Some advice and info needed please

[Cloudlesssky]

Hello everyone, (and apologies that this is all about me)

I am a fairly new T2 (about 7 months)
I am 5ft 2ins.
I weigh just over 16 stone.
You can see my starting stats below.
My last Hba1c was down to 66.
I take Metformin 2x twice daily and they really don't agree with me, so it has been suggested I take 1 with every meal to help side effects.

I have set my first weight loss target at 13 stone.

However, I am finding it really difficult to get my head around counting the carbs. and this clearly not only affects my diabetes but my weight.

Have you more knowledgeable and experienced folk some advice as to how you count your carbs and how much you allow yourself every day?
I know its keep off the refined sugars, rice, pasta etc
I know to keep my sugars to a minimum - but how much is a minimum? There seems to sugar in so much; especially the fruit!

And finally, did any of you actually sit down and write an eating plan or list of meals you could eat and enjoy for reference?

Really appreciate this.

Thank you

 

[Gezzabelle]

Hi and welcome. Carbs are in so many foods and can be easily missed. Fruit for example can be very high in sugars and can cause your blood glucose to spike badly. Many eat just a few berries whereas some can tolerate more without too bad an effect. The best way to find out what is affecting you is to test your BG levels before and 2 hours after eating. That will give you an idea whats going on and you can try and identify which foods you can't tolerate. Many also eat the LFHC way...which is Low Carb High Fat....there is a thread about it on the forum. How low you go with cutting carbs is up to you ...personally I have cut down to between 30g and 50g a day. Have a look at the food and nutrition/recipes and LCHF threads to get some idea what you should be eating and then ask as many questions as you need to. Always someone here to help

 

[Lamont D]

I'm in ketosis, I don't need to count carbs!
I haven't the time or the regimen to do that.
I do have an eating plan, and I shop accordingly.

The best way to describe how to be in control of your blood glucose levels is by reducing carbs, sugars, calories, snacks, plate size, etc
Increase, your walking or exercise, do a little bit more every day. It's good to feel tired if you have done something. Increase your veg and protein and salt. Eat more full fat!
Try and base your meals away from your favourite carbs.
And always eat to your meter!

 

[Cloudlesssky]

Thank you Gezzabelle, 50g carbs for a day isn't very much, is it?!! I do admire your decision.
I suppose that is a place to consider starting ... or perhaps it would be more realistic to say I'll start limiting to 100g - or is that far to high and won't help at all?

And thank you too, Nosher, I don't understand what "in ketosis" means. I know what keytones are, but would you be able to explain why "in ketosis" means you don't need to count carbs? (Only if you're willing)

I like the idea of developing an eating plan, buying accordingly and not needing to worry so much about food every day.

Thank you both.

 

[Lamont D]

Ketosis, well if you want the science bit Google it!
I very low carb, well under 20 to 30 gms per day.
I intentionally don't have anything to eat that has more than 5gms of carbs in it.
I have protein and salad, full fat yoghurt, a few berries. But I eat little and often to not spike. I stay between 4 and 6 mmols as much as possible. My portions are small, and I work manually.

It basically means using fat for energy rather than the carbs

 

[AndBreathe]

Hello everyone, (and apologies that this is all about me)

I am a fairly new T2 (about 7 months)
I am 5ft 2ins.
I weigh just over 16 stone.
You can see my starting stats below.
My last Hba1c was down to 66.
I take Metformin 2x twice daily and they really don't agree with me, so it has been suggested I take 1 with every meal to help side effects.

I have set my first weight loss target at 13 stone.

However, I am finding it really difficult to get my head around counting the carbs. and this clearly not only affects my diabetes but my weight.

Have you more knowledgeable and experienced folk some advice as to how you count your carbs and how much you allow yourself every day?
I know its keep off the refined sugars, rice, pasta etc
I know to keep my sugars to a minimum - but how much is a minimum? There seems to sugar in so much; especially the fruit!

And finally, did any of you actually sit down and write an eating plan or list of meals you could eat and enjoy for reference?

Really appreciate this.

Thank you

When you say you're having trouble counting carbs, it would be extremely useful to understand what level you are trying to achieve? The level you want to be at; whether it's 20, 30, 50 or 150 grammes a day would impact on how I would suggest you move forward.

When is your next HbA1c due, and are you testing your bloods on a day to day basis?

 

[Cloudlesssky]

Ketosis, well if you want the science bit Google it!
I very low carb, well under 20 to 30 gms per day.
I intentionally don't have anything to eat that has more than 5gms of carbs in it.
I have protein and salad, full fat yoghurt, a few berries. But I eat little and often to not spike. I stay between 4 and 6 mmols as much as possible. My portions are small, and I work manually.

It basically means using fat for energy rather than the carbs

Red about it. Understood it. Was wrong before!

 

[Cloudlesssky]

When you say you're having trouble counting carbs, it would be extremely useful to understand what level you are trying to achieve? The level you want to be at; whether it's 20, 30, 50 or 150 grammes a day would impact on how I would suggest you move forward.

