| Cetaganda
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KAREN wrote:
"Today at lunch i took a 3 mile walk and tonight i have an hour of very energitic dog training (its amazing how hard you work at dog training try it sometime its one of the best aerobic exercises i know) so i will be interested to see what my BG level is tomorrow. Also tomorrow is my weekly weigh in."
Excellent, Karen. Do, please let us know how things go for you tomorrow.
KAREN wrote:
"Oh i have to share another thing.... I decided to try on all my too small clothes that are hanging in the back of the closet. I was pretty amazed at the results. I only have about 5 things left now that are still too small and not too small by much. I can get into my "skinny" jeans, which are not skinny by any means but they are MY skinny jeans. I have many new outfits that look good on me. And i now have yet another bag of too big clothes to give to good will. Soon i will be in need of buying new clothes. So all in all things are going well."
It's terrific that you have been so successful on the SBD that you are now wearing smaller clothes. You encourage us all, lady!
I have noticed that my pants are getting looser in the waist. I told my husband that if I get to my college weight that I am going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe. He said, "That is *not* a problem." The alternative is that I would continue to get bigger and have to buy even bigger clothes ... and probably my diabetes would get worse, too. :cry:
I am 5 feet 7 inches tall. My college weight was between 120 and 130 and I wore a size 10 in my tops and size 12 in my pants and straight skirts. I have kept all of my clothes from the time when I wore size 16 (large) until size 22/24 (plus size 3). Except for most of the size 2 plus, they are stored in boxes up in the attic. I look forward to wearing the clothes that I wore on the way up as I go down, down, down. :D At the same time, I am going to try hard to maintain and even increase the size of my muscles.
So, to Karen, ... way to go!! Best of luck to everyone ... let's control the diabetes and not let it control us! :D :D |
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Fri Aug 20, 2004 1:58 am |
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| Cetaganda
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Hi everybody,
I went to my internist on Tuesday with a list of blood glucose measurements and a lot of questions. Here are my fasting blood glucose levels starting August 8, 2004: 117, 108, 117, 108, 108. 96, 108, 107, 104, 109, 99 Furthermore, all of my measurements taken 2 hours after a meal were very good.
Here are the questions for and answers from my doctor:
I'm finally testing my blood glucose levels and doing South Beach Diet (as you recommded 1 1/2 years ago) and walking more: excellent! Phase I: no need for that in your case.
How many times per day should I measure? One time at most ... just measure your fasting BG level ... unless you feel extremely thirsty (possible hyperglycemia) or shaky (possible hypoglycemic). However, I don't expect this to happen to you. I don't want you to stick your fingers too much.
Well, I have been taking most of my BG measurements from the top of my arm: I would rather you take blood from your fingers ... it is more accurate.
What is my target for a fasting BG level? Just aim for less than 110 for your fasting BG level. Your BG measurements 2 hours after a meal are also very good.
Hemoglobin A1C, what is the target? less than 7%, ideally less than 6%. I think that your's is going to be about 6.2 this time (it was 6.8 the last time).
Total Cholesterol: Why is it greater than the sum of LDL and HDL? Total Cholesterol = LDL plus HDL plus triglycerides divided by 5.
What about VLDL: LDL measurement includes VLDL
Should I be tested for CRP, Lipoprotein(a), and Homocysteine, as well as hemoglobin A1c? I think that it's a good idea ... we'll measure them today
What were my most recent measurements?
Weight 241 (which is 5 pounds less than 2 months ago and 20 pounds less than my highest. Doctor said that when I get to 200 pounds or less she fully expects that I will no longer need medication to control my blood glucose. What an incentive that is!)
I am really fortunate in that I am only mildly diabetic at this point. My mother (has never been overweight and is a small size woman) has had type II diabetes for 20+ years and it is worse than mine at this point. She is non-insulin dependant so far and is taking two diabetes medications: Avandamet and something else. Until recently she had very poor control of her blood glucose levels.
I finally talked my mom into going to see an endocrinologist. That doctor is *much* more knowledgeable and concerned about her diabetes. She never got to see her other doctor ... saw a nurse practitioner for years. BTW: she is 70 years old, with some complications from diabetes. However, her mother and grandmother (who had a leg amputated above the knee) and some of her sisters have died from complications of diabetes ... most by age 60. Even her brother, another diabetic, has had a coronary bypass operation.
The other day we talked about the South Beach Diet. She said that there are no bookstores where she lives. I told her that her Super Walmart's probably carries Dr. Agatston's books. BTW: Yesterday I saw all three of his books at Costco ... very inexpensive ... thinking about buying them for my mother, unless she has already bought them for herself at Walmarts.
