Does anyone know if Weight Watchers will work if you have insulin resistance or does it need to be a diet specifically for it? All my doctor did was give me a prescription for metoformin, which after reading the side effects I don't want to take. She didn't mention a diet at all. I have alot of weight to loose. Would the leader at WW be able to tell me if it works for this condition or not? Seems even if I go low carb I don't loose. It's like everything is being turned into fat cells. You'd think my body would detect I have enough already and turn up the furnace!

Ok...what is the numbers on your blood sugar? You may be able to correct this will a proper diet. You can also use th metofor. for a while just to balance out your blood sugar until you get it under control. Did you doc run an A1C test?
...and do you have a blood sugar monitor? You can get one on the net for free...and on ebay you can buy test strips. (cheap)

Cinnamon and chromium helps to balance out blood sugar. By losing weight, it will help to correct your blood sugar.

You could do ww (great) and cut back on carbs a bit. This would help. High protein...low carbs...no sugar. At least with WW, you will not be hungry. The key is to always have food prepared.

Shebee

This is for information only.... & check out Dr.Mercola.com
http://diabeteslinks.blogspot.com/2007/01/...r-diabetes.html

I have insulin resistance, or as they prefer to call it now (to scare us) Pre-Diabetes. I went on the WW diet and it has really helped stablize blood sugar.

You do have to cut sugar out of your diet, and use splenda if you need sweetness. You should also cut out "white" food....ie: white pasta, white bread, white rice, white flour, etc....as these things are simple carbs and will convert to sugar in your blood stream very quickly.

During the middle of the night, our liver's dump glycogen into our blood streams (as energy to keep us alive!) and this will often cause us to have very high fasting blood sugar first thing in the morning. So it is suggested that you have a snack, consisting of protein right before you go to bed, or protein with a complex carb. Your WW diet can be altered to allow for this late night snack.

Another thing that works really well is exercise. Exercise will burn off excess sugar in your blood stream. Even walking. Start slowly if you haven't been walking much, even a block to begin with. Work your way up to at least a mile 3 to 4 days a week (or more!!). This will both help you lose weight and keep your blood sugar stable.

I am down 17 pounds so far, and still need to lose another 10 at least. My doctor told me I will have to be thinner than the average person in order to be healthy.

You should also have a complete thyroid panel done if you are having trouble losing weight. Sometimes having a thyroid issue will really mess with your weight loss efforts.

She didn't check my blood sugar only my insulin level ( at my request) and it was a 27 which as best I call tell from the lab result is pretty high. I'm not real happy with the doc I have. She speaks foreign and is hard to understand.

I know my blood sugar is all over the place, seems I'm hungry all the time. I tried chromium and it made my heart flutter. I do the cinnamon though.

I tried a thyroid supplement and it made me gain weight and my legs and feet were so swollen. I'm a mess.

What is metofor, you meant, metformin, LOL. It helps to certain degreem, but diet works the best. Test strips are rip off in USA, very expensive, the monitor is dirt cheap, but strips, I pay 130 for 100 strips, more than a buck a pop, only wallmart meter is a bit cheaper, $70 for 100 but not as accurate. This is how they get you started, some will give free monitor . It is a cash cow, no wonder they suggest that diabetics must eat low fat diet and take medication, more cash for Pharma.

Not much help and cinnamon can't be taken long term, it can give you peptic ulcer, it is very irritating to stomach lining, ithe chromium needs to be GTF, not just any. Problem with weight, IR prevents it, it turns anything you eat into fat, the way to go is low carb only, JMHO.

High protein will also drive insulin, roughly 56% of protein is turned into glucose, higher fat and moderate protein, plus low carb is what helps to lower insulin, tried and true, every time i stway away from the diet, I pack on the pounds.
best,
I.

