I Visited the Dietician Today

I had an appointment with the dietician today to discuss how to eat now that I’m a diabetic. We started off by discussing the various changes I’d made since August:
-switched from sugar to Splenda
-switched from white bread to whole wheat and other whole grains
-switched from white rice to brown rice
-switched from wheat pasta to whole wheat or soy pasta
-began eating more whole grains (flax, oat bran, wheat bran, whole wheat)
-eliminated potatoes except for 1 small serving a week
-switched from frying with fat to “oven frying” without any fat
-switched from Starbuck’s Caramel Macchiato to coffee with half & half, sugar-free caramel syrup, and Splenda
-began using more Eggbeaters
-cut down to 1600 calories/day most days
-kept carbs to 200 grams or less most days

We talked about the meaning of the different blood test results, and she told me my triglycerides and cholesterol were good. She shared food lists and snack ideas, and we had a good time going over those (at least I did–I was talking about food!) I learned that there are many foods I can eat that I’d been going without (graham crackers and potatoes, for example). The emphasis, she said, is on portion control and balance. She also said to try having snacks, which would mean cutting down on the meals in order to stay under my daily maxium. We looked at the Diet Diary program I have on my Treo (cell phone/PDA), and she realized that she’d been advocating the book version, not knowing there was a computer and PDA program! She’ll now start tellling her patients about the Calorie King program, as she knows there are many who use computers and PDAs that would like it. We then discussed what my daily maximums should be in order to continue to lose weight and keep my blood sugar under control:
• 1600 calories
• 200 carbs, with no more than 65 in a meal
• 50 grams of fat
and these targets:
• 35 grams of fiber
• 70 grams of protein

She gave me some good advice about snacks, along with a nice list:
• 1/2 meat sandwich (1 slice bread + 1 oz. meat or 1/4 cup tuna + mustard + veggies)
• 1 T peanut buttter on 1 slice wheat bread
• 1 slice lowfat American cheese + 6 low fat Triscuits
• 1 string cheese + 1 small apple (or any fruit serving)
• 1 carton light yogurt + 1/2 c strawberries [we talked about low-carb yogurt, which is even better than the light yogurt)
• 3 cups unbuttered popcorn + 3 T grated cheese (or 1 oz. cheese)
• 1 corn tortilla + 1/2 oz. (about 2 T) melted cheese
• 1/2 c low fat cottage cheese + 1/4 c pineapple
• 1 South Beach cereal bar
• 1 Glucerna bar
• 1 Pria carb-select bar
• 1 Choice bar
• 1 serving of fruit + 1/4 c nuts

We talked about how it’s a good idea to carry some snacks in my purse, so now I’m carrying Trader Joe’s fruit leathers, little bags of 14 almonds, Skippy peanut butter tubes, and Baskin-Robbins sugar-free hard candies. Those snacks keep me from straying too much, and help keep my appetite in check.

A new dessert idea she suggested was taking a banana and “smooshing” it with your fork, mixing in two tablespoons of sugar-free Nestle’s Quik. I tried it tonight, and it satisfied the craving for something chocolate and ooey-gooey.

About the only advice she gave me, since she felt I was on the right track, was to exercise more. We talked about my work schedule and demands, and my excuses, and she suggested I go get a pedometer. So I did. I’ll start using it tomorrow. She recommends that I count the steps in a day, and make it a goal to increase them the next day. We also talked about how to get some exercise right in my office. I have a TV and VCR and DVD player, so I’ve ordered the Leslie Sansone “Walk Away the Pounds” DVD. I used to have the video, but lost it, and I remember that it was fun and took only 15-20 minutes a day. That’s time I’ll have, since I won’t have to leave my office. In case you’re not familiar with it, it’s here , and it’s a way to burn calories and lower blood sugar by walking in place, with kicking, marching, and stepping to the side,
all at different paces. By the time you finish one of the sets, you’ve either done a mile or two miles, depending on which one you chose.

Since the appointment was in the morning, it motivated me to have a pretty good day. Supper had to be quick, since I didn’t get home until 6. I threw some tortilla chips on a cookie sheet, mixed up a little refried beans (fat free, from dried-I get large packages from Smart & Final), and put dollops of beans on the chips. These were topped with canned turkey chili, diced pickled jalapeños, and shredded cheddar cheese. After I baked that in the oven at 400˚ for 12 minutes, I pulled them out and topped them with a bunch of Chachie’s salsa. Olé! Super Nachos!



I just noticed that all my food photos so far are brown/orange/red. I REALLY need to make more salads and veggies! Let’s see–how about an Oriental Chicken Salad tomorrow night? Or fix those brussels sprouts in the fridge. I see I have a goal now–make more green foods. I need to try Kalyn’s bok choy, so maybe have to stock up on some fresh veggies.

food , cooking , recipes , healthy cooking , low carb recipes