Try spreading sour cream on a cube steak after putting greek seasoning on it to cook with. It's pretty good stuff. & as for too many diets, try rearranging your oder. Atikns is one of the easiest to follow but beware of the nocarb shock to your body.

Hi! I have never done this before. I was diagnosed with type 2 almost 2 years ago. I had dieting for several years and had managed to lose 75 pounds and then I get this diagnosis. I was so depressed because I thought I was doing everything right for the first time in my life.

I had started out on Atkins and really thought it was the answer. My cholesterol actually dropped during that time, but was not completely where it was suppose to be.

After the diagnosis, the doctor sent me to a class at a local medical center since I was diabetes-illiterate. They said at that time that Atkins wasn't approved by the ADA. They recommended Weight Watchers. Lately I have read that the ADA has begun to rethink the Adkins Diet and it may be better for us than previously thought.

I have had the best results from Adkins and have been thinking seriously about going back.
Since my diagnosis, I have pretty much been at a standstill when it comes to losing weight. I have been very discouraged the last few months. I have had to start taking a larger dose of my meds and my triglycerides have been elevated as of my last blood test.

I guess I need to re-read the Adkins book and see what happens.

Atkins worries me because it does not differentiate between healthy and unhealthy fats, and because we need carbs for energy.

The American Diabetes Association , along with the American Diatetic Association created a system of "exchanges" by which one can gauge portion size, and lists by which one can categorize many different types of foods by macronutrient (protein, carb, fat) content. I find this a useful general guide for food planning. Some people pay more attention to the USDA Food Pyramid, which recently got revamped to be more complex -- but at least now it emphasizes fresh produce and exercise instead of refined grains.

Now, each of us is different, and what works for me may not work for you, and so on. My general dietary bias is to minimize my exposure to refined starches, refined sugars, and animal fats, and to avoid completely high fructose corn syrup and transfats. While I admit to this not being 100% feasible all the time, it's a good basic rule of thumb for me.

Within those general guidelines, I look for daily consumption of at least five vegetable exchanges (5 g carb each, mostly complex carbs and fiber) and three to four fruit exchanges (15 g carb each, mostly simple sugars and fiber) -- or at least 9 servings of produce daily (which is in the current USDA guidelines). In theory this will give me 10-15 grams of incidental protein. I also look for about five to seven protein-or-dairy exchanges: another 35 g protein, plus about 12 g carb for each *dairy* exchange. I also aim for about 5 servings (15 g carb each) of whole grains and legumes (beans, lentils, soybeans, etc.). Most legumes are high enough in protein to count as both starches and partial proteins.

Usually this will add up to somewhere between 1500 and 1800 calories. If I'm being really strict, I can do it in 1300-1400; usually it ends up coming in a bit high (closer to 2000).

There are a couple of different keys to satiety (feeling full), depending on the individual. For some, drinking enough fluid creates satiety with small amounts of volume; for others, large volumes (such as a salad with lots of dark greens and very easy on the olive-oil-and-vinegar dressing) will do the trick. Some people need a certain amount of protein to feel full; others need a certain amount of fat or starch, or a particular taste (sour, sweet, or salty). Play with ingredients and tastes to find which works best for you.