Diabetes help!

ShelbyAnn214

So I have been diagnosed prediabetic.
Well, not yet show PD, but very close.
And since it progressed to this point so quickly, predominantly due to critically low B12 and D3, and possibly PCOS. As well as having been nearly bedbound for months due to medical complications that have sprung up due to the deficiencies (its insane how much a couple vitamins affect you - B12 waspecially) I'm getting the full PD/Diabetes "treatment".

As of yesterday I am on a lower carb diet (80g-120g vs the 250g-325g "normal") as well as 30 min of exercise a day, and needing to check my blood glucose many times during the day.

So its really a huge adjustment.

Where you guys come in:
Can any of you folks please -
1. Recommend things you snack on that are very low carb,
2. Some quick easy low carb recipes, - the deficiencies were misdiagnosed so long and have left me extremely fatigued and in pain over a year now but gotten far worse these past few months (ie in bed 90% of the time) so getting energy back is a slow process so "easy foods" will be my best friend a while,
3. Places to get recipes, best recipe books, free diabetes literature, etc,
4. Any tips for a newly diagnosed "diabetic",
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY - most accurate glucose monitor(s) and strips. (As well as strip (uninsured) prices.)

Thanks!

rosey35

Diabetes.co.uk has a great forum which answer a lot of your questions, it's an international forum.

shinycrazy

1. Recommend things you snack on that are very low carb, Cheese, almond crackers (Nut Thins), yoplait greek 100 yogurt, berries, south beach diet snacks. I recommend getting a food scale so that you can accurately log your food when you are feeling more yourself of course.
2. Some quick easy low carb recipes, - the deficiencies were misdiagnosed so long and have left me extremely fatigued and in pain over a year now but gotten far worse these past few months (ie in bed 90% of the time) so getting energy back is a slow process so "easy foods" will be my best friend a while, Lettuce wraps, or flatout bread wraps(deli section), microwave half of a sweet potato, steam bags of veggies, veggie burgers, I like morning star prime grillers,
3. Places to get recipes, best recipe books, free diabetes literature, etc, I use mysugr to log my blood glucose, it has a website and an app. The education is pretty good too(1st 2 lessons free). I use pinterest for low carb recipes.
4. Any tips for a newly diagnosed "diabetic", Be easy on yourself. Take your time, one meal at a time.
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY - most accurate glucose monitor(s) and strips. (As well as strip (uninsured) prices.) Walmart has it's own brand of meters/strips that are very reasonable prices. In the under $20 range I believe.

I count carbs rather than going completely low carb. 15g of carbs is a serving. I stick to 1-2 servings for breakfast and snacks, 3 for lunch and 4 for dinner. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. I drink lots of water. These things plus my medication I have brought my fasting bg from 120s to 80s. I have brought my a1c from 8.7 to 6.2, hoping to be in the 5 point range at my next endocrinologist app next week. I send you a friend request! Hit me up with any questions.

bri170lb

I was very close to PD when I started working on controlling my carbs 2.5 years ago. Now I routinely eat between 75 & 125g of carbs daily. I don' t cook with any special recipes or anything like that.

I just stay away from pasta, potatoes, rice and sugary snacks. If I do eat one of these things during a day, I make a careful effort to avoid them completely for the next day.

I put most of my thought into "what should I eat". I try to have a good serving of protein and healthy fat at every meal and I snack on things that have lots of protein whenever possible.

I'm not perfect, but it has become easier and easier over time. Too many carbs makes me feel terrible and I use that feeling to motivate myself to not give into the temptation.

My diary is open, so feel free to look at what I eat. I was just looking at my macros for the past few days and I have been way over on carbs. I have not been feeling well as a result, so your post is a great reminder to me to be careful.

miket71

I have become diabetic in like the last 8 months or so. I take meds for it but I am so lost! I don't want to take meds but my readings, even after fasting, range from 175 on up. One day it way 320. I'm not and never have been a vegetable kind of guy. I just don't like em. I don't eat many sweets and never have but I'm guessing my carb intake is this biggest problem. I've always been a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I'm having a real problem with this because I don't seem to have any energy after work, I don't heal very fast, and I feel weird, like drunk at times. I don't know what to do so if you or anyone on here can help me out, please message me a request me. I really could use the help! Sad thing is that I used to be in really good shape years ago and was stronger than most and felt great! Now I feel like less of a man.

jgnatca

@miket71 you can get your strength and confidence back. That drunk feeling is either high or low blood sugar and you must get on top of this. Instead of worrying about what food to eat focus more on portions and timing. Eat on a schedule and blood test on a schedule.

ShelbyAnn214 wrote: »

1. Recommend things you snack on that are very low carb,

Protein and fats! Peanut butter, nuts, cheese, tuna, beef jerky, celery filled with laughing cow, carrot sticks with ranch dip, hummus, black bean dip.

2, 3, 4

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/create-your-plate/

3. Some quick easy low carb recipes, - ..."easy foods" will be my best friend a while,

Prepped chicken breasts! Change the sauces or get prepared sauces to change it up. Use low fat Greek Yogurt as a sour cream replacement.
- Sriracha with yogurt
- Tikka Masala with yogurt
- Marinara

Eat with lots of veggies.

Eggs are great for breakfast. Try egg muffins prepped ahead of time.

I like oatmeal too. Improve its protein profile with milk and nuts.

5. Any tips for a newly diagnosed "diabetic",

Eat on a schedule and pay attention to portion sizes. Learn from your blood sugar results and adjust as necessary.

6. MOST IMPORTANTLY - most accurate glucose monitor(s) and strips. (As well as strip (uninsured) prices.)

They all work. So if cost is an issue look for the cheapest. Sometimes there are great offers like free testers and coupons. I think the cheapest long term is the tester with the cheapest strips.

ladipoet

OP, here is a link to the main low carber forum group here in MFP. It's where most of s Ketofiles hang out:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

At the top of the group, in the launch pad / sticky note area there is a very long list of links to websites that are low-carb friendly. You have to scroll way down to see the list in the launch pad / sticky note area though.

miket71

Thank you jgnatca and ladipoet for all your info and and concern! It really means alot!! If y'all would like to send me a FR, I'll gladly accept as I need all the help and support I can get. Again, thank you very much!

Mike

quiarga

My favorite place for low carb recipes is Linda's Low Carb: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html

The recipes are simple, categorized, straightforward, with carb counts listed, and usually easy to find ingredients. She gives her personal rating for each and if it has a 4 or 5 star rating, I've probably tried it and enjoyed it too!

Diabetes runs in my family, and so far I've managed to escape it. I believe controlling your diet and exercise is all you really need. Cottage cheese, cheese sticks, almonds, pepperoni, hard boiled eggs, and very dark chocolate are some of my favorite snacks. If you have a Kroger near you, they make a line of yogurt called Carbmaster in many different flavors that's very low carb and good. I have one almost every day for breakfast.

miket71

Thank you very much quiarga!!