I am just posting this to share some positive results and to provide hope to any other Type 2 that is struggling or newly diagnosed.

I have just received some lab results that I am quite proud of. These are the first tests (of this type) that I have had since my diagnosis earlier this year. I knew that I had gained control of my glucose from the tests I do at home, but I never expected to see such great results, especially on my Hemoglobin A1C!

For those that don't know me, I started on meds for both diabetes and cholesterol, and got VERY sick from them. Against the advice of many doctors I stopped taking all medications in March, determined to gain control of my health through diet and excercise. As you can see, it IS possible!!!

2/04 Hemoglobin A1C: 8.1
6/04 Hemoglobin A1C: 5.3 (under 6.0 is considered normal)

2/04 Fasting Glucose: 203
6/04 Fasting Glucose: 97 (under 110 is normal)

2/04 Cholesterol: 312
6/04 Cholesterol: 170

2/04 Tricglycerides: 349
6/04 Tricglycerides: 172

2/04 LDL: 198
6/04 LDL: 107

Congratulations! My nephew is starting medication now for his blood sugar as well as cholesterol. The way I understand it the Doctor says his HDL is too low in the 30's and that could be caused by diabetes. He has been struggling for several months to control his sugar with diet and just yesterday was given prescriptions for both diabetes and cholesterol.

I know you take supplements. Would you mind telling me exactly what and how much you are taking? TIA

Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you. I know you've been working hard at it. You deserve this. YAY!!

Sharon :)

Do you know what type of diet your nephew has been on? A diet for glucose control can be a very individual thing and may need tweaking. How serious is his condition? I am sure you have read in the other posts some of the challenges the oral meds can pose for people. Some people do need the medication no matter what, but I will tell you that my personal experience was that it was the worse of 2 evils. The medication created a glucose/insulin roller-coaster for me.

When I sat in my doctor's office yesterday he looked at me cross-eyed and asked me, in a shocked tone, what I was doing to get so healthy. I replied by asking him if he really wanted to know. He didn't respond. I told him I was addressing things in a rather precise, technical way, and that he would be suprised to see the mechanics of what I consume and how often. Apparrantly he was not interested in hearing more :confused: I think they only like to hear the details if its a medical concept...

To be honest, I am still refining things a bit, in the area of supplements. Right now I really only take a multivitamin, but I shopped for it very carefully. I am planning on adding more supplements based on research I am doing, which I hope will support my success and address some of the kidney weakness I have.

My multivitamin is from Twinlab and I chose it because 1) It is not synthetic, meaning the supplements are derived from natural food sources. 2) It has a high amount of Selenium (supports thyroid, immune system, and digestion) and Chromium (supports metabolism, specifically glucose control). 3) It does not contain common allergens and fillers like milk, yeast, sugar, sodium, wheat, etc.

My next mission is to add a B-complex and/or Inositol, Vitamin C, and a Calcium/Magnesium supplement. I am still looking into which I want to take. My multivitamin contains:

**Pro Vitamin A 4000*IU
**Vitamin A 6000*IU
**Vitamin C 150*Mg
**Vitamin D 400*IU
**Vitamin E 100*IU
**Thiamin 25*Mg
**Riboflavin 25*Mg
**Niacin 100*Mg
**Vitamin B6 25*Mg
**Folic Acid 800*Mcg
**Vitamin B12 100*Mcg
**Biotin 300*Mcg
**Pantothenic Acid 50*Mg
**Calcium 25*Mg
**Iodine 150*Mcg
**Magnesium 7.2*Mg
**Zinc 15*Mg
**Selenium 200*Mcg
**Copper 2*Mg
**Manganese 5*Mg
**Chromium 200*Mcg
**Molybdenum 150*Mcg
**Choline Bitartrate 10*Mg
**Inositol 10*Mg
**Floraglo Lutein 500*Mcg

Congratulations, JD! You've worked so hard for so long, it must be wonderful to see it finally paying off. Give yourself a huge pat on the back...from me ;)