I think you will do better with low carb, eventually, your insulin will level out, until then, you will be hungry on any diet that allows your insulin to run higher, high protein is not the best idea, and complex carbs drive insulin high as much as white stuff does, I am T2 diabetic, so I check my blood sugar after every meal, it does not matter, if I have brown rice or white rice, the lousy 2 g of fiber, don't make difference.
Try to cut drastically on carbs and stick to it, it is not easy, but it will lower your insulin dramatically, i don't know any other ways to deal with IR as via low carb, and also, watch protein, too much will drive insulin also, red meat especially, since it has lots of intramuscular glucose.
Fat isn neutral and itself does not rise insulin, so eat more healthy fat, adequate protein and cut back on carbs, especially grains and sugars, I hope it helps.
Not everyone with IR becomes diabetic, but IR condition itself, poses health risk.
You can PM me if you want to.
Best,
I.

I'm IR too or was, I went on a low carb diet and have followed it for 2 years. I rarely have sugar cravings and have a good amount of weight. My grandmother and aunts were all diabetic so I had to do something. I was craving sugar like crazy especially in the middle of the night and my weight was climbing.
I pretty much do everything 'I' suggested to you. Wonderful, accurate, suggestions.. she's a smart one.. I always agree with her!

I meant, I've lost a good amount of weight.

No edit button here...

I am also prediabetic and my doctor got really serious with me this last checkup and wants me to drop 15-20 pounds. I am doing the Rosedale diet, high healthy fats, low carbs ( only vegetables, no vegetables with high starch, nothing white...potato, rice, pasta, bread) and moderate protein. The first 3 weeks are very restrictive, in that no fruit is allowed.

I've lost 6 pounds the first week. It is very restrictive diet but I know I have to do something.

All the best,
Plumeria

What is metofor, you meant, metformin, LOL.


Yes, metformin was what I was trying to type! LOL!
...I was on the run this morning...so the post was short...

LOL! Iradan, You always have such great information. Have I ever told you Thank you? Thank You!




summermoon,

(As for test strips, you can pick them up on ebay. Make sure that they are in date.)

Stevia is a great product. It is natural and is very sweet. I use it in my coffee/tea instead of sugar. High fructose corn syrup, which seems to be in everything is Bad for your body. Try to avoid it.

Also, take a look at the FOOD Glycemic Index. (The glycemic index of a food refers to the rate at which that particular food causes glucose / sugar levels to rise in the blood. The higher the glycemic index, the faster that food converts to blood sugar. The faster a food converts to blood sugar, the more insulin your body makes and the harder it is to maintain good blood sugar control.)


To maintain the optimum level of insulin you should eat a diet consisting of approximately two parts (or two grams) carbohydrates with one part (or one gram) of protein. 70 - 80% of your total carbohydrate portion of each meal should come from foods that have a glycemic index below 80. This is all confusing, I know... And there are different opinions on the ratio. LOL!

I would head to your local library for several books. They will help you to figure out what to eat and when to eat it. The books will also give you examples and menus. This should at least help you get going in the right direction. I think this is what you are needing...menu examples. It is terrible for a doctor to say that your blood sugar is high, give you pills, and not tell you on what to eat or what not to eat.

...and Exercise really does make a a big difference.

I found this at diabetes-support.com: I thought it was a simple explanation of the cause of high blood sugar levels.

What causes the high blood sugar levels in Type 2 Diabetes?

High blood sugar levels are caused by insulin resistance, and insulin resistance is caused mainly by a diet that is too high in carbohydrates and a lack of certain nutrients.

Carbohydrates are simply long chains of sugar molecules (glucose) hooked end-to-end. When you eat carbohydrates your normal digestive process breaks up these chains into the individual sugar molecules, and they pass right through your intestinal wall into your bloodstream, and load up your bloodstream with sugar.

If this happened every once in a while it would not be a problem. But as diets today are so high in carbohydrates, you have had a constant high level of sugar pouring into your bloodstream year after year! This requires your body to continuously produce high levels of insulin to keep that blood sugar level down. (Insulin's job is to push sugar out of the bloodstream into the cells where it is used for energy.)

