Diet & Exercise

[sam_gordon]

Hmm giving you want to eat without work there’s IF 16:8, the OMAD route, or 5:2. It’s a good jumpstart for the short term. Not a long term solution.

I don't understand the bolded.

My suggestion OP, buy a magic bullet blender. Blend almond milk or water with berries. Add a scoop or 2 of Chai Seeds. Shake and drink. You’ll be full for hours.

I like that thought.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

There really isn't unless it's celery, carrot, peppers etc. I've tried the popcorn route and I just end up eating a huge bag all to myself. I can't stop with that stuff.

I've been buying single serve portion bags of the 'bad' snacks; and for big bags, like popcorn, I measure it into a bowl, and only let myself have that much. Celery, I don't track at all, since it's so low-cal.

I found these ice pops at Publix, and I love them. The watermelon agave is only 40 calories for one pop, and it's big enough to satisfy me. I also like to sprinkle this , from Penzey's, on fruits, and the salty-spicy helps balance the sweet.

My husband is a diabetic (his pancreas was damaged during his stint with adrenal cancer and dying kidneys). He still eats his cookies and fruits; he just eats less. He takes a long acting shot once a day, and another insulin during the day as needed (which isn't very often now).

OP, you can do this. It's a big change, but if I can do it, so can you!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I actually had two bell peppers as a snack today. Celery I can do, especially if I'm allowed peanut butter on it.

You are off to a great start! (See, you can do this!)

The 21 Best Snack Ideas If You Have Diabetes

Peanut butter is a good choice with diabetes, as long as you stick to the serving size (1-2 TBSP), and try to go with one of the natural peanut butters (see link, below), not the regular ones, which contain added sugar. Peanuts have the good fats (unsaturated) that are good for your heart, and, of course, protein (with maybe a very small amount of carbohydrates) along with the fats.

Best Peanut Butters According to Nutritionists and Chefs

 

[Christine]

I've been buying single serve portion bags of the 'bad' snacks; and for big bags, like popcorn, I measure it into a bowl, and only let myself have that much. Celery, I don't track at all, since it's so low-cal.

I found these ice pops at Publix, and I love them. The watermelon agave is only 40 calories for one pop, and it's big enough to satisfy me. I also like to sprinkle this , from Penzey's, on fruits, and the salty-spicy helps balance the sweet.

My husband is a diabetic (his pancreas was damaged during his stint with adrenal cancer and dying kidneys). He still eats his cookies and fruits; he just eats less. He takes a long acting shot once a day, and another insulin during the day as needed (which isn't very often now).

OP, you can do this. It's a big change, but if I can do it, so can you!

Wow, the Pico Fruta seems really interesting...never heard of it. Those ice pops look good too. I'll have to look harder for them. I feel like I know every brand in my grocery stores and I've never seen them. We don't have a Publix here.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Celery I can do, especially if I'm allowed peanut butter on it.

Definitely yes on the peanut butter. It's one of DH's staples now!

I don't understand the bolded.

Me either.

I told my wife, I wish I could find something (or more somethings) that is simply "all you can eat" that I can have as snacks. There's got to be something out there, doesn't there?

Pea-n-Me's link is great! Also try to eat more slowly and to drink more water, especially a few minutes before a meal. - For some people, it's like the fullness signal has a time delay on it.

 

[neverlandsky]

I don't understand the bolded.

Fasting: 16:8 eating in 8 hour window / fast for 16 hours. 5:2 eat normally 5 days / fast for 2 days. OMAD = one meal a day then fasting.

 

[NAB]

Fasting: 16:8 eating in 8 hour window / fast for 16 hours. 5:2 eat normally 5 days / fast for 2 days. OMAD = one meal a day then fasting.

Don’t think you could do this with diabetes. Your sugar needs to stay stable and not go low either. If I miss meals I get shaky.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Don’t think you could do this with diabetes. Your sugar needs to stay stable and not go low either. If I miss meals I get shaky.

Especially when on medication.

 

[neverlandsky]

Don’t think you could do this with diabetes. Your sugar needs to stay stable and not go low either. If I miss meals I get shaky.

*Type 1 no way, you can't.
*Prediabetic, you can.
*Type 2, you can & can't, it's best to consult a doctor. Type 2 can be reversed. Yes you can get off the meds. It's been proven that a good diet and fasting helps. A good endocrinologist will suggest to check your blood at 2 am just to make sure you don't suffer from the dawn phenomenon to not misdiagnose Type 2 and push meds. If you truly want to get off of type 2 meds, it's best to consult and hire on a nutritionist.

 

[sam_gordon]

See, you can do this!

Short term (3-5 days)? Totally. Not so sure long term.

