August Chat
 

Here we go with another new month and I can feel summer slipping away too fast. It's very cool these mornings when I let the dogs out but I still sip my coffee on the deck because it's a long winter.

July was not a stellar month for weightloss - the Fair and too many BBQ parties and other food events - although I did get back to the gym. BGL has been pretty stable though. Now to keep it up.

I'm off to Ottawa for dinner and overnight at my friend Shirleyanne's place. She will have excellent food but is a real Carb Queen. It's a sit-down dinner which is more of a challenge than buffet because people notice what you leave on your plate. I'll try to get out into the kitchen to help with the plating. I know there will be a birthday cake and am going to plead a BGL problem to avoid eating it.

What are your strategies for avoiding over-the-top foods? I do plan to take along Fiber 1 and dried fruit for tomorrow's breakfast.

RUTH ~ honestly, we don't eat out at other people's place that much; but when we do, I fill my plate with veggies and salad (if any) plus some meat. If they are serving potatoes or something like that, we just have a bit. There are times when you don't have the greatest choices, but I just take a smaller serving of the starchy stuff, or skip it, if I can. It depends what it is. It's funny, at home we only eat a small plate or bowl of food, sometimes if I am eating out and they have lots of salad, I may eat a bit more of that.

You've got me thinking -- that I will likely take some of my favorite stuff along on my holidays, just in case ... :lol: I mean for snacks and breakfast, for instance. ;)

We had chicken drums with lots of veggies for dinner tonight; plus I baked some rhubarb/apple/strawberry compote, and baked two banana-blueberry bran loaves for DH for his snacks. When I make my breakfast slice, I cut the sugar and add some whey protein powder for some of the flour.

I love how the temps are cooling off a bit. Hope you all had a great 1st day of August ... Rosebud :flow1:

FBS back up. So confusing when you are following a plan. I was looking at the plan the doctor gave me and Hubby and I decided to follow it and see what happens. Starting it tomorrow. It is a combo of Calorie/Carb counting plan. I've got to have some energy so that I can start exercising in order to lose weight at the same time.

We did get up and go to church this morning. Tony had decided last night that he wanted to go. I got up and ate breakfast and felt terrible and checked BS 1 1/2 hours after breakfast since I wouldn't be able to at 2 hrs. My BS reading was 285. I didn't really feel like going but since he hasn't been able to go for over 2 months, I couldn't tell him I didn't feel up to it. I set in church and felt like I was drugged and off in another world. When I got home, I checked it 2 hrs after dinner and it was 138. If I can get some energy, I can start exercising. Strange thing is that it was 101 when I went to bed and 137 this morning. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster with this. But I know if I can get enough energy to exercise that it would make a big difference.

TRISH ~ Remember now, that could be the "DAWN EFFECT" playing games with ya ... so don't get too upset. It may not be what you are eating, but that 285/17.8 number sounds over the top to me ... when my uncle was sick, he said he could get numbers as high as 22 or 352; so it can happen. Do you want to share what you ate for breakfast? I try to match my carb intake with protein; even leaning more on the protein side.

You know, my doctor only got me to check my BSL's in the AM upon waking; and after eating, at least 2+ hours before I ate my next snack or meal. If you are eating any snacks in between, they could be running into your meal numbers too (esp if they are carby snacks). These checks were optional and only for my information to see where they stood after each meal. After awhile, I only had to check in the AM.

We have to remember that even fruit is a carb and some have a lot of fructose sugars in them (ie pears, bananas, apples, etc). I cut all those type in half now; wrap them in paper towel and put them in the fridge and they stay great for later or even the next day. Berries have less fructose in them, so I try to eat them more often now, like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and rhubarb. Am fortunate to pick my own blueberries and rhubarb; froze them in little baggies and containers.

How about just going for a short, fast walk; get those arms swinging and go a bit faster than usual, then slow down, and pick it up again (in spurts). It doesn't have to be for that long; start with 10 minutes, if needs be. Something is better than nothing. :hug:

My DH told me he saw a lady walking/jogging around the bases of our local baseball diamond to try and help her get into better shape. Think she wants to try and play baseball in a mixed league, and is practicing for it. Even if she just goes around them a few times; after awhile, it will get easier.

