[MsTCB]

After reading all the positive BG results you all get from the LC/HF diet, I have decided to give it try. I'm almost afraid to say that out loud b/c if I fail, I will feel so publicly humiliated. However, if I don't post this, I'm more likely to slip up b/c no one is "watching."

Ok, brace yourself... I normally eat around 200 grams of carbs per day. -- mainly in the form of yogurt, cottage cheese, 100-calorie snack packs, fruit cups, and Teddy Grams (1 gr per Teddy).

I can tell you that these things are going to be incredibly hard for me to give up entirely as they are the only "fun" things I get to eat. I don't eat bread, rice, potatoes as I was "shamed" out of those years ago. I cannot be trusted around anything too sweet and have been known to eat an entire container of cake frosting in one sitting.

My 78 year old mother is nearly blind now from her Diabetes and I don't want that to be me. But, I don't have much confidence in my ability to actually let go of my carbs. I know I will have to go about this very slowly, or else I will not be able to do it at all.

Okay, nuf said.
Someone (sorry I forgot who) suggested starting with converting one meal at a time.
So, yesterday morning I ate 3 eggs (scrambled) and 4 sausage patties.

Wow!!

My FBG was 163 and 4 hours after eating that LC/HF breakfast, my BG was 82 -- lowest one in at least the past 3 YEARS!!
And, the best part is that I wasn't even hungry.
But, I figured I should eat or else it would go too low.

So, for lunch I ate what I usually have for Breakfast - 1 cup of low-fat Cottage Cheese and 1 (6oz) container of low-fat Yogurt.
Result: 4 hours later my BG was 136! I can only imagine what I must have spiked to at the 2-hour mark. (I can't afford to test at that interval, so I can only guess.)

I am totally convinced that LC/HF is the way to go, but whether or not I will actually be able to do this remains to be seen.

I'll keep ya'll posted and if anyone wants to join me in starting this journey, please chime in at any time.

 

[moon]

Aw, what a wonderful post. Congrats on testing the waters - now dive on in

If it's any comfort to you, you're not the only one who was a carb addict. I think you're swimming in the midst of a school of them. You might find it's actually easier to take the plunge than to play around the edges, for the very reason you discovered after your one meal: hunger abatement. That's what makes it possible. If cutting carbs hadn't cut my hunger there is no way - no way - I would have been able to stick with it. The addiction is real, it's chemical, and without getting off the sauce we can't get off the sauce.

I've faith in you - and as for public humiliation, if that's a skill that has been honed around here I've not seen it yet.

Good for you!

 

[d33na]

Im happy to join you....I am trying very hard not to eat anything processed...my biggest downfalls have been from processed foods that have dubious labelling...so the solution is ALL FRESH

*high 5* lets do it!

 

[Carolina]

good for you. what helped me was cleaning out the fridge ,freezer,cabinets of any grain, baking products, rice, pastas,bread making items, ketchup,splenda,coffeemate, anything LOW fat. carrots, corn, limas,peas, fish sticks, fresh made pizza dough () if had/has high carb or was on the simple carb list I got rid of it. out of sight out of mind.
I do NOT buy any food that I can't eat. I now buy bacon by the ton. eggs 4cartons at a time. canned wild alaska salmon, tuna, full fat cheese. heavy whipping cream. fresh fish, fresh veggies that are low carb. reg sour cream, greek yogurt still can't find reg yogurt..I may end up making my own. Real honest to god butter.
if has 0 carb I am in. Never ate a pork rind in my life till now. lol.
I also have Calorie/carb king book, even tho it has loads of items I will not eat. Its good to have.
I also got digital food scale.
I also do not buy diet food or food for diabetes..really when you do your homework you will see its not that hard.

I thought oh hell no this low carb won't work for me I love my pastas & bread to much, my southern roots raising its head. chicken & dumplings, biscuits I make every morning, grits.apple pie ,cobblars. Hey I went cold turkey & all I do is think about how good these things Used to be.. out:

I think its a hard row to hoe...... But I am going to do the best I can ..I know it won't kill me

 

[MsTCB]

Im happy to join you....I am trying very hard not to eat anything processed...my biggest downfalls have been from processed foods that have dubious labelling...so the solution is ALL FRESH

*high 5* lets do it!

