More confused than ever by dietician

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    What struck me about the initial consult is that the dietitian did a lot more talking than asking. If a medical professional doesn't listen or doesn't explain that's a big red flag for me.

    These professional relationships are so important as you will be left to fine tune the advice for weeks before you meet again. You have to understand what they are trying to do.

    For instance did the dietitian know what you were typically eating in a day before she gave advice? No? Then the calorie target may be way off.

    I think the little tips for instance how much protein for breakfast may be intended to introduce you to the lifestyle change slowly, so you aren't overwhelmed. But if she didn't say so how can you know?
  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    blktngldhrt wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    RodaRose wrote: »
    If you go again to one of these people, bring in a typed list of questions. Was the 5.7 the HbA1c?

    Blood glucose in mmol/l - *18 to turn it into American.

    In American 5.7 mmol/l is a little over 100 mg/dl.. You're pretty much dead at 18.

    Counting carbs and ensuring your protein and fats are sufficient is helpful in managing blood glucose levels. A food diary, where you also track glucose levels in response to your consumption, is an invaluable tool in leaning what works best for you. :)

    You misunderstood. Poster above was not saying that 5.7 mmol/l = 18 mg/dl. She/he was saying multiply by 18 for the conversion (* = multiply).
    18 * 5.7 = 102.6

    Ah. Duh! Thanks.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    judyvalentine512 wrote: »
    I won a free session with a dietician here in Ottawa. So, she weighed me with this fancy shmancy scale that tells your body fat percentage (really didn't want to see that), weight of course, and BMR.
    So then she sits me down and starts explaining the Canada food guide. I don't know how many more times I have to be told about this. It's a little different for diabetics.
    No white potatoes or bananas for two weeks to start. Focus on protein and limit carbs. So far, so good. I've been working on this already.
    Again, she didn't say how many carbs a day. She said 15g of protein at breakfast, but not how much per day. Calories, 1530 per day. That's more than I eat now.
    No potatoes at supper, but a stachy veggie is okay.
    Have whole grain bread or pasta or crackers at lunch.
    I think I'll make an appointment with the Diabetes Association's dietician and ask her for more specific numbers.
    In the meantime, after a terrible day at the hospital (drainage tube causing problems), on the way home I stopped at Harvey's and got a double cheeseburger with bacon, and onion rings. I don't think that's on anyone's healthy eating plan. But get this, two hours later, my blood sugar is 5.7 - the lowest it's ever been after a meal since this journey began.
    I'm really just venting here before I go to bed, but if anyone has similar experiences, feel free to share.
    Good night and God bless.

    The CDA doesn't like to give more exact carb numbers. They have an odd paradox of trying to follow the canadian food guide yet cutting carbs at the same time. They don't make much sense to me.

    I am a canadian prediabetic. I was about 10-15 lbs overweight but I believe my prediabetes was hastened from steroid use. My FBG was usually between 5.6 and 6, so not horrible but not good either. My endocrinologist's only advice was eat leaner cuts of meat, more fruits and veggies, and follow up with my GP. I then tried losing my weight by moderating my foods but that doesn't work well for me and I end up eating more, and I gained weight. I am not good at moderating.

    I then read Dr (Richard) Bernstein's Diabetes Solution which is a low carb plan with the aim of achieving normal blood sugars for all diabetics through a low carbohydrate diet. No added sugars, avoid grains, limit fruits and keep an eye on veggies. The "normal" appealed to me and I tried it. I went lower carb than many need too, but it worked well for me. To me, it makes sense to limit carbs since carbs are the main case of BG surges.

    This Tedx Talk has the same basic idea.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=da1vvigy5tQ

    Good luck!

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