My advice is to not do anything you do not wish to continue to do. Give up what you think you can give up forever.. otherwise the weight will just come back on once the 'diet' is over.

Try adding cinnamon to your meals (or take cinnamon capsules), it is supposed to help with blood sugar levels.

Good luck!

My doctor told me to drink at least half of my body weight in water each day. She also said I needed to do a minimum of 35 minutes of cardio four times a week. You'd need to check with your doctor for any restrictions on exercise. I'm not diabetic, but my insulin level is at the higher end of normal. My doctor said to only eat potatoes about once every two weeks in a portion about the size of my palm. Potatoes are my absolute favorite food so I have a hard time there. I'm supposed to restrict my bread intake also and eat the whole grains. My doctor also recommended Greek Yogurt instead of the other stuff. It is a bit bitter tasting at first until you get used to the taste. I mixed it half and half with a kind I liked until I got used to the taste. I get the vanilla flavored and add frozen fruit and a little granola on top. My kids love it for a snack when they come home from school.

My doctor said to make sure I eat breakfast every morning. She suggested the yogurt for that. I love toast and she said that wasn't a good breakfast for me because of the insulin issue.

I'd track your calories. I have an app called "Lose It" on my phone. You put in your weight. How much you'd like to weigh, track food eaten, exercise, etc. It helps you know if you are on the right path.

Danny Cahill was the Season 8 winner of The Biggest Loser. He lives here locally. I recently went to a presentation by him. Someone asked him what he eats for breakfast. He said he had eaten four ounces of yogurt with Chex cereal mixed in and only one ounce of turkey sausage. Sounded like a small breakfast to me. He said he has been in a bit of a bit of a down state since his dad had died a year ago. He said he has put on 25 pounds and is working to lose it all before March when the next season ends.

Do as 'kayjones' says~~I will add this, 10 lbs in 10 weeks in not a good way to go, esp if you are doing it just for a dr visit. Maybe you need to ask your dr about nutrition classes~~you need to make lifetime/lifestyle changes~~I know it is hard, but it will be well worth it in the end.
Maybe you could join Weight Watches~~~you would lose the the weight and learn some good eating habits. It is fun also~~~my medical clinic has these nutrition classes, ask?

May I add:

Sometimes, people eat because of stress - find out what gets you stressed and address those issues. Loneliness is a type of stress - being with family and friends resolves that issue.

Get plenty of sleep - if we are tired or bored, we tend to eat.

Have a higher purpose - by giving to others, you give back to yourself.

Take a 30-minute walk or 3 ten-minute walks every day - if you have a pet, take it with you. Pets are marvelous outlets for stress - they listen and comfort you. Instead of choosing food, do something fun with your pet.

Thanks for the good advice. I know there's a Nutritionist at the hospital, she used to talk to me when I was getting dialysis. I'll give her a call. Back in my dialysis days, my diet was extremely strict. Giving up Coke is easy, I sometimes drink 3 or 4 cans a day, and I keep filtered water in the fridge, I really enjoy it.

From my own experience, just giving up soda gave me weight loss. I haven't had it in about 8 yrs. Now the taste of it is YUCK! That stuff is sooo bad for us!

In the last 2 weeks I have lost 6 lbs, just by cutting out white, white potatoes, pasta, bread. I'm trying to get through what I feel is a sugar addiction! I have been walking 2 miles a day also.

I highly suggest the diabetes nutrition clases ask your doctor to give a prescription to attend them then your insurance pays for it and it is really an amazing asset. Any one with diabetes or pre diabetes should do this they teach you how to eat what to eat and in the right amounts.
The most important thing however is eating several small meals and snacks a day!! I know it does not sound logical to eat more meals but that is what does it. You keep your body fed and with the right things.
Breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid after noon snack, dinner, before bed snack.
One of my best friends just got diagnosed a year ago she did the diabetes school, started on the program, and in one year has lost 55 lbs and gone down several sizes. She will likely be able to discontinue her meds pretty soon according to her doctor.

