[cjs5234]

Hey there, I am a 49yr old guy, not in too bad a shape, weight around 190lbs. Went for my annual checkup with the doc, which included a blood test. I told him before-hand that I feared I had low testosterone. Sitting with him going over the blood test, he said, "yeah, your results are not that good, in fact, you sugar is way too high." My glucose was 283 and my A1C was 11.5%.

He started me on Metformin and I've got my first diabetes council next week. I found this IPhone app to log my weight, BP and blood cnts.

Fortunately, my wife is a great support person who will help me to eat right and stay away from the sweets and my daughter is a registered nurse, so she's also helping with questions and support.

The doctor said that exercise is now my best friend and that I should be hitting the gym 5 times a week or exercising at least 30 minutes a day.

All in all, this is a new chapter of my life, like it is for all of us. Remember, if you fall off the wagon, don't beat yourself up, simply look at tomorrow as a new day and proceed from there. I wish you all good health and this forum is a good place for research, good to know you all.

Clint

[dano]

Welcome to the Forum!

Read through the first three threads in the Type 2 Section, they will help you a lot. Self education is one of the keys to successful management of your diabetes, along with a healthy diet and exercise. Good luck with your control and management.

[type1rachelle]

Hi Clint - my husband is from Sanford, ME! we go up there twice a year, and there's a fantastic triathlon in Freeport we like called Lobsterman - there's also one in South Berwick I'm doing this year called Pumpkinman

I have T1 diabetes, but it sounds like you're off to a great start and you have a good support system (wife/daughter). I agree with your Dr - exercise should be a priority for you - even if it's only 15-20mins a day, you should really make time for it. treat it as a necessary part of your day, like brushing your teeth... start small and move up from there gradually. T2 diabetes is all about lifestyle changes. avoiding high fat/high sugar sweets is good for anyone, not only for people with diabetes. it doesn't sound like you have much weight to lose, so I would just focus on generally eating more healthy and balanced meals - there are a million opinions on that one, but I'd like to point out that the ADA no longer recommends a low carb diet for people with diabetes - rather a more balanced diet that's low fat. carbs are fine as long as they are relatively unprocessed - think fresh fruits over breads/pastas/cakes/cookies. I personally have found a mostly plant based diet to be the best thing for me - I eat fish here and there but am mostly meat and dairy free, and pretty low fat. It fuels me very well for endurance sports

good luck!

[cjs5234]

Hey, if your husband is a racer, he should attend the Freeport Rotary Club's Close to the Coast race in Freeport (at Winslow Park) on June 22, proceeds go to our local scholarship programs...can't register for the race yet, but keep checking the www.freeport-rotary.org website for more details.

Back to the topic at hand, yes, for me it's going to be eating more fish/chicken (which I love) and less red meat (which I ALSO love!) and stepping away from sweets/pasta/breads, so far, so good. I've been exercising like a fiend and I've already dropped a few pounds.

I'll be getting my glucose meter today and my D consultation is next week.

I enjoy reading these posts, makes you feel like you are not going through this alone...that's nice.

talk to you later....check out that race!

Clinton

[cjs5234]

Interesting, I'm replying to my original post from 2013...I am now 51 yrs old, two years later, my A1C has dropped from 11.5% to 5.3%, my weight hasn't dropped very much, only from 190 to about 180lbs, but I'm in better shape, have a dropped my pant-size from 38 to 34. I still miss those sweets, but now if I'm craving, I reach for a LARABAR. Most of them are sugar-free and not that bad for you...and they satisfy my sweet-craving!

My Dr. did diagnose me with low-T and started a series of injections to boost it up. He said that low-T works against the body's blood system, so increasing it not only helps your blood, but it puts a little extra lead in your pencil, if you know what I mean! Who doesn't want that!

all in all, the journey will continue for the rest of my life...somedays my wife and I eat what we want and try to go for a nice walk afterwards, but more often than not, I'm eating better and have adopted the diabetic lifestyle. I wish you all continued success in your personal endeavors as well.