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Hello from returning member whose had a serious loss of control over 2015

It was nice to read your post. I feel that I am likely to have similar problems. I've only just been diagnosed but I've had problems with binging in the past. What has helped me a bit is having 'free' days. (Obviously it has not helped that much or I'd be a perfect weight by now but it has kept me on diets for longer in the past) It's just where I allow myself to have a binge day and go mad. I'm trying to eat healthily for now but if it looks like I'm going to end up going on a month long binge then instead I'm going to schedule one day a month or even a week until I'm back in control - of course it is not ideal but it is better than none stop binging on takeaways and crisps which I am quite capable of. I've never been a great fan of sweet things so the whole avoid biscuits,cakes, sweets etc... doesn't pose a problem for me but it is another story entirely when it comes to salt and Chinese takeaways. If I look like I'm not going ot be able to keep control I am also going to pay out for a continuous bg monitor because I don't think there's anything quite as sobering as seeing those results. It can be so easy to convince yourself it's not really causing damage even when you know intellectually that it is.
 

I'm afraid I don't cook. My wife is pretty sympathetic and a very good cook and I would be fine if I only ate what she gives me! I can't see her doing her own bread or biscuits anytime soon. I did have a bit of a dalliance with Jenny Ruhl's whey pancakes at one stage, made from protein powder. To be honest it was just too much hassle and, eventually, the remains of the big bag of protein powder went in the bin. I do well when I maintain my food diary (I use Myfitnesspal.com as it makes life easy with a good app and barcode scanning). The problem comes when you've had a meal out, a carry-out, dinner at a friends, or a dish that you can't easily point, and you miss the readings for the day. You need to just put it behind you and start again next day but it is hard not to give up for a few days. I also use the Mapmywalk app which monitors how far you've gone and interfaces seamlessly with Myfitnesspal.com. Both take a little experimenting before they become easier to use but I find them worthwhile. AS I've said before though, my biggest problems are when I've lapsed and gone of the rails when I wont record anything at all. That was the case through most of 2015.
 

At one stage, when I wasn't keeping a food diary, I did try a system that worked for me. In my normal diary, I just classed each day as being green, amber or red. Green meant broadly maintaining healthy eating (in my case, around 1800 calories with moderate carbs), amber meant I'd slipped up was still within sight of my goals and red meant I'd been binging and lost control pretty badly. I found I lost weight if I was mostly green. Amber didn't do much damage, but I gained weight if I had a string of reds. Unfortunately, I had too many reds and gave up. At this point, I wasn't taking BG readings. I'm guessing one red day a week would be tolerable if the rest were green or maybe even green/amber.

Your last point is so correct. I don't think I'd have continued so long off course if I'd taken a proper BG reading, say, once a week because I would have seen it rising.
 

Very well done! They say the journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. I've had a good day today. I saw the doctor just before Christmas and my HbA1c level shocked me a bit, so I've been reasonably good since then. Inevitably, there were lots of treats available through the Christmas/New Year period and it's true that I did indulge myself in them to an extent. But I rationed them out and was reasonably moderate and I even gave some of it away. It felt bad to give away presents I'd been given by the family but I took the view that I'd only eat it if the pleasure exceeded the likely damage to my weight, so I ate all the really good stuff (slowly) and gave away the so so stuff. Having got all that out of the way, I started seriously on Monday and have stayed within my calorie/carb targets for three days now. We've also been doing a lot of walking over the holiday period and have continued that this week (best so far 5 miles today). I've had one session at the gym and will be going back on Friday. So far so good.

We're going out to dinner with old friends on Saturday night to our local (but relatively upmarket) Indian restaurant. After a bit of thought, I'm going to enjoy myself and get back on the wagon on Sunday. You have to have some life, and an Indian meal without any sauce, rice or poppadum, washed down with water has no appeal whatsoever. So I'll try to be reasonable and get back to business Sunday.
 
I think I've replied to everyone but, if I've missed one, it's not intentional. I've also found the "like" button. Still finding navigation a little trick on the PC version and no idea what I'm doing on the Ipad version. It would be great if we could keep this going. I'm unsure if this is the way to do it or whether I should have used a blog or another "stream" but I'll try and log on every day until it dries up or an administrator moves us somewhere else. Getting a new computer tomorrow so that could provide some issues to be resolved.