Just keep going and try not to worry so much. Our bodies are different and we all react differently to different things. :lol: VIVE LA DIFFERANCE!!! ;)

Rosebud Thanks. I tried adding some protein powder to my oatmeal to give me more protein and I think it didn't work. It made me sick at my stomach. I was more careful what I ate yesterday. I did eat a Pure Protein bar that seems to bring my BS reading back down but it hurts my stomach as well. I will either keep them or give them to my Pastor's wife who uses them. This morning my FBS was back down to 119. The fruit doesn't seem to bother my BS which really surprised me. But I'm not eating more than 2 servings a day and one is blackberries or blueberries. Yesterday I use some low carb yogurt in the oatmeal and I've also tried the Greek yogurt and I don't like it and I'm thinking I can't eat yogurt any more. I only put a little in my oatmeal, but may be enough to throw me off. I'm also thinking I'm not sleeping enough. I notice that when I don't get at least 7 or 8 hrs sleep the readings are a little higher. I agree about the exercise. Saturday I was feeling groggy, but had things that I had to do. I tested my BS after getting all that stuff done and BS reading was 101.

I don't know if I mentioned that I read the materials the doctor gave me originally and I understand what some of the good carbs can do to bring the readings down and keep it level. I'm beginning to think that it is important to have some of them in our diet and to learn portion control. I think things will get easier too because Tony and I are doing it together.

Costco is on our agenda today so will get lots of walking done. We usually eat at Sonny's BBQ when we go there which is nice because I find it easy to stay OP. Already know what I'm ordering. We eat and then go to Costco. I look for today to be a better day.

Thanks for your help and advise Rosebud. I appreciate it.

I am doing the 2 hr check after food to see how the foods work for me. I had oatmeal, blackberries and 2 scoops of Greek yogurt for breakfast. 2 hrs later reading was 187 so I don't think I'm eating that any more. When we went to lunch I ate corn-on-the-cob with my lunch and 2 hrs later my reading was 129.

I went to the Accu-Chek site and found some forms that I copied and decided to just test some things and am using the ACE American College of Endocrinology recommendations rather than the ADA. They recommend a reading of <140 mg/dl 2 hrs after a meal. I actually started feeling better as I was eating my lunch.

Since I don't like oatmeal without yogurt and fruit, I've decided not to eat it any more. I will go back to eating SBD breakfasts.

My step-sisters hubby tested after all the food he ate to learn what he could and couldn't eat of the foods he likes. He has kept his BS normal ever since. My perscription was for only 1 BS check a day so I'm buying more strips on my own. I'm thinking of switching to Relion products from Walmart since they are much cheaper. Do any of you use them and if so do you like them? Pharmacist said I could have the doctor write the prescription for more and Medicare will pay for them, but I read on another site that then you have to keep up with it to be turned into the doc so he can turn it into Medicare. Does anyone know if that is true? Once I know what I can and can't eat, I don't want to be stuck having to check so often. I appreciate your help.

I am happy to say that I am feeling so much better today.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

THAT'S GREAT, TRISH ~ I'm so glad that you are feeling better and you have more leeway in your readings too. I think what your BIL did was a good idea too; that way you know what foods sends your numbers up and what doesn't. I don't eat cereal near as much as I used to; only on rare occasion, and it is usually bran based. :lol:

We had :rain: here all day on and off, so just stayed home and did some laundry, etc. I had steak & mushroom medley, and a broccoli-cabbage slaw for dinner tonight. Tea time now!

Hope you all have a wonderful week ... Rosebud :flow1:

checking in with the chicks
 

was away for our long weekend. It was a big camping out thing, with lots of friends, drinking, leisure, food etc.
I made a sugar free low carb cheesecake, some homemade low carb icecream, and salads, a red coleslaw, a greek salad, and a great "potato" salad using cauliflower instead of potatoes, so it was also low carb. Set a different salad out for each meal, and choose a meat serving to go with it. I also ate anything else that was out and appropriate to low carb. I did really well. Had one alcoholic beverage only, and one small dish of regular ice cream by accident (thinking it was mine). Sugars were great and I didn't gain any weight. My goal was to manage a fun weekend without going off the rails.
I feel like I really did it. It was so important, to be able to enjoy myself with friends without it being all about excess. We also walked and swam, and there were tons of little ones to play with and generally enjoy. Only problem was that the long drive did my back in, so I wasn't as active as I wanted to be. Swimming was the best.

Tomorrow we leave for the cottage, where we can be a bit lower key with just the two of us. ttfn

Patty, you are doing well. We can control this thing and will probably end up healthier than we ever were.

Fatmad, you did really well at your foodie events. I find it fairly easy when I can serve myself. It's these sit-down, pre-served dinners that are difficult. I did OK over the weekend though.

Rosebud, good advice on fruits and also on walking. I am starting to really speed it up, even for short walks like from the road into the Post Office. When things cool off a wee bit, I am going to take a dog and walk the 1/4 mile track at the fairgrounds. My dogs need the exercise and there are no distractions there.

