Type 2 How many grams of carbs a day?

[Cookie8]

I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic last week, I had a phone consultation with the nurse a couple of days ago and she said to try and have no more than 30g of carbs a day, she left me an information pack out which had a list of carbs , 5 pages of it, I didn’t realise there were so many carbs in bananas and fruit in general!!!!
Looking at the list I don’t think 30g is a lot so feeling a bit confused and to be honest overwhelmed by it all.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @Cookie8 and welcome!

Well, you have an unusually enlightened nurse - hang on to her! The advice to limit carbs is very good for a type 2.

I recommend taking a look at this website: https://www.dietdoctor.com/ it contains a mine of information about low carb eating, including recipes and meal plans. No need to take the paid options (unless you want to).

In particular, these visual guides might be useful: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/visual-guides

The simple version of low carb is to eat unprocessed, real foods with as few ingredients as possible. In practice this means meat, fish, eggs, some dairy and above ground vegetables. Slightly more complicated if you’re vegetarian, but there are links on this site if needed.

Do shout if you have questions.

 

[Andydragon]

I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic last week, I had a phone consultation with the nurse a couple of days ago and she said to try and have no more than 30g of carbs a day, she left me an information pack out which had a list of carbs , 5 pages of it, I didn’t realise there were so many carbs in bananas and fruit in general!!!!
Looking at the list I don’t think 30g is a lot so feeling a bit confused and to be honest overwhelmed by it all.

Hi there
So I agree with @Goonergal that you have an enlightened nurse. Cutting back on carbs is a good way to help control blood levels and is something that is looked at by a number of T2 on this forum

Now, 30 is a low level for sure, personally I am able to tolerate higher than that and low carb generally is viewed as <130g or so but it is a very personal thing. There are simple changes you can make to reduce, and some obvious foods to avoid. What is your usual diet, knowing that can go for suggestions for alternatives

Getting a blood meter and testing prior to eating and then 2 hours after will help show how you tolerate blood levels. Unfortunately it's something we have to self fund, so not everyone can

What is the hba1c you were diagnosed with?

 

[Cookie8]

Hi @Cookie8 and welcome!

Well, you have an unusually enlightened nurse - hang on to her! The advice to limit carbs is very good for a type 2.

I recommend taking a look at this website: https://www.dietdoctor.com/ it contains a mine of information about low carb eating, including recipes and meal plans. No need to take the paid options (unless you want to).

In particular, these visual guides might be useful: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/visual-guides

The simple version of low carb is to eat unprocessed, real foods with as few ingredients as possible. In practice this means meat, fish, eggs, some dairy and above ground vegetables. Slightly more complicated if you’re vegetarian, but there are links on this site if needed.

Do shout if you have questions.

Thankyou, I will have a look at those websites.

My nurse is lovely, she said she has Type 2 diabetes as well, maybe that’s why she gave the advice on low carbs, I just assumed that’s what the general advice from all nurses is!

 

[Cookie8]

Hi there
So I agree with @Goonergal that you have an enlightened nurse. Cutting back on carbs is a good way to help control blood levels and is something that is looked at by a number of T2 on this forum

Now, 30 is a low level for sure, personally I am able to tolerate higher than that and low carb generally is viewed as <130g or so but it is a very personal thing. There are simple changes you can make to reduce, and some obvious foods to avoid. What is your usual diet, knowing that can go for suggestions for alternatives

Getting a blood meter and testing prior to eating and then 2 hours after will help show how you tolerate blood levels. Unfortunately it's something we have to self fund, so not everyone can

What is the hba1c you were diagnosed with?

Thankyou I often have toast or a toasted muffin and fruit for breakfast so I guess I will have to change that. Something like a Tuna sandwich or chicken salad and fruit for lunch and meat potatoes and veg or rice and chicken or jacket potato for tea. Unfortunately I do have a sweet tooth and I normally eat a lot of fruit

Hba1c is 61, I was advised to follow a low carb diet and prescribed Dapaglaflosin which she said would help me to loose some weight as well.

 

[KK123]

Hi @Cookie8, I can't help but wonder whether the Nurse actually meant no more than 30 carbs per meal (which is pretty standard advice to begin with). It's not that I think 30 carbs a day is a bad thing (it works for many) but it would be extremely unusual for a Nurse to advise a person newly diagnosed to go straight onto a keto diet without any further explanation and to then hand out a diet sheet non commensurate with a keto diet. Are you absolutely sure?, it's true she may be VERY enlightened but she would definitely know that the content of that information pack was at odds with keto. Low carb by the way is anything around or less than 130 carbs per day, 30 carbs IS keto. Also, I'm sorry but your meals as described have MANY carbs in, way more than 30! You also need to factor in the Dapaglaflosin as I believe that can cause hypos. x

 

[Andydragon]

Thankyou I often have toast or a toasted muffin and fruit for breakfast so I guess I will have to change that. Something like a Tuna sandwich or chicken salad and fruit for lunch and meat potatoes and veg or rice and chicken or jacket potato for tea. Unfortunately I do have a sweet tooth and I normally eat a lot of fruit

Hba1c is 61, I was advised to follow a low carb diet and prescribed Dapaglaflosin which she said would help me to loose some weight as well.

