Exercise update for Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 08

This weeks exercise has been using air-resistant rowing machine. My gazelle is squeeking too much and is not being used at the moment.

Monday: 30 minutes rower in morning.
Tuesday: 30 minutes rower in morning, 30 minutes in evening
Wednesday: 30 minutes rower in morning
Thursday:
Friday:

Diary Entry for Jan. 30 & 31, 2008

It is so hard for me to get my morning fasting number down. I can eat practically nothing (basically only protein) the night before and my morning number is still in the range of 100-110. According to the diabetes educator, I should have my glucose in the mornings between 65-99. Maybe it gets better as I drop weight. I have not noticed any reduction yet when I came down from 313 to 307. Tomorrow I am going to the doctor at 8 am to get a full bloodwork done - A1c, cholesterol, tryglycerides, sodium, you name it. I need this info and will post it here.

Yesterday was a little sad. I found out in the morning from my boss that one of the engineers that did drawings for us has died. He was a good friend and fun to talk with. I enjoyed talking with him. I will go to the memorial service on Sunday afternoon. Other than that, it was relatively calm for me at work. I checked my sugar only 2 times yesterday. Same goes for today.

Yesterday, I started with a new breakfast and loved it. For lunch had a salad w/ chicken and for dinner had fish and veggies. Today is same breakfast, a salad for lunch and dinner is not yet planned.

Jan. 30:
Menu -
Breakfast:
Fiber One (1/2 cup) 11 net carbs
2% milk (1/2 cup) 6.5 net carbs
hot tea

Lunch:
Sweet Peppers Deli Grilled Chicken Salad w/ ranch dressing
hot tea


Dinner:
Asian Pot Stickers
Grilled Tilapia
4 Grilled Shrimp
broccoli (steamed)
creamed cauliflower
sauteed button mushrooms
water

Jan 30 BG:
6:36, 107 (after 30 minutes rower)
9:24 p.m., 124 (2 hrs after dinner)

Jan 30:
Menu:
Breakfast:
1 cup Fiber One
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup orange wedges

Lunch:
Salad like yesterday

Dinner:
Fish
veggies

Jan. 30 BG:
5:45 a.m., 129

Weight Loss Update

This morning's weight was 307.6 lb.

1 week ago, it was 313 lb.

Slowly it is coming down, all due to reduced calories, reduced carbs and exercise daily.

Diary Entry for Jan. 29, 2008

Did not sleep well last night. I was too tired. This morning after getting up at 5:45 a.m., I checked my sugar. Too high for the morning. I also know why. When you make a dinner later than scheduled and you don't exercise, then the morning BG is up. I could tell that last night before going to bed. I was tired from a long day at work, ate my dinner later than normal, had a higher than normal BG reading post dinner, and this morning the BG was higher than normal. Now I have to get back on track and schedule. I also have to plan to have $10 in my wallet in case dinner is running late again, so I can grab a bite to eat and keep the sugar down.

Today is a good day for me, as it is payday. I have a lot of bills to pay. But that is life. I guess if you don't have bills and a job, you don't have a life. But onward we must go .....

Menu Planned today:

BK - hot oatmeal, hot green tea

L - same as BK

Updated 1/31/07) D - lettuce w/ grilled shrimp & steamed veggies and salsa. a little cheese. water.

BG

5:51 a.m., 133 (way too high) - result of having eaten dinner too late last night & no exercise

11:55 a.m., 115 (pre-lunch)
5:31 p.m., 111 (pre-dinner)

Diary for Jan. 28, 2008

Got up at 5:30 this morning. Did my 30 minutes rowing. Felt good.

Menu -

BK: bowl of hot oatmeal, 16 oz. water

L: 2 sandwiches of: WASA Crisp bread (2 slices/sandwich, 1 tbsp meat spread per sandwich & 1 tsp grain mustard per sandwich, hot green tea

D: Venison Bourgignon

hot tea

BG:

5:39, 109 (pre-exercise)

12:01 p.m., 103 (pre-lunch)

5:42 p.m. 102 (pre-dinner)

Note: Had dinner later than scheduled. Normal dinner time is 6 p.m. I had dinner at 7 p.m. Checked glucose 2 hours post and it was 120.

NOTE: Last night at 9:23 p.m. (just before bed), I took a BG reading and it was 107.

Diary Entry for Jan. 27

Sunday was a good day. Slept well today. Did a few chores this morning and then went mountain bike riding in mid-morning down at Oak Mountain State Park.  Menu was snacking throughout the day, but I managed to keep my BG as close to ranges as possible.

BG

7:16 a.m., 115

5:25 p.m., 110

Menu -

BK - bowl of hot oatmeal

snacks of walnuts, almonds

2 slices if crisp WASA bread w/ 1 tbsp meat spread

lots of water

Nervousness and shakiness

Benign Essential Tremor. Ever heard of that???

I was diagnosed with this condition back in 1985-6. This condition, over the years, hinders me from writing in script. Hence, the only thing I can write in script is my signature. Everything else I print. It also has hindered me when I was doing architectural drawings by hand. Maybe this is why I am so good using AutoCAD on a computer. As I slowly grew up, went through school, worked at different locations, and then settled down, I noticed the following - stress was the biggest factor in how bad my nervousness was. If I am under pressure, then I get very nervous. It did not matter if drank coffee or not. When I was out from under the pressure, I got calmer and my nervousness slowly got calmer as well. Also, as my weight went up, the nervousness went down.

Since being diagnosed with T2 diabetes and getting off sugar, and working on getting my weight down, I have noticed that my nervousness gets worse at times. I have had people tell me that my blood sugar was low and that I need to eat something, but all of those incidences have proven false.

They do say that one of the signs of low blood sugar is nervousness. But in my case, it is the "benign essential tremor". Now do I dismiss any incident where I am more nervous to BET? No, I do not. I check it with my glucose meter to make sure I do not have low blood sugar.

Just another thing I have to do now.

Isn't life interesting?

Diary Entry for Jan. 26, 2008

Finally could sleep all night without a skunk aroma. Got up at 7:30 this morning and checked my glucose. Oh, the lovely Dawn Syndrome.  Made breakfast, then read emails, did dishes in kitchen and some laundry. Typed a new post on my blog and read the mail. Did some more housecleaning. Had a small lunch. Now going to finish cleaning the kitchen. Tomorrow I have to finish a set of plans for a friend's hunting cabin. These have to be mailed out next week Wednesday.

