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Honestly, it's not that bad. Do a google search on diabetic exchanges. I was expecting to cut all carbs out of my diet and was really surprised to find out that I needed to have carbs with every meal. The diet was more about eating frequently (3 meals and 2-3 snacks). One of the meals that I did really well with (shockingly to me!) was spaghetti. I ate spaghetti (whole wheat pasta) just about every workday for lunch. It was easy to measure out into the right sized portions, I could rely on an acceptable blood sugar reading and it was filling.

My routine became something like the following:

Fasting test before breakfast
Breakfast at about 6:30 am (30 carbs)
Testing at 8:30 am
Snack at about 10:30 am (15-30 carbs)
Lunch at about noon (50 carbs)
Testing at 2pm
Snack at about 3pm (15-30 carbs)
Dinner at about 7pm (45-60 carbs) - this was probably pushing the limits of time between eating!
Testing at about 9pm
Bedtime snack at about 10pm

My total daily carbs were about 185. My biggest struggle was my fasting blood sugars. In order to get them under control I had to take the lowest dose of glyburide with my dinner. It was a pill and very manageable.

My routine nightly snack to satisfy my sweet tooth was a fiber one brownie with a teaspoon of peanut butter.

The biggest adjustment after getting over the depressed feelings was to plan my meals. We still ate out, but I would review menus online before we selected our restaurant so I knew when we walked in what would be acceptable for me to eat.

It felt very counter intuitive to me that I needed to eat carbs at every single meal. Before my dietician meeting I was fully expecting to go all protein and vegetables. Fruits are actually one of the worst things for a diabetic. Also, greek yogurt is excellent as it has a good protein/carb balance, I personally don't like it though.

@Mrs. Wagon: I totally understand where you are right now (I was there too!). But now that I stand on the other side of GD with a healthy 8 month old, I can see where it wasn't that bad and actually was a blessing for me.

I started my pregnancy overweight and with a goal from my OB to only gain 15 lbs. That haunted me through my whole pregnancy. With my GD diagnosis and getting a healthier eating plan (I didn't feel neglected) allowed me to obtain the 15 lb goal. Within 2 weeks post pregnancy I was at a weight lower than pre-pregnancy. Most of my pregnancy gain ended up being water retention. I recognize this probably isn't your issue, but it's part of why it was such a blessing in disguise for me.

Looking back, I also believe I was eating more on my GD diet than before the diet. I never felt hungry. And my OB gave me "permission" to celebrate. She told me to have special days. When my baby shower was, she told me to eat the cake. Just to limit myself to one piece instead of one for me and one for the baby.

@mrs. wagon: aw, I'm so sorry you're so down about it! The waiting has to be hard, did they say why they are making you wait so long to take the test? A close friend of mine had it and the first two weeks were tough but after that, she got a handle on checking her levels and knowing what she could eat and not eat. She didn't have to cut out everything bad, she was able to treat herself once a day (hello, king size Twix bar) as long as she took care of herself the rest of the time.

The good news is...it doesn't last forever. Hugs!!

Awww, so sorry that you are going through this!! I hope that you do pass the three hour test!

I think it's really hard when something goes "wrong" in pregnancy. I had a totally wonderful and normal pregnancy until 30 weeks (and you know my story from there). I had a difficult time accepting that my pregnancy was no longer "normal," that my body was betraying me, and that so many other pregnant woman could have normal pregnancies, and that I was somehow a failure. It took awhile to accept that things were different for me, and that that's OK. We all just do the best that we can do protect our LOs and it's ok to cut yourself some slack and realize that not everything can or will always be sunshine and roses. (Hugs)!

I big time flunked the 1 hour and did fine on the 3 hour. Don't lose heart!

I agree on not fretting just yet as you still have the 3 hour test to prove it negative! Hang in there, and know that we're all here to cheer you on and support you in every way! *hugs*

That's awesome you're having a nice lunch with your hubby though!

@mrs. wagon: Girl, I know how you feel! This is exactly where I was at where you are in your pregnancy! 30 weeks pregnant with a baby girl, feeling great during my pregnancy with the exception of feeling very tired after eating carbs/sugar, and literally being a fruit, candy, carb, and cake monster! All I wanted was Capri sun and cake lol! I went for my 1 and failed considerably 176 with my OB considering 130 the safe range. I came home and cried. Mostly, because of the inconvinience of it all the added OB appts, the finger pricks I was terrified and the off limit foods. I was already obese before getting pregnant and was SO dissapointed that my body could be failing me or my baby.

