Blood Sugar High (ish)
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DistantJ
Posts: 155 Member
At my routine 1 - hour blood sugar screening, I was high (141), my baby is measuring HUGE and I had ketones in my urine, so was sent for that dreaded and awful gestational diabetes screening. I don't have it, but my midwife wants me to cut WAY back on sugar. I don't feel like I eat excessive amounts of sugar. I pretty much just try to stick to "real" food like meat, fruits, veggies, etc. My one downfall is that I crave bran flakes and I do put sugar on those.
So for those of you with GD or who have higher blood sugar, what do you eat? Now that she has told me I can't have sugar, that's all I ever think about! Last night I ate a cupcake, something I would normally not do! I have NEVER had a sweet tooth like this in my life!
So for those of you with GD or who have higher blood sugar, what do you eat? Now that she has told me I can't have sugar, that's all I ever think about! Last night I ate a cupcake, something I would normally not do! I have NEVER had a sweet tooth like this in my life!
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I have GD. I have to eat a lot of protein. Instead of your bran flakes do you think you could try Special K Protein cereal? It is lightly sweetened...has a cinnamon taste. And if I eat that for breakfast it holds me until my snack pretty well. They told me to eat three meals and three snacks....so its kinda like six small meals. I actually feel a lot better doing this and not as hungry. If you have something sweet, eat something with protein along with it...(for instance, ice cream, eat some cheese right after). And instead of sugary stuff do whole grains like whole wheat bread, etc.0
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You have to watch your carb intake to keep your sugar down. Carbs convert to sugar in your body. Look for complex carbs vs simple carbs and stuff high in fiber. And eat lots of protein
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Thanks, girls. I really do need to get this under control with how big the baby is, even without GD. It's kind of ironic to me that I'm having this issue with the only pregnancy I've ever bothered to control my gain. 0
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I had a blood sugar scare with my last child so I went to see a specialist before they realized that I actually didn't have GD however it did teach me a lot. I was AMAZED at how many carbs are in veggies and fruits. For example you should NEVER drink juice, sad! If you have GD you are often told to keep your carbs under 40 an apple alone could be half of that so it's really important to pick fruits and veggies with lower carbs and eat protein when you eat them. I was simply amazed with how many carbs (which are converted to sugar) I was eating in just veggies and fruits. I continued to eat tons of veggies and some fruit but I picked different ones which made a huge difference. Portion control was also crazy to me.... CRAZY! I remember that I could have 4 cracks, what is the point? So I stopped snacking on things like crackers because who eats just 4??? You can do this!!! I know it seems unfair and it stinks but in the end if you make these changes both you and your baby will be much healthier. I LOST 14 pounds in a 2 week period before they figured out that I didn't actually have GD but I did maintain a "modified GD" diet for the rest of my pregnancy and my wt gain was significantly slower. Good luck!!!0
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I went to Great Harvest Bread Company yesterday so I could feed my morning toast craving. I got the 100% whole grain bread with seeds, nuts, etc. I'm assuming that is a good carb? I had it with real butter. Then for lunch, 2 roast beef slices with cream cheese rolled up in them (yes, weird but yummy) and a very small apple. Is this the kind of eating y'all are talking about? I do need to look up the carb content in veggies. I mainly eat a lot of salad and cucumber slices, both of which I think are okay, though I guess I'm not sure! My baby is huge, like I said, though I haven't gained excessive amounts of weight (less than 10 lb at 30 weeks). Perhaps the problem is that I started the pregnancy out so fat anyway? I don't know!!
Thanks again! If you have any specific meal ideas, I sure would love to hear them!0 -
I'm having insulin problems (not diabetes or GD yet) but I need to be very careful. Milk, yogurt, fruit, beans, potatoes, grains, juices, breads... They are on a do not touch list for me. My OB basically told me I should be eating chicken & broccoli every night for dinner. Ugh. Who can do that?!
According to my OB & midwife, we need to be eating Atkins/Paleo-style. Protein throughout the day. No more than 40 carbs/meal (that's 8 oz of apple juice!). Protein snacks are encouraged, as is exercising after meals. Meats & veggies almost exclusively. Nuts, cottage cheese, eggs, stone fruits and berries.
