Your definition of low carb diet.

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catherinecherub

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The more I read on here then the more confused I get as to what constitutes a low carb diet.

Since diagnosis, I have lowered my carb intake to a level that suits me and which my meter agrees with. I have never counted the carbs but relied on a portion size that suits me. I did count them a couple of times and came up with 90 and 110 for a whole day's worth.
I keep hearing, "I am a low carber" but what does that actually mean? I have reduced my carbs since diagnosis but I do not call myself a low carber.
Some "low carbers" do not eat any starchy carbs, rice pasta, potatoes, cereals, bread, and yet others do. Some don't eat fruit, some do. Some don't eat tomatoes or root vegetables but others do. Is it just a general term or are there a set of rules?
There are some definitions on the forum but it is only opinions, nothing seems to be written in stone.
Let's hear from members who "low carb" what they actually mean. Do they mean they have lowered their carb levels or do they follow a specific low carb plan?
 
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louiseb

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me personally I have lowered my carb intake but I dont count carbs.
for example I still eat bread I have just swapped to a lower carb version I eat nimble bread about 7g carbs per slice.
I dont eat pasta or potatoes anymore but I still eat rice brown rice.
I also eat fruit just no more than 1 piece per day.
the only cereal I have is poridge.
basically I eat the same food I used before diagnosis I just control the portion size and eat alot less than I used to and make sensible substitutes i.e brown rice instead of white and low carb bread.
the only real differnce to my diet since being diagnosed diabetic is I dont have obvious sugars anymore like biscuits, or fizzy drink etc.

what Im doing must be working for me as I had an HBA1C test last week and the result was 4.4 down from 6.4 last august although it was at that point that I started taking 2x500mg metformin per day. but I still beleive my diet has alot to do this great HBA1C result.
 
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alaska

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I reduce my carbs and would probably describe my diet as a low carb one as keeping carbs relatively low is the only real restriction I apply.

I had an HBA1C test last week and the result was 4.4 down from 6.4 last august

That's great to hear Louise :)
 
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croftmanor

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Hi Catherine
I would describe myself as a "lower Carber", i haven't really made any food measuremeants before or after, but have just used my meter readings to cut out the known foods that spike my levels, for me that means no rice or pasta, and just the smallest portion of potato, otherwise i dont measure,

so really i dont think there is a single definition of low carb, other than reducing the amount of carbs to less than the recomended amount?
just my thoughts on it
Crofty
 
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viviennem

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I think I would call low carb anything less than 70g of carb a day.

I try to eat no more than 50g, preferably below 30g, and I would call myself very low carb.

As Crofty says, it's reducing carb foods until your meter says it's working. 'Eat to your meter' seems to be another watchword around here. I'm trying to lose weight by restricting carbs, as well as controlling my BGs, so I may be eating fewer carbs than my body would be able to tolerate. However, it seems to be working!

Whatever works for you, I guess . . . but someone quoted the RDA as being 290g of carb per day, so anything less than 150g of carb probably qualifies as low!

I hope I haven't confused the issue too much ! :wink:

Viv :)
 
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Patch

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For me, lo-carbing means not eating anything that is high in carbs.

Similar to when we're told to go on a lo fat diet. The problem with that comparison, is that it is now known that fats are ESSENTIAL to good health. The same cannot be said about carbs (but prove me wrong if you can!)

(Remember all those years ago, BEFORE some fats were considered esssential? A low fat diet then meant avoiding fat completely - it's for this reason that there is so much confusion now with a definition for lo-carbing).

BUT - it's very subjective. Some people DO stick to a set amount, based either on what they know they can tolerate, or based on the GDA/RDA for carbohydrate.
 
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sue32

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I call myself low carb.......I don't eat any starchy carbs at all. No pasta, rice, bread or potatoes. I eat fresh and sald veg, but no more than 2 pieces of fruit a day. My bloods love it, last HbA1c 5.5!! AND I've lost 6 stone in a year. No more Novorapid or Byetta. 1 Gliclazide a day and Glargine at night!!
 
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Patch

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6st in a year? :shock: Wow! Great work!
 

Etty

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I think of "low carb diet" as anything under 130g/day. I read this on the Nutrition and Metabolism Society website (nmsociety.org) years ago and it stuck in my mind. They use a working definition of "low-carb ketogenic" diet as <50g/day, at which point people go in and out of ketosis. Certainly I do. There is also a 3rd category of "moderate carb" diet from 130g - 225g/day (26 - 45% calories).

