Kaitland--High Blood Glucose

[Guest guest]

Kaitland--I am also very new at this, but I have been working hard on

normalizing blood glucose, and this is what I have found:

Carbohydrates DO raise blood glucose. Now, I am NOT suggesting you go

for Dr. Bernstein's extremely low carbohydrate diet, though it wouldn't

hurt to read his book to get some ideas. However, the old advice about

getting 55-60% of your calories from carbohydrates is way, way

outdated. You say you are eating three meals, and still hungry. I

encourage you to write down what you are eating and when, as well as

your BG test results and times. Try to keep each meal below 30 grams of

carbohydrate, and eat some substantial protein and a little fat with

it. I also try very hard not to eat too much, volume-wise, at each

meal; and have ended up eating five (yes, 5!) SMALL meals per day--or

you could call it two meals and three snacks, if you like. My total

calories are 1300-1400 per day; fat grams under 50 and carbos under

150--I keep trying to get it closer and closer to 100, but there is a

limit to how far you can go if you are not wanting the protein or fat

too high, which I can't have. I also am in sore need of losing a LOT of

weight, but even in these few weeks, I'm making progress. You will need

to weigh and measure everything as far as possible, as it is only too

easy to fool yourself about portions.

I am on Metformin (Glucophage), 500 mg twice a day for a total of 1000

mg. Here is what I have been doing on a typical day, and it is working

in getting my BG way, way down:

breakfast (early):

2 boiled eggs

1 slice dry whole wheat toast (you need to hunt around for a good brand

that has WHOLE WHEAT flour as the first ingredient, and not too many

carbs per slice--the kind I use has 11g, 60 calories per slice.)

lemon juice and water with a little salt

total: 235 calories, 18 grams protein, 13 g carbs for the eggs and

toast, 5 for the lemon juice, 11 g fat and 2 g fiber, so that's a meal

Before class starts:

4 oz plain yogurt (full-fat--it tastes so much better to me that it's

worth it for the calorie and fat cost)

1 tsp (very carefully measured) brown sugar

91 calories, 4 g protein, 10.5 g carbs (could be less if you omitted the

sugar), 4 g fat, no fiber

Lunch: 2 oz sliced ham from the deli

1 oz light Swiss cheese

3 good-sized radishes

a dill pickle if I'm hungry

185 calories, 19 g protein, 8 g carbs, 8 g fat, half a gram of fiber

On the way home: 1 oz raw almonds that I toasted myself (no added

flavors, salt, etc.)

1/2 oz raisins (because these do not raise my BG in small amounts,

whatever the glycemic index says)

196 calories, 6.2 g protein, 13.1 g carb, 14 g fat (a little high, but

monounsaturated, and helps cut down on hunger pangs), some fiber

Or sometimes one of the few bars I have found that works for me:

Protein Fusion (hard to find, but worth it): 240 calories, 20 g

protein, 28 g carbs, 10 g fat, 8 g fiber. Very few sugar alcohols in

this, so it doesn't spike my BG. Actually, it works better if I eat

only half a bar, but if I've waited too long to eat, I'm too hungry to

stop, even though 28 grams of carbs at one sitting is a little too much.

Dinner:

2 oz smoked salmon or trout: 100 calories, 8 grams protein, 4.5 grams fat

5 Ritz crackers: 80 calories, 1 gram protein, 10 grams carbs, 4 grams fat

I can allow myself 2-3 oz of strawberries, plain, or 3-4 oz of grapes,

with a " meal " , depending on what else I have had that day. Sometimes

one cup of coffee with the creamer and real sugar I like, but at 128

calories total, that's 10% of my daily calorie allotment and I can't do

it regularly. Some people find grapes really spike their BG, so it

wouldn't work for them, but it seems to be okay for me.

Clearly, this diet works for me but wouldn't work for you if you hate

fish, but you could have 2-3 oz of a broiled chicken breast, put a

little soy sauce on it. The books say I need more fiber, also, but I

have other medical issues that make me have to keep it lower than

recommended. Still, sometimes I have a carefully measured 4 oz.

homemade split pea soup; it's amazing how quickly you can adjust to the

small portions if you do it consistently. And when you aren't spending

as much money on food, you can go ahead and splurge on that asparagus,

or other tasty veggie.

It is a big pain to weigh, measure and plan ahead, but it is so worth it

for the results I am seeing--BG way down, and weight coming off. This

without as yet increasing the exercise I normally have--walking all over

campus with 50 pounds of books on my back. After the first few days, I

was not even very hungry, as long as I am careful never to go more than

three hours--sometimes two--without eating SOMETHING. Though I will

admit that I dream of oatmeal cookie dough.....and the hardest thing for

me has been to give up steamed white rice almost entirely--maybe 4 oz

once a week with a heavy protein meal and fiber, and it used to be my

staple.

