Thanks so much for all of the helpful and supportive comments on my last post. I will admit that I was still in a state of shock, confusion, denial and depression when I got the call from the nurse. I cried most of the day. Yes, I was feeling sorry for myself, which is stupid, I know. That said, now that I have had a few days to process things and have almost kicked my cold (and slept soooo much better last night because I could breathe through my nose again!), I feel like I am looking at things a little more clearly than I was the other day. All I care about is that my baby is healthy. If I have to suffer through a difficult diet then so be it.
I have done quite a bit of research about GD, from reputable sites like ADA, and I have done some not so formal research by asking questions on various pregnancy forums. Both have proven to be effective in giving me more information about my possible diagnosis. I talked to a few friends at work that I know have had it and they have also given me lots of valuable info.
In my research, and at the urging of the nurse, I have already changed my healthy diet to a (still healthy but,) low carb/higher protein diet. The bones of most of the plans are to be very restrictive of carbs and to eat 3 meals, plus 3 snacks a day in the following format:
I am not sure you have ever counted carbs before, but there are carbs in almost everything! I went to the grocery store last night and was checking carb contents out on frozen meals. An tiny organic chicken and bean burrito has a whopping 79 grams of carbs!
I started using the app "M.yF.itnessP.al" to track what I am eating and it has been really eye opening. If you have not checked out that app, you should! You can scan your food's bar-code and enter the serving size. It is so cool. While I did eat healthy before, I was eating a lot of carbs, I guess. I heart cereal...my favorite kinds...my mouth is watering...
http://www.barbarasbakery.com/cereals-fiber/
http://www.barbarasbakery.com/cereals-shredded/
http://us.naturespath.com/product/optimum-slimr-low-fat-vanilla-cereal
Here is my diet for the last two days. You can tell I had not yet spoken to the nurse when I ate breakfast in the first chart since my carb count was off the charts! I also didn't eat the right amount of snacks the first day. I got better yesterday. Also note that I don't actually drink SBUX decaf since it has chemicals. I drink it from a local shop that uses a Swiss water process, but the only thing I could find that was equivalent was SBUX. :)
A few things I notice from my diet are that I actually go over my carbs on a few meals and go under on some. Can you tell I am the hungriest in the AM? Sucks that that is the time where your blood sugar will spike if you eat too many carbs and this is all I want when I wake up. I also eat too much sodium. I guess this comes with the territory of not being able to eat many fruits and supplementing with cheese and nuts. I am also not consuming that many calories. I am not sure if this is ok or not.
A friend at work suggested getting healthy frozen meals to microwave at work instead of salad every day. It was a great suggestion. I bought a few from O.rganic B.istro that I like. They are just under the carb count and contain protein, veggies, and some carbs. I am having the C.itron C.hicken today!
I also tracked all my walking yesterday with "M.apM.yR.un", another amazing app (including to and from work and walking the dog). I walked over 3.5 miles just with that regular amount! I didn't realize how much I walked in one day not including going to the gym!
Obviously, I am going to check in with the nutritionist on Tuesday. I want to be sure I am eating as healthy as possible for the baby and me. I think will be good for her to see what I am eating, though. She will be able to correct me where necessary and give me tips about what to eat and what not to eat. She may also have different ideas regarding carb counts, although I think the list above is fairly standard.
Not sure if anyone else has advice on a low carb/high protein diet, but I would love more suggestions (keeping in mind that I hate eggs!). I think the weekend will be much tougher than during the week. It is easier to follow a schedule when you are on a regular one. Weekends are a wildcard for me. I'll keep you posted.
share this on » |
{Facebook} |
{Twitter} |
{Pinterest} |
Looks healthy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear this! GD is one of my biggest concerns thanks to PCOS. :( I was on a low carb/high protein diet when trying to make my crazy ovaries cooperate. AT the time I was not eating chicken nor could I handle eggs (since getting pregnant I can't get enough scrambled eggs with hummus and hot sauce for some reason!). I drink a cup of flax milk and one or two scoops of the below protein powder each afternoon for a protein snack. It is not terrible tasting and really keeps me going for the last few hours of work. I highly recommend! http://www.nutribiotic.com/rice-protein-spectrum-shake-20oz.html
ReplyDeleteOh, and I shake it all up with a Blender Bottle which as to be the best invention ever :)
Hello! Delurking to say, I feel your pain. Have GD with twins, and I was diagnosised with it at 15 weeks (I'm 18 now). Feel like I'm just starting to manage it, though I did have to be put on insulin. I'm on the same amounts of carbs too. The biggest thing I've found is that I don't have to miss out on carbs, just have to limit them. So I'm still having pasta (picking a specificially low GI brand), and lower GI rice. I just portion it out and fill up on veggies and meat. My nurse gave me a general guide (ie 1 slice of bread is one portion of carbs, half a cup of pasta, a third of a cup of rice) and so I just follow that rather than checking the specific brands. She also gave me a list of low GI brands which is really helpful (GI is really big in Australia where I'm from, not sure what it's like for you.
ReplyDeleteI also do salad sandwiches with really grainy bread.
It is a real pain, and so frustrating- particularly in social situations where I can't always eat everything I'm offered. But as you say, it's for a very good cause. Good luck :)
Based on those 2 days, I think you to may want to increase your calorie intake! Women need 1500 calories per day before you factor in any exercise at all. Considering you walk a fair distance every day AND are about to enter your third trimester, you need to be consuming at least 2000 calories per day. At least those are the kind of guidelines I have been given! I found this article useful..Alix xx
ReplyDeletehttp://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/pregnancy-diet/calories.aspx
You are totally right. I am having a tough time figuring out how to add more calories without carbs. Veggies just have so few calories! I am going to ask the nutritionist on Tuesday. I am sure they will be able to guide me much better than I am able to guide myself.
DeleteI know there are some low carb yogurts you can get. Sorry but that is all the advice I have. Thinking of you as you navigate this.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for being totally on top of your diet...although it sounds like you have been all along anyway! Compared to you, I have been eating like total crap...just trying to eat stuff that won't come back up. I'm scared to death of the GD test! =/
ReplyDelete