Recently Diagnosed in need of help

[kev7554]

Hello my name is Kevin and I was diagnosed Type 2 my A1c is 10.6. I take 10mg glipizide and 10mg Byetta twice daily. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now and my morning numbers are usually 225 or higher. I am 34 6'2 and weigh 396 lbs. I would really like to get the diabetes under control and also loose weight in the process. My insurance wont cover a nutritionist like my DR. recommends and I just don't have the money at this time so with all the reading i have done I have come up with a plan.


Breakfast 45-60 Carbs
Mid morning Snack 15-25 carbs
Lunch 45-60
Afternoon Snack 15-25
Dinner 45-60
Snack 15-25

Does that seem ok or is it still too many Carbs?

[Granny Shanny]

That's 180g - 255g per day, and in my opinion, way too much.

You can eat a lot of food and still avoid so many carbs. Don't be afraid of good solid protein and fats. The protein will give you energy & the fats provide the sense of satiety.

Prowl through the threads here that deal with diet & recipes, and you'll find a lot of substitutions we can make that help relieve our dependence on carbs. The biggest trouble with 'em is, they create cravings for more and more carbs. Once you put a little distance between, you won't crave so strongly. Keep no-carb snacks around so you don't get hungry. Beef sticks, cheese sticks, hard-cooked eggs, hot wings (without breading), nuts, olives . . .

[dbaratta]

Hello my name is Kevin and I was diagnosed Type 2 my A1c is 10.6. I take 10mg glipizide and 10mg Byetta twice daily. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now and my morning numbers are usually 225 or higher. I am 34 6'2 and weigh 396 lbs. I would really like to get the diabetes under control and also loose weight in the process. My insurance wont cover a nutritionist like my DR. recommends and I just don't have the money at this time so with all the reading i have done I have come up with a plan.


Breakfast 45-60 Carbs
Mid morning Snack 15-25 carbs
Lunch 45-60
Afternoon Snack 15-25
Dinner 45-60
Snack 15-25

Does that seem ok or is it still too many Carbs?

It depends on the person, I would never be able to eat that many carbs. I can have 15g per meal. I know, crazy right? But that is just me and most people can eat more. The dietition suggested 30 to 45 per meal so,,,,maybe stick to the 45????? Just need to experiment.

[xMenace]

Hello my name is Kevin and I was diagnosed Type 2 my A1c is 10.6. I take 10mg glipizide and 10mg Byetta twice daily. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now and my morning numbers are usually 225 or higher. I am 34 6'2 and weigh 396 lbs. I would really like to get the diabetes under control and also loose weight in the process. My insurance wont cover a nutritionist like my DR. recommends and I just don't have the money at this time so with all the reading i have done I have come up with a plan.


Breakfast 45-60 Carbs
Mid morning Snack 15-25 carbs
Lunch 45-60
Afternoon Snack 15-25
Dinner 45-60
Snack 15-25

Does that seem ok or is it still too many Carbs?

If you really want to control your sugars and lose weight, cut the carbs out. Try 50-80g A DAY for a couple of weeks. No grains whatsoever. Get your carbs from veggies, 1 fuit max, and dairy -- whole foods. Eat a decent amount of proteins -- you need to be satiated, and don't hold back on fats -- you still need the calories.

The whole goal here is to change your insulin levels. Insulin is THE FAT STORAGE HORMONE. Carbs drive insulin levels and therefore fat levels. Moving to this type of diet really does do wonders. There are other dieting options once you attain a reasonable weight, but right now I think you need to try this one. After two weeks your cravings should be all but gone.

If you can't bring yourself to eat like this, a starvation diet accompanied by extreme exercise can shed a lot of weight too, but keeping it off for the long term is problematic.

[kgm0612]

Welcome to the forum, Kev!

Follow the advice from the other posters above and cut your carbohydrate intake. Be sure to test prior and two hours after a meal and if you're able, get in some exercise.

Here's some of the food items I eat for meals:

Breakfast: Usually 25g carbs or less:
2 slices of toasted light wheat bread with spray butter; any type of eggs; Dannon Light & Fit Carb Control yogurt; a small apple or pear.

Lunch: Usually 20g carbs or less:
Garden salad; turkey or chicken breast on light wheat bread with lettuce and a little mayo; leftovers from the night prior.

Dinner: Somewhere between 40-50g
Lean meats, such as pork or chicken with green beans; Steak with a baked sweet potatoe; cheeseburger on a store brand thin bun because the bun itself is 19g. Some buns can run upwards of 30-40g each so read the label!

Snacks: apple, pear, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, carrot sticks, slices of pepper jack cheese.

Karen

[jer.lawrence]

I just want to pipe in and agree with the others that you should try to cut that carb intake down. HOW FAR down is very individual and you'll have to find what works for you. I found that 15g breakfasst, 30g lunch, 30g dinner worked well for me, but there are some folks who don't feel right on that small number.

When I was Dx, was at about 275 (6'2") lbs and I've lost down to around 255 doing low carb. I'm still being finicky about trying to find the right amount of carbs, and I'm actually doing far fewer right now (TRYING to go with the Atkin's Induction approach of 20g or less a DAY). It's doable, but certainly not easy.

[Oldlady]

I like Karen's meal plan - yummy! :)

You may need more carbs than some of the rest because of your height and weight. A 5 foot tall person wouldn't need as many carbs or protien or fat as a 6 foot tall person. Also, take your activity into account. If you don't exercise, you will have more trouble keeping your blood sugar down. The medications you take do have an effect as well and must be considered.

[Baylor1970]

I have been fairly successful lately losing weight. I COMPLETELY cut out the Sugar about 3 months ago when I weighed 235 lbs. About 6 weeks ago I was dx'ed as Type 2 and the doctor told me to go on the South Beach Diet. I went on Phase I of the diet religiously for 3 weeks and then moved to Phase II. I currently weigh 193. It was hard, but I lost over 40 lbs in 3 months and would do it again if it was required.

Good Luck and work hard, it will pay off.