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7 months since T2 diagnosis - still going strong!

Adm_Mad said:
I don't think I'm able to keep my blood glucose down without daily cardio.
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I think I'm the same Adm_Mad - if I miss a day cardio my levels start creeping up, I don't like it, so I now just make sure I get at least an hour a day in, even if I split it up into 20 mins at a time. It *really* helps to keep things working on the inside. It keeps me accountable, too. I lift heavy weights too which also helps.
 
DJC3 said:
@IronLioness what a great post, well done on the weight loss and climbing all those stairs! I too find that exercise is key - if I let it slide for a few days I see bg levels creeping up the following week or even the week after. It’s taken me a while to figure out what was happening. I’m going to pinch your idea of thinking ‘life lengthening’ rather than exercise, sounds less of a chore.
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I'm exactly the same DJC3, if I don't bash out some cardio, those numbers start creeping up, not good. I try not to go more than a day without doing something wherever I am. I've been known to do squats in the kitchen at work just to keep things moving hehe... :-)
 
Well done @IronLioness, great results.
I don't mean to be at all critical of your journey and achievements, but it should be remembered that not all diabetics can use cardio to control their bgs, due to other conditions, disabilities or just age.
When I was diagnosed I had always walked a fair amount, but I increased my steps from 10-20k a day to around 30k a day, sometimes doing 50k a day. I could do it without difficulty. But now I'm 4 years older and starting to feel my age. I try to do 10k steps a day, but it more difficult, getting aches in my knees and feet.
btw I did the West Highland Way, about 90 miles in 5 days, including 26 miles over Rannoch Moor in eight hours. But I was 30 years younger then and wouldn't be able to do that now.
 
IronLioness said:
Thanks Bulkbiker :) It really kicked in this weekend on how many changes have happened since the Doc dropped the diagnosis bombshell. It was a full on 'shoulder shake' moment for me, especially as there's a family history of diabetes. I just wanted to share and hopefully give a bit of a virtual reach out to anyone else starting their new journey. I'm learning so much, but also so much to learn and watch out for. I've tested my blood regularly which also helps me take ownership of what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it, and I've definitely sussed that exercise basically is key to it all. On the odd day if I've had something which spikes the BG, I bash out exercise and it normalises, I like that element of control and management. The stairs were a huge achievement for me, admittedly I gave myself a moment to embrace it because if I did the same last year there's no change in heck that I would have been able to do it - I'd have been puffing and panting all the way up. This time, I literally zipped up there, with no anxiety. I'm immensely driven to shed the weight, I want it gone, and to stay gone, I have some more to go, but I'm taking it each day and week at a time and more than that, I'm looking into the thought process behind it - I'm a firm believer of the outside not changing until the inside (head) is sorted. I really hope to keep on going and getting better with management, my goal is just to try and keep the 'risks' of complications at bay for as long as possible. One day at a time though eh! :)
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Superstar!
 
Prem51 said:
Well done @IronLioness, great results.
I don't mean to be at all critical of your journey and achievements, but it should be remembered that not all diabetics can use cardio to control their bgs, due to other conditions, disabilities or just age.
When I was diagnosed I had always walked a fair amount, but I increased my steps from 10-20k a day to around 30k a day, sometimes doing 50k a day. I could do it without difficulty. But now I'm 4 years older and starting to feel my age. I try to do 10k steps a day, but it more difficult, getting aches in my knees and feet.
btw I did the West Highland Way, about 90 miles in 5 days, including 26 miles over Rannoch Moor in eight hours. But I was 30 years younger then and wouldn't be able to do that now.
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This is a good point and something I am concerned about really. If I need to do a fair amount of exercise to keep control, what happens as I get older and can’t do as much, or so energetically.
Have you found your bg level has risen since you are not achieving the amazing step counts you once did?
 