Yes!! *high 5* We do it, together!!
Same here on the processed foods.

 

[MsTCB]

Aw, what a wonderful post. Congrats on testing the waters - now dive on in

If it's any comfort to you, you're not the only one who was a carb addict. I think you're swimming in the midst of a school of them. You might find it's actually easier to take the plunge than to play around the edges, for the very reason you discovered after your one meal: hunger abatement. That's what makes it possible. If cutting carbs hadn't cut my hunger there is no way - no way - I would have been able to stick with it. The addiction is real, it's chemical, and without getting off the sauce we can't get off the sauce.

I've faith in you - and as for public humiliation, if that's a skill that has been honed around here I've not seen it yet.

Good for you!

Thanks, Moon!! Your words brought me great comfort.

I admire anyone who can go "cold turkey," but I'm not among those. I'm not brave enough to go through the sugar "DTs."

I've got to take this slowly - one meal at time - b/c one day at a time is just too much to handle. I'm sticking with Breakfast for now. I'll set up a goal to add lunch 7 days from now.

 

[MsTCB]

good for you. what helped me was cleaning out the fridge ,freezer,cabinets of any grain, baking products, rice, pastas,bread making items, ketchup,splenda,coffeemate, anything LOW fat. carrots, corn, limas,peas, fish sticks, fresh made pizza dough () if had/has high carb or was on the simple carb list I got rid of it. out of sight out of mind.
I do NOT buy any food that I can't eat. I now buy bacon by the ton. eggs 4cartons at a time. canned wild alaska salmon, tuna, full fat cheese. heavy whipping cream. fresh fish, fresh veggies that are low carb. reg sour cream, greek yogurt still can't find reg yogurt..I may end up making my own. Real honest to god butter.
if has 0 carb I am in. Never ate a pork rind in my life till now. lol.
I also have Calorie/carb king book, even tho it has loads of items I will not eat. Its good to have.
I also got digital food scale.
I also do not buy diet food or food for diabetes..really when you do your homework you will see its not that hard.

I thought oh hell no this low carb won't work for me I love my pastas & bread to much, my southern roots raising its head. chicken & dumplings, biscuits I make every morning, grits.apple pie ,cobblars. Hey I went cold turkey & all I do is think about how good these things Used to be.. out:

I think its a hard row to hoe...... But I am going to do the best I can ..I know it won't kill me

I'm with ya' on the Southern cookin' -- a Kentucky gal here.
Yes, it is a tough row to hoe. It's just so unfair. I think I've got to find new food things to enjoy. LOVE all your shopping ideas. I'm making notes.

 

[jwags]

I'm glad you made the decision to start to manage your diabetes. LC/HF will really help you. I am a carbaholic even after 4+ years on low carb. But I find if I avoid carbs it does make it easier. If I give in and eat carbs, the cravings come back with a vengence. The one thing I will tell you that really helps me is to have a good supply of low carb/high fats snacks on hand for the times when those cravings hit. Check out the recipe forum. MCS's has all sorts of great recipes for cookies , granola and even fudge. There are also tons of LC online and gluten free sites. I love the gluten free sites because they bake with almond flour, all you need to do is sub out the sugar or honey. This way you have a LC stash on hand that really keeps you full. For the yogurt see if you can find Greek yogurt with no additives. I can usually handle about 1/2 cup at a time. Here are some of my favorite baking sites

Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home
Low Carb Diets at About.com - Atkins South Beach and More Low Carb Diets
Gluten Free Recipes | Elana's Pantry
Comfy Belly

Happy LC eating!!!!

 

[d33na]

ok I just ditcvhed all my homemade goodies with wicked sweeteners...made a new batch of ice cream with da vinci syrup...boiled a dozen eggs for munching...one needs to be prepared!

edit: ditcvhed ? I mean ditched!

 

[MsTCB]

I'm glad you made the decision to start to manage your diabetes.

Oopsies.... I realize you don't know my history, but I just want to say that I'm not "starting" to manage my Diabetes -- I have ALWAYS managed my Diabetes. It was my DOCTOR who wasn't managing my Diabetes.

