[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I had my first diabetes education class today and the instructor and most of the class had a lot to say about my diet - mostly negative.

I told the class that I severely limited my carbs the moment I got dx'ed and that I'm only taking in about 1000 calories and less than 20 carbs a day. They were all horrified and said I'm being too obsessive and radical about it. I don't know what to think, really. My first instinct, after everything I've learned through this forum, is just to think that they're all just ADA-hypnotized, but the reality is I'm so unbelievably hungry ALL THE TIME to the point of tears, but I'm trying to adopt a new attitude towards food so I try to just drink water to get through the pangs.

I do know that the way I'm doing things now is keeping my sugar mostly in check - under 140 - and I've dropped 10 pounds in just 4 weeks, but I am STARVING. I'm afraid to add any extra carbs though for fear of losing a foot someday, and I don't know what else to do to feel full.

Am I freaking out for no reason? I'm so confused...

 

[KW6536]

I would increase your calories but not your carbs.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I would increase your calories but not your carbs.

I don't really know how to do that. Carbs usually come with calories.

 

[Wink]

You should not be starving yourself. I generally eat around 20 carbs per day but anytime I'm hungry I eat.. maybe an ounce of cheese, a couple of fried eggs, tuna salad on cucumber slices, almond meal crackers... - things that don't mess up the blood sugar levels.
Protein is vital... you need to eat about 20 ounces of meat, cheese, eggs, nuts, etc. every day and don't worry much about fats. When you don't eat much carb your body needs the fats and protein for fuel.
Depending on your activity levels I'd suggest you should be eating between 1200 and 1600 calories a day. I believe everyone needs at least 1200.
It would be much better for you to lose a pound of fat a week instead of 2 pounds that include muscle tissue.

 

[KW6536]

Add more protein/meat/eggs/cheese.... Don't starve yourself. That was a mistake I was making. My sugars were staying high and when I added more lo-carb foods my sugars actually went down. I can be at 140 and eat and will go down to 110- sometimes it is just crazy. Also I test at least 10 times/day. I was going broke on test strips and now order directly from a medical supply company and get 1000 strips for 145 dollars. Eventually if you are to hungry it will become frustrating and difficult to be compliant. I am currentl on 15 carbs per day and actually have to force those in. It does get easier.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

you are on the right track.

You are hungry "all the time" because your body was used to you feeding it "all the time" back before you were sick.

i suggest a hobby that will distract you from the feeling of needing to eat "all the time"

 

[Shanny]

You aren't being radical, but you're being very strict. And the folks in the class are being very crude in condemning you when you have the numbers to back up your way-of-eating. But you shouldn't be starving on low-carb - there are too many terrific zero-carb high-protein high-fat foods that will fill you up & keep you feeling fed.

Don't try to add more carbs - that defeats the purpose. Just include real honest fats in your diet. Start using ordinary amounts of full fat mayonnaise, real dairy butter, heavy dairy cream, sour cream, real full fat cheeses of all kinds. Fats are your quick energy fuel now that the carbs are gone. (and good riddance, btw . . . don't let ANYBODY persuade you that low-carbing is bad! Avoid any lowfat or fatfree products because additional carbs have been added to replace the fats that have been removed.)

Unless you actually need to lose weight, start increasing your protein & fats until you stop showing weight loss. Do like Vicky does - eat when you're hungry, but eat zero-carb things like she mentioned. Eggs are one of my best snacks, and I know you eat them for breakfast all the time - I do too - but if I get a bad case of the munchies, I fry an egg in a little coconut oil, melt a slice of cheese on it. Maybe dress it up with a dab of mayo & mustard - maybe even put it on half a thin bun, if I'm having an exceptionally low-carb day.

Karen is right - meat/eggs/cheese - and I would add nuts, although they can be expensive. Just don't go hungry - there's no need to go hungry! :hug:

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

you are on the right track.

You are hungry "all the time" because your body was used to you feeding it "all the time" back before you were sick.

i suggest a hobby that will distract you from the feeling of needing to eat "all the time"

I know how you feel about it, but it's a physical pain, that's hard to just take your mind off of.

 

[Shalynne]

I know how you feel about it, but it's a physical pain, that's hard to just take your mind off of.

Yes. And when it saps your energy (don't know if that's a problem for you), it's definitely a few steps too far.

I'm having trouble, too, achieving my doc-allotted 1,800 calories. Or anywhere near it. And I get soooo tired of cheese sticks and deli meat for snacks. Nuts are unpredictable for me; if I eat enough to satisfy, I spike.

So now, I eat a lot of salads with extra-virgin olive oil, mayo and the like (I buy the big tubs of cut greens). And frozen veggies with plenty of butter, coconut oil and/or extra-virgin olive oil.

It helps. For now. But the next step is to get more kitchen gear, like a food processor and a large toaster oven. (Our "real" oven, of course, is on the fritz.)

Hey, just checked CalorieKing. Pork rinds are zero-carb! But not to everybody's taste.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Yes. And when it saps your energy (don't know if that's a problem for you), it's definitely a few steps too far.

I'm having trouble, too, achieving my doc-allotted 1,800 calories. Or anywhere near it. And I get soooo tired of cheese sticks and deli meat for snacks. Nuts are unpredictable for me; if I eat enough to satisfy, I spike.

So now, I eat a lot of salads with extra-virgin olive oil, mayo and the like (I buy the big tubs of cut greens). And frozen veggies with plenty of butter, coconut oil and/or extra-virgin olive oil.

It helps. For now. But the next step is to get more kitchen gear, like a food processor and a large toaster oven. (Our "real" oven, of course, is on the fritz.)

Hey, just checked CalorieKing. Pork rinds are zero-carb! But not to everybody's taste.