Eventually the cells in your body became insensitive to the effects of the insulin (insulin resistance). To handle this problem of insulin resistance your body began to produce even higher levels of insulin. This continued until your pancreas reached the maximum amount of insulin it could produce, and when the insulin resistance increased again, your blood sugar began to rise out of control. The result is type 2 diabetes! (Type 2 diabetes is actually an extreme case of insulin resistance.)

What can you do?

If you have not already done so, you need to eliminate ALL the starchy carbohydrates from your diet and stop loading up your body with sugar. Even small amounts of these starchy carbohydrates will prevent your sugar levels from coming down. This action will give your body a "breather" and the insulin will be able to do it's job of pushing the sugar out of your bloodstream and into the cells, your blood sugar level will drop naturally and the high level of insulin in your body will drop along with it.

Get to the library...and change doctors or at least call your doc and ask him what you should be eating...or where to go to find the information that he omitted.

Best wishes,
Shebee

The glycemic index is a bit meaningless, it has been tested on healthy non-diabetic ppl, the glycemic load - total number of carbs per meal, makes the differnce.

GI of a meal, consisting of protein, fat, and carbs is not the same as Gi of a meal consisting of just carbs... fat and protein slow down absorbtion, and digestion.

Another way to put it, never eat carbs without protein and fat, even white pasta made with semolina flour has GI of 54, add olive oil and cheese, you have much better meal than brown rice with veggies and soy sauce.
GI for diabetics and IR must be less than 50, yet, better less than 35, not less than 80.


The IR is mystery and no one knows how it develops, some ppl born with faulty insulin receptors, not everyone who is sugar junky gets IR and not every IR person likes sugar, it is sort of blaming the victim. I had no sugar and junk, and no fructose syrop, i have diabetes, so it is not that simple.

There are at elast 20 genes identified with IR and diabetes, some ppl have metabolic makeup that can only thrive on hunters/gatherers type of diet, similar to native americans, that were exceptionally healthy, tall, and lean ppl until they been put in reservations and introduced to high carb junk food, majority develiped diabetes in no time, think Pima indians. Those who continued to hunt and eat mainly, protein, fat, and small amount of berries, and tubers, stay lean ealthy.
Interesting, but native americans were the tallest population in comparison to europeans, they stood at least 6 feet tall, and many males were 6'5" and taller, thanks to diet high in nutrients with lots of animal protein and fat, also they had tremendous ability to recover from illnesses, speedy wounds healing, again, thanks to high protein low carb diet, with abundance of animal fat, not from the dairy, but attached to the meat.


On the countrary, asians eat large amount of white rice, and they are slim and small statue, although recently, thanks to junk food they are heading into troubles too. I have read interesting article, how asians have larger pancrease than different ethnicities and race, due to evolutionary adaptation. However, i think, is avoiding dairy and eating large amount of variety of leafy greens is what preventing them from obesity.


Consider how the FDA food pyramid practically removed all the fat from american diet, replacing it HFCS and transfats, it is not a surprise that obesity and diabetes will be serious health care issue in no time, and big pharma will profit even more. trying to keep population on insulin, meds, and pushing low fat diet on diabetics.

Obsity does not cause diabetes, there are thin diabetics and ppl with too much insulin and no diabetes in picture, correlation is not a causation, long term stress can make one diabetic even on proper diet, if there is genetic predisposion.

However, healthy ppl without predisposition to diabetes, simply expland number of beta cells and compensate for higher insulin demand, only those with faulty messaging system, become diabetics.

The faulty idea of pancrease to "bottom out" because our body needs more and more insulin, is simple not true. In diabetics, high blood sugar undiagnosted for years, even slight elevation, kills the pancreatic beta cells more than high insulin demand, if you have IR or "prediabetic" although, I think it is another bogus, as there is not such thing as "pre", there is normal glucose metabolism or diabetes, nothing in between.

