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Sorting myself out

Z

ZoesMum

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Ok, so I joined the forum in a panic when my daughter was suffering. Now we have her settled on much much less insulin I think I need to focus on myself again. Ive let my care slip and need to get my act together pdq.

I was taking avandamet for two years and had excellent blood sugars on it with a HB1AC of 6. I had been on Metformin before and although it helped it didnt work as well. I also take gliclazide.

However I felt awful, had the attention span of a goldfish, and had terrible cellulitus in my legs. I also gained over two stone, despite eating a relatively healthy diet. None of which I really connected to the avandamet.

Last January I decided to get married in September and both my now husband and I joined SW to lose weight. I lost a stone and a half very quickly and then stuck. I went to the doctor for help who kindly informed me that "diabetic medicine makes you fat". Very helpful.

So I started researching and found that a lot of people gained weight on the drug. I went to see my nurse and asked if I could come off avandamet and go back to metformin to see if it had an effect. It did, I lost another stone and a half, so I was three stone lighter when I got married. I also started to feel like a completely different person. Less despressed, able to remember things again, sleeping better and my legs are just about back to normal.

I still have a lot of weight to lose and to be honest, although I have continued going to SW I have not really got my head round it, so I know that I need to drastically get myself back on target and losing weight.

However my blood sugars have crept up gradually, and I am pretty sure that my HB1AC will be much poorer when I have it done next month. I have had a spell of high blood sugar and have changed my blood pressure medicine recently, so am waiting to see what effect that will have.

Im tackling all this with upping my exercise, improving my diet (or at least trying to) but I know that when I go back to the nurse she is going to want to put me back on Avandamet and I am adamant that I do not want to go down that route.

I just wondered if anyone else has had these issues?
 
Metformin + Byetta are the two medications for type 2 diabetes that don't cause wieght gain, from what I've read. The other tablets I take for diabetes have caused me to gain wieght with no change in diet or lifestyle.

What sort of food do you eat? if you post your typical diet I'm sure someone on this forum will be able to help, I've read some useful suggestions on here that seem to leave me feeling less tired etc after I eat.
 
Hi Zoes mum
As has already been written, only Metformin and Byetta don't cause weight gain. If you can persuade them to let you have Byetta, it should work almost like magic. Trouble is it's expensive and GPs rarely prescribe it. Mine won't.
I know the weight battle well. I lost 2 1/2 stone on lowered carbs and then the weighloss stalled. I'm hoping I've got it moving again by dropping the carbs even lower. I need less medicine too (2 x 500 Metformin) and my BGs are in the 4s and low5s.
If you haven't tried, it's worth it. You don't get hungry and get used to it quite fast. I've stuck with it for nealy 2 years now. despite a long stall. Because even though the weight stayed the same, the BGs were so good.
The Atkins diet is just about right for an overweight T2
 
Hi Zoes mum
As has already been written, only Metformin and Byetta don't cause weight gain. If you can persuade them to let you have Byetta, it should work almost like magic. Trouble is it's expensive and GPs rarely prescribe it. Mine won't.
I know the weight battle well. I lost 2 1/2 stone on lowered carbs and then the weighloss stalled. I'm hoping I've got it moving again by dropping the carbs even lower. I need less medicine too (2 x 500 Metformin) and my BGs are in the 4s and low5s tthat Gliclazide is nasty . I stopped it
If you haven't tried low carb, it's worth it. You don't get hungry and get used to it quite fast. I've stuck with it for nealy 2 years now. despite a long stall. Because even though the weight stayed the same, the BGs were so good.
The Atkins diet is just about right for an overweight T2
 
We have been going to Slimming World for a year now. My husband, although not diabetic, also has a weight problem and he has lost 4 stone!

I know that SW is not considered the best plan for a diabetic, because it does include unlimited carbs on green days.

