Yes... I have Diabetes

Here I would love it if everyone introduced themselves! I will start!

My name is Brooke and I am 23 years old. I have been struggling with my weight my whole life, like many, and last Sept (200 I found out that I have Type 2 Diabetes. Not only do I have the fact that a lot of my family has Diabetes in one form or another, but I am very overweight. Genes and Obesity are both working against me. I am now struggling to beat this and get lower on the scale to become a healthier happier me I look forward to meeting other ppl who have gone through what I am going through or are currently. Even if you arent and you have something to share, please do!

xx
Brooke

Hello Brooke!
Thanks for inviting me to this group!

The easiest way for me to write about myself is just to do a copy & paste from my profile! LOL It's all written out very well--or at least I think it is! So, here goes!

My name is Emily, I'm 25 and I've been married to the absolute most wonderful man in the world for almost 5 years now. I'm a Hoosier since birth and currently living in Indianapolis. We have no children, but would like to start a family a few years down the road...

I've been overweight most of my life. Once puberty hit I was a goner! In August 2006, I was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance, Ammenorrhea, and a progesterone deficiency. It's a rough battle to lose weight with the over production of Insulin in my body. I was put on the medication Metformin and was able to lose 30lbs fairly quickly. In the summer of 2007, I went off the medication and gained the 30lbs back plus 13 more. Depressing...

The best tool for aiding in my weight loss is eating a Low Carb diet, so I am following the South Beach Diet. My body is extremely sugar and carb sensitive, so I sometimes find myself sick if I've eaten too much of them. Even the good carbs (like whole grains) and good sugar (fruits) sometimes make me sick... with that said, I am a little weary about entering into Phase 2. But, I will be taking it nice & slow to be sure that I don't reintroduce too much whole grain bread, pasta, oatmeal, etc. at a time!

It's a constant and slow battle, but I'm not about to let myself just sit here and do nothing about it. This is my weight loss journey with Insulin Resistance.

Any questions?! LOL, Well, you know where to find me! =D Looking forward to making some new buddies!

I'm "Luuvd" and I'm turning 44 this year (I love saying 44 because it's a very special number to me and my family)... I was pre-diabetic just a little over a year ago, and also had gestational diabetes which puts me at a 25-50% higher risk of developing diabetes.
I was and am like Emily, even many good carbs and sugar in fruits had a negative effect on me. Don' be afraid of phase 2 Emily....just be cautious and be sure to use the glycemic index. Especially in our case, that glycemic index can make all the difference in the world.
I used South Beach diet with a heavy emphasis on the glycemic index and lost all my weight and got off all of my heart medications and reversed my pre diabetes. I also reversed all of my chronic back, feet, neck, body pains and headaches.
I know I will always have to watch it, but I feel better armed now to keep it at bay.
I'm ok now, totally medication free but am still battling with my daily choices to maintain this lifestyle.

Hi. Im Gabby and Im 39 years old. Ive been with my HS sweetheart since I was sixteen. We have 2 wonderful children age 20 and 13. I joined because my entire family has Type 2 diabetes and I know Im pushing my luck, at the weight Im currently at, of becoming diabetic myself.
I became a mother at 18 and have pretty much dedicated my ENTIRE life to my kids. Everything I do, I do for or because of them. When my oldest daughter moved out, I was completely devastated. She was my best friend and I couldnt imagine life without her at home. I didnt know how to function NOT being needed in the same way as I was for the past 18 years and my life just kinda spun out of control. I didnt care about myself or what happened to me and I ended up gaining all the weight I had lost back. Its been a year and a half since then and Im coping and decided it was time to take back my life and learn to live it for myself for a change. My youngest is still one of the most important things in my life, but the focus has changed a little more towards moms needs.
Im hoping to meet some wonderful friends here to help me along my path (Im not exactly a socail butterfly in the real world )

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes almost 4 years ago. Although I worked at it passively, I have taken a very aggressive stance in my diet and exercise. I hope to be able to get my weight down and help my body function better.

It ain't easy, but it is worth it!

Well you may kick me out because I don’t have diabetes but my wife DID. I say that “DID” due to fact that as of November she has a clean bill of health. We both watch what we eat and she works her butt off by 30 to 45 minutes every morning on the treadmill plus we work out together every night ..ok, 6 night per week, you get one night to rest. We love the biggest loser workouts and have been doing Jillian’s 30 day shred. I may have helped her but she is the one that made the change that this was not going to control her but she would not only control it, but beat it! My wife of 24 years is my very best friend and I admire her for being the best mother to our two girls a man could every asked for but the thing I admire her the most is for this past year for not saying “I have diabetes” but rather “the doctors say I have diabetes” !!!
I want more than anything is that everyone that reads this to know. You can defeat this, I don’t care what the doctors say, what other people say even what your passed says YOU CAN BEAT THIS!!!

