I'm a diabetic Newbie!

[jd4en6]

I just found out today that I have diabetes and I'm not happy about it as you may expect....I just wanted to see if anyone is willing to tell me kinda how they eat day to day because I am lost with the dieting issue. I have read the ADA pyramid but I wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me...I'm lost and don't know anyone with this condition!

[hardingnerd]

Im not much of a person to help with dieting but I do want to say that you might be suprized how many people around really do have diabetes.

I live in a college dorm and just found out this week that the girl living next door is a diabetic and a great asset to me. Just wanted to point that out.

Im prediabetic/type 2 so I eat slightly different not having meds or insulin to correct high levels but others might ask if you are on any medications and that would be good to list.

I know how it feels like to be confused and lost but just be patience and you'll be learning so much you dunno what to do with all the information. You picked a great website to ask questions as it has helped me so much.

Good Luck and hopefully others will give you some great answers.

[jd4en6]

my doctor started me on metformin if that helps anyone in answering my questions...thanx for the reply harding

[mortis505]

Metformin can take a few weeks to build up to effective levels. See if you can find a book called "Type 2 Diabetes - The First Year" by Gretchen Becker. However your profile says you are a Type 1 so metformin wont help much. Type 1 is an autoimmune attack on the beta cells that produce insulin and metformin is used to treat insulin resistance.

Also forget the ADA diet, its packed with carbs and not a good example. Start looking at a low carb diet. Atkins and Bernstein come to mind.

Were you given a meter to test your blood sugars (a.k.a. BG level)? Testing is the only way to know how certain foods/meals will effect your BG. Test before you eat and at 2 hours after the first bite.

If your Dr says that you are T1 but is treating you with meds for T2, its time to get a new Dr.

[UpNorth]

Ditto what Mortis said.

Welcome to the forums btw :)

I'm T1 and obviously on insulin for it. Several tests has shown i have no insulin production what so ever in my body, and i'm "just" 4.5 years in with diabetes. I eat what i want, when i want and just take insulin to match for it. Of course, sometimes it doesn't go the way i want and i end up high or low, but that's easily fixed with eating something sweet if low, or having a small correction dose of insulin if high.

And also what Mortis said. If you're T1, you need to get off that Met and have insulin instead. Met is for resistance and won't do a thing if you have too little insulin in your system:eek:


Diabetes can be a pain in the behind at times, but most of the time at least i don't mind living with it. It's confusing and frustrating in the beginning, but once you learn how to deal with it it becomes just as natural to do the D things as it is to brush teeth :)

[xMenace]

I'm lost and don't know anyone with this condition!

I can almost guarantee you do know people with this. It's an epidemic.

Stop reading ADA ****. Low-carb. Carbs raise sugar levels and add weight. That's primarily how you got here. Do your own research though. Start with my videos.

[foxl]

I hate to jump on the bandwagon, if I were that sort, I would be following ADA, right?

With D, you are in control. Not your MD, not you Educator, not your Dietitian. You must teach yourself what works and take charge.

But I agree with the guys above -- lower-carbing and exercise are what have gotten mine under control. GREAT book and video recommendations, too.

Oh, one other thing --- USE YOUR METER and eat (and exercise) according to what it tells you. It is your single most important tool, or weapon, depending on how you look at it. If you spike, learn from it and eat less of that carb that spiked you next time, or skip it!

[jd4en6]

my mistake everyone....I am type 2...so sorry to have wasted your time in responding I told you I was a newbie

[matingara]

do not apologize!!!!!!!!!!!

you are new. you are learning. stick around and you will find out heaps of stuff here...

:)

-- Joel.

[Subby]

my mistake everyone....I am type 2...so sorry to have wasted your time in responding I told you I was a newbie

jd4en6, don't worry about anything like that. Do you have details as to how you were diagnosed with type 2? Were there certain tests taken?

[jd4en6]

yes, my dr took tests did all the blood work and I don't have the specifics but he said that everything was high...my bg levels for the average was around 285 and my cholesterol levels were through the roof...I just started on metformin this past Friday and I am trying to learn how to eat without getting hungry every hour...since coming to this site I have learned plenty though...everyone seems to be concerned about this a1ctest or whatever but i'm not sure what mine was though I do know I was tested

[lorilei]

oh...welcome! great place to learn...first step...shred the ada recommendations.... (in my humble opinion!)

[foxl]

The lower the carbs, the less meds you will need.

The smaller the input, the smaller the mistakes!

And the less carbs you eat, the less hungry you will feel, too. Because your insulin won't spike up and then drop down leaving you hungry.

[jd4en6]

thanx I am slowly learning that...after reading and reading most of the night and today on this site, I have almost had a full day of not feeling hungry! thanx everyone this site is a must for people like us!!!

[Marcia K in Fl]

Welcome jd4en6!

If you have read on this site you know what to do. My doctor told me because of my insulin resistance my body is constantly telling me it is hungry. I would agree with that.
Since I have gone lower carb it has gone away somewhat but I am new too so I am learning. I thought hunger was a fact of life for me! Glad to hear it isn't.

Stop by often, read and post!

[alura]

jd4en6, welcome from Texas! I can't add much to the posts above and it looks like you have already been reading and heeding the advice. I can tell you from personal experience that the ADA stuff needs to be tossed. Only when I came here and learned about lo-carb did my numbers get better! Soon, you'll be welcoming newcomers and giving advice too....

[jseeley]

Looks like everyone has given some good posts so far. Definitely need to go low carb. Rather than the Atkins diet I would recommend South Beach diet. Atkins only looks at low carb, doesn't care about fat much. South Beach is low carb, low unhealthy fats; especially since your cholesterol is bad you will need to watch your fats and cholesterol intake as well.

Read food labels before you eat. If it has Trans fat DON'T eat it; your body can't digest that **** properly it will just build up in your arteries. Lower your saturated fats, unsaturated fats aren't too bad.

Exercise, exercise, and exercise. Studies show a 1/2 hour a day on a stair stepper will lower your insulin resistance by up to 50%. Exercise will also lower bad cholesterol while simultaneously increasing good.