If I ate pasta and garlic bread for dinner my FBS would be 300!!! I haven't seen 140 in months. Last night was a good night for me as I didn't eat anything after dinner. I checked and I was at 163, which is pretty good for how I've been running. But after I went to bed I couldn't fall asleep as I felt hungry and shaky, like I was having a low. I heard you could get that even if your BS isn't low if your BS drops too quickly. I came out to the kitchen and ate a very small bowl of Cheerios with milk, no sugar. It was just a couple spoonfuls. I felt so much better after that and slept well, but was 213 this morning. I think maybe I should have had a piece of cheese rather than the cereal.

What I bookmarked that I thought was Rennie's recommended website was actually something else. I see that it is not a public website. If Rennie or Trish could send me some information it would be greatly appreciated.

Right now I am starting to Read Blood Sugar 101. It looks like a lot of information but I have seen it recommended many times.

I must be the only one here today, or I am scaring everyone away with my constant yakking. LOL

I am so glad I started reading Blood Sugar 101. There was a section on false hypos, which is apparently what I had last night. It said it happens when your blood sugar goes down 20-40 points below your what your FBS normally is. Being at 163 was low for me because I didn't eat anything after dinner, so that's why it happened. I did the wrong thing by eating the cereal. The cheese would have been wrong, too. it said that because my BS was not actually low, it is not a dangerous situation, even though you feel so hungry, shaky and terrible. It said that this will happen as your BS gradually gets back to normal, and it's just uncomfortable. The thing to do is to check your BS to be sure you are not at a dangerously low level, then eat a few Smarties....you know the little candies that come in a roll. Not a whole pack, just maybe 4-6 of them. This will raise your BS about 10 points, just enough to stop the symptoms but not enough to cause a spike. The sugar in them will get absorbed in minutes without having to go through the digestion process. Actually, it said that if you wait a little while, your liver will release a little glucose and the symptoms will go away, but it's a scary feeling to have that happen and you feel as though you should do something right away. I would like to get the book Blood Sugar 101, but it is more money than I want to spend along with shipping, so since I can read it online I will be content with that for now. In the meantime, I'm going to buy some Smarties and keep a roll beside my bed in case this ever happens again.

Carol Sue Sorry I didn't get back to answer your question sooner. Been working on this darn pc. finally got MSN working, but still can't get on Hotmail. Finally found a Microsoft support contact email. Waiting to see what they say.

To answer your questions.

I use Louana Pure Coconut oil that I buy at Walmart. I know people recommend organic, but it is too expensive for the size jar you get and I can't and won't spend it.

I use to divide up my Metformin even added more (on my own with docs ok), but more didn't seem to do anything for me and I'm not sure it helps me at all. I take it because I understand it is supposed to prevent damage. I take only 1000 mg a day. Doc has never raised it or even discussed adding more for me. I used to break it in two and took one @ breakfast and one @ night. No change in fbs. Then one day I remembered that my doc originally told me to take it with my largest meal which we eat around 2 - 3 pm. So that is how I take mine and it seems to be working better for me.

The website that Rennie shared has articles etc that you can go in and read without joining. So I took advantage of it and I even put it in my favorites so I can go back and read more.

Well, I goofed in my counting yesterday and ended up with 97 g of carbs. That is ok because I found out that when I get my carg grams that high... I gain weight. I was up 1.4 lbs this morning. A mistake that has given me good information I needed to know. So I will work to keep my carb count between 70 & 80 grams while staying under 1500 calories each day. Great progress.

Did my Tai Chi this morning. Taking it slow, but went a little further than yesterday. I'm not running a race. I'm just aiming at getting healthy. Still have to do the stationary bike. Will do that when I get off here. I usually call my son and talk to him while I ride it. Helps stay off the boredom.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Hi gang: Sorry its been a couple of days. Had some long days in there.
I stayed on plan really well on Monday, but fell off the wagon and ate some crackers on Tuesday. Overall too many carbs for sure, but went back to normal today.
I can't take colace, I get nasty cramps and not the desired effect at all, but will take another dose of something else tonight.
I missed a dose of metformin this am, but am otherwise on target with stuff.
The weight is fairly steady at about 180, hope to get permanently under that asap.
Ruth: you do need to get back on track, and lower your carbs again. You just can't handle all that pasta.
Rennie: it IS true, bread just makes us want more. That is the "addiction" that I have too, and abstaining completely works better for me.

