So confused about diet and carbs

[Mamamoose]

Hi - I have had type 2 for about 2 and a half years now and have been burying my head in the sand all that time. I'm terrified of complications but can't get a hold on my diet. I have always eaten a lot of carbs and, looking at the foods I should NOT be eating, I can't actually see what I can eat. This makes me all depressed and I just give up and eat rubbish. My last Hba1c was 74 and my morning BG is usually between 9.1 and 9.6. If I miss breakfast I can get this down to 8 by lunchtime. BMI 34 - I have lost about a stone in the last year. I take 1000mg of Metformin twice a day.

My problem is that I have always been a fussy eater. I don't eat meat except for the meaty bit of a bacon strip, fish except for tinned tuna (in water) and fish fingers, eggs or many vegetables except for the ones I'm not allowed (potatoes, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, baked beans). Don't eat any green leafy veg or stuff that grows above ground. I do like salad (tomatoes, cucumber, onions, lettuce, beetroot) but this gets very boring day after day. I can give up crisps, biscuits and cake, pastry, sweets, and I only drink iced water.

I don't see how I can reduce my carbs as I dont have any protein to replace them with - cheese and tuna are the only things I like. Can't find any veg I like to fill half my plate with that aren't high in carbs. I go round in circles and then just eat a sandwich or mash, beans and fish fingers! I have been on all the courses recommended by my DN and I know what I should be eating but I'm finding it hard to put it into practice. Any suggestions as to where I should go from here?

 

[BridgetteA]

Hi - I have had type 2 for about 2 and a half years now and have been burying my head in the sand all that time. I'm terrified of complications but can't get a hold on my diet. I have always eaten a lot of carbs and, looking at the foods I should NOT be eating, I can't actually see what I can eat. This makes me all depressed and I just give up and eat rubbish. My last Hba1c was 74 and my morning BG is usually between 9.1 and 9.6. If I miss breakfast I can get this down to 8 by lunchtime. BMI 34 - I have lost about a stone in the last year. I take 1000mg of Metformin twice a day.

My problem is that I have always been a fussy eater. I don't eat meat except for the meaty bit of a bacon strip, fish except for tinned tuna (in water) and fish fingers, eggs or many vegetables except for the ones I'm not allowed (potatoes, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, baked beans). Don't eat any green leafy veg or stuff that grows above ground. I do like salad (tomatoes, cucumber, onions, lettuce, beetroot) but this gets very boring day after day. I can give up crisps, biscuits and cake, pastry, sweets, and I only drink iced water.

I don't see how I can reduce my carbs as I dont have any protein to replace them with - cheese and tuna are the only things I like. Can't find any veg I like to fill half my plate with that aren't high in carbs. I go round in circles and then just eat a sandwich or mash, beans and fish fingers! I have been on all the courses recommended by my DN and I know what I should be eating but I'm finding it hard to put it into practice. Any suggestions as to where I should go from here?

Hey there , it does not have to be boring and LCHF diets are very sustainable .
We do not replace the carbs with protein , we replace them with fat ! Yup , i know this sounds freaky but it isnt - butter , nuts , avos - etc.
The complications of diabetes should scare you - they should scare you enough to really want to make an effort to change your eating habits because that is the only thing that will make a difference and stop your diabetes progressing.
The problem here is that you need to change your mind set . You have to get to a place where you value your health above your reluctance to eat healthy foods.
Eggs can be made into delicious egg muffins - there are loads of recipes on the internet and also loads of advice on LCHF eating.
Being a fussy eater is not a condition you were born with , it is something you become out of choice and you can make the decision to change that.
I am sure that if you are willing to explore eating more healthy foods , you would find many people willing to help you - however with the limited foods you currently eat , there really isn't much to go on - but I think you already know this.

 

[Ruth B]

Welcome to the forum and don't worry about being confused or burying your head in the sand, a lot of us have been there, I ignored it for abut 5 years. The good news it its not too late to do something about it. You mention morning readings so I assume you have a meter, start testing before and 2 hours after eating as it will tell you how much what you eat effects your levels. (to start with you might also want to test at the 1 and 3 hour marks after eating as well to really give you the picture).