 

[trivan]

Pork Rinds are zero carbs. It goes against a lot about what we are taught but you can loose weight and have a higher calorie diet. Look at body builders. They have little fat but eat a lot. It’s a balance like everything in life. Workout to keep your at rest metabolism up and you can eat more calories. If your more sedentary then calories matter more. It goes against a lot but when I was losing weight I was eating more, but more of the right foods. It’s not the only way, it worked for me, as I wanted to eat, not feel hungry and enjoy meals.

 

[MrsPete]

You said, "Don't say 'Just do it'", but -- honestly -- that's the answer.
Any diet will work, but you must stick with it.

 

[NAB]

Short term (3-5 days)? Totally. Not so sure long term.

One day at a time don’t think of the long term. You are going to mess up, don’t beat yourself up over. You still can have things you like but have to find your balance. That is why testing is important 2 hours after you eat.

If you get the hang off the diabetes part the weight will come off . You will not only be eating veggies don’t worry.

 

[winterwhite]

Short term (3-5 days)? Totally. Not so sure long term.

Forever is just 3-5 days done over and over again.

 

[bluezy]

Here's another tip I got from a nutritionist: Don't eat until you feel full; eat until you've curbed your hunger. Be conscious of your hunger and as soon as it's satisfied, put the fork down and push the plate away. We're often conditioned to eat until we feel stuffed. For me, the pounds came off quite easily (without really modifying what I was eating) once I paid attention to my hunger being satisfied rather than eating until I felt stuffed.

I also agree with others who said to read labels to see what a portion size is and to measure out those portions every day until you have a good idea of how much you're supposed to eat. It's very eye opening.

 

[lisaviolet]

I think when you tell yourself I can’t have this or that it’s too much restriction and you fall off the wagon quickly.

Track calories. You can eat what you want. You just need to stay within your calories. So many people think you need to restrict so many things but you really don’t. After having DD I lost 50 pounds with the MyFitnessPal app (tracked my calories) and walking 40 minutes a day. I ate what I wanted but I stayed within my calorie count. I ate fast food on occasion, soda, fries, etc. I also amped up my exercise over time. It took me 8 months but slow and steady wins the race.

Good luck! I need to get back on it and lose some weight right now too!

Please stop talking common sense. It is highly annoying.

 

[low-key]

I will out gym anyone on the boards, but im not gonna eat right, I would rather just not eat at all

 

[maxaroni]

DH has been there, Sam. It is hard, not going to lie, it is very hard. However, when he was pre-diabetic he made some changes, his blood work got a bit better and he started pushing that proverbial envelope. Well, he became a diabetic. I mentioned upthread that his blood sugar is now well maintained, his A1C 5.5. That being said, it was a lot of trial and error. He always had an evening snack and tried to find something that was decent. He would try having some unsalted nuts, or unsalted and unbuttered popcorn. Nothing really hit the mark and now he has dinner and doesn’t have a snack. He finds he doesn’t need it bad enough.

He did see a diabetic dietician and that wasn’t perfect, it helped but he had to still tweak things to work for him. She was great to give some suggestions, some worked, some did not.

Cardiovascular issues run in DH’s family and DH has high BP. His cardiologist said that the diabetic diet comes first and foremost. However, the cardio diet needs to go hand in hand. He’s had to make major changes within the last few years as he wound up needing triple bypass. As I said, cardiovascular issues run in his family, however, diabetes and heart disease are common as diabetes can cause, or exacerbate heart disease.

I am all in with this for my DH. We are a team and it is certainly healthier for me, too. Does he miss some foods? Absolutely! He hasn’t had a real egg since his bypass and he loves eggs on a weekend. He has egg beaters or egg whites. We reserve the real “cheats” for holidays or birthday celebrations. We had pizza for the first time in 3 years this past Saturday. For Fathers Day, our son and daugher in law took us to the Jersey shore. We walked the boards, had pizza and ice cream. First time for real ice cream since his bypass. But Sunday he was back on track.

I think that the first step is to realize that yes, you are now a diabetic. If you are on medicine, you can get off of it but you will always be classified as a diabetic. At least that is what DH was told. Once you can get comfortable with the fact that you are diabetic, start making some changes. It’s going to be a lifetime change…not a “diet”.

DS was told that he needed to go on a plant based diet. That knocked him for a loop but he is determined to do it and get bloodwork under control. Heart disease runs in the family and his blood work was a bit off. Normally, the doctor may not have been as pro active for a 28 year old but with family history…

DH said that his eating has now become second nature. Does he slip up? yes. As a matter of fact, we were out to lunch the other day and a pickle was served on the plate, he took a bite. Pickles raise your BP and is not on his “approved” list.

Diabetes can take a toll on so many other organs that it needs to be addressed and taken seriously.