Back to my measurements, all before going on the SBD:
Pulse: 80 (will be lower as I get more exercise)
Blood pressure: 114/84 (I hope that the lower number gets better)
Total cholesterol: 183 (good)
LDL: 108 (excellent)
HDL: 41 (I hope that regular exercise increases this)
Triglycerides: 168 (normal)
H1Ac: 6.8% (I would like to see them at or below 6%)
So, I've finally come to the end of my long post. I hope that you have not been bored. I am just so pleased with how things are going for me, especially now that I am on the South Beach Diet and exercising more often. :D :D :D |
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Fri Aug 20, 2004 2:51 am |
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| davidharriet
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Hi everyone,
Well, I made it through my first two weeks on the SBD and I am happy to report that I have lost 11.5lbs. I feel great. I have more energy and am taking less insulin. I can't wait till I can throw my insulin bottles and needles in the trash forever. I know it is possible and I will do it. I started on Phase I and am now slowly adding back some carbs, I am sort of on 1.5 for awhile. My BS are doing great, 106 this morning. I am tweeking my dosage daily, to see what happens. I think it is a little bit easier to control my BS while I am on insulin shots since I can always give myself a little more or less as needed. But I want to give them up!!!!!
I have started exercising. I need to start making some of the SBD recipes, they look great. |
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Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:06 am |
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| Dariad254
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Cetaganda wow what a story. Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you and your husband are doing great, making the right choices and can really live on this program. I feel the very much the same. I have tired everything in the diet relm with little and never long lasting success because it was a diet not a new way of living, and quite honestly old habits die hard. Until now i had never found a program that could replace my old habits. SB has done that very well. Yesterday i had a horrible day at work and I new job i have been offered got not quite unoffered but delayed for a while ...all around it was a really horrid day. On top of that i ended up working 2 hours overtime and then hitting stop and stop traffic on the way home. I got home with just enough time to feed the dogs and go to puppy training class without me being able to eat anything. Before SB that would have meant running to a fast food place and scarfing down something. But instead i quickly sliced up some tomatoes and put some basil and balsamic on them and munched them down as the pups were eating. It certainly wasnt the best dinner in the world but it was better than Carl's by far. Actually i didnt even consider going to a fast food place which really made me smile as we hopped into the car and drove off to class.
My boyfriend is very much like your husband. I do most of the cooking and he eats what i cook. He was not so hot on this program but in 10 weeks he has lost over 30 pounds and needs new pants and a new belt. He is so jazzed about how he feels and looks that he is a total convert now. He is now looking through the cook books for SB and wanting to do some of the cooking with these recipies. He has to go to the doctor's next week and i think she will be amazed at how much better he looks. I want her to titer his blood for the meds he's on, I think he will be able to reduce some of his medications, that would be the best thing in the world for him.
Again thanks for sharing and being so open about everything going on in your life it really helps me and i bet it helps others as well.
As for my on going experiment....
Yesterday i walked at lunch and then did dog training for an hour in the evening. This morning my BG was....drum roll...148 !!! the lowest its been yet. I am so very stoked about this. I also weighed today and I am only down 1 pound but that puts it offically at 15 pounds. This is slow but thats ok as well.
Have a great weekend all. See you again on monday!!
be well |
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Fri Aug 20, 2004 4:13 pm |
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| Cetaganda
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davidharriet wrote: Hi everyone,
Well, I made it through my first two weeks on the SBD and I am happy to report that I have lost 11.5lbs. I feel great. I have more energy and am taking less insulin. I can't wait till I can throw my insulin bottles and needles in the trash forever. I know it is possible and I will do it.
Hi Harriet,
How are doing today? I hope that you do succeed in reducing the amount of insulin you need or even getting rid of the insulin altogether. Of utmost importance, however, is to have tight control of our blood glucose levels ... whatever it takes. We don't want to have to live or suffer (or die early) because of the complications of diabetes. This is a very, very serious disease.
Congratulations on making it through 2 weeks on phase I. As you may have read, I started on phase II ... never did phase I. I did not lose 11.5 pounds, as you did. And you will lose less per week on phase II. For instance, I lost 3 pounds on my first official week with phase II. I don't expect to see that kind of weight loss every week, but every pound I lose (hopefully bodyfat and not muscle) brings me closer to my goal of being able to get rid of the Avandia I take each morning ... my doctor assures me that this is possible when I get my weight down under 200 pounds - what a double incentive that is! This is possible because at this point I am mildly diabetic. My fasting blood glucose level was 126 without medication. My BG levels now are now less than 110 (a couple were in the high 90's ... they are well within the target range for diabetics.
