Any diabetics using the FB?

[llchevy56]

Wondering if there are any diabetics out there who are using the FB and working towards weight loss?  I'm insulin dependent and trying to lose weight but more importantly trying to regain my health and physical strength while balancing everything.  A challenge a day! Love to hear your stories....

[WillowTheWhisp]

Not even approaching warm here. At least it's been a dry day today but I haven't been able to get out to enjoy much of it as I was working in the museum all afternoon.

[Elendili]

The weather in Minnesota is warm in July and August.  Usually high 80's and low 90's.  I know lots of places where this is considered cool, but here its hot.  I drink lots of water or tea or both.  I also do my steps inside or early in the morning.  In the evening, the bugs come out so I stay away from walking then.  Allergies also play a part for me and the inside is best when they are acting up.  The fall and spring are my favorite outside times.  Winter is another inside time.  I guess we do what we can when we can!

Elendili

[butchbottom]

I am a level 2 diabetic and have kept my blood sugar goals in check for over two years.  I have recently started wearing the fitbit that my kids gave me for fathers day.   I have kept tract of my diet on a daily basis with a log and was wondering why I was not losing weight.    Insulin injections are something that must be handled with diabetics as insulin also causes weight gain which is why my diabetic team at the hospital clinic along with the dietician recommended keeping my carb intake as low as possible for my age (68)

As you read about nutrition on fit bit because of the breakdown it gives you, I noticed that although previously my calorie intake was not excessive (between 1600 & 1850 daily and  my carb intake was always between 12 and 15 most days, I was not losing weight at occasionally gaining it.)   What I noticed on the fitbit breakdown, is that although my calories and carbs were within limits, my sodium intake daily was almost double my recommended limit and fat contents were border line high.   I started paying even more attention to my diet and althought my sugar readings have been great, by cutting  my sodium down to under 2500mg daily and and my fat content under 30% of my calorie intake I started feeling better and seemed to be getting smaller although my weight did not show it immediately.

My next step I don't recommend without doctors supervision, but I reduced by insulin injections from my daily doses by about 40% and double checked my sugar readings regularly.   The readings stayed between 5 and 7 consistently and I have started to slowlly lose weight.  Carbs are not the enemy I was led to believe as long as you consume mostly complex carbs versus simple ones.   I checked my experiment with my diabetes team and they said as long as your readings and activity are good the new diet works and go with it.   Not recommending insulin reduction but the sodium reduction and fat monortoring certainly works for me and I have also made sure I eat at least 6 eggs per week, althoughj they contain some fat they also creat iodine in the system which helps the thyroids work better.  Anyway that is what I'm doing and as long as my sugar counts are great, I sticking with it.

[rminto]

Great information for Type II insulin users.






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[rminto]

It sounds like you know what you have to do. Keep it up and let your wings spread, it really give a good lift.






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[WillowTheWhisp]

I made some enquiries tody at the pharmacy where I get my regular medication regarding the purchase of a blood glucose monitor. They told me that doctors here in the UK do not encourage people with type 2 diabetes to check their glucose levels. If I want to purchase a kit I'll need to place a special order with them for it. The test strips are quite expensive here too.

[Elendili]

@WillowTheWhisp  My health insurance pays for a new monitor every two years.  It is the test strips that are the killers here too.  Even with insurance I pay way too much money.  But knowing your blood sugars is important if you want to lower your A1c.  Sometimes you run into a problem food that even though it contains the correct amount of carbs for you causes your glucose level to rise.  Also, if you are Type 2 and are on insulin, you can run into low blood glucose.  This is equally as dangerous.  Regular checking can help you prevent that too.  How do you manage those things in the UK?

Elendili

[dancefoxtrot]

willow,

monitoring your bg is so important especially when making changes to your diet and exercise. Your medication dose may need to change. If you take insulin it is vital to test not to overdose and end up in a coma.

why drs. discourage testing is like keeping people in the dark ages. Hope that you get your meter and strips. 

All the best from across the pond,

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

sbgrimes

Hi. Aren't there gyms or malls with AC? Exercise is so vital for good A1c numbers. Very important to log food carefully and eliminate simple carbs, sugar and unhealthy fats. 

You can get healthier so don't give up due to weather.

Barb

[dancefoxtrot]

butch

Glad that you were able to reduce insulin as it is a fat storage hormone.

