Why can’t you eat those things ever again? I do a “cheat” meal once a week and eat my favorite foods. I’ve lost 30 pounds in 4 months and brought my A1C down to a normal range. Your lifestyle change should be sustainable and cutting out your favorite foods forever is not sustainable. Just remember to include some movement (like a 10 minute walk) after eating and maybe try to include some fiber (side salad) before eating.
Tbh, this is all new to me. I read a discussion about cheat meals and the consensus was that diabetes isn’t the same as dieting where you can have a cheat meal with little impact. It’s doesn’t work that way with diabetes and insulin sensitivity.
I’m assuming people are different about how they monitor their eating. My brother in law is a full blown diabetic on Ozempic and you’d never know it by the way he eats. Fast food, pasta, home made tiramisu, potatoes galore. I don’t know how he does it. I’m stressing out over here about eating a piece of chicken with breading on it. lol
I would look into a registered dietitian to help guide you. I was very lost at first and mine was awesome and set me on a path for success. Being insulin resistant doesn’t mean you can’t have processed sugar or carbs ever again - just means we need to reframe how we view food and how we eat it. This is definitely different for everybody, but a registered dietitian will help you with that. Also, the Glucose Goddess has a great book that goes into the science of it that definitely helped me restructure how I eat, too.
I mean, there’s plenty of people who know they have issues with insulin who still eat whatever they want, it doesn’t mean that it’s doing any good for their body or benefiting them in anyway.
My friends that are on metformin or other medication’s for diabetes eat totally normally…
I guess the medicine keeps them in check…
I prefer to do it naturally …
with good old self-control
Perfect advice here.
I still enjoy light amounts of the foods I love.
Went from 6.4 to 5.7 doing exactly this.
And I have my treat moments… only a few but I have them.
Instead of a portion at gatherings, I’ll have 2 tbsp’s of something I love and eat it slowly.
We got to do what we’ve got to do…
If you totally abstain from these things after a while, you will miss them so badly you might not adhere to your diet well ….
You can have your potato salad for the 4th! Just pair it with a protein, eat a smaller portion and maybe go for a walk before the fireworks. While it is true you can’t eat this way all the time, a treat now and then is perfectly fine.
I usually make a full 5 lb bag of potatoes and we have it with meals for as long as it lasts. I know those days are over 😆 I could make a lot less, like just enough for the 4th and that’s it. That makes me feel a lot better!
Make less and eat less of it. I also think there’s ways to make things healthier. For instance, I love Japanese curry with potatoes and other veg. This time, I modified things by making it with a lot of carrots, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and only one potato. The carrots were the biggest part of the meal.
I’ve also been trying out recipes with alternative flours. It reminded me how much I enjoyed the one time previously when I had buckwheat crepes.
I actually ate it with the buckwheat crepes as though the crepes were like naan. I love rice too much - even brown rice - so I try to eat it only occasionally now.
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and I could tolerate a small amount of potato salad. I would have it with lots of mayo, protein and then a fat.
Going for a 30min walk afterwards helped too!
I think it’s all about pairing carbs with fats and proteins and that will help.
Please check out if you can get a dietician (some are covered by insurance with a doctor referral). They can help you make slow & maintainable changes. It has helped me tremendously! All or nothing is not a helpful mentality and won’t be sustainable long term.
Focusing on small changes at a time, a focus on better nutrition, and whole foods. For example I started by just tracking what I’m eating. Once that felt easy we could look and see patterns. Then we tweaked breakfast, then lunch, then snacks and dinner. Now working on macros and balanced eating and good exercise. The best bit for me was accountability. I like having someone to “report” to and set goals. Not that I’m actually reporting to them, but I do like reporting what is going well and getting advice, etc.
I'm not sure what peanut butter cup cookies are, but I make delicious keto peanut butter cookies and including cocoa powder is not adding carbs. Get natural peanut butter without sugar added.