Menu -

BK = 3 eggs, sunny-side up, 4 slices turkey bacon, 2 morning star links, water

L = 2 was crisp rye bread slices, 1 tbsp meat spread, water, 4 turkey bacon slices

D = (planned) french onion soup, 1 slice wasa crisp rye bread w/ 1 tsp unsalted butter, 4 oz. merlot wine

Before bed = 4 oz. merlot red wine

BG = 

7:43 a.m., 118

3:42 p.m., 122

5:43 p.m., 105

7:15 p.m. Update

Dinner: I made a salad = 2 cups red leaf lettuce, 1/2 diced avocado, 1/4 cup whole black olives, 2 roma tomatos, sliced, 1/4 cup olive oil-vinegar-herbs vinaigrette. I also had 2 cups homemade onion soup. To drink I had 4 oz. Canyon Road's Merlot.

I will have another 4 oz. prior to going to bed and try that for the next week to see what the effects are.

My weight problem - A Story of Change

Sometimes I wonder - if I had gotten more exercise as a youth and gotten thinner then ,would I still have diabetes now?  I know that since High school I had been overweight. I was not big on exercise, but, oh how I loved to eat. Candies, fruit, veggies, homemade baked goodies - you name it. Most of the time, I consumed more than one serving, especially when it came to cakes, ice cream and baked goods. Being that my mom back then cooked and baked a lot, there was usually always food around.

As for losing weight, I tried a lot of different diets - low-carb, low-fat, reduced portion sizes.  At UAH, I played sports - raquetball, tennis; even participated with the "Alabama Rowing Crew Team". Here we rowed competitively in either 2-man, 4-man or 8-man rowing boats. I had a great time, but did not really lose weight. 

Later one (November 1997) when I moved to Cullman to start working for an Architect (where I am still at now), I was eating a lot of junk food, in particularly, fried food. 1 to 2 months into the new work, I decided to omit junnk foods, particularly the ones fried and high in sodium. I did this one week before going to see a doctor, Dr. Gregory Bostick, of Cullman Family Practice, who told me I had high blood pressure. It was not "high" but on the borderline of "elevated" and "high". With this news, I went into changing my lifestyle even more. I went so far as to cut out all junk foods, foods high in sodium or deep-fat fried. What I was not looking out for was that the food that I replaced it with was high in HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), or high in sodium or fat. I was living on a low-fat, high carb diet, which is what was in then.

As a result, my weight slowly crept up, breaking 300 lb. 

Slowly, though, I started to cook more at home and started going back out to eat, but still staying away from the fried foods. This worked pretty well, but with the limited exercise I got, mainly due to working long hours and doing caterings on the weekends, I gained even more weight. On January 1, 2006, I weighed myself and saw the scale read = 375 lb!

375!!!!!  That is too much!!

I then decided once and for all, to do something before something else happens, such as heart failure. On that day I made a daily commitment to get exercise a minimum 3 times a week for 30 minutes. I also started to pay a lot more attention to what I was eating. I did 98% of my cooking at home, allowing me to go out no more than 2 times per week. 

This worked pretty well for the entire year of 2006. Jan. 1, 2007, I weighed myself and the scale showed = 350 lb. I had lost 25 lb. in one year.

This gave me motivation to continue.  Throughout the year of 2007, as I continued my weight loss journey, I continued to lose weight. I got my weight down as low as 305 lb, but this was due to the low-carb lifestyle that a chef, by the name of George Stella, was doing. I was using his book.  I started that low-carb venture weighing 320 lb and stopped when I reached 305 lb., complaining of feeling dizzy and week. Also, my doctor then told me, after seeing him near the end of the program, than even though I was losing the weight, my cholesterol was rising, as was my sodium. So I stopped the low-carb diet after being on it for 2 months.

At that time, I felt low. I was unsure of what to do now. I eventually went back to eating some junk food, although I still cooked at home a lot. I slowly gained weight, going back up to 325 lb.

It wasn't until I started noticing the symptoms of diabetes, that I really started to change. When I went to the doctor, Dec. 6, 2007, that my weight was officially at 318 lb. That was the day that changed my life. Period!

December 6, 2007 was the day I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes!

Now - eating junk food is no longer allowed; no more high-sodium foods, or foods deep fried. No more supersize portions or going back for seconds. No more sitting on the sofa and being a couch potato.

The name of the game now is - eat 3 portion-controlled, low-carb nutrient-rich meals, exercise 45 minutes daily and, besides taking the prescribed medication - CHECK THE SUGAR 3x daily to make sure I stay in the ranges I was told by my Diabetes Educator. 

No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' anymore. I have to change. I have to make healthy changes now so that I can live a long life. A long life without the complications that can come if I don't manage my diabetes every day.

My dad used to tell me when I was younger = "You can pay me now or you can pay me later. How much money you want to spend is up to you."

This quotes tells me this = Either I spend the money and time NOW to get my diabetes under control, get the weight down, and make sure I am in the ranges each day to avoid complications OR I spend $$$$$$$ down the road paying for my in-actions and poor planning.

So now my new life has begun. You can say that I have been reborn to follow a healthier lifestyle. I no I have. Just by having my boss notice my symptoms and take a blood glucose test was a sign - Change and take action now or else.

Believe me, as someone asked me a few weeks ago:

Are you afraid of Diabetes? My response to her was = "No, but I am scared to death of the complications that can happen if I don't change my lifestyle and control my diabetes now each day."

That is powerful to me. I am reminded of this each day when I look at myself in the mirror.

So, as a result, I am making healthy changes for my "new" life:

* Exercise daily for 45 minutes, whether it is using the Gazelle, my air-resistance rower, or going walking, or going mountain biking

* Eat 3 portion-controlled, low-carb, low-GI meals each day. Make most meals at home. If going out, get smaller plate size.

* Drink decaf hot tea, preferably green tea. No caffeinated beverages or sodas.

* Drink more water

* Write all my glucose readings and food menus down in a log book to learn from the readings and help to adjust the menu as needed

In addition, I plan on learning as much about diabetes and  glucose numbers as possible. I also plan on going on more trips, i.e., mountain bike riding at Oak Mountain State Park or in Hunstville, or doing more outside activities.

Even though this new life began on 12-6-07, and I have learned a little, I have a lot left to learn and do. I appreciate being able to talk, via chat or email, with other T2 people, such as David Mendosa, or Loren,asking a question or just talking. I have found that this keeps my spirits lifted up. Also, most in my office now are supportive of what I do, especially Brandy Brock, who is my colleague. 

But my biggest supporters are my mom and sister, because my dad had Type 2 Diabetes as well. 

This is my weight loss journey. This is my story about changes. This is my story about healthy changes. This is my story about my rebirth.

