Hi there, I have been diagnosed with T2 since Nov 2016, started off on Metformin - all went well, started to loose weight (very slowly). Started off with reading of 89, 3mths after it dropped to 69, 3mths further on and it has now risen up to 84. Still loosing weight, but over the last month felt yukki from it, suffered with my health and have just had to have an abscess surgically drained. With all that has been going on my GP has now added Linagliptin to the mixture with the Metformin and given me a meter. He has asked that i carry on with the diet that i am on but he wants me to cut my carb intake down - but hasnt given me a daily figure to go on..............So my question to the community is what is the usual intake measure when carb counting, whats the daily amount which is acceptable for people with T2 ?
Hi, to do any real good you need to keep your CARBS below 50grams and even lower is better. A lot of people with T2 recommend 20gramms or less and believe me it is possible to reverse T2 by following a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) diet because that is exactly what I have done. I am not going to tell you it is easy cos it's not at first but it does get easier because you have to make it a way of life. Please don't use any of the NHS dietary advise, it is wrong and the NHS is beginning to know it. Fortunately for you your doctor seems more savvy, listen to him. No starchy food ( bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans of any kind, cakes, sugar, cereals, grains of any kind, parsnips, peas,) these all turn to sugar and sugar is your enemy that put you in this situation in the first place. Try to balance your intake to around 70%fat, (no trans fats), lard, 100% butter, coconut oil, double cream, plain full fat yogurt, eggs and bacon, cheese all ok. 25% protein, around 60 -70 grams a day, 5%carbs, any veg that grows above ground is usually ok, do not count Fiber as carbs, Total Carbs = carbs (sugar, starches etc + fiber. Net carbs = Total carbs minus fiber.) Unfortunately the Nutrition label on foodstuffs do not say whether the carbs are Total or Net so best read carbs as NET. Try to get at least 37 grams of fiber a day. I use Soy Bran (72% fiber per 100 grams and doesn't count in your daily intake of food) Holland and Barrats stock it or will order it for you. Collect in shop after 2 days. Keep your portion size down, weigh everything and write it all in a book, Food - Weight of food - Carbs - Protein - Fat - Calories. It is the only way to know you are doing it right, if you guess you will get it wrong. Exercise, for example get into a routine of going for a walk every day, keep yourself busy round the house, anything to burn calories. How many calories a day depends on how energetic you are. Not everyone agrees but I believe you lose weight with calorie restriction and heal yourself with the diet. Over 40 weeks my average daily calorie intake has been 1180 cals, (keeping records see) and my average daily carbohydrate intake is 26 grams a day. I have lost 26kg in weight, 10" from my waist, brought my HbA1c down from 55 High to 38 Normal and reversed my T2. I am a great believer of 'Cheat Days' when you eat what your not supposed to. As long as they are FEW and FAR BETWEEN say once a month. As you get into the diet, cheat days become less and less important because your diet will and must become a way of life with you. Well that is my advise, it worked for me, what more can I say. Others may or may not agree with what I have said, the general consensus seems to agree though may differ on minor points. My final bit of advise is if you start the diet, stick to it or you will just be wasting your time. Good luck.
