardiac as my symptoms varied but my EKG had a change in it. I was watched for five days and my stress test showed nothing.But, I had just had a major stress filled event, which some doctors felt caused my symptoms. A side to this, my doc mentioned my sugar number was quite high, but it was only then and he attributed it to my IV. I now think the stress reaction did it! Boy, I sure wish this had a " one size fits all" deal so I'd know where I stand and where I'm headed! My very biggest fear is pancreatic cancer! I've had pancreatitis twice, and I get pains near my pancreas often.

 

I have to say a big thank you to all who took time to post! Because of you I have already made a big change in my life! My dh wanted to bring my favorite coffee cake home but I said no! I can't just eat just a little once in a while. Better not to have it here. Today my ds took me to Cracker Barrell for lunch. I usually get the Chicken and dumplings. Not today! I got the veggie platter, the only carb, a small cup of Mac and cheese. Others were green beans and salad! I did eat some biscuit and cornbread, but I was better by far than normal, and I thought about my food! I usually ear first, think later! I really believe it was because of all of you! So thank you!

Never underestimate the power of kindness.
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,308
Registered: ‎06-15-2016

Re: Newly diagnosed with type II diabetes and need help, please!

Q4U: Yes! I know physical pain raises it! Besides, physical pain makes brain release Cortisol, so pain does a lot to us!

Never underestimate the power of kindness.