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kirkjerk
09-11-2009, 11:28 AM
I'm a 36 year old white male, 216lb@5'11"
So, long term I'm probably at risk for diabetes...
grandfather had it pretty bad, my aunt is taking insulin, and my mom (who had some of the pregnancy diabetes stuff as well) is also taking some medicine regularly - not insulin, one of the ones when you're blood sugar levels aren't yet that problematic)

I'm going to get a regular (though not regular enough, its been a few years) checkup and will consult with my doctor then, but I had a general question - my girlfriend thinks it's odd that I have this thing where a smallish bit of something sugary and/or creamy at the right time - like, a big spoonful of ice cream, say - can leave me feeling satiated for a surprisingly long amount of time. And she thought it was really odd/scary that my mom is the same way - one afternoon we went to one of those hip cupcake places, and really even a small cupcake was enough that she said she wasn't hungry for a long time.

And I guess I've had this for a long time - I remember in college I noted that like a snickers bar at just the right time could let me not have to follow a traditional meal schedule. And I came up with some odd theory about how important timing was, though in retrospect maybe it was as much the sweetness as anything.

So, is this trait likely an indication that my sugar/insulin response is already a bit out of wack? Or is it relatively normal? It still feels like this could be a bit of a "diet aid", w/ a light breakfast, this kind of sugary bite, and then a healthy dinner... and obviously I'd like any pattern that helps keep my weight down.

sorka
09-11-2009, 12:28 PM
Can't really say without testing.

Have you bought a glucose monitor and checked your own BGs? They're cheap and easy to use.

Have you had any other testing such as A1Cs or anthing?

kirkjerk
09-11-2009, 12:39 PM
When I borrowed my mom's BS tests, things seemed fine.

I'm less asking "am I at risk" than "has anyone heard about anything like this being associated with the condition"...

Ronin
09-12-2009, 02:04 PM
Hi Kirkjerk!

Welcome to DF where we all share what we have learned.

Your question leads me to wonder about your satiety question -- could it be that it is the fat content that makes you feel satisfied, not the sugar? The foods you mentioned are all quite high in fat content as well as sugars.

Having family members with Diabetes is a risk-factor but not conslusive that you will develop diabetes as a result of genetics. More often than not what our families pass along is a tradition of unhealthy eating.

My sense is that you are a good candidate for a lifestyle change that will have a direct impact on your BG levels as well as other metabolic conditions. My guess is that your Blood Pressure and Lipid levels aren't all that great either.

I've been exactly where you are now (albeit 235 pounds and a couch potato). I'm not that anymore and my metabolic indiactors are all very good (I still take generic Zocor [easier to spell] to keep the cholesterol levels in check).

Was the transition easy? Heck no! It was very difficult until I found something that my wife would participate in (tandem bicycling) because exercise is a very important part of the lifestyle change equation. It took years and I have had all the up's-and-down's that you can immagine. However, I'm living proof that it can be accomplished. My medical folks think that I'm "cured" -- I know that I'm not because I have to maintain this regemen for the rest of my life to keep the problem at bay (I also have the genetic background as well as the unhealthy eating tradition).

You can do it. All you need to do now is make the decision to change your life and with the help of your partner and the folks here at DF you can accomplish a lot!

ADSOFT
09-13-2009, 01:28 AM
Yep, I was going to say something like that.

I'm 5'11 and I was about 225lbs. 216lbs is still pretty large.

He has to go get his cholestorol, bp, bg checked asap. That's a lot weight to be carrying around with out knowing where your cholestrol and bg are. ..... dangerous!

kirkjerk
09-13-2009, 01:07 PM
Thanks for all the encouragement/support.

It has been a few too many years for cholesterol and BS screening, but my BP has been decent - not fantastic. (It was fantastic in the 90s, then either I started going to the gym and it got to be just ok, or else I think Y2K paranoia stressed me out in a way I haven't quite recovered from...)

Ugh, I had a dr appointment for the end of month, but now there's a business trip. Still, it should check all this out in fairly short order.