I HAVE TO VENT...THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

jingles0231

I've been a type 2 diabetic now for about 6 months. Not allowed anything white. I lived on pasta and bread. Now I am not allowed sodium, so that means: No carbs, no salt and no taste. I am sick of spending my little social security check on vegetables, fruits, special low carb items. I cook for myself, but dear lord, it is an enormous fight to find something I can buy/eat. I am so sick of this. I am 67, is all this crap worth it???? Low carb meals are loaded with cheese (salt) or sauce (salt). Now I am on fluid restriction for chf. NO SOUPS. I practically have Pinterest memorized but 9 out of 10 things I can't have. When I was in the hospital a couple weeks ago, my menu to order my meals had 95% of the items scratched out because of sugar, salt, carbs, liquid. Anyone else have to put up with this garbage??? And how do you survive???

PKM0515

So sorry you're struggling! Can you see a Registered Dietician? They should be able to help with ideas and meal planning, taking into account all your health issues.

If your doctor writes a prescription for you to see a Registered Dietician, it may be covered by your insurance (at least partially). Also, by me Shop Rite grocery stores offer appointments with a Registered Dietician for free.

nutmegoreo

Registered dietitian would be a great way to go. I encourage you to really consider what you value in your life. The complications from uncontrolled diabetes are serious. I get that it's frustrating to have to change everything. Perhaps a dietitian can help you find alternatives that are cost effective and don't leave you feeling like you have to give up everything that you enjoy about food while breaking your bank account.

cheriej2042

My brother is type 2 and finally saw a registered dietician. I went with him and he was shocked at how many different foods he could eat! The dietician spent 90 minutes with us going over what foods he did like and then how /what he could eat. They can even help meal plan for you. Well worth it and we got a printout of food lists so he could keep that. There are also many food banks in our area that provide weekly farm fresh vegetables and fruits for free to those in need. My church does that too. Don’t give up it’s hardest at the start. You can do this!

psychod787

jingles0231 wrote: »

I've been a type 2 diabetic now for about 6 months. Not allowed anything white. I lived on pasta and bread. Now I am not allowed sodium, so that means: No carbs, no salt and no taste. I am sick of spending my little social security check on vegetables, fruits, special low carb items. I cook for myself, but dear lord, it is an enormous fight to find something I can buy/eat. I am so sick of this. I am 67, is all this crap worth it???? Low carb meals are loaded with cheese (salt) or sauce (salt). Now I am on fluid restriction for chf. NO SOUPS. I practically have Pinterest memorized but 9 out of 10 things I can't have. When I was in the hospital a couple weeks ago, my menu to order my meals had 95% of the items scratched out because of sugar, salt, carbs, liquid. Anyone else have to put up with this garbage??? And how do you survive???

Well, type 2 in remission here. Do you have to be VLC? or maybe a diet higher in less refined carbs such as fruits and veggies? Do certain "carbs" elevate your BS more than others?

WinoGelato

Who gave you the rule of “nothing white” and “no sodium”? Was it your doctor? A registered dietician? Or a plan you found/created yourself?

cory17

DM2 here too. Have gradually adjusted to the same changes - in taste, smell, texture, choices. There are lots of no salt seasonings, do spaghetti noodles out of zucchini or squash (can't tell the difference) & learn to embrace the stench of cauliflower. Basically avoid anything already processed/prepared as it's sky high in Na. But I like fruit & indian and thai food, and eat it occasionally despite bloating for a few days. Find things you like and enjoy.

cathipa

Check out Mastering Diabetes & PCRM.org. Anything initially can be difficult without the right tools. Given the multiple health conditions you should also get a referral to a RD (registered dietitian) to help manage. Best of luck to you!

IAmTheGlue

I am sorry that you are feeling defeated. Insist on that referral. Get a diet plan in writing. You should not be miserable while you take care if yourself. A registered dietician can help you formulate a plan.

elisa123gal

The diet I do is called the six week body makeover..it is an old diet that was around about ten years or so ago. It is fabulous and it is the only eating plan that has worked for me. The diet's founder died unexpectedly and it is no longer marketed as it used to be.

However, this could work for you because the key to this plan is to eat more...I never count calories....but everything is whole foods and all salt/sodium is eliminated besides the natural state of food. It is amazing how this diet just fixes a sore tired body. I have learned certain tricks while cooking.. I no longer miss salt... in fact when I eat restaurant food I almost can't stand it because of all the sodium.

I use wine, all types of vinegars... and especially balsamic vinegar to marinate my steaks and meats..I also use that and red wine vinegars in soups to add zest and favor dimension . I also use that for my stir fries... I use lemons and limes too to add a taste of zest or salt in my salads. Beyond that there are onions, garlic..and herbs to add so me real flavor.

You can do this.. you just have to relearn how you've been eating. You can't do repackaged meals...learn to meal prep..and get your health and life back.

earlnabby

jingles0231 wrote: »

I've been a type 2 diabetic now for about 6 months. Not allowed anything white. I lived on pasta and bread. Now I am not allowed sodium, so that means: No carbs, no salt and no taste. I am sick of spending my little social security check on vegetables, fruits, special low carb items. I cook for myself, but dear lord, it is an enormous fight to find something I can buy/eat. I am so sick of this. I am 67, is all this crap worth it???? Low carb meals are loaded with cheese (salt) or sauce (salt). Now I am on fluid restriction for chf. NO SOUPS. I practically have Pinterest memorized but 9 out of 10 things I can't have. When I was in the hospital a couple weeks ago, my menu to order my meals had 95% of the items scratched out because of sugar, salt, carbs, liquid. Anyone else have to put up with this garbage??? And how do you survive???

