Just found out I have diabetes...day 2

[jaytex 121]

I was told yesterday that I have diabetes. The doctor told me in a nonchalant tone, "Looks like you have diabetes..". I'm still in that 3 month testing phase, but I'm reading at 180 when fasting according to the doctor. The doctor also gave me a welcome to diabetes pamphlet, and told me to avoid sugar and carbs. I was also told to monitor my blood sugar levels, with a device I have to pick up today. Oh and I got a sample pack of some medication that starts with a "J". I kinda feel a bit lost in all this quick fast information. It was very unsettling to find out I have diabetes,and I'm still wrapping my head around it. I look at food like it's harming me, and have lost my appetite.

 

I just turned 40, and recently began to exercise. I'm working out (cardio) every day for 1 hour. I started this about a month ago, I went to the doctor a few weeks ago to get a check up and this bomb was dropped on me. I told my doctor my recent diet change and she said it was unhealthy for a diabetic. My diet started before I knew I was diabetic. It consists of 1 banana for breakfast, 1 small salad with ranch dressing,a low fat soup for lunch, and for dinner, chicken, or a low fat beef patty with broccoli or green beans.

 

Now I do know many diabetics. But they eat candy bars, sweets and drink regular cokes all day then pop some pills. So I have not approached them for advice. I would like to know some resources I can find to manage this. I feel pretty helpless right now since I have no tools to lower my sugar levels, since I have to wait 2 more months for this testing.

 

Any advice would be great, thanks.

[Ela 1,814]

Hi Jaytex and welcome to the forum!

 

Yeah, you are right - it IS hard to get a D. bomb dropped on you!   I totally know what you mean.  I cried for a week after my diagnosis.  And was confused and upset and didn't know what to eat and what to do.  But then I got a meter, started testing extensively, found this forum and little by little things started to clear out and improved.  There IS live after diagnosis and it could be a healthy and happy life too!

 

You got to the right place here.  Just read around the forum and ask any questions.  Also google, find and read blog Blood Sugar 101 by Jenny Ruhl.  It has all basic information explained in plain language. 

 

But I have to tell you that I'm impressed with your doctor!  She actually recommended low carb and even said that low fat and banana is not healthy for diabetics!  Wow!   My only concern with her is the medication you got.  "J" probably stands for Januvia or Janumet.  Why not Metformin?   

 

But she is totally right that you should avoid sugar and carbs.  And getting a meter and testing is a most important tool in diabetes control.  You can do it and you can get it under control just like most of us here!

 

Good luck and hugs!

[Kit 27,360]

I was diagnosed at the end of January and I know exactly how you can feel lost and confused at the start of it all.

 

The first thing everyone will tell you here is to eat to your meter.  Test before meals and then again two hours after.  This will allow you to get a good idea of how you are reacting to the different food options.

 

There are a couple things that stand out to me in regards to your diet.  First, a banana can have a lot of carbs in it.  Many diabetics find they react much better to the traditional bacon and eggs type breakfast.  Many, such as myself, are more resistant in the mornings and I find I do best around 5 or so carbs in the mornings.  YMMV and the only way you can know for sure is to test, test, and test some more. 

 

Second, dump the low fat and go for the full fat options.  Not only do low fat options tend to have more carbs in them (gotta replace the lost flavor with something), but they also have less staying power when it comes to your appetite.

 

Also, at first glance, your protein intake might be a little low, especially if you are wanting to avoid loosing muscle mass.  Try to have a little protein and fat in every meal and snack.  You don't have to go hungry in order to help control your blood sugars and loose wight.  Just eat intelligently.

 

About 90% of the carbs in my diet come from low carb vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, spinach, red peppers, cauliflower, and the like.  I don't do a lot of fruit, but when I do its like some berries (blackberries or blueberries are my favorites) or maybe a few slices of apple.  I have almost completely eliminated starchy vegetables and grains from my diet.

 

Personally I aim for less than 40 carbs a day and find that is giving me much better numbers.  The last few weeks I have been bouncing between 90s and low 100s for my morning fast numbers.  Now if I can only keep it in the 90s I will be happy.  Others here do better at higher carb levels and the only way you'll know for sure is to make sure you keep testing yourself pre and post and experiment with changes.