That is fantastic to hear about your wife! A BIG BIG BIG congrats to her!

And, you are more than welcome to stay here with us in this group! Brooke made this group open to everyone--even those supporting their loved one's!

I have Insulin Resistance or Pre-Diabetes...I can beat this! I know I can, I just have to lose the weight! It's coming off slowly, but surely! It's great to know that there is success at beating Diabetes! Thank-you so much for sharing your wife's story with us!

Hello, my name is James and I am winning the battle against type II diabetes.

I'm married to the loveliest girl I've ever met, Ashley. I met her while I was living in Dallas, TX; and then we both moved over here (Durham, England) in June 2008.

Since arriving here, I was diagnosed as type II and set about the initial 3 month (or 90 days more specifically) effort to see how much of a change I could make.

My initial HbA1c was 11.6, and in the first 90 days (which ended 17th December, '08 ) had reduced to 8.9. This is with diet control only; only minimal exercise.

As a result, my GP has agreed to not start me on Metformin, and give me another 90 days to see what else I can manage.

The National Health Service (NHS) have an exercise referral scheme called "Get Active", so we took advantage of that and we have the opportunity to work with personal trainers for free and subsidised access to our local gym.

Now armed with these tools, the inches are coming off (the weight is influenced by exercise) and my Blood Glucose (BG) are coming down; and all is heading in the right direction.

wow!! first James welcome to the group... second great job!! very proud of you!! keep it up hun!

Hi everyone. I was surfing the site and saw this group and decided I had to join. I was diagnosed with Type 2 about a year ago. I had the symptoms for a couple months before but they finally got to the point I couldn't ignore them anymore. I am 40 years old, married with one daughter and they are my inspiration to fight diabetes and hopefully beat it. I was 336 pounds when I started to finally eat right and exercise. As of yesterday I lost 100 lbs! I'm still on the medication and check my sugar but I have a blood test coming up soon that will hopefully yield positive results. My diet is pretty simple: lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats, portion control and going to the gym six days a week (3 days cardio and 3 days weights). So far so good!

Hi All,

Recently joined the site to track meals and exercise, found out I have Type II Diabetes at last checkup. I'm 50, married, 4 kids, and have drifted in a decidedly non-active lifestyle the past few years (creeps up on you!)

So....this is a TOTAL change of habits, routine, and a real test of WILL every single day. I figure if I don't make the exercise and better diet a HABIT while the weather is nice, winter will be my downfall, when activity outdoors is impossible, and the sweet foods are on every table.

Anyone with tips on decent snacks that don't have a billion carbs or sugars, restaurants that serve healthy entrees, or just ways you all cope with becoming aliens in our BIG GULP culture, feel free to share!

So far, diet has been reshuffled to avoid lots of carbs, saturated fats, and sugar. Exercise is 7 days a week, at least 30 minutes of cardio, 3-4 days of free weights as well. Thank goodness for the exercise bike, as weather in Ohio has NOT cooperated lol!

Doing the One Touch glucose monitor, annoying how the readings are all over the place - 200 to 154 to 119 to 180 etc etc etc....if anyone is doing a monitor, is it SUPPOSED to be that way? Am I doing something wrong? This is week two, and not sure if it's me or the meter.

I'm 6'2" and right now at 214 - have dropped roughly 20 lbs since January, goal for August is to be at a steady 200 lbs.

OK, hope you all are having a great Spring!

Hi, I'm 46. I have multiple chronic illnesses including pre-diabetes and hashimotos thyroid disease. I've lost weight in the past doing Carb Addicts and walking and also by walking alone. As a matter of fact, I lost enough weight to donate my kidney to my brother (he has an autoimmune disease call IGAN). That was before all the chronic illnesses (except migraines).

I was diagnosised with fibro about 2 years post transplant when I started to find it difficult to walk my 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours straight per day. I battled the pain and watched all the weight I had lost come back. I figured out how to walk to balance my pain (multiple times per day for shorter periods) about 2 years go and lost 25 lbs. Then I hurt myself last year and the weight came back (argh!). Now, I'm back to walking and I'm doing South Beach (week 1 of Phase 2).

