[NewdestinyX]

I feel your pain, Angela. Really I do. I could not do it in the end. I tried 3 weeks and it was pure he!!. And I had no energy to exercise either which carbs are more efficient in burning from all my reading. I will say that 'some cravings went away' and my needs did and are changing. But I've chosen a moderate carb lifestyle which softens the 'bad days'. My eating is now WAY different that before diagnosis -- but maybe you need to let up a little and get those carbs up for a period until your mind and body can catch up to each other. That low level of carbs does not work for everyone. It is SUPER EFFECTIVE in keeping blood sugar down -- but that's not the ONLY issue in a diabetic's life. And there are other ways to help you keep it down if you find you can't eat that lo carb a diet. There is a 'lesser vocal minority' of us out here that can't do the super lo carb lifestyle and when we speak up we're often marginalized here. So I'll just say -- do your best -- because lo carb, IF you can do it, is a proven thing in controlling BG levels. I stay around 90-100g per day now and use basal insulin and metformin to help manage my BG level overall. I needed to stay about 100-150g of carbs for the first few months for 'my mind's sake'. You do meditation so that's great. I also exercise a lot and that helps.

As others have said you HAVE to eat SOMETHING -- so don't deny yourself the good fats like nuts and cheese and olives, etc.. They can be very filling and satisfying. Not like a BROWNIE satisfying of course... LOL!!!

Whatever you choose -- good luck. On bad days it's ok to let yourself have a break. Try not to go crazy. I'm not of the belief either that if you 'go back' and eat some comfort foods occasionally that you'll STAY 'off the wagon'. For me I can go off the wagon and then right back on whenever I want. And have. I'm not suggesting this is 'healthy' for our diabetes control -- but I am suggesting that it is often 'needed' for our 'souls'. Don't beat yourself up. Listen to your 'heart' AS you're watching your meter. That's a balanced approach that's working for me -- but remember -- I'm adding a 'med' (insulin) to 'allow' me to live that way. If you wish fewer/no meds and no needles then you may have to live only to your meter and tell your 'heart' to 'suck it up'..

[NewdestinyX]

Originally Posted by foxl

I have made buttered, salted pan-roasted sunflower seeds, and I SWEAR they remind me of popcorn![

YUM!!!!

I make all my old pasta sauces and put them over fake chicken breasts, eggs, tempeh, or tofu, and they taste terrific there -- I really do not miss the pasta at all!

What's a 'fake' chicken breast..

[foxl]

Originally Posted by NewdestinyX

YUM!!!!

What's a 'fake' chicken breast..

Quorn | The Quorn Range

These are pretty good -- neutral unobtrusive flavor and the right texture. But if you are not vegetarian I am sure regular chicken is probably far more acceptable. My husband is not vegetarian, and likes these, however!

[Josselyn]

Originally Posted by NewdestinyX

YUM!!!!

What's a 'fake' chicken breast..

Linda is vegetarian, Grant. Likely the meatless chicken breast is made largely of soy and looks like the real thing. They're not bad, actually.
I like the "fake" corn dogs, myself.

[musique913]

That sunflower seed idea sounds really good. I had roasted pumpkin seeds the other day and it was so delicious.

Thank you for all the suggestions.

Half of this is getting my mind around the low-carb lifestyle to keep my bloods in control. The other part is that I've not always been a healthy eater, and this is a huge change.

I admit I was awful eating, and probably ate all the bad carbs there were thinking it wouldn't hurt me. Right now I'm a bit scared with my kidneys showing issues, even though I lost weight like the doctor told me, I really want to lose more and be even healthier. It's a lot of pressure.

I don't know, I guess every significant change in life is hard. It's not as if I'm feeling sorry for myself, but it sometimes doesn't seem fair that we have to change the way we eat so much, just to get a control that can go away the second you slip up.

In the end, I think it's just understanding that what is being done right now is good for my body, and those people that eat high carb/high fat, etc are just hurting their bodies.

I'm keeping mine so I can live until I'm 100.

[foxl]

Originally Posted by Josselyn

Linda is vegetarian, Grant. Likely the meatless chicken breast is made largely of soy and looks like the real thing. They're not bad, actually.
I like the "fake" corn dogs, myself.

Not soy -- mycoprotein and egg white, actually. If you are interested I provided a link.

[foxl]

I have not always been a healthy eater either -- mostly out of being too busy and not willing to PLAN every bite that goes into my mouth.

It is more a matter of replacing old habits, for me. I really resented the lack of mindless, spontaneous eating ... till I lost weight and began feeling better!

