[Scrabblechick]

Love your avatar, Michelle! I'm a Cubs fan, myself.

Now to carbs, not Cubs. LOL. Carbs are a fluid thing. I eat very few carbs for breakfast, as a rule, simply because I've never been a big breakfast eater. A container of yogurt does fine for me.

No, you haven't exactly "lost" those carbs, but be aware: in general, the more carbs you eat at a meal, the higher your post-meal numbers will be. The aim is to keep your blood glucose (BG) levels as stable as possible. You don't want to spike and stay high for an extended period of time. The more carbs you eat, the more likely that is to happen. Eating some protein first will help delay the absorption of the carbs into your system, meaning you'll see a rise, but it will be a more gradual one.

I personally try to keep my carb consumption below 100 grams per day. That has been working well for my BG levels. However, I do tend to eat those carbs for lunch or supper, simply because that's when I feel more like eating. I may eat a few more carbs for supper because I'm probably going for a nice walk, which will help burn off the glucose that much quicker, returning my BG to my pre-meal level more rapidly.

I try to keep my snacks to 15 carbs or less--usually 10 or under. I find that helps keep my calorie intake lower, since I'm in the process of getting some weight off.

But with this disease, you must do what works best for your body and your BG levels. Testing 2 hours after you take your first bite of a meal will give you a really good idea of how your carbs are affecting your BG. A good goal to shoot for is under 140 two hours post-prandial (PP).

Also, all carbs are not created equal for everyone. For example, I can have a small serving of French fries as long as I eat some protein and it really doesn't bother me. However, rice in anything more than about 1/4 cup will send it right on up. That's why you test 2 hours PP. You need to know what foods are most likely to send your BG up, and try to avoid those foods, except in very small quantities. I'd way rather be able to eat rice than potatoes, but that's simply the nature of the beast.

You'll get the hang of this thing. Just remember to test frequently!