Living "like" a diabetic

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s_light
s_light Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Yesterday I went to the doctor, good news is I'm still cancer free!!! Bad news (in my eyes) is that for me to stay that way and to ensure a healthy weight and a healthy body in the future he suggested I start to live "like" a diabetic would. Which boils down to no refined sugar or simple carbs. After leaving the doctors, I just kept thinking, that you got this and nothing is going to stop you. Then as I get home, I realized I have no where to even think about starting at. I know no more candy bars, or French fries from McDonalds, but what about when I'm at the store, and I could I afford it on my budget and will my shopping routine allow it. If anybody could please help figure this all out, Thank You!!

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  • rowyourboat
    rowyourboat Posts: 125 Member
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    Actually eating healthy is cheaper! A banana cost less than a candy bar, as does an apple. Since you're eating like a diabetic you would probably opt for a cheese stick. I have found that almond milk is delicious with cereal! You should really focus on proteins and vegetables, so look into the paleo diet. Best wishes!
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Back in the days before fancy MFP websites, I did this (basically) to lose my 100 lbs. Here's some info from the American Diabetes Associates. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/create-your-plate/

    Basically, it would suggest eating low glycemic carbs, protein and fat at every meal in a way that helps you figure out proper portion sizes. And things like:

    Eating more 100% whole grain bread, and less refined white bread
    Eating more brown rice, quinoa, lentils, barley, and less white rice and white potatoes
    Avoiding high fructose corn syrup
    Avoiding white sugar
    ... things like that
  • MarKayDee
    MarKayDee Posts: 196
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    To live like a diabetic you don't need to cut out every carb ever, you just need to eat moderately. I eat "like" a diabet most of the time because my meals are 3/4 meat and veggies with one small serving of carbs, if I want that small serving of carbs to be freezer French fries I count out 6 imdividul fries, pop them in the over and just do without the rest of my meal without anything carby. If you're unclear on how many carbs you're allowed to eat due to your new suggested diet the best thing I could suggest is to sit down with your doctor, or a nutritionist and ask questions like "how many grams a day am I allowed" "how many grams per meal" "which inexpensive foods can I use to replace the ones I cannot eat anymore" and most importantly "what health benefits do I get from going low carb, and what are the risks to me if I do not"

    Also if this is a general practitioner with no real background in diet and nutrition I would get a second opinion from a nutritionist.
  • s_light
    s_light Posts: 58 Member
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    Thanks guys, this gives me a place to start.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    can you get referred to a dietitian? that would be the best thing.

    My dad (RIP) was a type II. While he wasn't supposed to consume things like sodas and candies and what not, he was allowed certain things in moderation that a lot of people are under the impression are completely off limits...i.e. potatoes (though he generally opted for sweet potatoes...sometimes red potatoes), fruit (he ate primarily berries but enjoyed apples and bananas too on occasion...just not in mass quantity daily), rice and pastas in moderation, etc. There were certain rules he had to live by as well in RE to his plate having so much fat and protein to balance out whatever carb he was eating...he never had carbohydrates on their own. I don't know all of the ins and outs...he was under the care of a dietitian who seemed to really have him on track; unfortunately, a lot of damage was done early on when he didn't care so much and he passed on just before Christmas at 61.

    I think there may be a diabetic group here and that may be a good resource, but I don't think you're going to garner a whole lot on the public forum. There are a lot of diabetic resources on line though...and like I said, maybe you could get referred to a dietitian given your condition.
  • GlucernaBrand
    GlucernaBrand Posts: 486
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    It sounds like your doctor wants you to eat a healthy diet overall as a way to say cancer-free. That's excellent advice! I would talk with a registered dietitian who can review your medical history and your usual food habits, and then give you recommendations about specific changes you can make. She'll also answer questions like what to look for when grocery shopping. ~Lynn /Glucerna
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    I live "like" a diabetic. My late mother and grandfather both had T2, and my mother ended up losing her kidney function due to complications of decades of not managing her sugars. I bought a blood glucose meter about 2 years ago and checked my sugar regularly. I have good sugars, and even so while I was obese, and I am determined to keep it that way with diet, exercise, and keeping a low body fat level.

    I use to low carb exclusively. I don't anymore, but I discovered that I truly enjoy eating a diet that's pretty low carb overall. So much so that I do not crave most higher carbohydrate foods anymore. The only reason I'm not strictly low carb is that I have a wicked sweet tooth, and am not interested in permanently expelling high-sugar items from my diet (which I did before, for an entire year once).

    About 70% of my diet consists of the following:

    Meat - All Kinds
    Fish
    Vegetables (Mostly Green)
    Oils - Coconut, Olive Oil
    Dairy

    About 20-25% includes fruit, starchy vegetables and tubers, and sweets. The way I manage high carb/high sugar is to not have them every day, or even every week. I eat them infrequently, but when I do eat them I allow myself to have as much as I like. There are some weeks where I have a lot of sweets, and then I sometimes have long stretches when I have none at all.

