I have found there is so much in life I really can't control. If you work, there are aspects about your job you don't control. If you are married, do you think you can control your spouse? Can you control how much homework a teacher might assign? Heck, I can't even control how long it takes me to drive somewhere due to traffic. Think about it.
There are so many health related concerns you can't control. Cancer. A failing back. Even getting a cold is something we can't seem to control.
But, there is some good news - YOU can control diabetes. I know I have hammered this home before, but it's worth doing again and again. You can control and manage diabetes. What does it take? A few simple steps.
Form you team. The best way to fight diabetes and win the war is to have an engaged team. Your team should include your doctor, pharmacist and you.
Take your medication. This is so simple. Do not miss a dose. Take what your doctor prescribes, when he prescribes it to be taken, how it's prescribed to be taken. This is such an easy step. But, in order to take your meds, you have to have them. My pharmacist tells me about 30% or prescriptions that are filled don't get picked-up. 30%! Please, be part of the 70% and pick-up your medication so you can take it.
Diet. And, by diet I mean what you eat. This probably has to change. My big diet change was to limit the carbs I would have during a meal to 55 to 60 carbs. This means eating different foods and less of them. As I look back, I must have been having 150 to 200 carbs per meal. No wonder I am a diabetic. Now, I normally have about 50, and sometimes less.
Let me tell you that a lower carb diet helped me to lose about 60 pounds and dropped my sugar levels. I went from an AIc of about 13.0 to 6.1. My lowest A1c was 5.9 - so I know it's attainable and it my next goal. That will probably require a change in my diet to both low carb and low fat (basically it means I will have to start counting calories).
Exercise. I can't stress this enough. There is something about exercise that makes it easier for your blood cells to receive sugar - glucose. And, what will that do? Lower your daily glucose reading! And, you will lose more weight if you exercise than if you just try to do it by reducing what you eat.
Form your team. Take your medication. Change your diet and realize it will be a way of life. And, exercise. You will be on your way to controlling diabetes instead of it controlling you. You really can do this.
A great way to get started is by downloading and using the Food Diary Plus to act as a reminder and keep track of your progress.
I know, that was a shameless plug, but it's your Food Diary that will form the basis for your fight. You will gain so much information and will know how your body is responding. And, it's a great way to keep track of what you eat and the effect it has on your blood sugar.
Are you ready? You can battle the disease and win your war with diabetes.
Fight on!
Showing posts with label Carb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carb. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Diabetes Week Two
I made it through the first week of diabetes. My life changed in the same way you turn a light on - within a moment. Was I still scared? Oh, yeah. In fact today, almost three years later I am still scared of diabetes if I was being completely honest. I have a deep and abiding respect for what the disease can do if not managed and controlled.
The good news is that it can be controlled with a bit of effort which was my big "AHA!" during Week Two.
Anyway, back at Week Two. I had begun to take my meds - Metformin twice a day 1.000 mg each time. Pretty standard starting treatment. And, it was just the Metformin. I know many may have two pills to take, which for some proves to be very effective. It's kind of like a one-two punch and when you are in a war with diabetes, you want to throw as many punches as possible to get your glucose, and subsequently your A1c, down somewhere in normal range. If you need to see the a chart for A1c values and how they compare to your blood glucose readings, look here for a pretty easy to read chart.
Remember not to use one reading, but look at your average reading. Even then, it depends on when you take it. More on that at some point in the near future.
Again I got a bit side tracked. Week Two - I had begun my walking. Every evening for 30 minutes. I know I have written here before I don't like exercise, but we were talking about my life here. So, that walk became one of my best friends. I didn't try to walk fast or go very far at first. I used shoes that were about five or six years old and just walked. One foot in front of another. For 30 minutes - which seemed like forever the frist few days, but by the time Week Two started, the time seemed to go a little faster, but not much.