Keep watch of my blog every day or week as I plot my progress. Everything that I do; everything I find out; test results from Doctors - all these I am going to post. Doing this daily and making it public, means - no more cheating. By posting this on a public blog, means I am holding myself accountable for everything I do. And since I live alone, you, the public, are my biggest support.

Be Healthy!    Be Active!     Be ALIVE!!!!!

God Bless you all,

Dirk Baeuerle

pain, learning, misery .............. humour

As I heard someone say on a Holmes on Homes Show:

"The pain is necessary in the learning process. It's the misery process that's optional. So we're trying to keep a sense of humour about this but we at the same time have learned a lot about what not to do and what we need to do."

What I mean on "pain" here with diabetes is "controlling" the BG level.  Taking a reading just once a day, does not give you the knowledge you need to make your BG levels where they should be.  I am slowly learning this and making my new diet accordingly. This all takes practice; and I mean daily practice. I cannot let my guard down for one day or for one meal, as my sugar may go up higher than I want or lower than I want. For me right now means writing down what I eat, how much I eat, what my BG is at the meal (before or after or both) and then make adjustments accordingly to bring my BG to where it needs to be. All this is not easy at first, but it does get easier slowly as I go along this new "yellow brick road."

Diary Post for Jan. 25, 2008

Slept better last night, although I had a weird dream. Got up at 5:37 a.m. (late) and went to do my exercise. Managed to do 30 minutes gazelle for 30 minutes. Today is a short day at work, only 4 hours. This will allow me to stop at the library and look for 2 books David Mendosa told me about. Then I go home and stop at the ALFA Insurance office to switch car insurance. I am paying my last installment for Geico and want to switch to a local insurance company. Then it is cleanup time at home. Lots to do there - kitchen, living room, dining room, bedroom. The office has already been organized. Also have to sort the trash - what gets recycled and what goes on compost. Everything else goes in the trash. I am even sorting out what I burn.

Exercise for today:
30 minutes Gazelle this morning between wakeup and breakfast
30 minutes of rower btwn. dinner & bed at 9 p.m.

Menu =

Breakfast:

2 organic brown eggs

1 medium onion, sliced

2 slices turkey bacon, cut into smaller pieces

2 morning star sausage links, sliced

hot green tea

Lunch:

2 cups torn red leaf lettuce

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 cup whole black olives

1 roma tomato, sliced

1/4 cup olive-oil-garlic-herb vinaigrette

Dinner: (Updated tonight 6 pm)

1 piece fish, steamed
1 cup spinach, steamed
4 oz. Merlot

BG:

6:44 a.m., 110 (pre-bk)

1:30 p.m., 93 (pre-lunch)
5:59 p.m., 99 (pre-dinner)

Exercise Logbook

Here I will be listing every day what I do for exercise.

 

Date, Machine, Total Time, Distance            

1/21/08, Gazelle,   30 min., 3.5 miles

1/22/08, Gazelle, 15 min., 4.0 miles

1/24/08, Gazelle, 45 min., 3.8 miles

1/24/08, Rower, 30 min, 14.9 miles

1/24/08, Gazelle, 30 min., 1.9 miles

Post topics coming up

I am working on creating an exercise post (where you will see my exercise regiments I do), a food log showing food I eat and the servings and carbs and fiber count.

Diary Entry for Jan. 24, 2008

Went to bed last night with a BG of 118 at 9:38 p.m. Did some reading of the magazine "Diabetes Management" and lights went out at 10:30 p.m. Slept good until 4:45 this morning. Woke up to skunk aroma. Actually went to bed with skunk aroma in parts of house, but not bedroom. This morning skunk aroma had made it into the bedroom. Took a bathroom break, then went into kitchen. Got me a cup of water, then checked my sugar. It was 112. Now typing Diary. Next up is doing my 30-45 minutes gazelle. May do rower behind it.

Update on exercise: I did 30 minutes of rowing tonight for a total of 14.9 miles. Felt good.

Exercise: 5:15 am to 6:00 am = gazelle for a total of 2.8 miles at a speed of 3.8 mph

Menu =
Breakfast: Same as yesterday morning

Lunch: salad -
2 cups lettuce
1/2 avocado, diced
1 roma tomato, sliced
1/4 cup whole black olives
1/8 cup diced mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup olive oil-vinegar-garlic-herbs vinaigrette

1 oz. walnuts
hot green tea


Dinner:
1 slice leberkaese, steamed

1 cup frozen spinach leaves, steamed

water

BG:

4:45 a.m., 112
6:52 a.m. , 133
7:23 a.m., 123 (pre-bk)
12:07 p.m., 93 (pre-lunch) 
5:39 p.m., 98 (pre-dinner)

Note: The morning readings are puzzling to me. When I got up, I had a good BG of 112, so I was thinking that by doing my 45 minutes of exercise, my BG would be lower 1 hour later. But it wasn't. Instead, it was higher at 133. So I thought, maybe I wait until I get to work and check it again before eating my breakfast and taking my medication. It came in at 123. I wonder how me doing my rowing machine tonight for 30 minutes will do my BG. I'll find out then.

Diary Entry for Jan. 23, 2008

Woke up at 5:53 a.m. after sleeping well last night. I was sp busy yesterday from work that I was mentally drained when I got home. Anyway, making breakfast while writing the dairy entry. Trying a new breakfast dish for the next week and will track how it does with my sugar. Lunch will be lighter than yesterday and dinner will be a piece of fish and veggies steamed.

Menu:
Breakfast:
2 sausage links (1 serving) from Morning Star, 1 g net carbs (3 grabs carb minus 2 grams fiber)
2 slices of turkey bacon, 0 carbs
2 organic eggland brown eggs, 0 carbs
1 medium onion, diced, 11 net carbs (14 g carbs minus 3 grams fiber)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 0 carbs
8 oz. hot tea, 0 carbs

Total for Breakfast: 12 net carbs

Lunch:

4 slices WASA Rye Crisp Bread, 11 net carbs / slice = 44 

1 tbsp metwurst meat spread, 3

1 tbsp liverwurst meatspread, 3
hot tea
Total: 50

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

1 box raisins, 33

Dinner:
1/2 cup ea. of 2 steamed veggies, 10
1 piece fish, also steamed, 0
hot tea, 0

BG:
6:30 a.m., 121 (pre-breakfast)

12:00 p.m., 109 (pre-lunch)

5:43 p.m., 86 (pre-dinner)

Diary Entry for Jan. 22, 2008

Woke up at 5:50 am. Made breakfast and lunch, then did my 15 minutes of Gazelle. Leaving for work at 6:50 am, due to rain-sleet mix coming down. Doing dishes tonight in kitchen. Bedtime is 9 p.m.

