Diabetes

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• October 26, 2012 2:00 p.m.

  The only way type 2 diabetics can determine if they can go off medications is by testing and following the blood glucoses. You should be able to maintain the blood glucose readings in your target range off the medication. Please discuss this with your provider first before stopping any of your diabetes medications. Remember that type 2 DM is a progressive disease.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 23, 2012 11:14 p.m.

  Since I was diagnosed recently with Type 2, I've been following the usual diabetes exchange-list type diet. During the first 3 weeks, I lost about 9 lbs. During the next week, I gained a pound. During the following 3 weeks, I lost 1 lb. This is brutal. At this rate, I'll go to my grave not having lost all the weight. Unfortunately, this was expected, since I take prednisone for an auto-immune disorder, and nothing is more notorious for putting on weight than this drug. I learned long ago--always had a weight problem--not to weigh myself more than once a week, but even this is stressing me out...

  - Debra

• October 17, 2012 3:28 p.m.

  I wasn’t getting the results I wanted following the principles of any diet or any synthesis of the principles I found in the literature regarding those diets. I found an article on the internet and I read some descriptions on various websites about what I have come to call the ‘-oses’, sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose and maltose. I decided to eliminate all tubers, legumes, dairy, grain, fruit and cereal from my diet. I also eliminated vegetable oil and eggs from my diet because of the cholesterol. Over a three year period, I lost 63 pounds using the principles of various diets, but my blood glucose was still too high. Since I went on the NO -OSE Diet three months ago, I have easily lost another 47 pounds. I now weigh 151, my eighth grade weight, down from 261 pounds four years ago. I’m going to continue with this approach to diet until my body finds its natural weight which I think is around 140 pounds. I am counting calories, protein, cholesterol, saturated fat and carbohydrates. My blood glucose numbers have improved. Now, I want to know how to get off medication.

  - Richard

• February 29, 2012 11:30 a.m.

  Way to go Susan!

  - Nancy and Peggy

• February 26, 2012 1:05 a.m.

  The scale is my best friend!! Yes, there are a lot of people who will not agree with this. It’s the first thing I do every morning when I get out of bed… I pee, and then weigh myself. Knowing how much I weigh first thing every morning is important to me as it allows me to see my daily progress. It’s a pretty awesome feeling getting on the scale every morning and slowly seeing the numbers drop over a week or so. You immediately know you’ve been successful. It allows me to see results before waiting for visual changes to happen in my body, or for my clothes to get looser. It allows me to track my weight loss in pounds and even after a week of losing 1.5 to 2 lbs. it keeps me motivated to keep going. It shows the proof and results of when I eat too much, or eat the wrong food and don’t exercise. The scale is not shy about telling you the truth! It’s this daily weigh-in routine and seeing the results immediately that keeps me on track and going in the right direction. As of today, February 26th I’m down 97lbs.. I have 16lbs to go.

  - Susan

• January 10, 2012 10:49 a.m.

  For me the scale was my enemy. I was so obsessed with the numbers of my daily or twice daily weigh-ins that all I could think of all day long was eating/not eating food. I lost and gained the same 40 lbs over and over and over. About 20 years ago (when I discovered my daughter was anorexic) I quit. Now I never weigh myself but concentrate on eating and living healthy. Over those years I have gradually and effortless been going down from size 18 to a size 12 (I'm 5.8). Now, when my pants feel tighter I know I have to refocus on my health, eat better and exercise more and that works for me.

  - annamarie

• November 3, 2011 2:13 p.m.

  I lost about 90 lbs in 6 months to anorexia. I still struggle with it some days worse than others. I went from 230lbs to 140. I weigh in every day but I know I should'nt. The numbers drive me insane. Im starting to see a councelor next week to get better understanding of my body. I love to eat and I struggle every day to say "THATS ENOUGH" and push the plate away. But I have managed to keep off the weight for about 9 months now.

  - Sara

• May 26, 2011 8:50 a.m.

  I have found success with weighing myself every 3 weeks. This way I know that the number is more solid and is not likely to fluctuate based on events of a particular week or my cycles. Also, it takes away the very destructive emotional roller coaster that more frequent weigh-ins put me on. I can't have emotional highs and lows at all when I have no idea where I am at. It takes restraint but it is helping me overall. Plus I can look at what I've done over the 3 weeks, tweek my routine and set very realistic goals each time.

  - emily

• April 9, 2011 11:31 p.m.

  Thanks for the tips about when and how often to step on the scale. I usually weigh myself in the morning. Well, tonight I weighed myself and I was 4 pounds heavier. I don't plan to do that again soon. Also, I think I'll stop weighing myself every day. The daily changes make me wonder what my "real" weight is.

  - Tilly

• July 24, 2010 12:31 p.m.

  My best friend has diabetes and has lost over 150 pounds in the last 2 years I can now see his bones he gets around fine but is tired a lot. He does not have any insurance and is out of work is there anyone out there that knows how he can get some care I am even willing to pay for it out of pocket but it looks to be around 300-500 a month. Its hard for him to stand or sit for long periods of time and I just want him to live a long life please anyone with any suggestions please help..thanks

  - Briana

• June 1, 2010 11:18 a.m.

  Cody, I understand your concerns about the clumping of type 1 and type 2 diabetes together in this blog; as they are two separate dieseases but unfortunately can have the same outcomes as far as complications. My focus of writing this article was the "scale" itself. My editored titled this blog and it would not have been my choice. Nancy

  - Nancy and Peggy

• May 22, 2010 10:43 a.m.

  I have just been diagnosed with Type 2. I am not a big woman, but am working towards losing the 20 pounds I need to. I guess I should get a new scales as I have been bouncing on scales where I can and now I see why I am getting frustrated. Thanks for all and any suggestions.

  - jade

• May 20, 2010 9:32 p.m.

  As an insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetic, I'm incredibly frustrated by the use of "diabetic" as a catch-all phrase for two (or really six, when you get into it) completely different diseases. This and almost all the articles listed here are reporting on Type 2 diabetes. Granted, T2 is applicable to a larger percent of the population and an increasing number of T2 diabetics are becoming dependent on insulin, but can't we differentiate between a chronic autoimmune disease and a potentially self-cured metabolic disorder with more than a number? I'm sure weight loss can have an impact on insulin usage for Type 1s as well, but I wouldn't recommend it for those of us already significantly underweight and fighting to keep our blood sugars at a safe level. I can't wait to go to work tomorrow and have fifteen people tell me that they read that if I just lost a little weight, I could improve my blood glucose control. Boy, that and the cinnamon should have me all fixed up in no time!

  - Cody