Georgia

Hi, I'm Kindsey. I'm 31 and have Type 2 diabetes. I have always struggled with being overweight, and 3 years ago when I was pregnant with my son I got gestational diabetes. After he was born, the diabetes problem didn't go away. I take glyburide and metformin to keep my blood sugar under control now, but I want to lose weight and get healthy so its not an issue anymore. I'm glad to find this group!

Hello All. My name is Sarah and I am 30 years old. I was diagnoses with Type 2 Diabetes in Jan 2004. Just 1.5 weeks before I was going in for Gastric Bypass Surgery. My A1C was 13.1.... Needless to say I wasn’t going on the table then... By Mar I was down to 8.0 and ready for surgery. I had my gastric bypass on 30-Mar-2004 and lost about 100lbs. I have been up and down about 15 to 20 lbs since. My diabetes "went away" (yeah right) for a bit right after surgery. I realize now it was only because I wasn’t eating anything. As time went by the diabetes "came back" and I am now a confirmed Type 1 diabetic. Go figure... I was heavy my whole life, make the decision to get surgery, lose the weight, and now STILL have to watch what I eat more now than ever. I have been on an insulin pump for just over a year, and absolutely LOVE it!!! I have to say I went through a very long period of denial. Always took my meds, but ate whatever I wanted, checked my sugar when I felt like it, and just guessed on how much insulin to take. Numbers were high, numbers were low. I really wasn’t giving my doctors much to go on. The pump made it easier, but never felt good about how I was managing my disease. Just over the past month I have been keep and exceptional eye on what I put in my mouth, keep a detailed log of carbs and glucose levels before and after eating. It is REALLY interesting to see exactly how different things react with my body. Now when I say interesting, I mean REALLY ANNOYING!! But that’s me, and it’s not going to change. My boyfriend and I have been dating for a couple years now and he has helped me more than he knows. My revelation about my health came when I started contemplating when/if he was going to propose and how (physically) I would be able to have children if I wasn’t under control. My A1C at my last test was around 10. I can’t wait to see what it is when I go back to the docs in July!! I am so happy I found this site and this group!!!

I look forward to many discussions during my attempt at a healthier lifestyle and hopefully small pair of jeans!

Hi. My name is Dea and it’s pronounced Dee. I am a type 2 diabetic with a weight challenge that is my daily chore to a better life. My war story is too long for a simple introduction yet, I have lifetime experiences I want to share with you. If this sounds like it’s coming from someone who lives in a 12 step program, you’re very astute. I have also been a sober member in AA for over 26 years. And you know what? I am still learning something new about that program every day. For instance, there is an old-timer (older than me and I’m almost 60 years old) who says, “Once you’re a pickle, Dea, You’ll never be a cucumber again.” He’s right. Same thing can be said about being a diabetic. Some of us go into remission and become “pre-diabetic” again but, we will always be a diabetic. Do not worry about this. Congratulations to you if you’re successful reaching your goals. I have made some and achieved success in some, others I’m still working on the challenge to make it work.

Going to the stage of being pre-diabetic seems a common thread among a lot of us. In AA, we all search out our similarities and leave the difference alone. Not that we ignore our differences, we acknowledge them as they arise and respectfully disagree by allowing some one too be different. How is this relevant with a bunch of diabetics? I think most of us agree that we have the best knowledge of our individual needs. No doctor, nurse, dietitian or weight trainer knows what our bodies can or cannot stand. That’s my challenge, to learn how to communicate what my body tells me and what my mind tells me. Sometimes (more often than not) my head is not in agreement with my body’s needs. In example, my mind says I can have a tub or two of Ben N’ Jerry’s while my body says, “Your A1c is 8.3, blood reading is 245, BMI is at 47, and your blood pressure is 145/86. What makes you think you can eat all that ice cream?” Isn't there a solution? Yup! My mind says, "I’ll eat one tub instead of two. But I’ll save the other one until tomorrow if my blood sugars are lower." Yup it's a bad joke.

Well, maybe you all don’t think this the way and some of you shouldn't but, I do. Sometimes when I feel emotionally unbalanced, my mind and body disagree. And this is when I am exactly at the point where I ask, "What do I do?" What I do is to try finding fine people just like you who might be understanding as to what I am going through. It’s not a perfect plan but it’s hopeful when I find others who suffer the same elements as I do, such as disproportionate quantities of food. Again maybe you agree with me so far and maybe not. Yet, I believe we all can agree that we are here seeking hope. In my humble opinion, you are a very hopeful group of people. For that reason, I hope you add me into your numbers. So, thank you for reaching out.

