Are cheat meals really that bad?
Almost everyone who starts to eat differently for their Type 2 Diabetes wonders: Do cheat meals really hurt me?”
If you have a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis, you know that diet and lifestyle changes are the path to better health. They also can put your Type 2 Diabetes into remission.
Sticking to the proper diet is tough! If you’re feeling like the occasional cheat day is the only way to keep you on the path, you’re not alone. But how can you know when it is ok to have a cheat day?
How do you know if that cheat day will affect your blood glucose levels and health? One thing to keep an eye on is your A1c. This is a way to keep track of your progress over a longer period of time. This is the test that your doctor should order for you at least once every 6 months.
What Your A1C Number Means and Why It Is Important to Know
Also, how big is the impact of your choice of cheat foods and drinks?
Is your cheat choice rocketing your blood sugar into the atmosphere?
Then even cheating once every couple of weeks is going to impact your ability to make any good progress.
You can work your buns off being perfect with diet and exercise for an entire week… and then kill your hard work by eating whatever you want for one day. I know that sounds harsh.
If you want to put your Type 2 Diabetes into remission, then you need to check your blood glucose levels before and after your cheat meal. You need to see what this food does to you. Let’s say you have an average blood glucose level of 120, and your cheat choice makes your blood sugar go up to 240.
Then you are putting your health in the danger zone. Imagine if you did this once per week, how would that impact your A1C over time? How would that affect your health over time?
High blood glucose levels can cause stress on your delicate insulin resistance system. They can also cause damage to your body.
It’s tough to watch people eat those high-sugar meals and snacks. Especially when we have to make sure we make healthy choices day after day to avoid those same foods. If you have Type 2 Diabetes…your body can not handle sugar the way people who do not have this disease can.
I know, it’s not fair. It’s a struggle of watching friends and family who don’t have to eat a healthy diet, eat anything they want. This can wear us down over time or lead us to make the occasional very bad decision and call it a cheat.
Do cheat meals really hurt you? Is your cheat choice worth it?
One thing my doctor told me is to watch how fast my blood glucose comes down after eating anything that spikes it. At first, any elevated blood glucose level stayed high for some time.
After making the recommended changes, I saw progress on my Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). I learned to choose healthier foods and was able to see my glucose go up only a bit and then come right back down.
Imagine if you cheat only once per month. This means that 12 times per year, your elevated levels are wreaking havoc on your body. This ruins your progress.
This is why watching your A1c over time can help you make better decisions on a daily basis. These changes soon become habits. It’s often a matter of making good decisions repeatedly over time. To join our free educational Facebook community click here
Her tragic family history of Type 2 Diabetes, and her own diagnosis of prediabetes in 2021 caused her to research more deeply, leading to a passion in educating people on how to hopefully put this disease into remission.
