TJSloan's Journal, 04 April 2018

I hear you, please dont let this get out of control. Diabetes gets worse with carbs the more carbs you eat the highrer your numbers will be. Your doing great on you weight plan but the bs should be and remain under 100. Good luck! 

Forgive and forget! 

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes (or as prediabetic) the doctor never bothered to tell me the numbers I needed to be aware of. I became obsessed with trying to keep it between 70-110, generalized, per the handbook that came with the glucometer they gave me. After about 6-9 mos, when I was talking to him about my numbers and all my issues, he was like "Well, continue with those number goals if you want to be OCD about it." Which then prompted me to ask what numbers I should be looking for. So, yes, I'm striving for BS levels between 70-110. If I can get my BS to stay within that range, or closer to the 70 level then I am hopeful to get off the medication. I know weight loss is part of it, activity is another part, and the final part is food choices. Yesterday shows there is hope and it is possible. 

be encouraged. stay focused. be strong.  

Actually, it's food choices, weight, then exercise. But I digress. You can't have high blood sugar if you don't eat sugar, If the nutrition label gives you grams of carbs broken down into sugar and fiber, anything left is starch. Fiber has a minimal impact on blood sugar, sugar and starch are what causes blood sugar to sky rocket.  

It sure is possible I ended my diabetes in December I hope you end yours prediabetes as well. My brother died from this dreadful disease.Good luck Sweetie!  

Agree with Phil.  

Phil may I ask if you are Diabetic ?  

Jessie Quinn: Nope. And don't plan to be. It runs on both sides of my family, my dad is Type 2, refuses to ditch the carbage, continues to suffer and take all kinds of diabeetus meds. My mother's mother was severe Type 2, she, too, was on the diabeetus meds until she died. Obesity and diabetes are often co-morbid and, besides smoking, the single biggest factors you have total control over not getting. Lose weight and your health improves in just about every area. Not smoking is just a no-brainer.  

If you are concerned with your blood sugar enough to be testing it that often then you need to be doing the things to deal with it. Don't rationalize what in your own words are 'bad choices' by telling yourself you will 'try' to make up for them 'tomorrow'. If you know the action is bad in relation to the thing you are concerned about don't do the action. I don't mean to come down on you like a 300lb+ biker (well I am that but not my intention) or bash you in any way. I know the struggle of making the good decision. But if you are concerned with blood sugar and what it could lead to, you can't cut any slack, you can't accept half measures. I apologize for being preachy but it hits close to home as diabetes was a key factor in the passing of a close buddy just a couple days ago. He was all about half measures and rationalizations. Please don't let yourself go down that path.  

In regards to Phil, Diabetes is not always linked to bad food choices, lack of exercises and weight. I have a cousin, who has always been into extreme sports, constant runner, never chose the unhealthy foods, was never over weight, or lacked quality exercise. He has never smoked, nor was he much of a drinker. However, all this considered, he still became diabetic, and he was diagnosed with Type 2, in his late 30's. I'll be 48 this year, he's either my age or just a few years younger. His father, the same thing, never smoked, though he did drink, was never overweight, made excellent food choices, however, his diagnosis of type 2 diabetes came in his 60's. So, yes, you can have high blood sugar, if you don't eat the sugar. JLente, you are correct. I do need to stop rationalizing. And there are days when I become OCD about things, like blood sugar, and I check it all the time, then there are times when I may go weeks without checking it. Those times, it's usually because I'm focusing everything on something else. And there are times when I do really good with watching everything that I consume, then suddenly, I just get disgusted and tired of having to watch every little thing that I consume. I had a personal trainer once, who kept telling me I had to eat x amount of calories, especially on those days I was working out with him. I'd come in, he'd ask what I had eaten that day, I'd list everything I had consumed down to the amount of cream and sugar in my coffee. Then he'd fuss that I hadn't consumed enough calories, and I would be like, "Dude, seriously, if I put one more piece of food in my mouth, I'm going to hurl. I literally cannot eat another bite." It wasn't that my choices were bad that day, it was just that I stayed so conscious of what I was eating that I was watching everything from carbs to calories to sugar...it was all healthy choices, just too low in total calories as it totaled up to less than 1500 calories for the day. And yes, I was working out after work towards the end of the day. Y'all are right. I shouldn't rationalize my choices, I shouldn't reward myself with food. But I can't be the only one who gets tired of constantly monitoring every bite of food, drink and activity, and pound gained or loss. I know my weaknesses and I own up to them, good or bad. I may not know all of my strengths, but I do know some of them, and I try to own up to them as well. So, as much as I need/want the support, I also need/want those who "come down on me like a 300+ pound biker." Sometimes, you need someone to tell you want you already know as much as you need the pat on the back with the "stay focused, be strong", comments. And most times I need to hear it all from someone other than my family members whom you tend to roll your eyes and think "you just don't understand because you're not there." And just FYI, I do work in the health care field, hospice to be exact, and have for quite some time. People don't die from diabetes, that's the sad part, they die from complications of diabetes. And I lost my grandfather to complications of diabetes almost 30 years ago. One would think I'd be the preachy one, and way more OCD about it.  

