Gestational diabetes and SO HUNGRY!

[chickpeaz]

I'm 33w pg with insulin-dependent GD. Lately I find I am soooooo hungry all the time and I'm having trouble finding snacks that fill me up without jacking up my glucose. I hate cheese so that's out, and I'm lactose intolerant so I don't do much other dairy, either (occasionally a yogurt but it's rare). Meat is just expensive (and not that good for you to eat in volume). We raise chickens so I have tons of eggs on hand, but you can only eat so many eggs. Beans are surprisingly high in carbs; nuts just don't fill me up. Same with veggies -- I can eat a whole bag of carrots and still be hungry afterward. Doing the whole veggies/healthy fats combo just doesn't seem to be working, either.

I won't do artificial sweeteners when pg so I can't eat the packaged sugar-free, low-carb stuff. I'm just at such a loss! I want things like cereal and pretzels and fresh fruit, but obviously these are not good choices for a GD to eat in any great quantity. I've only gained 12 lbs and my sugars are relatively well-controlled (although my insulin dosage has gone up almost every week to keep it that way). Any suggestions for something obvious I'm forgetting that could help with this constant gnawing hunger?

[amzasmommy]

I'm so sorry. I had a hard time controling my sugar this last time around. The things that worked for me w/ ds didn't for dd. I found I'd get really hungry for a week when baby was having a growth spurt.

Here are some of my go to snacks for gd -

hummus on veggies or 1/2 a pita
a handful of nuts and some fruit
string cheese and fruit
snack size luna bar
laughing cow cheese and triscuits
peanut butter on 1/2 an english muffin (worked w/ ds, but not dd)
cottage cheese & peaches

For various meals -

Soup and Salad
Steak, 1/2 baked sweet potato, grilled asparagus
Pork Chops with veggies
peanut butter & sugar free jelly on whole wheat (breakfast)
egg salad
oatmeal
egg sandwhich
fajitas

[Hands&Fire Pottery]

Do you like Guacomole- maybe on veggie dippers?
Deviled eggs?

I don't have the G/D experience though so not sure if those are good.

[tygr2410]

Look up dreamfield pasta-low carb, make some pasta salad or spagheti

Also chicken salad us good and easy if u can do mayo

[tygr2410]

Dp

[yellowitchgrl]

carrots and hummus
peanutbutter and celery
rice cake (plain) w/ peanut or almond butter
apples w/ peanutbutter

s'all I got. When my kids start to go nuts I hit them with those types of things or chicken nuggets.

[cedricsmom]

Originally Posted by tygr2410 Look up dreamfield pasta-low carb, make some pasta salad or spagheti Also chicken salad us good and easy if u can do mayo

I find that dreamfield pasta is a scam, has as may carbs as whole wheat pasta from other brands. I cut out pasta and rice completely for the moment, the amount you can eat in one meal is just not enough to be full filling.

I make tuna salad with canned tuna and spring onions, one spoon mayo and eat it on wasa or other crisp bread. I also like the Think Thin bars, I eat 1/2 or one after my workouts and they are very filling, low in carbs and zero sugar. I find it hardest to allways have something on hand to eat, like salad. I like tomatoe, onion salad, or creek salad. For dinner we eat mostly a meat or fish (not more than 4 oz. and two sides of veggies). I am not on insulin, but have you tried if you get enough carbs? Crisp breads are low in carbs so you can have bit more. I eat fruit after breakfast, with lunch and after lunch. An apple a day keeps the doctor away!!!

[songbird516]

It sounds like you need to eat more fat; that will help keep you full longer. Meat w/ the fat, veggies lightly cooked with butter (not just a tiny bit- a tablespoon at least) or olive oil, avocado, etc. You can also add coconut oil to smoothies. Definitely more fat. You can't live on just protein and low carb; it's not healthy.

[yellowitchgrl]

ooh I just tried this last night- coconut oil (which is solid at room temp) is great for cooking and frying stuff without the cholesterol

[songbird516]

Originally Posted by yellowitchgrl ooh I just tried this last night- coconut oil (which is solid at room temp) is great for cooking and frying stuff without the cholesterol

coconut oil is a really great fat to use in cooking

But as far a cholesterol, please everyone remember that your body and your BABY NEEDS cholesterol for proper development. In traditional cultures women and children were almost always fed organ meats like liver because they are very nutrient-dense, but also full of healthy fat, including cholesterol. The brain is mostly made of fat, as is the covering that is essential to conducting nerve signals to the brain. Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet in pregnancy and beyond, and limiting fat intake (of course we are not talking about TRANS fats here, or even vegetable oils- those are not so healthy) is not a good idea during pregnancy, nursing, or for the rest of our lives.

The theory that high levels of animal fat/saturated fat from healthy sources = heart disease has been proven wrong time after time, but the health industry has so much invested in this myth that there's no going back. I believed it myself for most of my life, but now I know better, so I do better.