Menu:

I made 2 sandwiches (1/2 of each for breakfast & Lunch):

Sandwich #1:
2 slices 100% Rye Bread
1 tbsp liverwurst spread

Sandwich #2:
2 slices 100% Rye Bread
1 tbsp metwurst spread

Breakfast:
½ of each sandwich above
1 oz. walnuts
16 oz. hot green tea

Lunch:
½ of each sandwich above
1 small apple
16 oz. hot green tea
1 cup lentil-split pea soup
1 oz. liverwurst

Dinner:
½ avocado, diced
1 roma tomato, sliced
½ head green leaf lettuce
¼ cup olive oil-vinegar-herbs-garlic vinaigrette
¼ cup whole black olives

BG:
6:49 a.m., 131 (pre-bk, post-exercise)
11:58 a.m., 101 (pre-lunch)
5:24 p.m., 100 (pre-dinner)

My Blood Glucose and Exercise

Tonight I wanted to see how much my BG drops before and after a 30 minute exercise session on my gazelle.

Here are the results:

Before exercise, 9:27 p.m. = BG is 111

15 minutes after exercise, 10:18 p.m. = BG dropped to 98

That is a 13 point drop for just 30 minutes.

I will check in again at 11 pm, bedtime, to see what it came out and notate it here.

Stay tuned ......

Well, here it is, bedtime. I just checked my glucose at 11:18 p.m., and it was 114. I am a bit puzzled as to why it went up. I would have thought it would go down. Interesting.

Knowledge is Power .... How much do you want to learn?

When fighting any disease, I have learned that by learning more about the disease and how to prevent it or fight it, that the better off I am.

David Mendosa's site has given me a lot of info already. In an eamil with him earlier, I asked hom what his typical menu is. One item that sparked my curiosity in his response was "chia seeds". After reading up on these little seeds, I am hooked on them. So next week, when I get my groceries in again, I will place an order for chia seeds.

The sky is the limit for knowledge. That "key", I think, makes battling diabetes today, so much easier than back when my dad had it. Back then, which was in the early to mid 1980's, the best place for knowledge was with a Doctor. Now we have the internet.

I also am lucky in that we have a University hospital within 1 hour's drive of my home. I have 2 friends that are in the medical field that I can ask for information.

I also can ask my diebetes educator questions as I need to.

That's why they are there for. For help and guidance. To not use their help or the internet or local universities and try to battle this disease one-on-one is foolish and won't get you anywhere.

Each day, I check my BG 3 times; before breakfast, before lunch, after dinner. Why, you might ask? I am doing this for 2 reasons: (1) because I am trying to keep my BG in the 3 ranges that my diabetes educator set and (2) because I want to know how food reacts with my body. I use the glucose meter as a guide to figuring out how much I can eat, not necessarily what.

The more I experiment, the better I can plan my menu. Also, which is cheaper - spending extra now to figure out how food interacts with your BG or the costs of not doing anything, which could cost you your life? I prefer to choose the first choice.

Back when our office had our Christmas Luncheon, I was asked by a friend if I were to take a break for one day from managing my diabetes and celebrate. I said no, I cannot take a day off. I did watch what I ate and kept my sugar pretty much in control that day. And I still had a good time.

The only thing I have left to try out is how wine, whether red or white, works with my blood glucose. That is something I will try in February, after the doctor's appointment on Feb. 1, 2008. On that day, I will have a complete blood test done, including cholesterol, tryglicerides and also my A1C test. Why, you might ask? Again, it points back to knowledge. Knowing what my blood work is to that point tells me what I have to do to change - both in exercise and also in food intake.

To properly fight diabetes, one has to adjust (1) food intake, (2) carbs and (3) exercise - each day, in order to keep the numbers in the proper ranges. No one said it was easy, but I have no choice.

I have been asked, "Are you afraid of diabetes?".

My response - "No, I am not afraid of diabetes. I am afraid of the complications that could happen if I don't do anything."

Who agrees with me on this? Probably a lot of you.

So ,come on, what is the last book you read?

Next week, I will be ordering a few more books and also check out books from the library (probably will do that tomorrow at my lunch time - library is only 2 blocks from the office).

Got a good book you want me to know about? Let me know. Leave a comment.

Diary Entry for Jan. 21, 2008

Slept good last night. Alarm went off at 5 am, but I did not get up until 6 am. I immediately did my 15 minutes gazelle this morning, with the other half being done tonight after work. Made lunch and now making breakfast. Crazy day at work, even for a holiday. But I got one project done for now and that makes me happy.

Menu -
Breakfast:
4 slices 100% Rye bread, 17 g net carbs/slice
2 tbsp meat spread, 12 g carbs
2 slices munster cheese
2 tsp unsalted butter
hot green tea

Lunch:
1 cup split-green pea & Lentil soup
4 oz. bacon
4 oz. leberwurst
1 slice 100% Rye Bread
1 slice munster cheese
1 tsp unsalted butter
hot green tea
1 small apple

Water - drank (3.5) 16 oz. bottles

Dinner:
small salad =
2 cups red leaf lettuce
1/2 diced avocado
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup black olives, whole
1/4 red wine vinegar-olive oil-herbs vinaigrette

BG:
6:38 a.m., 111 (pre-breakfast)
12:02 p.m., 106 (pre-lunch)
6:28 p.m., 87 (pre-dinner)

Trial & Error

I have been noticing that as I make it through another day with diabetes, that even though there is a food that can be eaten on a low-carb diet, that food can still make the sugar level go to high. Today, I had one serving of gingersnaps with my lunch and noticed that even that one serving was too much.

The best way to work out the diet, trial and error teaches what works and not.

Diary Entry for Jan. 20, 2007

Last night was cold; bitterly cold. I slept a little better, especially not having to deal with skunk aromas. Got up around 7 am. Checked bg 30 minutes later. Worked on Glucose logbook spreadsheet for Doctor's office visit. Took shower and got ready for Church this morning. Had a good time at Church - St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Actually missed going there, even though I did not grow up going to church every Sunday. Had a good service. Had communion. Got to say my condolences to a friend who lost her husband a few weeks ago. Came home and did a little clean-up. Took sugar reading, then ate lunch. Started making dinner at 4 pm. Took bg reading at 6 pm, then ate dinner. Bedtime is 9 pm.

Menu =

Breakfast -
2 slices WASA Crisp bread,
1 slice munster cheese
2 slices wholle wheat bread,
2 tbsp meat spread,
water

Lunch -
1/2 cucumber, peeled & sliced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup olive oil-red vinegar-herb vinaigrette
16 oz. hot green tea
5 gingersnap cookies

Dinner -
2 cups green pea-lentil soup,
4 oz. piece bacon
4 oz. piece leberwurst



BG -
7:38 a.m., 108 (pre-breakfast)
1:03 p.m., 112 (pre-lunch)
5:56 p.m., 131 (pre-dinner)

Note: Omit Gingersnaps. Even that one serving was too much.

