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A question about what to count on a "low carb" diet for weightloss...

AlexandraMarnie89

AlexandraMarnie89

Well-Known Member
Messages
98
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi,

Just wondering what you actually are supposed to count if you're low carbing to lose weight? For my insulin, I've been told that baked beans for example, only count where it says "of which sugars" and not to count any vegetables other than potato and sweet potato. I've also been told not to take bolus insulin for things like quorn but am I supposed to count these things if following a strict low carb diet? If so I'm ****** as all vegetarian protein has carbs in!
 
AlexandraMarnie89 said:
Hi,

Just wondering what you actually are supposed to count if you're low carbing to lose weight? For my insulin, I've been told that baked beans for example, only count where it says "of which sugars" and not to count any vegetables other than potato and sweet potato. I've also been told not to take bolus insulin for things like quorn but am I supposed to count these things if following a strict low carb diet? If so I'm ****** as all vegetarian protein has carbs in!
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Woah, who told you that? You absolutely don't just count the "of which sugars". You have to count all the carbs.

On DAFNE they say you can ignore the carbs in certain foods, but that's only to keep it simple. (They assume we are all very lazy and stupid and will give up if anything is made less than trivially easy). But DAFNE is not for dieting and not for low carb. If you are dieting you need to track all the carbs. If you are low carbing you need to track all the carbs and be aware of the protein. If you start getting unexplained blood sugar rises you may need to take insulin for some of the protein as well.

DAFNE rules are not dieting rules.
 
I was told that by my nurse, consultant and dietician :/ cos for ages I've been carb counting all veg and quorn etc so they said that's why I've been having such bad hypos -_- they said that for beans you're only supposed to count the sauce which is the "of which sugars" and to use the same principle for things like tomato sauces and tomato soup. Also told me not to count lentils/kidney beans/chickpeas etc unless eating a whole plate of them
 
That is absolutely not the reason you have been having hypos. What bad advice! It may be the case that your carb ratio has changed, or that your basal dose is too high. But carbs are carbs.

On DAFNE they ask you to systematically ignore certain minor sources of carbs. There's no problem with that as long as those minor sources are a relatively constant, relatively minor part of your overall carb intake. And your carb ratio (or basal rate) will be slightly higher as a result, but it doesn't really matter as long as your diet is consistent.

But DAFNE does not apply very well to low carb diets or dieting in general. Did you tell your DSN, consultant and dietician that you were low carb dieting, when they gave you this advice? I would guess not, and I understand, as they can react badly to that information sometimes.
 
For me, I count everything, if its got carbs, I need insulin for them, all depending on current level, any planed excercise etc. always total carbs, maybe if your having alot of hypos, look at basal, and qa doses. Only way I would have a good reading after only counting of which sugar levels and and not total carbs of certain items would be if my ratios were wrong.

Type 1, pumping nova rapid
 
I though it was ridiculous too to be honest but have been trying it since I went onto my pump and my levels have been amazing (bar when I'm at work when I hypo like mad). I haven't tried it with beans yet though and don't think I'm going to as I don't eat them often anyway, only when I'm trying to make my little boy eat his! I've got just short of 14kg to lose to get back to my usual 60kg self but just seem to be putting weight on even with dieting and exercising like mad (I run twice a day and do the 30 say shred twice daily too as well as being out for walks with the little one constantly) so was thinking about giving low carb a go but struggling as I'm vegetarian
 
Low carb is tricky as a vegetarian. I actually gave up being a vegetarian because I couldn't get it working with low carb. I figured my health was more important than my morals. :-(

Having said that I was trying to do a high protein version of low carb back then, and with the low carb high fat version that is probably easier for vegetarians to succeed at. Though not so easy for vegans.
 
Spiker said:
Did you tell your DSN, consultant and dietician that you were low carb dieting, when they gave you this advice? I would guess not, and I understand, as they can react badly to that information sometimes.
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I did mention that I was considering trying it and was met with a look of horror and comments about how unhealthy it is and how apparently dangerous it is as you're *supposed* to have 50% of your food as carbs and blah blah blah! Also told me that I don't need to lose weight.
 
Ahhh if only my reason for being vegetarian was a moral one! I've been vegetarian since I was 9 so 15 years now because I can't actually eat meat or fish without being sick (as stupid as it sounds, it's true!). I've tried several times through the years all resulting in me being violently ill. My mum actually once made me bolognaise and told me it was quorn so I'd eat it only to be being sick just over an hour later :( if I could eat meat and fish I really would but I have a huge aversion to being sick (as I'm pretty sure most people do!!).
 
Well I'm pretty sure LCHF is doable as a vegetarian or even as a vegan. You just need to toss that DAFNE advice - it's fine for "normal eating" but not for low carb or for dieting. Once you are carb counting accurately and tweak your ratios to reflect accurate carb counting, I'm sure you will be fine.
 
I can only add, count all carbs for UK chart, USA chart, you count net carbs. Total less fiber. In the UK this has been done already.
 
Like Brett I count the lot but do tend to estimate veg portions but weigh out things like potatoes, rice and pasta. It might be that the confusion lays with food items such as pulses, they are low in the glycemic index so your QA insulin will work faster than the carbs are absorbed, which in turn leads to postprandial hypo's, the simple solution there is to split dose.

As for bolusing for low carb meals, experimenting is the best appraoch as it's trial and error, make a note of the foods eaten and monitor and record insulin doses until you see a pattern develop, personally I found split-dosing was the only way to deal with LC meals.
 
I agree. A carb is a carb is a carb. Doesn't matter if it's in a potato, wheat kernel, pea, or cauliflower. It all gets broken down into glucose....unless it's fibre, but it doesn't get counted on UK nutritional labels.

Take spag bol for instance. An onion can have 8g carbs, carrot another 8, celery can have around 1g per stalk, a tin of tomatoes has 12, garlic have 2g per clove. That's 31g before you've even counted the pasta. That'll certainly impact most diabetics' levels. DAFNE comes out with some right tosh sometimes.

I reckon you could low carb as a veggie. I've replaced most of my carbs with seeds, salads, yoghurt, nuts, cheese and veg.
 
AlexandraMarnie89 said:
I was told that by my nurse, consultant and dietician :/ cos for ages I've been carb counting all veg and quorn etc so they said that's why I've been having such bad hypos -_- they said that for beans you're only supposed to count the sauce which is the "of which sugars" and to use the same principle for things like tomato sauces and tomato soup. Also told me not to count lentils/kidney beans/chickpeas etc unless eating a whole plate of them
Click to expand...

I've been told the 'of which sugars' thing for baked beans too!



Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
AlexandraMarnie89 said:
Hi,

Just wondering what you actually are supposed to count if you're low carbing to lose weight? For my insulin, I've been told that baked beans for example, only count where it says "of which sugars" and not to count any vegetables other than potato and sweet potato. I've also been told not to take bolus insulin for things like quorn but am I supposed to count these things if following a strict low carb diet? If so I'm ****** as all vegetarian protein has carbs in!
Click to expand...
peas sweetcorn red kidney beans potatoes yams and baked beans.............they are the ones to count
 
Hi
I am a vegetarian doing LCHF, but I am T2 so cant comment n insulin needs etc.

Have you seen the Rose Elliot Low Carb diet book? it might be a place to start to get some ideas for meals.
 
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