My journey so far - weight loss and diabetes control Topic

Barney60 12/15/15
I hit 55 and suddenly thoughts turned to retiring. I got my finances in some sort of order and was planning the next 30 years.

It suddenly hit me that given my weight and my insulin dependent type 2 diabetes that I was all but ignoring I probably should have been planning for 5 -10 years at the most.

2 months ago i ended up at this great app and website. Having everything in one app has changed my life. I have tested my blood glucose more in the last two months then in the previous 5 years. I have reduced my insulin units from 180 whatever's a day ( and not controlling my highs) to 30 whilst maintaining 90% of my reading in the green zone.

I have lost 10 kg - 22 pounds in 10 weeks by tracking every bit of food I eat. I bought a Fitbit to help me work the Calories in v calories out equation even better. I have completely changed my eating and drinking habits, simply because I know how disappointed I feel when I add bad choices to my diary. I have not exercised any more then I did before, saving that for when the plateau hits.

Where this app has worked is in the feedback it gives, every day under my goal calories is a win, every time I test my glucose and it is in the range is a win, every time I drop my insulin down some units is a win. I pour over the charts frequently, weigh myself daily but only record this weekly.

My goals are another 18 kgs down and to be insulin free in 9 months.

Ps At least 3 other people at work are on some sort of diet at any given stage, joining weight loss clubs and buying their food, but none have lost any significant weight. Tellingly none track their food and I watch as they grab a cream biscuit to add to their calorie controlled meal or a handful of crisps or a piece of cake. I do occasionally but I log it and stew over the fact that I have less calories for the rest of the day.

Dietitian 12/15/15 replied to Barney60
Wow, Barney60 - fantastic accomplishments! Your drop in required insulin to maintain good BG control is awesome. And 10 kg down. I'm a diabetes educator and I can say that I am truly impressed. Keep up the great work!!! And ask me questions on the dietitian forum at any time!
Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RDN, CDE

Barney60 12/16/15
Thanks Kathy, I still have some work to do I will admit in getting the balances just right, still too carb heavy often . The rating system helps but I mostly sit at b+ when I want to get to the A.
Still too much salt and not enough calcium most weeks.
At this stage I am still learning and experimenting with food choices but I can see that I will need to get some help when it becomes more difficult to manage on lower calories and when the weight loss slows.
I'll take you up on you offer at that stage.

Dietitian 12/16/15 replied to Barney60
Okay, sounds good. BTW, the Food Score/Grade is more of a food selection tool. There is a short article about it on the website (or Library in apps): http://www.mynetdiary.com/food-score.html Be aware that although MyNetDiary uses an average for the day, it's use was never tested for that. It's use would be closer to "which cereal would be a better choice given the nutrients listed on the food label." Some very healthy foods don't have high scores and that is an artifact of how the score is calculated (e.g. not helpful for oils).

MaryAnnDobson 01/05/16
Very helpful, thank you!

Dietitian 01/05/16 replied to MaryAnnDobson
Hi MaryAnnDobson - welcome! if you have diabetes then you might want to check out these articles (on main website or via Library in apps): http://www.mynetdiary.com/food-diary-for-diabetes.html and http://www.mynetdiary.com/tracking-diabetes-with-mynetdiary.html

Barney60 01/30/16
Still going strong, down another 7 kilos since my last post, 17 kilos so far. Still yet to post a week where I haven't lost weight, but this week is not looking good. Interesting to see how I react.
Have decided to do a boot camp twice a week, starting when I return to work tomorrow. Looking to tone a bit and burn a bit more.
Had to buy a new wardrobe for work, everything was too large.
Shopped from the normal size racks for the first time in living memory. Who knew there were so many choices for clothes?
Next goal, that 'within normal BMI' rating.

Dietitian 02/01/16 replied to Barney60
Wow - congrats, Barney60! Doesn't that feel great? You'll get there re BMI range - keep on keeping on!

HollyP 02/06/16
This is awesome! You have done a fantastic job. I did similar this year. A1c was over 8%. Doc said the weight had to come off, and I agreed.
You can get off the insulin, just stay the course. You r whole body will thank you. For it.
I look forward to seeing your goal hit and no more insulin for you!

Dietitian 02/08/16 replied to HollyP
Hi HollyP, has your A1C come down yet? Give it 3 months before next lab to see changes. Great that you are using MyNetDiary to control your diabetes and weight too!

My journey so far - weight loss and diabetes control