This is the recipe I follow. I have made it many times. I use crunchy PB but otherwise follow it. [https://sugarfreelondoner.com/almond-flour-peanut-butter-cookies-keto/](https://sugarfreelondoner.com/almond-flour-peanut-butter-cookies-keto/)
I went thru a wee bit of depression at first … missing my favorites BUT omg so much started to feel better my highest A1c was 6.0 and there were days I would stand up and could barely walk from pain. I was very skinny so maybe it affected me even different than most people at that A1c level, but I have very little joint pain now and I do contribute that to, lower blood sugar No bagel or candy is worth the pain
You can have your favorite foods... In moderation.
The idea is to be perfect with your diet 90% of the time. In the beginning when you're trying to get your A1c down, it's is best to limit treats mainly to let the body heal any damage to blood vessels etc and let biomarkers stabilize. Then you can add in treats every now and then.
My A1c is 4.8 and we just celebrated my daughter's 18th bday on the 20th. You can bet I had a big ole piece of her cake every day since then. 😂 😂 But once the cake is gone, I won't have any for quite a while.
Also, intermittent fasting may be helpful. Something to look into.
Hope that helps. 😊
About 6 months, and I did a vegan keto diet. So I did 65% fat, 15% carbs and 20% protein. I'm currently still on that diet, but I do vary the carbs up a bit. And I don't have to worry as much about treats. I also do strength training 4x a week with progressive overload and cardio 2x a week.
Wow congratulations on that healthy A1C. I would love to see numbers like that again, but it’s been a while. I’m being strict with my diet averaging around 100-120g of carbs per day. No treats at all right now.
My energy has been up and down adjusting my body to this new low carb life. Also the mental aspect of this cannot be ignored. I’m currently exercising about three days a week but I’d like to do more.
Enjoy that cake!!!
Yeah. I went through the stages of grief back in December. For what it's worth, it does get better, especially as you find foods that are both tasty and safe for you. (Cheese and spicy foods for me!)
Speaking of which, have you tried monitoring your blood sugar, so you can test what does and doesn't cause blood sugar spikes?
People vary a lot. Some can eat a serving of potatoes, some can't. Some can eat sweet potatoes but not potatoes, others vice versa. At least for me, it was helpful and comforting to figure out what's "in the zone".
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) makes this pretty easy, but it's also possible with an old-fashioned finger-stick monitor, albeit with a bunch of finger-sticking. I'd recommend asking your doctor. [Levels Health also has some good info](https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/what-should-my-glucose-levels-be-ultimate-guide).
I’m only about three weeks into this journey (have lost 9 lbs). I’m not mentally ready to start with a glucose monitor. I would become even more depressed at this stage. I’m still adjusting to this as my new reality and missing what I perceive as my previously healthy self. Even though I am overweight, wasn’t eating right and sedentary I didn’t have any overt health issues. Just being honest about how I’m feeling. I need some time to wallow. I’ll come out of it eventually.
My spouse makes an amazing potato salad with parsnips. If you cook there are loads of yummy things you can make. We also make tiramisu -make buckwheat ladyfingers (lower carb & GF). There are a ton of delicious things you can eat.
It’s crazy cause my bmi is literally below healthy for my weight and I thought I was eating healthy no sugary drinks, fast food, ect and I’m active for multiple hours a day but somehow I’m still pre-diabetic at 19. Now the things I do love to eat I can’t.👎👎
My cousin is this way. She calls herself the skinniest diabetic you’ll ever meet. As a doctor once told me, some people are just prone to having a pancreas that conks out.
I’m sorry to hear that this is happening to you at such a young age.
This is me! underweight, vegetarian, no junk food, active/exercise etc and prediabetic! I have been struggling with this idea and have been reading a lot and one concept I came across was sarcopenia (low muscle mass) as a possible factor for poor glucose control. And I have heard of individuals who have improved their blood glucose control when they started developing more lean muscle mass. I did a dexa scan and I am quite low on muscle mass. So I am currently on the journey to gain more muscle (in addition to the other things I am doing to manage BG). Something to think about.
