04/04/2022
The main thing I have learnt from having gestational diabetes (GDM):
Consistency is key 🔑
Fresh foods, lots of veggies, lean meats, dairy, spaced out carbohydrates (not low carb) and daily movement, has been the key to keeping my glucose readings within range.
You see, I have had stressed moments when I would randomly have a sudden 9.0 score when every other day it was 5.0-6.0 for a similar meal - but there is so much more to it than just the meal in front of me. Was is commercial? Have I moved about today? Have I had water or enough water in the last two hours? Am I stressed? Am I tired?
If I don’t ask those question, the reading would then tend to overwhelm me with guilt for being “bad” or “not being good enough to manage it”. Maybe my will power to not have those couple of pieces of chocolate or those extra mouthfuls of rice will hurt me or my baby.
Like there being so many factors to some scores higher than normal - the thing to look for has been the consistency. Am I managing this most of the time?
You probably and hopefully aren’t pricking your finger 4 times a day to see what your glucose levels are and you are probably and hopefully not checking the back of packaging to see how much carbohydrate is in a meal/counting points of carbs throughout the day but maybe you have had moments like me, feeling stressed because something has been out of whack. A day here or there or maybe a whole week where all you felt like you ate was bland coloured foods or packaged options or nothing fresh. Maybe you didn’t move much or something else has been different. Remember…
Consistency is key 🔑
You do not need to feel guilty if you have a day where you’re extra hungry than normal! (What did you do yesterday? Did you train more? Where are you in your cycle? Did you eat enough in the morning?)
You do not need to worry about “having enough will power”. You aren’t bad or not good enough for having sweet or savoury treats that don’t fit into the healthy food pie chart. When the bulk of your diet (as in, lifestyle, way of eating) is fresh, sustaining and delicious your body will thank you for both the every day foods and the sometimes foods.
When you are gentle with yourself (something we all must keep remembering to be) we take care of ourselves better because we aren’t following rules, we are just living the way our bodies have been designed to.
So keep being consistent. Keep enjoying the fresh food, fresh air and fresh company! And remember, you never have to have food guilt.
🥳Food just doesn’t have to be that powerful. 🥳
P.s. I have been fortunate enough to have had diet managed GDM. If you have had or ever need to have insulin managed GDM you haven’t done anything wrong.