T2Dm here and I have some questions:

Have you taken the classed offered to those newly diagnosed?
What is the daily maximum of carbs you were given as a target?
Have you met with a Registered Dietician?
Does your doctor have extra training in diabetes? Can you transfer to a different PCP who does? (many Nurse Practitioners are Certified Diabetic Educators)

I am also on Social Security and have limited resources. I can save a lot of money AND eat lower carb by cooking most of my meals. I do a lot of stews in my crockpot so I can use cheaper cuts of meat and they get very tender. I watch sales and get family packs, then take them home and repackage in freezer bags. Typically, I will add some brown rice to the stew about an hour before serving to soak up the excess juices instead of using flour or cornstarch to thicken. Don't need a carby side dish that way.

There is no reason to buy special low carb items. Eat more veggies and fewer fruits to reduce carbs, and save money. When you do eat a bread item, only eat one slice, not 2 for a sandwich. Eat more eggs (nice and cheap) for breakfast or lunch. Get plain yogurt and add a few fresh berries.

I understand your frustration. I suspect your doctor has no extra nutrition training and didn't give you much info. The American Diabetes Association website ( www.diabetes.org ) has a lot of good information on how to get started as well as resources you can find in your area.

Machka9

WinoGelato wrote: »

Who gave you the rule of “nothing white” and “no sodium”? Was it your doctor? A registered dietician? Or a plan you found/created yourself?

I wondered too.

"no sodium" isn't healthy.

I'd recommend talking to a professional.

igutt

@jingles0231 a registered dietitian will solve most of your problems

Evamutt

My husband became type2 & was on insulin for 10+ years. Today he is off insulin, lost about 65 lbs & feels great. He was a sweet a holic for sure. He would eat 2+ servings of sweets every day, have huge servings of food & he drank beer too. What happened was he got all his top teeth pulled & decided to wait till his gums healed before getting dentures which took about 6 months. He stopped drinking beer & started eating soft foods like P butter, egg salad etc. Our son gave us his old nutribullit & he started looking up what things to put in smoothie that's nutritious since that was going to be his main meal. He put things like blueberry's , flax seeds, nuts p butter & used almond milk. For dinner he put whatever I made for dinner in there, added milk & made a cream soup. The morning smoothies satisfied his sweet tooth & the rest was teaching him how to eat balanced meals . He started to lose weight & feel better, his BS got better. After his dentures he got used to eating different & kept going with his new way of eating which became a new habit by now. example is before he would have 3-4 eggs cooked in grease from bacon or sausage, 2 slice of bread, bacon or sausage most mornings then have piece of pie or whatever else he had on hand from store because I didn't cook all those sweets he wanted, today he'll have 2 eggs, 1 toast of none, 2 piece of bacon , turkey sausage or nothing or oatmeal. He still makes a smoothie a day, has one serving of some type of sweet a day, has nuts/fruits every day & eats a lot more veggies than he used to, a lot less grease. He goes for walk or bike ride every day & does some exercise with the rubber pully things his Dr told him for his achy neck & feels great. We are both on social security & I've always cooked mostly from scratch, he just used to skip the veggies & have bread, rice or pasta instead. He doesn't put extra salt on his foods. I do use salt in cooking & usually have some kind of soup on hand during the cooler weather that I make, we rarely eat processed foods. He eats salads now too.

melichalupa

I am NOT an RD but I do work with CHF patients. For those on the thread that don’t know what that is, it’s congestive heart failure. I am sorry about the stress you are experiencing and I understand the frustration. Extreme limited sodium and liquid intake are necessary for your heart’s health. The issue is the pumping and squeezing of the heart. I recommend seeing a Nutritionist at your medical facility or an RD provided by your insurance that has experience with shopping with their patients and cooking together. You do want to go for 50% veggies when you eat always... but that’s easier said then done if you don’t have the tools. Speak to someone and ASK for additional work other than sitting in an office!
@jingles0231

Healthydiner65

I was just told I am pre diabetic and have to cut carbs. I am also on SS. I buy lean meats, fresh vegetables when they’re on sale or canned low sodium vegetables and rinse them to remove more sodium. Frozen vegetables have less sodium and go on sale frequently. The 12 grain bread is good. I suspect you have already seen a dietitian however you may want a second opinion because it sounds like they restricted too much. There are many books at the library with low cost low carb recipes. Good luck! Anyone can add me as a friend!

apullum

Echoing the recommendation for diabetics to see an RD. Depending on what your health care/insurance situation is like, it may not cost you anything. I have many diabetics in the family and their medical plans have always covered an RD consultation for someone diagnosed with diabetes.

BachataDancer

100% whole wheat bread (I like Dave's 21 grain), or sprouted grain bread fits the "no white" and has flavor.

BirdLadyBG

My husband has type 2 diabetes and has fur about 49 years. He did not get good advice and did not change his high carb diet. He has kidney issues now, has lost 95% of his sight, has neuropathy in his feet and hands and just beat leukemia. I’ve tried to talk him into eating healthier but he says there’s no sense in eating things he doesn’t like. Realize, if you don’t get support and advice from dieticians, etc., you could end up like him! That’s why I enrolled in a pre-diabetes program... I don’t want to get diabetes!!!