Writing Down and Counting...Grrrrrr!

[Guest guest]

, something you said hit me just right! I can't STAND writing

things down and counting. I hate it! Those stupid food diaries drive

me nuts. My DE was insistant we do them...for two weeks...and I

almost went insane. I don't know why...but they just drive me

bonkers.

I keep a notebook with my daily BP and BS and if I have an unusual

reading...I note the food that probably caused it...because I almost

always KNOW I chose poorly that day (like my two muffins and Jelly

pig out one morning!)

But as far as keeping track of every meal, carbs, calories...no way

I am going to do that!

In the DE classes we learned the " counting carbs as points " system.

Look at the plate, know what counts as a carb (1/2 a potato, 1/3 cup

rice, 1 slice bread, tortilla, etc.) then just count to make sure

there are 4 or less. That's it! That's all I do. And I have my BS

under control to fasting 90 and 120 or less two hours past meal.

It works for me. Like you said...we are all different. No one is the

same and the plan that works for YOU is not going to work for ME!

But the similarities are there...some of us NEED to write it

down...it helps...some of us HATE it and it hinders! Some can eat

fruits...some can't.

Do what works for YOU!!!

[Guest guest]

> , something you said hit me just right! I can't STAND

writing

> things down and counting. I hate it! Those stupid food diaries

drive

> me nuts.

I was overdoing it, writing it down in my bg log book, in a program I

got online to use on your computer, and a datebook (page per day).

I'd gotten the program so that I could put the data in it, then print

it out for my DE. She told me it's good, but if I keep bringing them

in (nice thick stack) it's going to make a mess of my chart; the

other two things are just fine.

So I'm back to the datebook, which is much handier(?), and the

logbook.

I just started counting the calories today, discarding the 'carb'

mindset, and am doing well already. It's so much easier for me, as

I've been doing calories since early teens, and almost know without

measuring how much I can have. Since I'm kinda re-learning, I just

got myself a spiral notebook and am writing down what I've eaten. I

calculate it as I'm fixing my meal/snack; have three handy little

books that have the counts in them. It's really kinda fun right now!

[Guest guest]

This is also what I'm learning in the DE classes I'm taking right now and I tell

you it took the fear right out of eating for me. Counting carb " choices " and

keeping them to 3-4 per meal and 1-2 for snacks is easy and it's easy to make a

meal more filling with all those things that do not count as carbs. I for one do

not have high cholesterol so am at this point not worrying about limiting meat

servings in any way at this time or worrying about fats yet. Our DE repeated

over and over the first class that you don't have to change everything at once,

take one goal at a time and make them achievable goals. The advantage of this

approach is that I can eat anything. One day I had a 4 carb choice candy bar for

lunch, didn't raise my BG more than any other 4 carb choice would have and that

day I was feeling pitiful about having diabetes and allowing myself the candy

and not feeling like I have a list of " can't haves " helped. Of course I wouldn't

make a habit of that since the nutrients are zero and it wasn't very dang

filling but on occasion for me it worked.

Tammy

>In the DE classes we learned the " counting carbs as points " system.

>Look at the plate, know what counts as a carb (1/2 a potato, 1/3 cup

>rice, 1 slice bread, tortilla, etc.) then just count to make sure

>there are 4 or less. That's it! That's all I do. And I have my BS

>under control to fasting 90 and 120 or less two hours past meal.

[Guest guest]

" Tammy Keil " <candleporch@m...> wrote: > This is also what I'm

learning in the DE classes I'm taking right now and I tell you it

took the fear right out of eating for me. Counting carb " choices "

and keeping them to 3-4 per meal and 1-2 for snacks is easy

Exactly how it is working for me. Learning the carb servings is the

hardest part...but it's just like learning calories. And what

American woman DOESN'T have calorie numbers memorized from the teen

angst years?

Breaking it down to " points " ...3-4 carb points per meal...works

wonders for me and takes all the fear out of eating. I can have 17

chips with Salsa at the Mexican resturant, a taco and a glass of

tea. I can then load up on the meat and lettuce and even plop on

some sour cream and still be 110 two hours after lunch.

Having a system...any system that works for YOU...gives you options

and choices so you are more likely to stick to it!