You have no idea how much these posts have helped me. I have been searching for answers hoping someone would come to my aid and give me another perspective that I wasnt getting anywhere else.  Ive been lurking on these boards for awhile now and posting a random post here or there and your insight has helped greatly.  I hope to learn about diabeties, it so foreign to me such as your sentence abou****ermelon, I had no idea it was not a great option for someone with diabeties.  I was always under the assumption it was fresh fruit and good for you.  Most of my life I have been EXTREMELY carb sensitive even more so now that I am cutting them down.  When I eat to many carbs now I get intense GI pain, my body is telling me something and I guess its time I listen.

Does your doctor or hospital have a class for diabetics?  If not, call your county nurse and try to find out WHERE one is. I would recommend it even if you have to travel.

I spoke with my husband about your situation at dinner last night.  He reminded me, he took these classes at his local hospital. It was about 5 classes spread over 5 weeks. It was one class per week for about 1.5 hours in the evening. THere, you learn about diabetes, the amount of carbs a diabetic should have in a meal and what type of carb.

They teach you how to use your blood sugar monitor and properly use it.  For example, fasting b.s., measuing one's b.s. before eating and ?I think? and hour after.

They teach you/encourage to eat a diabetic correct meal and measure b.s. (according to the above sequence) to see how it impacts your b.s.  Then they encourage you to eat a junk/food typically carby meal (i.e. full sugar orange juice, with pancakes with syrup loaded with corn syrup/sugar (i.e. NOT real maple syrup), toast with jelly, and eggs and then see what happens (what should happen is you B.s will fly up and then drop like the challenger rocket)).  They teach in some rare cir****tances a snickers bar is the best thing you can have around if you are running low (i.e. it gets your b.s. up and holds one long enough for a PROPER meal..not to be used as a meal replacement.. only to be used in those weird freaky emergencies)).

My husband found these classes to be priceless and sometimes needs to remind me how many carbs he needs.

Here is a recipe for "diabetic chili" that a diabetic colleague gave me after my husband had a bad blood sugar crash.

Basically, I wasnt home for dinner, he looked at the left overs, assembled them, ate them, didnt realize they were all low carb and went to bed.

Then he got up and ate a low carb breakfast (well the amount of carbs was too low) and he ended up passing out.

My friend/colleague sent me this recipe to post on our fridge.  He is to make this when "I am not around"  It really scared us.  He could have been dead before he was 40 and I would have been widowed after just 8 short weeks of marriage!

Miriam's Diabetic Chili

For those of us with little time, or little skill in seasoning, this is a quick "no talent" recipie .  You don't have to add seasoning (except maybe a bit of salt and / or pepper) or cook it down.  Once prepped and heated, it's ready to eat. 
 
1.5 lbs. ground beef (or beef and bison)
 
24 oz. jar of pasta sauce (preferably chunky pasta sauce, store brand, e.g. chunky garden, chunky mushroom; Store brands will typically have lower amounts of italian seasoning, which will work better for chili.)
 
28 oz. can of canned tomatos, e.g. whole, peeled tomatos or diced (if use whole, need to break them into pieces)
 
14.5 oz. can diced tomatos and chilis (like Rotel; store brand is fine)
 
3 cans 15.5 oz. each canned kidney beans (e.g. dark red, light red, etc.)
 
Add pasta sauce, canned tomatos, diced tomatos and chilis to large pot.  Heat over medium heat.
 
Brown ground beef, drain and add to chili mixture.
 
Drain kidney beans in strainer, rinse until they stop sudsing.  Add to chili mixture.  Stir well.
 
Heat to medium high heat with occasional stirring until sauce starts to bubble. 
 
Chili is now ready to serve.

P.S.  You can up the carbs if needed by serving with a bit of brown rice.

Thanks so much for asking your husband about me.  Sheesh that must have been terrifying for both of you when he passed out but it was an invaluable lesson learned I'm sure. His suggestion about classes is a fantastic idea.  When I was first diagnosed they sent me to the Joslin Clinic which just so happened to be in my doctors facility.  But what they sent me for was to show me how to use the Dailey monitor to ***** my finger.  I do it each morning before breakfast and just before bedtime making sure it's two hours after last eating. Today I am calling the local hospital to inquire about classes and hopefully will find something.  Tell your husband thank you for that advice and the recipie looks great but how do you count the carbs in a serving?

Hmmm...I will ask miriam

Oh and BTW White Dove, I've not had my surgery yet.

Your meds may change, or you may be off meds after surgery. Definitely a question for your team. Good luck!

Thank you, That's my hope!  

Just my experience, and I am not a Dr. I was diagnosed with Diabetes 4 years ago and Lost 30 lbs taking Byetta, my first diabetic medicine. After 2 yrs I switched to Victoza and my diet did not change but the weight came back. I had RNY 12/3/14 . My Dr took me off medformin the day before the surgery and my A1C was 5.8 last week.

i have been limiting my carbs to 50 gr a day and do not eat bread, rice, pasta, potatoes or crackers. I have lost 47 lbs. this info may be helpful for you regarding carbs and diabetes. I was on a low glycemic diet since being diagnosed, but I bet I was taking in over 100 grams of carbs a day even without the bread, pasta ect.