[fgummett]

It is not simply the quantity of carbs but their quality may be even more important... cola has carbs but so does broccoli... guess which one our bodies are best adapted to eat while still maintaining good BG control.

As above, there is no need starve yourself when avoiding refined/concentrated carbohydrates... to me this was the whole key to finally gaining back control of my eating... you don't need to feel deprived on a variety of rich and tasty real whole food.

Of course I can relate to the memory of eating a Danish pastry or the like and probably getting a brain buzz off it, but because I am not hungry all the time I don't find it a constant struggle to avoid temptation... if I need anything I can just reach for a few nuts or some dark chocolate instead.

[musique913]

Oh, and I have been doing the yummy fats like almonds, olives..had some pistachios yesterday because I was so hungry between lunch and dinner..

I'm just not used to feeling so darned hungry along with the craving. The other wierd thing is feeling my toes so painfully these days. Being more in control I seem to feel my feet and boy that tingly painful feeling now seems to stretch from my knees to my toes. Ouch! Thank God the bike makes it feel better in the legs..but my toes, especially the big one, hurt!

I really sound like I'm whining today..sorry!

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by musique913

I'm just not used to feeling so darned hungry along with the craving.

So what are you eating? In my experience you don't have to go hungry when eating low-carb... in fact that was the biggest change for me compared to previously-tried calorie-restricted diets... within days of cutting out virtually all carbs I was no longer hungry all the time. Maybe you also need to consider the "induction" phase approach.

I think it is common that some symptoms worsen and then subside as you gain better long-term BG control... I used to "skin my knees" often as a boy, and my Mum would tell me that when the scab itched it meant it was healing... the nerves were knitting back together.

[Josselyn]

Originally Posted by foxl

Not soy -- mycoprotein and egg white, actually. If you are interested I provided a link.

Thanks, Linda!
Hmmm, I'll go to the link now. Want to investigate this mycoprotein...

Is that also the main ingredient in meatless pepperoni (yum)? I really should read the ingredient labels more closely on that stuff. I always presumed they were made of some soy incarnation...

[foxl]

Originally Posted by Josselyn

Thanks, Linda!
Hmmm, I'll go to the link now. Want to investigate this mycoprotein...

Is that also the main ingredient in meatless pepperoni (yum)? I really should read the ingredient labels more closely on that stuff. I always presumed they were made of some soy incarnation...

Not all of the meat substitutes are soy, and this Quorn company actually capitalizes on the anti-soy thing. But fake pepperoni ... probably wheat gluten! Could be soy -- Chinese have been making tofu jerky for years (it is yummy!!!! But sugary, too -- sigh).

[Newdiabetic]

I heard a judge on TV tell an addict, on his show, that she needed to be in treatment for 90 days to kick the habit. I have always likened myself to an addict when it came to sugary sweets and bad carbs, in that I would rather have those than healthy foods, anytime!

I knew giving up bad carbs was going to be difficult, but I thought 90 days is only three months, I can do this. Then I came on here and read the advice that it is a few weeks which sounded real good! I have been diagnosed for a little over 4 weeks now, and it is so much easier to say no to bread, potatoes and desserts now.
Maybe it will become even easier.

I have designated times of the year that I am going to splurge with a reasonable sized piece of cake. (Then I will walk a mile)
My Anniversary (Red Velvet with cream cheese icing)
Thanksgiving I will make some kind of pumpkin something and work on making it as low carb as possible.
Christmas
My birthday
Easter
4th. of July
I will walk after each meal that I eat that cake and make sure I eat vinegary things during my meal preceding the cake. And I will walk.

Like you my numbers are pretty smooth in ranges...if you experience carb cravings, walk some, it really helps. It is frustrating...but the pounds will melt(if you need to lose weight...and that is a BIG ego booster).

It also sounds like you are in a rut....as far as cooking. Get your self a good low glycemic cookbook to read and use. Experiment. Preparation of meals helps to get your mind off the negative stuff and helps you to focus on the positive nutrients of a meal. There are some really good low glycemic meals out there.

Good luck....I tend to ramble in my posts...sorry.
Joyce

[plattb1]

So, Linda, I looked at your Quorn link & it looks like the main ingredient is some type of mushroom. Am I reading that right? And, is there any domestic production of this product in the US?

[foxl]

Originally Posted by plattb1

So, Linda, I looked at your Quorn link & it looks like the main ingredient is some type of mushroom. Am I reading that right? And, is there any domestic production of this product in the US?

Yes, it is a fungus related to mushrooms ... some people find it objectionable because it is "laboratory grown." I am afraid I am more practical than that ... cruelty to fungus is not so disturbing to me! Put more plainly, gotta eat somethin!