Hi lovely people, I am new to 3FC, though I have been lurking around for a couple of weeks reading your posts and decided it was time to say hello to you all and jump in. I’m 25 from Australia and currently trying to finish my PhD in musicology. I’m also trying to tackle losing 20kgs in the hopes I won’t have sit on the sidelines for yet another beautiful summer.

I don’t suspect there’s much advice to give about this situation, but in a few days I have to take a Glucose Tolerance Test along with a few other blood tests (just a check up to see what’s going on with my PCOS). I don’t know if any of you have had one of these tests, but 3 days before it I have to eat a HIGH CARB DIET. I know it’s only 3 days, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to blow some of the good work I’ve been doing in relation to my diet. You should SEE the list of stuff I have to eat every meal of every day on this thing – potato, white rice, slices of bread, pasta, cereals… all of the stuff I have been trying to avoid for years!

It’s been so much easier for me to avoid those foods since I haven’t been eating them for 12 weeks. After this time, I don't crave them nearly as much. Now that I’m forced to go back there, I hope it’s not going to trigger my need for terrible carbs after the test is over. I know it’s for the best to know what my blood sugars are doing, but in the meantime… hello potato. I guess all I can do is keep the exercise up and hope for the best until I can get back to my normal eating plan...

So here I am trying to finish my porridge AND toast. Three more days of this. Wahhh! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!

Hi Aussie!

Don't worry--you'll be able to get right back on after the test is done. Don't try to overcompensate--just go back to whatever level your program recommends. It is an important test, after all, so just grin and bear it.

Congratulations in advance on finishing your degree!

Jay

Wow, I really feel for you. If someone were to force me to have a carbfest for three days I'd be really mad (and sick!). Best of luck to you. I hope detoxing afterwards is very easy and painless.

Wow! I do empathize. Well, at least you can get back on track in a few days. Good luck!

I'm sitting here wondering why the doctors can't just do an A1C (or Australian equivalent) to check your recent sugars and thus know what's up. If it were me, and they told me to do something so wrong for my body just to take some medical tests...honestly, I'd tell them to take a hike. But, I am pretty big skeptic in my relationship with the medical establishment, after much experience, and YMMV.

However, you'll probably be fine in terms of being able to get back on plan afterwards, because you are strongly committed to doing so. You'll feel like crap for the three days and then possibly up to a week after, but eventually you'll feel better again when you're off the carbs and past the crazy cravings. Good luck!

JayEll - thanks so much for the support - I'm trying to focus on Thursday when things return to normal. Isn't it funny how your body adjusts so quickly to not eating those kinds of things? Also - WOW 50lbs! Congratulations, I bet you look amazing!

Thanks also for those kind words about my PhD - I have a loooong way to go before I finish it, but I can't wait to get there! I'm studying popular musicology so my paper is on the music of the Beach Boys. At least I get to listen to happy music all day.

DCHound - Thanks a lot... I think it's hard because it's not like I'm doing it to myself, I'm being forced to! I am also pretty sensitive to gluten so I get the feeling I will be paying for this for a while. Anyway - looking positive, two days to go...

Delphi - Thanks for the encouragement, I hope I can too!

<3

WarMaiden - I wish there was another way to do it, unfortunately it's more than just a sugars test, I think it's more about how your body deals with the sugars over time. The test itself has 3 days prep and also goes for about two hours! I have to drink a crazy mixture, test, then wait and test again to see what the difference is. Have had the test before but probably 10 years ago, so it's about time I looked into it again. Wahh!

Thanks a lot for your kind encouragement, I really appreciate it so much! I'm new to this and it's so nice to have people who understand.

EDIT - WOW! I only just looked and saw you have lost 80lbs! That's incredible, congratulations!!

Yeah, I know what the GTT is, I've done it a few times myself; during pregnancy, most notably. It's a test I absolutely loathe and resent, and never resulted in anything more useful than, "Oh hey, you don't handle a lot of sugar well." DUH.

If my doctor told me now to take a GTT, I'd just tell him flat-out, "I don't handle sugar well. There's your result, now I don't need to take it." But again, YMMV

I mean, if a person is insulin-resistant and pre-diabetic (which is what the GTT is all about), then yes their insulin sensitivity may improve over time on the right combination of diet and exercise, but they are (IMO) never going to be cured of that basic predisposition toward poor blood-sugar control. So no matter how well they do with their lifestyle controls (which an A1C will show whether they are doing or not), then their GTT will always come out to, "Oh hey, you don't handle a lot of sugar well."

Edited to add: Thanks! My key to weight loss is carb control for insulin resistance, which seems to be an issue for you as well, so I wish you all the best in that.

yey another aussie!!woo!!

That does sounds hard! it would be hard for me, because as soon as i touch one bit of delicous carbs i cant stop!!eee the 3 days would be 300 days!

Hope all goes well!

The GTT is just one of a number of tests to give a picture of how things are going. I haven't been tested for that stuff since I was a teenager, so it's probably time to have a little look at what is going on. I will absolutely ask my doctor about that test you suggested - I have never heard of it here, but I will certainly check so I don't have to do this silly routine all over again.

Thanks a lot for the advice with it - you sound like you're pretty hip to these kinds of things. I'm seeing a specialist deitician and doing my best to eat for my condition like you are so I hope in time I will have as positive result as you have had! You're such an inspiration!

tarryn - Hey! I come from the Gold Coast too! I grew up there before I moved to Melbourne and Sydney!

Argh, I know what you mean about the carbs, they're terrible like that. Hopefully I can keep in under control on Thursday.

You've lost 18kgs, that's amaaazing! Well done and thanks so much for the encouragement.