I used to drink two 20oz sodas every day. About 4-5 years ago I quit cold turkey. Now I might have a soda once a month.
I'm pretty sure my blood type used to be Sweet Tea, and that's just as sugar-laden as soda. Juice is just as bad as full-strength soda. I was never a wine girl, so I can't discuss that.
After being diagnosed as a diabetic, I knew that had to change -- simply put, I had no choice. Seriously, within a couple weeks I adapted to no-sugar drinks -- it's no longer a problem for me. Aside from water, the drinks I reach for are
- Diet Dr. Pepper
- Unsweetened tea with Stevia -- I carry packets in my purse now
- Iced coffee, decaf with one Stevia and two creams (milk and Coffee Mate have carbs; cream does not)
- G2 or Gatorade Zero
The iced tea is not as good as "the real thing", but I have genuinely accepted the others as "my choices". You will never beat Diabetes if you don't change your drink choices; liquid sugars hit your blood stream immediately and affect your blood sugar quickly. My Nutritionist also explained that sugar molecules are "spikey" in shape, and they "get caught" especially in the tiny blood vessels in your eyes and sex organs -- so sugary drinks are really Enemy #1.
Once -- after I was accustomed to these no-sugar drinks -- we went through a Wendy's drive-through, and I was excited to see they had the Strawberry Lemonade again, so I ordered it. I totally forgot that such things are "off limits", but we were moving our daughter out of college and I was distracted. We were miles down the road when I took a big drink, and I immediately realized my mistake. My taste buds had changed, and I didn't even particularly like the drink -- but it was what I had, so I drank about half of it. Back home, after a two hour drive, I tested my blood sugar -- it was the highest it'd been since my diagnosis.
You've gotta use what works for you. If an app would keep you on track, you'll find plenty of choices -- for free. But most people will benefit from the accountability of keeping records in some way. On paper, with an app ... how isn't important.
Portion control is a HUGE problem for me... especially when it's a food I like. Unfortunately, what I like is carbs... bread, pasta, rice, etc.
Portion control is huge for everyone. Several people mentioned small plates -- that's a good idea. A couple other things I do:
- HALF a sandwich. Most of the things I put into sandwiches are okay in terms of carbs, but the bread itself adds up quickly. So I pile on the fillings and tell myself, "Half a sandwich with a salad or veggies on the side." Interestingly, mini-croissants are only about 12 carbs, so they are a decent low-carb choice, and they're kinda already "half sized".
- I often split take-out with my husband. Restaurant meals are grossly oversized, so we often order ONE sandwich or ONE order of Chinese take-out and split it. Saves money and gives us a more reasonable portion.
- I have some mini-bowls that are 1/4 cup. They're actually dipping bowls, but if I have ice cream, potato salad or something else "bad", that's my amount.
- I've convinced myself that a small dessert can be just as enjoyable as a huge hunk of cake. As I slowed down to focus on it, I've realized that the first few bites are delicious /the most enjoyable ... so I just have those. But I eat small bites, slowly, and focus on how good they are. I'd rather have a tiny bowl of really good, creamy ice cream than a whole serving of Keto ice cream.
- Every Sunday night I make ALL my work lunches for the week. I bought 5 of the same plastic container, and I purposefully choose something healthy /veg-heavy. I like stir-fry or a Big Mac keto salad, and I don't mind at all eating the same lunch for 5 days -- since I know I'm going to have it 5 times, I put effort into it. On Monday I take all 5 /leave them in my work refrigerator, and each day I bring home one container. I also take in on Mondays 5 diet sodas and 5 pieces of fruit (that's my after-school snack). Having this DONE for the week prevents me from eating frozen meals -- or worse, eating from the vending machines. I make really good lunches, and my co-workers are jealous.
I focus on eating vegetables and lean proteins that allow eating a larger quantity and not feeling starved. Lettuce, carrots, celery, peppers, eggs, chicken, turkey make up a lot of my meals. I let myself eat as much of what I want of those items. I have snacks in the house, but its all like 100 cal prepackaged so I can grab something and stop eating. (I much rather have popcorn in a 100cal bag than a giant bag even though it costs more).
Vegetables make all the difference in the world to me. I must have significant vegetables for at least two meals every day. Meals that work well for me and my whole family:
- Cashew cabbage or Cashew chicken
- Stir fry (no sugary bottled sauce)
- Hamburger patties smothered in mushrooms
- Shrimp scampi with bagged cauliflower rice in place of rice
- Sheet pan meals with roasted chicken and veg
- Fish and veg
- Omelets (salsa is your friend) or bacon and eggs
I am going to ask if she can recommend a nutritionist. If someone can actually take what I like and come up with a plan, there's a better chance (no guarantee) of me following it.
My GP is a Diabetes specialist, and he has an in-house Nutritionist, who is super helpful. Seeing her costs me nothing, and she gives me great ideas -- we email now, and I send her recipes too:
- She turned me onto Chaffles, for example. Look on Pinterest, and you'll find loads of recipes. Last night I made an open-faced French Dip sandwich on a Chaffle. It was delicious -- and 3 carbs. I also make Chaffle Pizzas that're dipped in sauce.