This is a long journey, and you will develop the skills for figuring out how to lessen the impact of periodically eating some of those delicious foods.
For example: I have learned that when I most want splurge foods is when I'm doing something social/fun, and I want to eat the regular food that everyone else is eating. Now that I know that about myself, I can be pretty disciplined about not eating a splurge meal when I'm just at home. I want to save up for something that's more important to me, like having hot dogs at a baseball game with friends.
I have also learned that totally depriving myself of everything I want to eat is its own danger zone. I become more likely to overeat things I shouldn't. Better to plan, eat in moderation, and go for a walk afterward, rather than binging and laying on the couch feeling guilty.
I know how you feel! I get the same feeling whenever I am out in cafes or restaurants etc. I still eat a bit of these foods but I eat in much smaller proportions and I time when I eat them. For instance, this morning, I had a protein shake and small portion of chocolate Babka and I walked for 30 minutes. Its not the same as how we used to eat before and I am slowly accepting it. I am hoping I would get to a point where I am just not interested in eating these types foods. Actually, I think I am coming around to not eating rice or pasta... I just eat cauliflower rice or hearts of palm rice or noodles (you can get these at Trader Joe's or Amazon). Ok, it is not exactly the same as real rice or pasta, but they are not bad and if you think about it, rice and pasta are just empty carbs. You could also use a food tracker to see how much carbs you can consume without spiking your BG too much. I try to keep my carbs <50 g per meal. So, you can figure out how much of a carby food you can eat without feeling bad.
Last night at the supermarket these cauliflower mashed potatoes looked so delicious to me so I bought them. I know the texture is not going to be the same, but I hope the taste is at least familiar. I’m really trying! lol
[https://www.alexiafoods.com/premium-vegetable-sides/mashed-cauliflower-sea-salt](https://www.alexiafoods.com/premium-vegetable-sides/mashed-cauliflower-sea-salt)
I feel your pain. I’m literally so disappointed in myself, but I have been through so much emotional stuff these past 3 years. I just ate normal but I ate the wrong foods. And I was completely sedentary, but I’m on my feet all day at work which is good. Now I’m on summer break so I’m going to just do my best. I’m just going to just do it. I think the best thing to do is if you do eat something that’s not “approved” like it’s fried, desserts, or simple carbs just do some movement after eating for 20-30 minutes.
You need to talk to a nutritionist. It’s not just what you eat but what order you eat.
This may sound unpleasant but, 2 hard boiled eggs before a candy bar yield completely different results than a candy bar before 2 hard boiled eggs.
You’re eating the same thing but in scenario one, you’ve got protein prior to sugar. Which makes a world of difference.
Your personal results may differ from others. So before going off the deep end get a CGM or a pin prick tester and talk to a nutritionist
But you can eat all of that stuff still, just in smaller quantities. You can have a small helping of potato salad or a cookie or 2. Just don't overdo it. You're prediabetic, not dead...
My doc told me like hey you can have a cheat but you can still portion it somewhat smaller (like if I want a candy do a small bite size and save the rest for later).
Yes it is depressing to limit comfort foods BUT you can still eat them on occasion or you can try experimenting on how to make it healthier?
Also your doctor can recommend a dietician for you to go to. Remember food is not the enemy and if your getting bad depression from foods then I would recommend talking to your doctor about that also.
Why can’t you eat those things ever again? I do a “cheat” meal once a week and eat my favorite foods. I’ve lost 30 pounds in 4 months and brought my A1C down to a normal range. Your lifestyle change should be sustainable and cutting out your favorite foods forever is not sustainable. Just remember to include some movement (like a 10 minute walk) after eating and maybe try to include some fiber (side salad) before eating.
