Living With Type II Diabetes

[walt]

I've lost 50 pounds in the last year.My glucose, blood pressure etc have benefited considerably from this.Plus, i look better(any change would be an improvement) and feel better.

What started me on the road to healthier weight was going cold turkey on my copious intake of fruit juice.I drink water now.Not too sexy but it does me a hell of a lot more good than what i was drinking.If you're overweight or have high blood glucose levels or both,i strongly recommend giving the kibosh to fruit juice and/or soda.

Of course, this didn't prevent me from having a kidney stone episode three weeks ago.; 8 hours in the emergency room.Not fun.

[Yves]

I switched over to vegetable juice. More nutritious and half the carbs. I did away with frozen entrées. They were convenient for lunch but loaded with sodium and saturated fats. My afternoon snacks at work consist of raw veggies and hummus. Good thing I love both so I never tire of them. The low GI carbs actually give me a steadier flow of energy through until dinner.

The biggest adjustment was the alcohol. No more "tearing one off" on a Friday or Saturday. My intake is limited to 3 or 4 beverages (ie: 1 or 2 pints at 7% to 9% abv) 3 or 4 times a week. So I drink less in a week than I used to on a typical Saturday. I get to bed sober every night and feel much better for it. I find I appreciate beer more now that I drink less of it. I'm what you'd call a beer snob and sometimes excellent brews were being wasted on me because I was wasted. Now I savour every beer I open.

[rottersclub]

Good thing you're not a Scotch snob

[Yves]

I am that too... but not nearly on the level of beer. I've been nursing the same bottle of scotch for months now. Since I'm limited in the amount of alcohol I can drink, I find the scotch experience to be over too quickly. I just can't nurse a dram like I do a beer. I also dabble in wine now and again but not on the same level...

In fact I'll be in your hometown tomorrow as Robert and I (with 2 other gentlemen) will be going on one of our semi-annual beer runs to purchase Ontario micro brews. We hit Beau's in Vankleek Hill first, then make our way to the Smoque Shack for lunch, before raiding the LCBO on Rideau St. Always a fun time!

[rottersclub]

Give my best to Robert. I miss all the old FMPM gang

I've cut way back on my Scotch consumption as well. I'm pretty much a Macallan guy these days.

[Yves]

I just had another visit with the nurse practitioner yesterday.. My numbers are really good. She just pushed my next visit back to April 2016. I will go over all the same tests as when I was first diagnosed. I dropped another 2 lbs since my last visit, making it a total of 15 lbs lost since my first diagnosis. I'm down to a paltry 128 lbs! I only need to monitor my glucose levels twice a week now; before and after meals, on the days of my choosing. While I don't want to call being diagnosed with an illness as a blessing in disguise, this wake-up call has helped motivate me towards something I wanted anyway. I was tired of being a weekend drunk but just couldn't get out of the habit. Now, I still enjoy my favorite alcoholic beverages but I don't drink to the point of belligerence...

[Shadow]

Glad to hear you are doing well. You still probably drink more than I do. Chris Lamka from Of Sound Mind, his son Gage has type four, if that is the worst. That's what he started out with as a teenager. I think he is about 20 or 21 and doing well as long as he keeps himself monitored.

[Yves]

I'll drink about 5-6 pints over a 3-day period then go 4 days sober as a judge. I never exceed 2 pints in one day. It has been working for me while allowing to enjoy fine craft brews. I've almost totally eliminated hard liquor, and only drink wine about once every 3rd week. The wine will substitute the pints for that day, of course.

[Shadow]

I never drink hard liquor unless it is an open bar at a wedding. I almost never drink at home, even if we have steamed crabs. I only drink when I go see bands or at festivals. That's what keeps me so sharp in the football thread.

[Lou]

I never drink hard liquor unless it is an open bar at a wedding. I almost never drink at home, even if we have steamed crabs. I only drink when I go see bands or at festivals. That's what keeps me so sharp in the football thread.

You obviously need to up your intake massively!!!!!!!!!

[Yves]

Thought I'd revive this thread to see how everyone was doing. Since my last posts here I have been given another hyperglycemic test which went fine. I have been told that not only do I not need meds for now, but checking my glucose levels on my own is now optional. I am still choosing to do so before and after meals, 2 to 3 times weekly. I like the instant feedback it gives me. I am not slacking off with my exercise or diet because I know that diabetes is a life-long illness. The longer I can maintain a healthier lifestyle, the longer I put off having to take meds to regulate my blood glucose levels.

[Trane]

Ok, when I joined this thread , I was at 8.1, and currently is at 6.7, while having lost 12 kg.
I am never really checking my glycemy regularly, though... maybe twice per month, before breakfast.

I did have installed a gastric balloon (by endoscopy) some 6 months ago, and it's mostly responsible for the weigth loss. I was hoping to lose twice that much, though. In November they will take it out (still by endoscopy), and I really hope to lose some 10 more kilos by then; because summer means different diet (not only more fruits, but tomatoes and other raw vegetables) and more exercice

However, the balloon has modified my stomach's equilibrium and I wasn't able to cope with the Glucophage/Metformine dosage anymore, even reduced... So the doctors prescribed me the Vipidea medication, which is substantially more expensive (and not as well reimbursed by welfare, unless you ask for a specific permission), but I only take one pill (instead of two with metformine) per day and everything is solved. Definitely worth the extra price