One Week Done! What do I eat?!!!!!

Well, I'm one week in on this journey and am doing fabulous!  This isn't hard at all!  The only hard part is eating six times a day and I'm still not there.  It's ok.  My numbers are still great without the 6th snack/meal!

At first when I was diagnosed I thought, I will hardly be able to eat anything and besides what do I eat?!!  After seeing the nutrionist and getting educated on what I could have (which is A LOT), I jumped in with both feet with more determination that I've had before.  The ultimate goal is to walk out with a healthy me and a healthy baby boy!  Besides, I only have to do this for another 8 weeks!  Not too bad!  It's all about your attitude!!!

So, you might be wondering, what do I eat?  First, let me say before I give you a sample of what an average day's meals and snacks looks like, I must tell you that it has almost 0% to do with sugar.  It's all about total carbs.  How many carbs are you putting into your body!  So onward I go to show you how this works.

Very first thing in the morning when I rise from my slumber I take my first glucose reading.  It's called the fasting reading.  I record the date, time, and the result.  Not too long after that I"m getting onto breakfast. Everything is about time management.  It all boils down to 1 and 2 hour increments.  So after I cook breakfast, exactly one hour after I take the first bite I take my glucose level again.

Here is are a couple of breakfast samples that I've eaten.  I'm allowd 15 grams of carbs for breakfast.  

1 Hard boiled egg (very few carbs)

1 piece of whole wheat toast with Country Crock Spread (has 0 Carbs!)

Water or coffee with a liiiiiiitle bit of sugar

Veggie scramble (Scallions, spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives, cheese, eggs)

1 piece of Whole wheat toast with Country crock spread

1 piece of breakfast sausage

Water or coffee...Normally it's water.

So that's a good idea of what I eat for Breakfast.  I've done oatmeal, but I can't put much on the oatmeal because it'll spike numbers.  So I normally eat it plain.  It isn't easy but it's filling.  I measure everything.  It's about portion control.  No more than 1/2 c. of ANYTHING other than my veggies! Veggies are free so I can have as many of them as I'd like.  

After Breakfast I'm pretty full.  It's rare that I am hungry after that.  One hour later comes my glucose test.  After that one hour later is morning snack.  Now, when I'm working (I work retail) I make it a point to definitely get in that morning snack.  It carries me through until lunch.  According to the nutrionists and Doc they don't want me going any more than 4 hours without food.  It bottoms me out.  I've only made that mistake ONCE and never again.  Almost hit the deck at work but I figured it out just in time!!!  

Here are a couple of samples for my morning snack  (30 g carbs max allowed):

2 graham crackers

1/4 cup cottage cheese

Water (At least 8 0z)

or

A hand full of almonds ( 1/4 cup)

Cheese stick

Water (At least 8 oz)

This snack is multi-purposed.  One of course is to make sure I don't bottom out.  The second is to make sure it carries me through til lunch time.  Drinking lots of water is key not only for me but for my sweet baby boy!!!!!  

Now Lunch (45 g carbs max) varies depending on what I work, but here are some samples of what I ate this week

1/2 C. Green beans

Turkey meat pattie (size of my palm)

1/2 of a potato (small size with country crock spread)

Water

or when I'm working...

Chicken salad sandwich

5 carrotts

hummus

cheese stick

almonds

Water

One hour after lunch...you got it....glucose check!  Afterwards there's supposed to be another snack, but while working I NEVER take that second snack.  Normally I'm not hungry at all (the docs wouldn't be pleased at this news) but I only normally have 2 hours left to my day and then it's dinner time anyways.  So with dinner not too far behind I opt to skip the after lunch snack.  Shhhh..Don't tell my Dr!

Dinner time varies but I make it a point to eat no later than 7 but normally it's about 2 to 2.5 hours earlier than that.  I'm mostly working days since we're so close to delivery!  

Here's what dinner looks like:

2 baked chicken legs

1/2 C. Green beans

1/2 very small potato

Water

You see this regimen isn't hard.  It's all about watching what I eat and exercise.  So far so good!  I"m looking forward to the day when I no longer have to prick my fingers 4 times a day but until then I'll do absolutely whatever it takes to walk out of that hospital with a healthy baby boy!  