I go off call tomorrow evening and am planning a yoga class afterward.

Fatmad The plan I read said that if you eat rice you have to count it as 3 servings of starchy carbs. I looked up pasta and it is the same the same way. On their plan it is half the starchy carbs allowed. So it just isn't low carb friendly at all. It is good to have you and Ruthie here again. Miss y'all when you aren't here.

Well I still haven't read the article and haven't fully read enough to do personals like I want so I'll have to do it later

my fbs was 223 this morning I believe that if I had not eaten dinner so late and had the pasta that I ate it would have been lower than yesterday. I honestly don't know what to do with myself. I keep saying I can't do right for the life of ME and this is MY LIFE. Why is this so hard. It's like I have absolutely no will power. I don't even know that I was actually hungry after church. I think that I just wanted my sauce because it smelled and taste so good when I made it. My son didn't make the pasta before church so I figured ok. We will just have it today then we could eat at a descent hour. Well my other son pulls out the box and says "how long does it take, huh not that long" and makes the pasta (regular) ... I looked and said it's not that much but after I fixed everyone's plate there was enough for greedy me. So I ate propbably 1.5 cups. Got up to a .2 gain and a tummy ache. Will I ever learn?????

All I can do is pray for a better day today

I hope you all have a great day ... and please keep posting your findings of great tips and advice. I am gonna have my own reference book soon

Rennie, you and I are the same way. We know what we are supposed to do, but we just don't do it. I always say I can't, but one time my doctor said "You can, but you don't want to." And sometimes I think that's it. I want those carbs. I won't lie. Today we had frozen ravioli and sauce. The ravioli was too many carbs for me, but we have to watch our money and that makes an inexpensive dinner for us. When I cook a meat and potatoes dinner for my husband I can always eat met and veggies, but carbs like we had this evening cost less than $5 for the whole meal and we have leftovers.

Like Mad said, abstaining works best, but I can't always abstain. It was much better when we could go out to eat and we could each order something different, but that gets too expensive. The cost of living must really be rising because our money just doesn't last like it used to. We get all our income at the beginning of the month. It looks really good in the checking account the first of the month, but that money has to be stretched until the next month. It's not the same as getting a paycheck each week or bi-weekly.

I am having a bad day, difficulties with the co-worker who continually rubs me the wrong way. I am drinking some dry sherry, and plan to get a bit recreational over all tonight.
Rennie and Carol Sue, I don't know what might help for you, I too have struggled with the carbs for a while, and just recently found this groove about the addiction research. FOr some reason, it spoke to me. You might find Kim on the atkins thread to be helpful. She doesn't mix up her diet much, has a similar breakfast and lunch everyday, and just changes suppers. She has done Atkins for years, very successfully.

Carol Sue I am in the same boat as you money wise. I get paid once a month. Trust me I know what you mean on the pasta and meat sauce. I shop at different stores just to make things stretch and I have to think about what will last. In order for me to eat properly I MUST fix a different meal for me. I SHOULDN'T eat most of the things that I fix for them or that my son prepares. But it is so hard to work most of the day and come home to the house smelling delicious or I prepare a meal that's delicious and I want it so I eat it.

Mad how long has the co-worker worked with you? Are they bothering anyone else that you know of? maybe you could speak to a supervisor about them? You've probably thought of all of this I'm sure ... I pray for better days for you ... ABOUT ME - I now know that I have a true addiction to carbs. I can't go three days without eating too many carbs (over eating them). I have done it for two days but after that I am about to lose it. I admit that I need help.

Could you post the link to Kim's thread so that I could check it out please. Thank you

Here is the link to the Atkins Forum. Kim posts as Jersey Gyrl. She sticks to Atkins religiously and has lost a lot of weight and kept it off for a very long time. She posts all over the forum. Somewhere she has before/after pics that are amazing. I have communicated with her and she has been very helpful but it's me...I am not in the mode to follow Atkins right now.

