Suggestions Welcome... Food Diary

AmberJo1984
AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just updated all of my nutritional goals on MFP... manually. I set them based on the recommended diabetic diet (1500 calories a day) my doctor has put me on. She told me 1500 calories a day, high fiber, and at least 80 ounces of water a day; but she didn't tell me amounts of anything else. I googled the rest of the results.

The carbs section seems a little high... but, it's what I found as the recommendations in researching diabetes. Mainly it said to stay away from refined sugars. If I go under that, that's even better, though. :happy: I lowered my sodium intake to 2000 a day... even though I may need more than that with as much water as I am drinking (80+ ounces a day). What is everyone's thoughts on that? To me, even 2000 seems high for sodium. I also increased my fiber intake... based on my doctor's recommendation.

My diary is public, and I would love to have any advice people can give me. :smile:

Replies

  • familyof9
    familyof9 Posts: 39
    You really need to ask your Doctor about how much sodium you are having on so much water. Last year, I was 123lbs. and was drinking 150 ounces of water. I noticed that when I laid down I could feel a sharp heartbeat in my lower abdomen. I had scaled down on processed food and so the little salt I was having was not enough. I was dizzy every day until one day I almost passed out. It wasn't until I woke in the middle of the night with a raging craving for pickles (I had a whole jar) that I started asking questions. I never went to the Doctor but spoke with a nurse friend of mine who told me that my sodium levels must be dangerously low and I was losing electrolytes through the water intake. I just adjusted my diet and it all disappeared, but when my friend told me my heart was having to work harder, I never again took any more chances with my diet.
  • nicleed
    nicleed Posts: 247 Member
    Have a look at this http://drshannonweeks.com/blood-sugar-tuesdays-ep-5-the-american-diabetes-association-approved-this-breakfast/

    Shannon is a friend of mine and he has been doing a video diary into blood sugar spiking. Interesting stuff that promotes protein rather than carbs for diabetics. Shannon can be a little over the top with the "carbs are bad" but this is quite interesting.

    Also, my mum was hospitalised for dangerously low sodium earlier this year. Not nice.
  • yourmomdude
    yourmomdude Posts: 33
    Hey!

    I looked at a couple days of your food diary. I have one question: can you cook and do you have time to cook?

    I am not diabetic but I am more or less on a reduced carb diet give or take 100g/day and I find that when I cook my own food, I eat less carbs. I also eat less processed food when I cook a lot. I still eat some, but if you take them out of your diet for a week, you will likely stop liking things like animal cracker, jarred sauce, canned soup, and frozen meals. You won't like the way they taste.

    Also, if you can, try getting your bread and sweets at a bakery and buying homemade pasta or good Italian pasta from an international grocer. They take just enough effort to acquire that bread/pasta/cookies won't become a staple of your diet, but when you do have it, it will taste amazing. I cannot eat store bought bread anymore because it tastes so crappy compared to fresh bread.
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Hey!

    I looked at a couple days of your food diary. I have one question: can you cook and do you have time to cook?

    I am not diabetic but I am more or less on a reduced carb diet give or take 100g/day and I find that when I cook my own food, I eat less carbs. I also eat less processed food when I cook a lot. I still eat some, but if you take them out of your diet for a week, you will likely stop liking things like animal cracker, jarred sauce, canned soup, and frozen meals. You won't like the way they taste.

    Also, if you can, try getting your bread and sweets at a bakery and buying homemade pasta or good Italian pasta from an international grocer. They take just enough effort to acquire that bread/pasta/cookies won't become a staple of your diet, but when you do have it, it will taste amazing. I cannot eat store bought bread anymore because it tastes so crappy compared to fresh bread.

    Actually, I cook a lot. The soup I'm sure you're referring to is homemade. I bring left-overs to lunch every day. The things like animal crackers are just snacks that I have a couple times a week for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks. I don't eat animal crackers more often than that... because they are too dry for my liking... but, I like them once in a while. I don't eat frozen meals because, to me, they are nasty. The meals yesterday and the day before, though, were out to eat. Well... Tuesday was out... but, not really out-to-eat. It was homemade at someone's house (It was a party). I just added the closest things I could find.

    I will definitely try fresh bread and fresh pasta though. If I can find it.

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