BG Readings and food

To save going over the same things again, take a look at the link Daisy posted in your Greetings and Introductions thread........

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20170&p=184014#p184014

We have a large thread here in Diabetes Medication and Drugs titled Byetta. Worth a look if you have any questions or just want to post your experiences with it. Welcome to the forum BTW.

As for eating and snacks. If you eat too much whilst on Byetta you will soon find it isn't a wise thing to do !!! Snacks are fine, if you need them. I have been on Byetta and very rarely need to snack. It's an individual thing really. If you are trying to lose weight why do you need to up the calories ?

Hi Dave, and welcome!

I find that if you cut your carbs to control your blood glucose, you should almost automatically lose weight. I'm trying to keep between 20g and 50g of carb per day, as I have a lot to lose, but keeping your carbs under 100g per day should help, particularly if you've been eating lots of bread, potatoes, pasta etc.

My diet is on the Low-carb Forum - first post on a thread called 'Viv's Diet'. It's too extreme and too much fat for some people, but it really works and you need never be hungry.

Good luck!

Viv

Me too, Dave - lost 5 stone, then got stressed, went back on carbs - 5 years later all the weight back on AND diabetic :roll: . I've lost 2 stone already, but it's more difficult this time. Still, onwards and downwards - the weight AND the BG readings! :lol:

Viv

I don't worry about calories any more. My diet is based on Atkins, and it works for me.

A typical day's menus:

Omelette for breakfast - sometimes cheese, sometimes mushrooms, sometimes with bacon or a couple of low-carb sausages. Rule of thumb with sausages - more meat, less carb. There are some in most supermarkets that are about 1 carb per sausage. I fry mine!

Big salad for lunch - lettuce, toms, radishes, slices of pepper, cucumber, celery - with tuna or salmon or mackerel or chicken or corned beef or ham or salami or cheese or a mixture. Nothing breadcrumbed! Mayonnaise as a dressing. Check the labels. Sometimes a few olives or an avocado.

Evening - poultry or meat (lamb, pork. beef, venison), roast or casseroled, or liver, or fish, with lots of broccoli or cauliflower or green beans or cabbage or courgettes or leeks or onions (ie, low-carb veg - two or three with the meat). Asparagus is nice.

Sometimes I make a big mediterranean-style ratatouille with toms, onions, peppers, courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms, celery, leeks, green beans and eat it with sausages or meat or fish anything, really.

I also eat rhubarb or berry fruits (strawberries & raspberries today), with cream. I can cope with a small apple (eg Cox) preferably with a bit of cheese. Plums aren't bad, nor are apricots.

I can cope with the occasional sandwich, and I find that Tesco's wholemeal multi-grain bread is not too bad for my blood sugars. I couldn't do it every day, though. I eat sesame Ryvitas for the 'crunch' factor, and oatcakes - Nairns now do a pumpkin-seed-and-herb variety which are great! only two or three crispbreads or oatcakes a day, though.

I snack on cheese, cold meat, hard-boiled eggs. If I need a packed lunch I take those with salad. A few nuts make a good snack, but I don't buy them 'cos I eat the whole pack - and those calories do seem to count :shock: .

I sweeten with Splenda, tablets in drink and a little of the powdered on fruit. I fry in butter, lard or olive oil, and I use butter as a spread. I get through less than 2 pints of semi-skimmed milk a week, and I use cream.

I keep a few supermarket ready meals in for emergencies and 'can't be bothered' days, but go for less than 30g carb in the whole pack.

Green & Black's 85% proof chocolate has less than 15g carb per bar, so 3 squares of that is a great treat.

I try to drink 2 litres of water every day; coffee and tea are okay.

There is food after diabetes!

Don't mention Atkins to your dietician, but s/he shouldn't have too much trouble with the diet itself, 'cos of the fruit & veg content. Dietary fat isn't bad for you, despite all the hype! You're not adding it with this, just not avoiding it.

I aim for between 20g and 50g of carb per day. You need a carb counter book.

Let us know how you go on

Viv

I don't worry about calories either.......my main concern is carbohydrates as they have a definite effect on my Bg levels. I have been on Byetta for over 2 yrs and lost loads of weight. The diet that suits me is not based on calories at all. If I ate the recommended daily level of calories I would be like the proverbial brick toilet !! Not a good idea.......

I am never hungry, don't need to snack and am very healthy as I get all my essential vitamins and nutrients from my diet. Fresh meat, chicken, salads, very very small portions of potato, pasta, rice etc and counting those carbs, which include all the sugars. (Check out labels for total carbs) My daily carb limit is now back up to around 60-70g from a more recent 30-50g per day.

The only things that I was found deficient in was Vit B12 but that was down to drugs I was using for anti-Cancer treatment and possibly Metformin, nobody really knows. The other was a slightly low level of Potassium which I deal with by eating a very small Banana occasionally and loads of Coffee........suits me as I love both.

Dieticians tend to mention calories and sugars.......neither of which concern me as carbohydrates are more important because of the effect on Bg levels, if you want to put weight on then calories are also important.

I didn't know about potassium in coffee - does it have to be ground, or will good instant do? I'm addicted to nescaff Alta Rica.

Viv

viviennem said:

I didn't know about potassium in coffee - does it have to be ground, or will good instant do? I'm addicted to nescaff Alta Rica.

Viv

Click to expand...

Dunno Viv.....was just told this by a Dietician. Dietary sources of potassium are leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, oranges, potatoes, and bananas. Lean meat, chocolate, coffee and milk are also rich in the mineral. Seems to do the trick anyway. I drink all sorts, Instant, Ground etc. Alta Rica is one I use too.

As much as I know....... :wink:

Meat, leafy greens and toms - I should be okay then! :lol:

Viv :wink:

Carb counting book.......

Personally I prefer the Calorie Carb & Fat Bible 2011. Available from all good High Street bookshops or online at places like Amazon. It is updated yearly unlike the Carb Counter or Calorie Counter books by Collins, again available online etc. Found too many mistakes in the Collins books and they never respond to any complaints.

The CC&FB is, unlike the Collin's books, NOT a pocket book however, depends what way you will use it. It has larger print as well.

Well done you! Keep up the good work.

Just make sure you don't let the carbs creep up - it's only too easy :roll: And persevere when you 'plateau' - but you probably know that already.

Viv