In the beginning I had I guess a naive hope that maybe some carby foods I used to love I could ‘get away with’ and maybe continue eating regularly if could get a 2mmmol rise so wanted to eat to my meter. However after getting a 9.2 from 5.7 after a slice of toast on day 2 after diagnosis it scared the living daylights out of me and as I’ve got into low carb I’ve quickly realised that to not let diabetes beat me there’s no point clutching at straws.
Low carb works for me and so I don’t really bother trying carbs out as I won’t be able to eat them. I’ve got my dark chocolate treats I know don’t bring a rise and so I’m happy with that. I am ‘carbier’ than others, still using milk in tea & coffee but stick to under 60g a day and On average now daily my BG Sits between 4.5-5.9 rarely seeing a reading above this at any time of day and so I believe I’m at a point that I don’t need to keep testing constantly.
However Only being 4 months in, and about 8 weeks away from my first diet only controlled Hba1c I find I panic and so still test 4/5 times a day, only to be frustrated in myself at wasting strips when I see my relatively stable readings. I hope after my next results I will feel more confident to ease up a little and trust my diet, and realising how much I’ve spent on strips since September is a little gutting so would love to reduce it a little.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a pizza I know I shouldn’t have eaten - but i also didn’t waste strips testing because I know very well i can’t eat it, I shouldn’t eat it, I chose to anyway, why try and pretend my meter might have accepted it. My eating won’t be perfect for the rest of my life, I will have an occasion where I eat a totally horrendous meal that is not good for me. I’m not perfect and I’m honest with myself about that. But I do know I won’t ever be testing ‘carbs’ against my meter again. I don’t want them to be a part of my life in general day to day. I don’t want to try and ‘get away with them’ any more. I feel the best I’ve ever felt, physically and mentally and I put that down to feeling in control of my body for the first time in my life. Maybe in years to come, when at some point in undoubtedly deteriorate I’ll have a very different outlook. But for now, in a strange way, being diagnosed diabetic was the best thing to happen to me and so I plan on playing the long game until I have no other option and that for me at present is eating what I know works and accepting that’s what works