I’ve been cutting back on my carbs in the past few weeks, making simple changes such as vegetables at every meal and ditching the pretzels/pita chips at lunch. I think it all started when I interviewed Riva Greenberg for my Diabetes Health story and she talked about pretzels being a high carb snack. It was a bit of an “ah-ha” moment. I thought, really? pretzels are bad? Even just a handful to snack on as I’m making lunch?

I took her words to heart and stopped buying pretzels and even my favorite-pita chips-and when I was hungry and making lunch for my family, I grabbed a slice of turkey and rolled it with a piece of cheese instead. I traded english muffins and peanut butter at breakfast for eggs with tomatoes, spinach and cheese, and noticed a lot fewer high blood sugars. I also sucked it up, pulled out the credit card and went back on the Omnipod pump.

This combination of a lower carb diet and pump has resulted in better blood sugar control and an extra 2 pounds. Isn’t that odd, I thought when I stepped on the scale. I wasn’t eating any extra calories. Was it because of the added fat in my breakfast of eggs and cheese?

When I went to my long overdue apt. with my endo this afternoon, I told her of my weight gain and the changes I’d made to my diet. I should mention that I am tall and fit and not too concerned about an extra pound or two, but who wants 2 extra pounds!?@ My doctor asked questions about my diet. etc.etc. and then subtly reminded me of the fact that when our blood sugars are running higher, we are peeing glucose away, and the body is burning fat for fuel. Oh yeah, I said.  My blood sugars weren’t running high all the time, and my A1c’s were always below 7.0, but there were definitely many times when I was 250.

So, maybe, now that I’m on the pump and having fewer high blood sugars, I’m gaining a little weight? hmmm….food for thought, no pun intended. All I know is that I’d rather have 2 extra pounds and blood sugars in the 100′s, then a few less pounds and bs in the 250′s. It’s never ending, this life with diabetes and my dr. reminded me of the dangers surrounding women with diabetes and disordered eating patterns.

I think women with diabetes, myself included, need to be careful about the complexities of food and insulin and the ongoing potential for unhealthy manipulation of the two.