Folks with normal glucose metabolism, glucose sensitive bodies, will never become diabetic, no matter how much sugar is consumed, they can live off sugar and carbs, and they have no problem whatsoever, even if they eat lots of sugar in one sitting, the blood sugar spikes very little and goes back to normal in no time.
In diabetics or ppl with impared glucose, it spikes and it takes hours to bring it down and lots of insulin.

Last but not least, estrogen is insulin sensitizer, lack of it, is one of the major factors of IR, so women not only more prone to diabetes, they also have worse outcome than men. Dr.Schwarzbein in her book, pointed out, that pregnancy is ideal situation to develop iabetes, it takes two or more pregnancies for a women to develop diabetes later in life......if other conditions are equal.
Some women develop gestational diabetes, and it is good indicator of what may happen down the road, some of us are just different, one man's food....
Exercise is ideal to bring sugar down without lots of insulin, mainly walking, jogging, swimming, using large muscles of lower body, definetely works.


Sheebee, my pleasure, was happy to clarify it for you.
best,
I.

If you feel like you need a diet plan to follow then I would recommend the south beach diet over WW. I followed it for a couple of months and really liked it. You can sign up free online and get recipes etc. For the perks I think it is something like $5 USD a month, much cheaper then WW. SB is low carb/high protein which is what you need more than low calories and fat.

For those with IR, very interesting article: How Eating Steak, Cake and Butter Can Make You Live Longer, sorry the cake part is just in the title, LOL.
But the rest is actually very interesting, explains how ppl can be skinny on fats and obese on low fat high carb diet.

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/141...er/?page=entire
Cheers,
I.

I was put on Metformin too the other year, I'm also IR. I had a reaction to it, broke out in a rash. I quit taking it. I was irritated anyway that my doctor wanted to put me on something this soon. My numbers average around 104, although that's over 'normal' high its still not that bad. My A1c is always normal. My grandmother was diabetic and my mom is too...I have the same tendencies as both of them and I tend to hold the weight.

I've done the low carb diet before and lost 22 lbs. But I could only hold it off for about a yr and a half. I've gained most of that back. So now I'm trying to lose it at a slower pace in hopes that this time I can keep it off, I'm also walking again too! So far each time I've been to the doctor this year (and its been a LOT) I've managed to have dropped another pound. I'm not doing anything in particular, just cutting back on how big my meals are and keeping sugar and bread down to a bare minimum.
(Oh, and I'm not a big desert eater either, so that helps...my mom LOVES deserts and can't say no)

Speaking of walking, its time for mine!

What a good article. Pass the Steak!


I stopped eating bad fats & oils long ago. iF IT DOES'T MELT IN YOUR HAND, IT WON'T MELT IN YOUR BODY. I mostly use olive oil and fresh butter and whole milk. The GI helped me to realize which foods were better choices for me.

I found this part of your post particularly interesting :



Ghanaian's diet consists mainly of yams, cassava, maize, plantains, and rice. I would not do well on any of those things. I instantly gain weight from just looking at rice or corn! At my favorite Chinese restaurant, my friend (who is Chinese) eats mountains of rice and is as slim as a pencil. LOL! I once followed her diet exactly...and rapidly gained weight! I don't do well on soy or soy products either. If we could figure out what ethic area/background that are from, perhaps we could then design a diet that would promote optimum health? In America, we are such a mix.

The French eat rich foods & drink lots of wine ...chocolate croissants for breakfast, tartes aux fruits rouges at night...baguettes with cheese... If I had the "guts," this is the one that I would try! However, I have read that they are quickly catching up with America in being over weight. The French are having blood sugar problems & etc. because of the fast food industry. (McDonald's & Starbucks along with soft drinks are wreaking havoc.) Since banning vending machines in their schools, the incidences of childhood obesity has now leveled off.

The lowest incidence of childhood obesity seems to be with the Scandinavians. Pass the herring and meatballs! ...and throw in a reindeer or two!