- She taught me about zucchini zoodles, spaghetti squash, Heart of Palm spaghetti-in-a-can ... rather than plain pasta. And she taught me that Alfredo sauce is lower in carbs than Marinara sauce.
- She started me buying Hughes brand condiments from Walmart. They're not cheap, so I'm a little more skimpy with them, but I buy his low-sugar ketchup, salad dressings, BBQ sauce.
- She pointed out to me that some brands of bread make small pieces /thing pieces ... if you've just gotta have some bread, look into Pepridge Farms Ultra-thin bread; I think it's only 7 carbs per slice, so it's an automatic portion size.
Losing weight is definitely not easy.
If it were easy, everyone would be at his or her ideal weight.
That's what the doctor said yesterday, especially American cheese. Swiss (which I also like) is ok.
American cheese is mostly vegetable oil -- avoid it; note that it's called "cheese food" on the wrapper. It's NOT cheese. If you must eat American cheese, go for the "deluxe version" that isn't wrapped.
Other cheeses are either no-carb or very low carb -- read the back of the package and remember that "carbs" are what matters. Shredded cheese have a bit of cellulose over the shreds to keep them from becoming "melty" in the package, and that adds a bit of carb.
The doctor was discussing what I shouldn't eat. She brought up fruit and I asked about watermelon (because I like it) and was told to stay away from it. Same with grapes and pineapple. Something to do with the natural sugars.
Okay, this is important: Right now you're a newly diagnosed Diabetic. Your blood sugar /glucose level is out of control -- you must clean up your act PRONTO and COMPLETELY. Right now fruit has too many carbs for you.
Once you're an under-control Diabetic /a maintenance-level Diabetic, THEN you can work fruit into your diet. You must understand that fruit is fairly high in natural sugars, but you'll be able to balance a banana or an apple as a part of your diet. For example, I can't have a peanut butter-and-jelly (which is pretty high in carbs) and an apple ... but I can have a scoop of chicken salad (very low in carbs) followed by an apple.
The point: Think of this journey as a two-stage process. For the next couple months, you're in Crisis Mode. The better you eat, the faster you'll move through that level, and you'll get to Maintenance Mode. But until you get through the Crisis /until you get your weight and blood sugar under control, no to fruits.
"Eating" should not mean "work" (portion control, logging, etc). If I see something I want, I want to eat it.
Uh, no. Eating anything you want without thought (and with minimal consequences) is the province of the young and healthy. Dude, that's not you any more. Sorry.
This diagnosis has put me in a bad mood (or a "not a good place" mood) for the last day or so. Yes, I know this is recoverable if I work at it.
I get it. I'm the last of my five siblings to become Diabetic. My sister and I both married into Diabetic families. I was surrounded by it, and I always assumed it'd be "my turn" one day. Foolishly I said to myself, "I'll deal with it when I have to", and I did. When I was newly diagnosed, I was AFRAID to eat. But I read, I learned, I experimented with quantities and tested my blood sugar. Now I have knowledge and power to keep my blood sugar at a good level.
Where do I find the motivation? I'm about to retire, and I want a long, happy life. More than that, I want to keep my eyes and all my appendages. I don't want to bring insulin (worse, an insulin pump) into my life, and -- for my situation -- I can avoid those things with diet.
Incidentally, I have four siblings -- all Diabetics. Four of us take care of our condition; one does not. The one who does not has progressed on to needing insulin and is hospitalized about once a year.
Reading labels really helps. Even measuring out portions are an eye opener. Over time you can eye ball it.
Yes, yes, yes. I've heard it said: Read the back of the package, not the front. The front of the package is marketing; the back is nutrition.
If a package is labeled "no sugar" or "Diabetic-friendly", read the back. these products often have just as many carbohydrates as the full-strength products. So zip your eyes straight to the carb count and make your selections accordingly; for example, if you look at marinara sauce, you'll find carb counts that vary from 7 carbs to 20-something carbs. That's a pretty big difference.
Second, look at the serving size. For example, I have a real problem with Trail Mix -- I could eat a whole bag. Several options exist in the 14-15 carb count range, and that's an acceptable afternoon snack for me, BUT I have to pay attention to whether that serving size is 1/4 cup or 2/3 cup or whatever -- that's a pretty big difference. If you're comparing two products, be sure you're comparing equal sizes.
My number was always high in the morning ...
This is called the Dawn Phenomenon. You're a functioning Diabetic; your liver/pancreas still work (just not as well). So when you go a long while without eating ANY carbs (like overnight), your liver/pancreas say, "Crisis! Send glucose!" and your blood sugar goes up. I have found I can combat this by having a carb-y snack just before bed, but this is highly individual, and you must test yourself /find your own quirky needs.
On that subject, you haven't mentioned testing. You need a blood glucose meter. I use a Target meter and Target strips -- you don't need a prescription to buy them, and (for me) it's cheaper to buy them than to get the "nicer models" that my insurance will cover. The Target meter will cost about $20 and a pack of test strips will cost another $20. Go when the place isn't busy, and the pharmacist will teach you to use the machine.
