Newly diagnosed diabetes

I saw it on the menu at Cracker Barrel. There was a carrot and then at the bottom it said what that meant. I even had to look again to show hubby. Oh well the dumplings were lousy and the server was nice enough to let me pick something else. I took a country fried steak which I’m sure was super bad but I was starved.
Today is the big day to find out what I have to do.
I’ll be glad to get some answers. I haven’t eaten or slept good the last couple of days.

That symbol represents "items under 600 calories and 15 grams of fator less"

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I don't believe Cracker Barrel has a symbol for low-carb options. Some restaurants are starting to note such options, but generally it's low fat or "heart-healthy" if anything.

The country fried steak was actually slightly fewer carbs at 49.
 
Thanks for the correction on that. So at 49 for lunch was that ok then.
That's something you need to figure out with your care team. Personally, if I have 49g of carbs for lunch, I'm going to need a midafternoon snack, unless I have excess glucose in my liver.
 
Thanks for the correction on that. So at 49 for lunch was that ok then.
Well 49 was just the entree (the country fried steak so largely attributed to the breading and gravy). Then add any sides -- a starchy side (potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.) will have a lot more carbs than veggies (broccoli, green beans, etc.). Plus add any beverages and rolls or cornbread served while you waited, etc. That gives you the total for the the meal.

As PP said, either your doctor or the nutritionist will let you know what your target is for a meal -- in my family we aim for 3 meals a day of 60 carbs and 2 snacks of 15-20 carbs. But I think someone above posted their meal target is 75 carbs. So it may vary and you want to follow the advice of your team.
 

But that's not what you said. You said exercise and keto. A full keto diet can kill a diabetic.
Ok. Give it a rest. I clarified in my subsequent post. Let's agree to disagree. I'm not going to argue. You don't think what I said is correct. That's fine. That's why the OP should consult with their healthcare provider about it. Ultimately, the OP shouldn't take ANY of our advice because we're all just a bunch of random people on the Internet and all of our collective opinions are about as valuable as...fill in the blank.
 
She said you can have half a cup of spaghetti noodles. I was so hungry after eating that.
Several thoughts:
- Part of that is that all of us Americans are used to extra-large portions -- you can adjust to a proper quantity, but it won't happen overnight.
- The other part is, you need to add vegetables -- maybe a side of broccoli or mix your 1/2 cup of noodles with 1 cup of zucchini noodles.
- More vegetables are pretty much the answer to Diabetes. In general, green leafy vegetables are lower in carbs than root vegetables, but any vegetables will "fill you up" and keep you full longer than carbohydrates. I roast up a big batch of mixed vegetables every Monday and Thursday and eat them all week.
- While we're talking spaghetti meals, note that Alfredo has fewer carbs than Marinara.
She mentioned eating a hamburger with just half the bun.
Wasn’t easy with toppings.
Cut it half like a sandwich /don't just eat the top. Or have the hamburger on a plate. It's fine to have a double-burger on half a bun -- meat, in general has no carbs. But be careful about carbohydrates in breading and condiments.
Does metformin help if you want to treat yourself to say one cookie or half a donut or even a soda.
Not really. When you go to the Dietician, ask how many carbs you should have for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- your Dietician will be able to personalize this for your age, weight and nutritional needs. If you're going to have an occasional cookie or doughnut, it needs to fit into that guideline. So if you're going to have the cookie, you probably need to have the salad /not a sandwich for lunch.
I don’t like the idea of having to do so much thinking and planning just to eat.
Yeah, and that's what got you into this situation. Sorry to be rude, but that's the truth.
Consider that what's hard is a CHANGE in your eating habits. Once you get into the habit of having only no-carb drinks, and once you're in the habit of having half a sandwich + a salad, it won't be as hard as it is now.
But, no, planning is part of your life now.
You want to look at the number of carbs in a serving. Guacamole is only 2-3 grams of carbs in a serving, but a serving is 2 Tablespoons. If you were eating chips and dip, you may have had more than 2 TBSP. Still not bad. The chips -- assuming tortilla chips -- is 22g in 15 chips. So again portion size is important.
Yes, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was, Read the BACK of the food packaging, NOT the front. Words they use on the front like Keto, Lite, Low-Carb have no legal meaning, but they have to tell the truth on the back of the package.
The two things you should really study are the serving size and the carbs.
funny thing about the meters and testing I asked the RN about a meter and she said that since Ill be on metformin that I wont need to check which seems really odd
This is horrible advice. Especially while you're new to this, you need to "test" to know how things affect you, and it's really personal to your body. For example, apples are awful for me.
I’ve been reading a lot on what I can eat by doing searches and I’ve been reading a lot of conflicting info.
One place I read says cheese is ok then says it’s bad.
I’ve always heard potatoes are bad yet some places I’ve read says it’s ok.
Also just curious as to opinions on what we had for supper the other night.
Steak. Half of baked potato with I can’t believe it’s not butter. Very little. Salad dressing. Sautéed mushrooms and onions. And water. Just wondering
Especially online, you can't believe everything you hear. Listen to your Dietician and read legitimate books.
Everything is okay in moderation -- but you have to learn how many carbohydrates are in those things + balance everything you eat in a day.
Butter is no-carb, as is sour cream. Mushrooms are almost no-carb. Onions (like other root vegetables) are moderate in carbohydrate. Be careful about salad dressing (and other carbs) -- they vary widely.