Over time, I have discovered that I must have protein for breakfast and little or no carbs. If I eat pancakes & syrup for breakfast, I am deathly sick by 10:00am. I always eat protein with every meal and usually a protein snack with a few carbs before going to bed. I have been doing this for so long that I think that I just do it automatically.

I have read that the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages & etc. is a major cause of the epidemic of obesity and diabetes. It is hidden in everything on the market shelves. We really don't realize just how much sugar we consume. Table sugar seems to be better for you than the corn syrup because of the way our bodies metabolize it.

Yes, even thin people can become insulin resistant because of all of the refined food that they eat.


By changing our eating, and with exercise our blood sugar can be controlled. Drugs can help, but they won't "cure " or reverse the problem.

Does everything have to be so complicated?

Shebee

The whole "eating" thing is just hard!! I get so frustrated. I can't do low carb eating, as in no grains. I try, but I can't do it. My cravings for breads and cereals gets so big I end up going way overboard with them. I can, however, stick to whole grain breads and cereals and do fine. I don't need a LOT of the grain foods, but I do need some. I think my body needs them. I avoid soda, chips, fast food, cookies, cakes, candy....I occasionally will treat myself to a small Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cone. If I am really craving a sweet snack I will have a couple of graham crackers with Nutella on them....tastes like a chocolate bar! The Nutella is a little high in sugar and fat, but it is also full of protein. Again it is a matter of portion control. You don't sit down and eat half a jar of Nutella and half a box of graham crackers!!!

I definitely have been brainwashed into thinking that fat is bad. Boy that is a tough hurdle to get over!! All our lives all we hear is FAT IS BAD! Now they are trying to tell us FAT IS GOOD!! Sheesh!! My CHO is high, I am leery of fat.

Shebee, I would like to see an example of what your typical meal plan for a day looks like, if you are inclined to share.....

LOL! My meal plan is not typical. LOL! Right now I am in weight loss mode, so although I am eating a lot of food, I am not packing in the calories. It is fairly restrictive right now. The only way that I can lose weight is to cut out almost all grains and sugar. Right now, I am in veggie mode because of my garden.



Ok...


coffee....with stevia and real cream



Breakfast...1-2 eggs lightly fried in real butter Melon??? Sometimes I juice veggies & fruits.



I have been going to the garden and eating there. Tender green beans, peas, tomatoes, herbs, cukes...whatever I find. One day I ate a large bowl of raspberries.




or if I am on the run ...a whey protein shake/milk & water

Lots of vitamins & hormones (I wonder why handfuls of pills don't ever fill you up? LOL!



Late lunch...

Lots of Steak...Chicken....or Fish... on a big bowl of lettuce and raw veggies
(added cheese, maybe an egg?, a few wheat crackers?...or sprout bread...
Pecans on the salad & a rich blu cheese dressing....sprinkled with dried cranberries.

I eat a lot at lunch time.


I really like stir fry...with no rice.

If I want desert...now is the time. I can eat anything as long as I control the portion.



Snacks? If I am hungry...fruit..apple or ????




Dinner...
Meat, Salad, 2-3 veggies with butter...No bread, but sometimes a whole wheat pasta side dish...or baked squash.
I love salmon...


Tonight I have a veggie casserole (several veggies) with cheese....and a roast. I'll add a salad ...and allow myself to eat as much as I want. For my family, I'll add bread & butter, and milk/tea. When I am on a diet, my whole family eats what I do. LOL! We eat healthy anyway, so most of the time they don't notice.



Nightitme...This is when I am really hungry. Cheese/crackers veggie & dip plate....glass of milk?

...a spoon of peanut butter. (I forgot about Nutella!)

...and part of a chocolate bar. LOL! (you really didn't think that I was that restrictive, did you?)
Last night my hubby brought home to me my favorite ice cream. I could have killed him! I ate a spoonful to please him, but since it was not the weekend, I had to restrain myself. LOL!



