I eat chicken breast (oven baked) three or four days a week or eat vegetarian. One day a week I may have lean beef. All legal green vegetables work magic. I do not eat legumes. I do not eat fruits, except a few blueberries; others shoot blood up off the chart. I eat one piece of diet dry wheat toast for breakfast. Avoid all other breads. Cannot eat cereals, oatmeal and the like. No pasta of any kind. I cannot eat fish. I've tried other things, but always see the numbers rise. I eat nothing fried. I drink water. I do not have dairy unless it is fat free cheese. My diet is very limited, so I try to add something that should be diet and then again it doesn't work.
Three hours after lunch (all veggies) my blood was 90. In the morning, it will be higher, as is the norm for me. No desserts, no delicious anything. I have also exercised twenty minutes today. That's painful for me. I am 73 years old and have arthritis.
Today my A.M reading was 145 and 90 after lunch. That is good, but in the morning, it will probably be back in the high range again. Last night after supper it was 102. That makes no sense to me. I have been reading and researching all year, but I still cannot find this type of behavior. I had no idea I had diabetes when informed a year ago, and as always healthy, it really has hit me like a ton of bricks. I am not taking any medicine. I am determined to control this monster with diet and exercise.
Thanks for your response.

retiredteacher

Hi I was tagged so I will add response. I got diagnosed with diabetes in 2014. That's when I hit 50. Doctor said pancreas makes less insulin as we age so eventually it can't keep up. He said to lower demand for insulin so pancreas can keep up. That's losing weight or diet or exercise or some combination. I also think weight training is helpful as well as smaller meals but eat more often. I like to put leftovers in small containers and heat one up every couple hours. I don't think carb are all bad but doctor said if you eat an apple then smear some peanut butter on it. That lowers glycemic index. So for me I'm doing the Healthy Living program. I put my goals as at least one day hiking, one day weight training, one day interval training, and weigh myself once per week. But I have lots of goals in resilience, too. We can't just diet and exercise. We are encouraged to seek meaning for life too. That helps to stay on course. Peace.

@ihatediabetes, I applaud your exercise routine and feel very inferior as I could never do that. I have never been athletic, but I have always been fit until the last few years. As a result of arthritis and other problems, my exercise is limited to my tread mill or walking tapes. I walk every day, but it has not helped me lose weight. It helps me sleep better, though I am not one who sleeps more than six or so hours a night, and then it's very sporadic. I think this is a result of training myself to sleep even less when I was teaching. Also when I was young, my daddy always awakened me early as he thought sleeping late was lazy. I think my meaning for life was to teach. I always thought I would die in the classroom. It was my passion, my love, and my soul. When I had to retire, I was broken and have been in mourning since. So now, I don't have any goals for meaning for life; I just try to survive and help my husband survive.
I appreciate your response. I hope we can keep in touch as I also hate diabetes and everything related to it.
retiredteacher

Hi thanks for your reply. I think it's important to find meaning to life no matter life stage. That's what keeps us going. I think when people lose sight of meaning then they get depressed. It creeps up on people. Then they start stockpiling pills, a little here and little there. They plan their exit for when pain gets too much. So I think its good to have goals. I make daily goals and longer term goals. For daily goals I list two or three things to do. A longer term goals is like wearing a certain dress size. Also I do think spirituality is important. I go to coffee shop and read Bible daily. If I miss a day I really notice. You might also consider some resistance training. You can make really slow movements but with resistance. I've been doing it and it's made my joints stronger so I can hike on hills. I also think warm water zero entry pools are good for arthritis. There are water exercise classes for seniors out there. Peace.

Thanks for your positive response, but as I've been told over and over in the year since I was diagnosed, we are all different. I live in the middle of nowhere. I do not drive because of panic attacks, and I have no friends. So going to a gym or getting to a pool are not in the plan because of distance. I have a close spiritual bond with my Christianity, so that brings me peace when I get depressed. There isn't a coffee shop for miles. My one goal was to teach; it's all I ever wanted to do, and I did it for 42 years until I had to retire. That day was my first death. I cannot explain the passion I had for teaching. There is nothing else that could possibly replace it. I have read and researched diabetes for hours on end and resent the time I have to spend that way. I would never get out of the house to walk because it is rural and I consider it dangerous. I eat basically the same thing every day, and my husband does too since I never cooked until I got this disease. I know that I'll never get well; diabetes will kill me. I never considered the Golden Age of Retirement and I despise being a senior citizen too. So, Just about every day is the same for me.
Again, I appreciate your response.

retiredteacher

Retired teacher, well I definitely feel for you and I can hear your cry for help loud and clear. I know what it feel like to be im a box and feel like there's no way out. But there always is a way out. I know that a famous doctor has said when you feel depressed that the best your to do for your own mental health is find someone in need and help them. There is so much you can do by phone. There are suicide prevention hotlines that are routed to a volunteer's phone number. You seem like a very giving person.

Thanks for your comments, ihatediabetes. I had a professor who also said there is always an alternative. That was years ago; he was right, and I found an alternative----a third teaching job besides the two I already had. It presented a challenge, and I loved it. But, that ended, and then another challenge presented itself, and that was a teaching thrill. However, I am a recluse and I am in a box. I have all my life been a Steel Magnolia---strong and determined. But, since I no longer drive and since I have this deadly disease, I prefer to Be Still and Know. I don't like to go anywhere, if I can help it, and I spend my days reading and researching diabetes.
I again am thankful for your response. I hope you are in control of this disease, as much as anyone can be.
retiredteacher

I don't worry too much about diabetes. Instead I focus on healthy lifestyle. I'm doing healthy living program at Mayo. So my program is nutrition, physical activity, and resilience. Then if I do these three things well my Diabetes and weight will naturally be stable. I also think if my diabetes gets worse I can always cut carbs. I'm not taking meds because I eat less carbs and exercise more to keep a1c reasonable. I also just do a1c and not daily monitoring. I could not monitor myself daily.

@retiredteacher Since you are leading a rather solitary life, I am glad that you have connected with us at Mayo Clinic Connect. I hope that you can build confidence in this online community that might help you to reach out personally to others in your own neighborhood. (By the way, you mention, "I have this deadly disease." Are you referring to diabetes or something else?) While diabetes is a serious disorder, most doctors and patients with diabetes would consider it controllable with diet, exercise and medicine. Best wishes and keep in touch with us. I wish you peace, happiness and joy as you connect with others. Teresa

Hi Teresa,
Thanks for your note. I have never lacked confidence; in fact, I was a control freak and usually in charge! That was when I was teaching. I remained outgoing until I had to walk away from teaching. I will never get over that, and the part of me that died is a part I will mourn until I die. I do believe diabetes is a deadly disease because it affects every part of the body in a bad way. They may not list diabetes as cause of death on the certificate, but it's the underlying reason for kidney failure, heart attacks, pancreas, liver, teeth, hearing, eye problems, and everything else. So, I think it is a really dangerous, deadly disease that kills. I see ads for different meds on TV and they often give numbers for those who have this disease and numbers who will die. That's why I read and research constantly. I also occasionally experiment with different foods because I am so limited for what works that I really need some other choices. So far I have found nothing but chicken and mostly the few green vegetables I can get where we live. I have no idea who lives in my neighborhood. I really am not interested in knowing them. They go to work and have their own activities. My connection is through my computer and emails. I do not do any social media like Face Book. I am connected to this forum and to one other one. That's enough for now.
I appreciate your comments and suggestions.
retiredteacher