And, I was getting more ideas of what I could and could not eat. Think about it, we get near immediate feedback with our glucose readings. If it's not the right food, up it goes. If it is the right food, it dips a little bit. Take your readings twice a day, more often if your doctor will authorize it, so you will know what your blood sugar (glucose) is doing. You should be on a steady downward trend. And, keep a record of your readings as well as diet (everything you eat and when) in a food diary. You will really learn what is working and will be able to spot trends faster. If you spot the trend, you can make adjustments.
Me? I just liked seeing the numbers go down. I started with seeing glucose numbers of 300+. It was an exciting morning when I hit 297. During the second week I saw it get down to 275. I was making progress! Fear was gone because I was taking action. I knew the meds would not make me go too low - fat chance when you are in the high 200's. Things were beginning to work and I felt empowered; that I could get this disease under control. Hey, I even found I lost my first couple of pounds during Week Two,
What was I doing?
Meds. Diet. Walking. Testing. Recording. If I was really bright, I'd come up with some sort of catchy acronym, but alas and alack, I am not that bright. I am open to ideas, though. You know what my meds were. I was on a low carb diet. I was walking 30 minutes a day, six days per week. And, I kept records. All of this really began to come together during the second week.
You can do this. It's all about little steps that collectively make a journey. You can take the small steps without fear - a lot of folks have gone before you.
The good news is that it can be controlled with a bit of effort which was my big "AHA!" during Week Two.
Anyway, back at Week Two. I had begun to take my meds - Metformin twice a day 1.000 mg each time. Pretty standard starting treatment. And, it was just the Metformin. I know many may have two pills to take, which for some proves to be very effective. It's kind of like a one-two punch and when you are in a war with diabetes, you want to throw as many punches as possible to get your glucose, and subsequently your A1c, down somewhere in normal range. If you need to see the a chart for A1c values and how they compare to your blood glucose readings, look here for a pretty easy to read chart.
Remember not to use one reading, but look at your average reading. Even then, it depends on when you take it. More on that at some point in the near future.
Again I got a bit side tracked. Week Two - I had begun my walking. Every evening for 30 minutes. I know I have written here before I don't like exercise, but we were talking about my life here. So, that walk became one of my best friends. I didn't try to walk fast or go very far at first. I used shoes that were about five or six years old and just walked. One foot in front of another. For 30 minutes - which seemed like forever the frist few days, but by the time Week Two started, the time seemed to go a little faster, but not much.
And, I was getting more ideas of what I could and could not eat. Think about it, we get near immediate feedback with our glucose readings. If it's not the right food, up it goes. If it is the right food, it dips a little bit. Take your readings twice a day, more often if your doctor will authorize it, so you will know what your blood sugar (glucose) is doing. You should be on a steady downward trend. And, keep a record of your readings as well as diet (everything you eat and when) in a food diary. You will really learn what is working and will be able to spot trends faster. If you spot the trend, you can make adjustments.
Me? I just liked seeing the numbers go down. I started with seeing glucose numbers of 300+. It was an exciting morning when I hit 297. During the second week I saw it get down to 275. I was making progress! Fear was gone because I was taking action. I knew the meds would not make me go too low - fat chance when you are in the high 200's. Things were beginning to work and I felt empowered; that I could get this disease under control. Hey, I even found I lost my first couple of pounds during Week Two,
What was I doing?
Meds. Diet. Walking. Testing. Recording. If I was really bright, I'd come up with some sort of catchy acronym, but alas and alack, I am not that bright. I am open to ideas, though. You know what my meds were. I was on a low carb diet. I was walking 30 minutes a day, six days per week. And, I kept records. All of this really began to come together during the second week.
You can do this. It's all about little steps that collectively make a journey. You can take the small steps without fear - a lot of folks have gone before you.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Your Best Friends in the Kitchen
If you are at all like me, after being diagnosed with diabetes, you are kind of afraid of the ktichen. Afterall, that is where it might have all happened. there is no need to be afraid of the ktichen - it's one of the best rooms in the house to win the war on diabetes.