Tbh, this is all new to me. I read a discussion about cheat meals and the consensus was that diabetes isn’t the same as dieting where you can have a cheat meal with little impact. It’s doesn’t work that way with diabetes and insulin sensitivity. I’m assuming people are different about how they monitor their eating. My brother in law is a full blown diabetic on Ozempic and you’d never know it by the way he eats. Fast food, pasta, home made tiramisu, potatoes galore. I don’t know how he does it. I’m stressing out over here about eating a piece of chicken with breading on it. lol
I would look into a registered dietitian to help guide you. I was very lost at first and mine was awesome and set me on a path for success. Being insulin resistant doesn’t mean you can’t have processed sugar or carbs ever again - just means we need to reframe how we view food and how we eat it. This is definitely different for everybody, but a registered dietitian will help you with that. Also, the Glucose Goddess has a great book that goes into the science of it that definitely helped me restructure how I eat, too.
I’ve been thinking about a dietician and now that two of you have said it’s helped you I’ll definitely find one. Can I ask how yours helped you?
Great advice.
Is he type 1 or 2? Completely different in regard to what you can eat.
He is type 2, in his late 40s and has also already had a double bypass.
I mean, there’s plenty of people who know they have issues with insulin who still eat whatever they want, it doesn’t mean that it’s doing any good for their body or benefiting them in anyway.
My friends that are on metformin or other medication’s for diabetes eat totally normally… I guess the medicine keeps them in check… I prefer to do it naturally … with good old self-control
Perfect advice here. I still enjoy light amounts of the foods I love. Went from 6.4 to 5.7 doing exactly this. And I have my treat moments… only a few but I have them. Instead of a portion at gatherings, I’ll have 2 tbsp’s of something I love and eat it slowly. We got to do what we’ve got to do… If you totally abstain from these things after a while, you will miss them so badly you might not adhere to your diet well ….
You can have your potato salad for the 4th! Just pair it with a protein, eat a smaller portion and maybe go for a walk before the fireworks. While it is true you can’t eat this way all the time, a treat now and then is perfectly fine.
I usually make a full 5 lb bag of potatoes and we have it with meals for as long as it lasts. I know those days are over 😆 I could make a lot less, like just enough for the 4th and that’s it. That makes me feel a lot better!
Sounds perfect! Enjoy it!
Make less and eat less of it. I also think there’s ways to make things healthier. For instance, I love Japanese curry with potatoes and other veg. This time, I modified things by making it with a lot of carrots, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and only one potato. The carrots were the biggest part of the meal. I’ve also been trying out recipes with alternative flours. It reminded me how much I enjoyed the one time previously when I had buckwheat crepes.
Yum. I also love Japanese curry. Did you eat it over brown rice or no rice at all?
I actually ate it with the buckwheat crepes as though the crepes were like naan. I love rice too much - even brown rice - so I try to eat it only occasionally now.
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and I could tolerate a small amount of potato salad. I would have it with lots of mayo, protein and then a fat. Going for a 30min walk afterwards helped too! I think it’s all about pairing carbs with fats and proteins and that will help.
Please check out if you can get a dietician (some are covered by insurance with a doctor referral). They can help you make slow & maintainable changes. It has helped me tremendously! All or nothing is not a helpful mentality and won’t be sustainable long term.
I’ve been thinking about this. I have a good insurance plan and I bet it would be covered. What has the dietician helped you with?
Focusing on small changes at a time, a focus on better nutrition, and whole foods. For example I started by just tracking what I’m eating. Once that felt easy we could look and see patterns. Then we tweaked breakfast, then lunch, then snacks and dinner. Now working on macros and balanced eating and good exercise. The best bit for me was accountability. I like having someone to “report” to and set goals. Not that I’m actually reporting to them, but I do like reporting what is going well and getting advice, etc.
Do they create an eating plan for you based on things you like/don’t like?
Yes, they can do that too if you need it! They can give you sooooo many ideas.
Thank you, thank you! I also like the accountability aspect of it.
There are low-carb alternatives for everything you mentioned. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Ben Franklin
Go for a run, maybe? Approximately 38 minutes after the start of a meal is usually the peak of the spike in people without full on diabetes.
I'm not sure what peanut butter cup cookies are, but I make delicious keto peanut butter cookies and including cocoa powder is not adding carbs. Get natural peanut butter without sugar added.
