But, I have sort of fallen off of the wagon and I have get a craving for sweets and I have a book where I write down everything I eat, how much salt was in what I ate, etc. I am writing this down because I am have gotten my HBP under control and I want to keep it that way.
Anyways I went on a kick and had something sweet for 4 or 5 days in a row… Just enough to get a taste. If it says I can have 1/6 of something I only eat 1/6. Or if it says 2 pieces I might only eat 1 or maybe both to satisfy my craving. Sometimes I over do it and eat 3 pieces ( I KNOW I KNOW don’t throw tomatoes at me!) lol
I have been abstaining from eating sweets and I was doing good but man that craving just hit me after not eating anything sweet for awhile.
So my question is, if I have something sweet daily will it cause my A1C to go back up?
I try to alternate days and not eat anything sweet for 3 or 4 days and then treat myself then try ( it doesn’t always work) to go another 3 or 4 days and treat myself again.
It depends on your glucose levels. If you manage your sugar with more insulin it probably won’t matter. That’s harder to do with type2 meds.
It doesn’t sound like you binged so much that it would really change that much in any case
Your A1C really has little to nothing to do with sweets. It is the carbs that will drive your A1C up. A little sugar in a cup of tea, for example will have nowhere near the negative impact you would get from a slice of bread, mashed potatoes, white rice or any other white starch that will leave carbohydrates building and lingering in your blood for days.
I have a different question for you… One that I asked myself straight after I was diagnosed: Would I be able to NOT eat something for the rest of my life. You want a chocolate? 1st there are chocolates for diabetics- it’s amazing what you’ll find these days. But it seems you have a good self discipline. Today when I walk around a supermarket I can walk up and down the sweet rows - no problem. But it wasn’t always like that. You form habits over years. Until then: well once in a while to quell your thirst is ok
Do you do regular BG testing? When you eat sweets, check BG before and after to see the impact. Some sweets have higher fat content, and may slow down impact to BG. Or maybe you learn bg goes high, so add some exercise on days you have treats.
Check the carb count before you buy anything labeled this way, “for diabetics” or anything similar. I’ve found there are typically more carbs in foods labeled this way or even as low fat than if it were sweetened normally and had full fat.
Some sugar alcohols manufacturers use, can raise blood sugar, rather than keep it steady and/or give you digestion problems. Other sweeteners, such as maltodextrin, will raise my blood sugar, but doesn’t contribute to the total carb count on the nutrition label. I didn’t understand why, when I made “sugar-free” jell-o, with 0 carbs, raised my BG. The pre-made sugar-free jell-o, in the snack cups, doesn’t have maltodextrin and is an easier product for me. Problem is, the powdered jell-o I can use in recipes, unlike the pre-made variety.
I’m thinking this is under a type two heading so you are a type 2.
Anything with carbs can raise your blood sugars, however some carbs are better for you than others. Broccoli can not be measured against a hard candy for one.
So whole fruits are going to be better than fruit juice because of the fiber content. And certain fruits have a lower glycemic index than others. Some of the best fruits for a diabetic is berries. And if you really want something sweet, stevia powder sprinkled over berries tastes like candy to me. Stevia is a safe natural sweetener and no measurable carbs.
Sugar alcohols like xylitol, are considered safe for a type 2 because they metabolize so fast as to not raise blood sugar but literally maybe only minutes or not long enough to get a measurement… It’s best to take a BG reading before and maybe about a half hour after to make sure it’s okay for you. A type 1 is different and sugar alcohols can raise blood sugars because we don’t make insulin at all so there is no choice about it being able to metabolize fast. But it affects us type 1’s all differently too.
It’s not really about how much of a serving or that you are having only one serving. One serving of chocolate cake can’t be measured against a serving of 1 hard candy. You really need to look at what kind of food you are eating and how many carbs are in it.
The trick is really limiting those “sweets” to an amount that doesn’t raise your blood sugars too high. So start testing before and after to get a feel for what is raising your blood sugars and how much.
@CWM030 Chris, first what must be under stood is that the HbA1c measures hemoglobin with glucose bound to it. It does give a sort of average, but like averages one can have highs and lows that average out to a normal level.
I really wish the price of constant glucose monitors would come down and insurance companies would allow them to be prescribed to type 2 diabetics not on insulin. One of the metrics CGMs give is time in range. I think that the HbA1c is a good test, but I think time in range gives a better understanding of what’s happening. Along with that one can see the highs, lows and in between.
About your craving sweets, well carbs in general. For us type 2 DMs that may be a sign of increasing insulin resistance. When cells aren’t able to take in enough glucose they signal the need for fuel which leads to a craving for carbs.
I don’t know if this is what’s going on. For myself I have been very strict in not eating any regular sweet stuff. I did backslide about 10 or 12 years ago because I was in very good control with diet and exercise. (Pride goeth before the fall or in this case the rise) The end result was a return to higher BG and no doubt increased insulin resistance. That’s when I started taking Metformin.
Try to forgo those high carb foods best you can. I do eat some sweet stuff such as “Protein Plus” bars and an hour before bed usually one rarely two Keto brand ice cream bars. These Keto bars don’t jack my BG up but seem to give me good night time levels with out that damn or blessed CGM low alarm going off.
Without a CGM I suggest you test a bit more. I gave up on the insurance provided test strips and went with True Matrix strips and meters from Amazon. I buy 200 strips for about 12 or 13 cents each. I found that these cheap meters and strips to be quite accurate. What I really like is the GO model meter. It mounts on top of the strip vial. I carry it with me wherever I go in my back up kit that is more important know that I am on MDI. Here’s a picture of it - peanut butter crackers, Kind Bar, glucose tablets, meter and strips. What doesn’t show well is a high vis triangle. I can put this kit in the center pocket of my cycling jerseys with the triangle out. I do everything possible to make myself highly visible on the bike.
@luis3 I hope that doesn’t mean I am starting to become Insulin Resistant. I have days where I can do without sweets or I force myself to do without. I am on Metformin once a day now… I am hoping my doctor tells me its okay to go off of Metformin in June if my A1C is good. She told me that if my A1C is good then I Might be able to go off of it.
The meter I have is a RELI-ON PRIME. I got it at Walmart and I bought the 100 strips box for like 17.88.
Do I need to switch meters?
================================================================== @MM1 Yes, I test 2 hours after a meal.
I do exercise 3 days a week by Walking for 30 min.
You really have to look at the carbs on the labels and beyond that for when you go to a church function or other event, then use an app such as Carb Manager for your phone. In a short period of time you should get a very good feel for what is spiking your BG followed by higher A1C.
No, it is just something to consider. We diabetics can have cravings for carbs especially sweets that may be related to the inability for glucose to enter our cells. It doesn’t matter if it is from a lack of insulin (T1DMs) or insulin resistance (T2DMs but T1DMs can become resistant as well). I just want to caution you on giving in to the cravings. You can live without sugary carbs. In my own experience if I get a craving for carbs whether its a baked potato or a candy bar I. am. done. I mean I just can’t have just one.
The people at my church after Mass are always tempting me with a donut, “Come on, Luis, one won’t hurt.” “Yeah, but a dozen will.”
Anyway, just be careful. Test postprandial after giving in to a sweet craving and see the results.
As to the ReliOn meter I’ve used those OK. Not a bad price on the strips. I just like my mini-meter. Most of these meters are in the same range of accuracy.
A funny story about strips, I think if keep in their vials which are desiccants they keep their accuracy for a long time. I was cleaning out the trunk of a car that was going to a new home. I found a half full vial of strips that were 3 years out of date. They had been in the Texas heat and freezing cold all that time.
I forget what meter they were for, but I was still using that model. Those ancient strips would test in the same range and new ones. I wouldn’t suggest treating your strips like that, it’s just interesting.
Stay well, keep on top of it, and just remember there is no cure only good management. That means proper diet, exercise and TESTING.
Well, there is good news here, if the potato salad was a “cold” potato salad. Cold starches are kinder to our BG than hot. So, a cold potato will have a lower glycemic index than say a baked/boiled potato of the same weight.
This is one of several links you can find on the subject of cold vs hot
Yes it was kind of out of the fridge cold… We took it out of our fridge at home the morning of and added LIGHT mayo ( thats all we ever use) and everything that needed to go in it then took it directly to church where it sat out for maybe 2 hours just enough time for Sunday school and then church itself…
Juice is not considered okay, whole fruit can be okay depending on what fruit it is and how sensitive you are to it. Berries are usually the go to choice as affecting the blood sugar levels the least.
The most valuable thing to do is to test more. If you can afford it, you might invest in a 14 day Libre, they run about $35 each and you can run the ap on your smartphone for free. That will give you 24/7 readings of your blood sugars and gives you easy access to what foods are doing to your blood sugar levels. Do not get the new Libre2 as it still hadn’t gotten an ap approved for the phone yet and you have to buy a reader with it.
I have been warned by many diabetes professionals that most T2s, who potentially have a weight problem, shouldn’t do this. The extra insulin will often cause weight gain, and the total effect on one’s health will be deleterious.
You gain weight because you are wasting glucose in your urine which taxes your kidneys and heart. I think the best course is to stay in range no matter which medication you use
Read the nutritional information on the label! Most commercial fruit juices have about 10% carbohydrates, all from sugars, just like most colas and other ‘evil’ soft drinks, and nothing to slow down its absorption. Do you consider regular colas a health drink for T2s?
The nutritional information is there for a reason. Read it!
I am glad you told me about that.