Keep on track!
 
high Dougie 22
2015 has not been a good year for me either, I have steadily been getting worse, and BS climbing -GP solution was to drop from 4 metformin to 3, what a laugh. After I gave blood for the yearly check up in November, I was told to see a GP who told me the same thing and to make an appointment again with the Practice Nurse, still waiting as it takes 3-4 weeks between appointments. I sometimes think I am a tennis ball.
my BS has an average of 17 except for New year!! The champagne was delicious but next morning it was 26. I'm sure it was a good night but I can't remember it all. At least I have time to clean up my act before seeing that nurse again. I don't want to think of the lecture she'd give me if she new I drank 6 units in so short a time!!
Good on you for managing to go swimming, great exercise great for the endorphins (something like that). I have a monthly membership, I think about going everyday since Christmas, but find it too exhausting to get there.
Anyway, happy new year and keep up the good fight.
 
You are off to a good start for the new year, you seem to have a spring in your step, keep marching on and before you know you will celebrating a great year for 2016. They say the journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step - and you are on your way.
 
hope you don't load the new windows 10, I'm finding it a nightmare
 

Seems a bit strange, cutting the Metformin, but I'm no doctor. Did you ask him or her what the reasoning was? I changed GP practice to find a doctor I could relate to and work with and that was one of the best things I've done.

I find that wine suppresses my BS, sparkling or otherwise. Were you also eating a lot of snacks, crisps, etc?

It wasn't me swimming. I've been walking and going to the gym (treadmill and very light weights). I do like swimming, but only if the pool is really quiet, which rarely happens at my gym.

I definitely agree that an appointment with the nurse or doctor supplies a good incentive to stick to controlled eating in the run up to the appointment. Perhaps we need more of these sessions. I didn't see a doctor or a nurse all through 2015 (12 months between diabetes check ups), so didn't get that incentive.
 
brenda walker said:
hope you don't load the new windows 10, I'm finding it a nightmare
Click to expand...

After a bit of thought, I'm going for a machine pre-loaded with W10. I'm on W7 just now. From experience, it'll probably take me a week to get fully over onto the new machine and get everything working. I'm expecting problems with drivers for my (old) printer and in transferring some of my software. The data will be easy. It's never easy and I've got a degree in computing and 40 years in the business behind me!
 
brenda walker said:
hope you don't load the new windows 10, I'm finding it a nightmare
Click to expand...
I downloaded Windows 10 on 2 laptops and I have not had any problems with it at all and it is 100% better than Windows 8.1 that I had what a nightmare that was it must have been the worst Windows version ever no wonder it did not last long and they gave us a free Windows 10 download
 
Hi @Dougie22 .
I was diadnosed in 2002. A long time ago, it feels.
I'm still struggling as I've had burn out 3 times.
I'm hoping through help from the forum , this time will be different. But you know because I know myself very well I'm bound to fall off the wagon spectacularly in future, again.
I just have to try and stabilise my diabetes which means having stable eating patterns and controlled food.
I've admitted I am a carbholic. I'm in recovery but until when I'm unsure.
Stress affects everyone so I ride it differently now. I get angry and fight the system or some company or other to get my anger out. Stress affects everything I do not just eating sensibly.
For me if I restrict myself too much I rebel and go on a binge. I feel deprived and the 'odd one out'. Apparently no one else in my family has diabetes and of course I'm making too much fuss to eat sensibly and worry about complications.
I'm so thankful to have these forums.
I've found my family!
You've all been missing in my life for far too long.
 

Hi Liam (and Dougie of course!). Regarding the eating, and the approach some members use - I can only speak from my own perspective, of course, it's each to their own. I want to eat in a way that I don't feel deprived, but having said that, I want to do as much as I possibly can to avoid having to take more meds (I'm on enough as it is, non diabetes related) and I certainly want to avoid insulin if I can help it. I think the same thing goes for many members here, if the blood levels can be kept to as close to normal limits as possible, without adding tablets/injections into the mix, then that is the way to go.