BTW, I am sucking at this right now. I'm commenting on your post because I needed this reminder to take it more seriously again. Some people seem to get used to it. I have not. I don't enjoy it and feel deprived by it all the time but I can't put myself & the baby in harms way. Sigh... On the bright side, one of my girlfriends had GD with her first pregnancy. A 10 pounder & c-section. She got hard-core with the second baby, eating like I mentioned above, exercising, and never got GD, had an average weight baby & a VBAC.
Oh, and I have been told to avoid all breads, cereals, rice, etc. Supposedly whole grain bread isn't all it's cracked up to be and the processed cereals claiming to be whole grain are even worse. Still, I NEED a sandwich sometimes so I try to offset it with enough protein. I'm sure it's still not great but a girl needs to feel normal sometimes!
If you are really interested, check out the Paleo diet, low glycemic index foods, and the idea of Net-Carbs.0 -
This was helpful to me when I was going through this last time:
According to the American Diabetes Association, the following is an approximate range for carbohydrates.
Breakfast: 15-30grams. Gestational diabetic moms may find that their blood sugar levels are high in the morning. It is suggested that no fruits be consumed with breakfast along with staying away from milk and cold cereals. This is also dependent on the individual.
AM Snack: 15-30grams
Lunch: 45grams
Snack: 15-30grams
Dinner: 45-60grams
Bedtime Snack: 45grams
Below are some examples of serving sizes. Keep in mind that each food listed in each group is equal to the grams of carbohydrates indicated.
15 grams of carbohydrates from the bread group looks something like this:
-One slice of bread or one pancake or one flour tortilla or ¼ of a bagel
15 grams of carbohydrates from the cereal and grains group looks something like this:
-1/2 cup of oatmeal or cooked cereal or 1/3 cup pasta or rice or ¼ cup low fat granola
15 grams of carbohydrates from starchy vegetables looks something like this:
-1/2 cup-corn, green beans, mashed potatoes or ¼ of a large baked potato or 1 cup winter squash
15 grams of carbohydrates from beans, peas and lentils is approximately
-1/2 cup beans or 2/3 cup lima beans or ½ cup lentils
15 grams of carbohydrates from some snack foods is approximately:
-3 gram crackers or 6 saltines or 3 cups popcorn or ½ cup pretzels
15 grams of carbohydrates from the fruit group is approximately:
-1/2 cup canned or fresh fruit or ½ cup unsweetened juice or ¼ cup dried fruit
12 grams of carbohydrates from milk and yogurt is approximately:
-1 cup milk or ¾ cup plain non-fat yogurt or 1 cup fat free yogurt
For those who can’t eliminate sweets or would like an occasional treat:
-1 2” brownie or 2 small cookies or ½ cup of sugar and fat free ice cream is approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Non-starchy veggies:
-1/2 cup vegetable juice or ½ cup cooked veggies is approximately 5 grams of carbohydrates.
Foods high in fiber are also important in your diet. Not to mention is also helps you feel fuller longer along with keeping you regular. Beans, oatmeal, oat bran and some fruits and veggies contain natural fiber. You can also add fiber to your diet by consuming some over the counter bulk fiber.
You’re probably noticing by now that becoming conscious of what your labels say and eating in moderation is the key in helping to manage your gestational diabetes.
Here are a few sample menus.
Breakfast:
2 pieces of whole grain bread-toasted
2 tablespoons of peanut butter (protein)
½ cup 100% juice
Am Snack:
1 Apple
1 cup cottage cheese
Lunch:
1 cup bean soup
6 whole grain crackers
2 ounces of low fat cheese
1 cup baby carrots
Snack:
3 cup popcorn
½ cup of artificially sweetened pudding
Dinner:
4 oz broiled chicken
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 small whole grain roll with 1 tsp margarine
Small salad with 2tbs of low fat dressing
Bedtime Snack:
1 ounce string cheese
½ PB&J sandwich (diet jelly-whole grain bread)
Breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs
1 slice whole wheat
1 tsp margarine
Snack:
1 small apple
1 cup low fat milk
1 serving of cheese
Lunch:
Chef Salad with 1 ounce of turkey, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 ounce of low fat cheese
Snack:
3 cup popcorn
1 reduced calorie juice
Dinner:
3oz steak
½ cup steamed veggies
1 large slice of bakery bread
Bedtime Snack:
Sugar free gelatin with 1 serving of fruit0 -
The ADA is a lot more forgiving than my OB & midwife! Ha!