Do you have Health Insurance?

Go to this website and voice your opinion about this issue.

I did, because I currently do not have health insurance.

www.voicefortheuninsured.org

Upping Umami - Naturally

Umami is one of the five basic tastes (the others are sweet, salty, sour and bibtter). Umami is derived from the Japanese words "umai", which means "delicious," and "mi", which means "essence". Many peopple describe its taste as "meaty" or "savory". By including high-umami ingredients in healthful cooking, you'll naturally be adding savory satisfaction. Stock your kitchen with these foods rich in umami. Be sure to pick natural varieties of these foods, too.

• Aged balsamic vinegar
• Aged cheeses, including blue & parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
• Beef
• Black Beans
• Broth / stock, chicken and beef (reduced sodium)
• Eggs
• Mushrooms, fresh & dried, such as morel, shiitake & portabella
• Peas, fresh and frozen
• Red Wine
• Sea Vegetables (seaweeds)
• Seeds and nuts, including sunflower seeds and almonds
• Sauces, like Worchestershire, black bean, soy & Asian fish sauces
• Shellfish and dark-fleshed fish, including salmon & anchovies
• Soy products, including miso & tofu
• Tomatoes and tomato products
• Truffle oil

Achieving High-Flavor Dishes Naturally

This list was quoted from the book "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook". I have been doing a lot of these things in my dishes and they help out. Maybe they will help you too.

Be liberal with herbs - Herbs are in the vegetable category. For the freshest, fullest flavor, add fresh herbs toward the end of the cooking process or just before serving a dish.

Spice it up - Kick up flavors one spice at a time. Begin by adding 1/4 cup of your spice of choice per recipe - and increase it from there.

Marry in marinade - Marinating ingredients to be cooked can help boos nutrition, tenderness and taste. If you're marinating at room temperature. marinate for no more than two hours. Try marinating poultry in buttermilk or yogurt.

Go nuts & seeds - Nuts and seeds add rich flavor, texture, visual appeal, and nuttiness. Go for even more flavor by pan-toasting nuts and seeds first. Scatter roasted sunflower seeds or toasted almonds onto nearly any salad.

Get saucy with it - Even when recipes don't call for it, plop in a few drops of sauce, like soy sauce. It heightens flavor - and you might be able to cut out added salt. Sprinkle a few drops of Worchestershire, hot pepper, or naturally brewed soy sauce into low-sodium soups and stews.

Drizzle and sizzle - Experiment with aromatic oils, toasted sesame, truffle, or hot chilli oil. A little healthy fat can go a long way in added flair. Instead of butter or sour cream, drizzle truffle oil onto baked, toasted or mashed potatoes.

Say "cheese", please - Top healthful dishes with high-flavored, high-fat ingredients, such as cheese. When it's so flavorful, very little is needed, making it easy to create a dish that's still healthful - and more enjoyable. Stir in crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese into plain yogurt and use as a sandwich condiment.

Use the yolk occasionally - The yolk is the most nutrient-packet part of the egg - and the tastiest. Many mixed dishes will be a bit richer by adding an egg or by using one whole egg instead of two egg whites. Enrich lean ground chicken or turkey burger mixture with a whole beaten egg.

Splash with acid - Balance and uplift flavors with citrus juices, vinegars or wines. Try matching by color. Lemon pairs well with fish; orange with chicken; red wine with beef. Add a few splashes of aged balsamic or red wine vinegar into bottled spaghetti sauce when simmering or to fresh tomato slices when serving.

Reduce and seduce - Reductions magnify flavor and can create thickness for a more seductive mouth feel. Simmer a creamy, low-sodium, low-fat carrot, butternut squash, or ther veggie soup until it's extra thick. Use it as a sauce instead of as a soup.

Grill with flair - Charcoal grilling is a popular cooking technique. It's healthful since no added fat is required. Make it more flavorful by adding woods, herbs, and spices to the coals. Grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts over aromatic woods, such as mesquite. Add rosemary twigs or cinnamon sticks, too.

Brown it - The browning of vegetables is called caramelization. Besides adding rich color, it adds a savory sweetness. Caramelize onions and serve on top of lean burgers, stir into steamed rice, or add to plain broth to make onion soup.

Boost the beans - Beans add good nutrition, fiber, and texture to meals. They're versatile, too. Pop canned beans into pasta sauce, soups, stews, salads, and stir-fry dishes. Use bean dips, like hummus, as a lovely sandwich spread. Mash cooked black beans and serve as a "bed" for entrees, like roast pork loin.

Be big with veggies - Along with nutritional goodness, vegetables add texture, visual appeal and natural savoriness to meals. Enjoy vegetables as entrees more often. Pile sandwiches high with raw or grilled vegetables. Use low-sodium vegetable or tomato juice for preparation of whole wheat couscous, bulgar wheat or brown rice.

Flavor with fruit - Fruits add texture, visual appeal, and natural sweetness - plus antioxidant nutrition. If a fruit is out of season, use frozen fruit. Serve salads topped with sliced pears or apples. Puree berries or other fruit with equal parts oil and vinegar to make a fruit vinaigrette. Make a salsa with diced peaches, onion, red bell pepper, and mint; serve with grilled fish or chicken.

Make it hot, hot, hot - A touch of "heat" takes flavor appeal to the next level. It adds more enjoyment to foods - especially those that are low in fat or sodium. Top grilled fish or lean poultry or meat with spicy salsas. Puree jalepeno pepper into hummus or other bean dips. Hot sauce can brighten the flavors of soups and most other savory foods.

Whip it good - Whipping up soft silken tofu in a blender creates a velvety smooth, soy-based flavor carrier and volume extender for sauces, salad dressings, dips, and more. While blending, add other flavorful ingredients, like balsamic vinegar and fresh basil, and use as a sandwich condiment, dip or salad dressing.

Eat tea - Brew tea and use in vinaigrettes or as a poaching or other cooking liquid. It can add unique flavor and golden color. Use tea as the main ingredient in a marinade to help chicken breast develop a golden color.

Up the Umami - Umami is considered the fifth taste. It adds scrumptious savoriness to foods. Be sure to stock your kitchen with naturally rich, high-umami foods - and be sure to use them. (See seperate post)

Allow overnight mingling - Cooking in advance and refrigerating overnight allows flavors to mingle in many mixed dishes. And it saves time on the day you plan to serve the food. Leftovers can be lovable, too. Make creamy chicken salads or chilled, grain-based salads the day before you plan to eat them.

