There are several diets that are recommended for diabetics. Each has some merit. There is the Diabetes Association Exchange diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Sugarbusters, the Glycemic Index diet, the Zone.. What has worked for you for weight loss AND blood glucose control? We are each different...but may be if we share what works for us, it might help someone else to find what will work for them.
I have followed Sugarbusters for years. I think it helped delay my becoming diabetic for a long time. I find when I am careful with portions, in addition to laying off the whites and eating low GI, I can keep my glucose levels down fairly well. Personally, I find anything with wheat- even whole wheat- causes a spike in my glucose levels. Bummer, cause I like bread! I have struggled to lose anything at all for years, so I look forward to hearing what works for others.
Basically, I follow the CDA (Canadian Diabetes Association) guidelines and then use a home-made Excel program to track calories and nutrients. So . . . maybe I'm a calorie counter. Whatever . . . seems to be working so far.
I'm a volume eater . . . I need to feel full . . . lots and lots of low calorie, low carb veggies (think huge bowls of salad greens) are what keeps me relatively sane.
In the past, I've tried Weight Watchers, but found it was too easy to over-indulge in carbs (especially the white ones) which I do so love. Isn't chocolate ice cream nature's most nearly perfect food . . . or, wait a minute, maybe it's brownies. Also in the past (before diabetes) I could lose weight very nicely on a high-carb, low-fat regimen.
BTW, Monet . . . how long have you been doing Sugar Busters and how has it worked for you . . . ??
Hey everyone.. its me rosey..i follow weight wathchers..but eat less carbs..i find that policing my pantry helps the most.. if its not there i cant eat it so i dont bring it home..i like breads deserts and chocolate..i journal what i eat and keep track of the pts..i like ww as i can pick and choose what i eat as long as its within my pts.. it makes you think carfully of choices and how you prepar your food..so you dont use all your pts in one meal..and portion control is equally impt..on sp occasions i will eat sweets and more carb loaded meals..i take glypazide and metformin..my sl are almost normal and have lost 18 # recently by sticking to the ww plan very strictly..i seem to loose several #'s and then stay the same for weeks..i hate exercise and dont altho i know its good for me..i try and keep fresh fruit and yougart and those 100 cal snack packs on hand.. also lo fat microwave popcorn..and i try not to eat after 7pm..i used to have a snack before bed but realized i didnt need it for my sl it was just an excuse for me to eat again..altho i know most diabetics need that snack..what helped me the most was taking the diabeties class(my dr insisted) i dragged my feet about going but i learned so much(my ins paid for it)..im not perfect in my diet and some days you just have to have chocolate what also helps is both my daughters follow ww and one has lost 185# and the other 40# my mil follows ww and i even got my hubby to follow it some what..its so much easier when you have all that support from family and from 3fc chicks..this system is working for me..my sl have stayed 100 give or take a few for months now and feel my diabetes is under good control..i would like to loose more but its coming down slowly and im ok with that..((((((((hugs))))) rosey
MEOWEE: I have been doing Sugarbusters for five or six years now. For a year or two before that, I did Protein Power/Atkins. I had lost about 50 pounds, but then my thyroid took a turn for the worse and I gained twenty back before the doctor could get my meds right. THEN, I had a hysterectomy and gained another 20! I have lost about ten of those, but even with all my exercising of late, my weight seems frozen. I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome five years ago, and problems losing weight is a big part of it. I like the diet, as it is easy to follow, and I hate counting things, but I am thinking I need to really limit portions now and see if that helps with weight loss, AND glucose control. I SO agree with you on the chocolate...I am not sure if it matters if it is frozen, baked, or just wrapped in foil... On Sugarbusters, 70% cocoa solid chocolate is ok as a once a week treat. It only takes one square to satisfy that craving for me now. It doesn't seem to mess up my glucose levels either.
ROSEY: Your sugar levels are impressive! I think weight watchers is really good, but I have a problem with eating too many carbs, and found it easy to do so within points allowed. I may have to look at it and use the structure with my Sugarbusters to get my portions right. Thanks for sharing!