These are MY target numbers -- yours may vary:
Blood sugar upon waking: 100 or less
Blood sugar immediately after eating: 140 or less
Blood sugar two hours after eating: 110 or less
Keep records of how various things affect you; yes, they'll vary, but -- overall -- you can learn through trial-and-error what works /what quantities work for you. And then you won't need to test, test, test.
I told my wife, I wish I could find something (or more somethings) that is simply "all you can eat" that I can have as snacks. There's got to be something out there, doesn't there?
Celery, lettuce, spinach.
More reasonable snacks: cheese cubes, nuts, olives, pickles -- but they're not all-you-can-mindlessly-eat.
When you've just got to have something, sugar free gum is your friend.
When you've just got to have a dessert, sugar free jello is great -- you can even have a dollop of Cool Whip on it. Sugar-free pudding is also good, but since milk contains carbs, it's not for your initial "I'm still in Crisis Mode" months. You can make sugar-free pudding with cream (whip it with an electric mixer) for something special -- chocolate is good, butterscotch is not (and I love butterscotch).
I actually had two bell peppers as a snack today. Celery I can do, especially if I'm allowed peanut butter on it.
I love bell pepper strips, and they're good to add to so many things. I like to buy the frozen pepper stir-fry (it's available with and without onions); it's cheaper than fresh peppers, you can use just the amount you want, and if you're stirring it into something (like spaghetti sauce or an omelet) it's just as good.
I eat celery fairly often -- with peanut butter, with chicken or tuna salad, with buffalo chicken dip -- as my lunch. It's a good stand-in for bread.
Don’t think you could do this with diabetes. Your sugar needs to stay stable and not go low either. If I miss meals I get shaky.
Yes, skipping a meal is not good, and it doesn't take long to figure out what that shaky, lightheaded feeling means. You need a steady supply of carbs all day. I keep Walmart-brand protein shakes and peanut-butter crackers (the 4-cracker size) at work.
I had one helping of Peanut Butter M&Ms (YUM!) last night. In the past, it would be multiple.
I love those things, and peanut butter is one of my friends ... but you can't afford this treat while you're still in Crisis Mode. M&Ms, even the peanut butter type, which are lower in carbs than the other varieties, are for people in Maintenance Mode.
Although I'm limiting carbs, what I don't know is what a "target" level should be. I'm ASSUMING it's going to depend on the individual and what the goals are. I'm also ASSUMING the dietician will tell me what to shoot for. For two days, I've survived on <100g.
While you're getting your body "back to normal", 30 carbs per day is a good goal -- it's the assignment my doctor gave me. It was HARD, but I did it for three months (and those months included Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas -- my family was super supportive; for example, I told them I could not by-pass homemade yeast rolls, so they all agreed not to have them). I lost weight and brought my blood sugar back to normal in those three months. It was well worth the sacrifice over the course of a couple months.
Once you're "good" again, 100 carbs per day sounds a bit high to me -- but I'm female and very small. Yes, your Nutritionist will give you guidelines, and that'll be very useful. Your meter will also tell you whether you're doing a good job or not.
Encouraging news... my blood sugar has actually dropped into the "normal" range. I have had metformin (3 doses), but reading online, that should take at least 48 hours from the first dose (just over 24 hours at the time of this writing). So that's good too.
Note that Metformin takes weeks to really "kick in", so your results should continue to improve.
One question someone may be able to answer... I can obviously read how many carbs are on packaged food. But what do you do when you go to a restaurant? Or a pot luck?
Restaurants are hard. Pot lucks are worse.
Fortunately you can read restaurant menus ahead of time and make your choices. In general, you can choose an low-carb entree fairly easily: meatloaf, roasted chicken, for example. It's the sides that will kick your butt; potatoes of all kinds -- especially French fries, baked beans, pasta salad are all high in carbs. While you're still "leveling out" your blood sugar, these are fairly safe choices:
- Grilled chicken or chicken/tuna salad on a green salad ... pay attention to the dressing's carbs as well
- Chicken wings with a side salad
- Burger lettuce wrap
- PF Chang's lettuce wraps
Now that I'm in Maintenance Mode, I can order a Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger /cut it in half /discard half the bun and eat it as a double-patty half-sandwich. I know I can eat two slices of thin-crust pizza, but that's my max-out amount.
I'd suggest skipping pot lucks until you're past your Crisis Mode ... then when you reach Maintenance Mode, keep pot lucks to a minimum, and treat them as a splurge. Minimize your carbs for a few meals before /after, and accept that you'll "spike" for that splurge. Extending this thought ... my personal rule for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday meals is, Treat it as a MEAL, not a season. When I sit down for one of those special holidays, I'll eat moderate portions of everything I want ... and I will consider it my splurge. But it's ONCE with my family. I do not have a special Christmas meal with my co-workers AND my Sunday School class AND my family AND then munch on the leftovers for three days afterward. I can afford one splurge; I cannot afford a season.
Last thing, some resources:
https://www.diabetesdaily.com/forum/https://mrskinnypants.com/https://www.wholesomeyum.com/https://www.heyketomama.com/
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