Monitoring my sugar

So, as you all heard, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes over a month ago. I finally had my appointment with MFM and the diabetes educator last week and have been testing my sugar for over a week now.

For the most part, my levels have been good.  There are a few  tricky things that following the diet does not help with, and I’m still trying to figure out everything I can and can not eat. Here’s what I’ve learned in the first week.

1.  I must eat all whole grains.  If I eat anything that is processed at all (I had garden pasta one night, and a flour tortilla another night), my sugar levels go through the roof.

2.  I can’t have any cereal in the morning (not even a whole grain cereal).  I only had 1 serving of starch and it was whole grain, along with my milk and protein, and my sugar levels went through the roof.

3.  If my sugar is high at night, it will be low in the morning. If my sugar is low at night, it will be higher in the morning, approaching bad fasting levels.

4. If I have my afternoon snack too close to dinner, my sugar levels will be high.

5. I have to over stuff myself at lunch to eat all of the food required, but if I don’t, my sugar levels go high.

So, what am I eating?  Here is a breakdown of my diet for the next 4 months.

First, a couple of definitions:

1. A serving of starch has 15 g of carbohydrates.  Examples include 1/3 cup of pasta or 1 slice of bread.

2. A serving of protein is 7 g of protein.

3. Milk is either a glass of milk or a serving of yogurt.

4. Vegetables only include those vegetables that have less than 5 g of carbohydrates per serving.

Breakfast includes 1 starch, 1 protein, and 1 milk.  For breakfast, the starch can not be cereal (not even a whole grain kind). My typical good breakfast includes an egg, 1/2 of an english muffin, and a glass of almond milk.

Snack includes 1 starch and 1 protein.  My snacks at this time are usually on the go, so they include one Fiber One or Glucerna bar and an ounce of cheese.

Lunch includes 2 starches, 2 proteins, 1 fruit, 1 milk, and 2 vegetables.  My lunches have usually been leftovers from a previous night.  Most of the time it’s 2 oz of chicken breast, 2/3 cup of whole wheat pasta, and 1 1/2 cups of cooked vegetables, with 1/2 banana cut up in 1 cup of almond milk.

Afternoon snack includes 2 starches and 1 protein: This is usually 1/3 cup of cottage cheese and 3/4 cup of cereal (a whole grain, usually Kashi brand).

Dinner includes 2 starches, 2 vegetables, 2 proteins, and 1 fruit.  This is usually 2 oz of chicken, 2/3 cup whole grain pasta or brown rice, 1 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables, and 1 cup of strawberries.

Bedtime snack includes 1 starch, 1 protein, and 1 milk.  This usually means 1 oz of cheese, 5 whole wheat crackers, and a glass of almond milk. I switch this off and on with 2/3 cup of Greek yogurt, Kashi granola cereal, and cheese.

So, in the morning, I’m starving, at lunch I’m over full.  I can’t win.

Oh well, 4 more months, and it is all to keep my little boy healthy. I can do this!