[Reba55]

Hello,
I am a type 2 diabetic now for almost three years. I have my A1C test done every 3 months and it normally runs around 6.2-6.5. I do pretty good when I eat except for one thing. I love chocolate! I eat chocolate every day. I usually have two 3-Musketeer bars daily. I test my bs 2 hours after starting meals, and it normally runs around 110-130. I do eat a snack at night and sometimes it is probably more than I should. My bs in the mornings are running around 160. I don't like dark chocolate so that is not an option. Since my doctor is pleased with my A1C, does anyone think that my indulgence is chocolate is all that bad? I know my morning BS could be better, but my doctor says he is more concerned with my A1C than anything. He doesn't know about my chocolate thing....lol. I don't exercise as much as I should but I hope to do better.

[David_S]

I don't have a sweet tooth so I am not really a good one to comment.. it is easy for me to say no. I would say though that 14 candy bars a week.. or 56 a month is too much for a non diabetic... dark chocolate is different.. but melted and dip a strawberry in it.. it is pretty good and a nice treat.

[shutterbug]

Welcome to DF. If you could get your morning number under 110-120, then I guess you should be fine. 160 is high for fasting number.

[morrisma]

Welcome to the club!

Might suggest a dark chocolate bar (70%) instead of the musketeer bar. Also, I keep my chocolate craving in check by adding dark chocolate powder (and splenda) to meals like oatmeal and plain yogurt.

Good luck!
Mike

[Reba55]

Thanks for the nice welcome. I don't like dark chocolate, so that is not an option. I appreciate your replies!

[matingara]

there is a large and growing range of "No Sugar Added" chocolates available in Australia these day.

are there any where you are?

i have some of this every night with a cup of hot, strong tea...



-- Joel.

[fgummett]

You say you don't like dark chocolate which to me suggests it is the sugar rather than the cocoa which you crave. If you really do enjoy chocolate I believe that you can gradually learn to enjoy the higher cocoa varieties... the key word being gradually. I am now enjoying 86% and even 99% cocoa on occasion. Try it with a glass of dry red wine

On-line I find a single 3 Musketeers bar listing at 46g Carbs... so your 2 bars is more carbohydrates than many of us on this site eat in a day of real food.

I guess as a person with D you need to decide if you want to have your cake and eat it too... 'cos you can't really eat sweets and expect to have good BS levels

[CaptainMike]

Originally Posted by Reba55

Hello,
Since my doctor is pleased with my A1C, does anyone think that my indulgence is chocolate is all that bad?

Yes.

92 grams of carbs a day in just excess empty sugar?

That is more total cabs than I eat in a WEEK.

The filling of those things is just High Fructose Corn Syrup and egg whites with flavoring added. Really nothing at all to do with chocolate.

If you want to slow or eliminate the progression of your chronic disease, try to lay off the empty carbs and maybe exercise more. Maybe 1 or 2 of the MINI bars a day wouldn't be too bad. If you freeze them they tend to last a bit longer.

We all have times when we eat things we shouldn't or have more of something we like than we should have. As long as these are occasional things I think it's OK, but you have made a habit of eating something every day that you know is bad for you.

IMO A 160 FBG is way too high.

Good luck, I know habits and mindsets are difficult things to change, but for your long-term health I would try to find some legitimately healthier alternative.

(As you may have guessed, I am a "Tough Love" kind of guy)

Welcome to the forums, I hope you stick around, there is a LOT to be learned here.

[Reba55]

Maybe it IS the sugar and not the chocolat that I crave. I feel so deprived if I can't have any and it makes me want it even more!! I hate being diabetic, but you guys are right, I need to do better! Thanks!!

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by Reba55

Maybe it IS the sugar and not the chocolate that I crave. I feel so deprived if I can't have any and it makes me want it even more!! I hate being diabetic, but you guys are right, I need to do better! Thanks!!

Try eating low/no carb for a few days (only meat, fish, eggs, cheese)... you may be surprised to learn that eating carbs makes you hungry for more... but by not eating carbs those cravings go away It really is a biochemical thing and much less to do with will-power or self-control.

[kingsanford]

Yum that sounds like a great idea. I was diagnosed on 9-12-08 and this is all so overwhelming. My blood test was done without any notice and I did not fast prior to it being done. It came back saying 11%. I nearly passed out! I instantly got it together and began my diet I always walk around saying I am going to do. I am eating healthy and exercise at least 5 days a week. I have found that since I am not eating all the things that I have over the last 6 months, that I am not craving any sugar. Thanks for the suggestion!

Rachel

[kingsanford]

I do not touch chocolate anymore unless it is dark and sugar free. It is very rare that I eat chocolate anymore. I am only a little over a week with my diagnosis but I am determined that it will be changed and I will get healthier in the process! Have a great day!

Rachel

[BrianSCohen]

Reba,

Welcome to the forums. I do encourage you to get your blood sugar values down. Resticting your carbs and getting more exercise will really help.

You really don't need to worry about chocolate itself, you need to worry about carbs. Chocolate itself is not the source of carbs, it is the added sugar. I would suggest that part of your battle is probably cravings for the carbs. As a first step, you need to start to look at alternatives to the 3-Musketeer bars. There a wide range of lower carb alternatives. As an intermediate step, try some alternatives that are better for you. Try to find a bar that has 10 to 20 g of carbs per serving, and just eat one.

Over time, as you reduce your carb intake, you should find your cravings are reduced. You should also find that as a chocolate lover, you still can have chocolate, just not chocolate with 11 teaspoons of sugar (yes that is what 46 g of carbs equals).

[Reba55]

If I eat no carbs, I get the shakes. I was told that I was allowed 15-45 carbs per meal, and 15-30 for snack. Is that not true? And if what I am doing is so bad, then why is my
A1C test good?

[fgummett]

A1c is effectively an average (mean) of your BS over the last 30 days or so... as such it can be misleading if your BS swings wildly... for example: many highs balanced by the same number of lows can still produce a good average. How often do you test yourself? Some folks have a reactive type of D where intake of carbs causes a rapid up-swing in BS followed by an equally rapid down-swing as the insulin kicks in. Perhaps that is why your BS looks so good at 2 hours?
When I first cut out carbs I used to get some headaches as my body adjusted... the brain likes carbs and we can get a high from sugar, but it does not require carbs as an energy source. All the food we eat is broken down into its components and reused or stored: protein is broken down into amino acids (its building blocks), fats into fatty acids, carbs into sugar but while there are essential amino acids that the body requires to be healthy, and essential fatty acids, there are no essential sugars or carbs that the body must have to survive.
I don't rely on my doctor or dietitian to tell me what I am "allowed" to eat... I test my BS and find out what works best for me. But if you are eating 2 candy-bars each day you are clearly not listening to their advice anyway unless your are using them as meal substitutes?