I'm off to Stratford tomorrow morning early on the train. I have tickets for Christopher Plummer in The Tempest and will try to eat very lightly before the show. I sure don't need a heavy meal before theatre - my B&B offers a huge meal which I will turn down in favour of a salad of some sort beforehand. I wish I knew Stratford better. I plan on a packed lunch on the train going there - cheese, veggies and some berries and will do my best the rest of the time.

See y'all late Friday or early Saturday. Hang in there.

Good Morning Ladies!
May I join in with you?

I was diagnosed with diabetes in March of this year and am looking for a way to control this and hopefully get rid of my medication.

What eating plans do you all use. I know one does not fit all but it's very confusing - one tells you to eat this way, the other tells you to eat that way:dizzy: I'm just looking for something that is right for me.

Looking forward to learning alot here.

Linda

Sorry this is a quick flyby, but will catch up with everyone later. I believe things are finally coming together for me. Although I'm watching the calorie/carb woe, I'm still using a lot of SBD with it because it just seems to work better for me. My bs was back down to 113 this morning and my bp is staying below 120/80 which is normal for me. I'm finding eating out is more of a problem than I thought it would be. I have no problem eating healthy for my woe, but I do find that even eating healthy in restaurants seems to make the bs reading to be a little higher for a day or two after. I think this must be the difference in their way of preparation and home preparations. But I can live with that, I just have to learn to adjust other meals and snacks to compensate for it. All part of learning how to deal with living with this. Now I've got to try to help my dear sweet hubby learn how to control his.

Thanks Everyone for all the encouragment and help you have given me. I love and appreciate each and everyone of you.

Ruth You are an inspiration.

Y'all have a great day.

:welcome: Lindyloo ~ love to have you join us here; I am on a combo-plan -- meaning a mix of sorts, taking the best from many of them actually. I am on a calorie /portioned /volumetrics /lowercomplexcarb (not NO carb) /goodfats & wholefoods plan ... :lol:

And, I use tips from all the plans; hey, whatever works for me -- plus I try new things all the time. I picked up a SPAGETTI SQUASH today; never had that before and decided to try it (and they aren't cheap either). Will probably cook it up tomorrow.

Had spit BBQ chicken and a mixed coleslaw salad for lunch; and a light supper as well with a romaine mixed salad as it was too hot for a hot meal tonight. Got some walking in today; always glad for that, and did other daily exercises and some hand-weights today as well.

Hope you all have a great week ... Rosebud :flow1:

Hello, everyone! I'm still here. And, welcome, Lindyloo! I've been doing a "low-spike" diet. I found it on the website bloodsugar101.com thanks to someone here who posted it. Really, it is very similar to the South Beach Diet, so you could say I am doing that, too.

Trish -- I switched to the ReliOn products. Since I have not been officially diagnosed (I'm taking matters into my own hands), I needed to go the cheap route. They are very good. I bought the "confirm" meter and it works really well. The only problem is, the strips are hard to find. I would look on the internet to check for strip availability before you buy and just go where they have them. I had to drive all the way across town, and they only had the 20 strip package in stock (which were $9). Still, it's better than spending 60 dollars for 50 strips, which is how much my other meter's strips are.

Ruth -- I went to a birthday party this weekend, and I think I did okay. I had fruit and a hotdog. A little while later they had ice cream cake. I ate 2 bites (they were so good!) and gave the rest to my husband. If I didn't have the bites, I think I would have felt deprived. Cake is my weakness. :o

Rosebud -- I've been trying to take a walk every evening. My husband even started walking with me. :) P.S. let us know how the squash turned out!

Fatmad -- You are an inspiration!


Anyway, I have not been checking as much do to the fact that my strips are running low. I need to go get some more. I can tell if something is wrong, because I usually get a headache and feel really tired. I felt great all day today until now. I just had a piece of light bread with peanut butter. Maybe it was too many carbs. I will have to check in a bit.

:wave:Everybody,

Linda :welcome3: Glad to have you here. I agree it does get confusing when there are so many ways to eat even for diabetes. My doctor gave three diets to choose from. The ADA diet, a low carb diet and a general deal where you divide your plate in 3 sections 1/4 protein, 1/4 starchy carbs and 1/2 veggies. I went on line and read and there are sooo many different kinds of low carb diets. I decided to go with the low carb diet he provided and it works out to be very similar to South Beach. I also check bs after I eat certain foods. For example, I drink a Protein low carb shake in the morning for breakfast. I usually make it with water which is one option, but this morning I decided to try using lowfat milk. I will check bs reading 2 hrs after because I didn't feel as well as I usually do... kind of zapped my energy. My Daddy is allergic to dairy products but won't give them up. I suspect that I can't use the milk even low carb. I'll know that when I check bs. I suddenly realized that if I can't use the milk that I may have an allergy toward dairy products as well. Maybe the zapped energy when I eat eggs isn't the eggs but the cheese I was using on it. Also may just need to switch to lower carb or FF dairy. I say all that to say that everyone is different and what one person can tolerate may not be tolerated by another. I believe this is a process of learning what works for each of us individually. I can't eat some grains because bs skyrockets, however, I can eat others that doesn't bother me at all. Don't get discouraged, just take it slow and easy and you will learn what works for you.