I don't know if carbs are a true addiction, but then I quit smoking cold turkey 20 years ago and have never had a cigarette since, but I have craved one on occasion. When I eat carbs, I'm just going to do it this one time and get back on the horse after that. It doesn't work. I have to be like Mad and just make up my mind that I'm going to abstain. I did it before. I should be able to do it again. It is more important now because before it was for my weight, now it's for the BS.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/atkins-226/

I know that I am a carbohydrate I also know for me that I cannot just stop eating all carbs, but I do know that I have to cut them way back. That is what I've chosen to do. I am back with my group on another site that does this. I have no carbs for breakfast or supper, but once a day I have carbs. I think this is the only way this is every going to work for me.

I wanted to post this because while there are a lot of plans out there, I didn't want any one to think I am saying we can or should eat a load of carbs. I am not able to do that. In fact, if I go overboard too much with carbs, I have rash reactions.

So please, please... take control of your own way of dealing with diabetes. While I'm not really ready to go 100% gluten free (my doc says it isn't necessary for me), I have to say that I really wonder if diabetics or at least some of us may be gluten sensitive.

Rennie and Carol Sue DH #2 deceased and I were on food stamps for a short time and I had to eat a lot of pasta, rice etc and that is when I learned that my body would have a yeast re-action which comes out as a rash. My doc had given me a prescription cream to take care of it. So I understand how it is so difficult when money is limited. I have to be careful as well. I make one good meal a day for DH and me. I've decided that eggs are reasonable for the price and I can purchase small service size cans of meat like tuna. I noticed at our new Sams that they have small size cans of chicken in bulk so I plan to get those to alternate with the tuna to have a evening meal of no carb salads. By no carbs, I mean that I can use mayo with no sugar, dill relish and season with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder.

Have a good week end y'all.

Trish would you mind sending me the link to the othersite you are on. Also would mind sharing about five days of your meals. Also I posted in a new thread that I am looking for an accountability partner someone that is wanting to keep close tabs with one another via text and of course here. I really need the extra and I do believe it will help me. I tried to find Kim's meals but not easy to do on my phone so I'll check this evening.

On a good note my fbs was 170 this morning much better than yesterday.

Well, I posted a long post and lost it.

I was sharing about how my week has ended. It has been a very productive week for me. As you know, I have spent the last 3 or 4 yrs searching for my own way to healthy for me. I had it all the time, but didn't realize it until now.

When I was growing up, I only ate 2 meals a day lunch and dinner. Breakfast was eaten on special occasions and snacks were rare for me. Others in my family at them, but I just wasn't interested. When I grew up and lived alone, I mostly ate only 1 meal a day with a rare but occasional snack. Weight became a problem when living with others who insisted on at least 3 meals a day especially breakfast.

I always loved the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet and of course, you know I like Intuitive Eating. I have actually evolved into a combo of the 2 and that is how I am eating again. I realized today that the reason it works so well for me is that it is "my normal" flow or way of eating. My main meal now is at or around 2 or 3. That is about the time when I used to eat lunch in high school and when I worked. Now it is the CAD's RM which I call my carby meal. I eat my Carbohydrate-Reducing Meal (CM) between 6 & 7 pm. And then I'm through.

In school, I was extremely active with band marching, sports and dancing. I now fill that spot with the stationary bike for 2 miles, 5 days, and the Tai Chi, 4 days this week.

I feel great. I feel alive, free and alert with a great positive attitude that makes me feel good about me. Haven't had that feeling in a LONG time.
So thankful that it has finally come together for me. So many times I came close to giving up, but I am so thankful that I didn't give up.

This is not a diet for me. It is "my lifestyle" the way I should have and would have continued to do ALL my life if everyone had left me alone. Now that I know that, I can just relax and enjoy what is left of my life and let my health and weight return to normal in its own time. What a blessing.

Rennie - I don't think Kim (Jersey Gyrl) actually has her meals posted online. She strictly follows Atkins, as explained in the Atkins book.

Trish - I can tell that you are excited about this, as you should be. It is really a great accomplishment to find the eating plan that works so well for you, and a big part of it is making up your mind that you are going to stick to your plan as your new lifestyle. Good for you!