What sort of diabetic treatment did your athletic cousin's doctor prescribe? Did you know there's such a thing as, "skinny-fat", or in other cases, "athletic-fat"? You really don't know what your cousin or his dad was eating when you weren't around so I don't really take your word that he, "ate healthy". At any rate, not tryna have a debate, just saying, that sugar and starch are what cause high blood sugar, it's justa fact.  

You're correct, I don't know what they ate when we weren't around. But I also know people tend to not be as concerned about their eating when they are at family gatherings and holidays and vacations. Yes, there is such a thing as skinny fat and athletic fat. However, both are on insulin injections, although I don't know exactly which brand, nor do I know about the oral medications. And I know they do not allow their children to drink sodas, sports drinks and such when they are around at family gatherings and such. 

I get tired too of the constant monitoring, but I try to get into some habits of "this for breakfast, that for lunch" and simplify. Hang in there! 

I do Intermittent Fasting to help reverse my diabetes (Jason Fung). I can see you not wanting to watch every morsel that goes in your mouth but you shouldn't go weeks on end without testing your BS. It takes literally 30 sec. Test in morning and before bed if you don't want to do it all the time so you can stay informed! Hang in there! 

dietdoctor.com is another great resource.  

My hba1c was in the diabetic range six weeks ago. Gave me a big shock. Needed to do something about it so have been following the ketogenic diet(dr's advice) for almost six weeks. Just had my hba1c redone and now at 35! No longer in the diabetic range at all. There are ways to control your blood glucose. I hope you find one.  

My last A1C was 6.5, that was in Feb of this year. My A1C prior to that in Aug was 6.5. I was extremely happy that I had made it through all the holidays, without it going higher than that. And yes, the doctor that diagnosed me and I had the conversation about bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, because I remember the look he gave me when I commented that "I was doomed before I could even get started." And he and I have gone round and round on the research that says diabetics need to go on cholesterol medications because of high cholesterol, but when I asked how mine was, he said it was "perfect" but that we needed to consider cholesterol meds because I was diabetic. By the end of the conversation, he had a blank expression and I did not go on cholesterol medications. If my cholesterol was fine, then medications weren't needed. Every time studies show today...in five years, they reverse their findings. If mine was fine, I didn't want to start taking medications to manage something that didn't need managing at this time. But here's the thing, I don't like a lot of vegetables, though I am learning. I do eat collards, had to learn to eat those, I do eat spinach, green beans, broccoli, occasionally cauliflower. I am trying to learn to eat the veggies, but sometimes I get tired of eating the same things over and over. I can't be the only one that is like this. So, early on, I adopted an "all things in moderation" plan. Because I know my weakness, if I deny myself something I want long enough, then when I fall off the wagon, I gorge myself on that thing. So, I had to learn that I can have 1 slice of peach brandy pound cake, but not 1 slice every day, and not a large slice. I can have a sprite, but not an entire 20 ounce bottle, and not every day. I can have mashed potatoes and home made biscuits with gravy, but not every week. I can go on a diet, but I'm also allowed to have a cheat day, just in moderation, not by the dump truck load. And as I type this, a volunteer brought me a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven that I'm sitting here smelling, but I'm going to give it away, rather than eat it. 

Sugar addict. No shame, can be overcome. 

Jimmy John's does the Unwich which is a lettuce wrap of your favorite sandwich. Saves carbs and calories...