Weird part was the glucose tests DIDN'T make me feel like poo like so many women complained. I felt fine! I took the 3 hour and also failed that and was diagnosed with the dreaded GD. I again cried and felt horrible but then my DH was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a week after me and it made me stop feeling so sorry for myself. I was determined to control my sugars with diet and also be a support system for my husband who was diagnosed with a permanent form of diabetes, not pregnancy version.

Once I educated myself, I was shocked at how silly I was being. Finger pricks are painless if you change your lancet frequently and just becomes routine. I was shocked at how poorly I was truly eating and also how GOOD I felt once I got on the "diet". Also, I hate the word diet. It isn't a diet, it's just a way of eating! With GD and diabetes in general there is this huge misconception about "off limit" foods when the reality is you can eat everything and anything it just has to be in moderation which truthfully EVERYONE should be doing! So no, I don't eat cake daily anymore lol but I do have some on occasions and holy crow does it taste amazing when I do!

I mainly eat cheese, HB eggs, lots of raw veggies, nuts, high fiber whole wheat toast, and then larger portions of protein/veggies to balance out my carbs. I check my blood sugar 4 times daily and if I have a high reading I think about what I ate and adjust for next time. I'm never hungry, always satisfied and I've only gained 7 whole pounds my whole pregnancy. I'm almost into my 38th week and have been diet controlled no insulin needed my whole pregnancy not that insulin is bad if needed.

Any complication during pregnancy sucks. Our bodies are going though so much as it is who wants to deal with your baby being big cause your body can't break down the extra sugar your placenta is making? Trust me I feel you! But it truly isn't as bad as it seems and so many woman deal it.

Put it to you this way, this pregnancy you're just a little extra sweet

@mrs. wagon: I'm so glad! Women should feel empowered when facing challenges. You are woman! Hear you roar!

If you're diagnosed I'll be there for you! Banana was there for me and Ms Mini and so many others on these boards and it changed my entire perspective on things. Plus, it is so easy to eat healthy when it's for you and your children/families health. At least it was for me!

I know some tasty recipes too!

Also, didnt know if you knew this but for some reason Asian women are more likely to be diagnosed with GD!

@mrs.wagon: Oh don't worry! It's really not that bad! I had GD with both pregnancies and like @nskillet said before, it's like a blessing in disguise. I eat SO much healthier now and feel way better than when I was eating everything in sight. It's changed my view of eating forever and I know that it will definitely be beneficial for how I prepare food for my family in the future.

It's not that you can't have ANY sweets. You just have to choose the right things to eat and in portion control. So here's a sample meal plan (I had this yesterday actually).

- Fasting test in the morning (seriously, the finger pricking isn't bad....you totally get used to it)
- Breakfast: 2 wheat toasts + 2 eggs with ketchup
- Snack: 2 cups of white cheddar popcorn + a handful of nuts (yummy!)
- Lunch: El pollo loco chicken with side salad and corn (can't live without my fast food!)
- Snack: Vanilla wafer protein bar from Trader Joe's
- Dinner: Chicken breast + 1 cup of brown rice + steamed veggies + salad
- Bedtime snack: 1 cup of low carb butter pecan ice cream with nuts on top (my fave!)

Not bad right? You just can't pig out on sweets all day every day but you can still indulge in the occassional fast food or sweets. I eat like this every day and I've only gained 10lbs so far (i'm 26 weeks). My husband lost 10 lbs eating a similar meal plan. I also pig out on soondooboo every week (tofu is a protein!).

With my first pregnancy, I didn't know what to eat so I was eating the same things all the time and it was making me sad. Then my nutritionist told me to think outside the box. Now I eat probably what I would normally eat but in moderation and with carb-control.

You may not even have GD but if you do, it's gonna be totally ok!

And @nskillet is right about Asian women being at higher risk. I was 110 lbs (5'5") pre-pregnancy and I still got GD. Two of my really close friends also had it.

Don't worry girl! We're here for you!

Sorry you're feeling down. My friend had GD and she said the diet restriction really wasn't that bad. But I hope you pass the 3 hour test!

@mrs.wagon: Yay! It's never a bad idea to eat healthy anyway so good for you on getting a head start on your diet! 5lbs since Monday? Wowzers! That's awesome.