Ruth

JD, how did you get your Cholesterol down so fast. I am new to diabetes, being newly diagnosed with T2. The RD has put me on a diet and I have lost 6 1/2 lbs. in the first 1 1/2 weeks. I am also walking 1.4 to 2.8 miles a day, depending on the weather. So far I am not on Medicine. Almost all my fasting glucose is under 110. They did the GTT to find my diabetes. BUT my total Cholesterol is 262 ( don't remember the other high numbers) and I need to get it down below 200 before they decide to put me on Meds. Will the diabetic diet and walking do the job of getting the Cholesterol down?Yesterday I had my first A1C test and it was 6.0

JD, since SamQKitty addressed you as such, I hope it is alright for me to also. My nephew is 50 and I believe his glucose level was 130 and his good cholesterol was at 34 on this last test. In the first 3 month period the dr. told him to just watch his sugar intake and starchy carbs. He did that really religiously and his glucose level came down. In this last 3 months I think he has relaxed his diet a bit and with the last test he was again at 130. We don't really know how bad that is other than, I think, normal is between 60 something and 99. He was given 2 prescriptions. One for the glucose and one for the HDL. As for the diet plan, it is really confusing. The dr. gave him a sample diet to take home but it was for a child (?) and contained bread and/or starch at every meal and snack.

While your doctor is not interested in hearing what and how you eat, I certainly would be interested. I understand that everyone is different and tweaking would be involved but at least we would have a starting point. This info would be beneficial to both my nephew and myself as,I fear that if I don't get my cholesterol and sugar consumption in control, I"ll be dealing with diabetes also. So any illumination on your "precise and technical mechanics" would be great.

Again, congratulations and thanks for all the help!

While your doctor is not interested in hearing what and how you eat, I certainly would be interested. I understand that everyone is different and tweaking would be involved but at least we would have a starting point. This info would be beneficial to both my nephew and myself as,I fear that if I don't get my cholesterol and sugar consumption in control, I"ll be dealing with diabetes also. So any illumination on your "precise and technical mechanics" would be great.

There are really 2 aspects of my level of control - one is behavioral and the other is content. The behavior aspect is no doubt the hardest part and where most people fall down. Its all about motivation. For me, the motivation was how sick I felt and being literally afraid of what the meds were doing to me. Different people will have different motivations, but avoiding medication is a good one!

From a behavior standpoint, I created a spreadsheet and use it to track every morsol of food and drink that enters my body. I track the time, the quantity, and the nutritional breakdown of food (calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sodium, cholesterol). I do NOT count calories, although I have pre-established targets for each category built into the spreadsheet so I can see where I am. I also track my blood sugar readings and any symptoms I experience on the same spreadsheet. It has been an incredible learning experience for me. I wish I could share it with you, but the mods won't allow it - I already got banned once for offering my email address.

Also, from a behavior perspective, I do not allow circumstances to dictate my actions. I have learned to carry food and snacks with me, my own water, and if we are invited to someone's home for dinner, I bring my own meal as a backup in case I cannot eat what they serve! (In fact I don't hesistate to tell them in advance that I may be doing this and I don't want them to be concerned about it). I do not eat in restaurants unless they can accommodate my needs - I never try to make do with what is offered. I don't like to call it "cheating," but breaking my guidlines for the sake of circumstances is NOT acceptable to me. I know it sounds like an awful way to live - but its NOT!!! I actually LOVE the food I eat and quite frankly I prefer it. I can't even begin to tell you how good I feel - the thought of going back to my "old ways" does not even intrigue me a bit!

Now for the content. I will try to keep it brief here because I have expanded on this in other threads. If you want me to expand further I will, and I can also point you to the other posts. Here are my basic rules:

1. I Drink only pure filtered water. Nothing else. No coffee, no tea, no diet sodapop or other artificially sweetended drinks, not fruit juice. Just water!
2. I Avoid preservatives or chemical ingredients wherever possible. For example, no deli meats, no boxed, prepackaged convenience meals unless they are a "healthfood" (Amy's breakfast burritos and frozen vegetables are fine). Because of this rule I also eat regular butter (not margerine) and full-fat cheeses (surprised?). I read labels VERY carefully.
3. I Avoid all refined "white" carbs including sugar, white flour, and anything made with them, including pasta. (I do eat potatoes, brown rice, and other natural starches, and I LOVE them!)
4. I Eat 5-6 meals per day, spread evenly throughout the day. This helps to balance the metabolism. I carry food with me everywhere - I have backup food in my car and pack a cooler in the trunk when I go on day trips. I do not eat because I am hungry, I eat to avoid hunger!
5. My target for meals and daily intake is 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat. I started at 50/25/25 and tweaked it. Sometimes I am off a bit, but its okay - its just a target. Some people will do well at 50/20/30 or 45/25/30. Its a very individual thing. but its important at the meal level - not just daily. I weigh my food AND I weigh my scraps, so I know exactly what I have eaten!!! I am very precise here, never guess!
6. My cholesterol target is 300 mg per day. Sometimes I go slightly higher, but not often. Usually I am lower than 300 mg.
7. My Sodium target is 2500 mg per day. Again, sometimes I go slightly higher, but not often.
8. My fiber target is 30 grams of dietary fiber from complex carbs. IMO its gotta come from food, not from a powder!
9. I Avoid all artifical sweeteners, sugar alchohols, fermentable carbs (and anything labeled as "low-carb" or "only XXX net carbs" - these are typically VERY bad foods.
10. Last but not least, and a more recent rule that I added (due to my kidney condition) is to attempt to not eat more than 25-30 grams of protein per meal. This is tied closely to #5, though, which needs to be considered.

I know this seems like a lot, but it WORKS! For someone new, they can start off with just 3 things from this list... (#3, #4, and #5 are most important for diabetes control). As your nephew experienced - his modifications were helping him, but then he got lax. The changes in lifestyle need to be permanent.

Regarding the cholesterol, I too was shocked at how low I came down. I really think its more about overall health than specific foods you eat. I continue to eat red meat, eggs (only 1 at a time), real butter, whole-fat cheese, etc... I just keep the cholesterol under 300 mg daily.

Also, I will tell you that after doing this for months, It is quite easy to follow. I eat delicious, hearty meals, and I amnever hungry. I don't have to put as much thought into many meals because I have them regularly and I know what they contain. After a while, it all just becomes habit. I realiaze not everyone can be or wants to be this precise - its a personal decision each person has to make on their own. But when you are motivated by illness, fright, or hope for an improved life, its quite compelling.

Thank you. You are very committed and I applaud your efforts to better your health and life. It does seem strict but I can see how it would get easier as you experiment and learn what foods and combinations of food work better to help you reach your goal. As with any plan, I am sure you find favorite menu's that become second nature to you. I will pass this information on to by nephew and hopefully he will be able to adapt it to his lifestyle and needs. He has lost about 30 pounds since the first doctor visit. He just started on the medication and perhaps he will be able to get his diet firmly in place as get back off of them.

I certainly understand what you mean about illness and fright being a great for motivation. Fear is definitely what has started me on this quest for better health through nutrition. I had a horrible diet and while I love fruits and vegetable, I also loved and indulged in some very high sugar treats much too often. I am trying to eat much more fiber and no sugar. The no sugar is what is difficult for me. I wish I could give up the sugar free pudding and sweetners and perhaps later I will tweak in that direction.

I admire your discipline and resolve. Thanks for sharing. It is really appreciated.

Like I said, it may sound strict, but its really not! Its just a matter of applying the rules to the menu.

The other night for dinner I had a grilled sirloin steak, 1 cup of brown rice, and 1/2 bag of frozen veggies (well I did cook them :D ). Last night I had broiled mahi mahi, a baked potato with butter, and a pile of fresh steamed asparagus. Another night this week I had broiled scallops, brown rice, and french green beans with toasted almonds. Of course I weigh all my portions so I know how much if everything, but after a while you just know.

I am NOT suffering by any means!