When is your next HbA1c due, and are you testing your bloods on a day to day basis?

Thanks for your reply.

I think one of my problems is that I don't know what to aim at when counting carbs. 30 seems so low. I am tempted to say I will start with having 100g carbs daily, then drop lower when I get used to that - but on the other hand if I need to be at 50, I should go for that straight away, shouldn't I?

I would need to make a list of the no. of carbs in things to make this work for me.

My next Hba1c is due in September. I know 66 is still high, but I guess I've been lured into a false sense of security by lowering levels so much already. My bloods are around 10 now, better than the initial 30, but still a long way to go.

Thank you.

 

[Cloudlesssky]

I guess these levels are actually still quite dangerous, aren't they???

 

[Lamont D]

The realisation that carbs and sugars are the enemy could have an effect on your psyche.
If you were me and you had to low carb or you would be really ill, would you have any doubts about not doing so.
You have the choice, I don't!
Reduce your carbs more, increase your walking, reduce your plate size, eat to your meter, you know it makes sense.

I'm now going to have my nightly treat of yoghurt, strawberries and two pieces of dark chocolate. Guess what, no blood glucose rise!

 

[AndBreathe]

Thanks for your reply.

I think one of my problems is that I don't know what to aim at when counting carbs. 30 seems so low. I am tempted to say I will start with having 100g carbs daily, then drop lower when I get used to that - but on the other hand if I need to be at 50, I should go for that straight away, shouldn't I?

I would need to make a list of the no. of carbs in things to make this work for me.

My next Hba1c is due in September. I know 66 is still high, but I guess I've been lured into a false sense of security by lowering levels so much already. My bloods are around 10 now, better than the initial 30, but still a long way to go.

Thank you.

OK. Thanks for that.

If you are finding it all a bit bewildering, I can appreciate that counting and calculating everything you eat could feel like a full-time occupation. I was fortunate in that I seemed to be able to muddle my way through it in the beginning and although I found the recording and counting a pain at times, I could see how it would help me to keep complete records, but I completely accept everyone isn't quite so bonkers as I am!

Have you found the dietdoctor.com website at all? He makes reduced carbing very simple, summarising hos advice onto one page:http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf#advice Or, do you have the Trudi Deakin book, "Eat Fat"? (http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/shop/details/p/handbook-lowcarb-highfat-lifestyle)

Both those resources more or less use a traffic light systems, making counting less necessary.

There are many schools of thought on how quickly to reduce carbs, and for most people it comes down to personal choice and whether you would be able to cope with the downward steps if you had to take them? I couldn't have done it that way, but that's just me and not a suggestion.

Good luck with it all.

 

[cisyyang]

Diabetes need to be careful controlled, I thing walking or running for a certain miles everyday will surely help to lose weight.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Diabetes need to be careful controlled, I thing walking or running for a certain miles everyday will surely help to lose weight.

No, it won't help much. Exercise is great, but almost useless for losing weight.

 

[Lamont D]

Diabetes need to be careful controlled, I thing walking or running for a certain miles everyday will surely help to lose weight.

Exercise is great and does help but, it would be better for losing weight if you eat less of what is making you want to lose weight.
You can run a marathon and gain weight. It all depends how much, and what you put into your mouth!
Reducing your carbs is the best thing any diabetic can do to start to lose weight!

 

[AloeSvea]

I think one of my problems is that I don't know what to aim at when counting carbs. 30 seems so low. I am tempted to say I will start with having 100g carbs daily, then drop lower when I get used to that - but on the other hand if I need to be at 50, I should go for that straight away, shouldn't I?

I would need to make a list of the no. of carbs in things to make this work for me.

My next Hba1c is due in September. I know 66 is still high, but I guess I've been lured into a false sense of security by lowering levels so much already. My bloods are around 10 now, better than the initial 30, but still a long way to go.

Hi Bee Gee,

I just want to say how wonderful that you dropped your HBA1c so hugely in that time - and getting it to 66 must have been no mean feat - many pats on the back are in order.

But, in terms of your life enjoyment, and relationship to food - unless you actually like counting, let alone counting carbs, why do it? I have never counted a carb in my life, but guess I must be on a low carb diet. (I just assume!)

If you cut down or cut out the big carb culprits - bread, rice, pasta (and then potatoes?), and get your carbs in fruit and vegetables - lots of vegetables, including tubers - you are instantly low carbing! Is my understanding. But then, I don't like counting. But I love what being low carb did for my blood glucose levels (weight, belly fat etc), like many low carbing diabetics.

Cutting the big carb culprits can be hard - I cut out drinking milk around the same time too, and found it to be quite challenging, to put it mildly. And I love/d pasta. (And pizza! And I can't even begin to think about how many slices of toast I have eaten in my life.)

I'm a big believer in 'you've got to substitute' (sung along to The Who tune), which is where the paleo thing came in for me. 'Zoodles' (zucchini 'noodles') instead of penne, almond and coconut flour for breads and muffins instead of wheat/grain flours, and cooking with eggs, in oodles of coconut oil, olive oil as salad dressing - your classic paleo/LCHF stuff. Reading masses of cook books, changing over to different flours, upping the vegetable consumption, cutting out the bread and pasta, learning how to cook all over again - has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. But doing that, along with walking, walking, and walking some more, meant I lost 20kg in 5 months.