Barb

[WillowTheWhisp]

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@dancefoxtrot wrote:

willow,

monitoring your bg is so important especially when making changes to your diet and exercise. Your medication dose may need to change. If you take insulin it is vital to test not to overdose and end up in a coma.

why drs. discourage testing is like keeping people in the dark ages. Hope that you get your meter and strips. 

All the best from across the pond,

Barbara G

---

Thanks Barbara. I've ordered a monitor and testing strips. I need to make a new appointment to see my GP regarding my asthma check so I'm going to try to get the chance to discuss this testing business with him/her then. You never know which doctor you're going to see these days.

I think a lot of it comes down to costs with the NHS, but they do seem to be waking up to the idea that prevention is better than cure. They should be quite pleased with me wanting to take control of my own health though - and what better illustration of that than all the excercise I'm getting lately and the weight loss thanks to fitbit.

All this "new me" is down to a chance encounter with a magazine in a French airport whilst waiting for my flight. What a difference that has made.

[WillowTheWhisp]

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@Elendili wrote:

How do you manage those things in the UK?

Elendili

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The simple answer is - we don't! But a lot of it depends on where you live. They call it the postcode lottery here. Some regional health authorities will provide things that others won't. It's terrible really, especially when it comes down to life saving medication which some people are denied whilst others in a different part of the country are receiving it. This is supposed to be a United Kingdom with a National Health Service but it is very fragmented.

[sinch]

I don't have much knowledge of countries other than USA.  If you have Walmart in your country, look to see if they carry Relion Blood Sugar Testing Meters and Strips.  That is what I buy in US and they are way less expensive that the brand name ones from the pharmacy and I believe it is just as accurate.  My insurance would only give me enough strips to test once a day.  Because I take a blood sugar lowering drug, I test at least 3 times a day.  .

[vwilkins513]

Your copay depends on your insurance coverage....mine kind of sucks now previously I never paid for test strips, needles, lancing devices....now it's $35/for needles & test Strips and $10 for lancets I use a One Touch VerioIQ.

[dancefoxtrot]

Sinch

Good for you doing what you need to do to check your bg.  The foolish health care industry isn't providing the help to get healthier and reduce D2. In the long run they will pay much more from complications if we don't get control of our BG. 

Barb

[dancefoxtrot]

Willow,

So glad to hear that you are losing weight and improving your health. How fortuitous that you happened upon that magazine in the airport. 

I suggest that you make a list of all your questions for the doctor now and get them answered at your appointment. With weight loss and exercise you may need less medicine so that is important to discuss with the doc. Hopefully they will test your A1c which measures how much sugar has attached itself to your red blood hemoglobin cells. Lower is better as it indicates an average of bg over 2-3 months. You are aiming for 5.5 which is normal and why not? 

Enjoy,

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

Susangrimes,

Just find a way to exercise with the temperature below 72F. There is a place in your community or home that you can get that vital activity in without heat headaches.

Best,

Barb

[LaQuita]

If you live near a Sam's Club check out their brand - Easy Touch syringes/pen needles.  They are about $10 per box and I don't need a prescription.   LaQuita Rudolph
Follow Your Dreams

[WillowTheWhisp]

Unfortunately here in the UK we don't have Sam's Club which I believe is owned by Walmart which we also don't have, but we do have Asda which is part of the Walmart "family". I'm not sure whether ours has blood testing equipment though because it doesn't have a pharmacy (did have but it closed). Tesco supermarket has a pharmacy and I may check out what they have there and what they cost but I've discovered that the pharmacies in our little town don't seem to keep them in stock. They have to be ordered.

Diabetics here in the UK are supposed to get all their supplies (insulin, meds etc) covered by the NHS at no extra cost but I guess it comes down to funding again whether the doctor will give a prescription so that they can be obtained for free. I don't pay for my medication, that's covered by my National Insurance contributions on the NHS. 

[Elendili]

@vwilkins513 Since you mentioned you have a OneTouch I thought I'd tell you about the neatest thing I found.  If you like Windows, there is a free app called Health Vault.  It allows you to keep track of your blood glucose by downloading the info from your OneTouch.  It also will take data from your FITBIT and other devices.  You can share this info directly with your doctors through EPIC if you want to also.  It is really cool!  It also will collect information from home blood pressure monitors and other devices.  You might want to take a look.  You still use your monitors and your FITBIT and the FITBIT community and dashboard etc. you just have a more consolidated place to keep it and an easier way to share that data with your health care professionals.

Elendili