I remember before I heard those words, "You have diabetes." I loved kitchen tools. Why? I had to make sure I was putting enough sugar in the cookies...and butter. Can't forget the butter, can I? I am not kidding. Measuring cups were used most of the time to measure sugar. In just about everything. I even found out a little bit of sugar made pasta sauce better!
Well, now I have new uses for the measuring cups, spoons and even a scale - to make sure I am getting the right portions. I know, you can eyeball what three or four ounces of meat look like without a scale (kind like a deck of cards), but if you have a scale you will know exactly. Okay, I am going on about a scale, but to tell you the truth, I learned the visual clues on some items, which can be found here. I am actually a bit too lazy to weigh my food.
However, I have used measuring cups from Day One for a lot of foods like berries and cereals. Look at cereal boxes to determine what a real portion size is - or at least what they use to base the nutrition information. I have found it to be somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup. Measure it out and put it in a bowl - and that's it besides a bit of milk. You don't get to add more cereal. Add a piece of whole wheat toast (I never, ever thought I'd be advocating whole wheat anything!), if you need to add food, or add a 1/4 cup of berries.
Whatever you do read labels, know what you are getting nutritionally and get in the habit of measuring everything until you can eyeball it. But, beware of CREEP. What is creep, you ask? It's when you subconsciously make the portion sizes bigger as you eyeball portion sizes. I found I need to check the portion sizes every couple of weeks just to make sure I am still adhering to the portion guide lines. It's way too easy to make them bigger than they should be if you aren't using a measuring cup.
I can hear you now, "I don't have a measuring cup." Go out and get one either at a Target or Walmart, or you can even go to your local thrift store. Wherever you get your measuring cups and spoons, make sure you wash and sterilize them prior to using. Yes, you will need the spoons, too.
Learn the portion sizes. Use measuring tools in the kitchen - they will become your new best friends. Learn visual clues to portion sizes. Learn carb counts of the foods you eat. Lots of learning going on, but it will pay-off very quickly as your glucose levels and weight drop.
You are in a war - make you sure have the right weapons. Your fight starts in your kitchen.
And, if you eat out often, learn what you can eat at the places you enjoy by looking at nutritional guides that most places have easily available.
This is such an exciting time for you as you start your battle in earnest. You can win the war and control diabetes.
Measuring cups. Measuring spoons. Maybe a scale.
I remember before I heard those words, "You have diabetes." I loved kitchen tools. Why? I had to make sure I was putting enough sugar in the cookies...and butter. Can't forget the butter, can I? I am not kidding. Measuring cups were used most of the time to measure sugar. In just about everything. I even found out a little bit of sugar made pasta sauce better!
Well, now I have new uses for the measuring cups, spoons and even a scale - to make sure I am getting the right portions. I know, you can eyeball what three or four ounces of meat look like without a scale (kind like a deck of cards), but if you have a scale you will know exactly. Okay, I am going on about a scale, but to tell you the truth, I learned the visual clues on some items, which can be found here. I am actually a bit too lazy to weigh my food.
However, I have used measuring cups from Day One for a lot of foods like berries and cereals. Look at cereal boxes to determine what a real portion size is - or at least what they use to base the nutrition information. I have found it to be somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup. Measure it out and put it in a bowl - and that's it besides a bit of milk. You don't get to add more cereal. Add a piece of whole wheat toast (I never, ever thought I'd be advocating whole wheat anything!), if you need to add food, or add a 1/4 cup of berries.
Whatever you do read labels, know what you are getting nutritionally and get in the habit of measuring everything until you can eyeball it. But, beware of CREEP. What is creep, you ask? It's when you subconsciously make the portion sizes bigger as you eyeball portion sizes. I found I need to check the portion sizes every couple of weeks just to make sure I am still adhering to the portion guide lines. It's way too easy to make them bigger than they should be if you aren't using a measuring cup.
I can hear you now, "I don't have a measuring cup." Go out and get one either at a Target or Walmart, or you can even go to your local thrift store. Wherever you get your measuring cups and spoons, make sure you wash and sterilize them prior to using. Yes, you will need the spoons, too.