Oh yes! I am married to my best of all friends and a semi-retired lawyer and Operating Engineer who has traveled all over the planet. Presently, I work in my own wood shop and I train two German Shepherds (Lobo and Raven). Raven recently received her Therapy Dog International standing with AKC. We are going to work soon by visiting medical institutions. She also reads me like a blood meter. She'll let me know when I am hypoglycemic. Last year, she saved at 3AM. While I slept I began bleeding out from miss dosing my medications. Raven woke me up whining and it was a 911 call to the ER. She's my hero. Lobo is my 11 month old pup and he's in training to be like his big sister.

Like I said above, I am full of war stories...

Hi - I am Diana.... type 2 diabetic..... weighed 324.2 on August 26, 2008... now today weigh 275... going to Weight Watchers.... it has helped... also do water aerobics at three to five times a week... love it.... live in Pawleys Island, SC.... moved here from Michigan 10 years ago.. have two married wonderful sons... and two darling little grandsons... but I miss seeing them.. they are in Michigan.

My goal to get off my meds.... with exercise, WW, and drinking XanGo juice ... my blood sugar numbers are dropping... hurray..... it is tough... but I am going to reach my goal...... I want to be a healthy and slim grandma.....

HI, I'm Cindy 58 yrs. old ...am married to a great guy (been with him 37 yrs. come sept.09)have one son who gave me 4 grandkids (3 boys 14 , 12, & 2 and 1 girl age 1)I live in a VERY rural area of VT.on Greenwood lake & have 2 cats as the 2 dogs have passed now with old age. I don't work as I quit in 1999 to care for my mom but who is now back on her feet, but by this time I went to hell LOL...I have type 2 diabetes..I have been controlling it with diet for 4 yrs. until the past 1 1/2 yrs, when I quit smoking and stopped watching my diet (just couldn't handle doing both at the same time and DR. really wanted me to quit the cigs more!I was smoking 3 pks. @ day)So the year before I was going to quit smoking I lost 40 lbs. because I knew I'd gain some ...well I gained 60 lbs !!! since I quit smoking. Now I feel worse than when I was smoking ! So I need to lose the 60 extra lbs. first than go from there. The DR. said I have a few strikes against me for losing weight so it will be more difficult this time..(1) I'm diabetic..(2) I'm post menapausal..(3) I have HYPOthyroidism (under active thyroid)..(4) arthritis in knee (can't walk hardly at all..no cartilage...bone on bone...need total knee replacement)plus of course high Cholesterol, hypertension and GERD which seem to come along with the overweight and other problems...So it looks like I'm in for quite a challange. I hope I will be able to change my lifestyle habits and lose the weight....OOOOOHHHH to be smaller and pain free so I can do at least half of the things I used to do would be like going to heaven. I just have to get my mind set and DO IT !!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU....together we CAN do it !

Hi folks, one more person to add a greeting.

My name's Andrew, I'm 27, and I've promised myself I'll reach 66kg (about 155 lb I think) before my wedding day, planned for 2011. It shouldn't be so hard, but my weight just seems to waver up and down, and never stays changed.

I'm diabetic, as long as I can remember. When I told the doctor I'm worried about my weight, they did a load of blood tests in case of thyroid problems, but came back inconclusive. Apparently I also have high levels of androsterone, but they wouldn't even tell me what that is, so I guess I can't blame my size on anything medical. Just need to find the motivation to eat properly and regularly.

Hi everyone! I'm Kae and I was diagnosed with Type II on Oct 7th 2008. That happened to also be my 39th birthday. Currently, my A1c is at 6 but my goal is to be 5 or below by next year. (well, next October)

I'm also a cancer patient, have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, depression and other things going on in my life but I will not fail! I'm getting that determined feeling again!

Just wanted to say howdy and all that to everyone!

Kae

Hey everyone! My name is Casey, I live in CT, and I am 14 years old. In August, I weighed 205 pounds, and I knew I had to lose some weight when I found stretch marks on my arms. I have had type 1 diabetes since I was 2 years old, and even though it's not weight related, it has contributed to my weight. I've spent 12 years having to eat many unneeded calories when my blood sugar gets low. I also have family obesity genes playing against me. I'm a freahman this year, and I'm trying really hard to get all my homework done; this can take me up until 9:30 each night, not leaving me much time for exercise anymore. So far, I've lost 26 pounds, but I just got my A1c; my nurse "thought she would need antidepressants" after seeing my 9.3 A1c. I'm hoping to lower my A1c and reach my goal weight of 150 pounds, and I'm looking forward to it