I only go into this much detail because I want you to see that it is

possible to keep your calories and carbohydrates low and not starve.

You'd want to work out your own meal plan, depending on your preferences

and your family. I encourage you to try the small, frequent meals and

limited carbohydrates, see if that doesn't help your BG readings.

Limiting the carbs at any one time is the key thing for me in

controlling BG--250 after a meal is definitely way too high, in my

opinion, for whatever that's worth. I think you may find that you can

get off the roller coaster without giving up the occasional slice of

bread, 5 Ritz crackers (or whatever your favorite is--read the labels!)

and so forth. Portion control is the key, as my husband has been

telling me for years--it's just that neither he nor I understood just

HOW controlled the portions would have to be, until I was diagnosed.

What kinds of meds are you taking? When are you taking them? I also

just found out, due to someone else's post on one of these lists, that

with Glucophage, you want to take that second dose a couple of hours

before dinner, rather than exactly 12 hours after the first one, so it

will be peaking when you need it. I've tried it now for a few days and

it seems to help. Again, I plan to ask my doctor about it, but until I

see her, I'm doing the best I can figure out.

Have you thought about asking for a referral to an endocrinologist who

specializes in diabetes, and maybe a dietician? It's HARD to do this

stuff by yourself (though that's what the lists are for too.) Have you

checked out http://www.mendosa.com? That's got tons of info and links

too. Just don't take anyone's word as gospel; try it for yourself and

see what the BG meter says. And go to the library or & Noble and

get Gretchen Becker's book about The First Year with Diabetes--she's

very helpful, and has lots of common sense.

I hope some of this helps!

>Message: 6

> Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:07:56 -0000

>

>Subject: New to group

>

>hello,

>I am new to your group and hoping to learn more about helping my

>self. Hope I will be able to share something to help others one day.

>

>I have diabetes 2 and have had it for years. Sadly, I have ignored

>doing anything about it until recently. At first doctor said just

>watch diet (which I didn't) and now I am on pills.

>

>A month ago I got down right serious about watching my blood sugar

>count, diet and what effects the meds had. Most days I have blood

>levels like 125, 78, 145, 131, after dinner is like 250.

>

>I don't know if the figures are really that good. I don't like th

>ehigh figures. And I go low and start to shake. I am bearly eating

>anything this month and not losing weight. Just 3 meals and celery if

>I'm starving inbetween.

>

>I need help to get some kind of balance in my meal planning and

>keeping sugar level somewhat even.

>

>Any suggestions will be appreciated. This is all so frustrating.

>Thanks so much,

>Kaitland

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Oh yes. You have helped tremendously! As I was reading, I was thinking that I

should ask for a sample menu and there you already had it there for me.

My meds are 5 mg glipicide increased to 10 mg and 1000 metaformin increased to

2000 mg. Sounds like alot to me.

I take 1 glipicide in am after breaskfast and a metiformin and used to take

both glipicide then. I experimented taking the second 5 mg of glipicide around 1

pm and it seems my blood count is good in those hours.

I take the other 1000 mg metaformin around 8 pm.

When I see my sugar is high I ride my trike or walk but it is usually high in

evening since my portions are too big I guess at dinner. I don't like walking at

night and just watch TV. So I sit. I get very sleepy and take my blood and sugar

is usually high.

Also in daytime I find my sugar goes too low and my hands start shaking.Then I

do the 15 grams of something sweet. Usually after I test, it's too high.

What do think?

Thanks again,

kaitland

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Oh yes. You have helped tremendously! As I was reading, I was thinking that I

should ask for a sample menu and there you already had it there for me.

My meds are 5 mg glipicide increased to 10 mg and 1000 metaformin increased to

2000 mg. Sounds like alot to me.

I take 1 glipicide in am after breaskfast and a metiformin and used to take

both glipicide then. I experimented taking the second 5 mg of glipicide around 1

pm and it seems my blood count is good in those hours.

I take the other 1000 mg metaformin around 8 pm.

When I see my sugar is high I ride my trike or walk but it is usually high in

evening since my portions are too big I guess at dinner. I don't like walking at

night and just watch TV. So I sit. I get very sleepy and take my blood and sugar

is usually high.

Also in daytime I find my sugar goes too low and my hands start shaking.Then I

do the 15 grams of something sweet. Usually after I test, it's too high.

What do think?

Thanks again,

kaitland

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Oh yes. You have helped tremendously! As I was reading, I was thinking that I

should ask for a sample menu and there you already had it there for me.