Fatmad I've been thinking about trying to change a recipe I have for ice cream to lowcarb. Could you please share your recipe for the ice cream and cheesecake? I changed all my recipes to lowfat when I did lowfat and have been wondering why can't I change my favorite recipes to lowcarb. I think it makes doing this a little more like fun.

Cande My daughter told me she buys a grain bread by Nature's Own that has no sugar. I'm going to look for that today and hope I can handle it.

Hubby has blood test for coumadin today so we are going to do our grocery shopping after. Going to be a hot day heat index of 105 so won't want to be out in it too much or too long.

Y'all have a great day!!

MADELEINE ~ WE WANT RECIPES!!! I would love to have the cheesecake and cauliflower mock potato salad recipes please; and I just know the others here would too! THANKS!

CANDES ~ am baking that spagetti squash today for dinner. Yesterday, I discovered that I still have a Christmas Icecream Cake in the bottom of my freezer from Christmas becuz no-one wanted any (so, I will probably end up tossing it). Most of our friends are becoming very health conscious too.

TRISH ~ I agree with what you said to LINDA. A while back, my BSL's had slipped up to the 6's so I switched to an egg-based breakfast. I have an egg & no-fat cheese slice (I am lactose intolerant) on a WW wg sandwich thin each day (sometimes with a very lean ham slice or a slice of smoked chicken); OR 1.5 egg omelette + a bran wg toast.

The other thing is that we haven't had pasta for a while; and my sugars are back down in the 5.0/80 range again, so I think I found two of my worst triggers. I do have bran cereal here now if I get a craving for cereal or am in a hurry. I have whole grain spagetti on hand which we will have as an occasional treat now (maybe once a month) but I will cut my complex carbs for lunch & BF of that day too.

I can have a cube of cheddar cheese (any of the hard cheeses) for my evening snack most nights now; becuz it is fermented, it doesn't bother me -- and I can tolerate yogurt or yogurt ice cream (as they are cultured). I may try the lactose-free milk sometime. Someone suggested soy cheese & yogurt but we can't get that here.


We had a huge :rain: storm last night with lots of lightening;and it poured and poured. We have a metal roof on our building so it is really nice to hear the rain on the roof. Our garden and my beans are lovin' it ... :lol:

Have a great day ... Rosebud :flow1:

Hey, Trish! This kind I have is Natures Own, the Delightful 100% whole wheat kind. I like it a lot. It tastes really good. I have been eating it with my eggs at breakfast. I think I just couldn't handle it with the peanut butter, too.

It's as hot as the blazes here, too. Not sure what the official report is, but OMG it's hot. :devil: It's funny to me that some of you have been saying how the mornings are getting cooler. That is not happening here in the Deep South. Even in the middle of the night, it is warm. Our poor chickens, I feel so sorry for them out there.

Rosebud -- I'm very curious about the spaghetti squash. I was thinking since I can't find it here, I would use zucchini instead. WTG on throwing out the cake! You are stronger than me! ;)


FBS today was 92! I'm very happy about that. I was getting worried when it wasn't coming down. Is anyone else afraid to eat? I'm getting anxious about eating, especially in the evening when I really want something, but there is nothing that is easy and "not-carby" to eat. I'm not really keen on snacking on vegetables in the middle of the night. That is why I had the peanut butter on bread last night.

Hope everyone has a great day! Be back later!

Ruth, I wish I had known. I am from the area (live 30 minutes north, and practice at the hospital there) and went to see the same play last week.
We ate at the Down the Street Bistro, but I must say, for the price, the food was NOT great. It was quite expensive, (about $100 for 2, with only me having one drink) and just wasn't up to expectations.
I often go to Bentley's pub, they have the best wings in town, and do an ok salad, and pub grub that is decent. Piazzo and Fellini's are very good for Italian, but not so good if you are watching carbs.
I personally love Raja, the Indian food place, and just skip the rice.
The play itself was fantastic, and the asian woman playing Ariel was simply amazing. Plummer was great, and the chemistry between the two was fab.
My husband is not a great fan of Shakespear, but did agree that the live performance really brought it to life.
I hope you have a great time.
I am away on Manitoulin Island now, just relaxing for a week, but my back is quite bad. I am using a tens machine, cold pain relief patches, tylenol and even some codeine when it gets really bad. Its keep activity and exercise to a minimum. So I am eating very carefully.
have a good day everyone.

