My journey begins
After my diagnosis, I was looking on FB for a couple of Type II groups to join, sort of an online support group type thing. I found and joined several and I noticed that most of them encouraged a low carb high fat (LCHF) way of eating. Basically, the idea is to eat VERY low carb (generally less than 30g PER DAY) and high in healthy fat so that your body will switch from burning carbs for energy to burning fat instead. Not only does it provide much better control for your blood sugar, it also usually helps with weight loss. Here's a website that explains it if you're interested. LCHF is one term, you may also know it as Keto or Ketogenic eating. The hardest part of what I found out is that most of the foods I loved most were on the no-no list...no grains, beans/legumes, fruit, starchy veggies, or any form of sugar.
I wasn't sure I could completely cut those things from my diet- I love bread and I have a very bad sweet tooth...the idea of not eating those things any longer was overwhelming. However, I decided to become my own test subject. I had a couple of months until my follow up visit and decided I would eat low carb high fat (LCHF) until my next appointment and see how my results went. It was very hard at first. There's something that's commonly referred to as Keto flu that happens in the first week or so. Basically, you feel like you got hit by a Mack truck while your body transitions to burning fat rather than carbs. Also, in case you didn't know, sugar is as addictive as tobacco and alcohol. So, just like an alcoholic or smoker who stops cold turkey, the withdrawal was really hard. The cravings were ridiculous, but I really wanted to hold off and see how staying true to this way of eating affected my body.
The results were amazing. My A1C dropped from 7 (diabetic) to 5.1 (normal) in just a couple of months. I kept at it, and my blood sugars were great and I lost about 10 lbs. I also found out I was pregnant with Harper not long after that.
Back when I was pregnant with Abbi, I followed the American Diabetes Association (ADA) way of eating and it took insulin to control my blood sugar throughout the pregnancy. This time, however, I started out with my blood sugar well under control without medication, so after doing my research, I decided to keeping eating LCHF throughout the pregnancy and see if that would give me better control. The ADA way of eating makes no sense when you really look at it. Type II Diabetes means your body doesn't metabolize sugar the way it should and your pancreas has to work harder to process the carbs you eat. ADA standards of recommending 30-60g of carbs per meal is like telling an alcoholic that they don't have to stop drinking, just decrease the amount of alcohol they imbibe. The pancreas is still having to work over time to process those carbs, and over time can wear out. Now, carbs aren't completely avoidable, and your body does need some, but nowhere near what the ADA advocates. LCHF is about being picky where your carbs come from- vegetables have some carbs, but the also have fiber and other beneficial nutrients that make them a better source of carbs than a piece or bread or pasta. It's also about limiting your carbs to a level where your body can process the ones you eat without overtaxing your pancreas. There is absolutely no evidence that eating LCHF or Keto hurts a pregnancy, and there is actually some evidence that babies are in a Keto state for the first part of their life. Therefore, I decided to stick with LCHF.
I found a new OB that wasn't a complete jerk (she was actually amazing) but unfortunately she still referred me to HROC at UT (the group I'd had repeated issues with in the past) at least for a consultation. Thankfully my first meeting wasn't with the lady who'd given me such trouble in the past, and they were impressed that I was "acknowledging and controlling my condition". Of course, they were all about the ADA recommendations, so I just let them talk and figured my blood sugar would speak louder than any words I had to say. At first, they were really happy with my great control. My numbers stayed consistent, but after they found ketones in my urine (it's supposed to happen on Keto- it's a sign your body is burning fat instead of carbs for energy), they started trying to push more and more carbs on me. Despite my trying to discuss things with them, it felt like they were trying to push me to the point of being on insulin again (talking about putting me on it before my numbers warranted it, as a "preventative" treatment, etc). I explained my concerns to my regular OB, and she agreed that as long as my blood sugar was under control, I didn't have to see them anymore! In fact, I didn't step another foot in that office the rest of my pregnancy- and Harper was born healthy and happy.
After Harper was born, I allowed myself 6 weeks to eat whatever, since the first few months with a baby are so chaotic and I knew other people would be cooking for us quite a bit. Then I was right back at it. I hadn't gained anything once I got past the postpartum phase, and actually managed to loose another 20 lbs or so...
Then I fell off the wagon. It was supposed to just be for a little while- we were going on vacation and I wanted to let loose a bit....but then we lost Mom and I pretty much burned the wagon. I've always been an emotional eater, and I just wasn't up to dealing with everything AND monitoring what I ate. I gained everything I'd previously lost, but it took me a while to care.
So January 1, 2018, I officially got back on the wagon. I know how painful it is to lose my Mom, and I don't want my kids to have to go through that any sooner than they have to. Therefore, it's up to me to get my health under control and keep it that way- so I can make the most of whatever time God gives me with my family.
It's been about a month and a half and I'm down about 9 lbs. I've done really well until last weekend. Chase and I agreed to a cheat meal/day every 6 weeks or so, and so last weekend we ate far more sushi than should be allowed by law. Then I ate ice cream. I got back on track, although I had another little cheat last night (it was Mardi Gras and I wanted a couple bite of authentic NOLA french bread and a small bite of pie). Today's a new day, and I'm back eating what I'm supposed to.