Prem51 said:
Well done @IronLioness, great results.
I don't mean to be at all critical of your journey and achievements, but it should be remembered that not all diabetics can use cardio to control their bgs, due to other conditions, disabilities or just age.
When I was diagnosed I had always walked a fair amount, but I increased my steps from 10-20k a day to around 30k a day, sometimes doing 50k a day. I could do it without difficulty. But now I'm 4 years older and starting to feel my age. I try to do 10k steps a day, but it more difficult, getting aches in my knees and feet.
btw I did the West Highland Way, about 90 miles in 5 days, including 26 miles over Rannoch Moor in eight hours. But I was 30 years younger then and wouldn't be able to do that now.
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Yep, totally understand Prem51, that's why I put the disclaimer in the post that it won't be relevant nor relatable for some, but the post is my own personal experience (a reflection of).

Well done for the Highland Way, I'd love to do that. I've climbed up Ben Nevis when I was 30 but I think I'm going to do more hillwalking, I like the peace which comes with it. :-)
 
DJC3 said:
This is a good point and something I am concerned about really. If I need to do a fair amount of exercise to keep control, what happens as I get older and can’t do as much, or so energetically.
Have you found your bg level has risen since you are not achieving the amazing step counts you once did?
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Well my HbA1c has risen from 39 to 46 at last test. But I don't think that's entirely due to less walking. My weight and HbA1c are still below what they were at and before diagnosis. I do seem to get slightly lower fbg readings the day after I do 10k+ steps than on days when I've only done less than 5k, but I can't say whether that's due to the exercise or the previous days' food.
 
Prem51 said:
Well my HbA1c has risen from 39 to 46 at last test. But I don't think that's entirely due to less walking. My weight and HbA1c are still below what they were at and before diagnosis. I do seem to get slightly lower fbg readings the day after I do 10k+ steps than on days when I've only done less than 5k, but I can't say whether that's due to the exercise or the previous days' food.
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So many variables aren’t there? It’s hard to figure out which ones have the greatest impact. I’m glad your weight and HbA1c are still lower than diagnosis though.
 
Great post and congratulations you have certainly inspired me. I got diagnosed a year ago and for the first six months got my levels down to 39 but then I relaxed a bit, a good friend died and I basically rebelled. After reading your post it has certainly put a different perspective on things. I need to take control of my own life and if I carry on eating what I want then I'll become worse. Unfortunately I do have a very sweet tooth and struggle but I need to own this and sort myself out. I used to do a lot of exercise but now I'm limited due to a bad hip. Thanks for the post and here's hoping I'll be posting something similar myself in the next six months. I've been feeling sorry for myself, thinking I'm missing out on all the foods I love but they don't love me. It's certainly a challenge but one that is doable.
 
Resurgam said:
If you stop eating things which are sweetened, even if it just an artificial sweetener, you should find that your perception of sweetness changes and things you would eat quite happily seem sickeningly sweet.
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Thank you, I understand what you are saying but trying to get over the initial cravings is really hard
 
lrostron said:
Thank you, I understand what you are saying but trying to get over the initial cravings is really hard
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I can 100% relate, Irostron . I can't lie, it's not been easy to make the full on switch and change life-old habits. I went pretty hardcore at the start and literally cut out ALL the stuffs, inc sweet things. Four days on I had a funny turn, a sort of phantom hypo and it *did not* feel good at all. I quickly sussed, after the messages from the fine folks on this forum, that I need to work the lifestyle to work for me, rather than go all 'gung-ho', so to speak. It made me sit down and think it through - I wasn't given meds at diagnosis so I knew that it's all down to what I do and eat to try and get this under some sort of control - easier said than done when you're used to eating what you want, when you want, as I'm sure everyone can attest to. What I did find helpful was to spend some time writing down all, and I mean ALL the low sugar foods I could research on the internet and these forums. That includes anything that people called a 'treat', so things like sugar free jelly etc. I gave up sweets too, I knew they'd just shoot my BG up high so I needed to figure out a way around giving up ALL the nice stuff, totally, kind of... The saving grace, for me being the sugar fiend that I was/am - and I'm conscious it's not for everyone/and also affects people differently - but protein bars are a total WIN, for me. I don't mean smashing 3 or 4 a day, but there are so many brands out there, you could test your BG levels with things like that and see how they do/don't affect it. For me, the better option was Grenade protein bars which are way lower in carbs and sugar but high in protein. I tested out my bg before and after and it was absolutely manageable, winner! But like I said, they're not 'good' as such, but they're a heck of a better option than sweets etc. Also, protein bars on the whole come in all flavours, the 'birthday cake' flavour ones I used at Christmas when everyone else was having Christmas cake/mince pies etc, I had none - and I do mean none. I didn't touch any of that stuff and still haven't had it 7 months down the line. Instead I had a bowlful of sugarfree jelly and then chopped up a birthday cake protein bar and had that on top - delicious! - and WAY less calories, carbs and sugar than any of the usual festive junk they sell in shops, which also can be adapted for other occasions when you want a treat. There are ways around the sugar cravings - sugar free jelly with low sugar jam/peanut butter or other low sugar options. The internet was my friend, I pretty much walked down the aisles of most major supermarkets to research the back of food packets - to understand the ingredients and what I was eating. I don't think it's about cutting things out totally because at the end of the day life is for living, but there are *always* options, just gotta get creative. :-)