Very impressive, Monet. Portion control with chocolate . . . wow. BTW, the reason it doesn't mess up your BS is because of the fat content which puts chocolate lower on the GI scale.
Unfortunately, for me, a serving of chocolate is the amount that is available. I tried the 85% chocolate and didn't even like it very much, but I ate the whole thing anyway. I honestly don't know whether the craving is physical or mental, but the only chocolate I can control is cocoa. So I mix cocoa and Splenda and stir it into plain yogurt when I cannot stand another instant without something chocolate. Have my chocolate-yogurt once or twice a week and I'm OK. Anything else, I don't dare keep it in the house.
You know I agree with you, Rosey. My best control mechanism is to keep the bad stuff out of the house as much as possible. I can overdo it on good stuff . . . especially bread. I really like whole grain wraps. They have the added advantage (for me, anyway) of not requiring butter or margarine and since they are unleavened they don't have the yeast and sugar that bread has.
Hi everyone.. its so nice to share info..about that chocolate..when i was a kid i was tiny and under weight and picky about food.. my folks used to bribe me with a hershey bar to eatyup thats why i love chocolate..everymorning for brkfast i have a coffee mocha..i used to drink several cups each morning but its a flogers ready made product with 14 grms of sugar..now i allow my self one cup and count it(2.5 ww pts) and that takes scare of the chocolate craving..ive tried the no sugar ones but hate the taste.. so this is one indulgence i havent given up..as far as the carbs on ww i try and keepthem under 75 grms a day and choose good carbs whole wheat etc one of the things i learned in that class was to test befor eating..then again 2 hrs later if your sl was higher than 160 that carb was to much for your system..by doing this over a period of time you can figure out what foods elevate your sl and what doesnt..every one is diff..hope this helps some..its a balancing act isnt it..and when we are trying to loose being a diabetic all u think about is food and what you can and cant have and you dont want to be discouraged and have a binge..so i do allow treats so i dont feel deprived ..never heard of sugar busters befor so how does that work? do u just not eat any sugar related items ? talk soon rosey
ROSEY: Sugar Busters is based on the glycemic index. Basically, you avoid the whites- white sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, bread...and eat whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat bread, and sweet potatoes. You are supposed to limit starchy carbs to three a day or less if you want to lose weight. Other high glycemic foods are not allowed- like corn, pineapple, beets... You are not supposed to eat any foods that have more than 3 grams of sugar per serving. You are supposed to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean meats and low fat dairy. The book, written by a couple doctors was based on Michel Montignac's Eat Yourself Slim. South Beach phase two is basically Sugar Busters. My old doctor recommended it to his patients...especially those who were insulin resistant or diabetic. It is essentially the same as Weight Watchers Core program, according to the moderator for WWCore on here. The doctors who wrote the book were from New Orleans, and there is a famous restaurant there, Brennans, that had a full SugarBusters menu! They have a book out with recipes too. Its pretty good. Montignac said in his book you could reverse insulin resistance if you followed his program to the letter or at least three months with NO cheats. I never could make it that long to see if he was right!
Hi Rosey . . . Oh chocolate . . . I've been on a popcorn kick lately . . . have to give that up . . . not a bad little snack (as long as you stick with the hot-air kind) but it's carb just the same and not exactly the healthiest bang for the old carbohydrate buck.
MEOWEE: How does popcorn effect your blood sugar levels? Corn in any form is a no no on Sugarbusters. Occasionally, I would love to chow down on a bag...just for the crunch! I have some Smart Balance brand...and I keep seeing it in the drawer and thinking, hmmm.... It is probably better than the handful of chips I just snitched from my daughter's party downstairs!
A small bag (snack size) of Orville Reddenbachers Low-fat Smart Pop has about the same calories, less sugar, less fat, and more fibre, than a slice of good whole grain bread and, for me anyway, slightly less impact on BS. But, of course, everybody is different. Personally I don't think that corn should be given too bad a rap so long as you treat it (either popped or fresh) as a startch rather than thinking of it as a vegetable (afterall, it is a grain). On the other hand, from the nutrition point of view, I don't think I'm doing myself any great and lasting good when I trade a slice of bread for a bunch of popcorn, but emotionally, It's a wonderful treat . . . and I find it very filling . . . takes a long time to eat and then you get all the fun of picking the kernels out of your teeth for hours afterward. I know, I'm crazy sometimes.