I've spent a lot of time looking at other people's website for recipes and ideas, and I decided that I would start my own blog. Not with the expectation that I would gain lots of followers or anything, just as a place to share my recipes, ideas, and thoughts. I don't want to blow my FB up with food pictures, and a blog makes it much easier for someone just searching for food ideas.
So here we are..if you've read all this, I applaud you. If not, no big deal, just keep scrolling down and I'll post food pictures, recipes, and who knows what else, as the inspiration strikes.
I wasn't sure I could completely cut those things from my diet- I love bread and I have a very bad sweet tooth...the idea of not eating those things any longer was overwhelming. However, I decided to become my own test subject. I had a couple of months until my follow up visit and decided I would eat low carb high fat (LCHF) until my next appointment and see how my results went. It was very hard at first. There's something that's commonly referred to as Keto flu that happens in the first week or so. Basically, you feel like you got hit by a Mack truck while your body transitions to burning fat rather than carbs. Also, in case you didn't know, sugar is as addictive as tobacco and alcohol. So, just like an alcoholic or smoker who stops cold turkey, the withdrawal was really hard. The cravings were ridiculous, but I really wanted to hold off and see how staying true to this way of eating affected my body.
The results were amazing. My A1C dropped from 7 (diabetic) to 5.1 (normal) in just a couple of months. I kept at it, and my blood sugars were great and I lost about 10 lbs. I also found out I was pregnant with Harper not long after that.
Back when I was pregnant with Abbi, I followed the American Diabetes Association (ADA) way of eating and it took insulin to control my blood sugar throughout the pregnancy. This time, however, I started out with my blood sugar well under control without medication, so after doing my research, I decided to keeping eating LCHF throughout the pregnancy and see if that would give me better control. The ADA way of eating makes no sense when you really look at it. Type II Diabetes means your body doesn't metabolize sugar the way it should and your pancreas has to work harder to process the carbs you eat. ADA standards of recommending 30-60g of carbs per meal is like telling an alcoholic that they don't have to stop drinking, just decrease the amount of alcohol they imbibe. The pancreas is still having to work over time to process those carbs, and over time can wear out. Now, carbs aren't completely avoidable, and your body does need some, but nowhere near what the ADA advocates. LCHF is about being picky where your carbs come from- vegetables have some carbs, but the also have fiber and other beneficial nutrients that make them a better source of carbs than a piece or bread or pasta. It's also about limiting your carbs to a level where your body can process the ones you eat without overtaxing your pancreas. There is absolutely no evidence that eating LCHF or Keto hurts a pregnancy, and there is actually some evidence that babies are in a Keto state for the first part of their life. Therefore, I decided to stick with LCHF.
I found a new OB that wasn't a complete jerk (she was actually amazing) but unfortunately she still referred me to HROC at UT (the group I'd had repeated issues with in the past) at least for a consultation. Thankfully my first meeting wasn't with the lady who'd given me such trouble in the past, and they were impressed that I was "acknowledging and controlling my condition". Of course, they were all about the ADA recommendations, so I just let them talk and figured my blood sugar would speak louder than any words I had to say. At first, they were really happy with my great control. My numbers stayed consistent, but after they found ketones in my urine (it's supposed to happen on Keto- it's a sign your body is burning fat instead of carbs for energy), they started trying to push more and more carbs on me. Despite my trying to discuss things with them, it felt like they were trying to push me to the point of being on insulin again (talking about putting me on it before my numbers warranted it, as a "preventative" treatment, etc). I explained my concerns to my regular OB, and she agreed that as long as my blood sugar was under control, I didn't have to see them anymore! In fact, I didn't step another foot in that office the rest of my pregnancy- and Harper was born healthy and happy.
After Harper was born, I allowed myself 6 weeks to eat whatever, since the first few months with a baby are so chaotic and I knew other people would be cooking for us quite a bit. Then I was right back at it. I hadn't gained anything once I got past the postpartum phase, and actually managed to loose another 20 lbs or so...
Then I fell off the wagon. It was supposed to just be for a little while- we were going on vacation and I wanted to let loose a bit....but then we lost Mom and I pretty much burned the wagon. I've always been an emotional eater, and I just wasn't up to dealing with everything AND monitoring what I ate. I gained everything I'd previously lost, but it took me a while to care.
So January 1, 2018, I officially got back on the wagon. I know how painful it is to lose my Mom, and I don't want my kids to have to go through that any sooner than they have to. Therefore, it's up to me to get my health under control and keep it that way- so I can make the most of whatever time God gives me with my family.
It's been about a month and a half and I'm down about 9 lbs. I've done really well until last weekend. Chase and I agreed to a cheat meal/day every 6 weeks or so, and so last weekend we ate far more sushi than should be allowed by law. Then I ate ice cream. I got back on track, although I had another little cheat last night (it was Mardi Gras and I wanted a couple bite of authentic NOLA french bread and a small bite of pie). Today's a new day, and I'm back eating what I'm supposed to.
I've spent a lot of time looking at other people's website for recipes and ideas, and I decided that I would start my own blog. Not with the expectation that I would gain lots of followers or anything, just as a place to share my recipes, ideas, and thoughts. I don't want to blow my FB up with food pictures, and a blog makes it much easier for someone just searching for food ideas.
So here we are..if you've read all this, I applaud you. If not, no big deal, just keep scrolling down and I'll post food pictures, recipes, and who knows what else, as the inspiration strikes.
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