Weekends are mine...I eat whatever I want. LOL! Back on my diet starting on Monday.


My diet is not really "balanced" at this point because I am in diet mode. I have about 10 lb left to lose.
By eating this way, I will drop 2-3 lbs a week. Having a garden really makes it easy to eat veggies. When I eat this way, I do not have any cravings.
If I eat anything with sugar in it, then I crave sugar & breads.

Shebee

shebee, I eat a similar diet sans chocolate, crackers, and similar, and i wish I have lost a pound, LOL.
I eat 1/2 of what you eat, i swear, the hrt makes the difference, LOL.
I eat pretty much the same, I never eat carbs for BF, this is when I have least insulin, and carby BF will send me looking for food in les than an hour. This is all about insulin, if I can keep my blood sugat on even keel, the hunger is not a problem, I can't even look at rice and corn, not to mention, I can't digest corn, LOL.
But i can eat small amount of real pasta with lots of olive oil, fish, seafood and get away with no glucose spike, pasta has very dense texture, even regular semolina dry pasta.
I also sometimes cook as PMS treat whole grain flaxseed pasta, once a month, this is my treat.
Hubs eats what I cook, if he wants bread, he buys good sour dough or italian, real bread like artesian, small slice is very little carbs.
but my main cracings are for protein and fat, without it I will be eating paint off my fridge, LOL.
I also, started jucing veggies daily, and this is my vitamin fix for now, and I eat tons of produce, cooked and raw, mainly variety of colorful veggies, allow myself low GI fruits,like berries or apricots, or cherries, only with meal, for dessert, and no sweets, could care less about it.
I do like good french and italian cheese, and wine, to finish off the meal.
I agree we all have different metabolic makeup, it is like blue print, I know, pasta, taters and bread always made me gain weight, I am only in control when I cut my carbs to 50-60 g a day, netto, coming mostly from veggies, dairy and little fruit.
Floater,
Not everyone can forgo carb cravings, and it is ok to give in on ocation, but overall, fat and protein is what is filling, not carbs, i eat carbs, I get hungry in no time, but we all are different, i worry more about TRG than LDL when it comes to cholesterole, women need high HDL and low TRG, the rest falling in place.
Fat is not bad, carbs turn into triglycerides with a much help from insulin exess that most ppl with diabetic tendencies have.
One doctor told me, watch your blood sugar closely, your cholesterole will follow, he was right, if my glucose is in control, cholesterole is good also.
The best ratio and total I had back on very strict low carb diet, the more I deviate from the diet, the worse it gets.
Hormones play crucial role, but overall, it is specific metabolic pattern that makes huge difference between two ppl, on the same diet, this is why no universal diet ever will work.
Diet it is not temporary but means Lifestyle, so I can only do one type, carb controlled, and then low fat does not agree with low carb, you will have no energy, as fat becomes your primary source of fuel, when you eat less carbs.
Olive oil is good and so is butter, which carries more nutrient per tbs than oils. I sprinkle my salads with nuts, some cheese, always drizzle with olive oil and vineral, and I never touch low fat dressing or store bought one, as all contains cupious amount of HFCS.
I believe weight perse is least of my problem, I only watch my blood sugar, as it is most important.
When I have lost weight during perimenopause, it did not make any difference in my blood sugar control, go figure, what i eat daily, does make huge difference.
Little cheats lead to more cheats, so not cheating is better than giving in for me, hard to get on track after that.
Best,
I.

Holy cow, how did vineral crawled into my post, LMAO, I meant Vinegarl, I need to spell check it from now on.

Gee. if we have to spell check every time, I quit! LMAO, too!

I'll get back with you in the morning...

