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Feeling down after a trip to the supermarket

))Denise((

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,594
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I wasn't really sure where to put this post as it didn't fit in anywhere neatly.

After going to the supermarket yesterday, I felt quite down. There were so many items that I can't have :(

To set the scene, I'm T2 and wheat intollerant and I don't like spicy, not keen on herby. I'm trying to lose weight - my BMI is about 30 and I'd like to lose at least a stone, to get down to the top end of healthy weight it would be over 2 stones to lose. To try and lose some weight, I have kept my diet the same but cut portion size and cut out snacks - this is working as I have lost the 5lb I put on over Christmas plus another pound. I don't do much exercise, probably about 30 minutes walking a day.

I think my menu has got quite samey and need some ideas on how I can eat different things without it raising my bs and putting on weight. This is an example of my daily menu:
Breakfast: Wheat free museli with added ground almonds and chopped nuts and milk, a piece of fruit - usually an orange (this is my most carby meal but it is the only time in a day I eat grain)
Lunch: cooked chicken thigh or prawns and 125g raw blueberries (sometimes a ham salad)
Supper: Meat and vegetables

I eat potatoes about once a week, never eat pasta, rice or noodles (because I don't like them), rarely eat bread (because the gluten free stuff isn't very nice and costs £2.49 for a 400g loaf).

I've read Viv's diet, taken on board information about carbs. I'd love to try some of Whitby Jet's low carb sweet treat recipes but I'm sure I would put on weight, eating more. I'd love to be able to try burgen bread.

The upside of being wheat intollerant is that it keeps me out of the biscuit tin at work as the stomach cramps and IBS-D the next day are not nice.

I just wish there was a supermarket just for me with just a fruit and veg, meat, dairy and eggs aisle - hmm... that'll be the High Street of the 1950's :) I'm getting fed up of seeing things that are unsuitable.

Apart from sending my hubby to the supermarket, I need some suggestions on things I can eat that won't impact on my bs and will help me lose weight. I also know I need to exercise more.

Thank you for getting down to the bottom of this post :lol: I think writing it down has helped me, but any suggestions welcome.
 
Oh Denise I know what you mean.

I am lucky in that I don't have the wheat intolerance but I too am getting fed up eating same things.
I don't think I can be of much help to you but I just wanted you to know that you are not alone and we are all here to support you.

Have you tried having sausage, egg and bacon? I have that for supper sometimes or when I come home from work-no carbs or wheat. What about crackers with cheese or philadelphia ( I am not sure if you get wheat free crackers :? ) What about have tuna salad at lunchtime or fish instead of meat for dinner?

I did manage to have something different the other night. It was Burns night in Scotland and the supermarkets were selling alot of haggis. Aldi's had a haggis pie topped with a little mashed potato and swede (looked like a cottage pie). There were only 12g carbs in the whole pie. I thoroughly enjoyed it and went out and bought another few to put in freezer. :D Bg levels were also good.
 
Hi Denise,

Its hard going to supermarkets, i know, did it Friday. All that food you cant have anymore does hurt a bit but you do get used to it. Both mum and i are T2s, its in the family but i have been able to manage the problem for both of us. I feel its a new chapter in my life and look forward to still eating well but in a different way. I went gluten free in August of last year and i manage to make some interesting meals and i experiment with carb free substitutes instead of rice and pasta. I use broccoli instead of pasta, dosnt work with curries though so i have had to rethink that. May try grated cauliflower cooked a tad aldente and see if that works. Going carb free, well almost and not eating gluten has made me miss snacks etc but ime getting over that by being strong willed and eating an apple when i really need to eat something. I always had seconds too, given that up and have reduced my portion size. It will take time and practice but with a little help from friends, family and of course chatting to people on this forum ime sure you will be ok.
My mum has lost wight by eating as i do, ime not going to cook 2 meals at the same time and people are saying she looks better now than she did 5 years ago when she had her fall. Much more alert and mentally active too.
I really miss the crisps though and part of the supermarket was hell for me, but, i survived.
I want to control my diabetes, not let it control me.

