I'm Still Kicking

So I logged onto the computer for the first time in 2 weeks and was rewarded with more hits on my blog.  It is so great that so many people have followed my journey.  I have been officially declared NOT DIABETIC!  It has been an amazing feeling!  I am still committed to the diabetic diet, however.  For one thing, I now like fruit more than chocolate.  Who knew that was even possible?  I also ate yogurt instead of ice cream last night.  It was an automatic response.  I won't complain about that.  Don't get me wrong; I am enjoying the freedom to eat a candy bar, but it isn't a craving, it's a choice.  I will continue to post, but it will be a week or two longer before I can maintain a regular schedule.  So please enjoy my past posts and check back in with me in a few weeks.  Thanks for your support.  :)

Another Meal Option

Time is short for me these days and keeping a food log is hard.  Still worthwhile though.  At the same time, since I have a shake almost every morning and the same things for lunch every day, it is a little repetitive to post here.  I still want to show what meals are helpful to my sugars though.  I also find it helpful to my own nutrition goals to keep posting, so although I may not post full days of food logs here, I will still post meals and options that have helped me.  :)

A few weeks back I told you that a friend of mine has the most amazing recipes.  Last night I used one of her most delicious.  It is a version of Caesar Salad, that does not have fish in the dressing.  This is really important to me since one of my family members is allergic to certain types of fish.  It is a little like Russian Roulette to find a Caesar dressing for him, and yes it is his favorite.

This is not a low cal food, but it is good for a diabetic or someone following the South Beach diet (which happens to be the diet that 3 doctors have recommended that I live on and the lady at the Diabetes Center also recommended).  The marinade for the chicken does not have sugar, and the dressing, while made with mayonnaise, also is low on the sugar scale.  Additionally, if the croutons are too much for your sugar levels, they are easily removed.  The meat is grilled, not fried and the cheese is Parmesan so a little goes a long way.  It is my family's favorite salad.  :)  We had it with sugar-free jello.

A Diabetic Meal Broken Down

I thought I would put up some examples of some meals that don't raise sugar levels to outrageous levels and try to explain why.  I'm not a doctor, or nurse, so I may be wrong on why, but I have tried to understand this illness and how it works in my body, and this is what I think.  If you want to correct me- PLEASE DO!  I want this blog to be helpful to those who are struggling with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

Mini-wheats with a little fruit in the middle.  Served with unsweetened Almond milk rather than regular milk.  Why this works: While this cereal does have 29 grams of carbs, it only has 10 of those from sugar.  Additionally it has 6 grams of fiber which slows the digestion process.  The unsweetened almond milk does not have any sugars and has between 1-5 grams of protein, depending on what brand you buy.  The whole grain wheat, protein and fiber combine to keep you full and slow the digestion process enough to keep your sugar levels in check. Cheerios work great too, as does oatmeal (not instant) and whole grain toast with peanut butter and 1/2 a banana. 

This is an all American picnic meal.  A hamburger, potato salad and a green salad.  Why this works: protein from the burger and cheese slow the digestion process.  The bun should ideally be whole wheat or only 1/2 a bun, but once in a while a full out burger is okay.  However, there are no chips, jello salad, sweet baked beans or fries on this plate.  Instead there is a green salad, (and no I didn't use dressing, but you could) and a small helping of potato salad made with real mayonnaise.  I have also stacked the burger with lettuce, and tomato.  The more veggies you add the better.  The veggies add a complex carb to your plate.  I did add sliced almonds to the salad, as they are tasty and add just a bit more healthy, fatty protein.  I like to be full.  There was no need for seconds, this plate was plenty. 

A diabetic can have pasta?  Really?  Yes really.  The ravioli is filled with cheese and the sauce is a meat sauce.  That is plenty of protien to counteract the carbohydrates provided in the pasta.  Portion size is, of course, critical with pasta, but the sauce and filling really help.  Also, I chose a vegetable that is more difficult for the body to digest.  A complex carb.  I don't cook the broccoli until it's mushy, just tender crisp.  That way my stomach does more work and I get more vitamins.  If this doesn't look like enough food for you, add a big green salad.  It is amazing how satisfying a good salad can be.

So there you have it.  Some examples of meals that I have eaten that haven't destroyed my sugar levels, and haven't required me to eat differently than the rest of the family.  It takes a bit of thought but the more you do it the easier it gets. :)

It's a Series of ReStarts

So I have been very complacent this week.  My sugars have reflected this the last two days, so has my weight.  3lbs this week.  Yuck!  Well, I will just have to restart.  Isn't this the way it always is?  With diets, To Do lists, exercise and all worthy goals there are set backs and restarts.  The successful just restart.  I think that what I previously thought was will power, is actually restart power.  It is the ability to not beat yourself over the head, but instead to recommit yourself to the goal.  So here I go again.  :)

I started out great on Thursday with a shake.

Then for lunch I had a turkey avocado sandwich.

swim lessons kill me.  Sitting outside in 106 degree weather for an hour and 10 minutes, weakens my resolve.  An ice cream float was necessary.

