6 small meals a day?

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JudyValentine3
JudyValentine3 Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone. My name is Judy and I am diabetic. I usually post on the Diabetes group, but I am at a loss about this whole concept of 6 small meals a day.
I have chronic pancreatitis because of a slip of the scalpel during a gallstone removal. Long story short, I now only have 10% of a functioning pancreas.
So, I have what they call Type 3C diabetes which is caused by trauma. It's treated as Type 1.
So, if I'm not careful what I eat or drink, I can have pancreatitis attacks, which can be very debilitating.
So, other than low fat, there are a number of suggestions the National Pancreatitis Association recommends.
The big one for me is the concept of 6 small meals. What is a small meal? Is it a snack? What kind of snack? Is it a piece of fruit with cheese(low fat). Do you just divide your regular meals into 6?
Any help would be appreciated.

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,002 Member
    edited August 2023
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    T3cDM still produce insulin but lower, so not sure what you mean by it's treaded like type 1 where the pancreas doesn't actually produce insulin, anyway, are you injecting insulin because your pancreas doesn't make any or to supplement a shortage of insulin? Just curious. Anyway, protein as a snack, lower in fat would sound like an obvious option and I suspect sugar, even in fruit should be avoided, but you really should be talking to a professional in this regard, it's nothing to mess around with, and that includes taking anything I said as correct or anyone else's advice over the internet. Cheers
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,661 Member
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    JudyValentine3 wrote: »
    Hi everyone. My name is Judy and I am diabetic. I usually post on the Diabetes group, but I am at a loss about this whole concept of 6 small meals a day.
    I have chronic pancreatitis because of a slip of the scalpel during a gallstone removal. Long story short, I now only have 10% of a functioning pancreas.
    So, I have what they call Type 3C diabetes which is caused by trauma. It's treated as Type 1.
    So, if I'm not careful what I eat or drink, I can have pancreatitis attacks, which can be very debilitating.
    So, other than low fat, there are a number of suggestions the National Pancreatitis Association recommends.
    The big one for me is the concept of 6 small meals. What is a small meal? Is it a snack? What kind of snack? Is it a piece of fruit with cheese(low fat). Do you just divide your regular meals into 6?
    Any help would be appreciated.

    6 small meals would mean take your total calories for the day and divide them evenly into 6 meals: ie 2400/6= 400 calories per meal.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,055 Member
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    The meals wouldn't have to be equal in size - but the sum of them all ( plus any calories in drinks, of course) has to add up to, on average, your daily calorie allowance.
  • DFW_Tom
    DFW_Tom Posts: 221 Member
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    Multiple meals a day is just another tool in the nutrition meal box. It is utilized by some to help achieve specific goals which differ from person to person. What I do (and why) is likely totally different from what your medical team advises. As @neanderthin warned, "you really should be talking to a professional in this regard, it's nothing to mess around with...".
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 977 Member
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    before making any changes, please talk to your doctor!

    i'm type 2, and i control my blood sugar by eating 6 small meals per day. each is about 160 to 210 calories (i'm on a 1200 calorie per day diet).

    the more calories i eat, the more my blood sugar spikes, so if i eat less calories per meal, my blood sugar spikes are lower. the thing is, if you usually eat 1800 calories and break those calories into 6 meals, you'd be eating 6 300=calorie "meals", which are small enough that most people wouldn't consider them meals. for me HOWEVER 200ish has been the number that keeps my spikes lower.

    i also eat lower carb, no fruit, juices, or sugar except for the naturally occurring milk sugar in dairy.

    because eating under 250 calories at a time is what works for me, it's more like i eat 6 more nutritious snacks. i also find walking helps keep my blood sugar down.

    this is what works for me, but before making any changes, please talk to your doctor!
  • JudyValentine3
    JudyValentine3 Posts: 63 Member
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    I will definitely talk to my doctor when I see them this month. My blood sugars are well in control, it's the the pancreatitis attacks that I'm trying to eliminate. I count the carbs and do my best to keep within 40g of fat per day. Calories are between 1200 and 1300 per day.
    Thanks so much for all you insights everyone.

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