My birthday is coming up very soon and instead of an actual birthday *cake* I'm having a birthday cake flavour protein bar, yup, I know how to live eh, haha! ;-)

Stay strong, you've got this thing handled. :-)
 
IronLioness said:
I can 100% relate, Irostron . I can't lie, it's not been easy to make the full on switch and change life-old habits. I went pretty hardcore at the start and literally cut out ALL the stuffs, inc sweet things. Four days on I had a funny turn, a sort of phantom hypo and it *did not* feel good at all. I quickly sussed, after the messages from the fine folks on this forum, that I need to work the lifestyle to work for me, rather than go all 'gung-ho', so to speak. It made me sit down and think it through - I wasn't given meds at diagnosis so I knew that it's all down to what I do and eat to try and get this under some sort of control - easier said than done when you're used to eating what you want, when you want, as I'm sure everyone can attest to. What I did find helpful was to spend some time writing down all, and I mean ALL the low sugar foods I could research on the internet and these forums. That includes anything that people called a 'treat', so things like sugar free jelly etc. I gave up sweets too, I knew they'd just shoot my BG up high so I needed to figure out a way around giving up ALL the nice stuff, totally, kind of... The saving grace, for me being the sugar fiend that I was/am - and I'm conscious it's not for everyone/and also affects people differently - but protein bars are a total WIN, for me. I don't mean smashing 3 or 4 a day, but there are so many brands out there, you could test your BG levels with things like that and see how they do/don't affect it. For me, the better option was Grenade protein bars which are way lower in carbs and sugar but high in protein. I tested out my bg before and after and it was absolutely manageable, winner! But like I said, they're not 'good' as such, but they're a heck of a better option than sweets etc. Also, protein bars on the whole come in all flavours, the 'birthday cake' flavour ones I used at Christmas when everyone else was having Christmas cake/mince pies etc, I had none - and I do mean none. I didn't touch any of that stuff and still haven't had it 7 months down the line. Instead I had a bowlful of sugarfree jelly and then chopped up a birthday cake protein bar and had that on top - delicious! - and WAY less calories, carbs and sugar than any of the usual festive junk they sell in shops, which also can be adapted for other occasions when you want a treat. There are ways around the sugar cravings - sugar free jelly with low sugar jam/peanut butter or other low sugar options. The internet was my friend, I pretty much walked down the aisles of most major supermarkets to research the back of food packets - to understand the ingredients and what I was eating. I don't think it's about cutting things out totally because at the end of the day life is for living, but there are *always* options, just gotta get creative. :)

My birthday is coming up very soon and instead of an actual birthday *cake* I'm having a birthday cake flavour protein bar, yup, I know how to live eh, haha! ;-)

Stay strong, you've got this thing handled. :)
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Thank you, sorry I'm only just replying. Really appreciate your reply and completely resonates with me, definitely need to find the lifestyle for me. I'll see if the protein bars work for me, fingers crossed!!!!!
 
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