The biggest reason this is hard /confusing is that you have an idea in your head about what's healthy -- but that doesn't line up with a Diabetic diet. For example, wheat bread is more healthful than white bread, but both are equally carb-filled.
 
Thanks luvbulldogs. That was great breading very helpful.
Had a great meeting with the educator.
She really made me feel I can do this.
She wasn’t too happy when I told her about the meter. So she ordered one for me.
Thanks to all of you for the helpful replies
 
/
Thanks luvbulldogs. That was great breading very helpful.
Had a great meeting with the educator.
She really made me feel I can do this.
She wasn’t too happy when I told her about the meter. So she ordered one for me.
Thanks to all of you for the helpful replies
Yes, you can do this! I “know” you from these forums, and I have confidence in you.
 
Sorry but yet another question. I started on the metformin last night after dinner since my order finally came in. Anyways the RN said to start on one pill with breakfast but I wanted to get started and unfortunately forgot she said breakfast and started after dinner.
After about 5 hrs I had to actually run to the bathroom.
I can’t see if it’s going to cause issues that one pill is going to turn my stomach inside out.
Any thoughts on this
 
Sorry but yet another question. I started on the metformin last night after dinner since my order finally came in. Anyways the RN said to start on one pill with breakfast but I wanted to get started and unfortunately forgot she said breakfast and started after dinner.
After about 5 hrs I had to actually run to the bathroom.
I can’t see if it’s going to cause issues that one pill is going to turn my stomach inside out.
Any thoughts on this
It took some time for my body to adjust when I first started Metformin many years ago. Not saying yours will or will not adjust as well, but I was told it was a normal occurrence for many who first start it. I no longer have issues myself.
 
Does just one pill though hit you so fast. I thought it would take awhile as it builds up in your system before you had issues
 
Does just one pill though hit you so fast. I thought it would take awhile as it builds up in your system before you had issues
It's the shock to the system that causes the initial issues. I started on Metformin 15 years ago but do recall having the issues for a couple weeks. I started with one 500mg pill, then it went to one 500mg pill in the morning and one at night, eventually up to 1g in the morning and I was supposed to take one with dinner, but usually forgot so my Dr. took that dose out of my treatment plan.
 
Sorry but yet another question. I started on the metformin last night after dinner since my order finally came in. Anyways the RN said to start on one pill with breakfast but I wanted to get started and unfortunately forgot she said breakfast and started after dinner.
After about 5 hrs I had to actually run to the bathroom.
I can’t see if it’s going to cause issues that one pill is going to turn my stomach inside out.
Any thoughts on this
Some people report having fewer GI side effects by taking it at a mealtime. Also one could inquire with the physician about getting Metformin ER (extended release). Sometimes, insurance companies will require a 6 month trial of regular Metformin first though.
 
I did start it after supper last night and I’m on the ER.
I’m worried now when I’m 2 weeks when I have to start twice a day.
 
oooh thats what I did wrong--
so tonight sometime while Im in the middle of my meal then take it
honestly whats the difference--either way theres food in your stomach
 
oooh thats what I did wrong--
so tonight sometime while Im in the middle of my meal then take it
honestly whats the difference--either way theres food in your stomach
I take mine right before I start eating. Like sitting at the table with the food in front of me.
 
Weird I always take it after I eat. Sometimes I do have to run to the bathroom a bit after but not all the time. Been taking it over 10 years.

It says take with food, I just ate that is with food. Not on an empty stomach.
 
Weird I always take it after I eat. Sometimes I do have to run to the bathroom a bit after but not all the time. Been taking it over 10 years.

It says take with food, I just ate that is with food. Not on an empty stomach.
I take mine after I eat as well. The side effects have not been a problem for me like in the beginning. It happens once in a great while, but I really don't notice any of them for the most part.
 
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