Diabetes Update – Januvia Prescription
April 21, 2009 by Lara
Filed under My Diabetes
First I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to send personal emails to me, comment on my posts, and reach out to me via Twitter… I love you all!
As you might recall, this morning I had my 6-week check-in with the doctor regarding my diabetes diagnosis that I got on March 9, 2009. I’ve got a few things to report, some good, others not so much.
I did lose 7 pounds since my last visit, 6 weeks ago. It’s not the numbers I was hoping for (or that my doc was hoping for) but it did prove to him that I’m taking this seriously, so that’s a good thing. He said a pound a week was okay for a normal person trying to lose weight, but he wanted to see a big initial drop, which I didn’t have.- My fasting blood sugar (FBS) was 194. That’s about 10 points higher than it was the last time, so I’m really kind of upset over that. I’ve been doing really well with limiting carb intake, despite a few wagon trips.
Because of the above two points, he’s put me on a prescription diabetes medicine called Januvia. It’s supposed to suppress the appetite, lower blood glucose levels, and all around help when used with diet and exercise to lose weight.
I’ve read about drugs like Metformin and Janumet (a combination of Januvia and Metformin) used as oral prescriptions for those with Type 2 Diabetes who are having troubles with just diet and exercise.
I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been 110% perfect with the diet or the exercise, however I’ve got another appointment in 5 weeks for another blood sugar test and a check-in with the doc (May 26th). I’ve also set the appointment with the CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) for May 6th.
I’ve re-dedicated myself to using SparkPeople to journal my food consumption – It’s got to be a permanent factor in my life right now, because when I don’t use it, I can pretty much safely assume that I’m going over the 1200-1400 calorie limit.
I’m also going to be forcing myself to get on the treadmill every day. I don’t care what it is that has me “busy” – there’s nothing as important to me as getting on that damn machine. Period.
So there you have it – Maybe I should be going to the doc once a week, for a weekly motivation boost?!? LOL
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Sounds like you are determined to make some , hooo! It’s interesting your Doc wanted a bigger weight loss, I’d kill for those numbers. I’ve hung a sign up in my room that says “Remember: Cholesterol” So when I wake up I’m remined first thing what my priority is, it’s helping. Don’t be hard on yourself about not being 110% perfect…. who can be?
I know it’s not the numbers you were hoping for but seven pounds is seven pounds. Consider this: that’s a newborn baby. You did AWESOME, and you are heading in the right direction.
Keep it up. It’s the tortoise that wins the race.
@Bernie – Thanks for the support! He wants bigger numbers initially, to drop the sugar as fast as possible, and then for me to slow down.
@kirwin – You’re amazing… thank you for putting it that way!
I understand that your doctor wants you to lose weight quickly, but honestly if you are losing more than 1-1.5 lbs per week it is not fat that you are losing, so what good does that do? If you can keep the weight loss steady, I would not try to lose more quickly. It will never last if you lose too fast (burning muscles destroys your metabolism).
I will soon write a post on my blog about diabetes diets, but since it is still a few weeks away I will tell you a few pointers that I have learned in my reading (I’m a scientist).
Unfortunately, it seems like diabetics are so insulin resistant that even real, whole, intact grains are problematic when first trying to lose weight. Although these can be worked back in the diet eventually, first you need to regain your insulin sensitivity.
Instead, the latest data implies that legumes are an effective alternative. It seems diabetics have more success when completely replacing all grains with beans and other legumes. So instead of having brown rice, have some lentils or beans as your starch for a couple of months.
If you are going to try this, I recommend cooking beans from scratch (dried beans), because they taste much better than canned. They take a long time to cook though, so I use a pressure cooker for mine (cuts it down to 30 min). Also, lentils cook in about 20 minutes (try French green lentils that keep their shape well – I’m posting a recipe tomorrow), and are a great option when time is a factor.
Nuts are also beneficial to diabetics.
Best of luck with everything–I really believe you can beat this. Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions.
@darya – Thank you for your feedback!
I am including nuts and beans more in the diet than grains, although I’ll admit that I’m still relying on my morning oatmeal and brown rice at dinner to replace things like bagels and pasta.
I’m planning on posting my meals here soon, including my reasoning for eating what I do. I’m trying to follow a mostly Mediterranean-style diet for a couple reasons: 1. It’s in my heritage, and I lived in Italy (on the Adriatic which borders Greece as well) and 2. It’s a highly recommended diet for diabetics, as it includes lots of great oils and fish, nuts, low-fat cheeses, and all the stuff I love.
I’ve become addicted to almonds, avocados, and feta cheese. LOL
I don’t mind canned beans for their taste, however I’m pretty positive that because I rinse them completely, I’m losing some of the benefits of the fiber and nutrients… they sit in a can for however long with that gooey liquid, which you know absorbs the nutrients, and then they get rinsed away. Can’t be half as good as making them from dried. I’ve found some ways to do it with my slow-cooker (don’t have a pressure cooker and can’t really spring for one right now).
I’m pretty secure feeling about my diet choices – I know that the reason I didn’t lose more is because I really didn’t get on the treadmill every day. I’ve been dieting on and off all my life, it’s standard for me to used to be able to eat ANYTHING but as long as I worked out, I could still lose. This time’s different because I’ve got blood sugar to worry about (but exercise will drop that too).
Thanks again for stopping in, it’s really nice of you to take the time to share your knowledge here! :) I’ll probably work more on using beans/lentils where I can, it’s just that right now I’m having enough trouble just maintaining my calorie count. LOL
@Lara Sounds like you’re doing great and approaching food wisely. If oatmeal and brown rice are your only grains, it is hard to find too much fault in that! And like I said before, losing 7lbs is AWESOME if it is slow, natural fat loss.
Good for you!!!
Lara,
Hang in there and keep moving towards your goal. You will find the diabetes educator so valuable and supportive. Reading the contents on the labels is so important. Try to look for fat-free. I found that when I look for sugar-free, I didn’t always review the fat content and that may be keeping your blood sugar higher overnight. Keep eating the legumes. Have you read Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes? He discusses a vegan diet. I am not 100% vegan, but I do include more beans than before. The other tip that I find helpful is eating a fruit for my night time snack. The fruit snack is the best. It keeps me at a good level overnight. If your sugar gets low overnight, your liver may be releasing glucose to compensate.
The most important tip that is helpful to me is the consistant exercising. I know you have researched the increased insulin uptake after exercising. Neither cardio nor weight resistance alone is sufficient for me, I include both along with yoga and walking my dog. The decrease averages 30-40 points. The days I miss exercising, I see the result.
You have been smart with your research and should be proud of your weight loss. Don’t get discourage, you will find the best combination of habits and medication.
Good luck!