I think they should also offer refresher courses for diabetics to help update them on any new things and also refresh them on the important basics they may have forgotten.
I know I would love to take the course again. I still have my notebook they gave us with the info but I get much more out of classroom situations. Plus the ones I attended continue to follow up with you for a certain amount of time and tell you that you can call on them at any time which is really helpful.

Soft drinks are the DEVIL to anyone with diabetes! Just say NO. I drink lots and lots of water and on occasion tea that is pretty much it. It is an extremely rare occasion that I drink a soft drink.

To stay on track, it really helps me to think about whether the food I'm about to eat will make my body happy, or if it will make my taste buds happy for the few minutes it takes to eat it.

We ask a lot of our bodies - they have to wake up when we want, take us wherever we want, do whatever activities we want, keep us healthy, keep us mobile. We guzzle down caffeine to keep our bodies alert, feed them with crap food because it tastes good, prefer to sit on the couch instead of exercise and then get surprised when we end up sick!

We expect an awful lot and don't really give much in return. It helps me to think about that. You only get one chance in this body and once you lose your health it's very difficult to get it back.

Good luck! It sounds like you have made some great changes already.

a pound a week is not overly aggressive. Gee, if you drink
that many sodas a day, I would think that just stopping those would do the trick! lol As well as stopping fast food!

No suggestions really. Maybe take a look at Sparkpeople.com it's free, and has worked good for me. I've never heard anyone say anything negative about it.

I'm not even sure how I'd manage half my body weight in water! Overly fluffy person that I am, granted, but doing a quick conversion, if someone weighs 150lbs/68kgs, then half of that would be 75/34. 75lbs/34kgs of water is nearly 9 gallons/34 litres. I don't weigh 150lbs so I'd likely drown LOL. Granted, I do drink at least 4 litres of water/day, and cutting down on Coke will most certainly help Jannie, as I found that just eliminating the two extra pots of coffee w/sugar and milk has certainly helped me. Good luck with the weigh loss journey Jannie, we know you can do it!

Ditto Kat_wa! Giving up Coke and fast food might be all you need to do.

Also, I can reiterate what Lydia said. Committing to changing a habit over the long haul (not just while you're on a "diet") is the way to go.

Look for lower-fat cheeses and non-fat yogurt (my new favorite, as I mentioned at the KT before, is Walmart's Great Value brand of Greek yogurt). Cutting down on saturated fat will be good for your arteries and heart in addition to lowering your calorie intake. Also, you might find a healthier substitute for the cream in your coffee. Lots of options out there.

Good luck, Jannie! Let us know how you're doing.

I think half your body weight in water seems crazy. I should drink 55 pounds of water a day?? Get rid of soda and all junk food. Don't let yourself get hungry. Eat small portions in three meals a day. Exercise will peel the pounds off. Try to walk at least two miles a day. Cut out desserts. Good luck. I know you can do it.

I think she meant half your body weight in ounces :) I have heard that before.

You might consider not putting cream in your coffee. Find a substitute creamer that is low in calories. About 35 years ago, when I used to put sugar in my coffee, a friend suggested telling myself I was giving up the sugar for 2 weeks only. At the end of 2 weeks I had no desire to add sugar to my coffee.

If you have a smartphone I also highly recommend using an app to track all food consumption and exercise. The app I I use is like the one mentioned above - you enter your weight, desired weight and how much you want to lose per week and it tells you how many calories you can have. If you exercise, it increases what you can have. Mine also tracks carbs, fat, protein, sodium, etc.

You can also track this stuff in an online website but it's much easier if you can put it in your phone right away so you don't forget some things.

It's motivational to see progress you've made plus it's very, very enlightening to see how many calories are in the food we consume. Sometimes you just decide you can do without something entirely (like soda and cream) or sometimes you realize how much of an impact a smaller portion can have.

You really need to develop good eating and exercise habits that you can sustain long term - not a quick fix that you'll relapse on after your doctor appointment.

Oops! I did leave out 'ounces'. Drink half your body weight in ounces.

That kind of water consumption can actually be deadly.
Read the following article dealing with exactly that.

