I'm a newly-diagnosed insulin-resistant, and have been put on metformin 500 twice a day. I'm hungry all the time, and wondered if anyone had any suggestions about what to snack on that wouldn't raise my insulin level.

I've read about peanuts and fruit and vegetables, but what about cereals? Is milk bad for you if it's fat free/skim? There seems to be conflicting information out there, and the books I ordered haven't come yet.

I'm not technically diabetic, but I have polycystic ovarian syndrome so my endocrine system is all over the place right now. My doc is trying to get my body to respond to my own insulin. I know I should cut some carbs/sugars, but not all of them. How do I know which ones are bad and which ones are good?

Thanks for the help. It's a bit overwhelming. :o

I will start this off - my opinions on what to eat are not very popular - though they are not based on my personal feelings on this subject. I love almost all foods - I just don't feel we can eat them and have good blood sugar control.

Milk has lots of sugar in it. I have found one soy product that only has one gram of sugar that works pretty well for me. Aside for the diabetes issue there are a lot of people who feel milk is not meant for adults anyway. I am not one of them even though it does sound reasonable - But, if I could I would drink it.

Another unpopular approach is the limiting of carbs. Zero would be fine as far as I am concerned except that veggies are important. The ADA, I have read in their material, say that you should have upwards of 300 a day(2000 calore diet)... I would still be 251 pounds today if I ate that many(I am now 181). I got this from an article where the number of carbs were given as a percentage of the daily requirement - which totaled 300. I certainly don't hold to that number other than what they said they believed should be eaten.

Fruit is good for you, no doubt. But, it does play with your blood sugar. I avoid it. Common belief is you need a certain amount of fruit. There are fruits that are not sweet - red and green peppers, squash and something else I cannot remember right this moment. Sweet fruits have been developed in modern times. The fruits from early times were not as sweet as they are today. I love them too.... Just can't eat them and control my blood sugar.

The hunger all the time issue is difficult to handle - for a while anyway. It is usually called "carb cravings." If you restrict carbs you will loose the cravings, it does not take all that long. They say. I still want to eat all the time even though the intense cravings have subsided a lot. It took me longer than I read others experiences. One day it was like a switch was turned off. Really strange how it works.

Peanuts should be limited. I like to add them to a salad. I want to eat them like candy, but in a salad has to do.

Snacks - My wife usually cooks a little extra acceptable item from dinner and I will eat some later in the evening. Usually a meat or a low carb veggie. Around 10am I have some egg left over from breakfast and a couple pieces of bacon. Sometimes I do cheat and think i can snack on something not on my approved list - only to be sorry later. The guilt runs deep.

The law of small numbers applies here. Eat small amounts of carbs(sugars) - eat small meals period. The swings of blood sugars will be less to deal with.

I'm a newly-diagnosed insulin-resistant, and have been put on metformin 500 twice a day. I'm hungry all the time, and wondered if anyone had any suggestions about what to snack on that wouldn't raise my insulin level.

I've read about peanuts and fruit and vegetables, but what about cereals? Is milk bad for you if it's fat free/skim? There seems to be conflicting information out there, and the books I ordered haven't come yet.

I'm not technically diabetic, but I have polycystic ovarian syndrome so my endocrine system is all over the place right now. My doc is trying to get my body to respond to my own insulin. I know I should cut some carbs/sugars, but not all of them. How do I know which ones are bad and which ones are good?

Thanks for the help. It's a bit overwhelming. :o

I like pecans, they have 4 grams of carb per oz. but 3 of those grams are fiber which is good. I would not go to a zero carb diet just low. I'm not convinced that going into ketosis is good for the kidneys and that is what happens when you are at zero carbs.

Eat and then test as much as possible at first to get your bearings.

I used to get high fasting blood glucose readings every morning so I have been trying several glucose lowering techniques that I read about. Some work and some don't but eating a half an apple before bedtime lowers my morning levels nicely. The more sour the apple, the better in my experience.

You're doing the right thing visiting this type of forum for advice. Some of these people have had diabetes for years and they are happy to talk about their experience. I would just eat and test, day by day to find out how your own body is working.

Thanks for the replies. I'd love to have more thoughts!

I'm taking my secong Metformin pill this morning. Looking forward to feeling better. :D

Carbs raise your blood sugar more than anything, especially when they are not consumed with protein and fat. I like the Dr. Atkins approach, but do not follow the phase I induction program because I just flat out don't want to. The Ketosis scare is unfounded as you will find out if you read a Dr. Atkins book. His newest book, Diabetes Revolution has a section with Glycemic rankings for food grouped in lists that I find helpful in deciding what to eat and what to snack on. Sugar is sugar, no matter the form, but a carb with some fiber may not send your numbers soaring. For example, oatmeal sends my numbers soaring, but is very healthful to your heart. I stir in peanut butter to add fat and protein, and that works for me much better than eating oatmeal alone. It's on Dr. Atkins' "Eat Regularly" list on his AGR (Atkins Glycemic Ranking) I'll eat a small apple dipped in peanut butter to achieve the same effect. However, you will find there are folks who either love or hate a reduced carb lifestyle and will be more than happy to advise you of their personal feelings. It never ceases to amaze me how someone with a disease that impairs their ability to process carbohydrate foods can be told not to limit their carbohydrate intake. Just think about it for a minute. However, the best way to know what snacks are right for you is to eat that snack and test, test, test your blood sugar levels 2 hours later. Blood glucose monitoring is the only way you will know for sure, so get that lancing devise loaded with a fresh lancet and snack away!