DIABETICS ON THE BEACH (10/17 to 10/31/2004) Please join us!

[Cetaganda]

Hello everyone,

Hope everyone had a great weekend and is having a good day on the beach.

In order to keep our diabetics on the beach thread from becoming too long, we are going to start a new thread from time to time.

At the end of the previous thread there will be a link to the new thread. And at the beginning of the new thread there will be a link to the previous thread.

Here is the link back to previous thread for anyone who wants to go back to read the posted messages:

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17917&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Thanks to everyone who participated in the previous poll. The results indicate that by far most people in this diabetics on the beach thread have been on the South Beach Diet for 3 months or less. Interesting, isn't it? Please look to the bottom of this post to see the tabulated votes.

I have made another poll for this new thread. Please participate in the current poll, as well. The poll is anonymous. It just would be interesting to know.

I would gladly welcome and appreciate any suggestions for a poll question.

Welcome to everyone, diabetic, pre-diabetic, friends and family. and medical professionals such as MDs and nurses.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the previous thread's poll question and the 18 votes:

"How long have you been on the South Beach Diet?"

Three months or less..............................77%...[14 votes]
Six to more than three months................ 0%... [ 0 votes]
Twelve to more than six months..............16%...[ 3 votes]
A year and a half to more than one year... 5%.. [ 1 vote]
More than 18 months................................0%.. [ 0 votes]

[Cetaganda]

HI Linda
Welcome back, I have missed you. Glad that you had a good time with mom.

Thanks, Pat. I am really glad to be back, too.

I haven't been a good girl, Got off of the beach for the last two weeks due to personal problems at hubby mom's.

I am so sad to read that you have been having such a rough time lately.

Now today i am trying to get back on track, It's going to be hard with me working 14 hours today but I am going to try.

A 14 hour day is a really long work day. Best of luck to you getting back on track with the South Beach Diet. Do remember that there are people here on this thread and in this forum who care about you, Pat. By the way, how are you doing today (Monday) with the South Beach Diet, blood sugars, etc.?

I have gained 2 lbs from last month but my sugar was 106 and cholesterol was 160, which the doctor said was great. Today my BS was 118 which is still good since I haven't been eating right.
I will post either late tonight or early in the Monday morning

Your numbers look quite good to me, especially considering the high level of stress you are having at this time.
Looking forward to reading your next post, Pat. Take care of yourself.

[bobbeleh]

Hi all:

This is a quickie check-in post on the new thread. I'm so glad we've come back to life. It's been totally quiet lately -- it seems almost like the entire website went to sleep.

Had great numbers today (for me). My morning bg was at 122 -- almost unheard of for me. Post lunch was 145 (had an outside salad with a few croutons). No biggie -- 145 is well within allowables for Type IIs.

I went to Costco and they had wild Ahi tuna and I bought a piece of it. I think I paid just over $10 for what will be four meals worth. The piece is easily 2" thick, so I cut it into fourths.

For tonights dinner, I smeared the tuna with a bit of macadamia nut oil (even better than olive oil -- higher smoke point) and rolled it in sesame seeds. Then I pan-seared it 1-2 minutes on each side. For my veggies, I had a combination of cabbage and cauliflower. My 2-hour post-meal read was 127. Totally excellent.

Now, if I could just get off this damned plateau. Been stuck here for nearly a month now. Ugh.

grumble, grumble.

Bobbe

[Cetaganda]

Even the fast-food places are do-able. I recently discovered Burger King's fire-roasted shrimp salads. What a find. $5 and the shrimp are tasty and plentiful. The Garden Salad they offer has a variety of greens, some baby carrots, a bit of red onion, cucumber, tomatoes and a bit of shaved parmesan. Plus the shrimp -- must be at least a dozen of them. The croutons come in their own package, so you can either toss them or give them to the kids. There aren't that many so on occasion I even eat them. It's a filling and quite legal alternative -- and much less messy than trying to deconstruct a cheeseburger.

Thanks for the information about Burger King and for being concerned about me ... that is very nice of you and makes me feel really good to know that I was missed. I stopped going to fast food restaurants in general about the time I started the South Beach diet. It's good to read that Burger King now has some menu items for people who care about their health enough to go on and stick with the South Beach Diet new way of life.

