Valentine's Day

Will you be good on Valentine’s Day, or will you cheat a little? I did o.k. for halloween but that was because I had just been diagnosed and was scared.

I find it works out a lot better if I don’t think in terms of “being good” or “cheating”. These terms kind of imply that somebody other than me is in charge of the choices I make for my own diabetes management. Also that I am in a struggle to “be good” but lots of things tempt me to “be bad”. I prefer to think of the “good” as doing what is best for managing my diabetes and keeping my blood sugar in control. And that is not just something I am being forced to do, but something I enjoy doing! I love good numbers and they are worth much more to me than any “treat”. But more than that, I no longer consider those types of things as “treats” at all. I spend time and money to cook things that I really enjoy and that taste yummy to me. Fast food, junk food and sweets sound, smell and look pretty disgusting to me now and high carb meals feel like lumps in my belly. It’s not that I am so “good” it’s just a way of totally changing your attitude away from the whole “being good” or “cheating” thing. Like fresh vegie salads become “the new chocolate cake”. This whole paradigm shift keeps it all from feeling like a continual struggle. Also I “treat” myself in other ways not having to do with food so that I feel well-cared for and not deprived. Hope that makes sense. So to those of us without sweeties in our lives for valentine’s day that could translate to buying yourself new red nail polish or a ruby necklace…depending on your budget or renting a sappy movie.

I live on the edge. haha.

I eat pretty low carb as it is and I am really struggling with my BG readings for the past few months. Have found other ways to make myself feel good. I actually hate food nowadays as it ends up just making me feel sick.

So, if you’re still tempted, keep the chocolates away!
Or, if chocolate is your thing and you still love the taste, risk bad BG for one day and I don’t think it’s a HUGE deal. Just will make you sick the next day and maybe for a few days after that. Not worth it to me, but to some, chocolate is like love. haha. I can’t say that it’s “bad”.

No temptations unless I bought myself candy which is a waste of money…though I am celebrating Chinese New Years this weekend…which doesn’t really involve desserts (more meats and veggies and some carbs for stuff like dumplings/won tons).

Super dark chocolate is really good and tends to be lower carb. Plus it’s so rich/tasteful that I can’t eat that much of it; just a few bites is satisfying.

ONE small piece of dark chocolate or a chocolate cookie with an espresso. Plan for it and enjoy, I will! :))

lol, +1 to everything Xanthasun just said, except for the only eating a few mouthfuls part, i tend to eat a few more than that :-p but all chocolate is actually fairly low GI anyway, going back 10 or 15 years i know we were all told that diabetics shouldn’t eat chocolate, but professional opinion seems to have shifted more towards it being ok. Chocolate can actually be kinder to your BG than some things that most of us already eat, like white bread…

count carbs, test and bolus!!! diabetes does not mean you can not ever eat sweets again…moderation is the key.like Zoe said it is not cheating when you work a dessert into your meal plan…its planning. there are also plenty of sugar substitute sweetened treated. I love sugar/fat free pudding…only 8 carbs!!!

Its just my husband who gives me something on Valentines day…and he bears in mind two things: I love chocolates and I am a diabetic. So he comes well prepared and search high waters, LOL Moderation is the key word for me… And I almost always exercise double the next day!

I’ll eat 20 grams of Chocolate Outrage sports gel, and 10 or 20 Jelly Bellies. I’ll never go over 140 if I plan right, and eat these during aerobic exercise. During exercise is the only time I eat like that, but it’s often.

I love that story!! On my birthday I decided that the Black Tie Mousse Cake at The Olive Garden was totally manageable with a bolus .That night. I hit 288 and my eyes were rolling round and round in my head.

I think you kind of missed the point of my post, Tom; I didn’t exactly say “vegies are my treats.” (I think I actually referred to rubies and nail polish!) On the other hand you might be surprised how good a gourmet vegetarian meal can be!