My name is Jeni, I had gestational diabetes with both my pregnancies (kids are 3 and 5 now). After some medical emergencies in the family I decided DH and I needed to go in for a check up and blood work for diabetes/cholestoral...you know that sort of thing. I checked my bgl for a year after my 3 yo was born and although my fasting #s were always high (120-130) the rest were fine so I didn't think anything of it. After talking to the doctor be thinks I have diabetes so he has started me checking my levels again and told me to follow the diet I was on while I was pregnant. I just happen to be on my work week (I work 12 hour shifts), so I think my fasting numbers may be skewed a bit. So tuesday I will have a better understanding of what is going on.
Ok so over the past two years I have lost over 40 pounds by calorie counting and exercise. I dont eat many carbs unless it is in the form of fruits and whole grain bread, some pasta but not much. Now the diet I need to be on is loaded with carbs. and full of calories. I guess I wonder if it is possible to stick to a lower calorie/low carb diet and still control my blood sugar. If the tests do show I have diabetes then I am going to see a nutritionist and have her/him help me figure this out, but in the meantime any advice?

Good morning and congratulations on your weightloss.

Your current diet sounds good to me. I'm confused over Is that what your doctor said? I'd stick with your current diet and see what the nutritionist says.

I'm sure others will pipe up with their opinions later today.

I wouldn't change just yet. Get to the nutritionist as soon as you can with or without your medical results. Relating a pregnancy diabetic diet to your current situation may not be right. It might be just an easy answer for the doctor. What you have been doing was working so don't do anything drastic but see that nutritionist ASAP and find a meal plan that works for your current conditions and life.

I would never change my diet without consulting a proper nutritionist. Especially with the complications that Diabetes can incur, too many carbs is dangerous for someone like me (type 1).

my average day when I was pregnant was

Breakfast 30 carbs
snack 15 carbs
Lunch 45-60 carbs
snack 40 carbs
dinner 45-60 carbs
snack 30 carbs.

Right now I stick to about 1200 calories an average day for me would be:

breakfast Lite and fit yogurt
snack Protein shake
Lunch salad with cheese and low cal dressing Or Turkey Sandwich with cheese or soup
Snack medium apple sometimes with peanut butter
Snack about 4 oz carrots sometimes with ranch
Dinner: one thing that varies usually chicken with veggies and some pasta or rice. Sometimes low cal enchiladas. Other times I go crazy and have spaghetti.

I tend to eat the same things everyday. I lose weight slowly, but following this particular eating schedule I have been able to lose. I do workout 3 days a week 60 minutes of cardio. Doc wants me to start going for 5 30 minute workouts. On 12 hour shifts thats a little difficult, but I am going to try. I will see a nutritionist asap.

The doc knows you've been dieting successfully, so he knows you've been eating fewer carbs. For an OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test, to be accurate, you need to eat a certain # of carbs each day. I think it is about 150g/day for 3 days before the test. You can check the details at bloodsugar101.

You'll want to check this site out anyway, it has some great info on testing your meter for accuracy and how to check that your nutritionist and doc are giving you good advice.

In my opinion, they have not been giving you the best possible advice or you would have been aware that fasting sugars of 120 are indeed something to be concerned about.

Good luck with the test getting this under control.

Don't confuse carbs with starch -- I get most of my carbs from vegetables and a couple of servings of fruit. I eat very few grains and hardly ever touch potatoes or pasta.

Your yogurt has carbs; your shake most likely has carbs (the milk?); your salad and your salad dressing (probably) have carbs; the apple and the PB have carbs; obviously the carrots have carbs. Depending on the amount of your serving, the pasta or rice may have a lot (too many) carbs, and then there are carbs in your vegetables, too.

Rolling I haven't seen my doctor since right after I was pregnant and he told me to check my sugars once a month. My doctor is quite a pill-pushing quack and I need to find a new one. Believe me if my #'s are high I will NOT be seeing him to help me control anything. He thought I was a nut for wanting a general checkup with a cholestoral, diabetes, and thyroid check. Really he is not a preventative medical attention doctor. That is why I haven't seen him before this. Why now? Grandpa went into cardiac arrest and fell into his wifes arms. She had to stand by and watch the paramedics shock him twice. Thank goodness he is still with us. I don't want to play the ignorance is bliss game. I want to get a check up just a starting point for my husband and I. In 40 years I don't want my husband dying in my arms.


Meowee~I do watch the carbs I eat, but I will start paying much closer attention now. Sorry to cut this short, off to 2 year old basketball

Just being nosy, but how were your triglycerides? I heard high triglycerides can be linked to diabetes. I had GD while pregnant too. Were your thyroid levels ok?

My thyroid levels were fine I guess they didn't say anything about it.

Good news the blood work came back and I am not diabetic. Thanks everyone for your advice.