Any Suggestions

[Poppy460]

I was diagnosed in 2016. Initially had superb results dropping from a whooping 93 to 48 in little under a year, and weight wasn’t the problem. Now I can’t seem to stop my levels going up they are now back to 60. I will admit to adding back a few things I shouldn’t have, but what do you actually eat, that fills you, when you have a busy and stressful job, that doesn’t shoot your sugar? All the so called sugar free biscuits etc are the worst, even if they are home baked. What do you suggest?

 

[Leadinglights]

I was diagnosed in 2016. Initially had superb results dropping from a whooping 93 to 48 in little under a year, and weight wasn’t the problem. Now I can’t seem to stop my levels going up they are now back to 60. I will admit to adding back a few things I shouldn’t have, but what do you actually eat, that fills you, when you have a busy and stressful job, that doesn’t shoot your sugar? All the so called sugar free biscuits etc are the worst, even if they are home baked. What do you suggest?

If you followed a low carbohydrate diet before then that is what people are finding successful but it is very easy to slip those extras in so revisiting and going back to basics, you could start a food diary with everything you eat and drink with a carb estimate, you will get a good idea of where you are compared to the suggested max of 130g carb per day and you might spot some big hitters for carbs.
Increasing protein and healthy fats will help you not to feel hungry, avoid low fat products as they are often higher in carbs.
This link may help you with some ideas for a new look at your diet. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[Drummer]

I'm afraid that just because something is sugar free it doesn't make it carb free - or even low in carbs.
When diagnosed at the end of 2016 my Hba1c was 91.
It seems likely that having Covid made my blood glucose increase - or at least, my Hba1c was elevated - but as no one told me until a year later when things were back to normal, it was all a bit academic.
Perhaps making a record of your intake of carbs and seeing what you are consuming daily would help to sort out what might be in need of changing.
There is a big difference between having the energy and nutrition required to do a full day's work and eating so much your stomach is full. I eat small meals - always have done, but I have meat or fish, or eggs and cheese plus fresh salad, or some veges - and a couple of times a week a dessert with berries, but I never feel hungry - though when cooking something tasty I am all eagerness and enjoy the smells coming from the pans.
I use herbs and spices and very much enjoy the food I cook, even if it amounts to under 40 gm of carbs a day.

 

[rebrascora]

Sugar Free biscuits are usually still made with wheat flour so they are still high in carbs and it is all carbs you need to reduce not just the sugar in order to manage your diabetes.
If I wanted to feel full and give myself plenty of energy to set myself up for the day I might have a 2 egg omelette filled with cheese, onion, mushrooms, ham., courgettes, peppers, whatever I had in the fridge to use up basically and I would eat it with a big plate of salad and a big dollop of creamy coleslaw and I would wash it down with a coffee with cream. Or black pudding, high meat content sausage, bacon, mushrooms and egg on a bed of savoy cabbage.

That would keep me going all day without the need for lunch or maybe a few nuts or some veggie sticks with a cream cheese and chive dip (from the deli counter not the Doritos stuff in a jar)
Then my evening meal might be a big plate of ratatouille with a quality quarter pounder burger (no bun) or high meat content sausages with a big plate of cauliflower cheese (made with cream cheese and grated cheese rather than a flour and milk sauce) or maybe gammon with a big plate of cabbage microwaved with a knob of butter and some mushrooms and green beans.... or a big plate of cauliflower and halloumi curry with a few chick peas or some konjac rice... which isn't rice at all and carb free. Usually I just eat the curry on it's own and really enjoy it as it is the tasty part and the rice just helps to mop up the juice but if you reduce the liquid in the curry sauce you don't need the rice.
Hope that gives you a few ideas. Plenty more I am sure.

I should say that mostly I just have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt for breakfast with mixed seeds and a few raspberries or sour cherries or rhubarb from the garden stewed with a little artificial sweetener. I always have cream in my coffee though even if I have no breakfast as the calories in that cream give me energy and it is my little daily luxury which makes up for all the carb rich foods I have given up. I should mention that there are less carbs in cream than milk and it tastes so good!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you are having a bit of a tricky time recently after your earlier successes.

What sort of approaches did you use initially? And was hunger a feature of that time, or is that a new thing?

Are you able to try reverting to your previous way of eating or do you think that is not sustainable for you now?