I would love this recipe!!! Currently struggling through gestational diabetes and would murder someone for a peanut butter cookie! Please share! :)
This is the recipe I follow. I have made it many times. I use crunchy PB but otherwise follow it. [https://sugarfreelondoner.com/almond-flour-peanut-butter-cookies-keto/](https://sugarfreelondoner.com/almond-flour-peanut-butter-cookies-keto/)
The one thing I will say is that when I do eat cheat meals, a lot of times I won’t feel well after!!! So you don’t miss them as much after a while.
I definitely feel the difference in how quickly I feel full now. I could not have a full meal of salad, appetizer and entree the way I did before.
I went thru a wee bit of depression at first … missing my favorites BUT omg so much started to feel better my highest A1c was 6.0 and there were days I would stand up and could barely walk from pain. I was very skinny so maybe it affected me even different than most people at that A1c level, but I have very little joint pain now and I do contribute that to, lower blood sugar No bagel or candy is worth the pain
You can have your favorite foods... In moderation. The idea is to be perfect with your diet 90% of the time. In the beginning when you're trying to get your A1c down, it's is best to limit treats mainly to let the body heal any damage to blood vessels etc and let biomarkers stabilize. Then you can add in treats every now and then. My A1c is 4.8 and we just celebrated my daughter's 18th bday on the 20th. You can bet I had a big ole piece of her cake every day since then. 😂 😂 But once the cake is gone, I won't have any for quite a while. Also, intermittent fasting may be helpful. Something to look into. Hope that helps. 😊
Congratulations on your healthy number 🎉 If I may ask, how long did it take to bring it this low and what was your diet like?
About 6 months, and I did a vegan keto diet. So I did 65% fat, 15% carbs and 20% protein. I'm currently still on that diet, but I do vary the carbs up a bit. And I don't have to worry as much about treats. I also do strength training 4x a week with progressive overload and cardio 2x a week.
Wow congratulations on that healthy A1C. I would love to see numbers like that again, but it’s been a while. I’m being strict with my diet averaging around 100-120g of carbs per day. No treats at all right now. My energy has been up and down adjusting my body to this new low carb life. Also the mental aspect of this cannot be ignored. I’m currently exercising about three days a week but I’d like to do more. Enjoy that cake!!!
Yeah. I went through the stages of grief back in December. For what it's worth, it does get better, especially as you find foods that are both tasty and safe for you. (Cheese and spicy foods for me!) Speaking of which, have you tried monitoring your blood sugar, so you can test what does and doesn't cause blood sugar spikes? People vary a lot. Some can eat a serving of potatoes, some can't. Some can eat sweet potatoes but not potatoes, others vice versa. At least for me, it was helpful and comforting to figure out what's "in the zone". A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) makes this pretty easy, but it's also possible with an old-fashioned finger-stick monitor, albeit with a bunch of finger-sticking. I'd recommend asking your doctor. [Levels Health also has some good info](https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/what-should-my-glucose-levels-be-ultimate-guide).
I’m only about three weeks into this journey (have lost 9 lbs). I’m not mentally ready to start with a glucose monitor. I would become even more depressed at this stage. I’m still adjusting to this as my new reality and missing what I perceive as my previously healthy self. Even though I am overweight, wasn’t eating right and sedentary I didn’t have any overt health issues. Just being honest about how I’m feeling. I need some time to wallow. I’ll come out of it eventually.
My spouse makes an amazing potato salad with parsnips. If you cook there are loads of yummy things you can make. We also make tiramisu -make buckwheat ladyfingers (lower carb & GF). There are a ton of delicious things you can eat.
I don’t know anything about buckwheat. I guess that’s something to use as a flour substitute?
It’s crazy cause my bmi is literally below healthy for my weight and I thought I was eating healthy no sugary drinks, fast food, ect and I’m active for multiple hours a day but somehow I’m still pre-diabetic at 19. Now the things I do love to eat I can’t.👎👎
My cousin is this way. She calls herself the skinniest diabetic you’ll ever meet. As a doctor once told me, some people are just prone to having a pancreas that conks out. I’m sorry to hear that this is happening to you at such a young age.