As mentioned in my signature, my Diabetes was under control with diet alone for the first 10 (of 13) years. Then, 3 years ago when my disease worsened for reasons beyond my control, my Doctor did NOTHING except "monitor" my Ha1c every 3 months as it went from 5.4 to 12.1.

I started seeing a new Doc (an Endo) and finally started receiving TREATMENT for my Diabetes on 9/22/2011. I am both Insulin deficient and Insulin resistant.

My Endo Doc told me that I could NEVER have controlled my Diabetes by diet alone, which is what my GP had been badgering me to do for the past 3 years.

My Endo Doc also said, "I'm sorry. I don't ever talk about my colleagues, but I just can't help it. In all my years of practice, I have NEVER seen anything like this." He was referring to my GP refusing to treat my out of control Diabetes with any kind of medication and insulin for 3 years.

The Endo knew I was telling the truth b/c they are in the same hospital "network" and all the Docs have computer access to my records. He could see that I was having Ha1c tests done every 3 months for the past 13 years and that they were out of control for the past 3 years and no medications were prescribed.

Ok. end of rant... I just wanted to make sure that it was clear that it was my Doctor who dropped the ball - not me. My condition is such that I will always need Insulin and oral meds, but the LC/HF diet will be a nice little addition.

 

[MsTCB]

ok I just ditcvhed all my homemade goodies with wicked sweeteners...made a new batch of ice cream with da vinci syrup...boiled a dozen eggs for munching...one needs to be prepared!

Hey Deena, sorry to be so slow, but what are the "wicked" sweeteners. I might be using them too.

 

[MsTCB]

jwags... I forgot to say, THANKS for the web links. I look forward to going through those!! I also wanted to say that my "passion" was aimed at my old Doc and I hope I did not come across as harsh towards you. I truly appreciate all your helpful suggestions.

 

[jwags]

Sorry I misunderstood your history. I find that even though I do like my doctor he hasn't given me very good advice about diabetes and diet. I started to take some chances and research my own way of eating. Luckily I found and read Dr Bernsteins book pretty early on. I realised the science behing Low Carb and decided to give it a try. I do have to admit over the 4+ years I have been far from perfect and everytime I wander from LC my bgs start to climb up. When I started to join online forum groups I found so many other D's who were on the same journey. I find with all the great new recpes I have more than enough to eat and keep me full. I have even convinced my picky husband to go low carb with me and he actually likes it.

 

[Carolina]

Hey Deena, sorry to be so slow, but what are the "wicked" sweeteners. I might be using them too.

splenda for me. it has corn & potatoe starch as a filler.or any other sweetner that has maltodextrim. it will spike me. or any off brand. I read the lable.

I use Stevia/truvia.

 

[jwags]

I do find erythitol mixed with a little splenda works best for me. In most of my baked goods I have cut down the sweetner by 1/2-3/4. Also adding things like unsweet coconut will add sweetness to your baked goods.

 

[Miggitz]

Although I have not gone completely LCHF ... I have dramatically lowered my carb intake/increased fat over the last 2 weeks. The results are very rewarding!!! I cannot explain how much more calm my body feels without all those spikes and lows! BTW, I am type 1 on a pump for 3 years.

 

[Shanny]

This is great news, MsT. You made a fabulous discovery with your carb-free breakfast & subsequent 82 reading, and then you made the other discovery with lunch. That's exactly how our meters become our best friends! lol! I expect your lunch meal was especially devastating because of the low-fat products. The food industry does us no favors by removing the fats and replacing them with carby thickeners & fillers. Try to avoid all the fat-free and reduced fat products if you can - they fall right in there with the rest of the processed foods which do so much damage to our blood sugar.

So many of us here were total carbaholics - none worse than I - and bread was my biggest downfall. I'd bake sourdough every few days (whenever my sourdough starter needed to be fed), whereupon the old woodchopper & I would sit down & eat an entire loaf fresh outta the oven, slathered with butter. I'm embarrassed to say that on rare occasions, that was the meal - just hot fresh bread & butter.