 

Exercise is great and the only thing I might consider adding is a little time with weights.  I bought a set of barbells that I use three times a week.  Muscle mass is more efficient with handling blood sugars and can make it easier to keep your weight down as well.

 

I'd avoid getting advice from diabetics who are eating candy bars and drinking sugary pop all day.  As my Dr reminded me this morning, all the meds in the world aren't going to help without appropriate lifestyle changes.  She also makes sure to keep reminding me that this is a marathon and not a sprint.  The goal is steady improvements and those are the ones easiest to stick to as well.

 

This is an excellent place to ask for help.  There are so many knowledgeable people here and I found the advise I've received as far as diet has been much more useful than anything I received from a dietician.  People here have learned what works for them from experience, not from outdated text books and ADA recommendations.

 

Oh, I'm also surprised you weren't given Metformin as it works by lessening your insulin resistance and helping get a reign on your lever dumping glucose into your body.  That might be something worth asking your doctor about.

 

Best of luck.  Stick around, read the archives.  There's so much information here to help you find the path that's right for your body. 

[jwags 9,219]

Welcome to the group. No one wants to be told you are diabetic but the quicker you accept it and desl with it, the better off you will be. The most important thing is BG testing. Now, they probably won't give you enough strips so you may have to buy so e out of pocket. I buy mine at Amazon for 60-70% off. Many buy the Relion brand at Walmart. You will want to test when you wake up and 2 hours after meals. Ideally you will want to get to 100 for fasting and 120-140 after meals. This may take awhile but it will happen. As far as diet I rarely count calories, just the carbs. So I get to eat all sorts of red meat, chicken, fish, cheeses, eggs, nuts, seeds and most veggies. The foods I avoid are anything made with wheat, most fruit except berries, rice except wild rice, potatoes and all pastas. Sugar is just like any other carb. Stsrt reading the nutrition label onmthe back of foods. Look for the total carbs and the portion size. There is also an APP called

www.calorieking.com that has a database of every food on earth and even fast food restaurants. I have it on my iphone and ipad.

[samuraiguy 4,976]

Welcome to the forums. Think of diabetes management as a three legged stool (diet, exercise, meds/insulin) with the seat being a healthy A1C level--the measurement of your average blood glucose over the past 3 months. Diet is going to have the biggest impact so it's important to find an eating style you can sustain for the long run. What I did was make a list of foods I love and then find ways to make them lower carb so I could still enjoy them even if just in moderation as part of a healthier over all eating plan. Exercise is going to be the next biggest thing you can do to help manage blood glucose levels and not only is the amount of exercise important, but so is the timing. This is why it is good to test 1 and 2 hour after eating to see when your blood glucose is spiking the highest and time your exercise to counter it. Exercise not only helps make you more insulin sensitive, but can help you lose weight which increases insulin sensititvity even more. Take your medications as prescribed, but if you can get on Metformin this will be better to rest your pancreas. Many other diabetes meds are designed to to make your pancreas work harder by putting out more insulin and can cause it to exhaust faster.

 

I personally found it important to set A1C, fasting blood glucose, 1 hour and 2 hour postprandial goals to try and maintain because once you know the why of healthy blood glucose levels then it makes it easier to figure out the how.

[pnkbrd66 271]

hey and welcome. I am pretty new to this also and the thing that helps me the most is a journal. I write everything and I mean everything down.  In the beginning (july 2013)  I counted carbs and calories and fiber and kept track of my testing. I listed my exercise and how I felt and feelings and it really helped me. all bodies are different and the only way to know how yours reacts to certain foods is to test and record it. eventually you will get the hang of it and this is a great place to ask questions.

in july 2013 at diagnosis I was at a1c of 7.0 , and now I am at 5.8 with no medication. my doctor gave me three months to see if I could control with diet and exercise and so far that is working for me.

 

hang in there.

[jaytex 121]

Update

 

The drug they prescribed to me is Januvia. After attaining my blood sugar monitor, I had some difficulties lol.I ended up lancing myself 7 times before the strip gave me a reading! I didn't realize the blood goes in at the tip, I was just heaping it on the flat surface.

 

Well after a week of testing, I'm getting a average of 104 for my morning fast. Two hours after a meal it hits about 115 to 129. I've experimented with eating trash food to see my blood sugar results and they are about the same.

