[time2lose]

Hi everyone,

I hope that you do not mind me asking you a question. I started my weight loss journey the last week in August 2008. I have been very pleased. I have lost 50 pounds and my cravings are gone.

To my surprise, my glucose has gone up. Last August my fasting glucose was 82. I had it done again through a program at work last week and it had risen to 101. This has really thrown me because since I have been eating better, start walking 30 minutes a day and lost weight, I expected all my numbers to have improved. I am going to see my doctor and ask to repeat the test. I hope it is a testing error.

I am wondering if there is something that I eat often that has done this. I remember when my son was 5 and wanted to eat grilled cheese sandwiches all the time. His cholesterol shot up. We removed the grilled cheese sandwiches and it went down. I have several items that I eat almost everyday and I wonder if one, or all combined, is causing this. I have not been counting my carbs. This weekend I am going to get set up on the Daily Plate and start keeping track. I may be eating too many carbs.

I thought that if anyone here at 3 Fat Chicks could look at my diet and advise on something that might be causing this, it would be those of you in the Diabetes Support forum. I am listing the items that I eat almost everyday. Please let me know if anything looks suspicious to you. I know this is not medical advice and I really appreciate the help.

Breakfast -
*2 slices of toast made from Pepperidge Farms Light style wheat bread and
*2 slices sandwich ham

mid-morning snack -
*Quaker instant oatmeal Lower Sugar Maple & Brown Sugar

*100 calories of carrots (about 8 ounces) that I munch on all day

Sandwich at lunch -
*usually ham or chicken on Merita Lite Wheat Hamburger Buns or
*a Lean Pocket.

My addictions junk quota for the day -

*Diet Dr. Pepper and
*100 calorie baked Cheetos

Thank you for taking a look!

[Ruthxxx]

What about dinner? I also don't see many veggies except carrots and wheat bread is not whole wheat bread.

On the other hand, your FBGL is still within normal range. I'd check with the doctor before worrying too much.

[time2lose]

Dinner varies more than my breakfast and lunch. The norm is meat and 2 or 3 helpings of veggies. I used to not eat many veggies and adding them to my diet has been important to me. I am on a cabbage kick right now. The veggies I eat the most are carrots, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, and green beans. I have potatoes a couple of times a week.

The test results threw me for two reasons; the report said "impaired fasting glucose" and the big jump in my numbers. When I was tested in August, I had probably eaten a bunch of candy every day for months and got a glucose level of 82. I completely stop eating sweets, and start exercising and my numbers go up. It just did not make sense.

Thank you for the input!

[VermontChick]

umm..your blood glucose varies from day to day...i wouldn't worry too much about one random testing...what is your a1c? it also sounds like you are eating a lot of bread for carbs...i prefer to get most of my carbs from fruits and veggies, and i usually indulge once a day on something with complex carbs.

the baked cheetos are awful, they're made with refined carbs and have a high glycemic index. also, the lean pockets sound like they might not be that great of a choice. you want to eat as much food as you can in their natural state. processed foods like frozen meals and bagged goodies are usually made with enriched white flour.


i mean, it sounds like your diet is awesome for losing weight, just not for controlling your blood sugar ..and to be honest, i am not sure why you are monitering your blood sugar anyways...that 80 reading you had is normal. your new reading is a tiny bit high, but not even close enough to be considered 'borderline.'


i would try replacing half of your carbs at meals with something like veggies or even protein. i never have two slices of bread at once. and ruth is right about the peppepridge farm bread...it may be light in calories but when you said 'wheat style,' bells went off in my head... it still sounds as if it's got bleached white flour in it.

bottom line, if you want to control your blood glucose you're just going to have to count your carbs, at least until you have a more intuitive feel about it all. just some things to think about, good luck!!

how's that for advice, meowee??? let us know if i am off the mark!

[activeadventurer]

Hi T2L,

I think tracking your food for a bit in Daily Plate is a great idea. As others have alluded to, I would pay attention to grams of fiber as well as carbs in your daily totals. Let us know how it goes.

[meowee]

You are doing great MEL . . . I feel like a pround Mother.

All carbs are definitely not created equal and diabetics have got to make sure to get the ones that are absorbed into the blood stream more slowly. Lots of gritty looking stuff in the bread is one clue that it actually contains whole grains and lots of fibre.

I have to agree with RUTH though . . . don't get too worried just yet. Discuss it with your doctor.

[time2lose]

Thank you for your help. I am not freaking about this but both my mother and grandmother are diabetic, so I think that I should pay attention. I am going to start watching my carbs and stop the Diet Dr. Pepper. The baked Cheetos were a crutch to help me wean myself off of all the junk that I was eating. It is time to give them up anyway. I have been tackling one issue at a time and now it the time to start reducing my carbs!

Thanks again, I appreciate the help!