Food Woes

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1

So…as of now, I’m not on any kind of insulin for my diabetes. My endocrinologist was happy with my diagnosis A1C of 6.8 and decided to just see what my A1C is in three months.

I’ve been watching (and weighing and recording) everything I eat for almost 4 years now, so adding the component of watching my carbs wasn’t a huge stretch for me.

I only recently got my glucometer (and by recently I mean Tuesday), so I only have 14 blood sugar readings under my belt. I still don’t think I’m ever going to get used to poking myself. :/

Anyway, the point of this post is: I’m only managing my diabetes with diet right now. I threw a baby shower for a co-worker yesterday and treated both her and her boyfriend to dinner.

I knew I wanted pasta for dinner. I planned this all week. I planned for it the entire day. I kept both breakfast and lunch very low carb, so I could eat my pasta and not feel guilty about it.

Before dinner, my blood sugar was 100. I thought, “Yes, bring on the pasta!” I ate the pasta and it was delicious. Then everyone wanted desert. I allow myself one super naughty sweet treat a week and hadn’t indulged yet this week, so, of course, I got the cheesecake.

It was so insanely delicious.

Until I began to feel bad that I allowed myself that indulgence. Because I knew I was going to cause my blood sugar to go high and stay there for a long time. And I don’t have any means of bringing down a high blood sugar besides waiting it out.

I got home from dinner and slowly started feeling like I was walking through sludge. I got a headache, wanted to sleep right then and there and got the feelings of a racing heart (which I’ve noticed only happen when I’m hyperglycemic). I waited almost 4 hours post meal to test my blood sugar and lo-and-behold, it was 241.

And then I started to feel bad about what I ate. I knew that the cheesecake and my pancreas weren’t going to get along, but I did it anyway because I don’t get cheesecake everyday and I should be allowed cheesecake once in a while.

Am I going to feel guilty about every stray in my diet I make? I don’t feel I should, but when I see a blood sugar reading of 241 four hours after eating, I loathe to think about what it was two hours after eating.

And I know high blood sugars aren’t good for your body. I’m a nurse, I’ve seen the end results of poorly controlled diabetes and damned if I’m going to let that happen to me, but what price am I going to pay?

This is the part of this diagnosis that sucks. Prior to all this, I would allow myself the cheesecake and not feel bad about it. Because I knew that if I worked out and watched what I ate every other day of the week, this cheesecake would be negligible in the grande scheme of my diet.

Now, I’ve got to be cognizant that, not only do I have to watch what I eat weight loss wise, but also so I don’t ■■■■ off my dying pancreas and end up swimming in sugar.

Does this ever get easier?

2

Next time drink lots of water, put some dance music on and dance round the house like crazy to get your bgs down. People might think you're a crazy but it works!
Hope you enjoyed your yummy slice of cheesecake.

3

Good advice, Pastelpainter......But there are also food alternatives. After 7 years of eating only 30-35 carbs/day, I never feel deprived. I make a super-rich cheesecake with a crust of ground pecans and substitutes of things like almond flour and stevia.....I believe you can find lo-carb alternatives to pasta now, too. And while it took me a few years, my holiday meals include a lo-carb stuffing made with Wasas, tons of butter and all the other normal things you put in stuffing. Also homemade cranberry sauce , lo-carb, made with a sugar substitute that is super easy.....This is just to say--balancing carb-intake and exercise is what your life is about now. To do that you need to test a lot. Eating to your meter is a very good rule-of-thumb for all of us. And that will all evolve continuously over the years.......

We are all different. Do track everything while you figure it out----and you WILL figure it out!......Blessings, and keep us posted!

4

This is the tough thing of been on meds for control as most of the work is done by watching the diet and exercise. SO really there is no cheat that we can make that we will not suffer the effects off. I am in a position were I eat foods that I don't cook and never know what the chef has in them. To control the highs I have used exercise to good effect. Plan walks runs after meals. The higher the BL the longer the run in my case. So all activities are planned after meals.

5

A 6.8 A1c is an average BG of 149. I don't know why your endo is happy about that. You should be put on low doses of insulin for meals, or at least start with basal insulin. Another good option, of course, is cutting carbs to preserve beta cell function as much as you can.

6

id say a high bg once in a while is not that bad. but i would ask your dr to give you a pen for meals, so you can enjoy eating more and don't have to watch your diet. as long as you live a healthy lifestyle you cant blame yourself for any health problems, there are people smoking and not exercising reaching the healthy 90s, and then there are those never eating sweets, working out a lot and still die from a heart attack or car crash at age 50.
that being said: YOLO, you only live once, so enjoy it to its fullest, with cheesecake, pasta and so on! a good control of Diabetes and enjoying life can definitely be combined ;)
good luck, SC

7

Hi Lubdubology,

Thanks for posting your concerns! I can see from your profile that you were diagnosed less than a month ago. It takes awhile to adjust to the new reality. You'll sort this out for yourself. It's great that you are a nurse so that you already understand the big picture of diabetes!

And Gerri always give wise advice.

Best wishes,

marty1492

8

Your Dr. can only guide you, it is up to you to be the one to set the acceptable parameters for your BG's or A1c.

9

I think your a1c is too high like Gerri said and you should be on insulin already. At levels above 140 you are going to get damage. When on insulin you may be able to tolerate some pasta occasionally etc. when you bolus for it, use exercise etc. or you can go the lo carb route and I definitely would like Elizabeth's cheesecake recipe. I recently have been making lo carb pancakes with almond flour which are delicious. Going to try some lo carb cookies next. I top them with butter and unsweetened jam. or berries. Also I wouldn't have two high carb items in one meal probably. You will get used to the fingers sticks eventually. I never thought I would get used to them ever, sometimes they still do hurt and I get sick of it but it is a way of life now. I use the one touch ultra lancets which are very fine and don't hurt so much. A CDE at the hospital also told me to never use alcohol since this dries out your skin, but to wash my hands with soap and warm water which will make it easier to get your blood etc. I usually try to do the side of my fingers too.