Diabetic and Distraught

[ItalianGirl]

Hi everyone,

I came across NF after googling 'The Paleo Diet' upon my mom's suggestion. I am wondering, is there anybody similar to me? I am 36 years old, 37 in September, married, Caucasian, etc. I have been a Type 2 diabetic for 13 years. I also have chronic back pain from two surgeries I had in 2007. I have been about 50-75 pounds overweight since college. Haven't gained anymore since then, just unable to lose it. The only thing that ever worked for me was herbal ephedra about ten years ago. This, of course, was very dangerous and is now off the market in the US. Once I kicked those supplements, the weight came back overnight.

Things I have tried? Everything. I have been on a diet since I was eight years old. My first attempt at Weight Watchers was at the tender age of 13. Imagine, being 13 and sitting among a group of 40-60 year olds trying to lose weight. No one I could relate to, no one who understood what I was really going through. Now, I am almost 40 myself, and still overweight. I have tried Jenny Craig four times, and spent (collectively) about 10K on their 'food.' Gave that up years ago. I have exercised until I hurt myself. My last attempt at serious weight loss, I exercised everyday for at least two hours and ate right. I lost about 20 pounds, and then didn't lose one more pound for a year. After that year, I gave up. I went to the chinese food buffet.

Over the years, I have grown to resent fitness programs and weight loss support groups. I especially get tired of skinny, smiley, weight loss 'coaches/cheerleaders' who have never had a weight problem a day in their life. I just want to scream..."Look, the weight just wont come off!"

In the last six months, I have noticed that my blood sugar numbers were rising steadily. I quickly changed my eating habits, but they didn't go down. They kept climbing. I consulted with a new doctor, who has put me on more medication. I am now up to five oral medications and an injection of protien medication everyday. I feel like a science experiment.

Oh, didn't I mention? I HATE PILLS! I hate the side effects too, which are numerous. I also have become dependent on a couple of OTCs. All in all, I'm taking about seven pills and a shot each day.

Here is something sad....my dad died at age 62. He was also diabetic. So far, my diabetes has mirrored his in progression and complication. It scares me.

My mom, who is always trying to help me with this (sometimes I appreciate it, sometimes I want her to butt out), recently met a woman who has had success with 'The Paleo Diet.' She mentioned the woman was a lot like me, Type 2 diabetic, joint problems, etc. What caught my ear was that the woman was able to drop all her medication. All of it? I had to learn more. I googled 'Paleo Diet' and I landeed on NF. So here I am.

What interests me most is that this diet appears to be different from anything I've every tried. Let's face it, the old stuff ain't working. It's not an Atkins diet, which is unrealistic and dangerous for diabetic kidney function. Plus, the exercise tips at NF are great, and they seem to get you out of the gym. I have spent enough time in a gym. I like that there are a lot different people here, overweight, underweight, all ages, etc. It appears many have had success with the NF lifestyle. So, what the heck, let's give it a shot.

I would enjoy hearing from other people. Ohioans, diabetics, men, women, etc. It might be good to have a real support group.

Kind of a long thread, thanks for listening. I hope to soom move from 'distraught' to 'optimistic.'

[ETFnerd]

i've been overweight since childhood... i've lost a lot of weight many times b4... you need consistency in a healthy diet (not a weight reduction)and a sensible workout regimen that is right for your level of fitness and disposition... but my weight has yo-yoed with life's circumstances...

i try to roll with the punches and try to keep moving fwd every day with a smile on my face... welcome to the boards and good luck... some of my story is in my links below...

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Welcome! I am not diabetic, but had problems with my triglycerides (which are sugar-related, and can ultimately lead to diabetes). After struggling with doctors telling me I'd have to eventually go on meds, I did my own research. I also ended up here in my paleo information search. I ended up going sort-of paleo, and limiting my carbs to 30 grams per meal/snack (pacing meals/snacks at least 2-3 hours apart), based on advice I found on a random doctor's page and consulting with my mom (a nurse) who said that's similar to what diabetics do, only limiting carbs instead of sugars. In a month, my triglycerides were normal. And my doctor was shocked. But, Mom said most doctors default to drugs because it's very rare for patients to be open to lifestyle changes when medicine is "easy," so kudos to you for taking the long/right (in my opinion) way!

My advice starting paleo is to do a little at a time. My cutting out of processed carbs went on a week by week approach. I picked some of the easier things to eliminate. First, I cut out crackers I was eating for snacks and with meals. I like crackers but had no emotional "ugh, that sucks" response to giving them up. Then when that was easy (1-2 weeks), I attacked tortilla chips. Harder than crackers, but I replaced with raw veggies, etc. After a couple of weeks of that, I tackled tortillas, which were a weird snack staple for me. Then... Pasta. That was more of a struggle. And after that it was time for bread. I ate peanut butter toast for breakfast. Homemade bread with almost every lunch and dinner. So this one was actually painful. I felt like my meals were missing something. And I felt lost. Wait, so what do you eat with soupnif not bread?!? But, let me say, once I got used to not eating bread, now bread seems unnecessary. It's funny how our brains adapt.