 

I'm confused now. Unless Januvia is really knocking down my blood sugar, I'm not sure what to think. When the doctor tested me a month ago, I had a 180 resting blood sugar and a 9.0 on that test. My friends who are diabetic tell me it could be just a fluke.

 

Anyone know what's going on with this situation? I mean the doctor was telling me that insulin could be in my future last time I talked to her..

[blessedtoes 17]

Hey Jaytex-

 

Welcome. I'm going to keep the post short as I know long posts can be overwhelming.

 

First, stay away from low-fat everything. Taking fat out = cardboard taste = adding extra sugar. Fat is essential for you, take the water weight from your brain and it's like 80% fat, all your cell walls are fat, your hormones are fat, etc. Avoid man-made fats, but natural fats are healthy. Carbs are your enemy now.

 

Second, think of insulin like this, it does two things. It converts sugar to energy or to fat. If you eat a little, or exercise a lot, your insulin uses the food for energy. If you eat a lot, or exercise little, you make fat. Fat increases your insulin resistance = vicious downward spiral. Your friends who are drinking soda and popping pills are on their way to dialysis and one of those fancy folding white canes with the red tip.

 

I think it's unlikely you got a bum result with both your lab BS and your lab A1C. IMHO 115 to 129 is pretty high post-prandial for a non-diabetic, so maybe you have a pretty mild case of type 2, though 9 is high for an A1C. Given you're just into this 104 FBS is pretty good, but I'd want that lower.

 

There are a lot of different opinions on ideal BS (and lots of docs giving out bad advice), but I aim to keep mine at 85, and my fasting BS occasionally hits 93-96. If you stay in that range you're golden, no side effects.

 

Hang in there, man!

 

With blessings,

Matthew

[jaytex 121]

Well thanks to the advice i've read here on this site my a1c dropped. I had an opportunity to take a free a1c test at the university I work at. And I was hoping for anything lower than the 9 I got on my first test. Now my last test was less than 3 months ago, but I scored a 6.6 this time. And, I finally got to talk to a medical professional in depth about diabetes. I told her my story and numbers...and I wasn't blasted by threats of insulin, blindness or the decapitation of my limbs! I told her that I took the januvia for 2 weeks and then stopped taking it to get a base line for my blood sugar, against my doctors orders of course. She plainly asked me how much weight I've lost, I explained to her I dropped 30lbs in less than 2 months. Then she said if diabetes does not run in my family, the dramatic change is probably tied to my weight. And with that, she told me to continue what I'm doing.

 

She also explained to me that doctors normally do not go into detail about diabetes after diagnosis, and that people fall into a very generalized number slot.

 

Right now I'm a happy camper, no medications, and my numbers continue to improve. I've learned through this forum, and my own trials that it's all about a focus on the small details. A little less on the plate, a polite "no" when offered sweets, a little more exercise every week, and a quick peek at the carbs on all the food I buy.

[Kit 27,360]

Congratulations.  You've made a lot of progress over the course of a few months. 

[jaytex 121]

Oh and the medical professional in question is a professor for the RN program at the university. She holds diabetes seminars a couple times during the month.

[TX_Clint 18,189]

Congratulations. So now ya know how it's done. Just keep on doin and you'll also find a suprise in there..... you're gonna start feelin great.

[jaytex 121]

Ok got my results from my doctor just now. A1c is 5.3

[apollo322 765]

Nice going!

[Seagal 9,330]

You are amazing!  You have a darn good functioning pancreas, you know what you can eat and you have been proactive in your diabetes management and look what happened...5.3%!!!!

 

             :party:   

[jaytex 121]

Thanks, its such a weight off my chest to know that I can control this! My doctor was also surprised, but got mad when i told her I was doing LCHF lol 

[Ela 1,814]

Congratulations!  Wow! Terrific results!   

 

Your doctor got mad, huh?  Good results are not good enough for her?   And what should you have done differently, I'm curious?

[Weezy 569]

Wowwweeeeee---congrats!  And keep doing what you're doing and ignore your doctor about your diet!

 

It sounds like you've caught things early and with the good care you're giving yourself, you'll continue to maintain good numbers without meds.  The trick is going to be to keep testing yourself and stay true to what is working for you and continue to ignore the bad advice (i.e., low fat/high carb diets).

 

[moneymeister 3,352]

Hello and woot woot for diabetic butt kicking! Great job.