Learn the portion sizes. Use measuring tools in the kitchen - they will become your new best friends. Learn visual clues to portion sizes. Learn carb counts of the foods you eat. Lots of learning going on, but it will pay-off very quickly as your glucose levels and weight drop.
You are in a war - make you sure have the right weapons. Your fight starts in your kitchen.
And, if you eat out often, learn what you can eat at the places you enjoy by looking at nutritional guides that most places have easily available.
This is such an exciting time for you as you start your battle in earnest. You can win the war and control diabetes.
Measuring cups. Measuring spoons. Maybe a scale.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Carb Revelation! It's Not Just About The Carbs
I lost about 60 pounds between diet and a bit of exercise. My diet has been one of basic carb counting - not too difficult to understand or track. But, and this is a revelation from yesterday during my walk - counting carbs is not enough; you have to look at the fat content! What a concept, right?
For me, it was pretty basic diet - about 55 or 60 carbs per meal with snacks not to exceed 15 carbs. That was it. I just could not fully understand that diet in which you can exchange this for that to equal a number. It just seemed a very difficult way to figure out what I could have to eat. My carb counting was pretty easy once I knew what the carbs were and the portion size.
So, I get close to where the doctor wants me. I had a BMI of 25.0, as I recall. He wanted me at 24.9. You remember about good ol' BMI's right? Body Mass Index. If you are above 24.9, you are overweight. Need to check your BMI? Look here. And, if you want to understand more about BMI, read this article.
As I write this, I have a BMI of 25.3 - not great, but not too bad either. And, it seems as though I have been unable to get much below 25.0. Kind of frustrating for a guy who thinks he knows how to lose weight, right? Well, I have to begin to learn more about fat and fat content, which I have never paid attention to in the past.
I mean, catbs turn into sugar so if I counted carbs, I would not only lose weight, but manage the diabetes. How great is that? And it worked for a long time. If you are just starting out, I think carb counting is a good way to begin to manage and control diabetes. But, if you want to make that breakthrough to getting to the right weight, you may have to look at fat.
Perfect example: I eat granola-type bars for snacks. I found one very low carb bar - I mean it was like 9 net carbs - nice and low. And, I sometimes use another type of bar in which the total carbs is about 18, or so. Much, much more. But...and this is an important but...the fat content was double in the low carb bar. Double! So, my current solution is to just eat about half of the higher carb, lower fat bar. I emphasize current, because i have to look at the labels and might find a better balance.
Yes, there is a lot to think about when you have diabetes and it comes to your diet, but it soon becomes second nature. You begin to look at the labels on all foods to find out what is good for you to eat. I imagine I should do a food label explanation pretty soon. That might be a good idea, huh?
So, I keep counting carbs. But, now I am beginning to count fat - and I am sure I will come back to fat in a future blog because even I know there are different kinds of fat. I will try to de-mystify and simplify fat when I blog about it.
I will continue to let you know about my adventures in weight loss. By the way, when my doctor told me I had to 'lose a little weight' my BMI was 32.55. Of course, I had no idea what a BMI was at that point, or I think I would have been discouraged. But anyone can lose a little weight, right? Sure glad that my doctor did not tell me I had to lose about 67 pounds, total.
As always, thank you for reading.
For me, it was pretty basic diet - about 55 or 60 carbs per meal with snacks not to exceed 15 carbs. That was it. I just could not fully understand that diet in which you can exchange this for that to equal a number. It just seemed a very difficult way to figure out what I could have to eat. My carb counting was pretty easy once I knew what the carbs were and the portion size.
So, I get close to where the doctor wants me. I had a BMI of 25.0, as I recall. He wanted me at 24.9. You remember about good ol' BMI's right? Body Mass Index. If you are above 24.9, you are overweight. Need to check your BMI? Look here. And, if you want to understand more about BMI, read this article.
