Amount of daily carbs.

[ThirtySixteen]

Evening guys,

I was recently diagnosed with high glucose levels, my GP said it was in the pre-diabetics range and suggested I lose some weight and see how I go from there.

I have a quick question. I struggle with diets and would ideally like to lose around 30lbs.
I’ve done low carb before by sticking to around 20g carbs a day and it was successful but I was very unhappy.
I like my food and tend to struggle when I can’t have it.

What I’ve been doing this time is around 15-25g of carbs a day during the week and at weekends I have anything between 20-50g of carbs.
I stay in ketosis, according to the keto strips (I know they’re not very reliable but they seem to help me a bit).

My question is, will this work? Is what I’m doing ok? I realise the weight loss will be slower than if I ate 20g every day but I’m ok with that.

My GP suggested it should be ok but was very vague and admitted that she didn’t know much about low carb diets.

Thank you all in advance.


Matt

 

[MrsA2]

sounds a good plan to me. We each need to find a way of eating that suits our bodies and are sustainable

 

[Resurgam]

If you are getting normal blood glucose levels then it is right. There is nothing magical about KETO or 20gm of carbs a day - if you can cope with 150 gm, 100 gm or 50 gm, then that is the level to aim for, whatever gives you normal blood glucose.

 

[ThirtySixteen]

sounds a good plan to me. We each need to find a way of eating that suits our bodies and are sustainable

Thank you very much for your reply.

 

[ThirtySixteen]

If you are getting normal blood glucose levels then it is right. There is nothing magical about KETO or 20gm of carbs a day - if you can cope with 150 gm, 100 gm or 50 gm, then that is the level to aim for, whatever gives you normal blood glucose.

Thanks very much for the reply.

However, even though my glucose levels do need getting under control, I also need to lose weight.

I’m assuming that eating up to 50g at weekends will just slow my weight loss but is that all it will do?

I just really want to know if what I’m doing has worked for anyone else I guess.

Thanks again.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

Thanks very much for the reply.

However, even though my glucose levels do need getting under control, I also need to lose weight.

I’m assuming that eating up to 50g at weekends will just slow my weight loss but is that all it will do?

I just really want to know if what I’m doing has worked for anyone else I guess.

Thanks again.

Usually if you eat foods that don’t spike your BG then you will lose weight.

 

[Roggg]

Thanks very much for the reply.

However, even though my glucose levels do need getting under control, I also need to lose weight.

I’m assuming that eating up to 50g at weekends will just slow my weight loss but is that all it will do?

I just really want to know if what I’m doing has worked for anyone else I guess.

Thanks again.

FWIW, I find that bouncing between low carb and "less low" tends to just prime the carb cravings, so I would find this a slippery slope to failure. Although it's true there's no magic to keto, there is a synergy in getting fat-adapted in that it tends to help moderate hunger.

That said, 50g isn't exactly high. Some people can achieve and maintain ketosis at that level. Early in my diagnosis I was maintaining good BG control eating between 50g and 100g daily. Sadly this is not an option for me anymore.

If you are coming from a high-carb diet, I have no doubts that you could have a lot of success with this. If you are using a blood glucose meter, you can always check the impact that your 50g days have on your levels.

 

[Resurgam]

Thanks very much for the reply.
However, even though my glucose levels do need getting under control, I also need to lose weight.
I’m assuming that eating up to 50g at weekends will just slow my weight loss but is that all it will do?
I just really want to know if what I’m doing has worked for anyone else I guess.
Thanks again.

It all depends - if you are being more active on the days you eat 50 gm of carbs then they could be the days you lose most weight - eating fewer carbs might make you feel you'd rather be at home resting, then the 20 gm a day might be counter productive - it really is a matter of seeing what works best.
I was doing well on 50 gm a day every day, got down to Hba1c of 42 - so I decided to reduce to 40 gm a day - obviously that would change things. Nope. Hba1c of 42. We simply are not automata, nothing cam be assumed unless it is tested the consequences remain unknowable.