Saturday, August 18, 2012

I'm a little too sweet . . .


A few weeks back I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  To say I was shocked is an understatement.  I've been losing weight the past couple of years, slow and steadily.  I was feeling pretty well considering my list of issues (which I won't bore you with).  But anyone can tell you . . . I do have issues . . . sigh.

I was at my regular doctor's appointment and he gave me the news and a prescription.  I was wondering how I couldn't have noticed.  He asked how I'd been feeling lately and I mentioned aches and pains and fatigue more than usual.  And he asked about drinking.  And the light went on.  I have a pink water bottle which has not left my side in months.  I keep it full at all times and if I haven't access to filtered water I have been known to fill it with  . . . shudder . . . tap water.  Aha!!

So I signed up at the Diabetes clinic at the local hospital which offers classes on living with this condition.  The nutritionist and nurse were wonderful and informative and I learned a lot.  But when your whole new lifestyle is explained to you in 6 hours a lot is forgotten.

I am filled with a stern resolve to control my sugars and live a long healthy life.  It hasn't been easy and I'm still not there.  Sometimes I get so frustrated because I'm following all the guidelines . . . I think . . . and my test numbers are still way too high.  Hal and I rewatched the video and reread through all the information in the package I'd been given and realized I actually may have cut back too much on carbohydrates and water.  So, back to the drawing board.  I'm following the menu plan . . . almost . . . to the letter.  There is too much food each meal so sometimes I "save" food for snacks during the day.  Yesterday I didn't have fruit at breakfast and my "number" was pretty close to my target.  Today I ate a small handful of grapes and . . . bam . . . way up again.  But I'm supposed to eat fruit . . . sigh . . . 

I would love to hear from you suggestions, tips, recipes or just words of encouragement.  Hopefully I will get this new lifestyle figured out soon.  I won't give up trying, that's for sure.

4 comments:

  1. my cousins started following Canada Food guide more accurately and it works for her for keeping her blood sugars stable (and she's lost a lot of weight). I think make sure you have a protein if you have fruit?

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    1. Maybe the protein is what I am missing . . . Thanks Sylvia. I'll give that a try tomorrow morning.

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  2. This runs in my family so I am super aware of it (not that it stops me from drinking tons of pop...) My dietician mentioned that my habit of eating a lot of fruit first thing in the morning was bad. I was having a couple of servings at breakfast in a shake. Apparently it was a bit of a shock to the system to have that much all at once before it had warmed up, so to speak. It just wasn't able to process all that sugar right away. I've cut down to one serving with some yogurt and granola and that seems to be working out. I just have to remember to eat fruits later in the day.

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  3. I've had a lot of problems with blood sugar myself - you will do what you're going to do to protect yourself, but beware conventional wisdom (read: the stuff most dietitians and doctors tell you) that says to keep your blood sugar from getting too high to eat more sugar (grains, fruits, etc). To keep my insulin response to glucose down, I consume less sugar/starch. Works like a charm. Good luck!

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