I will be happy to post the recipes, but don't have them here on the island with me. They are low carb, not low fat tho.
FOr the mock potato salad, the key is to make your own potato salad however you like. (unless you haven't made it before?) I use a couple of boiled eggs, some cucumber and red pepper cut very fine, and even a pickle chopped fine, a bit of green onion and just mayo, don't like it with mustard so much, tho some people do. the just salt and pepper to taste. YOu must BOIL the cauliflower until tender, then break it up.
I got the ice cream recipe and cheesecake from Suzanne Somers dessert cookbook.
I learned from an icecream website that the big key to good ice cream is to make the custard base but let it age overnight, made a great difference. And by making the new york style cheesecake myself, (I used a full fat sour cream, and cream cheese) I was able to leave out the lemon as I have become allergic to citrus.

ttfn everyone

dawn effect worsening
 

In spite of switching my daily metformin back to supper time, I am still getting some higher numbers on my fasting glucose. SO I will be adding in a small evening snack.
Any low carbers have useful suggestions as to what to have? I was thinking a glass of milk might do it, or a protein shake.
Its a little frustrating tho, one of my "diet" habits to break was evening snacking, and I often eat supper a bit later in the evening (like 7 or 8 pm) so I thought I wouldn't need this. So I want to be really careful about what I choose and how much of it I have so I don't gain weight or go off plan.
What types of bedtime snacks do it best?

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the info.

Pattygirl: I have now starting to check my blood too after eating something new. For instance I can only have 1/2 glass 1% milk without a big spike and if I have anymore than 1/2 cup of cold cereal it does the same. I tried a fairly low carb day yesterday and was surprised to see my numbers in the 5's. Usually they are in the 6 - 7 range. My doctor told me anything between 6 - 10 was okay but I feel much better when they are in the 5 range. I think maybe low carb might be the best way to go.

Fatmad: Yes please recipe for ice cream and cheese cake. I have been using Chapmans sugar free and it's quite good but I do have any ice cream maker and would rather make my own. I take my metformin 3 times a day and find that if I take my last dose before bed it helps my numbers in the morning and I also have a glass of wine sometime before bed that seems to help too.

Rosebud: I love spagetti squash with butter and pepper. There is a cream mushroom sauce that was in the Dr. Bernstein diet book but I forgot to write it down before I took the book back to the library.

Cande: I'm nervous to eat as well. I'm afraid of what it will do to my readings. I guess it will get better as I keep tracking and finding out what I can or cannot eat.

Have a great day everyone.

A quick one here. My fbs was up a bit this morning, but hubby wanted chicken wings from Walmart yesterday since we were running late on our main meal. Only had 3 pcs, but was enough to raise it this morning. I bought the ReliOn Confirm meter and got home and had the wrong strips. Tried to take the strips back (had never been opened) and they couldn't take it back for health reasons. So I bought the Ultima to go with the stips I had. I figured that would be cheaper than going through the trouble of calling and trying to send it back by mail if the company would have even taken back. I figure that Tony can use it later. I'm going to talk to the doctor about changing our prescription to ReliOn strips. That way I can test more often and it will be cheaper for me and Medicare.

I haven't been having my snack before bedtime, but think I need to do that again. The cheese stick didn't seem to work for me for lowering FBS, but I think the protein shake does. I've just been too lazy to get up go to the kitchen and make it. I need to start doing that again tonight.

I am experimenting with my breakfast foods trying to figure out what makes the 2 hr after bs so high. I thought maybe I was eating too much, so I made 1 egg, 1 thin slice ham, a pinch of lf mozz cheese and I put about a teaspoon of chopped jalepineo peppers on it and had a slice of sugar free toast. I realized the peppers are a new thing as well as the toast so will eat the same breakfast without them tomorro. Also may need to boil or poach the eggs instead of frying. I use non-stick pan and Pam but maybe I still can't do that. I've also wondered if I might be lactose intolerant, but the 1 8oz glass of milk I drink at our main meal doesn't seem to affect my bs.

Catch y'all later. Have a good day.

:wave: We are having a lovely :sunny: day here today -- it is a bit cooler, but I don't mind that one bit. Just have to put on a sweater that's all. Made that spagetti squash and it turned out just fine. It really does look like spagetti too; my DH asked me how I got it to look like that; and I told him that it comes out that way ... :lol:

I baked it for over an hour, but it was still a bit crunchy but it is supposed to be that way. It sure makes a lot and I only baked half of it. I will cook the rest to put a sauce over. This time, I made an Asian type sauce and baked it with that, then tossed it in the sauce before serving. I think it might taste very good with a nice tomato or mushroom sauce. My DH said he would like it cooked a bit more (until it was a bit softer); but I told him that it might just turn to mush if I did that (dunno). :shrug:

Anyhow, the experiment went well, I think. They are expensive but I can see why people like them. It kinda reminded me of semi=cooked shredded cabbage. Really it has little flavor on it's own, it takes flavor from whatever you put in it or serve with it, I think.

