New to the Forum =)

[sowski143]

Hey everyone, I am brand new to this forum. I was diagnosed with type 2 in October of 2005 and have never really had good control over it. I find myself having a hard time on the weekends when I go out to eat more, or when I'm with friends and they want to eat lots of carbs! I am on Amaryl (8mg in the am) and I take 58 units of Levemir at night and I think that is outrageous. I don't work out much because I'm overweight and when I get home from work I'm exhausted! I want to lose a lot of weight by eating right first, and then working out as I become more comfortable...I hope to find some great ideas on food here on this forum!

[notme]

Hi Michelle, Welcome to Diabetes Forums.

Congratulations on your new found courage to lose weight and get control of your diabetes. Weight loss will help your control, but exercise no matter how mild will also help. If you could purchase a recumbent bike or even just walk, you will find that the weight will peel off much easier. Losing weight by diet alone can be done, but it is much harder.

Anyhow, welcome to the forums. We are glad you found us and have decided to join in!

[princesslinda]

Welcome Michelle, glad you found the forums. Lots of great advice here.

As an overweight person, let me assure you that if you wait to exercise until you lose weight and become more comfortable...you will never work out. I've lost a good bit of weight since diagnosed, still have a lot to go..and even with my weight loss, i'm still not comfortable with exercise. Also, exercise will "jump start" your weight loss...if you don't exercise, you'll reach that weight-loss plateau a lot quicker.

I'd encourage you to start small...go for a walk after dinner or ride a stationary bike or walk on the treadmill while watching TV...park a little further from the stores or work...take stairs instead of elevators...every little bit helps. Sure you'll sweat, you feet will hurt, you'll feel "winded" at first, but each day this will get less and you'll be amazed at how much your stamina will increase.

As for eating out...I probably do eat more on the weekends than I should..but i've very diligent throughout the week...and I tend to have more physical activity on the weekends as well, so this hasn't seemed to bother me very much. I just make sure that I don't overeat....Often hubby and I will split an entree...and i'll get my own salad. That way, I can have something that might not be that good for me and not have to worry about eating too much of it. When you're out with friends, you don't have to have the carbs they are having...have wings instead of potato skins, get steamed veggies instead of baked potato or fries.

Check out the CalorieKing website or dietfacts.com...they have a list of popular chain restaurant menus and their nutrition content. Knowing the best choices BEFORE you're at the restaurant makes it easier for me. I keep our favorite restaurant menus printed out in my car so I can decide before I get in the restaurant and become tempted.

[xMenace]

I want to lose a lot of weight by eating right first, and then working out as I become more comfortable...I hope to find some great ideas on food here on this forum!

Ya gotta move to lose the weight. It's part of the forumula. You don't have to "work out" so to speak. Just walk 30 minutes every day.

[sowski143]

Well, I should say that I do work out in small doses. I walk a lot (in the mall!!!) and I work on the second floor so I have to walk up the stairs to get to my office....

I also have the Calorie King book. I never remember to bring it with or even look at it before we got out because I just want to not be diabetic sometimes. I know that isn't possible, but I think I'm still in denial about everything. I don't see myself as morbidly obese (I'm only about 220 and I'm 5'8) and all these people eat horribly and are fine! I don't get it!

[princesslinda]

I know what you mean....sometimes its hard to deal with diabetes, esp. when you're with a group of people, with everyone eating all the things you'd like to have.

I don't mention diabetes to my friends when i'm out...I just order what I think would be best for me and go on. Sometimes they'll offer me something, and I usually reply with "looks good, but i'm watching my weight" or something like that. Works much better than "I don't need that I have diabetes."...you don't want them to turn into the "food police" on you.

Hang in there....just have a few standbys that you know you can eat...and eat them when you go out...and enjoy the company more than the food.

[patricia52]

Don't think of it as exercise. Children get plenty of exercise because they are having fun. Find things you like to do and have fun doing them. If it is not fun, you won't keep it up very long. I don't like walking on a tread mill, but I do like taking a walk with my husband (my best friend for 25+ years). I love it when we load up our camper (my portable motel room) and head out to our favorite spot. I love playing horseshoes, splashing in the pool with my granddaughters, and I love to go window shopping. I am so glad spring is here but, I need to find some winter activities before next winter.
Good luck on finding things you like to do.

[Jamison]

Hi, welcome :D

I only have one additional suggestion. If you are one of those people that get those cravings for something and you start starving until you eat that food that you crave, all you have to do is eat something else. I know it is not your natural instinct to eat something else, but once you get some food in your stomach, that feeling will go away. Say, your about to go to bed and you crave a piece of cake...if you go eat a yogurt and some fruit, that feeling will go away and you will be full. I also agree that if you find an exercise where you are really pushing yourself and burning a lot of fat, but you do not notice it because your having fun, you should persist doing that. The results won't be immediate but if you look away from the scale for a few weeks and continue to do this, you'll be amazed.

[shutterbug]

sowski,

I exactly know what you are going through. I also know how difficult it would be to be out with friends on a weekend and not eat high carb food.

Like XMenace and others have mentioned, you have to add some exercise to your diet in order to loose weight. First thing would be to talk to a nutriotionist and set up your dieting goals by going over what you can eat and how much you can eat. You also need to learn how to count carbs (if you haven't done earlier) in food and how to make good food decisions. If you have health insurance coverage, talk to you primary doc and see if they can refer you to a nutriotionist. I would make that as my first to do item.

Next is about carbs. If your friends doesn't know that you are diabetic, just tell them that you are on a diet and should avoid high-carb items. If they already know, then they shouldn't mind when you skip certain things.

Just by picking correct food, you could stay in good control. I even eat @ McDonalds/BK etc. Well.. I just eat their salads and may be a sandwich from their dollar menu.

Good luck to you with your diet goals.

[jerryn]

You have to make time to excercise... or your body is going to have an extremely rough time as you get older. At least go for a 1 mile walk. As you get stronger go farther. As you walk you will feel yourself get stonger as the weeks go by the 1 mile will get easier and easier. At first you might get some pain in the shins or back.. don't let that stop you. When 1 mile is easier go 1 1/2 miles. Buy an elliptical in the fall, I used one.. now I'm hooked. Good Luck!