Good luck,

Andy
 
Just a few ideas for lunch

Pate, salmon, those little cocktail sausages as a snack, olives in moderation mind the salt, do you eat dairy if so try greek yoghurt, boiled eggs hot or cold, all the different cheeses (watch the full fat cream ones), hummus dip with sliced red peppers or cucumber or celery of you like it. Asparagus with a poached egg on the top is really nice, salad nicoise, a frankfurter with cooked onions. a slice of bacon or gammon with melted cheddar .I quite often get something say a piece of meat and then google say pork chop diabetic recipe and all sorts of recipe ideas come up for you, four bean salad, corn on the cob. I don't think I have got anything high GI in this lot and hope no wheat. Tuna salad is really nice too. Mushroom soup just get mushrooms and put a veg stock cube in hot water put it all in the blender and blend, and season to eat.
Maybe there is something here you fancy.
Sharon
 
I hate supermarkets too we are oaps so on a tight budget as well :evil: I think someone ought to invent some sort of sat-nav for DBs in shops that keeps us away from the crisp and sweets etc !
Have you tried making shepherds pie with celeriac mash instead of spuds or you can mash swede and celeriac together also good on fish pie .For a treat try a few almonds covered in very dark choc they are very filling so you only need a few .You can sometimes buy smoked salmon trimmings very cheaply add them to your mash for a tasty supper dish put it under the grill for a few minutes for a crispy topping
Try veg lasagne with aubergine or celeriac instead of the pasta . Hope this helps all this talk of food has made me hungry off to make the evening meal Roast beef roast swede and celeriac lots of brocolli cauli and sprouts ,red wine gravy .
CAROL
 
If you are low carbing pig2twig forum have recipes that are good, they also have a cook book out.
 
I'm so pleased this subject has been brought up. Denise, it must make it so much harder being intollerent of wheat. I feel for you.

When I was first diagnosed we went to the supermarket and it was like being kicked in the face! I ended up bursting into tears and storming out.

Even now it's hell for me specially at Christmas time. I just try and not look around me and aim for the things I'm there to buy, and get out.

Helena
 
Hi denise.
Poor you , I do KNOW how you feel as I am too wheat, oats, gluten [not 100% yet sure ] intollerant.
Am still trying things out with the gluten thing!
How I got around it all, was I wrote list down of ALL the things I LIKE and could eat n tollerate.
Tip here! - DO NOT write a list of things you cant cope with! [this will just remind you and drag you down] [[[[hug]]]]
Write down EVERYTHING you can eat and like and enjoy... Watch your list grow and realise
there IS lots you can buy in,eat,n enjoy.
Its worse when you go out into the supermarket looking for ideas and inspiration for your weekly meal plan and routine. This is WHERE I ran into problems!
This IS a great FUN way around it all .... :P
Make a recipe folder, buy a bright cheery plastic folder and every recipe [ I can tollerate ] I saw in a magazine cut out , place in your folder.... :P
Refer to your folder - when mind goes blankety blank! Ideas for meals and snacks to make, become 'fun' and lovely to eat later n enjoy.
Me n my mum this very weekend did lemon buttered cooked spinach leaves with poached eggs plonked on the top! With baked beef tomatoes to accompany them.
Middle of last week, I did me n hubby, my hammy eggs recipe [ a slice of 'really lean' ham, use large muffin tray! crack an egg onto the ham slice ,season with cracked black pepper cover with half slice of cheese ] baked in oven 15mins with a salad to accompany it! Yummy....
My own tollerance LIST was the key and step forward for me.
It is such an easy and yet simple answer to go forward with, as like you today just shopping blind can n does overwhelm when no idea or place to start with happens.
Going to the store with an empty trolley and rows of no, no, no, no, cant have, cant cope with, cant tollerate , etc WILL drag you down ...
Armed with your very own can have, can cope with, do like , can tollerate etc shopping list , you CAN have, enjoy, have fun, cooking n baking quick n easy things from you own recipe folder!
Another challange I love to do is, buy reduced food [I always love a bargain!] n when get home think right - what can I make with this lot!!! Some of my BEST meals are born from this way.
Sausage n veg quick pot casserole for example. :wave:
Hope this helps you denise , and others also.
Anna.x :D
 
What an absolutely brilliant idea Anna, thank you. I am also gluten intolerant, along with various other things since having a severe candida infection, and 3 months into Type 2 diagnosis. Shopping/cooking is indeed a minefield.
 
Thank you everyone for your suggestions and your kind comments. I especially like Anna's suggestion of writing down the things that I can eat and not to focus on what I can't eat.

I will also try and get out of the food rut that I am in and try some different things.
 