Don't worry too much about the weight plateau. If you are not gaining weight you are doing well. I know because my course for many years was to spiral upwards with my weight. Sure, there were times when my weight declined ... for a while ... but the net result was an upward weight gain spiral. I try really hard to not be discouraged if I have not lost weight from one Monday weigh in until the next. It's not easy, but not gaining weight is actually a big success that one should celebrate. Yes, if you are not gaining you are winning. Even if you gain some weight, please be kind to yourself and never never never give up the fight. As long as one is alive there is hope. Never stop trying ... you are worth it.

Anyway, Costco beckons, as does Border's Books (got a coupon ) Bobbe

I know of what you speak, Bobbe. My husband ***HATES*** shopping, especially at Costco and other large stores. Fortunately, I ***LOVE*** shopping pretty much most of everywhere. I am especially fond of shopping at Costco, Wild Oats and Trader Joe's. My first choice is Trader Joe's, of course. What a great store it is!

[bobbeleh]

Heeeeyyyyy!

Most of the fast-food joints offer decent salads. Jack in the Box has an Asian Chicken Salad that's to die for except for the mandarin orange sections. All their other salads have bacon -- a total no-no for me.

Now I'm hooked on the Burger King salads -- I haven't tried the chicken one yet -- the fire grilled shrimp is just too good.

I've added flaxseed oil supplements to my regimen. The ALA, Linoleic Acid and Oleic Acid are so good for diabetics. And it's even better than fish oil, since it has all three of the important Omegas (3, 6 and 9). Costco offers a bottle of 200, 1000 mg caps for just over $10.00. I was taking ALA supplements for a while (visciously expensive), but for some reason it gave me heartburn. The flaxseed oil doesn't. Yay!

Not to worry, I'm definitely staying the course. Weight loss be damned. I really went on this thing to bring my blood sugars into line, and that I've done.

I have a doctor appointment in mid-December, at which time I'll have an A1C done. I'm hoping it will be somewhere in the mid-6 range. I found a website that said if you manage to be within target at least 50% of the time with your daily testing, you're A1C should be within target as well.

Randy seems to have disappeared. I hope he resurfaces. Even Burdle the Bean Queen has been strangely quiet.

Well, I'd better get to bed. Finished my work (finally) and ran it over to the office.

Talk to ya soon.

Bobbe

[Cetaganda]

BS this morning was 104 ... quite good when you consider that I stopped taking Avandia a couple of weeks ago. I ate a lot of food yesterday, including a Quaker Oat brown rice cake with Cracker Jack flavoring just before going to bed. I also had a dessert after dinner: SF orange jello containing mandarin orange slices with a small amount of real whipped cream ... yummy.

I slow cooked a chuck roast last night. It smells so very good downstairs in the kitchen. Now I have to cook the vegetables (including small new red potatoes) to go with the pot roast.

Today was my weekly weigh in day. The scales showed 221 ... I will have to convince myself that I really only weigh than much. If it is correct then I am down 23 pounds since August 9th (when I joined this forum) and down 47 pounds since last November. My husband thinks this is great and so do I. So does my internist and my nurse practitioner. Which reminds me that I need to make some appointments.

The dogs are hungry and so am I. It's 11:00 am and I just woke up. I was up quite late last night. However, I had no appointments this morning so I slept in and got a very good and resful 10 hours of sleep.

Gotta go now and feed my babies (my two very spoiled Lhasa Apsos) and myself. Man oh man does that pot roast smell good! Since lunch with my husband is just 1 1/2 hours away I will eat lightly now ... a snack. Now it's 12:10 and I skipped the snack.

My husband and I will have pot roast for lunch. Dinner tonight will be centered around some thin boneless chops, which I will probably marinate and then cook on my big George Foreman grill.

I will check back with you later today. Will let you know if that pot roast lived up to its wonderful aroma.

