Feeling stuck

[Bonnie23]

Hi,

I've been diagnosed since the start of July. I've been trying to make changes, I'm eating a bit more healthily but not enough. I haven't lost any weight and I'm feeling like there's no point. I'm not even sure what I'm after by posting here.

I'm TERRIBLE at portion control. I can eat really healthy meals but i ALWAYS make too much for my dinner and it's driving me crazy.

I'm not a great cook and I don't have much time to cook - I normally start work at 8am and finish around 7pm. I'm a teacher so it's quite an active job. I really hate foods like spaghetti and I haven't found much in a good recipe book, they all seem to require so many ingredients.

I'm on metformin for my BG, my doctor said it can help with weight loss but so far nothing.

My day goes:
Breakfast - Porridge
Snack - fruit (normally a pear) or sugar free jelly
Lunch - Salad or a small chicken wrap and fruit
Snack - Protein bar or quavers
Dinner - small amount of potatoes, meat and veg

Very rarily I'll have some Franks Low Blood Glucose Raising icecream.

 

[Drummer]

Is there some reason for you not to eat low carb foods?
Many people find that cutting out the carbs really makes a difference - first to their obvious symptoms of diabetes, but then to some other health problems and also their weight.

 

[Bonnie23]

Is there some reason for you not to eat low carb foods?
Many people find that cutting out the carbs really makes a difference - first to their obvious symptoms of diabetes, but then to some other health problems and also their weight.

I thought I was eating quite low carbs, the wrap is very small and more often I'll have salad. Do you have any suggestions? I'm interested in getting some books or just generally a diet plan so I can just buy simple ingredients.

 

[Ljc]

I thought I was eating quite low carbs, the wrap is very small and more often I'll have salad. Do you have any suggestions? I'm interested in getting some books or just generally a diet plan so I can just buy simple ingredients.

We usually have no problems with protein or good fats.
Just to give you a few ideas
If you eat meat it is fine as are high meat content sausages and burgers, eggs cooked anyway you like. Cream , cheese fresh fish, a few nuts (unsalted), mushrooms veg, peanut butter to name but a few.

Many of us find porridge raises our BGs too much some are fine with it .
Fruit although very healthy, can raise our BGs too much, it the fructose , berries are often tolerated better , grapes are little sugar bombs, bananas are high in carbs too.

I normally don’t touch anything that has been deliberately made to be low fat ie diet/low fat yogurts for two reasons ,it’s often higher carb than the full fat version because they add things to make it more palatable and I find it doesn’t taste too good.

I used to work long hours so I know how difficult it can be at times .
How about investing in a slow cooker so you can have a good hearty meal ready for when you get home.
If you have a freezer , when you cook, double the portion and freeze half.

Here are two threads that should give you some ideas
Forum members put their own creations here
recipes

On this long running thread we shine our halos and bare our sins
what-did-you-eat-yesterday

Do you test your BGs yourself ?

 

[Drummer]

Grains are so high in carbs, as a percentage by weight that they are often problematic for many type twos.
I tend to eat twice a day, morning and evening, rather than multiple times a day. Carbs tend to make you hungry due to the insulin response they generate, so by limiting them appetite is reduced.
Recipes are not really necessary for me as I am just putting together a salad or a stirfry. I often have meat cooked the previous day and put in the fridge for breakfast, but in colder weather I might do sausages, or beefburgers - or even eggs.

 

[bakebeans]

Hi I’ve found swapping a few things around really helps.
Breakfast is 3 slices of livlife toast with peanut butter (until a couple of weeks ago I was eating 2 slices is weightwatchers bread with peanut butter)
Snack is an almond a pumpkin seed cereal bar from Tesco’s or cucumber sticks, apple, carrot sticks
Lunch is usually a salad or sandwich made from livlife bread and a packet of popcorn
For tea instead of mash or rice I use cauliflower. I don’t like normal rice anymore cauliflower is amazing and you can add any flavour you like. Cauliflower mash with a little soft cheese and garlic is lovely so is carrot and swede mash. If we have steak instead of chips we have caugettes and mushrooms fries with garlic and in spaghetti bolognaise we have caugetti. I also have a problem with portion control but with all this healthy stuff you can eat a good amount and I’ve managed to lose 3 stone since may

 

[Drummer]

The changes are good - but that is 25gm of carb from the Livlife bread alone - popcorn? - that is made from grain, which might not be a good idea - maybe if you had something lower in carbs than bread for breakfast you would not need to snack.
I have a maximum of 10 gm of carbs in the mornings, all I could cope with, according to my meter. I am far less able to eat carbs in the mornings - I could see the numbers. I do have a proper meal though - bread is just empty calories, and carbs, so I go more for scrambled eggs with cheese plus a tomato.

 

[bakebeans]

The changes are good - but that is 25gm of carb from the Livlife bread alone - popcorn? - that is made from grain, which might not be a good idea - maybe if you had something lower in carbs than bread for breakfast you would not need to snack.
I have a maximum of 10 gm of carbs in the mornings, all I could cope with, according to my meter. I am far less able to eat carbs in the mornings - I could see the numbers. I do have a proper meal though - bread is just empty calories, and carbs, so I go more for scrambled eggs with cheese plus a tomato.

I leave my house at 6am so toast is quick and easy and I’m doing a physical job all day, My bg is around 4.5-5.5 when I finish work and with my last HbA1c coming in at 38 I think that level of carbs is ok for me, I’d rather have it when I’m working it off all day instead of when I sit down in the evenings

 

[Jodee]

I am introducing more carbs now as I've lost a stone since January and I don't want to loose much more weight.

I eat porridge and fruit with yoghurt most mornings too.

Also wholemeal, grain, rye, corn bread rather than white at lunch time just one slice

and this evening just had a load of vegetables, casseroled with butterbeans , there was a small sweet potato included, and other veg, cauli, pepper, aubergine, leeks, celery, seasoning and ginger, quite tasty.

Maybe your snack pm needs adjusting a little Bonnie, sometimes those protein bars are high in carbs (its the carbs we have to watch as these turn quickly to sugar) and the quavers, replace with plain nuts maybe (unsalted, dressed etc) or have a small apple, or half banana.

I find lower carbs, smaller portions and exercise is what helps keep the blood glucose lower and helps us lose lbs.

 

[Jodee]

I leave my house at 6am so toast is quick and easy and I’m doing a physical job all day, My bg is around 4.5-5.5 when I finish work and with my last HbA1c coming in at 38 I think that level of carbs is ok for me, I’d rather have it when I’m working it off all day instead of when I sit down in the evenings

I think you do need more carbs doing a physical job bakedbeans.

 

[Drummer]

I don't need more carbs for hauling knitting machines around - I am obviously fat adapted, though at 67 years old I do get tired and my back twinges by the end of a long day, but carbs are not increased as they are not needed.

 

[Jodee]

I don't need more carbs for hauling knitting machines around - I am obviously fat adapted, though at 67 years old I do get tired and my back twinges by the end of a long day, but carbs are not increased as they are not needed.

Its an individual thing and individual preferences for sure, what suits one pretty much can guarantee won't suit everyone. 🙂