Once you have had a year or two under your belt (preferrably with a CGM), then you will have a wider range of “normal” food choices. I think what you are describing and going through is normal.
One trick is to eat things like that when you are low. Because when you are low, you really “should” be eating it. 
Here is my current cereal stash.
Usually we have Cocoa Krispies and Cap’n Crunch in the mix too, but someone finished those boxes off. 
For people who talk about extended lows they can’t bring up, try a bowl of the Cap’n. That will fix any low, I promise.
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As much as anything else, I’m impressed by the tidiness of that cereal shelf! My pantry cabinet is a disaster!
So, related to the portion size question this all started with, do you guys find that 1 serving of cereal (or anything) will affect blood sugar differently than 2 servings with twice the insulin? Sorry if that’s a lame question, but i honestly hadn’t really thought about it before.
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Okay… so then let me ask you— because that’s enviable, to tell you the truth— if last night’s finishing of the last couple of chips + crumbs, which in my MIND was not even worth a bolus (and in hindsight, understanding that it was) is what set off my first big rise, do we have the same kind of disease just different skill with insulin? Or do we have a different kind of disease?? I’ve been reading people’s posts today, and they are SO nice. I figured I’d lay low and answer in a couple of days. But I’m curious. I tried “lightening up” a little yesterday and not calculating everything. It wasn’t all the crumbs, but it was what the crumbs set off… if that makes any sense. 24 hours later, and I’m still trying to get control. And the only way I know how to is to test… and to calculate everything.
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To splurge or not to splurge… that is the question that I already know the answer to. 
It’s a fine line, such a fine line, between what is perfectly okay in moderation and what is really never going to be okay because I can’t do it within moderation. I hate food. I love food. I wish I didn’t have such a crazy dependent, on so many levels, relationship with food. And, oh, the inverse… it’s crazy as it is… and then the inverse…
I’m 24 hours into my roller coaster, and I’m on the low end, and the exhausted end. I think I need to put the little red bowl away… AND JUST NOT EAT THE CEREAL. 
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Are you serious…
If daisymae a year ago was this close to despair, then i’m gonna hang out a little longer and see what happens. I was closer to “good” about 4 months ago, and it has been a very slow but steady trend in the wrong direction.
I try to teach my kids what the right size is when we’re talking portions. But it’s not for portion “control”. It’s so they know what they’re eating. If they want cereal, we talk about what a serving of cereal actually is… then they can have as many of them as they want. But I want them to learn how to be accurate. It’s one of my many, many many flaws… my inability to keep an accurate count of what I’m eating. If I want 3 servings of something, that should be fine… as long as I know it’s 3 servings. If I tell myself it’s one, and that eat it three times… we’ve got a problem. Seriously though, if I eat three servings and tell myself it’s one, that ALONE is a problem. My kids eat too much junk food, and of this I’m not proud, but I do make sure they fill up on good stuff first. It’s not a perfect strategy, but it’s a sustainable one.
For me, two servings of something like cereal makes things much harder to keep control over. If I eat two bowls of cereal, I have to do insulin for two servings, but I also have to do “extra” to cover that rise. Sometimes I can do it. Sometimes I can’t. For me, the double serving is what sets off bigger problems… a mismatch of insulin, or just overall frustration, trying to cover with carbs later, rage-bolusing, etc.
But this is just me. I hear some people around can pile it on…
I’m very aggressive with insulin and I love to eat junk to get out of lows. I try to not go over 160, so sometimes I’ll do a correction at 120 and be prepared to treat a low.
I guess I do have rollercoasters, but they are limited in degree because of how hyper responsive I am. If the crumbs would have sent me rising past 120 with an up arrow I would have treated it hard.
Sometimes the weirdest things can set you off. The other day I had a babybel cheese, all of 2g carb, and it set me off from 80 to 120 in a flash. I didn’t try to analyze it, I just treated it with insulin. Four hours later I was hovering at 65 so I ate a mini Kind bar and all was well.
I don’t go for all these fancy square root double boluses. But I live by the old adage that if my Bg is rising high I take insulin. If it’s crashing low I eat appropriately.
I’ve been doing that for 48 years, and I’m still above ground.
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When I was first diagnosed and in that panicked “I’ll never be able to eat what I want again” stage, I quickly realized how often I treat myself and reward myself with food and drink. Not to an unhealthy point, but I’m all about a glass of wine after a hard day, fun carry out for dinner on Fridays, a summery drink on the deck on a nice day, comfort food because it’s snowing, etc. I’m trying to switch that mindset to taking care of myself in other ways, but it’s hard. I totally hear ya. I use junk food as my comfort food… in an “it’s ok, just relax and enjoy the moment and snack on ALL THE TWIZZLERS” kinda way. And yes, it’s hard to stop once you get going. Last night’s “I’m kinda low and it’s almost bed time, I should just snack on ice cream out of the dang carton” episode is proof of that.
