join me?

I met with a dietician last week to help me control this gestational diabetes.

Very interesting.

I have four main rules to follow:

1.) No sugar sweetened drinks (soda, juice, sweet tea).  Liquids are absorbed in the bloodstream quicker.  I mostly drink water now, and an occasional glass of milk.

2.) No milk and cereal together.  Somehow, these are partners in crime.

3.) Eat a protein at every snack and every meal.  A protein could be a meat, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, cheese etc.

4.)  No fruit before noon.  This is definitely the hardest for me.  I love fruit in the morning, on cereal, on oatmeal, on yogurt...plus I would have it has a morning snack.

I also follow a schedule for eating:
Breakfast
Morning snack
Lunch
Afternoon snack
Dinner
Evening snack

These are pretty evenly spaced throughout the day and I don't snack in between.  It sounds like there's a lot of snacking, but have you ever just finished off something the kids left earlier, or grabbed some crackers when you passed the kitchen?  Don't do that.  Snacks have to be planned.

I'm also exercising...at least three times a week, no exceptions.  Walking for thirty minutes or swimming.  I don't break a sweat, but it's still good for me.

The finger pricking is definitely not as scary as I thought it would be.  It really doesn't hurt at all.  Isabela is the most interested in it and loves to pull out my little kit and get everything ready.  So far, my numbers are usually in the good range...although breakfast sometimes runs a few points high for some reason.

What can I eat?

Gestational diabetes is the most forgiving of all the different types of diabetes.  I can eat any amount of protein, non-starchy vegetables (that's most of them except corn, peas, and potatoes), and any amount of fats (olives, nuts, avocado).

I don't have to count calories or portions.  And I even get to add in carbohydrates!  Things like bread, crackers, fruit, popcorn.

There are two things to look at on a label when you watch your carbs.  Serving size.  And Total Carbs.  I'd say serving size is the downfall of most of us.  We definitely eat way more than the amount that all those numbers represent.  For instance, for a snack, I can have six crackers and some cheese.  Have you ever eaten just six crackers?  Since I had cut out all carbs before I met with the dietician, six crackers was perfect for me and quite exciting.  I'll add some carrots or a salad if I'm still hungry, but normally I'm not.

Following my eating schedule, these are the carbs I can have at each meal:

Breakfast 30 grams
Snack 15 grams
Lunch 45 grams
Snack 15 grams
Dinner 45 grams
Snack 15 grams

Basically, 15 grams is a serving of carbs, and I have a special book that tells me the amounts for most foods.  Some examples are 17 grapes, one slice of watermelon, an apple the size of your fist, 3 cups of popcorn.......

The important thing is I can still have most foods.  I even had one slice of pizza last night, along with my spinach salad and half a cup of applesauce.

Speaking of spinach salad...have you tried Panera Bread's new salad?  It is delicious and I recreated it at home since it's something I can eat as much as I want.

Here's my recipe:

Spinach
Hard Boiled Egg (you can leave out the yolk, and there's no cholesterol)
Sauteed mushrooms
Finely chopped tomatoes
Bacon
Crunchy onions (from a package)
A Small Amount Dressing (I use Caesar) tossed over the whole salad

It's delicious!! I make it for the kids, too.  Their noses turned up the first time I served it.  But we've been eating it for at least a week and they're used to it now.  Diego loves the spinach leaves, and it's something I'd never served him before!  Yay, vegetables!

The kids are learning a lot about healthy eating through this, as well.  As the dietician explained, your plate should be divided in half....half should be filled with non-starchy vegetables and the other side divided in half with a protein and a carbohydrate (starch).  Wow, that was an eye-opener!  You can add in a serving of fruit and milk and that's one healthy meal.



Anyone interested in joining me on this temporary diet?  Just until the baby arrives at the end of March?  It's doable.  And I'd love to hear what you thought of it...did you lose any excess weight, find any new foods (especially vegetables) that you liked, sleep better, get a new walking partner?

Just think about it as a fun winter challenge.  No one will know if you cheat, but I bet you'll feel better almost instantly.

And if the baby comes early, then you can finish early!

Here are some quotes to inspire you!  Join me!

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. 
Lao Tzu 


All great change in America begins at the dinner table.
Ronald Reagan 


To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
Winston Churchill 


Change before you have to.
Jack Welch