The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook

A quote written by the author of this book, Jackie Newgent, about her book:

All foods can fit –

It’s time to change the “good versus bad” food philosophy a little. Overly processed, artificial, and saturated fat-laden foods are still not healthy. But you can include many more of your former favorites in a healthy meal plan than you once thought. Surprisingly, sugar, butter and high-fat cheese are still used in this cookbook! When enjoyed in moderation, these foods can be part of a balanced, nutrient-rich meal plan for people with diabetes. And they can add so much enjoyment to healthful eating.

Books and Sources I use for my Meals

Here is a list of books and sources I go to for recipes for my meals:


Books =

Complete Guide to Carb Counting
By American Diabetes Association
ISBN 1-58040-203-8

Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy
By American Diabetes Association
ISBN 1-58-040251-8

Healthy Mediterranean Cooking
By Rena Salaman
ISBN 0-7112-1403-4

The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook: The whole food approach to great taste & healthy eating
American Diabetes Association
ISBN 1-58-040275-5

The Diabetes Carbohydrate & Fat Gram Guide (Second Edition)
By American Diabetes Association
ISBN 1-58040-050-7

Web Sources:

Diabetes Cooking Magazine

Diabetes Life

Eating Well Magazine

American Diabetes Association

The Food Network


NOTE: This list will grow as I move through the year, adding new magazines and books and web links for me to use. I have found out that the more information I get on the internet and from the local library(s) helps me in better fighting Diabetes and also living with it.

Diary Entry for Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008

Woke up at 5:55 in morning. Did BG Reading and, after looking at number and thinking it was in error, did another one, which also turned up higher than what I wanted in the morning. Went back to bed. Got up at 9 a.m., ate breakfast and took medicine. Divided medicine out for the next week. Planned today out with chores: (1) wash dishes in kitchen, (2) vacuum house,
(3) wash laundry and (4) do some sorting of trash and junk for recycling.

Menu –
Breakfast =
4 slices WASA Crisp Bread
1 tbsp meat spread
1 slice Munster Deli Cheese
lots of water
hot green tea

Lunch = (planned)
Tomato Soup
Cucumber salad made with olive oil-red wine vinegar-garlic-herb vinaigrette and ½ sliced & peeled cucumber

Dinner = (planned)
2 cups red-leaf lettuce
½ avocado, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
8 whole black olives
homemade olive oil-red wine vinegar – garlic vinegrette


BG =
5:59 a.m. 136 (pre-breakfast)
6:01 a.m. 142 (pre-breakfast)
(Both of these readings told me I ate too much last night, or was it the late night snack. Either way, I have to cut back on my food intake.)

Diary Entry for Jan. 18, 2008

Woke up at 5:30 in morning. Did not sleep well night before again. I need to go back to my routine of going to bed at 9 p.m. Had skunk problem again, hence me not doing my exercises this morning. Went to work today – boy was it busy at work. Left work at 12:30 p.m., making up the one hour lost the previous day due to the weather. Made lunch at 1 pm, then did a little work here at home on organizing. Watched movie in evening during dinner. Had late snack and went to bed at 12 a.m.

Menu –
Breakfast =
Turkey sausage patties
4 slices WASA Crisp Bread
1 tbsp meat spread
2 slices Munster Deli Cheese
lots of water

Lunch =
2 cups red-leaf lettuce
½ avocado, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
8 whole black olives
homemade olive oil-red wine vinegar – garlic vinegrette

Dinner =
2 Turkey sausage links
salad like lunch

Late Snack =
1 whole peeled cucumber
1 roma tomato

BG =
6:33 a.m. 111 (pre-breakfast)
6:01 p.m. 110 (pre-dinner)

Diary Entry for Jan. 17, 2008

Woke up at 6:00 a.m. Fell asleep last night on sofa and moved to bed at 4 am. Check sugar a little after 6. Still higher than range I need to be in, by 13 points. Checked email. Making Breakfast and lunch. Chicken I got last night did not taste good – will give it to the dogs today.

Note: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons

Menu –
Breakfast =
4 slices WASA Crisp Bread (9 net carbs / slice) = 36
2 slices cajun roasted turkey
1 tbsp yogurt herb cheese = .75
16 oz. hot green tea

Lunch –
Same as BK

Dinner –
Tomato Soup
Small salad:
2 cup red-leaf lettuce
1 roma tomato, sliced
¼ cup sliced black olives
hot green tea
4 oz rotisserie turkey
4 oz. Colby cheese

Plenty of water during the daytime. Maybe 16 oz coffee.

BG –
6:15 a.m. / 112 (Pre-BK)
6:16 p.m. / 123 (Pre-Dinner)

Looking for more info?????

Check out this website:

www.mendosa.com

David Mendosa has a stack of information about Diabetes on his site. Take a look and see for yourself.

Diary Entry for Jan. 16, 2008

Did not sleep well last night. Went to bed late last night and got up this morning at 5:35 a.m. Today I wanted to do more than 3 BG checks. Why, you might ask? Well, I wanted to see what my pattern was throughout the day at different times. Plus, I was going to eat some pasta and a small salad at lunch and wanted to see that reaction. This afternoon we had snow in Cullman. I had 1-1/4 inches of snow on my car. The road was ok until I got to this one bridge about 2 miles from the house. It was a little slick with a fender bender, causing me to take a different route home. After doing the lunch reading and the dinner reading, I noticed on both that I ate either the wrong thing or too much. I know for lunch it was 2 wrongs items, but I wanted to see what the reaction was. As for dinner, I had too much. I think it may have been the tomatoes, but am not sure. Bedtime tonight is 10 p.m.

Menu

BK =
4 slices WASA Crisp Bread
2 tbsp meat spread
1 tsp unsalted butter
20 oz café latte w/ 2% milk

Lunch =
6” plate-size lasagna
6” garlic bread roll
1 cup green lettuce
2 slices tomato
¼ cup shredded mozerella
16 oz water
2 cups cherry tomatoes

Dinner =
1 slice oven roasted turkey
¼ rotisserie chicken
2 slices WASA Crisp Bread
1 slice oven roasted turkey
2 slices Colby cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes

BG –
6:44 a.m. = 111 (Pre-BK)
9:40 a.m. = 112 (Post-BK)
11:57 a.m. = 105 (Pre-Lunch)
2:48 p.m. = 142 (Post Lunch)
6:00 p.m. = 101 (Pre-Dinner)
9:28 p.m. = 124 (Post Dinner)

Diary for Jan. 15, 2007

Could not sleep well, probably because I went to bed at 11 p.m. last night. Had to go to bathroom at 3:30 in morning, then checked sugar; it was 126. Laid down and tried to sleep a little more. Got up at 5 am to do exercises. Checked sugar; 116. Did my gazelle for 28 minutes, when, whew, a skunk outside decided to stink up the house. Had to put break in exercise to get rid of skunk smell. Started exercise on Row Machine at 5:45 am and lasted 20 minutes. Since today’s BK and L were done last night, don’t have to do them this morning. Check sugar after exercise: . Leave house at 6:45 to scrape windows then head to work. Trip to visit Mom in Huntsville for a few hours. Returned at 10:30 p.m. Bedtime at 11:45 p.m.