Good luck.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

DH has been there, Sam. It is hard, not going to lie, it is very hard. However, when he was pre-diabetic he made some changes, his blood work got a bit better and he started pushing that proverbial envelope. Well, he became a diabetic. I mentioned upthread that his blood sugar is now well maintained, his A1C 5.5. That being said, it was a lot of trial and error. He always had an evening snack and tried to find something that was decent. He would try having some unsalted nuts, or unsalted and unbuttered popcorn. Nothing really hit the mark and now he has dinner and doesn’t have a snack. He finds he doesn’t need it bad enough.

He did see a diabetic dietician and that wasn’t perfect, it helped but he had to still tweak things to work for him. She was great to give some suggestions, some worked, some did not.

Cardiovascular issues run in DH’s family and DH has high BP. His cardiologist said that the diabetic diet comes first and foremost. However, the cardio diet needs to go hand in hand. He’s had to make major changes within the last few years as he wound up needing triple bypass. As I said, cardiovascular issues run in his family, however, diabetes and heart disease are common as diabetes can cause, or exacerbate heart disease.

I am all in with this for my DH. We are a team and it is certainly healthier for me, too. Does he miss some foods? Absolutely! He hasn’t had a real egg since his bypass and he loves eggs on a weekend. He has egg beaters or egg whites. We reserve the real “cheats” for holidays or birthday celebrations. We had pizza for the first time in 3 years this past Saturday. For Fathers Day, our son and daugher in law took us to the Jersey shore. We walked the boards, had pizza and ice cream. First time for real ice cream since his bypass. But Sunday he was back on track.

I think that the first step is to realize that yes, you are now a diabetic. If you are on medicine, you can get off of it but you will always be classified as a diabetic. At least that is what DH was told. Once you can get comfortable with the fact that you are diabetic, start making some changes. It’s going to be a lifetime change…not a “diet”.

DS was told that he needed to go on a plant based diet. That knocked him for a loop but he is determined to do it and get bloodwork under control. Heart disease runs in the family and his blood work was a bit off. Normally, the doctor may not have been as pro active for a 28 year old but with family history…

DH said that his eating has now become second nature. Does he slip up? yes. As a matter of fact, we were out to lunch the other day and a pickle was served on the plate, he took a bite. Pickles raise your BP and is not on his “approved” list.

Diabetes can take a toll on so many other organs that it needs to be addressed and taken seriously.

Good luck.

It sounds like your DH is doing great! God bless him! And your son. You have good doctors.

 

[Caseheidi]

So I joined WW when I found out I was diabetic. This was back in 2012. I lost 50+ lbs, and stopped doing the program. I put 20 - 30 lbs back on, and had a high A1C, leading me back to WW about 4 yrs ago, I am currently down over 90 lbs from my highest weight in 2012, with more to go. However, this time I have made slow changes, and spent much time maintaining where I am. I had my annual Dr. appt. in May, and my doctor was thrilled that I was down 10 lbs in the past year and my A1C was 6.1.
My DH is also diabetic, however he is insulin dependent where I am mostly diet controlled. We have very different motivations that can keep us going. Over the past 4 years, I have not always followed my WW plan, but have stayed a member and continued going to meetings. Because I feel like I have an accountability there, it has kept me from putting weight back on, DH on the other hand hates the meetings and just does it online, basically using the app. We have both found that just tracking what we are eating ea h day affects our food choices. I do not deny myself from things I want, but have been working on making them sometimes foods, and have a much smaller portion. I have surprised DH by just having 1/2 cup of ice cream, instead of a whole bowl. This is currently working for me, but I cannot guarantee it will in a month or two.

DH has a different way of staying motivated, he sets little goals, and gives himself a “carrot” to motivate keeping it. There have been small goals like eating a fruit each day, and walking at least three times in a week for 30 minutes. For succeeding, he earns whatever the current”carrot” is. He is a big time board gamer, and adding to his game collection has worked. He has already purchased the item, but cannot open and play it until he makes his goal. Over the past year doing this, he has managed to get his blood sugars under control, and has lowered a few of his medication amounts. This has been huge for him.

so basically, my suggestion is what many others have said. Make small changes, do not deprive yourself, and find what works for you. If you need a goal/reward system, do it. Find what your “why” is, and keep it front and center, it may sound silly, but make your motivations visable where you are reminded daily. Put up quotes, pictures, whatever on your bathroom mirror and revisit them often, adding to, changing or getting rid of what doesn’t work. Also, share with your support system. Tell them what you are wanting to change, and let them follow up with you. I currently go to WW meetings with three friends, and we have agroup text chat we use daily to check in. It really works to prompt us to keep on tract. If that works foryou, great. If not, at least you tried it.

good luck on your journey. It is hard, but worth it. When you start to feel better as things get in control, you will probably realize how tired and bad you felt. Making changes for your health is really worth it.