Actually, kidding aside, you have to look at Glycemic Load as well as the basic Glycemic Index of a food; and you have to consider the quality of the nutrition as well. For example, carrots and sweet potatoes are both pretty high GI as veggies go, but they are definitely worth including in the diet because of the quality of the micronutrients they contain. And from a GL point of few, you have to eat a lot of them to really cause a serious blood glucose spike.
One of the most telling things I can remember from when I first learned about the GI and an item that should make everyone stop and think about what they are eating, is the fact that french fries have a lower GI than the same weight of plain baked potato because the fat content of the french fries slows the glycemic reaction of the potato. Now, really (ignoring the fact that Sugar Busters probably doesn't want you to eat either) which type of potato do you really think has a more serious negative impact on you . . . especially if you are trying to lose weight? Thought that one would get to you after the comment you made about snitching chips from your daughter's party. LOL.
Bottom line . . . we all just have to do the best we can . . . and realize we will never be the perfect little diabetic all the time, any more than we'll be the perfect little anything else all the time.
Have a great night's sleep everybody . . . tomorrow is another day.
Hi everyone .. Iam down to a 6.0 today! that is great cause they have been at 9.6 etc so this is working .. atkins for me was the only way to go as even brown bread and rice raise my blood terrible ..ao I stick to meat... cheese ... salads mostly green stuff but that is the only carbs I chocolate.... never! I pay big time with my soon as the sugar level is high .. my eyes are blurry... so really Iam on the best diet for me.. how ever I try and watch the fat ..but not always as it satifies me ... It will also help when Iam exercising more...... think thin and sugar free...... annie
Hi Everyone, old 3FC member but new to the diabetes threads. I follow the carb guidelines set by my diabetic dietitian, but I manage my food intake by using points, since that works for me. Then I only eat low GI/GL foods as much as possible, and add just a little really good chocolate for mental health purposes. All in all, educating myself about glycemic index/load has really helped me, and my HbA1C is consistently 5. 6, so both my doctor and I are pleased. I like the information that Dave Mendosa puts out in his blogs and website, mendosa.com - he's a medical journalist with type II, great way to stay current. Good luck, All!
Right now I'm just cutting out processed carbs (unless it is whole grain/wheat). April work starts that biggest loser contest, so I will stick to those guidelines as sensibly as possible. After that maybe I'll have gotten used to my sugar levels and what affects them and start working the diabetic diet better.
I think that from now on when I eat something carb-y I'll just do a mile or two of WATP.(unless I'm at work-always on my feet there) When I was pregnant and had GD, DH and I used to go eat at Golden Corral. I'd literally eat whatever I wanted without watching portions and then after dinner we'd just go stroll the mall, not even worthy of calling it walking, but strolling. My levels were always great when we did that routine.
Jellp pudding Sugar Free snack cups are just 60 calories a piece and satisfy my chocolate craving - put a stick in it and freeze for an awesome pudding pop. Also Hersheys makes some new "stick" varieties with plain, caramel and crunchy I think - 100 calories each.
I found the American Diabetes Association WAY too high in carbs. I don't count anything - just eat low fat and low carb - limit desserts - very little fast food - mostly lean cuisine or a weight watchers with a salad or veggie but do take my son out for brunch almost every week and have scrambled eggs, home fries, toast and sometimes bacon. My type II diabetes is all but gone. My sleep apnea is gone. I do the treadmill every day for at least 45 minutes and the weight has been falling off. If we eat dinner out I get grilled chicken or a burger with no bun - salad and veggies.
For almost a year I followed the diabetic food exchange program. In fat I would recommend this to any dieter starting out (think Richard Simmons deal a meal). The reason I recommend this, that it taught me alot about various food. ADA has released a couple books, one containing "all" the exchanges for everyday foods, the other book contains "all" the fast food restaurant exchanges. This also taught me to categorize foods. I now know what a starch, a fruit, vegetable, dairy product, meat, etc. If I simply could not find the exchange (like potato chips), then I would divide the carbs by 15 to figure out the carb count.