Shebee

My doctor told me in June that my numbers had finally reached into the pre-diabetic stage. I think on some level I was always expecting it--or was that just the voice of peri I was hearing? Gloom and doom has been my shadow for the last few years. Anyway, my doc didn't tell me WHAT to do about it--so between my PS sisters and a few good websites I started embarking on the low carb trail. That's where I found a book published in April--The Metabolism Miracle--by Diane Kress, RD, CDE. Her system is wonderful, intelligent, and works--at least for me it is. I've lost 18 pounds in the last five weeks, all my sugar cravings have vanished (okay, except for the ice cream craving on a super hot day) and I'm feeling pretty doggone-good.

Just thought I'd pass this info on to anyone in the same boat that I am.

BJ

OMG! Iradan (((((HUGE HUGS)))))

You have answered the most infuriating question that my doctor dodges to answer. I do not crave sugar, instead I crave salt. Lots of it. Why is that ? You explained it in so few words and it is understandable too.

Since about the age of 18 I suffer from venous edema as well, something my mother had all her life too, so watch my sodium intake (salt). Hand me a piece of chocolate or a teaspoon of salt, I will choose the salt everytime. Cheesecake or Frito Corn chips - Corn Chips. Green olvies or black - Green, they're saltier tasting.

You get the picture.

What is your understanding of the relationship between diabetes and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)? Was diagnosed when I was 27, am now 47 y/o.

Hi:
Maybe I have been working on lowing my sugars too much, I walk 3 times a day, Have cut out alot, lost weight when I didnt need to, so I took my sugars after dinner and a walk, it was 73, had no orange juice in house , so drank milk and ate cookies, to get it back up to 91. Is 73 just as bad as over 100
Jpie

Jpie,
I think 73 is starting to get low. Were you feeling Ok at that point or could you tell it was low?
If you don't have sugar drops it might be ok, but I think they like to see the numbers between 80 - 99. You have to be careful that your sugar doesn't go too low just as we have to be careful that it doesn't go too high.

When I have a sugar drop, I feel horrible and it takes some time for me to recover from it.
I had this to happen when my doctor decided it was time to give me the 3 hr Glucose Tolerance Test. Just as I was starting the 3rd hour my sugar dropped (at the 2nd check it had already dropped to 68), I got very sweaty and nauseous. I lived close enough to the doctors office to be able to go home between finger sticks. I managed to get back in there but none too soon. And I scared everyone to death, my legs were getting weak and I was on the verge of passing out. By the time they check me again the sugar had started to climb back up on its own to 72, but I was a sweaty shakey mess at that point.

Sorry, I don't mean to ramble here. But low sugar can be dangerous...probably more so then high sugar.

Our bodies need certain levels, just as we need certain levels of hormones. When the levels are off, it causes us problems. So the main thing is to try to keep the levels between the 80 and 99 numbers.

You've done well if you've been able to lower your numbers on your own. That's great!! Keep up the good work!!

jes

Hi Jes:
Thanks for replying, that was what I was already thinking, that low sugars are just as dangerous. It usually gets that low when I have been watching my carbs and sugars, and then walk alot. Just now it was 105, before 95. It seems it goes up and down all day long . It is never consistant, is everyone like that. My husband gets annoyed and says I should eat sugars once in a while, maybe he is right. We went to Wendys, so I thought OK I will have a frosty, it went straight thru me, as if my body is rejecting the sugars. It seems like I can control my sugars pretty easy with diet, but I have lost alot of weight, which in my case I didnt need to. I think there is a drink you can buy to put weight back on. Carbs seen to put the sugar up more than just sweets. What are the good fats to eat? That would put weight back on again?
Jpie

Yes, our sugar levels will go up and down throughout the day, this is normal.
There are also lots of things that can effect sugar too. With me, my stress level can cause mine to go up, plus I certainly don't eat that well either. I have the extra weight around my waist which is a general sign of insulin resistance, and diabetes runs in my family.
If you do a lot of walking and can control your weight, then as long as you eat a well balance meal most of the time, you should be Ok. The key is to eat the right mix of protein and carbs. When I did Adkins, all I watched was carbs which has a lot of the bad sugars, but I'm such a picky eater it is hard for me to diet.