So, after that, I stuck to what I'd been doing, kept each meal under 30 carbs (occasional splurge up to 50), and in just under a month of that, bloodwork was normal.

Anyway, I know your path might be quite different. But make a list of what you want to change, and do one thing at a time.

And take the same approach with fitness. Start with what you can comfortably do. And every week, increase length of time, intensity, etc. Oh, and I dont think your goal should be 2 hours a day, every day. I think 30-45 minutes 4-6 times a week is plenty.

I hope this didn't make it more confusing! If you want to approach starting paleo differently, then by all means! It's your journey! Just wanted to give the experience that worked for me.

[ItalianGirl]

Thanks for the reply (ETF), I look forward to looking at your links. I agree that it is not about weight reduction as much as it is healthy lifestyle changes. I have actually learned to like my body, no matter how much I weigh. I want to be alive as long as possible, and I am tired of pills. Weight reduction is only part of this.

I wish you luck on your continuing journey.

[ItalianGirl]

Thanks for the advice (Kelly). I agree a gradual approach would likely be best for me. I am making an effort to do paleo all weekend, just to see how my body reacts to it. So far, I don't feel hungry as much as nauseated and a bit depressed. I think this is the 'grain withdrawal.' I am going to allow myself some grains, starting tomorrow, but nothing processed. Then, little by little, I will give them up. I need to have somewhere to go from start.

Also, anyone who is reading this, I am new to discussion boards so if my replies seem techinically out of place or anything, please forgive me. I am a newbie.

[Weazley]

Welcome!

I'm sorry to say that I am not that similar either! No diabetes - although does run in my family.

I have exercised until I hurt myself. My last attempt at serious weight loss, I exercised everyday for at least two hours and ate right. I lost about 20 pounds, and then didn't lose one more pound for a year. After that year, I gave up. I went to the chinese food buffet.

But this resonated with me - I have done all that. I exercised until I (unbeknownst to me at the time) fractured my ankle - and then kept exercising, thinking that I was just 'weak' and that the pain must be all in my head because who gets pain in their ankle before even reaching the end of the street? I almost ended up in a cast and was off my feet for 2 months fixing that stuff up. I tried for that whole year to lose weight. And it didn't matter how much exercise I did nothing worked, and here I was 'eating right' by having a large bowl of white rice, with whatever sauce + meat I cooked that evening.

However to me, the paleo 'diet' just seemed to click with my brain and make sense. Although if you were also interested in taking it 'slow' I would recommend looking at the primal lifestyle www.marksdailyapple.com.

Everyone is welcome here - that is what is so great about NF. You are in the right place

Wait, so what do you eat with soup if not bread?!? But, let me say, once I got used to not eating bread, now bread seems unnecessary. It's funny how our brains adapt.

I had my first soup yesterday with my family. And although my mum had put out a massive loaf of bread I didn't really crave it, or feel the need to have it. It felt great.

Good luck on your journey!

[afflictionreckoning]

I'm not diabetic or overweight, but I can relate to your back pain and your trouble with exercise. I'm definitely a yo-yo exerciser.

I have a disorder which prevents me from absorbing the proper nutrients required for healthy living. I take a lot of supplements and hate it. I used to be an athlete until I got hurt and the doctors discovered my disorder. I was so depressed. Every once in a while I would try to do something and get hurt within a month. This continued for years, but this past year I've been more consistent than ever. I feel like every day I get closer and closer to being the person I want to be and it helps me avoid depression.

As for the back problems, I have scoliosis and terrible back pain. I used to wear a brace but now I just try to focus on posture, stretch and keep my shoes up to date. Gym and running days can be very hard and I'm very picky about surfaces (no running on pavement or treadmill for me). I also found that after weeks of rowing my back muscles were much stronger and the pain wasn't as bad (you have to work through A LOT of pain though). I don't know exactly what is wrong with your back, so I don't recommend doing anything without talking to your doctor about it. But at the same time, if I listened to my doctors I'd be lying in bed depressed that I'm not allowed to lift more than 20 pounds. I understand why, they have liability to worry about. Sometimes you just have to take some risks. Best of luck to you. I found wonderful support here and I hope you find the same. I'm sure there's someone here going through something just like this.

[leadchipmunk]

I don't have much in common besides being an Ohioan and slightly (about 25%) Italian. But I have been overweight most of my life (22 years) and the most I've lost with a set cause was just from changing my diet to paleo. So, it may help. It is unlike most diets out there as it cares about being natural, not low calorie/carb/fat/sugar/etc.

So, welcome aboard. We're all in this together!

And let's see if this still works... Oh!-Aitch!