Bearing in mind that many newish posters come here and post repeatedly that they are unable to bring their levels down while following the professionals dietary advice, they are upset because they are on medication that doesn't seem to be helping, new/additional medications are being brought into the picture, then I would agree with any advice that could be of benefit to them being given. From a personal perspective again, I have a daughter who is type 2, and on insulin, 4 injections daily. There is little choice in her case as she has other issues, and has to follow strict dietary control. I know the palaver that insulin can bring, and while for some it may be necessary, if there is anything I can do to avoid it, I will - and I think the same goes for many here.

Just my opinion
 
Hello Folks. I am a Vegetarian and have been since I was young, but over the years I have 'sampled' meat - so I am not totally 100% Vegetarian now. Trying to have a 'balanced' diet can be hard - because I suffer with Aneamia and am treated with Iron tablets 1 a day at the moment(sometimes 2 a day)but the Aneamia is caused by taking another drug for another condition that I have. I also find that some other medications have an effect on my Diabetes too - raise my blood sugars. I believe that being on Steroids for many years played a part in my Diabetes as well as it being Genetic. My family history of Diabetes is: both Grandmothers had Type 2 (20yrs), my Mother had Type 2 on tablets (20yrs), my younger brother Type 2 on Insulin/Tablets at 31yrs (he's now 49) got a female cousin who is 55 and she is on Insulin and then there is me, also Type 2 (15 yrs) on Insulin/tablets. With me for 10 years I kept my Diabetes under control and then 5 years ago I went through a traumatic event and I went off the rails and just neglected my Diabetes. It's taken the past 5 years to get back on track - and it has been hard to do, I have managed to get my weight down, my BMI down and my HBA1C down thanks to Insulin, more Metformin and Dapagliflozin. But I have to admit that some days I think "B**LS" to it - I am going to have a bag of crisp, and I am going to have a piece of cake, and a bar of Chocolate = because it makes me FEEL GOOD. I attend the Hospital Diabetic Clinic every 6 months now and the Consultant I see is Diabetic herself, she is pleased with my progress and says we all have 'SLIP UPS' but, just to make sure there is not too many. At the end of every month we go out for a meal as a treat.
 
It was to reduce the vomiting and tummy upsets. When you live in the country it is difficult to get around and very few GPs. They very rarely do house calls. I once had a home visit, run thro a collective, who told me to make an appointment to see my own GP. By the time I saw someone at the practice I was sent to hospital and put on antibiotic drip for 5 days. as for New Years Eve I ate mainly cheese. Veggies are not always catered for as I do not eat fish or chicken. Its funny but while in hospital the staff thought I would like ham salad or fishcakes.
 
You seem to have a good grip on all this, I can't find anyone to take me seriously, I know I am breaking down
 


All too easily done. You just have to redouble your efforts and get back into the frame of mind which gave you your initial success. You know it works. But I agree, giving up on old habits can be as difficult as giving up on smoking, as far as that little voice in your head is concerned.

I am prone to these lapses too but I developed a real interest in cooking and mostly find that the act of planning and preparing a meal, stops me opening up the biscuit tin. I also find experimenting by making things like haverbread or blinis and testing the results, both for taste and impact on blood sugar, keeps the devil away so to speak, even if the experiement turns out to be a bit of a dud. It's all about thinking about other stuff, stuff which is healthy and tasty and developing new tastes.
 

I'm moving from a Windows 7 machine to a Windows 10 machine. The big problems surround things like ITunes (12,00+ songs) and Outlook (I'm using (now unsupported) Office 2003). Got the first lot of stuff up and running and using it to type this.
 

Hi Ickihun.
Like the rest of us, you know the problems so it's just a case of restarting every time you fall off the wagon.
I was very stressed when I was working and I think that's just as harmful to your health as the diabetes in some cases. It's good that you've found a way to fight it. I found the root cause in my case and solved it by chucking the job and retiring. I'm fine now. Almost mellow!
I agree that you can be too strict. Someone (I think on the forum) told me they thought type 2 diabetes was a six day a week disease and they allowed themselves a day off relatively frequently. I think this is a good idea. You can get too wound up about it.
 

Totally agree on the point of avoiding more medication. That's my primary motivator.
 
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