Re: eating and numbers - Sandy - How I control diabetes - long

January 3, 2006

In a message dated 1/2/2006 10:19:23 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

ERWachter@... writes:

I'd love to know how you started out and how you got such good control

with

diet and exercise.

Hi Sandy,

Here is my story. It is not for everyone, but it works for me. It is long.

In August, 2000, my A1c was 8.8%. That was when I decided I wanted off meds

(had been on them for several months). I got more serious about losing

weight and eating healthier, even though I had lost some of the weight I gained

from steroids. In Dec, 2000, my A1c was 7.5. I told my doctor I wanted off

meds. Her reply (and she has eaten these words), " Eunice, I don't see you

getting off meds, I will probably have to increase your meds. " Don't tell me I

can't do something, I'm going to do my best to prove you wrong. January,

2001, I started getting lows two hours after eating. My doctor cut my meds in

half and in Feb 2001, only 2 months after my doctor told me she probably

would have to increase meds, I discontinued the other half. In June, 2001, my

A1c was 5.7. It was 6.5 in Dec 2001, but has been in the low 5% since. I was

also on 2 meds for blood pressure but have been off them since June 2001. At

some point, I may have to go back on meds but the longer I can stay off of

them, the better.

I lost down to 114 lbs and it upset all of my doctors. They all thought

that was too much. I did gain back up to 120. Since then I have remained at

118-122 lbs.

I tried several different food plans, nothing worked. My thought was, why

try to follow a food plan that was developed by someone that doesn't know me.

I know what are good foods and what are junk foods, I know how to test. So,

I started eating what I wanted and testing. If I ate something and got a

high number, the next time, I would eat a smaller amount. Now, I eat whatever

I want, whenever I want it. I eat all day but my portion sizes are small.

Most of the time, my food choices are healthy, but if I want bread, potatoes,

spaghetti, potato chips, candy, etc I eat them, but not every day, only

occasionally. I do eat a small piece of dark chocolate about every day. I was

in another group and I had eaten potatoes at Thanksgiving. We were posting

what we had eaten, so I told them what I ate including the potatoes and that I

had a reading of 89. I was asked by several members why was I eating

potatoes since that was a no-no. They did not see my test results, all they

saw was

the word 'potatoes'.

I also know that in life I work for what I want, nothing is handed to me on

a silver platter and that includes diabetes. If I want carbs, I have to work

for them. Actually, I have my carbs, then work. When eating high carbs, I

always plan to do some type of exercise afterwards - housework, yardwork,

walking and my favorite, shopping. I don't spend a lot of time thinking,

researching, reading about diabetes. At first I was spending a lot of time and

hubby (the wise one) reminded me that I was going to have diabetes the rest of

my life and if I spent a lot of time thinking diabetes, I was going to get

" burn out " and would give up. Now, most of the time I don't even think about

diabetes unless I'm reading messages from the group. If I need an answer, I

usually go to the Joslin Diabetes Center website. I don't take supplements,

other than a multi-vitamin when I think about it. (I have nothing against

supplements, I just don't think I need them.) I do drink a lot of green tea.

I have not always had the attitude, " I can do it " . I guess my determination

got stronger when I had cancer. Everyone was telling me how sick I would

be, how I would spend so much time in the bathroom. I never got sick. I got

very weak, for a few days after some of the treatments, I could hardly get out

of bed. Never lost my appetite. Would get up in the middle of the night

and eat. Was told I probably could not eat tomatoes because of the acid. No

problem there either. My oncologist, who is the greatest, could not believe I

handled the chemo so well. He really did not expect me to be able to take

the amount he needed to give me. I had to prove him wrong, along with

everyone else. And I did.

So, because of the steroids and the amount of weight I gained, I have

diabetes. No complaints from me about this either. I'm healthy, I'm happy,

I've

got energy to give away. I'm 62 yrs old and I feel better than I did when I

was in my 40's. I can get up do some housework, go meet for lunch, shop

for several hours, come home do more housework, yardwork, go walking and

don't get tired. The only time I get tired is when I sit around watching TV or

on the computer all day. I have faith that I will continue healthy, happy for

many, many years to come and when I'm 90 yrs old, I'll still be working in my

flowers and herb gardens. And I'll certainly still be shopping for bargains.

Determination, faith in God, trust in my doctors and a " Positive, I can do

it " attitude play a major role in how I control diabetes.

Hugs

Eunice

January 4, 2006

Yup, it's all in the attitude...

Tucson Kitty

Re: eating and numbers - Sandy - How I control diabetes -

long

In a message dated 1/2/2006 10:19:23 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

ERWachter@... writes:

I'd love to know how you started out and how you got such good control

with

diet and exercise.

Hi Sandy,

Here is my story. It is not for everyone, but it works for me. It is long.

In August, 2000, my A1c was 8.8%. That was when I decided I wanted off meds

(had been on them for several months). I got more serious about losing

weight and eating healthier, even though I had lost some of the weight I

gained

from steroids. In Dec, 2000, my A1c was 7.5. I told my doctor I wanted off

meds. Her reply (and she has eaten these words), " Eunice, I don't see you

getting off meds, I will probably have to increase your meds. " Don't tell me

I

can't do something, I'm going to do my best to prove you wrong. January,

2001, I started getting lows two hours after eating. My doctor cut my meds

in

half and in Feb 2001, only 2 months after my doctor told me she probably

would have to increase meds, I discontinued the other half. In June, 2001,

my

A1c was 5.7. It was 6.5 in Dec 2001, but has been in the low 5% since. I

was

also on 2 meds for blood pressure but have been off them since June 2001. At

some point, I may have to go back on meds but the longer I can stay off of

them, the better.

I lost down to 114 lbs and it upset all of my doctors. They all thought

that was too much. I did gain back up to 120. Since then I have remained at

118-122 lbs.

I tried several different food plans, nothing worked. My thought was, why

try to follow a food plan that was developed by someone that doesn't know me.

I know what are good foods and what are junk foods, I know how to test. So,

I started eating what I wanted and testing. If I ate something and got a

high number, the next time, I would eat a smaller amount. Now, I eat

whatever

I want, whenever I want it. I eat all day but my portion sizes are small.

Most of the time, my food choices are healthy, but if I want bread, potatoes,

spaghetti, potato chips, candy, etc I eat them, but not every day, only

occasionally. I do eat a small piece of dark chocolate about every day. I

was

in another group and I had eaten potatoes at Thanksgiving. We were posting

what we had eaten, so I told them what I ate including the potatoes and that

I

had a reading of 89. I was asked by several members why was I eating

potatoes since that was a no-no. They did not see my test results, all they

saw was

the word 'potatoes'.

I also know that in life I work for what I want, nothing is handed to me on

a silver platter and that includes diabetes. If I want carbs, I have to work

for them. Actually, I have my carbs, then work. When eating high carbs, I

always plan to do some type of exercise afterwards - housework, yardwork,

walking and my favorite, shopping. I don't spend a lot of time thinking,

researching, reading about diabetes. At first I was spending a lot of time

and

hubby (the wise one) reminded me that I was going to have diabetes the rest

of