@A DiabetesTeam Member I have just been doing this a long time and it wears off on you whether you want it to or not

Back in the 1960's when the Family got together for Christmas Dinner, when all the aunts/uncles/grandparents were still alive, about 20 of us including (us Kids) there was 11 Diabetics sitting at the dinner table, the "oldest diabetic" had been diagnosed in 1920 before insulin was even discovered

I grew up knowing how to recognize Low Blood Sugar Symptoms and how to treat that and thought that was something that "every kid knew"

I remember the test strips that you pee'd on and then tried to match the colour to a chart. Then the early "stick" tests that worked the same way - drop of blood on a strip and match a colour change

Getting dragged along to the "clinic" first thing in the morning because the ONLY lab test for blood sugar was a Fasting Test

I remember when my father got this brand new space aged device where you could put a drop of blood on this little strip and a Number popped up on a screen - leading edge technology

I remember when A1C didn't exist

I watched family members that did it right and lived to be 101 years old and I also remember the Beast eating up a Grandmother, Two Uncles, an Aunt, four 1st Cousins and my Father - but many escaped and died of old age so knew there was hope

I have seen up close and personal just about all of the Complications and they are all worse then the worst Nightmare most of us can imagine - like do you know what end stage neuropathy looks like just before they amputate the leg? Ya, you don't want to and you certainly don't want to experience it

So yes, I have taken an "interest" and for the last 6 or so years I have worked with a local group that provides diabetes education - I'm the "token diabetic" amongst the Pro's in the group (RPN, Dietitian, Pharmacist, Counsellor) - I present the (material) so no one in the group can say "your not diabetic so don't understand" - because I DO better then they ever will

You can ignore the Beast for a while, but it WILL eat you up 100% of the time if you don't get control. And it doesn't listen to excuses when it comes for you..

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

Good morning @A DiabetesTeam Member,
When you see us saying morning fasting blood glucose number, we are talking about our morning reading after not eating overnight after dinner.

Some have an evening snack.

I personally, was finally diagnosed with diabetes in February 2021 after 12 years of symptoms. Every year at my annual physical my doctor said I was not diabetic

He retired just before covid restrictions. My new doctor was my Bride's doctor for 2 years. But they were only seeing patients with chronic conditions. When I asked for an A1C she ordered it. It was my first A1C ever.

In February 2021 my A1C was 13.5. Meaning that my average blood glucose number for the previous 90 days was 18.9 (341 usa).

I had my bloodwork drawn in the evening. The next morning I had a heart procedure that resulted in a stent in my LAD, aka the widowmaker. Since most who had a heart attack from a blockage in that vessel do not survive.

That evening, while waiting for the bleeding to stop after being moved to a satellite recovery room, I looked at my bloodwork results from the labs app. That is when I saw my results and knew definitely that I was diabetic.

Since this was 4 days before my doctors appointment, I developed a argument for allowing me 90 days to get my blood glucose numbers under control, without medications. I began my ultralow carb right eating lifestyle at that moment.

My doctor wanted me on long acting insulin, quick acting insulin, and metformin. My negotiation worked and I was given 90 days without medications, with the option of another 90 days only if I could get my A1C down to 6.1.

I met that criteria at 3.5 months and still have no doctor prescribed diabetes medications.

I have been in clinical remission for about 3 years, with A1C in the low 5s since.

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

A "standard and safe at home" method is to Fast TWO days a week (called a 5:2 schedule) and do all your eating on those fasting days in an 8 hour window (called 16:8 Fasting)

But there are number of variations that are used by others. Just have to be careful that you don't overdo it so anything other than the one I posted above (considered a medically reviewed routine) you should really consult your Doctor to ask about any "concerns" (might be taking meds that need to be taken with food etc) and work with a dietitian/nutritionist to make sure you are "eating what you need to" when you cram all your eating into a shorter period of time

It is "natural" for us to eat over about a 12 hour period each day. That's an evolutionary thing that doesn't care if we don't want to do it.

So your fasting program will be a tool to try and correct some of the problems we have created with our own metabolism - the fasting can "sometimes" get back working properly or at least better

Yeah, I loved baking, all the time, and had to grieve that. In addition to cakes, pies, cookies, I baked my own whole wheat bread (2 loaves twice a week) for years. I fooled myself into thinking that since it was whole wheat it was good for me-but not in the amounts of it I was eating. I had to quit that baking cold turkey and haven't done it since. Over time I've learned how to cook tasty dishes that are low carb and low fat too and haven't looked back.

Me too Becky I thought I'd never survive the first week not only did I survive it I prospered and lost four pounds. My doctor said to your going to die if I didn't stop what I was doing and take it seriously. And the hospital stay and my feet geez I started right away being serious. Lol started walking a mile a week sometime more . My favorite soda is gone changed that I cried over it but I don't miss my coke cola. Though diet is in my life . I know not good but I grieved like a lost family member girl.