Yes it may well help you lose weight because it helps you pass sugar in your urine. But that also raises the risk of thrush so be careful. There are also other side effects do read instructions carefully

Also non diet controlled diabetes T2 means free prescriptions so make sure that's being done(if you are UK of course!)

Also a little unusual to prescribe that immediately rather than Metformin but fair enough... As others have said, 30g a day plus dapa... That's a bit of an unusual combo, 30g a meal Would make sense. Not saying it isn't but sounds unexpected

That hba1c level is high but not massively so, low carb may well pull you down to drug free and also has the benefit of helping reduce weight

Bread, fruit, potatoes, rice are all not good carb wise. The meat and seafood is good, maybe as a salad? Fruit wise there are some, but unfortunately not many. Berries, avacados are good

Dietdoctor as recommended is good. Also even on lower carb, looking at keto suggestions will offer low carb options

Sweetness wise, I'm not the best for advice as I cheat too much but strawberries and Greek yoghurt I like. There's a keto microwave mug I am told is good.

 

[Cookie8]

Hi @Cookie8, I can't help but wonder whether the Nurse actually meant no more than 30 carbs per meal (which is pretty standard advice to begin with). It's not that I think 30 carbs a day is a bad thing (it works for many) but it would be extremely unusual for a Nurse to advise a person newly diagnosed to go straight onto a keto diet without any further explanation and to then hand out a diet sheet non commensurate with a keto diet. Are you absolutely sure?, it's true she may be VERY enlightened but she would definitely know that the content of that information pack was at odds with keto. Low carb by the way is anything around or less than 130 carbs per day, 30 carbs IS keto. Also, I'm sorry but your meals as described have MANY carbs in, way more than 30! You also need to factor in the Dapaglaflosin as I believe that can cause hypos. x

Yes I realise the meals are too high carb, sorry These are what I was eating. I’m struggling a bit with breakfast ideas but I assume the salad and chicken or peppers and houmous are okay for lunch?

Oh , I asked how many per day and she said around 30g but maybe she meant per meal, I did think 30 was very low when I was looking at the list of carbs with how many grams they have.

 

[Andydragon]

Yes I realise the meals are too high carb, sorry These are what I was eating. I’m struggling a bit with breakfast ideas but I assume the salad and chicken or peppers and houmous are okay for lunch?

Oh , I asked how many per day and she said around 30g but maybe she meant per meal, I did think 30 was very low when I was looking at the list of carbs with how many grams they have.

I find meat and veg and salad in a day with some milk and I'm exceeding 30g. Am sure it's possible and others can chime in but outside of carnivore, 30g could be quite tough

Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, some sausages (be wary as some can be higher carb), Greek yoghurt and berries, avacado, cheese, ham... Or skip it altogether

You don't need to be held to expectations of what is a typical breakfast to eat @ breakfast

 

[KK123]

Yes I realise the meals are too high carb, sorry These are what I was eating. I’m struggling a bit with breakfast ideas but I assume the salad and chicken or peppers and houmous are okay for lunch?

Oh , I asked how many per day and she said around 30g but maybe she meant per meal, I did think 30 was very low when I was looking at the list of carbs with how many grams they have.

Hi Cookie, NO need to apologise at ALL. You can choose whatever strategy you wish, all any of us want is for people to know the pros & cons of their options though and to help you avoid any confusion. PLEASE continue to ask whatever you like, it's hard when you first start off. Some people really can eat more carbs than others (please tell us she gave you a glucometer & strips so you can test for yourself given your medication????), with regard to houmous, well I eat it now and again and it can be quite carby because of the chickpeas!!! YOU may be able to tolerate it well though which is why I say it's best to test. x

 

[Cookie8]

Yes it may well help you lose weight because it helps you pass sugar in your urine. But that also raises the risk of thrush so be careful. There are also other side effects do read instructions carefully

Also non diet controlled diabetes T2 means free prescriptions so make sure that's being done(if you are UK of course!)

Also a little unusual to prescribe that immediately rather than Metformin but fair enough... As others have said, 30g a day plus dapa... That's a bit of an unusual combo, 30g a meal Would make sense. Not saying it isn't but sounds unexpected

That hba1c level is high but not massively so, low carb may well pull you down to drug free and also has the benefit of helping reduce weight

Bread, fruit, potatoes, rice are all not good carb wise. The meat and seafood is good, maybe as a salad? Fruit wise there are some, but unfortunately not many. Berries, avacados are good

Dietdoctor as recommended is good. Also even on lower carb, looking at keto suggestions will offer low carb options

Sweetness wise, I'm not the best for advice as I cheat too much but strawberries and Greek yoghurt I like. There's a keto microwave mug I am told is good.

Thankyou, yes I have been given a form to fill in for free prescriptions.
I have been reading about the medication and that it can cause thrush, must admit I’m a bit worried about that, I always get thrush after taking antibiotics so hoping it won’t be the case with these.
I must admit i was surprised it wasn’t Metformin, after reading how most people are put on that to begin with.