Here is a link that might be useful: danger of excessive water consumption

The RN/NP at my kidney transplant surgeon's office told me to drink 2 liters of water per day. I admit I've been drinking about one liter and also consuming a lot of coffee and Coca Cola. The Coke is gone from my life now. I've been drinking lots of water since Saturday (5 days so far) and I really enjoy it. I keep a pitcher of filtered water in my fridge. I'm highly motivated. I really don't want to be a diabetic. I fought kidney failure and I'm gonna fight this too!

Good for you, Jannie!!

Since you had a kidney transplant last year I would check with your nephrologist before drinking that much water. Deleting soda and fast food from your diet is relatively easy and safe but checking with your specialist and a nutritionist will provide you with the best information for you.

jannie - what kind of exercise do you get?

I agree with making changes you'll keep. I lost over 20 lbs last year, and I made changes I could do for the long run. For instance, I gave up all soda, but not coffee with cream in the morning. I care about coffee more. I started buying expensive, rich dark chocolate and just having 2 little squares from the bar in the evening if I was craving sweets. One bar would last me 3 days if I ate a piece every night, but I never do.

I cut out as much white carbs as I could...noodles, potatoes, rice, breads. I would have a little bit if I really wanted it, but cut waaaaay down.

I also added in exercise that I liked. I knew I would never, ever go to the gym every day. I started with yoga, which I love, and then added swimming, which I also love. They are exercise I actually enjoyed and looked forward to so it didn't seem like a chore (that I knew I would stick with).

Worked for me! Good luck.

I walk everywhere in my town, probably 2 miles a day minimum.

A can of Coke has 140 calories. If you have 3 a day, that's 420 calories. Times 7 days a week is 2940. And one pound is 3,500 calories. So you should lose close to a pound a week just by cutting out the sugared soda. On average, of course. I know I dropped weight when I switched to sugar-free soda.

I'll bet that if you just cut out most soda and fast food and keep track of what you eat to keep you conscious, the weight will drop off.

Good luck!.

If you're as visual as I am, and my friends, this one should work for you :) I have to say, it's keeping me in check and at the forefront of my mind. I put it on the dinner table and it usually inspires one or two things changes, e.g. smaller portion, not taking seconds, etc., during that meal which is enough because you multiply that times 7 days... and it's getting there. Good luck to you!

NOT my picture, but it shows what I've been doing

Here is a link that might be useful: from Jesses girl blog

I started weightwatchers last March...since then I have lost close to 60 lbs...still have about 20 more to go to reach my goal. Eliminating the soft drinks is huge..even diet drinks are bad..To really be succesful you need to keep a food log, it is really amazing how this helps to keep you accountable for your intake.
I have found the quick fix gimicks just do not work, and they are not at all healthy.
Value who you are, and eat accordingly.. your body deserves healthy foods... we all know what is good, and what is junk.I really have not felt deprived thro this as I have taken the mind set that I am worth the planning and preperation to eat the healthy stuff, and I have developed a taste for those things..lots of wonderful veggies,fruits,lean protein..This is a newlife style not just a quick diet plan...good luck to you.

Whew...ounces make a lot more sense. If you want to add some non calories to your water, float some lemon or lime slices, (no sugar) or add a pack of Crystal lite lemonade. I drink that all year.

when I feel like I want a sweet drink I use the Lipton individual packets that you pour into a bottle or glass of water. They come in various flavors, they do contain a little sucralose but not much because I don't like artificial sweetener. I have the blackberry pomegranate now and it's pretty good. They are called tea and honey, they contain a small amount of honey crystals.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lipton

I keep quick snacks handy. I'll eat 3 green olives. A handfull of baby carrots. 20 dark chocolate chips to satisfy a sweets craving. I keep cans of green beans and mushrooms for when I think I'm starving....I freeze blueberries then make a quick smoothie(ice, splenda, blueberries & 8oz Greek yogurt). If your gonna splurge....and you just can't take your mind off eating...stop...drop....do 50 crunches or 50 lunges if you sit at a desk at work all day. It divertes your mind away from food. When you first get up in the morning do a qick exercise routine, even if it's just stretches...gets your metabolism reved up....