Diet & Exercise

[MrsPete]

God I hope not. I can't imagine getting down to 30 carbs per day.

When my doctor told me to do it, I did. No, it was not easy at all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Excellent, insightful post, Mrs Pete.

Two things I am going to comment on.

While you're getting your body "back to normal", 30 carbs per day is a good goal

Did you mean to say 30 grams of carb per meal? Because I believe that is more like it, especially for a male. Thirty grams per day would be unsustainable for all but the most diligent people. (Which I have no doubt you are. )

I'd suggest skipping pot lucks until you're past your Crisis Mode

I advise my patients not to skip things like that, telling them they still have to live and enjoy their lives - even when much “sicker“ than this. It’s an important part of living, and doing so helps people try to make it work more so than staying home alone with their restrictive diets, which can easily fall by the wayside when someone’s discouraged. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am attending the funeral this week of someone I loved who passed away way too early. We want to encourage living life, and enjoying friends and loved ones - but learning to live within the guidelines that they have to figure out work for them. It may take a little while to see the ups and downs, and make the mistakes, and get scolded a little bit (lol), before figuring it all out, and that’s ok. Things didn’t happen overnight, and likely won’t change overnight, either. It’s a process. The important part is taking it seriously and beginning to make changes.

Sam has taken these important first steps already when he thought he couldn’t do it and I think he’s going to continue. He is checking his blood sugars, as he mentioned above, and figuring out how it all works, which is a great start!

 

[HeartOfTeFiti]

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 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.
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
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.
If it were easy, everyone would be at his or her ideal weight.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Note that Metformin takes weeks to really "kick in", so your results should continue to improve.
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:

This is an awesome post, full of great suggestions and information for all of us, diabetic or not!

 

[fla4fun]

I don’t have anything to add to the discussion other than I am sending lots of positive energy your way. Change is often necessary, but it is never easy. Remember to be kind to yourself as you embark on this new journey.

 

[winterwhite]

A friend of mine is an expert in the fitness industry. He posted this on FB yesterday.

View attachment 585061

This is correct. The vast majority of the calories you burn are from your basal metabolic rate. The way to increase your basal metabolic rate? Build muscle via strength training. The way to decrease the amount of calories coming in? Control your nutrition.

no reason to kill yourself on the treadmill. An hour of strength training with proper form 2-3 days a week will drastically change the body composition of most individuals without ever running one step.

 

[sam_gordon]

Did you mean to say 30 grams of carb per meal? Because I believe that is more like it, especially for a male.

God I hope so. The last two days, I've had three "meals" and three "snacks", and getting around 75 grams per day. I can't imagine cutting that in half.

 

[MrsPete]

Did you mean to say 30 grams of carb per meal?

Nope, per day. When I was first diagnosed as a Diabetic, my doctor told me to do 30 carbs per day for three months -- he said that was a "re-set" to get me balanced in a hurry. He said it's not a forever thing, not forever sustainable. It worked.

Would he have said the same thing to a male or a larger person or a person whose numbers were different from mine? I can't say, but I do think he gave me good advice. I know that a good number of people on the diabetesdaily.com website consider 30 to be a fairly high "allowance".

As to possible, here's an example of what I ate during those months -- it took planning and was hard, but it is very possible -- and this is less than 30 carbs:
Breakfast -- two slices of bacon + two eggs with fresh spinach stirred in, topped with salsa
Lunch -- large serving of stir fry veg
Afternoon snack -- olives + cheese cubes
Dinner -- hamburger patty topped with mushrooms cooked in butter + roasted broccoli
Before-bed snack -- handful of almonds

This is an awesome post, full of great suggestions and information for all of us, diabetic or not!

Thanks! I've learned a great deal in the last two years.

no reason to kill yourself ...

Yes, my doctor says, "Moving matters. Moving fast is optional."

 

[Christine]

As to possible, here's an example of what I ate during those months -- it took planning and was hard, but it is very possible -- and this is less than 30 carbs:
Breakfast -- two slices of bacon + two eggs with fresh spinach stirred in, topped with salsa
Lunch -- large serving of stir fry veg
Afternoon snack -- olives + cheese cubes
Dinner -- hamburger patty topped with mushrooms cooked in butter + roasted broccoli
Before-bed snack -- handful of almonds

That actually doesn't sound like a bad meal plan for a day. Were you given any limits on quantities at all. Like could you eat as many olives as you wanted. Unlimited broccoli? I see the other foods have limites of one hamburger patty, or two eggs.

