Mom followed a low-carb, low-fat, low-sodium diet, so all of the rest of us did too. Thanks to a life-long habit of whole grains, carb-counting, and conscious eating, I did not have to make very many adjustments to my lifestyle when I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes during pre-surgical blood work in 2005.
I went to all the classes and kept the binder of recipes, but the only change I made was to switch to sugar-free whole wheat bread instead of the regular. I was always sensitive to preservatives, MSG, & HFCS, so reading labels was already automatic. When I tried sugary treats & sodas as a kid I always threw them up, so I never got a taste for them or a "sweet tooth."
In fact, I recently discovered that if I take a coffee measure of semi-sweet real chocolate chips like medicine (35 calories & 3 grams carb), it controls the diarrhea that the dose of Metformin I take causes. Once a day keeps me going once a day! LOL
I am very blessed to have low A1c readings (6.x) and reasonable BG readings. I panic when it hits 200! That happens if I get white rice in a restaurant, or indulge too much at square dances browsing the refreshment table.
Thank God for my mother's early indoctrination for healthy eating and folk dancing. I still need to lose 200 lbs. but I don't know of anyone else my size who can square dance.
The weight thing has been a trial all my life. I started diets at age 13, despite the healthy food & exercise, and every pound came back double every time, so it is safe to say that dieting caused my obesity. Diabetes has been a royal pain in the meds/testing sense, but because of good ol' Mom, it has never been a shock to the system like some of the others in this forum have experienced. I eat the same healthy foods I grew up with, but take 4 pills twice a day to maintain status quo.
Durham, NC