Congratulations on starting to exercise, too. That has always been a challenge for me. At the very least I need to walk the dogs 1-2 miles per day. They love it ... and it is good for the dogs and me. My husband and I have started walking together, too ... so far 2 miles per day. However, he is out of town this week ... so I just walk the dogs. I walked them two miles on Tuesday and Wednesday and 1.6 miles on Thursday. I hope to do even better today (Friday) ... we shall see.
My husband comes home tomorrow night ... I am so glad, I am missing him. We have been married since we were both 19 years old. I don't want to say how long ago that was, but it is more than 30 years. Starting Sunday we hopefully will resume our walking, which I hope to increase over time ... when walking two miles is not so much effort for me. This will get easier as my weight slowly and steadily decreases and my fitness level increases. One of my goals is to reduce my waist line from its current 44 inches to my college waistline measurement of 24 inches. Oooooweeeee - that's a lot of inches (20) to lose in just one place. And I am willing and able and commited to doing this through the guidelines of the SBD and this very helpful forum.
The way I think about it is that with every step I take I am carrying myself and a 110 pound person as well. No wonder just walking is aerobic exercise for me! Another way to think of it is the number of Lhasa Apsos that I am carrying around with me all of the time: the answer is 6 dogs weighing 18 pounds each. Of course, I have gained muscle to carry all of this excess weight around with me. And I have a low risk of osteoporosis because of being obese, my doctor tells me (the ONLY good thing about obesity). My challenge will be to lose body fat without losing muscle. That requires getting enough protein and getting enough excercise (aerobic and strength training) on a regular basis.
BTW: Last year, for a few months, I had a health coach, who used a program on his computer to generate a diet for me, as well as coached me doing strength training twice per week. After several iterations of the diet,, my doctor finally approved it for me. And in a few months I lost 20 pounds and then went onto a weight plateau. The amount of body fat I lost was actually more than 20 pounds because we determined that I had also gained muscle during that time.
davidharriet wrote: I need to start making some of the SBD recipes, they look great.
There are so many recipes for dishes that are SBD friendly ... you will never get bored with all of these recipes. You will find many of them in the Recipe and Food area. I visit that area often ... to learn about foods that people find in the stores and recipes.
Well, I need to go to the grocery store ... I go there very frequently these days, usually to get fresh produce. This is such a change for me ... I used to go to the grocery store every week or two and bought next to nothing when I did . My husband is learning from me what to buy and how to cook it. This is very good. This way he is not going to have to go out to find something to eat if I am not around.
Have a very nice weekend, Harriet. And thanks for posting! :D We will all succeed in reaching our goals ... I know that we can. It requires a commitment to making real, permanent changes in our lives. Making the effort is definitely worth it ! |
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Fri Aug 20, 2004 9:06 pm |
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| Cetaganda
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Dariad254 wrote: Until now i had never found a program that could replace my old habits. SB has done that very well. Yesterday i had a horrible day at work and a new job i have been offered got not quite unoffered but delayed for a while ... all around it was a really horrid day. On top of that i ended up working 2 hours overtime and then hitting stop and stop traffic on the way home. I got home with just enough time to feed the dogs and go to puppy training class without me being able to eat anything. Before SB that would have meant running to a fast food place and scarfing down something. But instead i quickly sliced up some tomatoes and put some basil and balsamic on them and munched them down as the pups were eating. It certainly wasnt the best dinner in the world but it was better than Carl's by far. Actually i didnt even consider going to a fast food place which really made me smile as we hopped into the car and drove off to class.
:D Excellent, Karen! :D Way to go, lady! Thank you for sharing, too. This is truly a better way to live. No more fast food restaurants for me. BTW: Have you read the book, "Fast Food Nation"? If you do you will be pretty much unable to eat at a fast food restaurant again. The only exception that I know of is Baja Fresh. Even there you have to be very careful of what you order. We order the Baja Ensalada to go and share it at home, along with some very good guacamole from Costo. The only challenge we have is that we like guacamole just a little too much. And to think that I used to get a Baja Ensalada, remark that it was huge, and then eat the whole thing by myself. Those days are hopefully over for good.
Dariad254 wrote: My boyfriend is very much like your husband. I do most of the cooking and he eats what i cook. He was not so hot on this program but in 10 weeks he has lost over 30 pounds and needs new pants and a new belt. He is so jazzed about how he feels and looks that he is a total convert now. He is now looking through the cook books for SB and wanting to do some of the cooking with these recipies. He has to go to the doctor's next week and i think she will be amazed at how much better he looks. I want her to titer his blood for the meds he's on, I think he will be able to reduce some of his medications, that would be the best thing in the world for him.