 

[MrsPete]

That actually doesn't sound like a bad meal plan for a day. Were you given any limits on quantities at all. Like could you eat as many olives as you wanted. Unlimited broccoli? I see the other foods have limites of one hamburger patty, or two eggs.

Within reasonable limits, I could have as much as I wanted -- those foods are all quite low carb. Obviously I wasn't going to have a whole block of cheese and a jar of olives for a snack, but if I were quite hungry in the evening I could have an oversized serving of broccoli. The one hard-and-fast rule was 30 carbs per day.

It WAS a restrictive diet, and at the end of the three months I was ready to "ease up" on the carb restrictions, but I do not regret having done it -- weight fell off in a way it never had before, and my blood glucose took a nose dive.

 

[maxaroni]

@sam_gordon. How are things going?

 

[PollyannaMom]

God I hope not. I can't imagine getting down to 30 carbs per day.

Did you mean to say 30 grams of carb per meal? Because I believe that is more like it, especially for a male. Thirty grams per day would be unsustainable for all but the most diligent people. (Which I have no doubt you are. )

My DH was also told 30 grams per meal at first, not per day (with two 20-gram snacks as well). - I think the advice is different for guys, and depends your size and numbers.

That was upped a bit at his first follow-up, too.

Yes, my doctor says, "Moving matters. Moving fast is optional."

I love that quote!

 

[piccolopat]

Sam, I know several people who have/had type 2 diabetes. It is a horrible disease that cost one friend a part of his foot and two others their lives. I understand how difficult it is to change your eating habits. I was morbidly obese for close to 40 years before I joined WW again in Sept 2018. The biggest difference is that I finally had my head in the right place to lose weight. Not being a diabetic was easier because I don't have restrictions that a diabetic might. No sense eating things you don't like, though I've learned to like some things like plain non-fat yogurt and add squeeze ginger, cinnamon and berries. My health issues have me focus on anti-inflammatory foods. For me that means fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, fiber and healthful fats. I keep my carb load down by using lower carb bread and keeping my portions of things like rice and mashed potatoes to 1/2 cup, baked potatoes and steak fries to 85-100g, pasta to a cup. I'm almost never hungry because I added a lot more vegetables and salads. I always allow myself at least one snack every day. Things like the no sugar added fudge pops work for me.

There is no need to go from your current eating to starvation. Start by cutting out easy calories as much as possible, substituting better choices. For example, eliminate sugary beverages and add flavored water, seltzer or lemon flavored unsweetened tea. By the way, things with artificial sweeteners are not good either because of the effects it has on hunger.

EDITED TO ADD: Many times when you think you are hungry, you are really thirsty. One trick I use is when I get hungry and I know I've eaten enough, I have a big glass of water and then wait a bit. If I'm still hungry, I'll have a snack like a piece of fruit, string cheese or a half an ounce of walnuts.

I suggest you find a dietician who specializes in diabetes and try to identify all of the foods that you love and then build your plan around that. Good luck!

 

[sam_gordon]

@sam_gordon. How are things going?

Good and bad.

My blood sugar numbers (taken twice a day, once before breakfast and once after dinner) have been <130 since Monday morning, yesterday morning it was actually 80. That's the good news.

The bad news is I'm constantly hungry. Because I haven't talked to a dietician yet (the office just called last night to set up an appointment and I haven't been able to call back yet), and I don't know what my carb limit is, I'm getting between 45-75 carbs per day. My resolve is weakening and I just want to dig into almost anything. I've been able to avoid doing that so far, but that feeling is getting worse each day.

If the dietician comes back and says "well, that's working for you, so keep doing it" (which logically makes sense to me, I mean the numbers are in the "normal" range), I think my head will explode.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Good and bad.

My blood sugar numbers (taken twice a day, once before breakfast and once after dinner) have been <130 since Monday morning, yesterday morning it was actually 80. That's the good news.

The bad news is I'm constantly hungry. Because I haven't talked to a dietician yet (the office just called last night to set up an appointment and I haven't been able to call back yet), and I don't know what my carb limit is, I'm getting between 45-75 carbs per day. My resolve is weakening and I just want to dig into almost anything. I've been able to avoid doing that so far, but that feeling is getting worse each day.

