Had my latest diabetes check-up yesterday and my A1C is under 7! Woot! This means I am technically "under control". Life insurance, here I come! Gonna buy some more, just in case.

But I got to under 7 really, really painfully. I started taking this drug called Invokana. Maybe you've seen their commercials:



Hmmmm, side effects? "Some weight loss"? "Dehydration"? Ah, OK. Tell me more!

YIKES. By "dehydration" they mean HUMONGOUS FREAKING CRAMPS! It started about three months ago, with a lot of lower-leg/calf cramping during workouts. I figured that was me, not the medicine. Then, my calves started cramping in bed. I'd stretch or something and WOW!!!! Immediate cramps, which hurt like all get-out. I'd jump out of bed (no, really - I would actually JUMP out of bed) and walk them off. Then, it got worse.

My tendons started cramping. WTF?!?!?!?! The tendons around my ankles started cramping up at night too, and guess what? You can't walk that off! Man, it was bad.

I ran out of Invokana about 10 days ago and within 4-5 days, the cramps stopped! That's when we figured out what was causing them. This was confirmed when I had my doctor visit yesterday. I described what was happening and he said, "Oh yeah, those are classic Invokana side effects".

You could have given me some warning!

The other side effect was weight loss. I've lost about 20 pounds from my peak, and I didn't want to lose any weight. I was 205 at my biggest but am 182 today. No bueno! I feel better, look better, and fill out my clothes best at 190 - 195.

Even though I'd been maintaining, and sometimes increasing, my strengh I was losing weight. That's never good!

So we've cut my Invokana from 300 mg a day to 100 mg a day. If any cramping returns, or if I can't put back on the weight I want, bye bye Invokana and hello radical new diabetes diet.

Anyway, I'm so fired up that I'm going to get back to 195 - 200 pounds that I can't wait to hit the gym every single day. Let's do it!

missfee said:

Glad to see you progressing towards your goal! Great job. Now if only I could do it too....I have a real problem and I'm just tired of being fat. After I came back from vacation in late June, I discovered that I was back at my heaviest weight...again. So I joined a new gym and the great thing is that it's only 10 minutes from home. Started out great, was getting to the gym 3-4 days a week, was eating right, was doing weights and cardio and this went on fine until 3 weeks ago when I started having an enormous amount of stress from work. Slowly I was reverting back to old ways, fast food, chocolate, skipping the gym b/c I was so pissed off from dealing with mismanagement of my incompetent department. Now I feel like I'm back to the very beginning all over again and frustrated. How did I get here again? I've probably gained back the weight or inches I possibly lost during that period of time. Urgh, I'm just so tired of "starting over". I can't figure out why I keep falling off. Sorry for the rant...I'm just very frustrated with myself right now. [Edited 8/19/15 14:11pm]

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If you don't mind cooking you might want to try The Engine 2 Diet. Ask about it.

RodeoSchro said:

Had my latest diabetes check-up yesterday and my A1C is under 7! Woot! This means I am technically "under control". Life insurance, here I come! Gonna buy some more, just in case.

But I got to under 7 really, really painfully. I started taking this drug called Invokana. Maybe you've seen their commercials:



Hmmmm, side effects? "Some weight loss"? "Dehydration"? Ah, OK. Tell me more!

YIKES. By "dehydration" they mean HUMONGOUS FREAKING CRAMPS! It started about three months ago, with a lot of lower-leg/calf cramping during workouts. I figured that was me, not the medicine. Then, my calves started cramping in bed. I'd stretch or something and WOW!!!! Immediate cramps, which hurt like all get-out. I'd jump out of bed (no, really - I would actually JUMP out of bed) and walk them off. Then, it got worse.

My tendons started cramping. WTF?!?!?!?! The tendons around my ankles started cramping up at night too, and guess what? You can't walk that off! Man, it was bad.

I ran out of Invokana about 10 days ago and within 4-5 days, the cramps stopped! That's when we figured out what was causing them. This was confirmed when I had my doctor visit yesterday. I described what was happening and he said, "Oh yeah, those are classic Invokana side effects".

You could have given me some warning!

The other side effect was weight loss. I've lost about 20 pounds from my peak, and I didn't want to lose any weight. I was 205 at my biggest but am 182 today. No bueno! I feel better, look better, and fill out my clothes best at 190 - 195.

Even though I'd been maintaining, and sometimes increasing, my strengh I was losing weight. That's never good!

So we've cut my Invokana from 300 mg a day to 100 mg a day. If any cramping returns, or if I can't put back on the weight I want, bye bye Invokana and hello radical new diabetes diet.

Anyway, I'm so fired up that I'm going to get back to 195 - 200 pounds that I can't wait to hit the gym every single day. Let's do it!

Yikes!!!

Before this thread locks itself, a quick update;

True-to-form and as most of you who know me suspected...my "push" was short-lived.

Going on vacation then the kids' back-to-school provided just enough chaos and excuses for me to stop going.

Tuesday the 20th I have an appointment with the trainer again. That worked really well as a firm motivational tool to get me to stick with the gym (albeit an expensive one!).

Stay tuned for Part III...