JD, how did you get your Cholesterol down so fast. I am new to diabetes, being newly diagnosed with T2. The RD has put me on a diet and I have lost 6 1/2 lbs. in the first 1 1/2 weeks. I am also walking 1.4 to 2.8 miles a day, depending on the weather. So far I am not on Medicine. Almost all my fasting glucose is under 110. They did the GTT to find my diabetes. BUT my total Cholesterol is 262 ( don't remember the other high numbers) and I need to get it down below 200 before they decide to put me on Meds. Will the diabetic diet and walking do the job of getting the Cholesterol down?Yesterday I had my first A1C test and it was 6.0

I believe your cholesterol will come down by improving the overall diet and overall health of the body. It's not just about how much cholesterol you consume. As I mentioned, I eat red meat, fish, butter, whole fat cheese, eggs, etc, but I try to keep my cholesterol levels down under 300 mg daily. BTW - I never eat poultry of any kind because I am allergic to it (who knows maybe there is a discovery here!!!) I also walk 3-5 miles per day.

Lol! No, it doesn't sound like you are suffering. In fact, you eat very well! I like brown rice too. Love mahi mahi, tilapia and just about any vegetable and fruit. Can't do the butter stuff though. Makes me sick as a dog. I had my gall bladder out 20 years ago and any kind of grease gives me trouble. My main downfall is sugar. The horrible processed table stuff. I have abused it for years and ,as my mother used to say, "Be sure your sins will find you out." Well, my 'sins' found me out in my triglicerides. It probably didn't help with my colon polyps either and I KNOW it is the cause of my weight issues. When I eat sugar I eat way too much and don't stop. I am giving it my best effort now though and trying to be a little more active also. My DH just got me a self propelled lawn mower to do the edging with and perhaps I will start walking again. The edging would take me about 3 days to do at 45 minutes a day. I am getting out the the yard more and taking care of a small garden. The harvest is just starting to come in and I am going to enjoy the red and yellow and sweet banana peppers, along with the tomatoes and squashes. The cucumbers are already plentiful and delicious! I have blackberries that are just starting to ripen and I am enjoying a handful of them on my Uncle Sams cereal every morning. Looking forward to the muscadines in the fall and , from the looks of it, they will have a bumper crop!

Thanks so much for sharing your plan so generously. I am reading the older posts now to gather all the information I can to try to help myself and my family learn how to better nourish our bodys.

Karefree, Try to find proactive ways to combat your sugar cravings. Are there specific times during the day when you crave sugar? Or is it all the time? Something that will help is to try to beat it to the punch... in other words, if you always crave sugar at 3pm, eat an apple (with some protein) at 2pm. I don't personally consume artifical sweeteners, but they may help you overcome your "addiction." Usually sugar cravings are actually a hypoglycemic response in its mildest form. You blood sugar level is on its way down and your body is telling you it needs more sugar. The trick is interrupt or avoid those signals by eating a small quantity of a naturally sweet food before they occur.

your garden sounds terrific - I have no patience for gardening or yardwork. I let DH do it all! I just am not good at it and it is no fun for me. Luckily, we have really good produce where I live so I can buy an amazing assortment veggies and fruits at the store!

I know this seems like a lot, but it WORKS! For someone new, they can start off with just 3 things from this list... (#3, #4, and #5 are most important for diabetes control).
Also, I will tell you that after doing this for months, It is quite easy to follow. I eat delicious, hearty meals, and I amnever hungry. I don't have to put as much thought into many meals because I have them regularly and I know what they contain. After a while, it all just becomes habit. I realiaze not everyone can be or wants to be this precise - its a personal decision each person has to make on their own. But when you are motivated by illness, fright, or hope for an improved life, its quite compelling.

Jdimassimo:

Congratulations--you have done a fantastic job and I have been following your posts for some time now. I recall one from a few weeks ago where you mentioned that yes, you had tight control of your blood glucose level, but didn't believe you would fare well in a GTT. I have a feeling that if you continue as you are, based on my own experience, that you could take this test and do as well as any non-diabetic.

I noticed in your 10 basic rule post that you didn't mention your exercise? I found that in my case, I can just about ignore any and all dietary limits provided that my weight is kept at normal range and I exercise daily. I don't know if you would find the same in your case, but based on a few experiments I have come to this conclusion. For example, when I was diagnosed in Nov 2000 with fastings at 348 mg/dL and 328 mg/dL (and an A1c of > 12%), even with Amaryl and dietary control at 225 lbs (no exercise) my sugars were just barely below 140 mg/dL all the time and my A1c only got as low as 6.2% eventually.

