Checking in

Hi, friends. Its been a little while since I last checked in, thought I'd
better post my progress to keep myself honest!

It's 22 weeks and 3 days now since I began my diet, and I'm happy to say I'm
down to 207.2! That's a little better than 60 pounds loss for the diet,
22.7% of my body weight. Down to a BMI of 25.9. Wahoo! 7.2 pounds to go
in Phase 1 and I'll be "Normal."

The real struggle has been to reformulate my eating patterns and foods to
accommodate my recently diagnosed diabetes. It all revolves around a
healthy balance of nutrients but with an eye to limiting the carbs to a
reasonable level and spreading them out more over the day. That means I'm
eating my three regular meals plus three snacks. I think the hardest thing
to overcome was feeling like dinner had to be the "big" meal of the day and
be loaded up with potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.

Since I'm at an increased risk for heart disease and my HDL is low I'm
trying to stay away from a lot of saturated fats. An interesting thing is
that I found I was actually eating too little fats for a proper nutritional
balance! So now I add avocado, olive oil, and fish as a way of getting
enough fats and of the proper types. I also wasn't getting enough calcium
so I make sure to get my three dairy servings each day.

Whew! Talk about a juggling act! I'm glad I don't yet have to check my
blood glucose or take meds for the diabetes. Checking with two doctors
confirms that I have controlled the disease for now with my weight loss, and
that I am eating properly.

So, I made myself a spreadsheet to track everything, figure out the nutrient
balances and timings, translate everything into Weight Watchers points (as
well as calories), and graph it all. That way its easier for me to get a
handle on what's happening, being able to see it graphically. I also check
and record my blood pressure daily, under orders from my doctor, and that
goes into the spreadsheet.

Good thing I'm an analyst, figuring out all these details and collecting
data points really scratches my itch!

--
Dewolla Stepon
268/207.2/199 - Phase 1
199/207.2/175 - Phase 2
154 at age 28
285 at age 53

"Ignoramus4798" wrote in message
...
I am very happy that you can control your diabetes with diet and
exercise... Do you own a blood sugar monitor?

No.

- Dewolla

Thanks for the info, my physician says there is no reason to monitor my
blood now. He says that with the large amount of weight I've lost the only
thing I should do now is watch my carbs. I'll be rechecked in six months.

- Dewolla

"Ignoramus4798" wrote in message
...
In article X3DAc.69249$0y.32885@attbi_s03, Dewolla Stepon wrote:
"Ignoramus4798" wrote in message
...
I am very happy that you can control your diabetes with diet and
exercise... Do you own a blood sugar monitor?

No.

My mother in law has one, they are very nice and not very expensive
nowadays. With them, you could always know the impact of the food you
eat etc. Maybe you can get a prescription for it to cover the cost...

i

I admire your dedication to researching/managing your diabetes Dewolla.

I know so many people including my mother who take pills and ignore the
diet once they've been diagnosed. My mom has CML, which is of course..
Leukemia. Her cancer is very well managed and she is thankfully in
remission. However, the year prior to being diagnosed with CML she was
told she has diabetes. Her dr put her right away on meds and suggested
she "watch her weight". She takes the meds, but does little to assist
her body in handling the disease diet wise. I beg her to eat better, I
make suggestions, I have her over for dinner and make healthy meals as
sort of a nudge in the right directions.. Then the very next day I may
see her eating a huge-ass bowl of ice cream. I've told her on so many
occasions "Mom if the leukemia doesn't get you first the diabetes
will" - It's heartbreaking for me to watch her slowly kill herself with
something that *can* be controlled.

Same thing for my ex-husband. He was diagnosed last summer and they
quickly put him on meds. He did a few things like switch to diet soda's
instead of full sugar sodas.. but he still eats like a horse and ALL the
wrong things and gets little to no exercise. He's my children's dad and
it just breaks my heart to watch him slowly eat himself to death. He's
asked me a few suggestions here and there about my weightloss and I
always tell him that its because I got scared of developing diabetes.
Which is true as I am insulin resistant.

At any rate, stay on top of things, if not just to look and feel better,
but to live a longer healthy life.

Susan
260/192/140

"Dewolla Stepon" wrote in message
news:uRCAc.69197$0y.23877@attbi_s03...
Hi, friends. Its been a little while since I last checked in, thought
I'd
better post my progress to keep myself honest!

It's 22 weeks and 3 days now since I began my diet, and I'm happy to
say I'm
down to 207.2! That's a little better than 60 pounds loss for the
diet,
22.7% of my body weight. Down to a BMI of 25.9. Wahoo! 7.2 pounds
to go
in Phase 1 and I'll be "Normal."

The real struggle has been to reformulate my eating patterns and foods
to
accommodate my recently diagnosed diabetes. It all revolves around a
healthy balance of nutrients but with an eye to limiting the carbs to
a
reasonable level and spreading them out more over the day. That means
I'm
eating my three regular meals plus three snacks. I think the hardest
thing
to overcome was feeling like dinner had to be the "big" meal of the
day and
be loaded up with potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.