Today was the first day since getting dx'ed that I seriously FELT the hunger pangs and started crying because I couldn't think of what to eat that wouldn't add carbs. And yes, I am SO SICK of the same stuff all the time. Are you constantly hungry too?

 

[ThoseBackPages]

pork rinds are amazing

 

[Shanny]

Pork rinds really are good hunger-busters. The spicy ones are especially.

Another quirky little snack I like once in awhile is vienna sausage - only the plain ones . . . I suspect the bbq/smoked ones have more carbs in the seasonings, but I'd rather get the plain & then dunk 'em in my own zero-carb sauce. I just halve the seven sausages, maybe even poke toothpicks in 'em & keep 'em in the fridge. Three or four bites is about all it takes & two whole sausages are less than 100 calories and only 1g of carb.

Being the grazer that I've always been, having things like this in the fridge has made controlling BG a lot easier.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

be aware when buying pork rinds that some companies DO put sugar in their batches, read the label. the "bbq" ones seem to always have sugar in the ingredients

 

[ThoseBackPages]

as for the "Hot & Spicy" ones, those are the only ones i eat. i was never a spicy food person when i was healthy, but since becoming sick, i prefer spicy. It works because you will say "ow, my mouth is burning!" which means that you will HAVE to STOP EATING lol

 

[Shalynne]

Today's been a bit hungry. Yard work may have something to do with it.

Vienna sausages ... oh, yeah! I've always liked 'em plain, or maybe with mayo and mustard.

Like my pork rinds plain, too; especially the ones with the crisped fat still on 'em.

 

[Shalynne]

Today was the first day since getting dx'ed that I seriously FELT the hunger pangs and started crying because I couldn't think of what to eat that wouldn't add carbs. And yes, I am SO SICK of the same stuff all the time. Are you constantly hungry too?

My worst moments have come while eating out. As luck would have it, we had a bunch of eat-out activities scheduled this month. Had no idea what I could eat, and found out later I'd hurt some feelings at a potluck where most of the food was vegetarian, fortified with starch. My tiny portions were noticed. Spiked badly anyway.

Onaughme turned me on to a book from CalorieKing, and its on its way right now. I also use their site to find stuff I can eat and afford.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I've decided to go back to my bacon and sausage in the morning, despite the 15-20 pt. spike I get from them - which still generally keeps me under 140. But they were really the only thing keeping me full throughout the day, I believe. Ever since I stopped them, I've had only the eggs for breakfast and they leave me ravenous all day long. My strategy is to walk 30 minutes an hour after each meal to bring my numbers down.

 

[Raindance]

If your avitar is a current picture, it doesn't look like you need to lose weight. Is there a reason why you are trying to stay around 1,000 calories? That is extremely low, even for someone on a diet. I believe for women it is recommended not to go lower than 1,200 and some say 1,200 is too low. But people on diets usually fill up on lots and lots of low carb veggies and try to stay away from fats and protein because they are higher in calories. Since a diabetic can't do that, and since fats and protein have lots more calories than low carb veggies, you would be getting a much lower quantity of food than the dieters, no wonder you are always strving. And if your body feels like it is being starved, it will hold onto the body's fat.

Since dh was diagnosed about a month ago, we have been eating like everyone on the forum says to eat and don't count calories at all, and without trying I have lost 16 pounds and dh has lost more than that. And we eat a whole lot of protein and fats.

I know you have said you can't eat certain things that a lot of the diabetics on this forum have no trouble eating, because your sugar spikes. I wonder if that has anything to do with the way your body is reacting because you are eating so little food each day. I don't know that, just a theory.

 

[Shalynne]

Are you sure it's the breakfast meats, and not the time it takes to prepare them?

I know it takes me a little longer to cook both eggs and side stuff, hence, longer before I get to eat it. (But then, I'm nobody's kitchen queen. YSMV -- Your Speed May Vary.)

Maybe you're serving up some liver dump with your bacon?

When I know it's gonna be awhile before my real meal, I've learned (OK, I'm still learning) to grab a chunk of cheese or something to tide me over.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

If your avitar is a current picture, it doesn't look like you need to lose weight. Is there a reason why you are trying to stay around 1,000 calories? That is extremely low, even for someone on a diet. I believe for women it is recommended not to go lower than 1,200 and some say 1,200 is too low. But people on diets usually fill up on lots and lots of low carb veggies and try to stay away from fats and protein because they are higher in calories. Since a diabetic can't do that, and since fats and protein have lots more calories than low carb veggies, you would be getting a much lower quantity of food than the dieters, no wonder you are always strving. And if your body feels like it is being starved, it will hold onto the body's fat.

Since dh was diagnosed about a month ago, we have been eating like everyone on the forum says to eat and don't count calories at all, and without trying I have lost 16 pounds and dh has lost more than that. And we eat a whole lot of protein and fats.

I know you have said you can't eat certain things that a lot of the diabetics on this forum have no trouble eating, because your sugar spikes. I wonder if that has anything to do with the way your body is reacting because you are eating so few calories. I don't know that, just a theory.

Actually, Rain, that's Kelly Clarkson from American Idol in the avitar - couldn't find a tiny picture of me! I actually do have another 50 pounds to lose...

I haven't been counting calories at all, I just know that I'm eating so little food that I'm guessing it's about a thousand I'm taking in. I get so confused by all the nutrition information and I have short term memory from an accident so everything seems to run together in my head. I just panic whenever I see a number over 130 that I guess my mind just goes to survival mode and believe it not, that to me, means not eating much because I don't want the sugar in my blood. I'm sure that's the wrong way of thinking, but I'm still learning how all this stuff works.

I'm gonna wise up, though, and start eating a high protein snack an hour before bed and see if that helps with the liver dumping as well as going to bed with a somewhat full feeling in my tummy.