This is me! underweight, vegetarian, no junk food, active/exercise etc and prediabetic! I have been struggling with this idea and have been reading a lot and one concept I came across was sarcopenia (low muscle mass) as a possible factor for poor glucose control. And I have heard of individuals who have improved their blood glucose control when they started developing more lean muscle mass. I did a dexa scan and I am quite low on muscle mass. So I am currently on the journey to gain more muscle (in addition to the other things I am doing to manage BG). Something to think about.
Addiction is a real struggle. I solved it with Ribeyes on the regular.
Quitting smoking was easier than quitting sugar. For real.
This is a long journey, and you will develop the skills for figuring out how to lessen the impact of periodically eating some of those delicious foods. For example: I have learned that when I most want splurge foods is when I'm doing something social/fun, and I want to eat the regular food that everyone else is eating. Now that I know that about myself, I can be pretty disciplined about not eating a splurge meal when I'm just at home. I want to save up for something that's more important to me, like having hot dogs at a baseball game with friends. I have also learned that totally depriving myself of everything I want to eat is its own danger zone. I become more likely to overeat things I shouldn't. Better to plan, eat in moderation, and go for a walk afterward, rather than binging and laying on the couch feeling guilty.
I know how you feel! I get the same feeling whenever I am out in cafes or restaurants etc. I still eat a bit of these foods but I eat in much smaller proportions and I time when I eat them. For instance, this morning, I had a protein shake and small portion of chocolate Babka and I walked for 30 minutes. Its not the same as how we used to eat before and I am slowly accepting it. I am hoping I would get to a point where I am just not interested in eating these types foods. Actually, I think I am coming around to not eating rice or pasta... I just eat cauliflower rice or hearts of palm rice or noodles (you can get these at Trader Joe's or Amazon). Ok, it is not exactly the same as real rice or pasta, but they are not bad and if you think about it, rice and pasta are just empty carbs. You could also use a food tracker to see how much carbs you can consume without spiking your BG too much. I try to keep my carbs <50 g per meal. So, you can figure out how much of a carby food you can eat without feeling bad.
Last night at the supermarket these cauliflower mashed potatoes looked so delicious to me so I bought them. I know the texture is not going to be the same, but I hope the taste is at least familiar. I’m really trying! lol [https://www.alexiafoods.com/premium-vegetable-sides/mashed-cauliflower-sea-salt](https://www.alexiafoods.com/premium-vegetable-sides/mashed-cauliflower-sea-salt)
I feel your pain. I’m literally so disappointed in myself, but I have been through so much emotional stuff these past 3 years. I just ate normal but I ate the wrong foods. And I was completely sedentary, but I’m on my feet all day at work which is good. Now I’m on summer break so I’m going to just do my best. I’m just going to just do it. I think the best thing to do is if you do eat something that’s not “approved” like it’s fried, desserts, or simple carbs just do some movement after eating for 20-30 minutes.
You need to talk to a nutritionist. It’s not just what you eat but what order you eat. This may sound unpleasant but, 2 hard boiled eggs before a candy bar yield completely different results than a candy bar before 2 hard boiled eggs. You’re eating the same thing but in scenario one, you’ve got protein prior to sugar. Which makes a world of difference. Your personal results may differ from others. So before going off the deep end get a CGM or a pin prick tester and talk to a nutritionist
But you can eat all of that stuff still, just in smaller quantities. You can have a small helping of potato salad or a cookie or 2. Just don't overdo it. You're prediabetic, not dead...
My doc told me like hey you can have a cheat but you can still portion it somewhat smaller (like if I want a candy do a small bite size and save the rest for later). Yes it is depressing to limit comfort foods BUT you can still eat them on occasion or you can try experimenting on how to make it healthier? Also your doctor can recommend a dietician for you to go to. Remember food is not the enemy and if your getting bad depression from foods then I would recommend talking to your doctor about that also.