Does your resolve ever fail you?

test_positive

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I'm on my first holiday since having being diagnosed with T2 a few weeks ago. With two young daugthers, we have gone to Dorset and have been down the beach every day enjoying the fantastic weather. Only thing is that beaches always used to mean ice cream (with a flake of course) and fish & chips. No good now as I'm trying to keep carbs low. But our daughters both have ice cream and chips. And I sit and watch trying not to be miserable.
The ice cream van advertised a "diabetic" ice cream but I am very suspicious of any food labelled diabetic after seeing comments on this forum.
So I managed not to eat ice cream or fish and chips (well only a little taste). But I'm not sure whether I can keep going like this. :(

How do you guys hold your resolve?
 

Defren

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Good question test. I think my absolute terror, real or imagined of diabetic complications keeps me really quite rigid, especially with my daily carbs.

My family still have all the things I used to love and can't have now, and I'm truly not trying to be virtuous here, but it really doesn't bother me. I came on this forum just now as I am making cinnamon muffins, they are in the oven as I type and I came to share the recipe. We all share recipe's and that I think helps keep our menu's and treats as varied as we would like them to be.

I didn't have a real sweet tooth pre diagnosis, my downfall was corn snacks, but I have given up all grains and wheat and I never think about them. The only thing I do miss I can't have is crumpets, but I have other yummy foods I can eat that fills that void.

We are all very different, so don't feel bad if you fall of the wagon. First and foremost we are human beings, not machines and it is a bad upheaval having to change your entire lifestyle. Keep your chin up, have an ice cream just not the flake. :D
 

MaryJ

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To be honest, so far, no.

I'm with Jo re the terror of complications. My hubby still has his bickies, pies etc but has joined me in many ways in reducing his carbs.

Also with being lucky as not having a sweet tooth so having those kind of things in the house doesnt bother me.

In restaurants, its the bread roll I would crave not the desert trolley. If I had it I wouldn't worry about it tho', tomorrow is another day. I def wouldnt make a habit of it tho'.

Mary x
 

susanmanley

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Messages
596
gosh. It is hard to do this diet thing isn't it.
I was diagnosed in may and have 'slipped' a few times. What I do now is 'allow' myself some deviation on special days so that I do not feel deprived and miserable. For example I went out with colleques last week and before I went I made a bargain with myself that if I ate a healthy main I could have a nice dessert. I had a lovely but healthy main and then had a lovely dessert of frash fruit and cream and really enjoyed it and felt quite decedant...then realized the pud was healthy anyway!!!!
Had a lovely evening not spoilt by guilty feelings.

re fish and chips... would the fish be very bad? with perhaps half a dozen chips??
 

BioHaZarD

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Messages
771
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It's hard initially, and occasional slips are going to happen, I went to the isle of wight last month I was good all week, the last 2 days I had what ever I wanted. Ice cream only 1 each day fish and chips. I did not test myself for these days and was ultra good for a few days when back and all ok.

Yes you need to be good, but every now and then if you feel you need something, have it, just don't go silly. We all know that keeping our glucos levels low and maintained keeps us healthy but anyone could get run over by a bus tomorrow.
 

WhitbyJet

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test_positive said:
I'm on my first holiday since having being diagnosed with T2 a few weeks ago. With two young daugthers, we have gone to Dorset and have been down the beach every day enjoying the fantastic weather. Only thing is that beaches always used to mean ice cream (with a flake of course) and fish & chips. No good now as I'm trying to keep carbs low. But our daughters both have ice cream and chips. And I sit and watch trying not to be miserable.
The ice cream van advertised a "diabetic" ice cream but I am very suspicious of any food labelled diabetic after seeing comments on this forum.
So I managed not to eat ice cream or fish and chips (well only a little taste). But I'm not sure whether I can keep going like this. :(

How do you guys hold your resolve?

I came to low carb after years of uncontrolled diabetes and had already developed some complications as a result. I was very ill at the time, so to be honest I was too frightened to fall off the wagon, I wanted to get well again. Oh I missed the food that I was used to eating, the food that I enjoyed eating, but it was also the food that helped make me ill in first place.
I did a lot of crying in those days and I did feel deprived and resentful. But gradually, as my bg numbers improved I also managed to change my attitude to food, so I prepared things ahead, if people go on the beach and have fish and chips I would take along my picnic basket filled with low carb goodies, more often than not people looked at me in envy, they'd finish their fish, leave most of the chips and started to pick on my food!!
Now all my family, husband and 3 children eat low carb meals with me, they do have extras eg new potatoes, fruit, I dont want to eat new potatoes or fruit apart from berries or the odd nectarine, I want to keep very tight control of my bg levels, I suppose I could relax the rules slightly if I wanted to.
Most of the food that I missed can be adapted to be low carb, or there is a substitute, I bake low carb breads, non low carb people enjoy it, its only odd to them because these breads arent available in the supermarkets, if they were I dare say more people would eat that bread.
My children know that if they want to have something carby they have free reign, I am happy to say that they are carbwise and make good choices. I am not missing out, you eat your sugary sticky ice cream I will have my own treat if its outside chocolate mousse with berries will keep in the coolbag wont it, if its at home. well I have 4 different luxuriously creamy ice creams in the freezer.
I have learnt to be prepared, and cook ahead, and freeze food, my children enjoy the cakes and muffins and home made chocolates, they enjoy experimenting along with me, its fun to try out something new.
Have a look through the low carb recipe thread and the chocolate paradise thread, be flexible, try something new, I think you will find its just as delicious and your health will improve.
Once you are over the initial shock you will find it all becomes much easier.
 

iggy-lil

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Sadly yes I have. In the begining with the posibilty of me having to go into hopsital due to having ketones I stuck at it and didnt go off the rails. Now however I have had the odd icecream cone (whilst walking the dog around the lake). I have had birthday cake - it was my day, attended a wedding party which was very hard as all food had high levels of carbs.
Whilst I dont begrudge my hubby or teens their 'junk' I do however find it hard having it in the house and wish it wasnt here as the temptation can be so great. I used to feel guilty in the begining when I did stray but now I just get back on with it and try my best. We are not perfect and our best is all we can do. :)
 

noblehead

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Yes on a few occasions whilst on holiday.
 