Exercise may not contribute to weight loss, but I am a huge fan of, 'Glut4', which is activated by muscle movement - if I have understood it correctly, is a way for glucose to get out of the bloodstream into the muscles - really good for we diabetics - whilst bypassing our malfunctioning livers and pancreases. I wouldn't use the word 'exercise' then - but 'motion'. Just move! Even a little bit, then a little bit more. It's all good.

Changing my eating and cooking lifestyle was really hard, but having done that - losing the weight was not! If that makes sense. (I find going from normal weight to lean is really hard - but that's another diabetic story.)

Well - low-carb without counting a thing. (Maybe reading a lot! Of recipes? Yeah.)

 

[sally and james]

We don't carb count. Not only is life too short, but you would be amazed at the variation in opinions as to the number of carbs in some things and the variation in what you might think was an identical product from one supermarket to the next. So, what do we do (or to be more exact, what does my husband do, I cheat from time to time, because I'm not diabetic):

We never eat:
Cereals or cereal products (eg. bread, rice, pasta, porridge, breakfast cereal, cake, biscuits).
Fruit, including fruit juice.
Obvious sugars (eg. table sugar, sweets, most chocolate, honey, syrups, puddings, jams and preserves)
Starchy root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips)
Sugary drinks (beer, mixers, sweet liquors, colas etc.)

What do we eat:
Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, butter, olive oil, olives, avocados, seeds, nuts, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes, mushrooms, onions, lentils and chickpeas, red wine, tea, coffee, plus herbs and spices and everything I can cook with these items.

(note: there are probably some omissions from both lists, so don't pin it on the kitchen wall just yet. Do have a look at http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf for well thought through guidance.)

Just for interest, I have done the occasional count up of daily carbs, probably typically around 30g, the range being 20 to 50g, but to us, it's "does it work?" and the answer is a resounding "yes".

Sally

 

[Brunneria]

I don't carb count either.
Tried it for a few days using MyFitnessPal and quickly came to the conclusion that it took more effort than I was willing to spend. It also gave me a whole new insight into the life of an insulin dependent diabetic - and I don't envy them!

Instead I just identified foods that raised my bg (using my meter) - which is all the usual carb suspects.
Then I gradually reduced their portion sizes or eliminated them completely, until my bg stopped going too high after meals.

Coincidentally, this led me slap bang into eating in a low carb, high fat style.

I think the thing that makes any dietary transition successful, is learning to focus on the things you can eat, rather than the things you can't.

If I spent my time mourning biscuits, scones, puds and mash, I would go mad.
Instead, I plot the next orgy of low carb high fatness - indulging just as much as ever, but in different things.
My absolute priority is bg control, with feeling better a huge side-benefit.
Weight loss is a secondary concern, since I have no expectation of reversing my diabetes.

 

[Lamont D]

I have to agree wholeheartedly with @Brunneria.

I don't low carb or count calories, count carbs or weigh and be precise about ingredients.

I do what I do, to feel good and that gives me my energy to do my job and look after my life's need. I eat what I eat, which makes me healthier than I have been for decades!

I haven't the time or patient enough to do this. What I do works for me.

I still test and record everything, to see if there is any shift in my patterns.
My fasting before breakfast varies by no more than 0.7mmols.
My 2 hour testing is never above 5.5.

Control is the key to being healthy.

 

[Cloudlesssky]

Well, that was really interesting and thank you everyone!
I have read (and re-read) all the posts here and am relieved to see how very individual each person's success is and how passionately people feel about their "plan".
Since I originally started this thread and having read the initial replies I have:

• decided to work on keeping to 50g carbs per day (I'm aiming for 30 and have found I can usually make it fairly easily, but I don't want to constantly feel I'm failing!)
• Looked at the carb value on the foods I'm buying
• Used My Fitness Pal for a quick check of carbs when unsure
• Worked on no carbs for breakfast, a Lidl roll or salad with fish/chicken/corned beef/ham for lunch with a piece of fruit
• meat or fish with two veg in the evening and a couple of little new potatoes if I want them.

Seem to have lost about 3 - 4 pounds too, so hopefully I've turned a corner and am heading in the right direction.

Thank you very much - hope we'll all keep in touch in another thread or two!

 

[Bigbloke48]

Hi.

Have you had a 1 -2 -1 yet with a dietician.

I got the group session first which advocated eating wholemeal bread brown rice n pasta etc. So off I went and like you didn't see much difference. Then I did some googling and researched how to reduce my HBA1C readings.

Outcome was I asked for a 1.2.1 with a dietician and she put me straight. She gave me a carbohydrate awareness table which shows which foods contain cars and how much I could eat as a portion

Get the bulk of your carbs from vegetables.

Since trying to stick to the plan I lost 3 stone. It took 12 months and I've plateaued at 103kg.