My meds are 5 mg glipicide increased to 10 mg and 1000 metaformin increased to

2000 mg. Sounds like alot to me.

I take 1 glipicide in am after breaskfast and a metiformin and used to take

both glipicide then. I experimented taking the second 5 mg of glipicide around 1

pm and it seems my blood count is good in those hours.

I take the other 1000 mg metaformin around 8 pm.

When I see my sugar is high I ride my trike or walk but it is usually high in

evening since my portions are too big I guess at dinner. I don't like walking at

night and just watch TV. So I sit. I get very sleepy and take my blood and sugar

is usually high.

Also in daytime I find my sugar goes too low and my hands start shaking.Then I

do the 15 grams of something sweet. Usually after I test, it's too high.

What do think?

Thanks again,

kaitland

[Guest guest]

Try balancing that 15 gs of carb with some protein or fat .

Also, you really need to be careful about portions. 1/2 cup is a portion for

vegs most of the time. Protein is the size of a deck of cards. Most of us are

shocked at how much we eat and how wrong our choices are at first. you'll get

the hang of it.

Tucson Kitty

Re: Kaitland--High Blood Glucose

Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/

To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to:

diabetes-unsubscribe

Hope you come back soon!

[Guest guest]

Try balancing that 15 gs of carb with some protein or fat .

Also, you really need to be careful about portions. 1/2 cup is a portion for

vegs most of the time. Protein is the size of a deck of cards. Most of us are

shocked at how much we eat and how wrong our choices are at first. you'll get

the hang of it.

Tucson Kitty

Re: Kaitland--High Blood Glucose

Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/

To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to:

diabetes-unsubscribe

Hope you come back soon!

[Guest guest]

Try balancing that 15 gs of carb with some protein or fat .

Also, you really need to be careful about portions. 1/2 cup is a portion for

vegs most of the time. Protein is the size of a deck of cards. Most of us are

shocked at how much we eat and how wrong our choices are at first. you'll get

the hang of it.

Tucson Kitty

Re: Kaitland--High Blood Glucose

Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/

To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to:

diabetes-unsubscribe

Hope you come back soon!

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kitty. When the BG is low and I eat the carbsand protein, does that count

as a snack and I should wait until next meal?

I think I make the mistake of keep eating to make sure the count goes up.

Kaitland

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kitty. When the BG is low and I eat the carbsand protein, does that count

as a snack and I should wait until next meal?

I think I make the mistake of keep eating to make sure the count goes up.

Kaitland

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kitty. When the BG is low and I eat the carbsand protein, does that count

as a snack and I should wait until next meal?

I think I make the mistake of keep eating to make sure the count goes up.

Kaitland

[Guest guest]

I eat breakfast, lunch, supper and 3 snacks, mid-morn, mid afternoon, and about

8pm. You need to check BG about 1 hr and then 2 hrs after eating and you will

soon see what works for you. DON'T keep eating, what would be the point of that?

You are just adding more calories to your body, and more food intake will raise

your BG. Be patient. Try balancing out your protein and fat intake with carbs.

The trick is to eat regular meals and snacks. NEVER skip the snacks, it makes

you more hungry for one thing, and you will overeat later. Also, the snacking

keeps your BG level.

Can you give us an idea of what yuo would normally eat in a day and amounts? We

will all try to help you with food ideas.

Watch portion sizes!

Tucson Kitty

Re: Kaitland--High Blood Glucose

Thanks Kitty. When the BG is low and I eat the carbsand protein, does that

count as a snack and I should wait until next meal?

I think I make the mistake of keep eating to make sure the count goes up.

Kaitland

Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/

To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to:

diabetes-unsubscribe

Hope you come back soon!

[Guest guest]

I eat breakfast, lunch, supper and 3 snacks, mid-morn, mid afternoon, and about

8pm. You need to check BG about 1 hr and then 2 hrs after eating and you will

soon see what works for you. DON'T keep eating, what would be the point of that?

You are just adding more calories to your body, and more food intake will raise

your BG. Be patient. Try balancing out your protein and fat intake with carbs.

The trick is to eat regular meals and snacks. NEVER skip the snacks, it makes

you more hungry for one thing, and you will overeat later. Also, the snacking

keeps your BG level.

Can you give us an idea of what yuo would normally eat in a day and amounts? We

will all try to help you with food ideas.

Watch portion sizes!

Tucson Kitty

Re: Kaitland--High Blood Glucose

Thanks Kitty. When the BG is low and I eat the carbsand protein, does that

count as a snack and I should wait until next meal?

I think I make the mistake of keep eating to make sure the count goes up.

Kaitland

Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/

To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to:

diabetes-unsubscribe

Hope you come back soon!