If the dietician comes back and says "well, that's working for you, so keep doing it" (which logically makes sense to me, I mean the numbers are in the "normal" range), I think my head will explode.

Is it true hunger or hunger caused by an inability to think or focus on anything but food? I'd suggest you may want to start a new hobby or project, so you can see if giving your mind something fresh and difficult to do changes its focus to that thing, vs continually thinking of "I wish I could have more or have x or..." This activity would also have no pre-existing association with food, so it would likely get your brain off that wavelength. (PS - Watch The Great Courses on Addiction to see how pre-set routines play into cravings)...

 

[NAB]

Good and bad.

My blood sugar numbers (taken twice a day, once before breakfast and once after dinner) have been <130 since Monday morning, yesterday morning it was actually 80. That's the good news.

The bad news is I'm constantly hungry. Because I haven't talked to a dietician yet (the office just called last night to set up an appointment and I haven't been able to call back yet), and I don't know what my carb limit is, I'm getting between 45-75 carbs per day. My resolve is weakening and I just want to dig into almost anything. I've been able to avoid doing that so far, but that feeling is getting worse each day.

If the dietician comes back and says "well, that's working for you, so keep doing it" (which logically makes sense to me, I mean the numbers are in the "normal" range), I think my head will explode.

They will try to help you with your struggles. Your doing great! Keep it up.

 

[MrsPete]

Well nuts. My sugar level went back up overnight.

Your sugar level changes constantly -- if you test it an hour later, you'll see another change.

An analogy:
The contents of your stomach changes constantly. You eat a bite, you eat a big meal, you wait a long time for dinner , you exercise ... your fullness level /your hunger level goes up and down. An hour can make a difference. This is like your sugar/glucose level.
On the other hand, your weight is relatively constant. If you eat super-well for one day (or if you totally pig out), your weight may change just a bit, but it's not going to change significantly/permanently without a concerted effort over the course of weeks /months. This is like your AIC level.

When you're new to Diabetes, you have a build-up of carbs in your body and bloodstream, so -- short term, just like a dieter needs to cut calories for a while -- a greatly reduced carb diet can get you back to a normal state, then you're ready for a maintenance diet. Thus, 30 carbs/day for three months is a "reset". Worked great for me.

So don't get too hung up on one bad number; rather, get a calendar and start recording your numbers over time. If you're average, here's what you'll find:
- When you get up in the morning your number will be a little high, but having breakfast will fix that (so no skipping breakfast).
- After you eat, your numbers will be high but should "return to baseline" within two hours. If they don't, you've eaten to many carbs.
- This is highly individualistic. You have to use your meter /test yourself to see how specific foods affect you personally. For example, a full sandwich with two slices of bread "ups" my blood sugar more than a small bowl of ice cream; I don't think that's typical, but it's true for me.

My DH was also told 30 grams per meal at first, not per day (with two 20-gram snacks as well). - I think the advice is different for guys, and depends your size and numbers.

Those numbers are for a maintenance diet.

Things like the no sugar added fudge pops work for me.

Ohh, that's not on my radar! I'm going to have to get some of those.

There is no need to go from your current eating to starvation.

Absolutely true! For me, it's all about subbing in more vegetables; if half of my daily intake is vegetable, I'm totally golden in every way -- and I can afford a modest number of carbs in addition, even some sugary treats. But changing your habits isn't easy.

I suggest you find a dietician who specializes in diabetes and try to identify all of the foods that you love and then build your plan around that. Good luck!

Absolutely -- a dietician /nutritionist is a great resource.

Is it true hunger or hunger caused by an inability to think or focus on anything but food?

Honestly, I struggle with this issue -- lots. I'm not really hungry, but I want something to eat. It's not a problem at work, where I'm moving /busy all the time -- it hits me at home, when I'm doing nothing.

Related question: is it true hunger, or are you just not as full as you're used to feeling?

Sugar-free gum or a sugar-free drink can be helpful. Or going for a walk. Often when I get back, the desire has passed.

