Calories or carbs?

[KimG]

Please don't bite my head off, I had someone do that yesterday! I've only been diabetic for 11 days.

Is slightly going over on calories and fat better than going over on carbs please? Thank you.

 

[Pink_Minx]

Hey KimG! I'm only slightly less new than you, but yes, I think so - I've binned calorie counting! However, I'm a completely know-nothing at this game, so am on your side and wish you loads of luck.

 

[Lamont D]

Please don't bite my head off, I had someone do that yesterday! I've only been diabetic for 11 days.

Is slightly going over on calories and fat better than going over on carbs please? Thank you.

It wasn't me was it?
If so I apologise!

My consultant, said don't worry about calories, just eat low carb, little and often.
You can certainly count carbs if you want to!
Keep a food diary with all the data to compare in future.
Record all your blood glucose levels alongside before and after.
It will be so helpful to you and your medical team, when you have a review.

 

[philchap1]

You need insulin for carbs so the less carbs you eat the less insulin you need, don't be afraid to ask there's a welth of knowledge here and people will be glad to help

 

[catinahat]

I think that each of us have to decide what our priorities are and what we are trying to achieve with our diets.
In my case it is to keep my glucose level as close to non diabetic as possible and avoid the complications that come with poor control. My focus has always been on restricting carbs not calories. If I'm hungry I eat something but it will be a low carb something. The weight loss I've had with the LCHF diet is just a happy bonus as far as I'm concerned.

 

[SunnyExpat]

Personally, better to not go over on either.

 

[zand]

If I were you I would be strict with my carbs and not worry about having too many calories or too much fat.

 

[poohtiggy]

Please don't bite my head off, I had someone do that yesterday! I've only been diabetic for 11 days.

Is slightly going over on calories and fat better than going over on carbs please? Thank you.

I don't know who that was Kim but it's very unusual and I apologise for them. When you joined the forum we promised to answer as many questions as we could and urged you to ask them, please don't let it put you off. As for the above question I concentrated on lowering my carb intake and never worried about calories, but as it happened I lost wait anyway. Remember fat doesn't make you fat carbs do

 

[KimG]

It wasn't me was it?
If so I apologise!

My consultant, said don't worry about calories, just eat low carb, little and often.
You can certainly count carbs if you want to!
Keep a food diary with all the data to compare in future.
Record all your blood glucose levels alongside before and after.
It will be so helpful to you and your medical team, when you have a review.

Apology accepted. Thank you for this

 

[KimG]

Hey KimG! I'm only slightly less new than you, but yes, I think so - I've binned calorie counting! However, I'm a completely know-nothing at this game, so am on your side and wish you loads of luck.

Thank you that's kind of you, you too

I don't know who that was Kim but it's very unusual and I apologise for them. When you joined the forum we promised to answer as many questions as we could and urged you to ask them, please don't let it put you off. As for the above question I concentrated on lowering my carb intake and never worried about calories, but as it happened I lost wait anyway. Remember fat doesn't make you fat carbs do

Thank you. I'm working to 50 carbs a day, less if I can manage it

 

[KimG]

You need insulin for carbs so the less carbs you eat the less insulin you need, don't be afraid to ask there's a welth of knowledge here and people will be glad to help

I didn't know that. Thank you. Things are starting to make sense.

 

[Lamont D]

I didn't know that. Thank you. Things are starting to make sense.

Just for information.

I have a condition that when I eat carbs, I produce too much Insulin.

Hence, to counter this I don't eat carbs. So that I am in control.

Just to show you how weird things are, I take a gliptin that produces more insulin to counter the amount of glucose and glycogen in my blood.

 

[KimG]

Just for information.

I have a condition that when I eat carbs, I produce too much Insulin.

Hence, to counter this I don't eat carbs. So that I am in control.

Just to show you how weird things are, I take a gliptin that produces more insulin to counter the amount of glucose and glycogen in my blood.

Weird. You would think you'd be ok on carbs.

