New T2 member with questions

[dona]

Hi,
my name is Dona and I am new to the forum. I was dx with diabetes in 2004. I started on pills but pulmonary doctor suggest insulin would work better for me. ( I have pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and hypertension)
I take byetta 10 mcg 2x before meals and Levemir 30 units at bedtime. I have problem with sugar dropping after meals at least several times a week. I added a tsp of peanut butter with my breakfast. It seems to help. I am having problem with weight gain. When I first started on byetta I lost about 35lbs. I have been on byetta almost a year. Lately I notice Lbs creeping on. My appetite has not increased and I do low impact exercises about 3x weekly. I use a cane and have bad knees and arthritis so walking is not always an option. would like to hear from others who take byetta.I try to include fruits in my diet. I eat an orange and banana every day. 6 ounces of apple juice. I do like eggs and eat 1-2 in the morning with 2 slice wheat toast. I stop using artificial sweeteners 2 months ago. I use soy milk if I eat cereal and a tsp of sugar. I still think I need more direction when it come to my diet. I saw the nutrition but feel I could benefit more from this forum.

[Scrabblechick]

Welcome Dona! Glad to have you on the forums. You're bound to find a ton of good info here! :)

Well, as for lows, Heh. I'm on 1500 mg of Met a day. Ate a burger (only 2 bites of bun) and some fries for supper. Two hours later, after a "what's REALLY my BG?" round with my meter and 5 sticks ranging from 139-165, I got 2 139s, so wrote that down. LOL.

Anyhoo, DH and I went for a nice walk and I tested when I came in, about 3 hours PP. 75. HUH? Another stick. 62. DO WHAT? I did do a control and it was well in range, so my meter is working fine. After that, the next stick said 69. So I ate 2 small pieces of chocolate and a sip of milk. I'm fine, but I've never gone that low, AFAIK. I didn't even really feel bad.

BTW. I woke up with a simply stunning FBG of 83 and have been in the 80s 4 hours PP all day. A first for me! Makes me wonder when the other shoe is going to drop, or if my meter is fooling me. I guess I have a hard time believing a normal-looking BG. LOL.

[princesslinda]

Welcome Dona. I moved your post to its own thread so more members could see and reply to it.

I'm on Byetta myself, and follow a low-carb diet (roughly 75-100 carbs/day, sometimes less). I have fruit maybe once a week, usually an apple or pear, sometimes cantaloupe. I haven't had fruit juice since my diagnosis. I use Splenda or Sweet-N-Low to sweeten things.

If you are noticing pounds creeping back on, i'd suggest either decreasing calories or increasing exercise.

Glad you found the forums, lots of great information and friendly people here to ready to share information.

[kgm0612]

Can't offer advice because I don't take Byetta, but I just wanted to say.........Hi Dona & Welcome.

Karen

[mzteacher]

hi donna,
welcome!!! i am sure you will find this a friendly place with lots of information to help you...
susan

[davef]

Dona,

Welcome to the forums, it's a great place for information and the people here are really wonderful, always ready to help and support.

I can't offer any advice on Byetta as I'm not using it, but did want to say HI!

One idea, I know you are not newly diagnosed but, I wonder if you were to get Gretchen Becker's "The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes" if it might have some new ideas/information for you, as I say only a thought.

Visit and post often,

[fgummett]

Hi Dona, Welcome!

I'll second David's book suggestion... I was diagnosed in 2003, and am only just reading AND learning from this excellent book :)

~ Frank

[morrisma]

Welcome to the club Dona.

I asked my endo about Byetta a year ago and he said most of his patients using it lose weight fairly quickly and then put it back on slowly. So the standard: calories in vs calories out applies. Take in less and you lose. Take in more and you gain.

Good luck,

[Janlaton]

I also say welcome. I'm not on byetta but I also have bad knees thanks to friend arthur.

I have 3 suggestions first get a seated exercise video and use it at least 3 times a week,working the upper body does burn calories! 2. Do you have access to a pool to swim or do water aerobics? This takes the stress off your knees but burns lots of calories. 3. My doctors recently had me start wearing the TED hose. I went ahead and got the thigh high ones, they have greatly helped the pain in my knees because they do not allow the knees to swell. :)

Also I had been walking with a cane but several times the drs had said it would help to use a walker. Well at 63 I finally broke down and got one of the 3 wheeled WInnie Walkers I can walk much further and faster than I had for years using the cane. The cane also caused shoulder problems because of so much support on one hand/arm. This has greatly improved with the walker. There are other walker out there many of which come with seats for if you get tired. Do not be like me and be too proud to use one even if you go to a thrift store and buy an old fashioned one with no wheels get something to help you get around better. :cool:

By the way a widow friend of mine recently offered me her late husband's scooter at a good price. I declined even though it would make life easier. I need to keep on walking.

Ok enough of that soap box. Like others are saying, juice has the sugar and no fiber of fruit. It is much better to eat the whole fruit. The only time I drink just the juice is if I have a bad sinus infection and am trying to boost vitamin C.

I do eat 2 small fruits a day. That's the size of a large egg or a 6" banana. Lots of raw or steamed veggies and lean meats. I also am fighting to loose weight but I have lost 12 pounds in 18 months and my doctor says good work.

Janlaton
40 years type2

[jacobsam622]

Hi,
my name is Dona and I am new to the forum. I was dx with diabetes in 2004. I started on pills but pulmonary doctor suggest insulin would work better for me. ( I have pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and hypertension)
I take byetta 10 mcg 2x before meals and Levemir 30 units at bedtime. I have problem with sugar dropping after meals at least several times a week. I added a tsp of peanut butter with my breakfast. It seems to help. I am having problem with weight gain. When I first started on byetta I lost about 35lbs. I have been on byetta almost a year. Lately I notice Lbs creeping on. My appetite has not increased and I do low impact exercises about 3x weekly. I use a cane and have bad knees and arthritis so walking is not always an option. would like to hear from others who take byetta.I try to include fruits in my diet. I eat an orange and banana every day. 6 ounces of apple juice. I do like eggs and eat 1-2 in the morning with 2 slice wheat toast. I stop using artificial sweeteners 2 months ago. I use soy milk if I eat cereal and a tsp of sugar. I still think I need more direction when it come to my diet. I saw the nutrition but feel I could benefit more from this forum.
Hi Dona I was diagnosed back in 2004 as well while my wife was several months pregnant with twins. Here is simple meal plan it works for me.

foods you can eat:

Meat = Beef well trimmed, chicken, fish broiled or baked, eggs

Nuts - most nuts are low in carbs, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, any that have total carbs of less then 10g

spreads buy no sugar added jelly or try one of several reduced sugar brands , no sugar added Peanut butter

vegetables = almost anything but corn If you eat corn stick
with the small kernel corn on the cob.

Sugar free ice cream, sugar free jell-o

Chocolate that has a cocoa % >= 60% or low carb chocolate

Breads = whole grain or low carb whole grain.

Pasta = whole grain : Dreamfields, Wal-Mart has good brand

rice = brown rice

sodas = diet only

alcohol = Low carb beer, brands like Mich ultra, miller-lite, there is at two others. Red wine or wine that is at least 13% alcohol
tequila

avoid high carb food any anything with a lot of refined sugar

Fruit = try different ones to see how they effect your BS

if you have acid reflux avoid eating fruit at meal time.

general rule if its brown then its OK for diabetes