Menu for today:
BK –
Oatmeal packet 31
2/3 cup hot water 00
16 oz. hot green tea 00
Total ----------------- 31

L –
4 oz. rotisserie chicken breast 00
1 cup mixed veggies 03
½ cup red wine sauce 04
1/3 cup wild rice mix 39
16 oz hot green tea 00
Total 46

D –
1 cup Kolrabi
1 hamburger patty

Glucose Readings for today:
6:48 a.m. = 109 (pre-breakfast / post exercise)
2:51 p.m. (post lunch)
11:40 = 98 (post dinner)

Revision to menu: I ate (2) 1 oz. servings of walnuts and had 8 oz. of water on my trip up to Huntsville last night.

Jan. 14, 2007 Diary

Diary for today, Jan. 14, 2008:

Woke-Up at 5:15 a.m. Wnet to living room and, while watching a recorded show by Andrew Zimmern, did my morning exercise routine, though not as long as I had planned originally. I only managed 15 minutes each for both Gazelle and my Air-Resistant Rower. Took shower and got dressed. Made breakfast and lunch. Took my morning fasting glucose reading. Went to work at 7 am. Got home at 6 pm. While heating my dinner, I took my evening reading. Then started to check email, with a shower between email and this entry. Bedtime planned at 9:30 p.m.

Fasting BG - 6:52 a.m. 113

Pre-dinner BG - 6:17 p.m. was 106
Post dinner BG - 9:06 p.m. was 121

Menu:
Breakfast =
2 slices WASA Crisp Bread - 18
1 tbsp meat spread - 3
1 packet oatmeal mix - 31
2/3 cup water - 0
16 oz. hot green tea - 0
Total for Breakfast = 52

Lunch =
2 slices WASA Crisp Bread - 18
1 tbsp meat spread - 3
1 packet oatmeal mix - 31
2/3 cup water - 0
16 oz. hot green tea - 0
1/2 cup green bell pepper - 3
1/2 cup bartlet pear - 15
Total for Lunch = 70

Dinner =
4 oz. rotisserie chicken -??
1/3 cup long grain rice -29
1/2 cup red wine sauce - 4
1 cup mixed veggies - 3
Total for dinner =36

Lots of water and hot green tea today during worktime.

Note: May cut out wild rice mix for now. Tips from anyone?

My dad used to say this .....

"You can pay me now or you can pay me later. How much you want to spend is up to you."

This is WHY I am so pro-active about getting my weight down and getting my BG under control.

Dirk

Prescription Discount Program

For those looking for a discount program that works whether you have insurance or not, try this: Medco Rx Discount Program

It is free for the first year. I signed up and am saving anywhere from 1/2 to 2/3 off of the original prescription price. Since I don't have insurance, that helps me out a lot.

Glucose Log book

Blood Glucose log since 12/6/07:

Mealtime:
BK – before breakfast
AK – after breakfast
BL – before lunch
AL – after lunch
BD – before dinner
AD – after dinner
BB – before bedtime

11/30/07 / approx. 10 am / 399 / BL
12/1/07 / 8:05 am / 322 / BK
12/4/07 / 8:10 am / 308 / BK

On Dec. 6, 2008, I had found out that I had Type II Diabetes. From 12-7-07 on and up until 1-7-08, when I met with my dietician, I recorded the following glucose readings as I was learning how various foods interacted with my body’s glucose response.

Date / time / glucose / mealtime

12/6/07 / 7:25 am / 331 / BK
12/6/07 / 12:40 pm / 292 / BL
12/6/07 / 5:13 pm / 187 / BD
12/6/07 / 8:41 pm / 235 / AD
12/7/07 / 6:39 am / 213 / BK
12/7/07 / 12:23 pm / 214 / BL
12/7/07 / 4:39 pm / 138 / BD
12/8/07 / 8:50 am / 212 / BK
12/8/07 / 5:48 pm / 129 / BD
12/9/07 / 7:57 am / 178 / BK
12/9/07 / 5:16 pm / 112 / BD
12/10/07 / 6:33 am / 109 / BK
12/11/07 / 7:08 am / 138 / BK
12/12/07 / 6:31 am / 141 / BK
12/12/07 / 9:00 am / 120 / AK
12/12/07 / 1:02 pm / 92 / BL
12/12/07 / 5:49 pm / 128 / BD
12/13/07 / 6:17 am / 143 / BK
12/14/07 / 8:27 am / 133 / BK
12/14/07 / 1:25 pm / 123 / BL
12/14/07 / 8:48 pm / 116 / AD
12/15/07 / 7:36 am / 132 / BK
12/15/07 / 6:09 pm / 111 / AD
12/16/07 / 8:32 am / 167 / BK
12/16/07 / 5:57 pm / 109 / BD
12/17/07 / 6:22 am / 117 / BK
12/17/07 / 5:53 pm / 88 / BD
12/17/07 / 8:00 pm / 127 / AD
12/18/07 / 6:33 am / 123 / BK
12/18/07 / 9:30 am / 112 / AK
12/18/07 / 12:45 pm / 92 / BL
12/18/07 / 5:56 pm / 93 / BD
12/18/07 / 8:03 pm / 124 / AD
12/19/07 / 6:20 am / 130 / BK
12/19/07 / 8:05 am / 123 / AK
12/19/07 / 11:33 am / 101 / BL
12/19/07 / 1:30 p.m. / 161 / AL
12/19/07 / 6:52 p.m. / 111 / BD
12/20/07 / 8:17 am / 123 / BK
12/20/07 / 4:06 pm / 116 / AL
12/20/07 / 8:02 pm / 110 / AD
12/21/07 / 8:09 am / 128 / BK
12/21/07 / 5:28 pm / 109 / BD
12/22/07 / 7:33 am / 135 / BK
12/22/07 / 4:21 pm / 102 / BD
12/22/07 / 10:20 pm / 116 / BB
12/23/07 / 8:20 am / 121 / BK
12/23/07 / 9:59 pm / 165 / BB
12/24/07 / 8:56 am / 112 / BK
12/25/07 / 8:24 am / 138 / BK
12/25/07 / 6:30 pm / 117 / AD
12/26/07 / 8:17 am / 126 / BK
12/27/07 / 8:41 am / 138 / BK
12/27/07 / 5:03 pm / 97 / BD
12/27/07 / 8:34 pm / 128 / AD
12/28/07 / 8:07 am / 124 / BK
12/28/07 / 12:40 pm / 99 / BL
12/28/07 / 5:37 pm / 106 / BD
12/29/07 / 8:31 am / 143 / BK
12/29/07 / 5:11 pm / 94 / BD
12/30/07 / 8:22 am / 135 / BK
12/30/07 / 5:40 pm / 99 / BD
12/31/07 / 8:15 am / 128 / BK
12/31/07 / 5:06 pm / 107 / BD
1/1/08 / 7:18 am / 119 / BK
1/1/08 / 5:35 pm / 104 / BD
1/2/08 / 6:23 am / 104 / BK
1/2/08 / 6:02 pm / 79 / BD
1/3/08 / 6:41 am / 118 / BK
1/3/08 / 5:47 pm / 121 / BD
1/4/07 / 6:15 am / 131 / BK
1/4/08 / 5:01 pm / 126 / BD
1/5/08 / 7:21 am / 128 / BK
1/5/08 / 4:50 pm / 91 / BD
1/6/08 / 8:04 am / 128 / BK

