How do you work out what amount of carbs to start on?

[Guna108]

Hi. If you are starting a LCHF diet, is there an amount to start on and then adjust up or down depending on your BG reading? Sorry if this is a daft question. I just don't know how many carbs I should be looking to eat when I come off the Exante diet. I guess it must vary from person to person, but is there a safe starting amount and how do you tell if you have to adjust the daily amount?

 

[HSSS]

There really isn’t a magic formula. It depends on how insulin resistant you are, what weight you do or don’t need to lose etc etc. Some start at about 100 some less some keto at about 20-40.

Others test meal by meal. Before and 2 hrs later looking for a rise of no more than 2mmol, ideally less. If you track what and how much you eat along with bloods it’ll give you an idea of what your personal tolerance level currently is and you can go from there

 

[Guna108]

There really isn’t a magic formula. It depends on how insulin resistant you are, what weight you do or don’t need to lose etc etc. Some start at about 100 some less some keto at about 30-40.

Others test meal by meal. Before and 2 hrs later looking for a rise of no more than 2mmol, ideally less. If you track what and how much you eat along with bloods it’ll give you an idea of what your personal tolerance level currently is and you can go from there

@HSSS I am newly diagnosed ,so please can you tell me how will I find out how insulin resistant I am? Does it apply to T2?

 

[Rachox]

When I was first diagnosed I was advised by members on this forum to start at 100g carbs per day. I tested up to eight times a day particularly before and after meals to see my numbers falling. After around six weeks my numbers plateaued so I reduced the carb level to between 50 - 70g/day. Then as I less and less searched for alternatives to bread, potatoes and pasta etc... my carb count naturally fell to between 30 - 50g/day. I continue at this level which has kept my HbA1c at a non diabetic level for 1 year and nine months, so far.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Some people start high (maybe 100g) and work their way downwards gradually. That is what I did, and by eating to my meter eventually ending up at about 30g. A food diary was essential for me, including portion sizes. Other people go cold turkey and drop right down to as low as 20g a day straight away. Doing this, I think, is harder and can lead to carb flu.

You asked about insulin resistance. The NHS doesn't do IR tests routinely. Most T2s are insulin resistant. Some signs are being overweight especially round the middle, and higher than normal fasting levels that are slow to come down in the mornings.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi. If you are starting a LCHF diet, is there an amount to start on and then adjust up or down depending on your BG reading? Sorry if this is a daft question. I just don't know how many carbs I should be looking to eat when I come off the Exante diet. I guess it must vary from person to person, but is there a safe starting amount and how do you tell if you have to adjust the daily amount?

Just pick a number you're comfortable with. I think, but don't quite remember, I may have started at around 100, or 85...? Tested my heart out, went a little lower, halved that eventually, and about 2 years after diagnosis I started keto at 20 grams a day or less. I kept miscalculating, so life just was easiest when I started to go for as few carbs as possible. Plus, additional weight loss to try and fix my fatty liver. (Which worked!) You can go down gradually until you find your sweet spot, you can go straight for keto (which will trigger keto flu for a bit, but it'll pass)... Entirely up to you. Just test a lot to see what agrees with you. Before a meal, and 2 hours after first bite, you shouldn't see a rise of more than 2.0 mmol/l.
Good luck!
Jo

 

[HSSS]

Just to say I went straight to keto and never had keto flu so even that’s not a forgone conclusion, just likely. We’re all different. I’m not good at a little bit of stuff so found the all or nothing approach suited my personality better. (Though I accidentally started with a 2 day fast because of a migraine from hell so thought I may as well keep going, perhaps that’s fair in the karma stakes).

 

[Dark Horse]

For people who have a high HbA1c at diagnosis, it might be better to start at the top of the low carb range (around 125g/day) to try and avoid treatment-induced neuropathy or retinopathy. As the HbA1c improves, the amount of carbs could be adjusted downwards, as required.

 

[KK123]

Some people start high (maybe 100g) and work their way downwards gradually. That is what I did, and by eating to my meter eventually ending up at about 30g. A food diary was essential for me, including portion sizes. Other people go cold turkey and drop right down to as low as 20g a day straight away. Doing this, I think, is harder and can lead to carb flu.