Since I'm at an increased risk for heart disease and my HDL is low I'm
trying to stay away from a lot of saturated fats. An interesting
thing is
that I found I was actually eating too little fats for a proper
nutritional
balance! So now I add avocado, olive oil, and fish as a way of
getting
enough fats and of the proper types. I also wasn't getting enough
calcium
so I make sure to get my three dairy servings each day.

Whew! Talk about a juggling act! I'm glad I don't yet have to check
my
blood glucose or take meds for the diabetes. Checking with two
doctors
confirms that I have controlled the disease for now with my weight
loss, and
that I am eating properly.

So, I made myself a spreadsheet to track everything, figure out the
nutrient
balances and timings, translate everything into Weight Watchers points
(as
well as calories), and graph it all. That way its easier for me to
get a
handle on what's happening, being able to see it graphically. I also
check
and record my blood pressure daily, under orders from my doctor, and
that
goes into the spreadsheet.

Good thing I'm an analyst, figuring out all these details and
collecting
data points really scratches my itch!

--
Dewolla Stepon
268/207.2/199 - Phase 1
199/207.2/175 - Phase 2
154 at age 28
285 at age 53

Thanks for sharing this with me Susan. My mother-in-law has diabetes, has
had for years, and she is just about to turn 70. She has been overweight
all her life but doesn't take her weight seriously enough. She doesn't take
any medications for the Type 2 (and I don't know if she is supposed to) but
she has some serious nerve damage in her feet. She can't feel her feet.

Whenever she visits for Thanksgiving or Christmas she says ahead of time
that she is on Weight Watchers or some other program, and then when she does
gets here and I show her the healthy alternative foods I've prepared she
says something like "It's a holiday. Who's dieting?" It breaks my heart.
She will pile her plate up high with all the bad stuff, none of the good,
and then regales us the whole time with stories about her health problems.

Of course, I've been no better in many ways. I'd never given balanced
nutrition a second thought and just eaten what I felt like. Even with my
previous diets and my time with Weight Watchers my whole emphasis was
decreased calories with no thought of where those calories came from.

Now, though, after the damage has been done, I'm seeing that proper
nutrition is important. Even up until a few weeks ago I rarely ate a
breakfast, and only a small lunch. Then for dinner I would eat only
starches and meat and keep snacking until bedtime.

My plan for next Thanksgiving is to have ALL smart and healthy choices!

- Dewolla


"susanjoneslewis" wrote in message
...
I admire your dedication to researching/managing your diabetes Dewolla.

I know so many people including my mother who take pills and ignore the
diet once they've been diagnosed. My mom has CML, which is of course..
Leukemia. Her cancer is very well managed and she is thankfully in
remission. However, the year prior to being diagnosed with CML she was
told she has diabetes. Her dr put her right away on meds and suggested
she "watch her weight". She takes the meds, but does little to assist
her body in handling the disease diet wise. I beg her to eat better, I
make suggestions, I have her over for dinner and make healthy meals as
sort of a nudge in the right directions.. Then the very next day I may
see her eating a huge-ass bowl of ice cream. I've told her on so many
occasions "Mom if the leukemia doesn't get you first the diabetes
will" - It's heartbreaking for me to watch her slowly kill herself with
something that *can* be controlled.

Same thing for my ex-husband. He was diagnosed last summer and they
quickly put him on meds. He did a few things like switch to diet soda's
instead of full sugar sodas.. but he still eats like a horse and ALL the
wrong things and gets little to no exercise. He's my children's dad and
it just breaks my heart to watch him slowly eat himself to death. He's
asked me a few suggestions here and there about my weightloss and I
always tell him that its because I got scared of developing diabetes.
Which is true as I am insulin resistant.

At any rate, stay on top of things, if not just to look and feel better,
but to live a longer healthy life.

Susan
260/192/140

"Dewolla Stepon" wrote in message
news:uRCAc.69197$0y.23877@attbi_s03...
Hi, friends. Its been a little while since I last checked in, thought
I'd
better post my progress to keep myself honest!

It's 22 weeks and 3 days now since I began my diet, and I'm happy to
say I'm
down to 207.2! That's a little better than 60 pounds loss for the
diet,
22.7% of my body weight. Down to a BMI of 25.9. Wahoo! 7.2 pounds
to go
in Phase 1 and I'll be "Normal."

The real struggle has been to reformulate my eating patterns and foods
to
accommodate my recently diagnosed diabetes. It all revolves around a
healthy balance of nutrients but with an eye to limiting the carbs to
a
reasonable level and spreading them out more over the day. That means
I'm
eating my three regular meals plus three snacks. I think the hardest
thing
to overcome was feeling like dinner had to be the "big" meal of the
day and
be loaded up with potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.

Since I'm at an increased risk for heart disease and my HDL is low I'm
trying to stay away from a lot of saturated fats. An interesting
thing is
that I found I was actually eating too little fats for a proper
nutritional
balance! So now I add avocado, olive oil, and fish as a way of
getting
enough fats and of the proper types. I also wasn't getting enough
calcium
so I make sure to get my three dairy servings each day.

