Today's the day

So today was my 1st meeting since first meeting the Diabetic ladies at the hospital, to assess my progress. They gave me 2 weeks to get my crap together and cut out the sugar, test and record my blood 4 times a day and get my sugars under control....or else I get put on insulin.  Lets just say, yes I was nervous today. I knew from all the research I was doing that i was in range MOST of the time. About 1/3 of my results in 2 weeks were a little too high, but I could always pinpoint why, either I ate some grapes, or sugary fruit, or cheated and had A&W one time. (my body needed a teen burger!!!  LOL)

The dietitian and the Diabetic councillor thought I did a fantastic job! So much so that they said I can now take my blood every OTHER day now, as long as I exercise a little more. But they were not too happy I lost 9lbs (i was super happy!) but they don't want me losing weight while pregnant, especially not while I 'm heading into the 3rd trimester...the baby needs calories!  So they asked me to increase my veggies and fruit. I told them fruit makes my sugar spike, so they said on lunches I eat fruit, get up right after and walk or dance or something for 20 mins and then test my sugar and It'll be ok. So I'll try that all this week. They were so impressed by my "hard-core" approach to this and they can tell I am making such amazing changes and they were so happy for me. They read my food diary and said I really need to eat more, I am about 1400 calories a day now, (down from 2500 or so), so they asked me to get it up to 1800, the baby needs it and so do I. I have been feeling hungry by nighttime so they said eat more for breakfast and lunch. So i'll take their advise, I'm ok to eat more!! heeheehee

So I go back again in 3 weeks, (have to email them Easter monday with how I get through this weekend's temptations) and then in 3 weeks they go over everything again and see how I'm doing. I feel so good about myself for tackling this and really educating myself on the damage I was doing to my health with all the sugars and high fat foods. I really hope to continue this even after the baby is born and I no longer have GD, plus I will be breastfeeding so i will want to be healthy for the baby's nourishment and growth.  And if I drop a tonne of weight you won't hear me complaining!!!

GD week 2

OK so i'm on week 2 of following a diabetic type meal plan for my Gestational Diabetes. So far I'm doing good, great I think.  My blood sugar levels have come way down, and I'm noticing small things like 10 grapes throws my sugars into a frenzy, yet a fresh pear today was ok. Just learning all the glycemic scales of different foods have me fascinated.  I'm probably driving my close friends and family crazy with all my sugar talk, but its my new life now....even after this baby pops out I'm going to continue this healthy way.

So its been 2 weeks and I have to say, I have not had heartburn ONCE....until tonight. I was craving sugar really badly, so my man made me a tea and put 2 sugars in it, and I had a few grapes and a granola bar. Now I have heartburn.  Something I have suffered this whole pregnancy with every single night.  So back to no sugar for me. (or LESS sugar at one sitting) Back to tea with 1 sugar and no more grapes.  They seem to really make my blood sugar go sky high. Apples and Pears for me now!

I'm am learning, and sharing for those who are interested.  For those thinking, enough already I don't care, then that's ok, i'm not trying to preach, but 2 weeks ago when my life was forced to change I've really had to change everything. And I am so happy my man is supportive of this. He misses sugars too, and I'm sure he grabs the odd pop at work, but at night we no longer have chocolate bars and pop and chips before bed. Popcorn has been something we've come to enjoy, or toast with PB and our tea!  And I'm not saying I'll never eat chocolate again...Heck, on the way home from delivering this baby I plan on making a pit stop to my fave donut place....believe me!! But I love this new way we are trying to live. And I'm enjoying finding all these high sugar foods, I feel like I'm uncovering a secret society. Most low-fat foods are high in salt and sugar to make up the taste.....so it's made me make wiser choices when buying food for the family.

I'm learning here.....and so far I'm liking it all. And dropping weight has been nice too! Not that i'm supposed to lose weight while prego, but if I cut out sugar it's bound to happen!
I'll keep ya posted....

I'm coming out of the sugar pantry

I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.

I am 6 months pregnant now and my life has hit a wall with this news. Shocked? yes a little.  But I did it to myself so I haven't yet asked Why me????  I KNOW why me.  It's called sugar-addiction.