[Georges]

One thing I think could be key to your success:

Make sure you're with "the right" doctor. Obviously, this is a pretty personal decision. If your current doctor isn't on board with your goals, it's time to start looking for a new one. It sounds like your goals include managing your glucose levels to minimize complications, moving toward food/activity as management instead of meds, and finding a long term food/activity mix that is healthy.

Since your new doc put you on an additional medication, I have to wonder if he is the right one. Did he review your current meds? Did he consider dosing changes or replacement instead of just adding a new med to the mix? But also, did he take time to discuss whats going right and what's going wrong, your eating patterns, your activity levels, etc? (A food journal can help a lot with this, since you can find patterns more easily.) Did he hook you up with a support network in your area?

When my mum got diagnosed, she had a bunch of nutrition classes (helpful), and started going to a gym - not just any gym, though, one that was affiliated with a local hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program - so she was surrounded by people with goals similar to hers (instead of super-fit exercise experts). I don't know if anything like that exists near you, but maybe your doc or a nearby hospital might know.

[ItalianGirl]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the insightful replies. For those who are interested, here is what is wrong with my back. When I was a baby, I was in a car accident. I was injured badly, but recovered with no obvious long-term physical or mental ailments. However, this did cause scoliosis in my lower spine, kind of like an S-curve. This was not discovered until my late twenties. By the time I was 32, the scoliosis (left untreated, other than a couple of chiropractors) had gotten so bad, I ruptured a couple of discs in my lower back. I had a severly pinched sciatic nerve. Ouch. They had to do two surgeries to 'fix' this, and I went through several months of pain management.

My back has plagued me ever since, though I haven't had any need for more surgery. In 2009, when I embarked on my extreme exercise program, I ended up straining my lumbar region so bad I was out of work for 3 months. This was at the end of that aforementioned year in which I saw no results. I learned that putting machines on the highest settings and pounding on them as hard as I can does no good for my back. I learned this the hard way. So, for those of you who posted similar stories, I understand what it is like to exercise until you hurt yourself.

I like the NF suggestions about making exercise fun, exploring, playing, and getting out of the gym. I am going to try that approach. For those who asked, this is a new doctor for me and he is A LOT better than my old one. However, I've got my eye on him, as he does seem to be adding a ton of medication. I need to make it clear to him that the goal is to get me off of it.

Anyway, thanks for the stories, suggestions, and support. For leadchipmunk....I am native to Columbus, born and raised, so I-O!

[mizvalentine]

I feel your pain. Almost literally! I'm also mid-30s and female and I was prediabetic and overweight (even on extreme low calorie diets, which made me miserable) most of my life, have a spinal fusion and degenerative disc disease below the fusion, and two ruptured ACLs in my knees. I've had good success cutting out grains, legumes and sugar on a primal eating regimen... and my emotions really evened out once my insulin wasn't spiking all over anymore, which in turn made it easier to sleep, to exercise, and to keep eating clean. For me, it took a bit of adjustment (digestively speaking) to get used to eating fat and meat, but once I did I lost 35 lbs....it was slow but it happened! Cutting grains also helped with swelling that I didn't realize I had...my face and belly got less poofy, and my joints didn't seem like balls of swelling anymore. So like you said...if your other efforts haven't done what you wanted...try something totally different and see what happens!!

I also got a good, exercise-oriented physical therapist and physiologist, and I'd recommend the same to you... they trained me how to work out properly, FOR ME--because of my injuries, my biomechanics are different than most and I would guess you might be the same. The big secret I learned is that I can do lots of stuff, I just have to modify slightly. Now I love to lift, where I grew up hating it because it hurt! And the more muscle I've built, the less my joints and discs hurt... core/glute/back strength supports my bad discs, quad/hamstring strength supports my knees. Just realize that PTs/physios (like all doctors) come from different schools of thought, and some of them think palliatively, while others think in terms of building strength. I personally run as far and fast as I can from the guys that tell me I need vicodin instead of deadlifts

Good luck in your life changes...you've come to a good place!!!

[ItalianGirl]

Thanks mizvalentine for the reply. It sounds like you are a lot like me. I also have a trick knee, but nothing like you've had to deal with. I like your idea of an exercise-oriented physical therapist. I may research that when I am a little bit further along with my journey.

For everyone....

I have done about 90% primal/paleo over the last 3-4 days, and I am already seeing some results. The first two days were rough, and my digestion was off. However, usually my digestion 'slows down' whenever I go on any diet (Weight Watchers, High Fiber, Low Carb, Etc). It seems to be less 'off' than on other drastic diets I have tried, so I am optimistic. I am not dealing with the same ravenous hunger pains either...just some intense carb cravings. I have been fighting those with nuts and fruit, and some dried vegetable chips.

Ok, true story. Last night I waited a little too long to eat, got too hungry to cook, and ended up at a Wendy's drive through. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and an unsweet tea. The fries tasted like shoe leather, and the burger wasn't that good either. I ended up throwing away the fries and eating about 3/4 of the burger. For the rest of the night, I wasn't hungry either. Not sure what happened here, this is new territory for me.