Eat meat, fish, eggs, salads, vegs. There is endless variety in these ingredients. Keep the protein and fats up and the carbs low, you should continue to lose weight especially if you also exercise. When I go around the supermarket and see all the endless empty junkfood carbs, I thank goodness that I know better than to fill myself with them any more. Focus on what you can eat rather than not.
 
Funny you should post this.

I nipped into Morrisons on the way home from work two days ago and noticed the difference between my purchases on the conveyor belt and the woman behind me. She had a big box of Shredded Wheat, three packets of biscuits, a bag of potatoes, apples, a cabbage, low fat yoghurt, skimmed milk, Clover and a large bottle of vegetable oil. I had a quick look around me and most peoples purchases were much the same, give or take the full-fat coke, crisps, chocolate, ready meals inter-spaced with the odd bit of fruit and veg.

I picked up a large pork loin for about £3, some chuck steak and a flat-iron steak, both of which were reduced. Along with that was a cooked chicken, leeks, runner beans, butter, eggs, two packs of mashed swede, double cream, garlic, mushrooms, Pepsi Max, marscapone, feta and a bag of mixed peppers.

I'll tell you what I felt, smug. Then terribly sad that the majority of people in that store simply didn't know the truth because they follow the advice dished out over the media. I watched as the not so elderly woman in front of me had to use one of the stores motor scooters because of her mobility problems and size and I saw lots and lots of overweight customers too.

Then I have to smile when I think of all the people at work who CONSTANTLY ask me questions about how I got so thin, how do I keep my blood sugars so low and ask me what tasty thing I'm scoffing now. With a smile and simple example I have watched all of my family (none of whom live with me or under my influence) get thinner and healthier. I am surrounded by friends and colleagues who have had so much success now that they restrict their carbs. There are a hard core of us who meet once a month and enjoy our low-carb dinners and swap recipes.

There are millions and millions of hits on Google with low-carb recipes and food ideas. Youtube is even better as there are step-by-step instructions on how to make some really tasty stuff.

wiflib
 
carty said:
I hate supermarkets too we are oaps so on a tight budget as well :evil:

I hate supermarkets too, has anyone else noticed that everything seems to have gone up since Xmas?

50p here a £ there not just odd items but almost everything. There was a two for £5.00 deal on wild bird food before Xmas and on 1st Jan it was went to two for £6.00.

Not OAP's just yet Carol but as I no longer work we are on a tight budget and finding it something of a trial since Xmas :cry:
 
Yes, Yes Yes YES ... me too!

My game plan (in addition to the list) is to make a point of gloating quietly to myself when buying some full fat stuff that "normal" people can't have, because they don't follow my health low-carbing ways.

And for when the grumps descend at home, or I miss having a snack watching a film ... I chop a big batch of celery and carrot sticks and put them in a green bag (from Lakeland - keeps them fresher) at the start of the week. When I feel er ... lets say cross... I grab a handful and have them with things "normal" people can't have cos they get to have carbs, like pate and full fat Philly. Cos clearly that will teach them to be normal!!! For me, having something which is "not allowed" for others takes the edge off. Same goes on the bacon and egg breakfasts ... this is great for me and I can have this ... they can't unless they wise up to being more healthy like me!

It's probably not sane advice to make the problems theirs, not mine! But its enough to get me through the low spots.
 
Brilliant replies on this thread! Anna you are a genius :clap: . Approaching things as a challenge can make them more fun. Dwelling on what we can't have is too depressing.

Re exercise - I bought a pedometer and I keep my walking figures in a shiny little red book :angel: - seeing myself hit (and pass) my own targets makes me happy. My partner was sceptical at first but now he has made me a spread-sheet etc. :lol:

Chin up Denise, you're going to be OK!
 
Hi wiflib
I am the queen of the yellow stickers in Morrisons :lol: They also do a very good pate that someone mentioned it is pork and mushroom I pile it high on a low carb cracker from Aldi
CAROL
 
carty said:
Hi wiflib
I am the queen of the yellow stickers in Morrisons :lol: They also do a very good pate that someone mentioned it is pork and mushroom I pile it high on a low carb cracker from Aldi
CAROL

Carol,

Have you tried the pate from Aldi?....it's very nice and as good as any expensive product.
 
Do they do pork and mushroom that is my favorite I also read the ingredients very carefully not just for carbs but also any additions that I dont recognise or fancy eating.Eg connective tissue.Thanks for the tip I will check it out also the price comparison
CAROL
 
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