As I write this, I have a BMI of 25.3 - not great, but not too bad either. And, it seems as though I have been unable to get much below 25.0. Kind of frustrating for a guy who thinks he knows how to lose weight, right? Well, I have to begin to learn more about fat and fat content, which I have never paid attention to in the past.
I mean, catbs turn into sugar so if I counted carbs, I would not only lose weight, but manage the diabetes. How great is that? And it worked for a long time. If you are just starting out, I think carb counting is a good way to begin to manage and control diabetes. But, if you want to make that breakthrough to getting to the right weight, you may have to look at fat.
Perfect example: I eat granola-type bars for snacks. I found one very low carb bar - I mean it was like 9 net carbs - nice and low. And, I sometimes use another type of bar in which the total carbs is about 18, or so. Much, much more. But...and this is an important but...the fat content was double in the low carb bar. Double! So, my current solution is to just eat about half of the higher carb, lower fat bar. I emphasize current, because i have to look at the labels and might find a better balance.
Yes, there is a lot to think about when you have diabetes and it comes to your diet, but it soon becomes second nature. You begin to look at the labels on all foods to find out what is good for you to eat. I imagine I should do a food label explanation pretty soon. That might be a good idea, huh?
So, I keep counting carbs. But, now I am beginning to count fat - and I am sure I will come back to fat in a future blog because even I know there are different kinds of fat. I will try to de-mystify and simplify fat when I blog about it.
I will continue to let you know about my adventures in weight loss. By the way, when my doctor told me I had to 'lose a little weight' my BMI was 32.55. Of course, I had no idea what a BMI was at that point, or I think I would have been discouraged. But anyone can lose a little weight, right? Sure glad that my doctor did not tell me I had to lose about 67 pounds, total.
As always, thank you for reading.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
You Never Stop Learning!
You know, I check my blood glucose level twice a day, most of the time, and sometimes 3 times a day. As a result, I pretty much know where my glucose level is at anytime within about 10 points. Tonight I got a surprise.
It was two hours after I began to eat dinner and I did a quick blood check. I thought I would be between 110 and 120 based on what I had eaten and my experience. I had not walked - got home way too late to do that. My glucose level was at 147. Still good for a diabetic, but not good enough - and 20 to 30 points higher than I expected. By the way, form what I have been told, under 180 is good for a diabetic two hours after a meal is started, just not my goal at this point. By the way, my fasting glucose was around 300 as I recall when I first started measuring about three years ago.
So, I have to go back and look at what I ate - duh. The only thing out of the ordinary was about 1/3 of an avocado. I had not had any avocado in...well, since I was diagnosed with diabetes. I just learned I need to stay away from them - or have a slice, or make sure I have time to exercise. Yes, exercise helps that much.
My point is that when you think you know, you are shown you don't. I know I have to make a little change and I will make it. You have to stay aware of what you eat, how it effects your glucose levels and learn what you can, and can't eat. You only get that through checking your blood glucose at different times of the day.
Someone put it very well when they were referring to how the body breaks down food - everyone's body chemistry seems to be unique. They said the basic rules are great as a starting point, but remember, "Your Mileage May Vary."
Thanks for reading.
(See, I will share all of my lessons!)
It was two hours after I began to eat dinner and I did a quick blood check. I thought I would be between 110 and 120 based on what I had eaten and my experience. I had not walked - got home way too late to do that. My glucose level was at 147. Still good for a diabetic, but not good enough - and 20 to 30 points higher than I expected. By the way, form what I have been told, under 180 is good for a diabetic two hours after a meal is started, just not my goal at this point. By the way, my fasting glucose was around 300 as I recall when I first started measuring about three years ago.
So, I have to go back and look at what I ate - duh. The only thing out of the ordinary was about 1/3 of an avocado. I had not had any avocado in...well, since I was diagnosed with diabetes. I just learned I need to stay away from them - or have a slice, or make sure I have time to exercise. Yes, exercise helps that much.
My point is that when you think you know, you are shown you don't. I know I have to make a little change and I will make it. You have to stay aware of what you eat, how it effects your glucose levels and learn what you can, and can't eat. You only get that through checking your blood glucose at different times of the day.
