Lager ... Or red wine ?

[HSSS]

I did go nuts with chocolate over lockdown, and had been eating excess amounts of sweet stuff for quite a while. But it's a huge revelation to me too that sugar is basically pure carbohydrate, and that all non-fibre carbs are as bad as each other. I always thought I was being really good having a small amount of chilli with a lot of rice or a small amount of bolognaise with a lot of pasta. This has turned that kind of thinking on its head. And I was treating bread as a total no penalty food, at one point having 4 slices of toast for breakfast and 4 slices as two sandwiches for lunch. I wasn't putting on weight, so how much damage could I be doing?

The real kicker? The alcohol free beer that I'd been drinking during the week (being good, avoiding alcohol) has as many carbs in one 330ml can as two 440ml cans of Carling. So in 'being good' and avoiding alcohol, I was actually fairly drastically increasing my carb intake. I am going to do an experiment with some of those one evening, to see just how badly 3 or 4 cans spike me.

Have you tried the really high % dark choc? I’ll admit I worked my way up and any 85% is now ok and generally 20-30 carbs per 100g. Even better for taste and carbs is godiva’s 90% at 14g/100g. You don’t need more than a square or two.

Remember to test well past the 2 hr mark in case the alcohol temporarily drops you before you get the rise. (Same delay goes for any meals very high in fats)

 

[Nicole T]

Have you tried the really high % dark choc? I’ll admit I worked my way up and any 85% is now ok and generally 20-30 carbs per 100g. Even better for taste and carbs is godiva’s 90% at 14g/100g. You don’t need more than a square or two.

Remember to test well past the 2 hr mark in case the alcohol temporarily drops you before you get the rise. (Same delay goes for any meals very high in fats)

I planned to try that the other night, but essentially having a few beers and staying awake long enough to test just didn't work out. So sensible readings 2 hours later, and fast asleep by 4.

Different strategy on Sunday. I had a couple of afternoon drinks around 3pm, ate around 5, and tested around 7. I was still getting a far from worrying 5.8.

I tested too early after food tonight (around 1 hour, but I needed to go out) and got 7.6. The highest reading since going low carb, but since I'm only counting morning fasting and 90 mins to 2 hours after food readings, I'm not going to consider it valid. I was below 5 a couple of hours later, so I'm estimating mid to high 6's if I'd timed it correctly.

 

[Geordie_P]

Red wine is much better than beer as far as carbs go. Dry white wine is also fine: spirits are also good- whisky and soda, rum and coke zero- that sort of thing.

 

[Nicole T]

Red wine is much better than beer as far as carbs go. Dry white wine is also fine: spirits are also good- whisky and soda, rum and coke zero- that sort of thing.

Oh absolutely. I just don't enjoy any of those as much as a cold beer. So if I can have a moderate number of beers and still pull in decent numbers, that's going to be my social drinking strategy.

From a weight loss perspective, I know I'd be better off cutting out beer completely. I've certainly cut down.

 

[Geordie_P]

Oh absolutely. I just don't enjoy any of those as much as a cold beer. So if I can have a moderate number of beers and still pull in decent numbers, that's going to be my social drinking strategy.

From a weight loss perspective, I know I'd be better off cutting out beer completely. I've certainly cut down.

To be honest, on the odd occasion when I have beer, I usually have a couple of tins of Carlsberg, and it has never raised my levels all that much.