At 155 lbs, daily exercise, no meds, my A1c is 4.7% and has been 4.7-4.8% for the past 1.5 years of measurements (done every quarter then, now will be 6 mo intervals).

The only time in the past 2 years that my sugars have been a problem was Thanksgiving weekend 2003. I noticed frequent urination throughout the night. I tested and found that my glucose was at 115 mg/dL at 3 am. I was at 163 lbs at the time. Even at 168 lbs a few months ago, my sugars were fine, so it was not entirely the weight. The only remaining difference was that I exercised about once every other day while on vacation and my runs were only about 2-2.5 miles (15-18 min running only). That small change effected a huge difference on my sugar levels. I currently average running 3.1-6.2 miles daily.

Once I started losing weight again, and exercising daily, the sugars came right back down to normal. I am not sure what kind of exercise you do, or if its daily? You might find that exercise alone may also be a dominant factor in control for you, and possibly the freedom to lessen up some of the rules you have.

Here is an example of some of this freedom:

This morning I spent 23 min exercising (5K run) at 7:30 am, got cleaned up, then ate breakfast at 8:30 am.

Breakfast consisted of 1 cup All Bran Extra Fiber, 1/2 cup Multi-Grain Cheerios (measured), 1.25 cups of unsweetened soy milk, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar, 2 Brach's chocolate creme candy, 1 Brach's Neapolitan Candy (OK, I am not perfect in my diet, I know, and yes there are trans fats in those), sugarless gum, 1 homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with walnuts (someone special made it--how could I refuse?) and 24 oz water.

The stats on this meal and accompanying junk food: 596 cal, 19g Fat, 6 g sat fat, 118g carb, 35g fiber, 19 g protein. Then for kicks, I started measuring my blood glucose:

8:40 am 93 mg/dL
9:00 am 101 mg/dL (peak at 30 min)
9:30 am 99 mg/dL
10:00 am 96 mg/dL
10:30 am 93 mg/dL

In any case, I was just trying to tell you to not sell yourself short on what might be accomplished, that is, if the final goal is to not only have tight control, but have perhaps a little more freedom in dietary choices.

Like you, I do eat much differently now (despite what you see above). I enjoy eating many vegetables now and for the most part, eating less junk food ;) I also find that if I don't exercise daily, I feel like a part of me is missing now--quite a contrast from the sedentary lifestyle I once embraced.

Again nice work and best wishes with your control! :)

Hi ubernier, thanks for your reply. In fact I do excercise daily - I walk 3-5 miles per day, every day. I refuse to miss a day! If I cannot walk outside, I go to the local mall. I have actually reached a point where I crave it - I cannot wait to go for my walks! Luckily my husband loves to walk too so it has become something fun we do together.

I like to go for my walks before I eat and it seems to keep my blood glucose more stabile. So I walk about 2 miles early in the morning when I first get up, and then we walk the rest either before or after dinner.

I actually have several reasons for being so strict on my plan (which again does not seem that strict to me). First, when I became so very sick from all the meds I was on, I really needed to detoxify my body. I still feel like I am in that mode - Its only been about 7-8 weeks since I "recovered" from what I call my "poisoning" and I believe my body still needs this time to heal. Second, I was really in desperate need of a major lifestyle change - I always knew what I was supposed to be doing, but never actually did it. I was completely sedentary and ate nothing but garbage. I am going through a bit of behavior modification. I want these new habits to be permanently instilled in my brain so I don't have to think about it. I actually feel like that is working. Last but not least, I have always had a tendency to be hypersensitive to certain foods, preservatives, and chemical additives, very allergic, and if you recall, I was severely hypoglycemic 23 years ago. At various times in my life I would go through stages where I would follow very strict elimination diets, do well, and then slowly become lax, and get sick again. Now, since I eliminated all the chemicals and preservatives from my diet again I feel SOOOOO much healthier. For me I think it does make quite a bit of difference.

