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Pizza night!

T

tiredgirl91

Well-Known Member
Messages
71
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Other
This weekend I'm invited to an Italian restaurant. They only serve pizzas and pastas. I'm not a fan of pasta so I might as well get a pizza. I very rarely eat at restaurants and maybe once a month I would get something like pizza or fast food.

A bit of background: Recently been diagnosed as prediabetic, I'm in my early 30s and underweight.

What would be an expected spike after eating a medium pizza?
 
tiredgirl91 said:
This weekend I'm invited to an Italian restaurant. They only serve pizzas and pastas. I'm not a fan of pasta so I might as well get a pizza. I very rarely eat at restaurants and maybe once a month I would get something like pizza or fast food.

A bit of background: Recently been diagnosed as prediabetic, I'm in my early 30s and underweight.

What would be an expected spike after eating a medium pizza?
Click to expand...
Early 30s and underweight? Red flag for something other than a type 2 scenario there. Ordinary type 2s are usually about twice as old as you and twice as heavy as they ought to be so it could be a signal for further examination and awareness that there are other possibilities which should be checked for.
I'd be in some difficulty finding anything to eat if the options were pasta or pizza - I'd eat before going and request a pot of coffee and could they do something like a bit of salad with cheese.
 
tiredgirl91 said:
What would be an expected spike after eating a medium pizza?
Click to expand...
Maybe.
Pizza is a weird one.
They are high in carbs but also high in fat and fat slows down the digestion.
With Type 1, producing no insulin and injecting, I could see a "pizza spike" 5 hours after eating.

It is not something that most people with diabetes would advice but at least , if you test, you will find out whether it spikes you (we are all different) and have the knowledge next time you are invited to an Italian.
Would the restaurant serve salad? I might be tempted to eat half a pizza (I can usually find someone with a bigger appetite than me) and supplement it with half of a salad.
 
Resurgam said:
Early 30s and underweight? Red flag for something other than a type 2 scenario there. Ordinary type 2s are usually about twice as old as you and twice as heavy as they ought to be so it could be a signal for further examination and awareness that there are other possibilities which should be checked for.
I'd be in some difficulty finding anything to eat if the options were pasta or pizza - I'd eat before going and request a pot of coffee and could they do something like a bit of salad with cheese.
Click to expand...

It is my best friend's birthday so I'm afraid I won't be able to avoid eating. He is aware of my health situation though, but I don't want to make it all weird.

As for the diabetes situation: I have lots of family members with Type 2, and they are not overweight by any means. On the contrary, quite thin. However, they were all diagnosed in their 50s.
I have a follow-up appointment in a month. I've been thinking about requesting some tests for Type 1.5 LADA, such as antibodies and c-peptide. Yes, I'm confused as well. But my fasting glucose levels get to 10 mmol/l these days (usually between 6.5 and 8 mmol/l), and I'm seeing some high numbers after eating (1 and 2 hrs). OGTT also showed prediabetes.
 
In Response said:
Maybe.
Pizza is a weird one.
They are high in carbs but also high in fat and fat slows down the digestion.
With Type 1, producing no insulin and injecting, I could see a "pizza spike" 5 hours after eating.

It is not something that most people with diabetes would advice but at least , if you test, you will find out whether it spikes you (we are all different) and have the knowledge next time you are invited to an Italian.
Would the restaurant serve salad? I might be tempted to eat half a pizza (I can usually find someone with a bigger appetite than me) and supplement it with half of a salad.
Click to expand...

They serve salads as appetizers.
A salad and a half a pizza is a good option actually. BUT I'm really tempted to see what a pizza would do to me in terms of numbers :)
 
In case you do end up eating pizza, keep in mind that, like @In Response says, pizza is one of those odd "foods" that cause a much delayed spike. So maybe don't test 2 hours later, if you test at all, but start testing 3 hours later and repeat hourly until it drops.
The same applies to chips/French fries and eggrolls for example.
If you would only look at the 2 hours post eating results you would say "I'm going to eat this every day!"
 
because of the combination of carbohydrates and fats found in a pizza you may have a biphasic response that is at first a moderate rise in blood sugar followed by a drop and then rising blood sugar the second peak can be 3 or more hours after the first peak sometimes known as the pizza effect.

​

 
see if they do chicken Caesar salad or antipasto, which is usually meat and olives, as a main course? Try and resist the bread they’ll probably bring out and not too much wine :D sorry don’t mean to be a killjoy! If all else fails have the pizza, enjoy your evening with you friends but get back on it tomorrow
 
Of course I will let you all know how it went. To be honest, I'm curious too.

@MissMuffett I always get dry wine regardless... I thought it actually lowers the blood sugars :( I love wine, it's the only alcohol I ever drink. But I will try not to go overboard because it is harder to maintain self control when tipsy, I know :D
 
tiredgirl91 said:
It is my best friend's birthday so I'm afraid I won't be able to avoid eating. He is aware of my health situation though, but I don't want to make it all weird.