Have a wonderful weekend ladies (and gents, if any) ... Rosebud :flow1:

I worked so hard not to have any sugar because I'm having a fasting bloodwork done next Thursday. I didn't pay attention when I fixed our fruit for dinner. When I use canned, I usually will wash off any sugar on it. This was in a jar and it just didn't register:?: with me. I did a 2 hr after bs stick and it was 217. I sure hope it isn't going to ruin my test next week. I am so put out with myself. Staying OP the rest of the day.

Survived the trip to Stratford with even BGL and no weight gain. I think walking to dinner and to the theatre did the trick. Mad, I knew you lived nearby and should have consulted. I ended up with a delicious but $$$ dinner at The Church, a bit of a nostalgia trip as I spent a lot of time in Stratford during the 60s.

Now back to reality and a ton of veggies. My next vacation is in three weeks and I need to be in shape for the Cape Breton trail.

normal fasting sugar
 

My fasting sugar was 5.6 this am. I am sooo pleased. I had my dessert at bedtime last night, so I wasn't actually increasing my net calories or food intake over the course of the day. I had a small dish of blueberries and cream.
Have you ever noticed that many brands of cream from the store have added dextrose and carragenan added? Up here on the island there is a local dairy and their brand has nothing added, just cream and milk. And wild local berries, yummy dessert with a wee bit of splenda.
I was also thinking a thick slice of old cheddar on a triscuit may be a good snack at that time.
Ruth, I wish I had gone to Rundles or the Church for my dinner, would have cost a bit more, but I think the quality is more even. Glad you enjoyed yourself. Didn't you find the tiny woman who played the sprite Ariel was awesome? She really stole the show. And the clowns were terrific too. My hubby says he is willing to return when I can get cheap tickets from the hospital again.
It is lovely and sunny again here, but won't get too hot. My back is still sore, so I don't think I can take the kayak out, and the water has been choppy. Have been relying on walking for exercise, and a bit of yoga to stretch.
Have a lovely weekend everyone

re the spaghetti squash, I love it with spaghetti sauce. Any one will do, with low carb you can even use alfredo sauce, if you add chicken or something for protein. I usually cook it in the microwave, its a bit faster that way, and the strands form as you scoop it out. I have never had it not slightly crunchy, but suspect you are right rosebud, it may get mushy instead. I don't find it any more work than making spaghetti with sauce ( always turned my jarred sauce into a homemade meat sauce, usually with mushrooms anyhow) which is nice, as hubby will make it.
I am going to work on meals he and my daughter can make that are going to be ok for me, or that they can adjust to me, so the cooking doesn't all fall on me.
Enjoy!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Reading the SBD Super Charge book again. I didn't realize that it was designed not only to stop cravings, but also to cause the blood sugar reading to level off. So I've decided to back to do Phase 1 again. Learning a lot of things I had forgotten. It really is helping to read the book again. It's has been so long since I got the book that it is almost like I'm reading it for the first time.

got inspired to have spaghetti squash last night, but I had lots of cravings before bed and woke up with the desires for a granola I haven't had in a while, and well, I gave in. Hope the sugars don't shoot through the roof.
So maybe the squash was a bit too carby and gave me cravings, don't know, but pc sugar was ok at 6.8 2 hrs later.
ok, heres hoping that I can manage the rest of my day now.
Glad you are getting good stuff from your sbd book Trish, I have to say, lower carb or carb controlled sure did the trick for me.

Although yesterday turned out to be a great OP day, I am officially back on SBD Phase 1 today. My FBS was back down to 122 mg/dl this morning. I read about a woman on SBD website whose bs was 600 when she started SBD and it was down to 200 in just 1 week of Phase 1. So just maybe it is possible for my FBS back down to normal by the end of the 2 week Phase 1.

I've learned that an egg omlet is what works for me for breakfast. It doesn't raise my bs. I really believe things are beginning to come together for me.

I've been thinking about getting a spaghetti squash and having alfredo sauce on it. I always loved alfredo sauce but knew I couldn't have the noodles.

