New Year, New Diet

How was everyone's winter holidays? Our's were nice, getting to spend time with family and being silly. As happens often lately, I was once again overwhelmed by my family's generosity, although I know it's part of how they show their love. And for the last time, I brought home far too many sweets and related leftovers because "no one else would/should eat them and we have friends over every week." Seriously guys, what I brought home this year, while appreciated, was ridiculous. Not even the girls will eat that many cookies. (They were tasty, though...)

And those tasty cookies have led to the new diet mentioned in the title. *sigh* My blood sugars have grown higher and more erratic over the last few months. They desperately need to be brought under better control, but I've let some really bad habits creep in. Back when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I started cutting back on - or cutting out altogether - lots of foods that I shouldn't eat anymore, but this time it was just too overwhelming. I've been zonked by allergies - and the higher sugars - and a little depressed and wanted my comfort food, dang it!

So, on my birthday last month I agreed to try this crazy sounding diet that my doctor had been talking to me about over the last few months. A doctor at O'bleness had been using it to good affect (effect?) with his diabetic patients. So much so that my doctor, Dr. J., eventually just asked him to send her the info. It was taking a month or more of her patients to get in to see him and get on the program. Many participants had cut back on the diabetes medication as well as high blood pressure and cholestoral medicines. All good things, right?

Ah, but what makes the diet crazy sounding? Well, for the first three days you fast, with essentially a clear liquid diet and three - THREE - stalks of celery a day. When I told her I'd do it, we decided that I could eat as much celery as I want. I like the stuff, and well, it's celery. The stuff is pretty much water with a little fiber tossed in. After the fast you start backing eating solid foods following a very specific meal plan for the next four weeks. It reintroduces carbs starting at just 15 grams the first week and works up to 60 grams by the fourth.

It was the four week meal plan that had me hesitanting and I'm still not sure of how I'll do with it, but I'm going to give it my best go. There's actually a lot of food at each meal. As far as I'm concerned, I rarely eat that much a breakfast.

I started today. So far, I'm not sick of celery....yet. However I was so hungry by dinner time and celery wasn't cutting it. It just made me hungrier. Then I noticed I could have sugar-free jello. Hey, I don't like jello, but it would taste different, right? I ate 5 snack cups. I'm now cheating a wee bit with a mug full of beef bouillon. I need something with a meat taste to it. Sorry.

The hardest part is avoiding all of the temptations! It's impossible in this house not to see or think about them. I'll think, "Oh, I'll just grab a nibble of that or a bit of this." And then I'll remember I'm fasting and have to make the conscious decision not to grab the nibble or bite. It's honestly been exhausting, but I'm almost through Day 1. Now, to just remember in my morning grogginess not to eath anything...