I was told in a diabetes class that we are allowed 50-60g of carbs per meal, including 1 snack (a dietitian later said this was "old-school" style of thinking, and said you can have as many carbs as you like, as long as it doesn't effect your BG). At this point I learned that we can subtract fiber/sugar alcohols from the carb count. So this diabetic exchange diet taught me to read the nutritional labels, and subtract out fiber/sugar alcohols for fiber. I did whatever I could to "cheat" and get my 50-60g in (I found a yogurt that had only 5g of carbs, instead of the normal 17).
I also learned in diabetes classes that not to exceed 100% of DRV for fat, so I tried to eyeball this amount on the labels. Since I have always been overweight and swollen, I learned early in life to cut back on salt, so I have always chosen the low-sodium variety. this is how I found out about salt substitute (made by Morton's).
A year later I have become a little more lazy, but yet more knowledgeable. I no longer follow the exchange, but I still count my carbs. I limit myself to 250-300g of carbs a day. I take in at least 35g of fiber.
Because I workout, and do alot of cardio, I learned that my muscles need more protein to heal, so this year I have been monitoring that as well.
I was really interested in try Alli. I like to try everything once, I like to experiment with my diet, and create my own lifestyle diet. One day I called a pharmacy and asked questions about Alli. I learned that the "treatment effects" work if you eat more then 15g of fat in a meal. I decided to add up what I had done that day, and I only had 16.5g of fat for the entire day. Ever since then, I have been monitoring my fat as well
Lastly, I count my calories. I like that all of todays nutritional labels are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so I try to limit myself to 2,000 calories a day.
When I say monitor, I have a DayPlanner especially made for diabetics. I write down the carbs-fiber, the calories, protein and fat. This helps to keep me on my toes.
What will I be doing next year? Time can only tell
Diabetes Diet...what works for YOU?
Whatever . . . seems to be working so far. 
what also helps is both my daughters follow ww and one has lost 185# and the other 40# my mil follows ww and i even got my hubby to follow it some what..its so much easier when you have all that support from family and from 3fc chicks..this system is working for me..my sl have stayed 100 give or take a few for months now and feel my diabetes is under good control..i would like to loose more but its coming down slowly and im ok with that..((((((((hugs))))) rosey
I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome five years ago, and problems losing weight is a big part of it. I like the diet, as it is easy to follow, and I hate counting things, but I am thinking I need to really limit portions now and see if that helps with weight loss, AND glucose control. I SO agree with you on the chocolate...I am not sure if it matters if it is frozen, baked, or just wrapped in foil... 
On Sugarbusters, 70% cocoa solid chocolate is ok as a once a week treat. It only takes one square to satisfy that craving for me now. It doesn't seem to mess up my glucose levels either. 
Portion control with chocolate . . . wow. BTW, the reason it doesn't mess up your BS is because of the fat content which puts chocolate lower on the GI scale.
yup thats why i love chocolate..everymorning for brkfast i have a coffee mocha..i used to drink several cups each morning but its a flogers ready made product with 14 grms of sugar..now i allow my self one cup and count it(2.5 ww pts) and that takes scare of the chocolate craving..ive tried the no sugar ones but hate the taste.. so this is one indulgence i havent given up..as far as the carbs on ww i try and keepthem under 75 grms a day and choose good carbs whole wheat etc one of the things i learned in that class was to test befor eating..then again 2 hrs later if your sl was higher than 160 that carb was to much for your system..by doing this over a period of time you can figure out what foods elevate your sl and what doesnt..every one is diff..hope this helps some..its a balancing act isnt it..and when we are trying to loose being a diabetic all u think about is food and what you can and cant have
and you dont want to be discouraged and have a binge..so i do allow treats so i dont feel deprived ..never heard of sugar busters befor so how does that work? do u just not eat any sugar related items ? talk soon rosey 
