Diabetic

grivois620

Hi, I am new to this site and am a diabetic. Since I started a 6 days ago I am always under calories, fats and sodium; always over in sugar!:grumble:

Are there any other diabetics on here? Do you have similar problems?

grivois620

Oh and protiens and carbs are under, too

subeesh77

Same here..I dont take much of sugar either...1 Banana, 1 Apples, 2 Clementines a daily and there you go, I have already reached my sugar goal for the day as per MFP. Its a bit confusing and frustrating . I am always over the sugar limit.

mittensofdoom

I can't see your diary so it's hard to make specific suggestions thus I'll make some general comments based on my experiences with diabetic patients.

It sounds like you need to cut down on foods with processed sugar and/ or fruit. Sugars lurk in lots of things you might not expect, especially sauces and dressings so be sure to watch those. Milk also contains a fair amount of sugar so if you're consuming a lot of dairy you should probably cut down (especially yogurt). Of course candy, sodas and juices contain a ton of sugar.

I'm not a diabetic but as a student doctor I've worked with many. Unfortunately, there seems to be this universal belief that fruit is one of the best things you could possibly eat. I constantly see uncontrolled diabetes eating a cup of grapes, half and orange and some toast for breakfast thinking they're eating healthy and confused about why their sugars are in the 200s. Fruit does contain fiber and nutrients but it also contains a ton of sugar. I'm not suggesting one cannot eat fruit but you shouldn't eat it freely. One or two servings a day is a good general limit. And try to focus on low sugar fruits, berries are usually the safest choice. In the above breakfast example I would typically suggest that the person try some toast with peanut butter (be sure to check the sugar content of the peanut butter) or toast with egg whites.

It sounds like you need to center your meals around a protein source and some veggies. An easy technique is the plate method. Eat from an eight inch plate at meals, half the plate should be vegetables, one quarter should be your protein and one quarter should be your carbs. So, for example, you could have half a plate of broccoli with a 4 oz piece of chicken and half a cup of mashed potatoes. If you need dessert, try a cup of strawberry halves sweetened with something like Truvia or Splenda.

harebearva

I am diabetic as well but NIDDM so my situation may be different from yours if your medicated. My Sugar grams are set at 45g daily with calories at 2400 daily. I almost always go over between 10 and 20 grams but my Blood Glucose levels are good. My AM fasting BS is usually between 80 and 90. I think that's the key. Sugar for diabetics is a bad thing if it is running your BS above normal. If Your readings are good and your calories are in line, you're probably OK. Just make sure you get your A1C checked regularly and you'll know. If you have trouble with high sugar readings, then you may have some cause for concern.

I can say that DIabetes can be diet controlled, provided you are not type I and don't have any other contributing metabolic disorders. My A1C was 9.4 when I was first diagnosed 2 years ago. Within 6 months I had it down to 5.1 and I've been off all meds for a year and a half. Truth be known, that was the deciding factor in my choosing to lose 100 pounds and live a vastly healthier lifestyle. Good luck, Hope things work out for you.

mittensofdoom

Same here..I dont take much of sugar either...1 Banana, 1 Apples, 2 Clementines a daily and there you go, I have already reached my sugar goal for the day as per MFP. Its a bit confusing and frustrating . I am always over the sugar limit.

That's because fruit contains a lot of sugar.

One large apple - 23 grams of sugar
One banana - 28 grams of sugar
One clementine - 7 grams of sugar

For comparison:

One serving of M&M candies - 13 grams of sugar
12 ounces of Coca Cola - 36 grams of sugar
12 ounce iced Starbucks mocha - 19 grams of sugar

yvesvictoria

I agree with doctor student mittens of doom. She's correct in those sugar calculations. I severely limit those. I like berries though. Those are always good. I use apples as a dessert or rather I call them dessert so I can make the mental association. Instead, I increase my vegetable quota especially in terms of tomatoes, which I grow in my backyard.

I really recommend vegetable gardening and if you can get fruits to grow, do those too. However, since vegetables are great for health and low in calories it makes sense to eat them in abundance and have a steady supply

harebearva

I agree with doctor student mittens of doom. She's correct in those sugar calculations. I severely limit those. I like berries though. Those are always good. I use apples as a dessert or rather I call them dessert so I can make the mental association. Instead, I increase my vegetable quota especially in terms of tomatoes, which I grow in my backyard.

I really recommend vegetable gardening and if you can get fruits to grow, do those too. However, since vegetables are great for health and low in calories it makes sense to eat them in abundance and have a steady supply

I agree, Vegetables can be your best friend. Interestingly enough, I don't recall ever hearing the phrase..." I got fat eating vegetables" )

CyberEd312

I am a type 2 diabetic (diagnosed in 2009) my A1c at the beginning was 10.0... To be honest with you I do not track sugar at all. I track carbs, protein, fat, and calories... I eat 70-80 grams of carbs at my main meals (3 a day) and 25-30 grams a my 3 snacks a day.. I concentrate mainly on complex carbs.... i eat quite a bit of salads and veggies, peppers of all kinds. My breakfast is normally toast with all natural peanut butter and honey or strawberry jam. I drink 1 % Milk daily. I stick to chicken most of the time but work in pork and lean beef too. I am pretty strict when it comes to eating processed anything, I like all Kashi products, fruit bars, cereal with flax, etc.. I use pure cane sugar instead of sweeteners in my morning coffee. Exercise is a key part of keeping my diabetes in check, as well as getting the weight off... My A1c have been right around 5.3 for the last year....... I would suggest getting a heart rate monitor to better track your calorie burns. I use a Polar FT60 and love it.... Good Luck....

beckajw

I'm a diabetic and I don't worry about the sugar at all. There's no reason to. Carbohydrates (whether sugar or otherwise) are what affect your blood glucose level, not merely sugar. Unless you're noticing a blood sugar spike after you eat a certain food, the amount of sugar in the food doesn't really matter.

Fruits generally have enough fiber in them to stop the blood sugar spikes (whole fruit, not the juice). So, if that's where your sugar is coming from you are probably fine. Again, you should be checking your sugar. Let that be your guide.

As for the levels set by MFP, I don't think that they are correct, I know protein and fiber are too low and carbs are too high, so I don't follow them.