I 've followed Lutz's level of <72g/day for 2 years, but mostly been under 50g. I've stopped counting now, but guess it varies from 25-45 most of the time. I concentrate on keeping sweet and grain foods very low, probably < 10g/day each. I eat very little fruit and small amounts of root veg. The only other limitation I make, and this is nothing to do with low carb, is for high omega-6 veg. oil. Everything else I eat as I please, and use fats to make up the calories.
 
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noblehead

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I prefer to use the term ''reduced carbs'' when describing my diet or not make any reference to it at all. The trouble is with the term ''low carb'' is that people and HCP seem to think that everyone is on a ketogenic diet such as Atkins, by saying to my HCP that I reduce them saves on the lecture of how dangerous ketogenic diets are to diabetics.

Nigel
 
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primmers

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Not been doing it for very long but I would also describe myself as a reduced carb diet, and the carbs I have are low Glycaemic Load. I'm still in my research phase of reduced carbing so don't know anything for sure but it's looking like about 20g of carbs a meal is the most I can manage if I'm going to have a 2 hour reading of less than 8.5. Mostly it's coming in at less than 20g, probably 50-75 g a day.

Got my first HbA1c tomorrow, only been conciously reduced carbing for coming up to a fortnight (although I did stop between meal snacking when I got the letter from the hospital saying I needed a GTT) and I'm interested to learn what the starting position is.
 

Romeran

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When I was diagnosed with T2 seventeen years ago, the usual advice was to have meals consisting of one third carbs, one third protein and one third vegetables and this worked well with me while I took plenty of exercise. Now elderly and taking less exercise, though I try to keep up to some extent, I'm finding it more difficult to keep within acceptable numbers. However, if I reduce carbs I get SO hungry and prowl around asking myself what I can eat. No other forum members seem to mention hunger. Why is this? Also, I am on one Gliclazide and three Metformin a day now. What do you do to decrease medication? Do you stop one and see what effects there are?
I must add how funny it is to read of members' longings for praise for thei efforts. I am just the same and still thrill to remember a d.nurse saying to me "I wish all my patients were like you!" Sadly, that was in a previous practice and what I get now is "Who's in charge, me or your old practice?" I should have said that, ultimately, the patient must take charge.
 

NoCrbs4Me

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Right now I am zero carb, but I would consider less than 50 g per day to be low carb for me.
 
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Enclave

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my low carb was 20g of carbs a day .. now I am more relaxed and average 30 to 60g a day it works for me :)
 
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britishpub

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I always over count my Carbs, but even so 50g would be a lot for me.
 

mo53

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This is a really interesting thread. I use myfitnesspal to log my food. My aim is to eat under 60g of carbs each day and less than 1200 calories. I don't eat bread, rice, pasta, pastry or wheat products . I read the ingredients before I buy. I have been trying out recipes for low carb alternatives. I eat berries but not other fruits. My last hbc1 was 43 but I'm sure I can reduce it further.
 
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I have 'reduced' my carb intake, I prefer that term for myself and I take less Insulin too.
 

donnellysdogs

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I was low carb for majority of my adult life. Just one six month gap where I was advised to eat bread, toast, cereal.... Now I would count myself as lower carb as medicines for cancer have necessitated in having to have a bowl of rice crispier for breakfast...so now raised to about 65-80g carb per day now. It was 32g less.....
Boy, the rice crispier took a lot to sort out with insulin and timings of injection though. I have to wait 3/4 hour before I can eat them otherwise the peak from them in bloods are huge....

I do call myself a "lower carber"...
 
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The more I read on here then the more confused I get as to what constitutes a low carb diet.

Since diagnosis, I have lowered my carb intake to a level that suits me and which my meter agrees with. I have never counted the carbs but relied on a portion size that suits me. I did count them a couple of times and came up with 90 and 110 for a whole day's worth.
I keep hearing, "I am a low carber" but what does that actually mean? I have reduced my carbs since diagnosis but I do not call myself a low carber.
Some "low carbers" do not eat any starchy carbs, rice pasta, potatoes, cereals, bread, and yet others do. Some don't eat fruit, some do. Some don't eat tomatoes or root vegetables but others do. Is it just a general term or are there a set of rules?
There are some definitions on the forum but it is only opinions, nothing seems to be written in stone.
Let's hear from members who "low carb" what they actually mean. Do they mean they have lowered their carb levels or do they follow a specific low carb plan?

A really good thread.
I feel the term low carb varies so much because it differs from one person to the next, some can and want to have a little carb intake, some have much more and some zero. Sorry for the boring quote, but one size really doesn't fit all. :rolleyes: