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ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady

It isn't a matter of not understanding diabetes, it is a matter of wanting/needing a defined diet to follow.  Some people need that, the menu plan that says "eat this, this and this."

TFB, you are on Medicare.  If Kaiser isn't providing for your needs correctly, you can change to someone one else.  I wasn't restricted to my insurance carrier's diabetes education, I went to my local Regional Diabetes Center, which gets its information and works closely with the American Diabetes Association.  Honestly, if it was some insurance company's program, I would have complained, too easy for them to bias things.  The RDC doesn't care who your insurance company is or what is or is not covered, they are dealing with the patient.

Look, the bottom line here is that you want a nutritionist and your insurance company doesn't want to pay for it.  Medicare HAS APPROVED gastric bypass surgery for weight loss in diabetics, so apparently your doctor and your insurance company aren't communicating properly since weight loss/nutrition is a big part of managing diabetes, it isn't just about weight loss.  Your doctor needs to present it to the insurance company as a diabetes issue, not a weight loss issue.  If they deny it, she (her office) needs to appeal the decision.  If she isn't willing to do that, get a new doctor.  If it isn't possible to get it approved, save up and spend the 60 bucks and be done with it.

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ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady

Well, actually one of the side effects of Januvia is weight gain, not weight loss.  It also can sometimes having the side effect of restarting Menses in post menopausal women.  The up side is that it works very well when paired with Metformin.

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ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady

TFB,

Just like you had to just do it with the cooking for yourself instead of eating tv dinners, the same goes true for deciding what you eat.  Make small changes.  For example, give up fried foods, or cream sauces.  Cut back on dairy.



It would be nice to be able to meet with a nutritionist, but it isn't like you can't do it yourself.  It's great to use the diabetic recipes when you can, but those are really just eating more balanced meals.  A nutritionist is going to tell you that 1/2 your plate should be healthy vegetables, 1/4 protein, 1/4 complex carbs.