Wow and double wow! My husband will be delighted and inspired by your boyfriend's success on the South Beach Diet. 30 pounds in 10 weeks is very impressive ... again wow! I hope that he is able to reduce or even give up some of his medications. I am hoping for the same for my husband after 10 weeks. He weighs 175 pounds at 5 feet 10 inches tall. He has lean legs, hips, and arms. However, his waist line has increased from 32 to a snug 36 over the years. I hope that he needs a new belt and new pants soon, too.
He is on a trip to Atlanta to see his family (father is not well). We talk each night on the phone, discussing how we are doing and his challenges for eating while on a trip. I packed him a bag before he left home. In it were a banana and some trail mix (almonds, peanuts, cashews, dried cranberries) and a bar of 70% dark chocolate. He had a peanut butter 100% whole wheat muffin before leaving home. He said that he skipped the breakfast on the airplane ... did not look good or healthy. He said that the bag of food really helped him at lunch time. And he has been eating the trail mix since then.
He shared with me that the "express breakfast" at the hotel is just awful, including the refined flour bagel, which he did not eat. When I talk to him on the phone I remind him to eat as much vegetables and salads as he can and to avoid all refined and processed foods... which he is mostly doing. His dinner with his brother and her wife last night went pretty well ... except for one item: peach shortcake (angel food cake) with whipped cream .... which he ate. I am surprised that his sister-in-law served that dessert because my husband's brother is an overweight type 2 diabetic, too. Maybe they have not learned about the South Beach Diet.
I look forward to my husband coming home, where he will again be eating SBD friendly and healthy food, as well as going for 2 mile walks with me.
Dariad254 wrote: Again, thanks for sharing and being so open about everything going on in your life it really helps me and i bet it helps others as well.
As for my on going experiment....
Yesterday i walked at lunch and then did dog training for an hour in the evening. This morning my BG was....drum roll...148 !!! the lowest its been yet. I am so very stoked about this. I also weighed today and I am only down 1 pound but that puts it offically at 15 pounds. This is slow but thats ok as well. :D
I can see why you are so stoked about your results. Congratulations on having your lowest fasting BG level this morning!. And that 15 pound loss is terrific. Be proud of your accomplishment and brag about it to everyone you see ... I am certainly proud of you ... I know how much work that is and how easy it would be to go back to our old ways. I hope that with every day that we succeed on the SBD, we will be less and less tempted to return to our old ways, which were unhealthy in so many ways. Slow loss of weight is the healthy way to go. The slower you lose the weight (within reason) the more likely it is to stay low. In fact, I sincerely hope that your weight loss remains for the rest of your healthier life. :D :D |
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Fri Aug 20, 2004 10:02 pm |
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| techbunnyo
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Good evening everyone :)
Just wanted to let you know that all you talking about exercise got me to go for a walk tonight - I can't walk too far though - arthritis in my knees (hopefully will improve with more weight loss)...
I am "hyperglycemic" or pre-diabetic and NOT wanting to go on the "sugar pills" my doctor threatened if I didn't loose weight... He is the one who recommended SB to me - and am I EVER glad!! :D
I am thinking about getting some test strips as from time to time I have been getting REALLY tired - and I am guessing my BS is maybe low...
I do know that I have been cutting back on my veggies without realizing it until today - so I am going to up that and see if it helps...
My neighbor was asking how it was going and I was able to report to her 15 lbs lost in 4 weeks - she was shocked... and asked if it was easy or not - I told her it has been no problem... she & her hubby need to loose weight so maybe they will look at it in time... :)
Have a great Saturday everyone!! |
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Sat Aug 21, 2004 4:04 am |
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| Cetaganda
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Nutrition Notes: Whole Grains Grow in Importance
from Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, the American Institute for Cancer Research
Whole grains have captured the attention of Americans like never before. One reason may be because a few popular weight loss diets, South Beach Diet in particular, direct dieters to replace refined grain products with whole-grain ones. Although whole grains may or may not help people lose weight, more and more research indicates that whole grains may reduce some health risks linked to excess weight.
In a recent study involving more than 2,800 people, participants eating more grains had less insulin resistance. In the condition called insulin resistance, people have abnormally high blood levels of the hormone insulin, yet the levels are not fully effective. First identified as a problem for controlling blood sugar in diabetics, insulin resistance is now considered a risk for developing diabetes.
