I am wondering if I am unique or if anyone else has found that, after switching from Atkins or Bernstein etc to CALP/CAD that they are actually afraid to take the plunge and introduce carbohydrates into their reward meals?

I don't want to sound a woos but I am really having a problem with this. The most adventurous I have been so far is to include one roast potato with my reward meal on a couple of occasions or add a spoon of carrots or peas. I would love to be able to eat rice or pasta again (not in large quantities of course) but am really afraid of sending my blood glucose levels rocketing (I am a type 2 diabetic).

Anyone got any advice for me - apart from a swift kick up the butt?

Hi Divina and thank you for your advice. I have sneaked a quick look at your journal and it has already given me some ideas. I am feeling a bit more confident now. Thanks, I appreciate it

Valkyrie

Feel free to have a look at my journal as well, where you'll see that I have been a complete piglet in the three weeks I've been on CALP, and my weight is slowly going down despite that!

Welcome to CAD/CALP - I'm sure you're going to love it

Hi Valkyrie! Just wondering--do you test your blood sugar at home? I'm not completely familiar with the procedure (as to when to test, etc.)... Shame on me--my sister is also diabetic, and I should have already asked her about it.
It just occured to me when reading your post, that maybe you could try having your rm as the others said--mostly low carb and balanced--with only a few bites of the higher carb foods of your choice. Then you could test, and see how you are being affected? If you did it as a controlled "test" of some sort, maybe you could get a good picture of the way that your blood sugar reacts to the meals.
I do just as Divina said, as well. I make a low carb rm--and then just add in the high carb foods by the spoonful. Or maybe by 1/4 cups? And- I wait until I've had most or all of the salad, protein, and lc veggies to have any of the higher carb items. If for no other reason, than to keep my greed from overpowering me... Hope that you find your way soon--and I'm sure that you will. Wouldn't it be wonderful for you (as a diabetic) to be able to eat "normally"???
All the best to you!

I was JUST reading about the guilt people experience with RMs in the CAD book. Its very normal and apparently widespread enough to be included in the book.
I'm getting better at not guilting myself and doing as they say, E N J O Y

Excellent advice there, thank you. I will try and be more adventurous with the RM's. I just got the impression that most people were having desserts etc with the RM and I know that as a diabetic I would probably have loads of problems with that. However, I like the idea of making it a low carb meal and only adding a little spoonful of this or that and testing to see how I get on.

Yes I test at home just before each meal but also test after meals if I want to track the effect of some meal on my system. For instance, yesterday a lady in the chinese takeaway said that she would prepare me a low carb meal and I was able to keep track on my blood glucose levels every half an hour until the BG peaked and started to come down again. It is very useful.

Well from tomorrow I am going to follow the book to the letter. Going to try to follow the meal plan for a while until I get it into my head what I can and cannot have or do on CALP and that should get me into the swing of things.

Yes I agree, it would be fantastic if I could learn to eat normally on this diet. Normal diet and normal blood glucose levels - that should be a first.