Someone put it very well when they were referring to how the body breaks down food - everyone's body chemistry seems to be unique. They said the basic rules are great as a starting point, but remember, "Your Mileage May Vary."
Thanks for reading.
(See, I will share all of my lessons!)
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Days Two To Seven - The Battle Begins
So, I have diabetes, now what? I knew of the complications that diabetes can bring, and was incredibly scared. I have a vivid imagination! I sort of knew it could be controlled, but didn't have a clue. I did not like the idea of meds to bring down my glucose level - I was really afraid that they'd bring it down too fast. But, I knew things had to change, and soon.
I was messed up. Afraid of anything and everything, it seemed. I was new to everything. Meds. Testing glucose levels. Eating - heck I was afraid to eat just about everything and anything. I spent hours on the internet trying to get good information. The best information is from the American Diabetes Association and The Mayo Clinic. And, most of the time, I found WebMD to be pretty good.
The first few days I read and retained that diabetes could be controlled. Okay, good. But, would the meds bring my glucose down too fast? Would it go too low? What could I eat? A lot of questions and fear.
Big initial learning: We are all a bit different. What works for me may or may not work for you. There are more 'general guidelines' than hard and fast rules. It's not that we are left on our own; it's just that there is no one size fits all. Why? Because each one of us has slightly different body chemistry which means we process things differently.
When I was diagnosed with diabetes and had an A1c of 13.1, I was started on a 1000 mg dose of Metformin twice a day. Metormin is the tried and true go to med for diabetes. A first step. I remember asking my doctor's nurse what if it doesn't work? She smiled and told me not to worry; that this was a beginning and there were a lot of roads to take. I was reassured, but only a bit. I was ignorant and could only see the loss of my feet, or something. Fear was a great motivator for me.
I changed my diet immediately and went on a low carbohydrate diet. And, by immediately, I mean the moment I walked out of the doctor's office. No more french fries, potato chips, cookies, pies, white bread - well, the list goes on and on. I started reading the labels on all food. I learned portion sizes and calculated how many carbs per meal and snack I was eating. I started walking - not far - but walking every evening for 30 minutes.
I started keeping a food diary immediately. If I ate it, I recorded it. I also recorded my morning reading so I could keep track of what was working - if it was working. And by working, I mean that the glucose readings were coming down and my weight was beginning to come off. Hey, I was excited about losing a single pound!
Did I want anything I could not have or would not allow myself? Of course. Did I give in? No! I didn't think I could ever give in, so I learned that some of my favorite foods might never be eaten by me again. I just accepted it. And, I learned to eat less. I just decided I could eat less food and get enough food.
You see, food became fuel to me. Did I get enough fuel? Everyday. Was I 'full?' Rarely. I got used to being a little hungry after eating. I asked myself everyday if it was worth it. And, everyday I got the same answer - Yes.
This was a lot in the first week. But, if you are going to manage and control diabetes, I truly believe it takes a change - a quick, radical change. I couldn't see the advantage of going slow; kind of easing into it. For me, it was, and is, a war that I must win. The battle is fought daily, hourly, meal-by-meal and snack-by-snack.
For me, it was fear and the desire to live a 'normal' life to old age; to see grand children and to live with my wife for many more years leading an active life. What's going to motivate you? Find it. Embrace it. And, go to war with diabetes.
You can do it. You can control, manage and beat back diabetes.
Thanks for reading.
"The most important of life's battles are the ones we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul." ~David McKay
"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." ~Sun Tzu
I was messed up. Afraid of anything and everything, it seemed. I was new to everything. Meds. Testing glucose levels. Eating - heck I was afraid to eat just about everything and anything. I spent hours on the internet trying to get good information. The best information is from the American Diabetes Association and The Mayo Clinic. And, most of the time, I found WebMD to be pretty good.
The first few days I read and retained that diabetes could be controlled. Okay, good. But, would the meds bring my glucose down too fast? Would it go too low? What could I eat? A lot of questions and fear.