On Jan. 7, 2008, I had an appointment with the dietician. She set my goals for my glucose to be in and they are as follows:
Before Breakfast between 65-99
Before Lunch or Dinner between 65-120
2 Hours after Lunch or Dinner 65-140

Carbs for each meal to be between 45-60 grams

So from here on, the new log is as follows:

Date / time / glucose / mealtime / note
1/7/08 / 6:40 am / 119 / BK
1/7/08 / 5:45 pm / 91 / BD / exercise after dinner
1/8/08 / 6:29 am / 119 / BK
1/8/07 / 5:25 pm / 89 / BD
1/8/08 / 8:00 pm / 104 / AD / 39 g carbs for dinner
1/9/08 / 6:52 am / 112 / BK / 50 g carbs for bk & lunch
1/9/08 / 9:00 am / 111 / AK
1/9/08 / 6:00 pm / 96 / BD
1/10/08 / 7:35 am / 119 / BK / 54 g carbs for bk
1/10/08 / 6:08 pm / 89 / BD / ate too much
1/11/08 / 6:21 am / 127 / BK / 24 g carbs for bk / exercise after bk
1/11/08 / 12:07 pm / 97 / BL
1/11/08 / 6:16 pm / 104 / BD
1/12/08 / 6:30 am / 102 / BK / exercise after bk
1/12/08 / 5:55 pm / 87 / BD / had too much food
1/13/08 / 7:21 am / 116 / BK

Entering a New World

On December 5th, 2007, I went to the doctor to get a check-up done and get some bloodwork. Everything went fine, until the bloodwork was taken and the results were made known to me......my doctor informed me that I have Type II Diabetes. Naturally, I was in a little shock about it.........

Let me back up some .........

About 3-4 months prior to the diagnosis, I started noticing some numbness in my toes. I thought nothing of it, except that I might be pinching a nerve in my back. I say this because sometimes when I move a certain way, the numbness went away or lessened.

Then about 1 month prior to the diagnosis, I started getting thirstier and being more fatigued. I was drinking water as if it had no end. I would come home from work and usually take a 1 to 1.5 hour nap before having dinner or doing anything else. I thought - my work (I am a Senior CAD Drafter for an Architect) was wearing me down mentally and that is why I am so tired. This goes on daily up until about 2 weeks prior to the doctor's visit. At that time, my boss comes in and asks me if I wanted to have my blood glucose checked. I hesitated because I have a fear of needles. (My Boss was diagnosed 1 year ago with Type II Diabetes) 1 week later, on a Wednesday, I entered his office and asked him if he could check my sugar. He agreed. We checked the sugar (found out the needle prick was barely noticeable) and, lo and behold, my blood glucose was 399! I said 399!!! That is high. My boss mentioned to me that at 400 you go in the hospital. So I went back to my cubical and called my doctor's office to set up an appointment. The receptionist asked why I needed to come in and I explained to her the story.

So from that day on, I started reducing my number. I immediately omitted fruits and fruit juices. 2 days later, we checked my glucose again and it had dropped from 399 to 322. The following Monday morning we checked it again and it had dropped to 308. 2 days later I had the doctor's appointment.

The official reading came in at 304. The Doctor gave me a glucose monitor, prescriptions for medication and said to check it once a day.

So this is where my new life begins.

On that day, my weight was 318 lb. For a 6 foot 1 inch person, a normal weight range is 180-190 lb. My goal: 185 lb.

I started checking my sugar 3 times daily to see how food interacts with my blood glucose.

On January 7th, 2008, I met with a local Diabetes Educator at the local hospital. She informed me of what my ranges need to be at different times of the day.

My ranges are:
Prior to breakfast (Fasting) between 65-99
Prior to lunch or dinner between 65-120
2 hours after lunch or dinner between 65 and 140

She also gave me a form to fill out that will track my glucose levels over a 7-day period.

Since my diagnosis, I have been reading a lot about diabetes and the complications for not managing this disease on the internet. I am writing down my food in a diary daily as best I can. I am also creating a food carb database that I will be using when planning new meals. I have ordered some books and am using them.

I am checking my sugar 3x daily to make sure I stay within the ranges. I also am doing cardio exercises 3-4 times daily with the help of a gazelle and an air-resistant rower. This, along with the limited amount of carbohydrates I am allowed per meal (45-60 grams) will help me to loose weight.

I may be a lucky person in that when I have reduced my weight down to where it needs to be, that I may be taken off of the medication, but I will always have diabetes. Until they find a cure.

Unlike others I know, I intend to fight this disease. I will continue my exercises. I will lose the weight. I will continue to track my food in a diary and also here on the blog. I will continue to check my glucose 3x daily to make sure I stay in the ranges.

But on top of it all = I will do better in getting the word out for early testing and physical fitness. To start, I have joined a local support group held at the local hospital every month.

On this blog, I will post diary entries, notes, glucose readings and recipes. If you have any tips, please email me at d_baeuerle@yahoo.com or post them here on this blog. Diabetes is not a disease that needs to remain silent. The only way to fight it is to be active about the goals and to encourage others to not give in.