[Burdle]

Hey, Bobbe, I've been around, I just haven't posting much. I don't have diabetes, but I am extremely sugar sensitive. I don't even have salad dressing with any sugar in it. One little bit and I'm afraid I will go off the deep end. This weekend, my husband and I had salad bar from our local grocery store, and I thought I would go out of my mind. The salad bar is right next to the bakery, and the cookies were yelling at me, really loud, 'EAT ME, EAT ME, EAT ME!', which, of course, I didn't...I'm really allergic to wheat and the choice is cookie...or being able to walk. Wheat cripples me, so I chose to be able to walk. I wanted to yell back at them, 'LEAVE ME ALONE!', but I didn't want to embarrass my husband in the middle of the store. LOL
Just thought I'd share a few thoughts with those of you with diabetes...I haven't seen much here on The Forum about eating as low GI as possible. That's what I do. The lower the better for me. I'm seeing quite a few posts in the recipe section for dishes with pineapple, raisins, pumpkin, winter squashes and other high GI foods. This scares me quite a bit. I know some of the recipes in the SBD books have these in them, but I think eating these foods is so dangerous for those of us who are sugar sensitive, and I consider diabetes a form of sugar sensitivity. I have a systemic yeast infection (Candida) which will never go away. Sugars makes the Candida go crazy. From what I've read, people with diabetes also frequently have problems with Candida...Do I want sugars and a full body rash, or do I want skin...I choose skin. It is the same for all of you...do you want high GI foods, or normal blood sugar...I would hope you all would want normal blood sugar.
I've been dealing with severe food sensitivities for 22 years, plus I've worked in health food stores as the 'food allergy expert' when people would come in and ask about alternative foods. I'm glad to see Linda is big on quinoa, it is a great food. My question, Linda, 'Does Quinoa effect your blood sugar?' Just curious.
OK, I've been rambling on, sorry, guess I'm just glad Linda is back because she takes lots of the pressure off me of answering the same questions over and over and over and over again...LOL
Glad you are back, Sweetie
Hugs,
Burdle The Bean Queen
172/124/120 started 1/5/04

[bobbeleh]

Heya, Burdle:

Wow, I'm sure glad I'm not as sugar sensitive as you are. And wheat. Man, that has to be tough.

I understand that Quinoa is relatively low glycemically. I like it as an alternative for pilafs and such. I also love kasha (buckwheat) for it's wonderfully nutty flavor. I've had good luck with wheatberries, but obviously, that's not going to be an option for you.

Since going on SBD, I've really gotten things in line. I feel so much better -- more energy, less hunger.

I've been really bad today -- basically forgot to eat. I know, I know... But my "day" starts later than most and by the time I was up and moving, it was time to head out to my MD appointment (for the carpal tunnel), so I grabbed two packages of string cheese and ate them on the way out there. I somehow didn't get back until a bit after 5:00 and now I'm mildly hungry, but not ravenous. That would have been unheard of two months ago. :lol

I have ahi tuna for dinner and cauliflower and cabbage. I may see what salad veggies are available since I like to have beans as often as I can and I've got kidney beans that want a salad to go around them.

I do have the GI book and pocket counter which I find very helpful. I've been aware of the Glycemic Index for some years and it's a wonderful way to make smart choices on SBD. I've also added flaxseed oil supplements to my regimen and macadamia nut oil to cook with (much as I like olive oil, it has such a low smoke point, I worry about even sauteeing with the stuff). Macnut oil has all the monounsaturated goodness of olive oil and a smoke point of 410F.

I can really picture you yelling back at the cookies. ROFL! I do know the feeling.

Well, better get my dinner started. Thanks for the info and concern.

Hugs,
Bobbe

[patcat1964]

HI Cat

Sorry i was working Monday didnt get a chance to read the post. I officially started back on Sunday to the beach. I did ok B- eaggs and sausage L- Salad with Chicken D- Weight Watchers dinner low carb. But my snack was pretzels which is my down fall. My sugar in the morning was 121
Monday - B- Go lean Cereal and Banana L turkey Lunch meat with 12 grain bread and Mustard, apple -s D- Chicken, sweet potote, salad, and my sugar was 119

Tuesday- my sugar is 117

My problem is trying to stay away from the breads, and sweets. When i am at work if i have nothing else but pretzels. I will eat them instead of walking down the deli and buy sugar stuff.

I really have to get my self back on track since last month sugar at the doctor was 106 and i want to keep it that way.

Been drinking water, water, water I only hve cafe coffee in the morning and nothing else but water water water and decf coffee at night with hubby. So my main goal is to start eating right again

[bobbeleh]

Hi Pat:

I can see a number of things that you could change that would help you stay "Beached".

First of all, next time you shop, don't get pretzels. You've admitted they are your downfall, so don't have them around. Cheese sticks would be a much better choice. Almonds, peanuts (not the honey-roasted obviously), pistachios. I don't measure out my nuts -- too restrictive for me.