Spiral

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I have been derailed on a number of occasions. I'm surrounded by carbs. The team food spot (birthday cakes, holiday sweets etc) is right next to my desk. I'm about to go and visit my mother with her home baking and traditional roast dinners. And the days when I simply just fed up or those monthly carb cravings.

I try to find low carb ways of dealing with it, but sometimes my organisation is lacking :(

Climbing back on the wagon can be a bit of a struggle away from home.

I miss crisps - they are the thing most likely to derail me.
 

snowy_barks

Active Member
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I seem to have been quite lucky.

I was diagnosed in February, since then I have stopped all sweet things, chocolate etc - and all starchy carbs - bread, rice, pasta, potato etc. I drastically cut down on beer intake although I still drink far too much wine! I never ate a lol of biscuits and stuff anyway.

Since then I have lost 3 stone, without any extra training and not really feel deprived or hungry.

I eat extremely well and loads of food! I will tend to have roast dinners without potato and only 1 small yorkshire pudding, steaks/chops, homemade burgers with salad and stir fry. Basically and eat meat and fish with vegetables.

If I have a curry I will have it with a Dahl rather than rice and probably 1 small japati.

I also test a lot. I find that testing is really helpful, when it's good it like a pat on the back and when it's higher than normal I know I need to try harder. I am getting fasting sugar levels of about 5.5 now, compared to about 7.5 when first diagnosed.

I always had crisps, sandwich and a chocolate bar for my lunch but this really was about it being easy, I really don't miss food like that at all. The only thing I really miss is the beer!

Fish and chips, just have the fish and don't eat all the batter? The fish is the best part anyway!
Roast dinners, drop the spuds and reduce the yorkshire pudding, make your own gravy so you know whats in it.
Curries, swop rice with dahl and other low GI stuff, don't get a korma get something spicy!

I now look on it that the vast majority of starchy carbs are completely bland and boring, they were just unnecessary filling to the best bits of the meal! If you have steak and chips, with mushrooms and a side salad - which is the most boring thing in the meal?
 

lucylocket61

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Have you noticed that a lot of the food which is bad for us is Beige??

or brown :shock:

compared to a multicoloured salad, beige food is boring.
 

borofergie

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lucylocket61 said:
Have you noticed that a lot of the food which is bad for us is Beige??

or brown :shock:

compared to a multicoloured salad, beige food is boring.

Steak?!?!?
 

noblehead

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lucylocket61 said:
Steak isnt bad for us......... :D


....it is if it's still on the beast and its chasing you down a field :lol:
 

borofergie

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lucylocket61 said:
Steak isnt bad for us......... :D

Phew! You had me worried there for a second...

(Anyway - my steak is more pink than it is brown).
 

noblehead

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borofergie said:
(Anyway - my steak is more pink than it is brown).


Tried a Blue steak once when eating out with my brother-in-law but never again, the blood was spilling out on the plate as I cut into it :(
 

test_positive

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Thanks guys - your posts do make me feel better. :thumbup:

I suppose it feels like such a restricted diet to me at the moment. And I've got to get my head around not having startchy carbs with every meal - which is what I've been used to for so many years. I don't miss sweet things much on the whole. But I do miss chips, crisps, pizza, muesli (don't know why because my dad always used to call it horse feed!) and breads in particular.

I had high cholesterol from 10 years ago or so have become used to being careful about fats. But now I know I need fats to get energy as I reduce the carbs and so it is a big turnaround which is still difficult to get my head around. I am hoping that by going for Low Carb High Fat I am not now impacting my cholesterol. I'm due to have those tested in September.

As per BioHaZarD, I'm trying to keep a perspective. I could get run over by a bus tomorrow.

But it's hard.

I need to spend some time on this site looking at low carb suggestions so I can build up more variety again.

Appreciate the comments!
 

WhitbyJet

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test_positive said:
Thanks guys - your posts do make me feel better. :thumbup:

I suppose it feels like such a restricted diet to me at the moment. And I've got to get my head around not having startchy carbs with every meal - which is what I've been used to for so many years. I don't miss sweet things much on the whole. But I do miss chips, crisps, pizza, muesli (don't know why because my dad always used to call it horse feed!) and breads in particular.

I had high cholesterol from 10 years ago or so have become used to being careful about fats. But now I know I need fats to get energy as I reduce the carbs and so it is a big turnaround which is still difficult to get my head around. I am hoping that by going for Low Carb High Fat I am not now impacting my cholesterol. I'm due to have those tested in September.

As per BioHaZarD, I'm trying to keep a perspective. I could get run over by a bus tomorrow.

But it's hard.

I need to spend some time on this site looking at low carb suggestions so I can build up more variety again.

Appreciate the comments!


I have sent you a PM :)