Helpful info, Erin 0 -
I understand the sugar cravings! I craved funnel cake after Christmas and made it four times, which resulted in a 5 lb weight gain in one week! I'm on Metformin, so my blood sugar is a lot better this pregnancy, but if I wasn't on it, I'd have to be super careful about carb intake like the other girls mentioned. Maybe try making gluten free substitutes for sweets and not drinking diet soda or regular soda if you ever drink it (I know it makes me feel bloated and gross and confuses my body).0
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I have been controlling my GD with diet. This is my first time having it and its my 4th pregnancy. I do not have PCOS. I really, REALLY did not want to start insulin so my dr was great about letting me come up with my own diet based on her suggestions. This is what I found: I can not eat bread, high sugar fruit like bananas, potatoes, rice, beans, flour tortillas, cereal, ketchup and BBQ sauce. I am not a huge sugar person either, and so I thought I was eating really good, but if you do research and see that the above mentioned foods are the same as eating doughnuts and cake to your blood sugar you will find different ways to cure your cravings or sweet tooth. For mine I eat 1/2 cup of whole fat cottage cheese with 2 or 3 sliced strawberries or a handful of blueberries on it along with slivered almonds. It is my "sunday" I eat whenever I need a sweet.
I do sometimes screw up, but it lasts a very short time because I see what it does to my blood, my mood, my weight and I worry about the baby and it is just not worth it. Good luck! I know it seems hard and scarey but it really was the best thing that could have happened to me because since I have been eating like this I feel better and my weight gain has totally stopped. I will continue eating like this after the baby is born also, as high blood sugar is really hard on milk producing.0 -
I will continue eating like this after the baby is born also, as high blood sugar is really hard on milk producing.
I didn't realize this^ which is good to know!0 -
This was helpful to me when I was going through this last time:
According to the American Diabetes Association, the following is an approximate range for carbohydrates.
Breakfast: 15-30grams. Gestational diabetic moms may find that their blood sugar levels are high in the morning. It is suggested that no fruits be consumed with breakfast along with staying away from milk and cold cereals. This is also dependent on the individual.
AM Snack: 15-30grams
Lunch: 45grams
Snack: 15-30grams
Dinner: 45-60grams
Bedtime Snack: 45grams
Below are some examples of serving sizes. Keep in mind that each food listed in each group is equal to the grams of carbohydrates indicated.
15 grams of carbohydrates from the bread group looks something like this:
-One slice of bread or one pancake or one flour tortilla or ¼ of a bagel
15 grams of carbohydrates from the cereal and grains group looks something like this:
-1/2 cup of oatmeal or cooked cereal or 1/3 cup pasta or rice or ¼ cup low fat granola
15 grams of carbohydrates from starchy vegetables looks something like this:
-1/2 cup-corn, green beans, mashed potatoes or ¼ of a large baked potato or 1 cup winter squash
15 grams of carbohydrates from beans, peas and lentils is approximately
-1/2 cup beans or 2/3 cup lima beans or ½ cup lentils
15 grams of carbohydrates from some snack foods is approximately:
-3 gram crackers or 6 saltines or 3 cups popcorn or ½ cup pretzels
15 grams of carbohydrates from the fruit group is approximately:
-1/2 cup canned or fresh fruit or ½ cup unsweetened juice or ¼ cup dried fruit
12 grams of carbohydrates from milk and yogurt is approximately:
-1 cup milk or ¾ cup plain non-fat yogurt or 1 cup fat free yogurt
For those who can’t eliminate sweets or would like an occasional treat:
-1 2” brownie or 2 small cookies or ½ cup of sugar and fat free ice cream is approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Non-starchy veggies:
-1/2 cup vegetable juice or ½ cup cooked veggies is approximately 5 grams of carbohydrates.