As for the diabetes situation: I have lots of family members with Type 2, and they are not overweight by any means. On the contrary, quite thin. However, they were all diagnosed in their 50s.
I have a follow-up appointment in a month. I've been thinking about requesting some tests for Type 1.5 LADA, such as antibodies and c-peptide. Yes, I'm confused as well. But my fasting glucose levels get to 10 mmol/l these days (usually between 6.5 and 8 mmol/l), and I'm seeing some high numbers after eating (1 and 2 hrs). OGTT also showed prediabetes.
Click to expand...
I am type 2 and was diagnosed at 55 and also not twice as heavy as I should be! Found that quite insulting as it makes it sound as if all type 2s are overweight. Like you lots of type 2 s in the family and by no means are most of them over weight. I ate pizza with a side salad. The Glucose goddess as she is known says if you are going to eat a meal heavy in carbs eat a salad started first as there is evidence that can stop a big spike, also taking a tablespoon of vinegar in water 10 minutes before a meal. If you had a balsamic vinegar and oil dressing on the salad that could be your vinegar. I would email the restaurant and ask if they do side salads
 
pinkjude said:
I am type 2 and was diagnosed at 55 and also not twice as heavy as I should be! Found that quite insulting as it makes it sound as if all type 2s are overweight. Like you lots of type 2 s in the family and by no means are most of them over weight. I ate pizza with a side salad. The Glucose goddess as she is known says if you are going to eat a meal heavy in carbs eat a salad started first as there is evidence that can stop a big spike, also taking a tablespoon of vinegar in water 10 minutes before a meal. If you had a balsamic vinegar and oil dressing on the salad that could be your vinegar. I would email the restaurant and ask if they do side salads
Click to expand...

Yes they have some salads, I just checked the menu. I will have a salad by all means, and then I will enjoy some pizza for sure. It's not like I eat it every day. It's been more than 3 months since I had pizza.
 
I was at a conference last year when the only con-priced offer one day was pizza. I asked if I could pay for a pizza with extra toppings of protein etc but have it without the base. The chef filled up several small oven bowls with all my toppings and they served it hot on a wooden platter. There was more toppings than the usual amount so I was happy with the price.
 
I ate too many carbs in a moment of madness today. Went for a run after I got home as I knew I'd messed up and was probably going to see it peak on double figures. It was shooting past 9 when I started, plunged down to 6.5 over the run, rose up a tiny bit after I stopped running, then dropped back into the 5's.

So I guess ask for a treadmill for dessert.
 
In Response said:
@tiredgirl91 I hope you enjoy your dinner out this weekend.
It would be great if you tell us how it went. But don't feel obliged to do so.
Click to expand...

Here is the update.

I had a small salad with cucumber, tomato, onion and olive oil. Then I shared a medium 4-cheese pizza with my friend. So I had about 3 slices, standard crust and I did have a bit of tomato sauce because it's my weakness. I also had a glass of dry white wine.

So I forgot to test before the meal, but 1 hour after it spiked to 10.2 and 2 hours after 9 mmol/l.

It doesn't look good but at least I had a good time. It is what it is... I don't eat food like this on a daily basis though :)
 
tiredgirl91 said:
This weekend I'm invited to an Italian restaurant. They only serve pizzas and pastas. I'm not a fan of pasta so I might as well get a pizza. I very rarely eat at restaurants and maybe once a month I would get something like pizza or fast food.

A bit of background: Recently been diagnosed as prediabetic, I'm in my early 30s and underweight.

What would be an expected spike after eating a medium pizza?
Click to expand...
Your over thinking it, yes you will spike but a treat once in a while is not going to make a huge difference. You need a treat every so often or what's the point. Eat and exercise the rest of the time and enjoy yourself
 
brianb said:
Your over thinking it, yes you will spike but a treat once in a while is not going to make a huge difference. You need a treat every so often or what's the point. Eat and exercise the rest of the time and enjoy yourself
Click to expand...
I agree.
I'm T2 and when diagnosed I went to see my wife's boss who is a Professor at Sheffield University department of medicine. He vaguely knew me looked me up and down and said well you don't look like a typical T2 then asked a few pertinent questions and then I said in your other role at the hospital you are my aunty's consultant - oh yes that put's it into perspective her side of the family were prone to diabetes.
Anyway I love exercise and try to follow a medium/low carb diet but occasionally (last week) when all our friends were having homemade pizza I joined in.
I don't test but if I did spike after this how would I know (apart from peeing for Gt Britain) and what damage would it do?
 
Melanzane parmigiana (parmesan baked aubergine) is served in good Italian restaurants, also fish (or meat) dishes with 'normal' veg so limited carbs there.
When i was at a pizza party I ate a quarter of the pizza base (we were served one oven baked pizza each) but scooped all of the toppings onto the quarter and that worked fine!
 
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