Secondly, if you re-read the SBD book, bananas are one of a diabetics worst nightmares. If you can get them, blueberries are a better choice. Or strawberries. Or skip the fruit altogether.

Pita instead of whole grain bread? One slice rather than 2? No bread at all since you had fruit for breakfast? Cutting up your lunchmeat into a salad?

Sweet potatoes on top of fruit for breakfast and bread for lunch may well be why you're either not losing or even gaining. My dinners often contain at least 2 different veggies (according to the guidelines -- 2 cups minimum is what you should eat).

According to SBD, when you enter Phase II, you are supposed to gradually[/quote] add Phase II foods and cut back if you stop losing. That means you start with one serving of EITHER fruit or bread per day (not per meal). Then you work up to a serving of something with each meal.

Part of getting rid of whatever cravings you have is to spend a couple of weeks NOT eating the foods that cause the cravings.

I think you'll have better luck if you try to follow the above suggestions.

Keep it up -- you'll get there.

Bobbe[/i]

[Cetaganda]

Please, everyone, click on the following link to read an article about the growing importance of whole grains and their effect on insulin resistance:

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/for ... hp?t=21052

[louisefour]

I have a question. Does anyone know how to translate you A1C reading into your average blood sugar reading. I know there is a way to do this, but I don't know how. I was just curious. I got really good news from my doctor about my sugars and cholesterol readings- I posted them under a topic called something like this should be encouraging.
In a way, I think that those of us with health problems has an added advantage on the beach. We have some right in your face incentives to motivate us to make this a way of life. I was just a doctor's visit away from having to go onto insulin when I joined the beach and right now, the needles are no longer on the radar. Plus, right now, I don't have to add cholesterol drugs to my already too long list of medications.

[louisefour]

what do you guys do about exercise. What sort do you do? Please tie this to your general fitness level and age, if you don't mind. I have started exercising, but wonder if I should be pushing to do more. Thing is, exercise is not something I have ever enjoyed and I worry if I push too much I will find excuses to avoid it, but then, if I'm not doing enough what's the point. My main motivation (truly) is a healthier me, which means better blood sugars and lower cholesterol and if possible, lower blood pressure.

[bobbeleh]

Hi Louise:

I have a question. Does anyone know how to translate you A1C reading into your average blood sugar reading.

With the Internet, all things are possible!

Here is a link to a website with a chart!

http://www.metrika.com/3medical/hemoglobin-m.html

Enjoy!

Bobbe

[bobbeleh]

Hi Louise:

I'm female, 50, 231 lbs (down from 242.5 since August). I haven't been exercising, but when I get motivated (and unbury the treadmill) I like to walk. I was pretty religious about it a year ago, but had back surgery, which kind of threw me off schedule.

I'm diet controlled Type II and the Beach has brought me to near-normals. I have an A1c scheduled for December (3+ months on SBD) and I'm expecting a reading somewhere in the 6 levels.

I found that my blood sugars began to drop within 7-10 days. I also found that my body (and readings) bounce back much more quickly when I eat things I probably shouldn't. Even when I do eat the no-no's my sugar rise isn't as high as it was in the past.

I definitely have more energy and I feel way better about myself.

My weight loss hasn't been as fast as some -- but menopause has a hand in that. My main focus for going on SBD was and still is to bring my diabetes under control.

My fasting reading this morning was 130 -- which is well under the "diabetic" allowance and often is in the 120s. What I find really spectacular and exciting is that often, my post-meal readings are in the teens, 120s to 130s and only rarely up to the 140s.

Last night, for instance, I had a huge (and I do mean huge) salad for dinner. I began by just opening a package of pre-cut lettuce, dumping it into a large bowl and going from there. I added a couple of tomatoes, some radishes, a Persian cucumber, 1/2-3/4 cup of canned kidne beans and a handful of grated cheddar/jack cheese (yes, the real stuff). I use Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing and YES! I ate the whooooole thing.

My pre-dinner test was 116 and two hours later, it was 119!

I don't do portion control as a general rule except I try to when I'm eating any kind of starch. With meats and veggies, I eat till I'm full.

I have found that since going on the Beach, the cravings really do disappear and my appetite has dropped. I've actually forgotten to eat on occasion, which is totally unheard of form me.

If you're looking at going on insulin, this is definitely the program to stave that off!

Anyway, that's where I'm at at the moment. Welcome to the group.

Boibbe