Participants who ate more whole grains were also less likely to develop metabolic syndrome. Compared to those who ate the least whole grains, these participants lowered their risk by 33 percent. The disorder metabolic syndrome brings a significant risk for heart disease. A person has it if diagnosed with at least three of the following: excess waistline fat, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high blood triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, or elevated fasting blood sugar. Insulin resistance may cause or worsen any of these factors. Insulin resistance may even promote the development of some types of cancer.
The people in this study who ate more whole grains and improved their health, simply met the USDA recommendation of eating at least three servings of whole grain foods a day. It’s sad to note that by meeting this minimum recommendation, these people ranked in the top 20 percent of everyone in the study. Furthermore, although weight control and regular physical activity are considered key elements in controlling insulin resistance, whole grains were effective in this study regardless of people’s weight or activity levels.
Several other studies also link consumption of whole grains to reduced insulin resistance. In a small study, overweight adults with abnormally high levels of insulin followed diets equal in calories and total carbohydrates. They only differed in their choice of whole-grain or refined products. After six weeks, the insulin levels were ten percent lower for those who ate whole grains. In addition, tests showed a reduction in this group’s insulin resistance.
In the recent Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis study of almost 1,000 people, those who ate more whole grains also had less insulin resistance and lower insulin levels, even after adjustments were made for calorie consumption and physical activity. The fiber and magnesium content of whole grains may explain these benefits. The effects of whole grains on weight and waist measurements may have played a small role, too.
The amount of the effect, if any, that whole grains have on weight control is still debatable. Some studies show that those who eat more whole grains weigh less or have smaller waist measurements. Other studies do not. There are two possible explanations for the effect whole grains might have on weight loss. By lowering insulin levels, whole grains may pull the body from a fat storage mode. Second, fiber or other components of whole grains could also increase the feeling of fullness and reduce overall calorie consumption.
To benefit from whole grains, you don’t need to swear off refined grain products altogether. Studies show a positive effect if you eat just three servings of whole-grain foods a day. You could easily reach this goal: Two slices of whole-wheat bread, for instance, count as two servings. |
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Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:43 pm |
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| patcat1964
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Hi Cataganda and gang
We are back from vacation spent a extra day away. I stuck to the SBD and kept my sugars within normal ranges. There were a few times that i did cheat and ate chips and dortios other than that i pretty much stay on the beach.
Had a good time. It rain on and off during the week. But we had fun. 4 of us came home with sunburn no matte how much we put on sunscreen.
My son never gets burnt.
I want to thank all that sent prayers for my leg. It opened up while away. It drained and i had kept it clean with the help of my daughter and the abscess is now closed and scabed over. Looking good. I probably wont have to go to the wound center. But will have another ugly looking scar on the legs.
Now we are back and time to definitely get back on track. |
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Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:37 pm |
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| spiffikins
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hi all -
i may lurk on this thread as well - although i haven't been officially diagnosed with type II diabtetes, my dr warned me that one more blood test with such high glucose readings and I'd be "officially" diabetic. I've recently moved from Canada to the US, so I'm taking a couple months on the beach to see if my blood sugars improve before I go in to the dr here. I'm really hoping that losing some weight and avoiding "white" foods will allow me to avoid medication! |
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Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:57 pm |
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| patcat1964
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Spiffikins- WELCOME ABOARD!
White Flour does raise the sugar. And all the unnatural sugars also raising it. Natural Sugar comes from the fresh fruits for diabetes and some whole grains also.
When I started, I had to do P2 for the fruits not so much the grains. According to the doctor I needed the fruits. I am a type 2 diabetic diagnoise 3 years ago. Suppose to watch diet and I really didnt until this past few months when i had been on pills for the last 2 years. Doctor said that if i do well and loose the weight i can go off the pills evenually.
This board is a start for you. It will help you to loose weight and see what we go through as diabetics. And this will motivate you every day to stick to it.
See you later |
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Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:44 pm |
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| Cetaganda
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Hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful new week.
In order to keep our diabetics on the beach thread from becoming too long, we are going to start a new thread every week. At the end of the previous week there will be a link to the new week's thread. And at the beginning of the new week there will be a link to the new week's thread.
Here is the link back to next week:
http://67.43.8.10/~sbdiet/forum/viewtopic.php?p=122896#122896
There will hopefully be a poll at the beginning of each week. Please submit poll questions to Cetaganda/Linda with a PM (private message).
Thanks! Looking forward to getting to know as many of you as possible. 8) |
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Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:02 pm |
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