 

[Lamont D]

Weird. You would think you'd be ok on carbs.

No, it's definitely the carbs that do it.
My consultant calls potatoes a ball of glucose.
!

To get out of trying to explain my condition, I say that I'm allergic to carbs and sugars!

The difference between you and me! I'll be like this for life and have to very low carb all my life to feel good.

You when in control, can bring carbs back into your diet.

I could murder a good old fashioned chip butties!

 

[KimG]

No, it's definitely the carbs that do it.
My consultant calls potatoes a ball of glucose.
!

To get out of trying to explain my condition, I say that I'm allergic to carbs and sugars!

The difference between you and me! I'll be like this for life and have to very low carb all my life to feel good.

You when in control, can bring carbs back into your diet.

I could murder a good old fashioned chip butties!

Couldn't you have just a couple of chips off someone's plate for a treat once a fortnight? Or find some thing that does not damage you too much to have very occasionally?

 

[Lamont D]

Nice thought but no, they are really bad for me!

I have experienced what spuds do for me! Not fun!

Couldn't you have just a couple of chips off someone's plate for a treat once a fortnight? Or find some thing that does not damage you too much to have very occasionally?

My treat is a couple of pieces of 85% dark chocolate, a few berries and plain Greek yogurt. Brilliant!

 

[Spiker]

I don't think there is a simple answer to your question unfortunately.

Calories and fat are bad for you if you are having a normal amount of carbs. It's only if you get your carbs down quite low that calories and fat stop being a problem. The LCHF diet isn't just a matter of eating fewer carbs and more fat. There is a 'magic' threshold of carbs that you need to below, and that varies by the individual. If you are below that threshold you don't have to worry about fat and calories - the more the merrier in fact. Above that threshold, the fat and calories are bad for you.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

I focus on carbs as that was how I managed to lose over 8 stone, when calorie counting only enabled me to lose up to 3 stone at at a time, then I would put it all back on and have to yo-yo diet again

However I do think calorie restriction has a place for some people. For the super-obese, there has to be some degree of calorie restriction if they are to get down to a safe weight for bariatric surgery. There's no reason why they couldn't also reduce carbs - it would probably be quite good for them I think.

I saw a website that said calorie counting was an eating disorder - IMO that's a ridiculously extreme view that's insulting to people with bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorder. I get that they were trying to make a point, but to me it wasn't reasonable. Like everything, I try to resist seeing things in black and white. So I think there is a place for carb counting and calorie counting, depending on the circumstances.

 

[Robbity]

If I were you I would be strict with my carbs and not worry about having too many calories or too much fat.

Definitely watch your carbs preferentially, Kim. They are real little devils that can play havoc with our glucose levels. I think similarly to Nosher though we don't have the same actual issues, but I believe as diabetics our bodies have become intolerant of carbohydrates.

But there may come a point when, if you actually eat too much fat (and so more calories), you can stop losing weight which is definitely not a "Good Thing" if you need to keep on losing it. Your body ends up using the fat you're eating for energy in place of the stored fat in your body that you want rid of.... Believe me !!

Robbity

PS Re treats, once your body has got used to a low carb diet, it doesn't necessarily want the same kind of treats any more - there a lots of delicious low carb alternatives - so we don't ever need to feel deprived!

 

[andcol]

Kim for me in my early days I focused on the calories! I went very low calorie (<1000 kcal/day) for several months. Then I raised the calories in the form of fat/protein and a little more carb (but not much) and then eventually i raised my carb levels further. I am down many stone and have normal BG response to food now.

Why have I told you this. Well you can take control by either calorie control or carb control or a combination of both. What is easiest depends on you. For me it was definitely the calorie restriction to lose weight rapidly. For others I know it is the carb restriction.

By the way they both work for weight loss and blood glucose control. The only thing I have found that doesnt work is low fat and high carb surprisingly but that is probably down to my ice age genes increasing my base BG levels to keep me alive for the next cold period (ie increased insulin resistance) which is deadly with very high carb. Some people thrive on it and others die on it!