Carb intake

[Rubette]

Can I ask how many carbs you aim for each day and how they are divided up?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Can I ask how many carbs you aim for each day and how they are divided up?

That varies for everyone. Some here are fine on 40, I'm usually under 10, if not under 5 a day. A lot of people are more insulin resistant in the morning, so they have a little less carbs in the AM than they do at noon or in the evening. Just follow your meter. Test before a meal and 2 hours after, you're aiming for a rise of no more, and preferably less than, 2.0 mmol/l.

 

[Tophat1900]

If I go keto for a while then it's a max of around 20.... but low carbing I probably hit around 50 - 60 per day, spread across meals.

 

[ert]

I eat 30 grams over the day.

 

[bulkbiker]

As few as possible.. usually between 10 -15 g daily.

 

[Daibell]

I aim for 150gm/day which is much higher than the other posters but much lower than the non-diabetic population at large.

 

[Andydragon]

I aim for about 100 a day but it fluctuates. I am very lucky in that it impacts me less than many on here. It is very much unique to the person

 

[OB87]

I aim for under 100g a day, usually anywhere between 50-100g. Breakfast is my lowest carb meal of the day.

 

[Sal260]

I aim for 80-90g carbs spread across the day. My highest meal is breakfast of porridge and berries. Was very relieved this doesn’t spike for me, 2 hours postprandial am around 5.8

 

[LaoDan]

For the last couple weeks I’ve been eating a fairly high carb meal directly after a hardcore workout. Steak, two eggs, corn, cabbage, mashed potatoes, rice and a fresh coconut. My body devours everything I can throw at it with no spikes. All other meals are zero carbs, or as close as I can get to zero

 

[Rubette]

Can I ask how many carbs you aim for each day and how they are divided up?

Thanks for responding, but can I now ask those of you on a Very low carb intake, how the heck you manage it and what do you eat? I am on steroids after renal transplant surgery many years ago, and these increase your appetite and I have to take in some carbs regularly otherwise I begin to feel unwell, obviously I don’t wolf down a packet of biscuits or anything stupid, but a single biscuit or cracker will suffice.
Thank you, again. I appreciate your responses as I am new to all this and in my seventies, it’s taking time to get the old grey matter round it all.

 

[LaoDan]

Thanks for responding, but can I now ask those of you on a Very low carb intake, how the heck you manage it and what do you eat? I am on steroids after renal transplant surgery many years ago, and these increase your appetite and I have to take in some carbs regularly otherwise I begin to feel unwell, obviously I don’t wolf down a packet of biscuits or anything stupid, but a single biscuit or cracker will suffice.
Thank you, again. I appreciate your responses as I am new to all this and in my seventies, it’s taking time to get the old grey matter round it all.

I think it’s okay to experiment a bit, everyone is a bit different. As long as you’re happy with your BG levels, you should feel free to make adjustments. You might try upping your protein intake, reevaluate after your body has time to adjust

 

[Robbity]

I agree with other posters, different people have differing targets and tolerances. So there's no set limits on how many carbs we eat - it will depend on how we cope with them, and using a meter will help guide us on how we're managing.

I've eaten a low carb/ketogenic diet for seven years so my main source of energy comes from fat rather than carbs. My target is under 50g carbs a day but it can often be much lower, and those carbs mostly come from low carb vegetables, nuts, fruit, and some "incidental" carbs in dairy, etc. I try to avoid processed foods containing unnecessary carbs, e.g. added sugar. I eat as varied a diet as possible, mainly meat, fish, poultry, full fat dairy - and as long as I can keep my glucose levels stable within my personal target range, I don't worry over how any carbs get split between my meals.

(And @Rubette, I'm a couple of years short of 80 now, and find my diet is in some respects similar to the normal/full fat, moderate amounts of carbs I ate in my younger years... )

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks for responding, but can I now ask those of you on a Very low carb intake, how the heck you manage it and what do you eat? I am on steroids after renal transplant surgery many years ago, and these increase your appetite and I have to take in some carbs regularly otherwise I begin to feel unwell, obviously I don’t wolf down a packet of biscuits or anything stupid, but a single biscuit or cracker will suffice.
Thank you, again. I appreciate your responses as I am new to all this and in my seventies, it’s taking time to get the old grey matter round it all.

With very, very low carb, I'm usually sticking to a carnivore diet. Generally speaking, Carni means meat, fish, poultry, and animal products like cheese, eggs, butter... Careful with milk though, that's got lactose (milk sugars) in. The stuff mentioned is low to no carb, if there are no carby additives, and should leave you some wriggle-room if strict carni isn't for you. (I stick with my extra dark chocolate). Leafy greens, olives etc should be fine. Your meter'll let you know whether you can add in more, like cauliflower rice, celeriac, that sort of thing.

If you feel you have to eat, try some cubes of cheese, some pork scratchings or olives.

Keep in mind though, lots of people require steroids for other conditions, and while some manage on very low carb alone, others might need medicinal help in getting their blood sugars down. Your meter'll let you know.

 

[bulkbiker]

but can I now ask those of you on a Very low carb intake, how the heck you manage it and what do you eat?

Mainly meat, rarely fish and seafood.
"treats" of oppo ice cream , raspberries and cream and 90% cocoa chocolate
Some occasional cheese or nuts and double cream in coffee .