Finally, for no particular reason, here's one of my go-to low-carb recipes -- it's what we're having for dinner tonight. It's a huge family favorite and super quick to cook. Served with a salad or stir-fried veg, it's a delicious and healthy meal ... and less than 10 carbs for a good-sized meal.
Cast Iron Fish
Heat a cast iron frying pan to hot and drizzle olive oil over the bottom.
Pat dry with a paper towel one white fish fillet for each person -- gotta be white fish, not red like salmon -- I use cheap tilapia from the Walmart freezer case.
Slather the fillets with mustard on both sides -- trust me, it won't taste like mustard when it's done.
Mix 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, a bit of spice (sometimes I use Italian blend, sometimes I use lemon pepper), and S&P to taste. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of this mixture over top of each fillet.
Place fish in pan. Move to oven broiler 5-6 minutes.
We do like tartar sauce with ours.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thus, 30 carbs/day for three months is a "reset". Worked great for me.

I'm glad that worked for you. Not sure it will work for me (or actually that I'll be able to "work it"). How long did it take before your blood sugar numbers were in the "normal" range?

I just called the scheduling office to meet with a nutritionist and the first appointment they have is August 16.

 

[MrsPete]

I'm glad that worked for you. Not sure it will work for me (or actually that I'll be able to "work it"). How long did it take before your blood sugar numbers were in the "normal" range?

I just called the scheduling office to meet with a nutritionist and the first appointment they have is August 16.

My blood sugar numbers came down right away -- but go back to my analogy about stomach fullness vs. weight -- but that didn't wipe out the previous carbs that were swimming around in my bloodstream from the days of over-eating carbs. Lower blood sugar numbers for the moment are only a part of the equation; that is, a lower blood sugar number is good for the moment -- it doesn't mean a good A1C.

When you eat carbs -- and we have to eat carbs -- the residue stays in your bloodstream for 3-4 months; that's what the A1C measures. If you've been over-eating carbs, right now you're "bloated" with that residue, and your body isn't dealing with them well. The 30-carb a day goal is to cut back heavily /speed up the time required to get your A1C number back to what it should be.

How long did it take me? By sticking to that strict carb number for three months, I cut my A1C from 10.6 (my initial diagnosis number) to 5.x (can't remember the exact number) between mid-October and mid-January. That is, I skipped over Pre-Diabetic and went from Diabetic to Normal in three months. You can't do that with half-hearted measures.

You have to see the "big picture" in terms of Diabetes: your blood sugar today is the most immediate, the most visible number -- but the A1C is a snapshot of how you've been doing for the last 4 months.
I'd ask, too, do you have any other conditions that need attention? Any comorbidities? Diabetes doesn't usually fly solo -- it often comes along with high cholesterol or high blood pressure. The same diet that helps Diabetes often helps these things.

Very glad you're getting in to see the nutritionist -- wish it were sooner. I suggest you start a list of questions so you'll be well prepared when that date arrives. In the meantime, try DiabetesDaily.com -- you'll get ideas, recipes, and motivation. No reason to waste the time between now and your appointment.

 

[sam_gordon]

I didn't make the appointment. I'm calling around on my own to see if I can get in elsewhere.

 

[hsmamato2]

Good and bad.

My blood sugar numbers (taken twice a day, once before breakfast and once after dinner) have been <130 since Monday morning, yesterday morning it was actually 80. That's the good news.

The bad news is I'm constantly hungry. Because I haven't talked to a dietician yet (the office just called last night to set up an appointment and I haven't been able to call back yet), and I don't know what my carb limit is, I'm getting between 45-75 carbs per day. My resolve is weakening and I just want to dig into almost anything. I've been able to avoid doing that so far, but that feeling is getting worse each day.

If the dietician comes back and says "well, that's working for you, so keep doing it" (which logically makes sense to me, I mean the numbers are in the "normal" range), I think my head will explode.

I'm not a diabetes expert- but what works for me is having NONE of the junky foods I want to avoid in my house. NONE. As in toss them all/give them away gone.As others have noted here, there are foods on your 'safe' list that you can eat,so you don't feel hungry. Go grocery shopping. Buy those foods.(almonds,peanuts,celery,etc low sugar foods) Clean the ones that are bad for you out of your home. Drink water,tea,coffee(whatever is allowed for your condition) with no sugars added. Use cream for the coffee,learn to drink iced tea with just some mint leaves or lemon slice added for flavor, flavored seltzers, a glass of ice water with a slice of lime and lemon added....the possibilities are so many for good choices. Having good choices in your home makes picking a snack so much easier,and no struggle involved.It reduces the difficulty a lot.