I know that eventually I will probably become more lax... But I have made a committment to myself to really try to get well in every aspect of my health before I do that. I still have some weight to lose (lost 42 lbs already!) and some other health conditions that need to be addressed (I was just diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome). As I mentioned, I really love the foods I eat, and I don't really miss anything. I used to LIVE for cheese doodles... now I eat cheddar cheese soy crisps and I actually like them better :)
Well I do miss one thing... a greasy slice of NYC style pizza... but I will pass on that for now :eek: :D

Breakfast consisted of 1 cup All Bran Extra Fiber, 1/2 cup Multi-Grain Cheerios (measured), 1.25 cups of unsweetened soy milk, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar, 2 Brach's chocolate creme candy, 1 Brach's Neapolitan Candy (OK, I am not perfect in my diet, I know, and yes there are trans fats in those), sugarless gum, 1 homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with walnuts (someone special made it--how could I refuse?) and 24 oz water.

The stats on this meal and accompanying junk food: 596 cal, 19g Fat, 6 g sat fat, 118g carb, 35g fiber, 19 g protein.
I forgot to mention - I could NEVER eat 3 pieces of candy!!! For me its the WHOLE box or NOTHING. Maybe its a female thing... or maybe its my addictive personality. I really need to skip candy all together. I rely on apples for my sweets :)

I actually have several reasons for being so strict on my plan (which again does not seem that strict to me). First, when I became so very sick from all the meds I was on, I really needed to detoxify my body. I still feel like I am in that mode - Its only been about 7-8 weeks since I "recovered" from what I call my "poisoning" and I believe my body still needs this time to heal. Second, I was really in desperate need of a major lifestyle change - I always knew what I was supposed to be doing, but never actually did it. I was completely sedentary and ate nothing but garbage. I am going through a bit of behavior modification. I want these new habits to be permanently instilled in my brain so I don't have to think about it.

I forgot to mention - I could NEVER eat 3 pieces of candy!!! For me its the WHOLE box or NOTHING. Maybe its a female thing... or maybe its my addictive personality. I really need to skip candy all together. I rely on apples for my sweets :)

Again, I think what you are doing is great. I was very strict when I started also. Actually, it was not diabetes that had me so scared. I had delusions of getting by with something by taking 2 mg of Amaryl and maintaining this sedentary lifestyle with a diet that makes Atkins induction look tame--what are the stats on 4 plates x 8 oz of rare prime rib and 2 plates of snow crab leg clusters with drawn butter? That was my kind of meal while diabetic. Then a heart attack at age 35 snapped me back into reality. I had a cholesterol that was slightly lower than yours (well, 290 at one point), that dropped to 96 mg/dL total once I started the low fat/moderate diet. I was very strict to start. Walking as you did. Then, over time, I slowly added a little more fat back in, some sugar in and started to run. I monitored everything until I arrived at this point.

I understand about the 3 candies vs. whole box. One of my favorite treats was peanut butter cups. I would grab a bag of them (yes a bag) and 24 oz of skim milk, sit down and eat em all. No wonder I was 75 lbs overweight....

Oh, some things I found out during the past two years of modification. My glucose/diabetes was the second thing to disappear. First, the high triglycerides came way down, then the blood glucose, followed by the blood pressure. At one point, running daily + 1500 mg niacin had my HDL> LDL. Without running, my total cholesterol was in the 96-102 mg/dL (eating carefully), and HDL 37-44 mg/dL. With running daily, the numbers are more like 150 mg/dL total, >60 mg/dL HDL, and TG in the 30-40 mg/dL range.

The greatest benefit to the HDL came during the last 10 lbs of weightloss from 165 to 155, and the increase in exercise from walking to running. There was no real impact to my sugar level after I lost the first 40 of the 75 lbs. The walking was good enough at that point to keep me med free and not experience any extreme glucose level peaks--with exception to that 2003 Thanksgiving readings I mentioned before.

Good luck on losing the final amount of weight to reach your target. I have no doubt that with your discipline you will reach that and more :)