Fatmad I know how you feel about the granola and glucose readings. I was so upset about the sugary peaches the other day because I had been so careful not to eat any sugar for over a month. I am so careful not to eat stuff that raises bs, but to do it accidently really ticks me. I knew the other day when DH wanted the chicken wings that my bs would be high for at 2 days. Makes me not want to take the chance and scarry about eating things I'm not sure about. Eating out isn't any fun for me right now either because you don't know the food is prepared and it may cause a rise in FBS the next morning. DH hasn't learned that one yet.

:wave: Had a great weekend -- visiting friends in the country on Saturday; and had a nice steak BBQ dinner there. This afternoon, packed a small lunch and we went fishing; I was the only one who caught anything (a young 18" er, so I decided to do catch & release and let him grow for a few more years).

Eating well and on plan. Hope you all have a wonderful week coming up ... Rosebud :flow1:

18"? That seems big to me. Of course I'm a real pan-fish fisherwoman. Sounds like you had a great time.

Monday and renewed enthusiasm after a real downer Sunday - not a single veggies passed my lips and my ticker is lying by a pound. BGL is still good though. I really, REALLY want to see 189 this week.

Ruth, I'm rooting for you! you can get to 189, there's a perfect mini-goal. Mine is to get below 170 (yes even 169.9 would do for my headspace).
I see a chiropractor today, and my back has been getting slowly better on its own, so hoping more walking will help.

Hi Everyone,

Ruth As much as I love veggies, I sometimes I get tired of them. I hope I don't get burned out on eating so many of them on SBD. While FBS is better, it still bounces around and I am convinced that the Phase 1 will help get it back down to where it belongs. Reading the book has sold me on that fact.

Fatmad My back and my right hip joint hurts (an old injury to the hip) when I first begin walking or exercising. However, I know that if I take it slow and ease into the exercise especially walking that the back and joint strengthens and the pain goes away. I seem to have a hard time getting started, so I've decided to use the exercises recommended in the different Phases in SBD Super Charge book to get me going.

Hubby wants to go out to eat. Funny how a person who has never had to diet suddenly has the same attitudes all dieters have when they learn they have to do it. I know he is having a difficult time realizing he is diabetic. I'm not pushing or criticizing him like he has done me and did his first wife (deceased), because I understand what he is feeling. Our relationship has improved because now I think he realizes how I feel and how Carol felt. I am so sorry he has to experience all this. He has so many other health issues he is facing that I wish he could have been spared this one. He will work through it and settle into eating as he should. He is just going through the process we all have had to go through. Any way we are going out to eat which I absolutely hate doing these days. You don't know how food is prepared are what is in it and we have blood work done Thursday. I'm sure the doc will have to put DH on some diabetic meds and he will probably up my Metformin again.

Y'all have a great day.

Good Morning.
I hope everyone had a great weekend.

I just got back from a doctors appt for a req. for my A1c test. Will try to get an appt. for that this weekd. I did get rid of one of my prescriptions though. My cholesterol medication is now gone Yipee. Now to work on the BP.

Patty , I'm like you, don't like to go out and eat - scared of what's in the food. Good luck to your husband and I'm sure he will work everything all out.

Ruth & Fatmad good luck on the weight loss.

Going grocery shopping now. Have a great day.

nice visit
 

We have some cottage neighbours that we only get to see up here, and had a nice visit with them. The husband is also pre-diabetic, no meds yet, but testing some. He isn't as good with his diet as he should be. Eating out too much, and making not so good choices when he does. (They went out for brunch on Sunday, and he had 2 servings of pancakes and syrup. duh)
His wife is so wonderful, we traded ideas and recipes. I just enjoy her generally. She has lost 10 pounds on HIS diet plan. She is so good with her research on his benefit. It made me think about why 3fc is so great. Of course men are welcome here, but it seems to me, (tell me ladies if I'm wrong) that as the partner who usually cooks, men have a better chance since their wives will embrace the changes and change how she cooks and serves food.
If the wife is trying to make changes, she often sees her family will not go along. They complain, they bring in taboo foods, they won't try new things. In undermines the woman and she gives up. Am I being too simplistic? It seems I have seen this happen frequently. But maybe thats just an excuse we use.
This holiday and time with my husband, I have been working on educating him. He cooks about half the time, and its so important that when I come home exhausted that there is healthy stuff on my plan. So he is (finally) coming around to this idea of supper planning. He hasn't been agreeable to this before. But now he is seeing how important it is and agrees to try.
I know he really loves me, and his agreeing to try this is such a lovely way to say he does. If you know how he HATES planned meals, you would understand what a big deal this is for him.
BTW re the back, it has been a problem since a week ago saturday, I had a very long drive (8 hours in the car, but with breaks) and for a couple of days was hardly able to move. Its taken longer than I thought for it to get better, and the chiropractic treatment really helped yesterday. It was worse for about 3 hours (quite common) and then I had my first painfree hours (2 of them) since this started, where I was moving around, not just sitting without moving. I was able to go swimming and do some yoga. This morning getting up, was not too stiff, and was able to move around fairly well.
I'm pleased, am sugars are staying below 6 with the evening snack. So will keep it up.
Have also been working through a new weight loss book, not focusing on diet, but on the mind.
Some real potential in this one.
have a good tuesday everyone

