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BG Readings and food

K

KurvZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Location
North London
Hiya all ,
Being newly Diagnosed this Wed , im all in a state getting to grips with this new routine..

I was 15.0 When Diagnosed , but its been dropping now im in the 7`s 2 hours after meals ..

Friday night I dropped to 5.3 and got really excited , but that was short lived when I realized I only ate about 1200 Calories ..

As im obese and also need to lose weight and the Byetta makes me feel like not eating , should I eat even when I feel like I have had enough to try and keep my Calories up ..

I was adamant that I could lose weight myself as I had done it before with cycling and Diet , but im on the Byetta anyway now...

I haven't seen the dietician yet , and I'm trying my best to avoid sugars , but I really dont know what im doing and realize there is a lot more I should have asked the Doctor !

is it ok to have a snack in-between meals like an apple or at this early stage should I just stick to my three meals a day ?


Thanks in advance Dave
 
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 :)
 
cugila said:
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 ?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply and info , its just the other day I felt like I eat to little , I don't need to snack just away of getting a bit more of my 5 aday as I used to eat fruit in-between meals , I'm losing weight fast but as I'm very heavy that doesn't concern me I really don't feel Hungery with the Byetta and Struggle to eat a quarter of what I used to , My only concern is if I don't eat enough for my bodily requirements .. Thanks again got some reading to do
viviennem said:
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 :)
Click to expand...

Cheers Viv thanks for that I had a very high Carb intake as well as everything else , I lost a lot 6 years ago .. But went back to my silly old ways after 2 years ..

Its im a bit ignorant to food groups and what they do .. im sure when my BG went down to 5.3 after main meal it was because I was not eating as much as I should !

Thanks you two Dave
 
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 :D
 
viviennem said:
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 :D
Click to expand...

Yeah I hit on bad times and started comfort eating , then used my bad times as an excuse ..

I plant to take up cycling again when my gets a little more used to the new life as a Type II .

Great with the 2 stone lose myself I managed about 12lb so far but I know I'm going to lose about 6 stone eventually as I'm dead certain when I work out how to do things I will be fine at sticking with it and I'm already digging at the back of the wardrobe to get smaller trouser :P lol..

The Weight lose is a bonus they say something good comes out of something bad ...

I'm not feel depressed about my situation because I knew how I was eating was stupid and I Know I brought this all on , I just cant wait to see the dietician ..

Had a Cheese and Cucumber sandwich for lunch and a Toast with some Tuna on it all Granary

Potatoes Rice and Pasta was a main part of my diet ... ah well that was then onwards and upwards .

Im just wondering how much I should eat , lol I calculated I eat aprx 1200 cals on Friday and then, I got paranoid that its not enough , Ah blood test time ..

Thanks again Dave

10.3 I guess I ate to much bread , must be that I ate bread for breakfast also , ok I'm going to learn from that ah I hour later 7.4 I may have done the test ealier than two hours to get the 10.3
 
Calories

Hi,
I though on Friday that I may not have eaten enough , but as I haven't seen a dietician yet I'm still trying to figure things out ..

I'm Type II and I'm at a loss with portions / Calories Do I have to eat a certain amount of calories every day to stay healthy ...

I feel I can eat less than I am at present but I don't want to get caught out without enough food to get by ?

I'm on Byetta and this makes me feel like I don't really need much when I do eat ...

I eat to much Granary bread today that's for sure as my last test went up from 7.6 to 10.3

any pointers would be great until I sit down and sort things out with the dietitian ...

Many thanks Dave
 
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 :D

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.
 
Thanks you two :) , that's put my mind at ease I will get a Carb counter book , just had a quick read will take it all in later as im off out :)
Thanks again I will Keep you posted Dave
 
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:
 
Ah well I love my Coffee , I drink instant and Im not sure I would do with out it lol !!!

Done my reading this morning 7.2 before eating so I will start reading again Friday Sat Sun.. The 10.3 I got was a blip :P .. Im eating Breakfast lunch and diner and keeping it at regular intervals ..

Im losing at a good rate that im happy with 20.3 stone to 18.13 this morning , but being a Lump it will slow down , if when I reach 15.5 I will entering unknown territory since I was in my early 20`s ...

Going back to Carb Counting what book is the best to go for ??

Thanks Dave
 
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.
 
Just an update , all is going ok I think as I had my best day today , this afternoon I felt better than I have felt for a couple of years .
Had a burst of energy after my lunch ...

To eat today I had 1 slice of granary toast for breakfast , and lunch Cheese Cucumber and lettuce sandwich (Granary) ..with a Carrot , apple and a plum .. and for Diner I had two sausages 1 scoop of mashed potato with onion and chives in it some carrots and cabbage ..

and funny today I felt a little Hungary before lunch 1st time since starting the byetta ..

just been out to top up on Greens , green beans Shreddies and Mackerel ...

Dave

JUST done a BG test after the above diner got 4.9
 
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 :D
 
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