Dinner. A corn Dog, potato salad and watermelon.  This is not a diabetic meal, but it is what had to happen.  I am too tired to cook.  Hopefully now that swim lessons are over, I'll be better this week.

The next morning I started with a shake again.

for lunch I had a baked potato with cheese, ham, butter and gravy. I know, I know.  Not the best choice.

Swim lessons got me again.  It is sooooooo hot!!!

For dinner, there was no way I was cooking.  Frozen pizza and watermelon.  I had 4 slices of watermelon and 2 slices of pizza.

late night snacking killed me.  chips and dip, a snickers bar, a diet soda and a piece of my son's bar cookie.  Then I was sick all night.  Lesson relearned.

This is Getting Old

Eating is getting old.  I'm serious.  I look at my lunch options, and they are yummy, but I walk away because I just don't feel like eating.  I'd rather grab a handful of chips and be done.  I will measure my sugars, but I still don't feel like eating, even when I know I should.  I think it's the weather.  It is hot, and I mean hot outside.  108 is not weather to eat in.  I am, however, perfectly happy to drink anything!  I want shakes, smoothies, soda, ice cream floats, water, water and more water.  I think it is probably a normal reaction to a hot summer, but when you are diabetic, it isn't an option.  My husband brought me home all the fixings for turkey, avocado sandwiches to entice me.  He's a good man.  I'll have one today.  I know that it keeps me from eating all the stuff I shouldn't.  M&Ms are fast, as are chips and cookies, and when you haven't eaten, because it is hot, you find yourself snacking - at least I do.  Today will be better.  :)

shake for breakfast

a whole 3 chicken nuggets at lunch.  No Sauces.

a Cheese stick for a snack.

ravioli and broccoli for dinner.  I know the portions are small, but I am so tired of heartburn that I refuse to eat a full portion of anything at the moment.

chips and dip for a snack.

snacked on these too.

and my son made bar cookies- yup, snacked on these too.

Back Again

I took a break last week.  It was a rough week, and blogging just wasn't in the cards for me.  But I am back this week. My sugar levels were pretty good yesterday and this morning, so even though the end of day snack was a bit high in sugar, it was still alright.  Here is yesterday's food log.

I tried the vanilla Attain for the first time.  Sooo delicious.  I love this stuff.  I used coconut milk and a banana and it was a little tropical happiness in a glass.  And sugar levels stayed low and hunger stayed low.  Nice, huh?

Don't let the picture fool you.  I had a nice big helping of strawberries.  I did not add more cream, as I am getting used to eating without adding sweetness, but I did have triple this amount of strawberries.

Watermelon.  It is so hot where I live.  I seem to want fruit and that is it.  Watermelon is that fruit that hydrates and satisfies.  It is very sweet, but hasn't affected my sugar levels thus far, so I happily chow down.

Okay- when you only have strawberries and watermelon for lunch, you will get hungry very quick.  About an hour after lunch, I had some yummy potato salad. Only about a cup.

My sweet hubby bought me Rolos.  Because they are individually wrapped I can have just 2-3.  I get my chocolate/sweet fix and don't eat a whole candy bar.  It is a nice compromise.

Thanks to Pinterest I learned that you can bake potatoes in the slow cooker.  It was 108 degrees yesterday.  Being able to make dinner in the slow cooker was awesome!  I had one potato with broccoli, (actually, I ended up adding more broccoli after taking this photo- it was so yummy).  I also topped it with cheese, ham, gravy and yes, some sour cream.  It is an odd thing, but baked potatoes turn to sugar in the body really fast, so if you are going to eat one, putting fat on it is a GOOD thing.  Weird huh?  But the fats slow the absorption of  the sugar by slowing the digestion process.  It is also a small potato with lots of broccoli.  As a diabetic, you can eat anything- but you must understand what the food does in your body and how to compensate for undesirable effects. 

It is vanilla ice cream and raspberry soda.  No I did not opt for sugar free this time.  I could have, but it isn't as good.  Plus, I have a theory, that at some level, sugar is better for our bodies than substitutes.  It gets back to that whole moderation thing that I keep bringing up.  One soda float, once in a while, will not hurt me.  Seconds are not an option.  It also can't be a daily occurrence. 

Food Log - a Little Late

This food log is from last week.  I wasn't able to get it up, so you get it now.  Aren't you excited?  My sugars were low, so I didn't watch what I ate.  I also didn't feel well.  I talked to my doctor, and she is having me increase my protein.  She thinks I am spiking fast from all the carbs and then dropping low. She is probably correct.  So the last few days I have been much better, but I don't record my weekends, so I won't have a log until tomorrow.  :)  For now, here is my very very naughty Wednesday.

Cupcake.  I only had one.  My friend brought it to me, and it was yummy.

This is a cherry shake, not a strawberry smoothie.  Made with ice cream and everything.

burrrito for lunch.

hamburger helper for dinner.  I think we have this once a year.  It is tasty. 

love my shasta.

snack

and almond milk

and a serious chocolate craving.