Oh, the Irony!

Today is not my favorite day.  I was recently told by my Doc that I have gestational diabetes.  Not a real shocker considering I birthed a near 12 lb baby last time around, but still not great news to hear.  So today I met with a diabetes educator/dietitian to learn the ropes of my new life style.  And let me tell you it is a NEW life style!  I spent nearly the entire hour with this woman doing my best to hold back tears (thankfully it worked until the second I was safely in my car and then the flood gates opened) and learning how very different life is going to be for me and my family.  The first bomb shell she dropped on me was the fact that I have to prick myself with a needle 4 times daily and draw blood.  Now doesn't that sound pleasant???  So now my very busy life is on strict a finger pricking schedule.  In addition to the multiple daily finger prickings, I must pee on a stick every single morning and write down what color the stick comes up.  Not nearly as exciting as the peeing on a stick that gives you a + or a - sign.  Next on the list was the topic of Carbs.  Carbs = BAD for people with diabetes. I was then told how VERY VERY little of them I can actually have.  But that wasn't the worst part of the whole ordeal.  The discussion then led into exactly which foods contain carbs.  I mean there are the no brainers...the obvious ones, your breads and pastas and potatoes.  Oh but the list doesn't stop there.  Oh No.  There are carbs in EVERYTHING.  My whole life I have been taught Fruit = Good for you.  WRONG.  Not good for the girl with gestational diabetes.  Most recently there has been a big push for legumes.  Beans = lots of fiber = Good for you.  WRONG.  Not good for the girl with gestational diabetes.  And the one that KILLED ME and nearly sent the tears overboard...YOGURT  IS A CARB!!!  Devastating!  Did you know that a full banana = 2 servings of carbs...not one serving...but 2??? It seems crazy to me.  After this discussion the reality of this whole thing has set in.  I have realized how carb ridden my eating has been and how unconscience I have been about my eating habits.  This change is not going to be an easy one.
Over the last year and a half I have spend a considerable amount of time menu planning and getting together a pretty good list of dinners for our family that were liked by all, some food storage friendly, and some budget friendly.  Mostly this effort came from the desire to stick closer to our budget.  We have been pretty diligent in sticking to our menu plans which then has really helped us to stick to our budget too.  And even when I was doing Weight Watchers (post Chelsea) the meals fit easily into my eating plan (so long as I kept the portion size right).  But THIS new twist on things just blows my dinner menu out of the water.  So much for sticking to a budget.  Rice and pasta are cheap...Produce and meats...not so cheap.  I also recently learned from a friend how to incorporate more grains into my cooking in order to add more nutrition and fiber to my families diets as well as to stretch my meats. Hmmm...not gonna work so well for me now.  Adding MORE carbs to my meals wouldn't be smart.  And the most Ironic part of the whole thing...I teach bread classes! Hello!  The girl that teaches others how to make bread, and rolls and pizzas and cinnamon rolls and bread sticks and all things bread, the girl that would say that her favorite food is bread CAN'T EAT BREAD anymore.  Oh, the Irony!