Im getting really sick of this diabetes thing. I found out I CAN NOT have bread in the morning, even if its 5 net grams per piece--what gives?. I eat one sandwich and my bs skyrockets.
So I try to switch to cereal---Kashi go lean, with 20 net carbs per cup, and one cup soy milk, and like 1/3 banana. Well today two hrs after I ate, bs is 145!
Im so frigging sick of this I can just scream! Im vegetarian and doing the low carb diet is beginning to really bite. How do people stay sane while trying to live with this &^#$^%$@%$@% disease???
You don't say whether or not you are a vegan or just vegetarian. And I'm not a diabetic but have some low blood sugar issues. Just wondering if you'd tried more high protein first thing in the morning. Boiled eggs, tofu, beans, boca burger, or something like that.
I eat boiled eggs for breakfast almost every day and I feel sooooo much better because my blood sugar doesn't get all wacky and I feel good all day long. It's worth the fat/cholesterol/calories to me to get my day started in a way that makes me feel so good. And because I don't particularly enjoy boiled eggs, I've started making easter eggs. Pink and orange and blue eggs are more fun to eat than plain ones
Yea, Im a vegetarian. I love boiled eggs. And seriously I can eat a whole dozen or more in one day. But I dont eat the yolks, I eat like maybe one or two whole eggs, then the rest are the whites. And thats a good idea about easter eggs, just to be fun!
I guess I just have to get used to the idea of NO BREAD. Even though I thought I could have low carb bread...guess not! Maybe I can get away with eating some low carb bread during the middle of the day, like right before I exercise. Gosh, I just hate this!
I'm very adversely affected by breads too and find that my best cereal is Fibre One. The majority of my carbs come from massive amounts of low-carb veggetables. I often make an egg white and spinach omlette with a little cheese (I'd rather have the cheese than the egg yolks).
As far as staying sane . . . well, kiddo, you just do what you gotta do. Eventually you will get used to it even though you may never like it.
I totally understand not wanting to live with this *$#&#&# disease (as you have said. I think we ALL can. I sit in my room at night and just cry at night, wishing I could put the clock back and do things RIGHT.
And you should be glad that you have your numbers as low as they are. I think 140 is pretty good. I am still in the beginning stages of my diagnosis, so my BS is still all over the place. This morning it was 131, and I tested it again after I had a weight watchers sundae, and it soared up to like 218. I am so discouraged, I feel like I will never get it under control.
But I know that I will, and no amount of feeling sorry for myself is going to help. Food has been a major crutch for me. And it's too late for me to go back. I long to be able to just go on a 'diet' and simply count calories. But now I can't just cut the calories, can I?
I had to cut out all carbs in the morning too, and it was rough, but I do feel much better and my A1c is down to 6.1 now, down from 6.9, just from managing through diet and exercise and losing weight. I'm not on any meds for it.
I myself like poached eggs with a little olive oil and lemon juice, over sauteed spinach. I also like leftover asparagus with scrambled eggs. I have learned to eat a lot of veggies with my breakfast. And I always have to eat protein in the morning before I start working out or I my BS spikes.
Other things that help balance out BS are lentils. I have a serving of lentils a day. I also take Ceylon cinnamon capsules to help balance BS.
I got all caught up in checking BS with different foods to see how they affected me, before and after meals, before and after exercise...eventually I got burned out by the seemingly obsessive nature of it all. But once I got the hang of how to eat, I could back off on checking my BS and just eat without the added obsessive factor. Sometimes, I make a choice to go after something that I know will mess up my BS, but I will exercise and drink lots of water afterwards.
The more weight I've lost, the easier I could be on myself, but I still have to watch what I eat. This morning I had the hugest craving for a big bowl of Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal. So I had some, and then I got sluggish and sleepy within 20 minutes of eating it, and it's only now, seven hours later, that I'm starting to perk up.
Hi VermontChick, you mentioned that your Blood sugars went up after you ate the WW sundae. I also have been eating some of the weight watcher dinners and have checked out the ice cream and found that it is not made with splenda or aspartame. The next time you buy some see how many carbohydrates it has and that could be why your sugars and going up. Hope that this has helped and just to let you know that bryers ice cream is made with splenda if you want a treat that is low in carbs.
Take care
Last edited by timetoshrink; 03-28-2009 at 12:41 AM.
I don't know if this helps but when I was pregnant if I had carbs in the morning my bs would jump to the 200's...But if it was for lunch it was ok. You can give it a try and see, I know everyone is different but it won't hurt trying.
I have been type 2 for a long time and never in great control. My oral meds have gone up and up over the years. My numbers where so bad in December that my meds got upped again to the maximum amount of three different drugs. My next step was insulin. That was the kick in the a** that I needed and I started seriously dieting January 14th. I have lost a total of 42 pounds so far and have had several low blood sugar episodes. Went in for bloodwork after 10 weeks of dieting and my numbers are nearly perfect. Given the low bs episodes the Dr. reduced one of my meds from 4 a day to 3 a day. Since then I have taken myself down to 2 a day, still trying to avoid low blood sugar and my numbers seem to be holding within the acceptable ranges.
My point is, keep eating right and losing pounds. You body has a great chance to start working better. As soon as it believes your weight loss is for real it may get comfortable with the situation and start behaving better You may be able to tolerate that bread in 20 more pounds. This weekend my period and hormones got the better of me and I ate 352 calories of chocolate. My blood sugar 2 hours later was fine. My body at 200 POUNDS handled chocolate! Imagine what it will do at 150, or 130....
So give yourself some some time and a new weight loss and/or exercise goal and when you reach it try the bread again.
blackie - your post is very inspiring to me!! i too am really discouraged. i feel like i am eating nothing. i am afraid to have any carbs (especially now since i am waiting to get a new glucometer from my insurance). i have 15-20grams at a time, and it's usually in the form of fresh fruit, or a dairy product (like skim milk or fat free yogurt).
it's not that i want to slip into my old habits, but i want to be able to eat a piece of cake now and again..or a piece of bread.
i know i know i know people are going to tell me that i should be eating bread, but right now my body does not seem to be ready for it. i have hurt my body all these years, and losing weight i hope will make it able to tolerate more things.
anyways, i was waiting to hear a story like yours!!! thank you so much...
When I was first diagnosed I too had to avoid many carbs in the morning, particularly from grains. I would eat an egg, yogurt, a piece of fruit (not bananas though as they spiked me) etc. I slowly started introducing different foods as my weight came down, and now I can eat cereal, toast, pancakes etc without my blood glucose spiking up. Everything in moderation though. I did really enjoy the protein pancakes (in the recipe section) as a substitute for higher carb breakfast fare after I was diagnosed.
Vermont . . . Different people have different tolerances for various foods. I think I've mentioned that most bread and I do not agree; but chocolate my body can handle not too badly because it has a higher fat content which tends to slow carb absorption. You will, in time, find your own levels, Chickie . . .
Blackie . . . you make a great point about the hormone fluctuations around your period and the fact that they have an impact on BGL levels. I'm so old I forget to mention that little gem. The best thing about getting old is no more TOM. Although sometimes I wonder if the hot flashes are worth it.
Doggirl . . . you said it perfectly . . . 'all things in moderation' is the long term key to controlling both your blood sugar levels and your weight.