However, my appetite severely limits the amounts of carbs I can eat and usually we eat lots of vege and fruit, lean meat etc etc. Lots of the unlimited "free foods". I know what I should eating, even if I dont always stick to it!

The thing is that the club we go to is amazing, and that support is invaluable when you are trying to lose weight.

I think we have got a bit apathetic but joining this forum to deal with Zoe's problems has kind of prompted me to get myself back on track too. I just want to go to my next appointment with my nurse (who I really cannot bear) armed with facts and figures and a determination to deal with my diabetes my way with her support, rather than being bullied into taking a pill that made me feel absolutely terrible!
 
I've never tried Slimming World, but my daughter was successful with it. I found Weight Watchers didn't work for me. How about doing only Red Days?
Isn't it maddening how much faster men lose weight than women?
 
Completely maddening. My husband is a bit like a labrador (of which we have two) - he can eat and eat and eat without ever getting full! But he can shed it relatively easily, particularly when I am focused and feeding him right!

We do pretty much stick to red days. They have a new plan now which is kindi of a combination of the two - its kind of interesting but of course I would still have to watch the carbs

Im sort of starting to feel inspired to get back into this, particularly reading lots of the messages in the forum.

I have to go to Milan on business for a few days on Sunday so may struggle a bit, but as soon as I get home Im going to attach my diet with more gusto. I know I can do it!
 
Hi ZoesMum

I just wanted to say welcome and good luck - losing weight is never easy, the thing is I think that you find a way of eating that is for life and not just a "diet"; I absolutely learnt to hate the very word 'diet', I dont know about you, but the very word made me rush to the fridge and have a comfort eating session.

I have lost weight with low carb and since then I am still watching carbs, and I am doing well maintaining my weight. For me the low/medium carb approach works because it means that I eat lots of vegetables and I seriously never feel hungry plus of course it keeps my blood sugar nice and steady.

I am sure you will get on top of your battle with the weight, if I can do it then anyone can, trust me, and you are a strong person, you have proved that already what with caring for a diabetic child, your own diabetes, work and so on. I take my hat off to you and all the other Mums who are doing such a magnificent job helping their children cope with diabetes, you are all doing a sterling job!

All the best

Karen x
 
Hi ZoesMum, I can really say that I'm a full convert to low(ish) carbing!! I have been doing it for about a week really and my sugars have been down to non-diabetic levels all day today (4.7-4.8) even after meals... I find it very similar to red days but being able to have cheese, butter, nuts, cream and oil makes it so much better! I have lost 4 pounds this week so the outlook is positive! If I can do it, so can you!! :wink:
 
Actos and Avandia can be good drugs for some people BUT you clearly show that they are contraindicated for you.

What dose of metformin are you on? Some people find little effect below 1500 mg and some need the full dose of 2500 mg. Also it works synergystically with exercise in reducing insulin resistance.

Most (but not all) successful Type 2s seem to be somewhere between Atkins and South Beach in terms of carb input. See if this helps

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/d-day.html
 
I am taking 2 x 500mg twice a day of Metformin at present.

Thanks for all the encouragement folks. Ive had a terrible day today, craving carbs like anything but am working a late shift so there is no access to anything!!

Im being realistic about next week, being in Italy working and being in a hotel makes it very difficult to stick to anything, but I will try to make sensible choices while I am there.

But once I am back, I am determined to get to grips with the low carb stuff
 
Good for you! I have just received an order of low carb stuff, dreamfields pasta, pasta that looks just like rice, tortillas and for special occasions, low carb mash with garlic and parmesan flavour. So you still can have that bowl of pasta if the carb cravings really hit. I also tghought to try and make pizza with the tortilla so the scope is not bad! I am missing crisps though, I must be world's worst crispaholic...But gone are the days when I could finish off 24 pack of crisps... :mrgreen:
 
Saz, take those tortilla, cut them into triangles, brush with oil, sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper and bake in a hot oven.

Who needs Walkers.

wiflib
 
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