Foods high in fiber are also important in your diet. Not to mention is also helps you feel fuller longer along with keeping you regular. Beans, oatmeal, oat bran and some fruits and veggies contain natural fiber. You can also add fiber to your diet by consuming some over the counter bulk fiber.
You’re probably noticing by now that becoming conscious of what your labels say and eating in moderation is the key in helping to manage your gestational diabetes.
Here are a few sample menus.
Breakfast:
2 pieces of whole grain bread-toasted
2 tablespoons of peanut butter (protein)
½ cup 100% juice
Am Snack:
1 Apple
1 cup cottage cheese
Lunch:
1 cup bean soup
6 whole grain crackers
2 ounces of low fat cheese
1 cup baby carrots
Snack:
3 cup popcorn
½ cup of artificially sweetened pudding
Dinner:
4 oz broiled chicken
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 small whole grain roll with 1 tsp margarine
Small salad with 2tbs of low fat dressing
Bedtime Snack:
1 ounce string cheese
½ PB&J sandwich (diet jelly-whole grain bread)
Breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs
1 slice whole wheat
1 tsp margarine
Snack:
1 small apple
1 cup low fat milk
1 serving of cheese
Lunch:
Chef Salad with 1 ounce of turkey, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 ounce of low fat cheese
Snack:
3 cup popcorn
1 reduced calorie juice
Dinner:
3oz steak
½ cup steamed veggies
1 large slice of bakery bread
Bedtime Snack:
Sugar free gelatin with 1 serving of fruit
^^^ this is the exact plan I've been on for the last three weeks and I'm doing very well keeping within my blood sugar ranges....so it is possible to be managed. It's all about the "oses"... Glucose, fructose, lactose...those evil carbs!
I was also told to exercise within the hour of eating before I test so now I got for a brisk 10-20 min walk after most meals, usually dinner.
Breakfast was not working out for me so I switched to 20g instead and now I'm right on target....I find MFP makes it way easier to track!0 -
bump for menus 0
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My midwife said I can eat refined food to the tune of about 2 slices of bread a day. I do well most days. Today was NOT one of those days.0
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When I was going through this I would do some of the following:
A yogurt and Cheese Stick for Breakfast
Grilled chicken or steak often- the next day I would cut up the leftover meat and grill some veggies and then put them in a dish with melted cheese (like a casserole but very low carb).
I would make meat and veggie sauce for the family and just leave out spaghetti for me- I instead would add chunks of cheddar cheese that would melt slightly but give it some more texture.
LOTS of cukes and nuts
I didn't even both with pasta or rice because you can only have such a small amount there was no benefit in my mind.
I grilled lots of veggies and would put cheese over them.... wow as I am typing I realize that I ate a lot of cheese, lol.0 -
I had GD with my first baby, and the thing that surprised me the most was milk! I could never drink milk in the morning, it would shoot my blood sugar up past 150. It got to the point that I could have it at all. I craved cereal so bad, but the amount I could have and still stay within my carb limit was so small that it just wasn't worth it, so I gave it up. I stuck with alot of protein and cheese, and for snacks to take to work I went with the 100 calorie packs because they were pre-portioned and usually fit into my carb limit for the day. I didn't bother with pasta or rice, and if I went out to eat I avoided anything breaded and went with more protein veggie-heavy dishes if I could. I had toast and peanut butter every single morning for breakfast, I got so sick of it, but I didn't know what else to have. It sucks to be limited, and it just makes you want things you can't have that much more, but in the end the best thing you can do for you and your little pumpkin is to stick to it. I ended up on insulin even though I followed the diet pretty well. Just the diet worked for a few weeks, and then suddenly nothing was working and my blood sugars went nuts. I ended up having a very healthy 6 lb 8 oz baby and my blood sugar was back to normal about 10 hours after he was born0