I can attest to the fact that when we stop eating carbs, the cravings go away & stay away. I'll be worrying about you making the switch one meal at a time, because as you go along, you'll still have to fight the hunger from the carbs you eat at the other meals. But you know yourself better than anyone, and if this is how you must do it - okay. It will be harder and take longer, but go ahead and go for it. We'll still be here cheering you on. :hug:

 

[beefy]

MsTCB, the first thing I want to say is WAY TO GO! Both for starting the LCHF diet, and for taking it upon yourself to get the care and treatment YOU DESERVE!

Many doctors today just aren't informed about diabetes, and don't bother to educate themselves - which for something SO prevalent in today's society is simply stupid, imho. Many *still* think TypeII diabetes is the fault of the person with it, and that diet/exercise/weight-loss will 'cure' it. And that's not always the truth.

I'm really glad you're working at this, it's nice to have you around. It sounds like one meal at a time is a GREAT way to begin this diet for you - especially if you're used to 'fun' food. It can take a while for some people to 're-program' their thinking of what 'fun' food is.

For me, I like playing with cheesestrings and now think they're 'fun' food, LOL.

If you eat yogurt regularly, as soon as you can STOP buying the low-fat yogurt - it's marketed as healthy but just isn't. Full-fat yogurt without added sugar is hard to find, but it's the best for you. (Unfortunately the only 'no-sugar-added' yogurts I can find are always 'fat-free' too... I may have to go to the city for my yogurt shopping, LOL...)

I too like fruit cups and the like... heck I used to eat 3 or 4 servings of fruit a day. That's another one you'll need to cut back on... I now eat one, perhaps two servings a day. But my servings are smaller than they used to be. On yesterday's menu, for example, I had 1/2 of a granny smith apple with my breakfast 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries in a protein shake after my workout. And that was it for fruit that day.

It takes some getting used to - but what I started finding was I changed my thinking so "fun" wasn't necessarily how something tasted or how cute it was, but "fun" became the numbers my meal could give me...

The other thing I find helpful is if I really WANT something 'fun' and higher-carb, I'll have it approximately 20-40 minutes before a workout (depending on how fast the something digests...). And to really benefit you, it should be a workout that goes anywhere from one to two hours, so it overlaps your digestive process... It doesn't have to be strenuous, even walking at a good pace will suffice for most people, but it does help tremendously with spikes.

The downside to the idea of eating your 'fun' food then doing your exercise is your body doesn't need to burn fat-reserves for energy... so if you have a need for weight-loss you don't want to do this on a regular basis. =)

So that's enough advice ... again, CONGRATS on the changes! It's exciting to see more people taking charge of their health, finding better health-care providers, making positive changes, etc.

To borrow a phrase from my Wife -- "You go girl!"

 

[MsTCB]

I'll be worrying about you making the switch one meal at a time, because as you go along, you'll still have to fight the hunger from the carbs you eat at the other meals. But you know yourself better than anyone, and if this is how you must do it - okay. It will be harder and take longer, but go ahead and go for it. We'll still be here cheering you on. :hug:

Thanks Shanny - love the bread story. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has binged on carbs. My trigger is the sweet stuff, not so much the bread stuff.

I also don't really "fight hunger." Some days I am a little hungrier than others, so I range from 1,200 (like yesterday) and about once a week or so I can go up to 1,800.

My problem is a craving for sugar and this can happen whether or not I am hungry. Just like yesterday, for instance. After I ate the eggs and sausage for Breakfast, I wasn't hungry, but when I finished eating, I WANTED something a little sweet. So, I did eat one, sugar-free Werther's hard candy and that satisfied me.

The carbs I'm eating right now aren't the ones that trigger my wild side, so I think I'll be okay with converting one meal at a time. But, then again, I might be in denial - it wouldn't be the first time.

I think that, for me, it's more of a psychological letting go process. At least that's what it seems to be. It's so hard to really know sometimes.

 

[Shanny]

As far as fun food goes, I think there aren't very many "funner" foods in the world that a coupla/three strips of perfectly cooked crisp BACON! Methinks I'll go fry some right now for my lunch!