Try not to avoid breakfast, while it might bring your levels down a bit it really does not help. The high morning levels are our bodies way of preparing us for the day ahead, if we starve ourselves to start with our bodies react by releasing more glucose into the blood stream when it realises it isn't getting food. Cooked breakfasts are one of the better options for us and you say you like bacon, do you like eggs, mushrooms, fried tomatoes etc.

Also you say you are a fussy eater, try thinking sideways a bit, you like fish fingers, how about white fish fillets, gammon steak isn't that far from bacon. A stir fry contains a lot of veg that is similar to what goes in a salad, just try and cook it yourself and just add spices rather than a sauce (most ready made sauces contain lots of sugar)

I don't low carb as much as some here about 100g a day which means I can still have small amounts of pasta, rice and potatoes (small roast potatoes seem to be the best).

When I was first diagnosed I was diagnosed with high cholesterol as well, low carb and low fat seemed impossible which is partly why I ignored it, lower carb, medium fat has brought my HBA1C down from 71 to 42 and hasn't effected my cholesterol. Think sideways and dont' be afraid to try something new, I have found a load of veg I like that I was never introduced to when I was younger.

Think positive and you can do it.

 

[Mamamoose]

Thank you for your replies. Bridgette you seem to be saying that I should just tell myself 'tough, this is how it is going to be' and eat foods I hate for the rest of my life? I don't like eggs, or meat, or fish (as a piece of fish), and I dont like leafy green vegetables. I've read and read about the LCHF diet and I genuinely dont think I like enough of the foods to make it work. I cant put enough protein on the plate - yes I certainly can fill it with fats but that isnt healthy either. You can't help what you like to eat - even if I chose to eat broccoli I wouldnt like it! This is what depresses me - all I can see is a life of eating stuff I hate, or no life.

Ruth - thank you - maybe I should just try cutting down on the carbs as you have. I don't like gammon - I only eat the meaty bit of a bacon slice and then it has to be cremated! Cant stand the texture of meat - although I love meaty flavour. Dont like pasta or rice but I have cut down on my portion size of potato. I have tried stir fries but don't like them either. I have asked to see a dietician one to one, in the hope that she can help me come up with a menu, but I was fobbed off with a group which discusses the food groups (only four of us in the group but not able to discuss my specific needs). I also dont like cooking, so not really enamoured of spending time making special food (like the egg muffins suggested) although this is something I would be prepared to do. If I try lowering my carbs do I still switch to dairy fats (butter, cream etc) if I am not actually doing LCHF? I am trying to lose weight so that seems mad. My cholesterol is high normal so dont want to push that higher.

I know I'm coming across as a whiny kid who should just grow up and take it on the chin. I'm scared and sad and completely lost as to how to manage my diet - there's so much conflicting advice. I will read further around the site and see if I can find some recipes I could try. And I will try to check BG two hours after a meal - this is difficult at work as we dont get a break but I'll try. Thanks again.

 

[DeejayR]

Hi Mamamoose. We all have to find our own way and you're in a scary place just now, I appreciate that. What we're offering is tough love but you will come around in your own time. I'm amazed at how long it has taken me to grasp the principles of the form of low-carb-high-fat eating which suits me (I've always been thin). If you plan to try testing, I suggest you do so at times when you can test before a meal and two hours after (at home? Breakfast & evening meal?), otherwise the readings become random and not much help. Good luck and stick around.

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

Hi @Mamamoose welcome to the forum

Have a look at this thread for low carb food ideas http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.36803/

You don't need to eat meat to low carb. I don't. You may find, as I did, that your taste buds change over time when following a low carb way of eating. Sweet things just taste too sweet now. You may then develop a liking for more vegetables. If you don't like something boiled, then stir fry it or try it raw. Experiment. Give it your best shot and you may come to enjoy this way of eating. Good luck.

 

[Penmob]

Hi, don't beat yourself up about it it's taken me nearly 3 years to come to terms with having diabetes and trying to get my diet right. I've only just started getting on track with the right foods. Have you tried quorn, it's lean protein but doesn't 'feel' like meat (I don't think so anyway). I've joined slimming world and found its really helped me make sense of my diet and my hba1c has come down from 71 to 52 so far. I've also just watched my brother inlaw go through 1leg and 1 foot amputation-I don't want to be there so have just forced myself to come to terms with the facts. You will find what's right for you. I've also found that jogging brings my BM right down, or even a brisk walk! good luck