    Bread, crackers, rice, chips, whole grain products, pasta, pizza, etc, play very, very minimal roles in my life, less than 10%. And not because I'm trying to stay away anymore, but because at this point I rarely desire them. Eating lower carb/high fat for years just killed any kind of major cravings for these kinds of food. I'll eat those foods from time to time, and then not crave them for very long stretches of time.

    So far, so good. And thankfully I LOVE the way I eat.
  • lizpitts
    lizpitts Posts: 67 Member
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    I would recommend the book "Eat to Live: An End to Diabetes" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The eating plan basically consists of: 1 pound of raw vegetables, 1 pound of cooked green vegetables, 1 serving of whole grain, 1/2 to 1 cup of beans and 3-5 fruits each day. Also a small amount of lean protein 2 times a week. I was able to lower my blood sugar substantially with it. The book also has a lot of information about diabetes in general.
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    I AM a type I diabetic! :flowerforyou:

    I feel best with my carbs at 30%, fat at 40%, and protein at 30%. I try to eat lots of greens, lots of fiber, and avoid eating much bread, pasta, or sweets. I have dark chocolate, peanut butter, whole milk and wine most days. I roast a chicken almost every week, and make homemade soup with the bones! The best thing I've ever done for my diet is sign up for a vegetable delivery service from a local farm co-op.

    I don't do well on very low-carb, or low-fat. Feel free to browse my diary- you'll also see some random jellybeans and other candy that I use to keep my blood sugar up during exercise, and some really extravagant hangover brunches. :drinker: Recently I've been really busy and have gotten into protein shakes. Not sure if this is that great for me, but they keep me going.

    My blood sugar is most stable when I eat this way, get plenty of sleep, and do vigorous exercise most days.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
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    Some diabetics do carb counting where you allowed a number of points per day to use on various carbs/sugars etc. Each food is given a different carb count to make it easier. The higher it is on the glycemic index the higher point number it is, etc. Of course, it is all for one serving so you still have to be conscious.

    That might make it easier than counting grams individually?
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
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    I'm diabetic. Type 2. Most of the time when I'm "being good" I have green, red, and yellow veggies and meat, fish, seafood or tofu. There's lots of good food to eat. Good luck.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    Yesterday I went to the doctor, good news is I'm still cancer free!!! Bad news (in my eyes) is that for me to stay that way and to ensure a healthy weight and a healthy body in the future he suggested I start to live "like" a diabetic would. Which boils down to no refined sugar or simple carbs. After leaving the doctors, I just kept thinking, that you got this and nothing is going to stop you. Then as I get home, I realized I have no where to even think about starting at. I know no more candy bars, or French fries from McDonalds, but what about when I'm at the store, and I could I afford it on my budget and will my shopping routine allow it. If anybody could please help figure this all out, Thank You!!

    I wonder where your doctor got his degree. Diabetes and cancer are not related or in any way connected. Also, if you do have no pre-diabetes right now, living like a diabetic will not make a difference. I am aghast that a doctor would say such a thing.
    If I were you I would live healthy, which means that you have to figure out what that means for you, based on what you want to achieve.
    After that start making small changes until you get used to a different diet, after that make more changes.
    This sentence "Yesterday I went to the doctor, good news is I'm still cancer free " makes me wonder. Why is this a concern of yours. Is there a higher chance for you to get cancer than the average person, or are you just obsessed with cancer ? I had cancer in 1991( cervix) and after that lived with a 100% natural vegetarian diet until five years ago and still got thyroid cancer. I still live with a whole foods based diet, but am no longer a vegetarian, but I do it because I prefer that kind of food and not because it cures cancer or avoids diabetes.....I know better than that. It can however improve general health and also can help with fitness , because it is easier to get all your macros through foods that are not overly processed with chemicals added .

    ETA: Both my parents died of diabetes related complications while I was in elementary school ( in post war Germany diabetes was almost unheard of and both my parents remained undiagnosed for a very long time ), one of my grandmothers had Type1 diabetes and one member of the family had Type2.
    I never had as much as a bad number on my lab results. I did however live for decades in fear of getting diabetes and having my foot amputated as my mom did at age 38. I always lived healthy ( and was not overweight until I lost my thyroid in my late 50's ) because of the culture I grew up in and the places I lived and worked. But now that science has advanced, I know that luck and genetics ( even though acc.to several doctors I am genetically 85% pre-disposed to have had diabetes, unless of course my dad was not my dad.....jejeje) played a bigger role than my diet....:o). I guess I was just really lucky, or live by my recessive genes...lol.
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
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    You do not have to eliminate all carbs but aim for a reduction. I am type 2 and my goal is 135gm/day max, meals 30-45gm and snacks 15gm. I think what your doctor is getting at is to eat a healthy diet in General. You can still have those fast food treats but limit them to occasional and not daily.

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