Also, if you are checking your sugar right after you eat that is the wrong time to be checking. Generally they say your body needs to have time to break down and use the sugar after we eat. So you really need to wait to possibly 2 hours after eating before checking to see what it is. This will give you a better idea of how your body is handling what you eat.

As for gaining some weight back, not sure what to tell you there. I'd be glad to give you some of mine!!
Were you tested for IR and your numbers where up some as to why you are now working on bringing them down?

I used to check mine every morning right after I get up, I averaged anything from 99 to 107. Once in a while I would check during the day after eating to see how long it stayed up from what I ate.
I will be going in the morning for my 6 months fasting blood work. Something I dread but have to do. I also deal with high cholesterol so I'm on a 6 mon. checkup all the time. I dread my numbers this time. My stress level has been through the roof this summer and I'm a stress eater, craving carbs. So I'm trying to prepare myself for a bad checkup this time.

Scottieluvr,
The correlation between PCOS and diabetes is very direct,, majority of PCOS Dx women have too much male hormones ( androgens), and hence, suppressed ovulation, absence of menses, unwanted hair in some places, acne, etc. and for majority it also accompanied with abdominal obesity, IR, diabetes, etc.
Apparently, there is a direct connection to adrenal functions, that overproduce adrenalin/cortisol, which inhibits action of insulin and prevents ovulation.
The suppressed ovulation results in lack of estrogen and progesterone, and high insulin turns anything you eat into fat.
UNLESS you eat very low carbohydrates, you significantly lower your insulin requirements, and things may start falling back in place.
Some physicians can't figure out with PCOS the chicken/egg situation, what is primary and what is secondary.
Majority think, it may be the ovaries that fail to work properly, as the egg never released, than adrenals must take over and overproduce androgens.
However, since low carb diet has very high success rate in treating PCOS and the nasty symptoms, many doctors now base their treatment on lowering insulin via diet and medication like metformin.
Overall, it seems pretty logical, that insulin, being major hormone, greatly impacts entire endocrine system and ovaries being part of it, adrenals, etc.
I am salt junkie too, even I did not have PCOS, but I suspect I always had predisposition to diabetes, perhaps, some adrenal connection here, as I had GAD in my 20s.

I know only one natural cure PCOS and IR, it is LOW CARB DIET and metformin, or low carb diet alone it very helpful.
I recently tighten my diet and eliminated all starches and most fruit, and no more bloating and sugar cravings of any kind, and I feel my clothes feels loose now, so no matter what the doctors tell us, the only way to combat the beast, is to keep carbs within 50-60 g a day.
Biggest mistake ppl make, is to replace carbs with protein, which is not just hinders weight loss, but also can result in elevated uric acid, kidney issues, and gout, yikes.
If you replace carbs with healthy fat, even atkins version can be very healthy.
I added vegetable juice to my daily food, freshly made celery, green bell pepper, parsley, cabbage, and I feel even better.
The salt craving is because your body can't gold sodium, again, because of too much insulin, it retains water and it tries to regulate the water balance, and along with water goes the sodium.
If would avoid corn chips, and eat food naturally high in sodium, like celery, or drink juice, it is balanced with potassium, so it makes it even better deal.
HTH,
Best,
I.

jpie,
the less sugar you eat, then more even your blood glucose will be, don't give into temptations, or you will be on the roller coster all the time.
95 ad 105 is not that low, it is normal, better to have the glucose in 2 digit range.
The fat also helps to keep glucose balanced, and slows down digestion. Starches are worse than sweets, if sweets have fat in it, plain starches are killers for blood sugar, so here is the whole grain theory goes down the drain.
If you dread low sugar it has to be less than 60, to scare you, but u are right, low blood sugar can kill in matter of minutes, while high glucose can do the damage slowly.
I think, in general, the older we get, the higher blood glucose gets, as as higher BP, IR at menopause is rather common.