Big initial learning: We are all a bit different. What works for me may or may not work for you. There are more 'general guidelines' than hard and fast rules. It's not that we are left on our own; it's just that there is no one size fits all. Why? Because each one of us has slightly different body chemistry which means we process things differently.
When I was diagnosed with diabetes and had an A1c of 13.1, I was started on a 1000 mg dose of Metformin twice a day. Metormin is the tried and true go to med for diabetes. A first step. I remember asking my doctor's nurse what if it doesn't work? She smiled and told me not to worry; that this was a beginning and there were a lot of roads to take. I was reassured, but only a bit. I was ignorant and could only see the loss of my feet, or something. Fear was a great motivator for me.
I changed my diet immediately and went on a low carbohydrate diet. And, by immediately, I mean the moment I walked out of the doctor's office. No more french fries, potato chips, cookies, pies, white bread - well, the list goes on and on. I started reading the labels on all food. I learned portion sizes and calculated how many carbs per meal and snack I was eating. I started walking - not far - but walking every evening for 30 minutes.
I started keeping a food diary immediately. If I ate it, I recorded it. I also recorded my morning reading so I could keep track of what was working - if it was working. And by working, I mean that the glucose readings were coming down and my weight was beginning to come off. Hey, I was excited about losing a single pound!
Did I want anything I could not have or would not allow myself? Of course. Did I give in? No! I didn't think I could ever give in, so I learned that some of my favorite foods might never be eaten by me again. I just accepted it. And, I learned to eat less. I just decided I could eat less food and get enough food.
You see, food became fuel to me. Did I get enough fuel? Everyday. Was I 'full?' Rarely. I got used to being a little hungry after eating. I asked myself everyday if it was worth it. And, everyday I got the same answer - Yes.
This was a lot in the first week. But, if you are going to manage and control diabetes, I truly believe it takes a change - a quick, radical change. I couldn't see the advantage of going slow; kind of easing into it. For me, it was, and is, a war that I must win. The battle is fought daily, hourly, meal-by-meal and snack-by-snack.
For me, it was fear and the desire to live a 'normal' life to old age; to see grand children and to live with my wife for many more years leading an active life. What's going to motivate you? Find it. Embrace it. And, go to war with diabetes.
You can do it. You can control, manage and beat back diabetes.
Thanks for reading.
"The most important of life's battles are the ones we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul." ~David McKay
"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." ~Sun Tzu
Monday, July 23, 2012
Just Found - Great Snack for Diabetics
Little snacks are an important part of my diet. There are a number of them that could work for you, but I have to tell you about the one I found recently at COSTCO. Yep, COSTCO.
First, I am not getting a dime from anyone anywhere for anything - so if I let you know about something, it's because I have found it works.
Meanwhile, back at the snack. I have used nuts, fruit, a bit of cheese, a bit of peanut butter on crackers, and any number of foods that work okay. I ate them, and if eaten in moderation and with the right portion size, they are just fine. The one thing they all have in common is a carb count of 15 to 20.
However, I found a granola-type bar in COSTCO with a carb count of 14, and if you subtract the fiber carbs, which I have learned you can, total carbs is 9. That's right - nine. The name of the snack is Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bar. They are great for a morning or afternoon snack.
Oh, and they taste good, too.
First, I am not getting a dime from anyone anywhere for anything - so if I let you know about something, it's because I have found it works.
Meanwhile, back at the snack. I have used nuts, fruit, a bit of cheese, a bit of peanut butter on crackers, and any number of foods that work okay. I ate them, and if eaten in moderation and with the right portion size, they are just fine. The one thing they all have in common is a carb count of 15 to 20.
However, I found a granola-type bar in COSTCO with a carb count of 14, and if you subtract the fiber carbs, which I have learned you can, total carbs is 9. That's right - nine. The name of the snack is Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bar. They are great for a morning or afternoon snack.
Oh, and they taste good, too.
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