We didn't go out to eat yesterday because not many places to eat around the new Walmart. I hadn't put anything out to thaw so I made DH favorite quick food which is biscuits and creamed chipped beef... not my favorite when not dieting. I ate it any way and figured that it would ruin my FBS this morning. Surprise to me my FBS was 110 mg/dl this morning.:dizzy: Go figure. I was right back OP with my evening meal. It appears that I do better if I only eat 3 reasonably small meals and a snack before bedtime each day that my FBS readings are better. Of course time will tell on that. Hope I can keep it coming down. BP has been normal for over a week now so hopefully that is taken care of.

Fatmad I agree with you that things seems to work that way. However I know a man who has high BP, BS etc and he tried to change to healthy eating. His wife didn't cook a lot and they ate out most of the time. When he tried to start eating healthier, his wife didn't like it. Since they didn't eat out as much, she made the statement to him that "he was any fun any more". I always wondered how much she loved him since his health didn't seem to be important to her. I am finding that my DH is thinking more healthy now that he has the diabetic issue himself. His daughter who likes to eat the way I do talks to him and really helps a lot with that. What book are you reading. I love Intuitive Eating which I hope to be able to fall back into as I learn to eat better for my health.

I just ordered a book I found on Amazon.com called The Diabetic Book. Can't remember the long name of it, but it is supposed to answer all the questions about diabetes and how foods affect it and why etc. I think it will be good for my and for dear hubby with his medical background. I hope it will help him get rid of the old thoughts about it from what they knew 10 yrs ago when his first wife had it and died from all the complications of it and what they have learned to be true today.

Have a great day Everybody!

Hi
I'm going to jump in here and ask a question. But first just a bit about me.

I'm a type 2 diabetic for the past 3 years. Taking Metformin 500mg twice a day. Had gained alot of weight before diagnosed. I am 5'1" and was 172. I lost 25 lbs on South Beach but then got lazy and got back up to 161 and just hovered there. My Hgb A1c was 6.9 over 3 months ago and had an appt in July. Doctor told me that if my A1c went up she would have to change my meds so on June 28th I started exercising and am doing it daily now. I started calorie counting and watching carbs more closely on July 19th. I had my next A1c done the 20th and it had dropped to 6.3. I had seen a couple of fasting blood sugars at 100 and below but seem here in the past week or so it has creeped up. Today it was 122.
I've read about the dawn phenomenon and wondered if anyone had any ideas.
I do keep a food diary. Have been eating nuts or a protein before going to bed but maybe to late?
Thanks for any suggestions..........
Leann

welcome Leann, yes, I think you will find that a bedtime snack that has some carbs and fat may be helpful. That said, I am still struggling there, my fasting was 6.3 today! then 5.3 two hours after breakfast. I have decided to go back to atkins induction starting a week from Monday, when my holidays are done and I'm back to work. I have 2 weddings and a family picnic before then, so while I plan to stay to my woe, ( way of eating) induction would be too strict to manage.
Trish, the book I am reading is called "Savor" and I am working through it slowly. I read a paragraph at a time. It is Buddhist philosophy in practical terms for weight loss. Lest anyone of some religious affiliations take that to mean its not for them, remember I said philosophy, not prayer here, and the principals can be adapted to any religious teaching.
I mean, all faiths would agree on taking a moment before eating to be thankful for our food, yes?
I am enjoying many aspects, but will not be embracing the vegetarian/vegan diet recommended in it.
have a good day everyone

:welcome2: Leeann Sorry, I can't answer your question as I'm still fairly new to this myself. I don't really know what causes numbers to be higher one morning and low the next. I hope the book I ordered will help me understand that better myself. I'm going to try to remember to ask my doctor about that when I see him again. He does specialize in diabetic treatment. If you learn anything helpful, please share and I will do the same.

A quick one again. I was wondering if anyone notices that when you don't get enough sleep that your FBS is a little higher? DH wanted me to stay up with him and I went to bed at 4 am. Checked BS before going to bed and then when I got up and it was higher when I got up.

Fatmad I agree that we should always be thankful for food before we eat it.

Eating easier today since I'm sooo tired today. However, I need to make myself stay up and awake since I have to get up early to go get fasting blood drawn in the morning. Hoping that my numbers that were off last month are improved this time. Will get results on the 20th during drs. appt.

Have a great day everyone.