I failed all 3 blood tests. You only have to fail 1 to be GD.  So I met today with 2 dietitians and Diabetic counselors. They were wonderful!!!  I have to prick my finger after my 3 meals a day and record my numbers. I have to pee on a stick first thing every morning and I HAVE to start exercising and changing my diet....in a major, major way.  If I can't get it under control in only 2 weeks, I will be put on insulin.  Now THAT scares me. I had no idea I had done this much damage to my body, but now that i've been reflecting for 3 days since I found out this bad news, I know why it happened to me. I love sugar.

My whole adult life I have struggled with my weight. Been so self-conscious of how I look and what people think of me when they see me walking down the street with my hot sexy man.  I always felt they were thinking, why is he with her?  Well for one main reason he's with me...I'm totally awesome! And we are besties and have a blast together. But I am aware of my size, I know what the scale says and my clothing size. I'm not a complete idiot. 

But my sugar addiction is strong. I love my pop everyday, my Latte's, sugary drinks, and chocolate!  Oh man Easter is coming and no chocolate bunny for me :(  I cant even think about it or I'll cry....I'm a  newbie at this healthy shit, It'll take some time to adjust.

So the ladies showed me how to use my clicker/pricker thingy and how to record it all. I have to email my results weekly to the hospital and every 2 weeks meet with them to review and ask more questions. So I was happy they are taking good care of me.  They spent well over an hour teaching me how to read labels, what foods to eat, to always eat a protein with every meal and snack I put into my mouth. And to get off my lazy fat ass and go for a walk.  I do not exercise at all, so now I HAVE to. No excuses!  I can't go on insulin!!

So when I got home tonight my man and I started reading the labels of foods we eat here at home.  here;s what we found.  OK 5g of sugar on the label = 1 tsp of sugar. 
1 YOP drinkable yogurt= 26g sugar (5 tsp!!) (the same as drinking half a Pepsi)
1 500ml Dr. Pepper= 52g sugar (10 tsp!!)
1 apple nutrigrain bar= 16g sugar (3 tsp)
1 apple juice from McDonalds that kids drink= 18g sugar (3+ tsp!!)
1 400ml Minute Maid Apple Juice= 52g sugar (10tsp) (same as Dr. Pepper)
16 Rold Gold pretzels= 3g sugar (yes my new fave snack LOL)

we stopped after that depressing news.  But it sure makes me feel good about hardly ever giving my child juice!  10 tsp of sugar in 1 bottle of apple juice you buy at the store!  Thats crazy!!

It has now become clear to me to read those sugar labels! I used to read the fat and calories, not caring about sugar thinking Oh I burn sugar off, fat is bad for me.  Apparently not!  The white has got to go. Sugar, white rice, white buns, white pasta...all of it. I have to do some serious grocery shopping next payday now to fill our house with better options. I just had no idea how bad we were really eating. I thought oh I'm 6 months pregnant and have lost 5lbs i'm eating soooo much better!  But sadly no, I am killing myself with sugar.

The good news about GD is once I deliver the baby my sugars go back to normal. But this is a huge wake-up call for me to change our lifestyle and eating patterns now, or later in life I will face this again....and it wont be pretty. And I don't want our kids growing up guzzling juices and pops and sugary granola bars all day and getting fat and unhappy like I have been for so many years.

So we finished our supper, mine had 3g of sugar for the whole meal, yay me!! And we got on our shoes and went to the park with our daughter and played on the slides then went for a long walk around the neighbourhood.  We pooped her out, she sat on the sidewalk and said she was too tired to go any further.  So daddy carried her home but she said it was so much fun.  And it was so nice to get fresh air, and for us to talk about our days and be a family doing something good for us! And when I came home and took my blood, my sugars were in the good range...hooray for exercise!!

I am so happy I have him to support me on this. He's right on board with healthy eating and what we need to do exercise wise to get us all healthy again. When we came home and he was drawing the bath for our daughter I asked him if he'll still love me when I'm all skinny and sexy?  And he said yes! LOL  :)