Whew! Talk about a juggling act! I'm glad I don't yet have to check
my
blood glucose or take meds for the diabetes. Checking with two
doctors
confirms that I have controlled the disease for now with my weight
loss, and
that I am eating properly.

So, I made myself a spreadsheet to track everything, figure out the
nutrient
balances and timings, translate everything into Weight Watchers points
(as
well as calories), and graph it all. That way its easier for me to
get a
handle on what's happening, being able to see it graphically. I also
check
and record my blood pressure daily, under orders from my doctor, and
that
goes into the spreadsheet.

Good thing I'm an analyst, figuring out all these details and
collecting
data points really scratches my itch!

--
Dewolla Stepon
268/207.2/199 - Phase 1
199/207.2/175 - Phase 2
154 at age 28
285 at age 53

Hark! I heard "Dewolla Stepon" say:

snip

The real struggle has been to reformulate my eating patterns and foods to
accommodate my recently diagnosed diabetes. It all revolves around a
healthy balance of nutrients but with an eye to limiting the carbs to a
reasonable level and spreading them out more over the day. That means I'm
eating my three regular meals plus three snacks. I think the hardest thing
to overcome was feeling like dinner had to be the "big" meal of the day and
be loaded up with potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.

I had some trouble with that at first too, but it gets to be habit
(and I used to be a big carb eater). I'm glad to hear you're taking
the situation seriously enough to deal with it, but not stressing
about it; Type2 diabetes is so managable, especially with your kind
of attention to detail. Sounds like you're doing great, kid, keep
it up! :-)


--
J.J. in WA (Change COLD to HOT for e-mail)

Start of diet : 251 Current Weight : 232
Original Weight: 275 First Goal : 199

Hark! I heard "Dewolla Stepon" say:
"Ignoramus4798" wrote in message
...

I am very happy that you can control your diabetes with diet and
exercise... Do you own a blood sugar monitor?

No.

Given that your HbA1C is so close to normal, I can't imagine you
really need one. I'm glad for you! I'm hoping that when my doctor
and I talk about my recent numbers (in July), he'll let me cut back
from my once per day testing...


--
J.J. in WA (Change COLD to HOT for e-mail)

Start of diet : 251 Current Weight : 232
Original Weight: 275 First Goal : 199

Ignoramus4798 wrote in
:

In article 5pEAc.50767$Hg2.38634@attbi_s04, Dewolla
Stepon wrote:
Thanks for sharing this with me Susan. My mother-in-law
has diabetes, has had for years, and she is just about to
turn 70. She has been overweight

You have a very young mother in law!!!

My dad gained about 40 lbs lately and it breaks my heart
that I cannot get him to do anything about it. He gained it
in the wrong place also, in the gut. I bought him a blood
glucose monitor and he has yet to use it...

i


That's where it goes after a certain age, like 40. FOr some of
us, it *always* goes there. Even at my lowest weight at 162 (6'
2"), I still had a spare tire. I've never had "six pack ab" in
my life!

"Dewolla Stepon" wrote in
news:LrDAc.50649$Hg2.47010@attbi_s04:

Thanks for the info, my physician says there is no reason
to monitor my blood now. He says that with the large
amount of weight I've lost the only thing I should do now
is watch my carbs. I'll be rechecked in six months.

- Dewolla

"Ignoramus4798" wrote
in message ...
In article X3DAc.69249$0y.32885@attbi_s03, Dewolla
Stepon wrote:
"Ignoramus4798"
wrote in message ...
I am very happy that you can control your diabetes with
diet and exercise... Do you own a blood sugar monitor?

No.

My mother in law has one, they are very nice and not very
expensive nowadays. With them, you could always know the
impact of the food you eat etc. Maybe you can get a
prescription for it to cover the cost...

i



There was a story out today about coffee reducing the t2 risk,
as long as you space it out during the day and limit total
consumtion to three(?) cups. Consider this a sidebar!

Thanks for the encouragement, J.J. I figure I can always get used to eating
more often!

- Dewolla

"byakee" wrote in message
...
Hark! I heard "Dewolla Stepon" say:

snip

The real struggle has been to reformulate my eating patterns and foods
to
accommodate my recently diagnosed diabetes. It all revolves around a
healthy balance of nutrients but with an eye to limiting the carbs to a
reasonable level and spreading them out more over the day. That means
I'm
eating my three regular meals plus three snacks. I think the hardest
thing
to overcome was feeling like dinner had to be the "big" meal of the day
and
be loaded up with potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.

I had some trouble with that at first too, but it gets to be habit
(and I used to be a big carb eater). I'm glad to hear you're taking
the situation seriously enough to deal with it, but not stressing
about it; Type2 diabetes is so managable, especially with your kind
of attention to detail. Sounds like you're doing great, kid, keep
it up! :-)


--
J.J. in WA (Change COLD to HOT for e-mail)

Start of diet : 251 Current Weight : 232
Original Weight: 275 First Goal : 199