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I’m not questioning your tactic at all… I’m just trying to figure out how it would look on me. I also treat aggressively with insulin, but unless I’m doing everything preemptively, I could never keep within a 160. I can’t keep it within a 160 as it is. And I assume you’re referring to a CGM with the arrow you referred to? When I move, I move fast. By the time I see a 120 with one arrow up on my sensor, I’m easily at a 175. If I see a 130, I’m starting to chase, and if I get a 135 and two or three arrows up, stick a fork in me. This is why I wonder about how much of a difference in strategy or a difference in diet or lifestyle can be at least in part explained by a difference in our diseases. I love kind bars, but I almost only get to eat them when I’m giving up. It’s true of almost all carbs… I mentally have to be halfway to “I just don’t care” before I get one because if I DID care, I’d make the decision not to eat them. I do little jumps on my trampoline throughout the day. Anywhere from 3-15 minutes a pop. When I’m willing to do that, I can eat anything I want. Skip a jump, and it’s a disaster.
Nothing… Is… Off… Limits.
Nothing.
Unless you have OTHER medical issues that necessitates it… Such as peanut allergy, Celiac or other medical necessity
You just have to figure out what works - insulin regimen wise. We are constantly testing with Liam. If he wants something, he gets it. If his sugars go crazy, then WE (Erin and) must vigorously test for that food until we figure out how to make it work. It’s really that simple in our house. To deny him food doesn’t teach him to be unlimited. We are not afraid of the work to figure out the right insulin regimen, if that work results in him a) enjoying ALL foods he wants, b) him not being afraid of food and c) him learning that, with some effort and hard work for a short amount of time, he can enjoy a food for the rest of his life.
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I know you can get turned in the right direction. You are engaged in it and smart enough. But it might be a good time to examine what you are doing in general and see if there are changes that would be helpful.
How long have you been on the 670G? How long have you been on a pump?
There are a lot of different ways of doing it. It is just a matter of finding the right way.
This place is better than any other at helping with that sort of thing. We are not the biggest diabetes forum, but we do not have any idiots here posting nonsense. We really are the best. Not a single thing you read here is foolish garbage.
Things you read here are based on real-world experience. And there is a vast range of different approaches that people have experience with here.
Any pump you are interested in, we have someone here who can offer real-world advice. For MDI, any basal insulin - Tresiba, Levemir, Lantus, Toujeo - someone here has used it. Afrezza - we have that covered too.
If things are worse for you on the 670G Auto, maybe it is time to try a different approach.
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I’m trying. 
I’ve been pumping for just over 10 years, a year on the 670G. I’d like to say it’s just the 670, but once I got back into manual, I was doing great. I don’t want to moan and groan. I get up everyday and I put in work. I’ve just noticed the swings have crept back in, where I had been accomplishing a really flat line… and I’m back to feeling less over bigger numbers. If that makes sense. I was doing really well for a while, and I’m not sure how I got turned back around. And now it’s spiraling.
It’s okay. Nothing a little soul searching can’t take care of. I think I’m drained.
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I’m listening.
And have you ever or would you ever decide a particular food (or middle of the food store) is just not going to work? Is theee a point where you just decide to not work that hard?
Never. My son’s life, welfare, happiness and fulfillment is Erin’s and my obligation until he’s old enough to do these things for himself.
I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I was a horrible student in middle and high school because my parents didn’t value education… Very religious and wanted us to dedicate our lives to “storing treasures up in heaven.”. When I entered the real world and found the value in secular education I told myself that I would do my best in college to have a good example to point too for my own kids, because I don’t believe in only taking the talk. So through my masters I’ve maintained higher than a 4.0 GPA.
Why?
Because I can’t expect my kids to “do their best” if I don’t also do my best.
The same applies to Liam’s diabetes, to me. I can teach him to just avoid certain foods because “it’s just easier that way” or I can teach him perseverance, optimism and maintaining a “making it work” attitude. Nothing is impossible except those things that we allow to be impossible, out of reach, or just too much work.
Long answer, but no, for my kids, it’s never too much work. I want him to learn the same examples that I try to teach my other kids… Never give up. Ever.
“Quitters never win and winners never quit.”
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I know. I like it here a lot. I don’t know if you guys are right or not, but you sure do sell it.
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The collective knowledge and experience in this place is better than what any endo in the world could offer.
It isn’t just selling something, we back it up with our life experience 24x7.
What do we have now, like 1,000 years combined?
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Over 1,000 now
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If you knew how many times i’ve quoted you guys since landing here, you’d know I was joking. You’re a sharp group… and interesting and warm and funny. I do call you “F-U, Diabetes.” Because it’s funnier that way to me, but other than that, I know you guys are straight business.
I’m spreading the word, you know. Once I got over wanting to keep you for myself, I’ve been pushing you on everyone. 
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