I hope you enjoyed today's blog!  Time for morning snack then off to see the doctor!!!!  

Blessings to you,

Alicia Roark

Mission Possible! A day in the life of Gestational Diabetes

It's been a couple of weeks since I was diagnosed.  At first I was scared.  Am I still scared?  Ok, maybe a little because they have to give you all sides of the story.  However, after seeing the nutritionist the other day and the Dr. I walked away from those two visits with more determination and hope than I'd felt in days previous.

I have done lots of praying and asking God to walk with me through this.  He is doing exactly that!  So what does a day look like for me?  Well, I can tell you I now LIVE by a clock.  It's a little frustrating some days but it's worth it.

Anywhere between 6-7 I rise from my slumber.  First thing that happens before anything else gets done is the first glucose check of the day.  At first I wasn't sure I could prick myself 4 times a day.  Well, I'm doing it, although it's not too much fun.  Does it hurt?  No, not at all actually.  It's over before I know it.  After I take my first reading I start preparing breakfast.  EVERYTHING revolves around meals too.  Exactly one hour after I have breakfast it's time for another glucose check.  If you're keeping count, that's #2 of 4.

After that is where the fun really begins.  You see, I now HAVE to eat 6 times a day.  I've not gotten there yet.  I'm eating like 5 times a day.  It looks like this, Breakfast, then no more than two hours later a snack.  Then I have lunch, one hour later it's time for another check (#3).  Afterwards, I coast through til dinner time.  I then have dinner and then it's the fourth and final glucose test.  Once that is done, I have an evening snack that's light just before bed.

The one thing that I was highly misinformed about was reading labels.  I was watching sugar when I should've been watching the total carbs.  EVERYTHING is about watching what carbs go in my mouth.  I"m not a sweets person.  I'm still learning this new way of eating but I'm getting there.  I'll be referencing the chart they gave me for a bit until I get the hang of it!

So, you see I'm learning that is little bump in the road is possible!  CAN DO!  Is it inconvenient? Sure, but the goal is to walk out of that hopsital in approximately 58 DAYS with a healthy bouncing baby boy!

It's amazing what they can tell from just one drop of blood.  I'm often reminded as I prick myself about Jesus.  Just one drop of blood washed my sins away!  Was it convenient for Him?  No, and it was much more uncomfortable and painful than a small stick in the finger.  So to that I say...MISSION POSSIBLE!

I covet your prayers as we journey!  We're on the home stretch!  58 Days left!!!!  I'll post again soon!  Until then may God bless you and keep you!!!!

Blessings,
Alicia Roark

Diagnosed...Now What?!!!!

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The phone rang it was about 9:30.  "Mrs. Roark, this is....with the OBGYN office.  I called to inform you that you failed your 3 hour Blood Glucose test.  You have gestational diabetes.  We'll be sending you to a class and getting you on the right path.  

I hung up the phone and sat in silence.  What now??  Where do I begin??  I decided I needed to do some research.  So, I took to the internet to find some research.  It lasted for about 15 minutes then I had read all the good and bad that I had intended on.  

I threw myself a pity party complete with tears.  Guess what?  There were no gifts and nobody came.  Yep, so in my poor-pitiful-me moment I heard God whisper, who is in charge?!!!  I didn't have much to say after that question.  

It's now been two days since I got the news.  I've decided that with God's help I'm going to bootstrap myself up and fight like crazy to get this under control and to have a great 72 days left of pregnancy!  Yes, as I know it to be at this hour I'll have to prick my fingers at least 3 maybe 4 times a day.  

This is/was no surprise to God and He has a solution!  I'm going to pray lots, watch what I eat and cling to His unchanging hand through it all!  He's God and I am not.  I'll let HIM handle this!!!

Until then I'll post recipes, things I eat, and progress on my journey.  I covet your prayers as I journey through this thing called Gestational Diabetes and pray that it goes as quickly as it came...Right after birth!

Blessings to you,
Alicia Roark