You asked about insulin resistance. The NHS doesn't do IR tests routinely. Most T2s are insulin resistant. Some signs are being overweight especially round the middle, and higher than normal fasting levels that are slow to come down in the mornings.

Is a 100g high? I thought anything under 130 was classed as low carb according to this website?

 

[Rachox]

Is a 100g high? I thought anything under 130 was classed as low carb according to this website?

I agree with @KK123. It’s quoted on this page:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

• Moderate carbohydrate: 130 to 225g of carbs
• Low carbohydrate: under 130g of carbs
• Very-low carbohydrate: under 30g of carbs

 

[Shas3]

I am not extremely scientific in this respect and I really don’t count carbs. All i did was compared to my pre-diagnosis way of eating, just halved carbs in each meal - one toast instead of two in breakfast, one serving of rice instead of two at lunch, one roti at dinner instead of two... and so on. Combined with moving from bad to less-bad carbs... white bread to whole wheat... and measure BG levels at each meal... overall i got a hang of how much carb i could have without spiking... of course not very scientific but it was easier.... even now i have no idea how many GRAMs i have but what i know is the quantities i am eating are not spiking me...

Good luck with your transition...

 

[wiflib]

Just to say I went straight to keto and never had keto flu so even that’s not a forgone conclusion, just likely. We’re all different. I’m not good at a little bit of stuff so found the all or nothing approach suited my personality better. (Though I accidentally started with a 2 day fast because of a migraine from hell so thought I may as well keep going, perhaps that’s fair in the karma stakes).

We were separated at birth, obvs.

I did do that substitution thing early on which dropped weight and numbers quite dramatically but soon realised that a slice of ‘low carb’ bread lead to eating the whole loaf so just stopped.
I’ve been carnivore for almost three months now after 11 years of LC/keto.

Never had keto flu and the only thing I had to get used to were the bowel habits.

 

[wiflib]

I agree with @KK123. It’s quoted on this page:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

• Moderate carbohydrate: 130 to 225g of carbs
• Low carbohydrate: under 130g of carbs
• Very-low carbohydrate: under 30g of carbs

That’s a good start but those numbers were plucked out of thin air just like the 5 a day and 8 glasses a day thing.

 

[wiflib]

@HSSS I am newly diagnosed ,so please can you tell me how will I find out how insulin resistant I am? Does it apply to T2?

Test your BS before, at one hour and two hours after eating. That will tell you.

 

[Rachox]

That’s a good start but those numbers were plucked out of thin air just like the 5 a day and 8 glasses a day thing.

Oh indeed, I agree I was just quoting the exact location of this websites stats that @KK123 had referenced. Everyone has to experiment by testing to find out what suits them.

 

[wiflib]

Oh indeed, I agree I was just quoting the exact location of this websites stats that @KK123 had referenced. Everyone has to experiment by testing to find out what suits them.

I agree!

 

[Pasha]

My best advice is, write down in a diary everything you eat ,measure you BG before and two hours each meal and record your results ie" eat to your meter".The reality of amounts and types of macro nutrients will quickly illuminate themselves. Takes a bit of time and effort but IMHO its the fastest method of learning whats good for you. There are no effort free pathways in the beginning. Good luck.

 

[Shas3]

My best advice is, write down in a diary everything you eat ,measure you BG before and two hours each meals and record your results ie" eat to your meter".The reality of amounts and types of macro nutrients will quickly illuminate themselves. Takes a bit of time and effort but IMHO its the fastest method of learning whats good for you. There are no effort free pathways in the beginning. Good luck.

You are obviously more scientific than me...

 

[Pasha]

You are obviously more scientific than me...

Perhaps, but its not rocket science. All one needs is primary school arithmetic and the effort of using the internet to find the nutritional values of the macro nutrients.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Is a 100g high? I thought anything under 130 was classed as low carb according to this website?

I agree with @KK123. It’s quoted on this page:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

• Moderate carbohydrate: 130 to 225g of carbs
• Low carbohydrate: under 130g of carbs
• Very-low carbohydrate: under 30g of carbs

Yes, I agree. I didn't explain myself properly. When I said I initially started high at about 100g. I didn't mean I started high carb, I meant I started at the higher end of low carb rather than at the lower end, which is where I ended up.