Today we're more than half way through Diabetes Blog Week as we enter Day 4.
Seems that just about everything for me revolves around carbs, in one way or another. Carbs - and especially the ability to count carbs accurately - is key to achieving good numbers. When it comes right down to it, counting accurately directly impacts how well I feel. If I mess up, I am a mess. When I'm high, I get cranky, and inevitably I'll crab at my husband about one indiscretion or another. That doesn't win me any popularity contests certainly. And of course, lows are altogether unacceptable for so many reasons. So it comes down to counting the little suckers accurately.
When I first heard about low carbing, I jumped in with both feet. It made sense. But in practice, could I hack it? No. Not really. In the end, it just didn't seem worth it, and the effort to make it successful was more than I could bear. I couldn't expect my family to do so, and cooking two versions of dinner was more than I even wanted to do. Also, my cravings would ramp up to the same level as bingeing (without the purging). Not productive. Not helpful. Not good.
Another reason low carbing wouldn't really work for me is that it's hard to come to terms with what happens when experiencing a low, and one empties the Snack Cupboard (as described in my Day 2 post here). After all, how many carbs are even in a bag of Oreos? (btw, it's 408).
So what about those carb laden foods? Let's see. Pasta? Love it. I've reduced how much I eat it by a lot. Not worth the scads of insulin needed to tame that beast. Heavy on the sauce, light on the pasta. Rice? Again, smaller amounts. Potatoes? Love 'em but hardly buy them anymore. Bread? I'll still eat bread. It's a weakness. But still, not every day.
What about pizza? I love it. I like the extra cheesy, do not hold the pepperoni, and don't give me thin crust. Chinese? Forget the veggie steamed dishes. I love the breaded and sauced dishes with noodles. I've figured out what to dose, and have monitored my BGs for hours afterwards, and have stayed in the normal range. But even then, the carbs rear their ugly little heads and bite me back 4-5 hours later (!!) when my numbers go for a trip to the moon. What's up with that? Yeah, I know, it's the fat content, blah blah blah. So do I eat it anymore? Not really. The midnight testing regime after a good dinner just doesn't seem worth it anymore. At times I weaken, but not often.
So I guess the answer to the question of the day is that I am moderate carber. I make moderate choices based on how much insulin I'll need, keeping in mind that as I approach a milestone year, weight continues to be an issue for me. When I shop, I read the nutrition labels, and will belabor whether this brand is better than that brand, and try to cook healthy and fresh foods. Sometimes with more success than others as balancing my time is always a challenge.
So it appears I'll stay a middle of the road kind of gal for this count.