With the yogurt do you have the full fat ones?

Maybe it was 30g per meal then, I did ask how many a day but maybe she thought I meant per meal.

 

[Andydragon]

Thankyou, yes I have been given a form to fill in for free prescriptions.
I have been reading about the medication and that it can cause thrush, must admit I’m a bit worried about that, I always get thrush after taking antibiotics so hoping it won’t be the case with these.
I must admit i was surprised it wasn’t Metformin, after reading how most people are put on that to begin with.

With the yogurt do you have the full fat ones?

Maybe it was 30g per meal then, I did ask how many a day but maybe she thought I meant per meal.

Yes full fat Greek yogurt. I have flax seed or similar Linwoods crushed nuts with it and strawberries. Check the carbs, some Greek yoghurt are better than others but you want the fat as reducing carbs means you need energy elsewhere

If you want to aim for 30g carb a day and keto then up to you of course. Lots of advice on here how to achieve that

I had back pain and thrush from dapa, but also did get good blood reduction, but as have said, diet and lower carbs could easily support drug free. There is a pill from the pharmacy, that helped me with canestan. (Apologies if you know all this already)

Did the nurse say when to schedule a repeat hba1c?

 

[Cookie8]

Yes full fat Greek yogurt. I have flax seed or similar Linwoods crushed nuts with it and strawberries. Check the carbs, some Greek yoghurt are better than others but you want the fat as reducing carbs means you need energy elsewhere

If you want to aim for 30g carb a day and keto then up to you of course. Lots of advice on here how to achieve that

I had back pain and thrush from dapa, but also did get good blood reduction, but as have said, diet and lower carbs could easily support drug free. There is a pill from the pharmacy, that helped me with canestan. (Apologies if you know all this already)

Did the nurse say when to schedule a repeat hba1c?

Thankyou. Having repeat Hba1c again in 6wks and then another appointment with the nurse to discuss it.

 

[ChristieM]

Hi.
When I was diagnosed in September 2017, I weighed about 12.5 stone. I’m not sure what my Hba1c was. I immediately went on Metformin and a low carb diet of a maximum of 130 g of carbs a day. Controversially I also kept an eye on calories. I lost 3 stone over the next 9 months and my Hba1c reduced to pre-diabetic then non-diabetic levels. Last reading in January 2021 was 39 even my weight has gone up a bit over lockdown. Anyway enough about me. The point I’m making is you can lose weight and reduce your Hba1c on 130g carbs a day. You do need to test though because some things affect your blood glucose more than others. I allowed myself about 30g for breakfast, 30g for lunch and 30g for dinner, and 30 g for the odd snack although I often ate less carbs than this particularly for lunch. There are so many delicious things you can still eat but you do need to exercise portion control as well as carb counting. Lots of advice on food ideas on this forum and online generally as well as some great books. Sarah Flowers Sugar Free book and Annie Bells’s Low Carb Revolution are both good and Jamie Oliver’s more recent books have nutritional info including carbs, as do Justine Pattinson’s ‘without the calories’ books. These are my bibles! As is the Carbs and Calories book. Good luck!

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

I think it is worthwhile double checking with the nurse prior to going down to under 30 grams a day. I think it is great that you have some a wonderful nurse- you have struck gold.

I am on less than 30 grams of carbs a day but I am only on metformin. You have to work out what works for you- there is a wide variety on here as you have already seen. If you lower it to 30 grams a meal that will almost certainly be lower than you were eating before. You don't need to apologise to anyone here- we all have to choose our own path. Some go carnivore- less than 10 grams of carbs a day. Some like me go keto- usually under 20 or 30 grams a day others go low. carb which is under 130 grams a day. Some don't go that low but are able to keep their levels okay. Some decided to take mediation- there is no wrong or right answer. Ultimately it is your life and your body. My only strong recommendation is that you should take steps to keep your blood sugar levels under control. There are significant possible consequences for too high levels.

Whichever way you decide to approach it there are many here to help, support and advise. You have got a great start with your nurse so that is good.

 

[Cookie8]

Hello and welcome,

I think it is worthwhile double checking with the nurse prior to going down to under 30 grams a day. I think it is great that you have some a wonderful nurse- you have struck gold.

I am on less than 30 grams of carbs a day but I am only on metformin. You have to work out what works for you- there is a wide variety on here as you have already seen. If you lower it to 30 grams a meal that will almost certainly be lower than you were eating before. You don't need to apologise to anyone here- we all have to choose our own path. Some go carnivore- less than 10 grams of carbs a day. Some like me go keto- usually under 20 or 30 grams a day others go low. carb which is under 130 grams a day. Some don't go that low but are able to keep their levels okay. Some decided to take mediation- there is no wrong or right answer. Ultimately it is your life and your body. My only strong recommendation is that you should take steps to keep your blood sugar levels under control. There are significant possible consequences for too high levels.

Whichever way you decide to approach it there are many here to help, support and advise. You have got a great start with your nurse so that is good.

Thankyou, I am very lucky to have a lovely nurse and also to have found this forum.