Carbohydrates

fitzjohn1001 said:

Newley diagnosed 7 weeks ago,and im finding very misleading reading books and websites which all seem to contradict each other.
What im trying to understand newley diagnosed type 2 the number of carbohydrates i can have in a day.
I am 54 and weigh 58kgs.

Thanks for your help
Allyson.

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Hi Allyson, I see you're not overweight so it's not about losing weight, it's about maintaining good Blood Sugar levels. The amount of carbs you can have is really down to you and your level of diabetes. You're not on medication (same as me) so you need to find out what you can and can't eat, bearing in mind it's not just about the amount of carbs, but also the type of carbs.
Some people take the route of eating what they want to a large degree and allowing medication to control their sugars. Others use diet and a restricted number of carbs to control it. I use the latter, but neither is right or wrong, it's down to what suits you.
I eat about 150 to 180 grams of low GI carbs a day, about 50 - 60% of the norm for a male. That equates to about 125 - 150 for a woman. On that, I've got my HbA1c down to 5.9 from 8.2, and currently it's about 5.5 I'm lucky, others might need to eat much less carbs to get down to that. The only way you can find out what you can deal with is by testing.
You need to allow for the fact that it takes a week or two for your sugar levels to settle down after you start a reduced carb diet, then TEST. Test just before you eat, then again 2 hrs later. If you've had a big rise, don't eat that again! Or moderate what you've eaten. Initially, I aimed for readings of less that 10 2 hrs after eating, then I aimed for less than 8. Now I hope for less than 7, but settle for less than 8. You'll soon get to see what you can eat in terms of quantity of carbs. Perhaps start on about 120, and see how it goes. You can up it or lower it after a while if you don't get the readings you want - but give it a while to settle as I said. Some go on VERY low carb diets, perhaps you could start more moderately first
For low GI (glycaemic index) I avoid the starchy carbs, like white flour products, white rice and pasta (I eat small amounts of Basmati rice once a week, and wholewheat pasta once a week), avoid boiled or mashed "old"potatos (very starchy) and have boiled new pots, no pastry and of course no "sweet" things. Remember to read the nutritional info on all you buy - you're not looking at sugar content alone, but CARB content
There's loads more you can learn about scrummy self made desserts on here that are low carb, and loads more about diet in general, but hopefully this is something to start you thinking
Good luck!

I totally agree with Grazer's advice. You may find, like me, that eventually you will need meds but try to keep the carbs down and the right ones to delay that point. If you have some fatty food with your carbs it can slow down the rate of absorption and hence reduce the BS peak

Hi Everybody,

May I invite you to go DIABETES DISCUSSIONS' Topic Name CARBOHYDRATES and read the conversations on pages 4 and 5. You may learn something important and useful.

Thanks.

Bonny Damocles

bonnynemia said:

Hi Everybody,

May I invite you to go DIABETES DISCUSSIONS' Topic Name CARBOHYDRATES and read the conversations on pages 4 and 5. You may learn something important and useful.

Thanks.

Bonny Damocles

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Hi Bonny, don't want to be mean, but you need to understand there was nothing new, or of particular use, in that conversation you refer to for new people. You'll see that if you read the replies.

Thank you very much, Grazer, for taking the time to read the latest conversations. You are not being mean by telling the truth as far as you are concerned.

Just to emphasize that I want to reach as many newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetics and prediabetics and to tell them that, like me, they can discover their own special, unique, effective, lasting, safe, and inexpensive way of managing their diabetes. I would like to think that anybody who has done as well as I have in controlling my diabetes for more than 21 years with the use of daily exercise as my only anti-diabetes med is obligated to share this good, unbelievable, and exciting news.

Thanks again.

Bonny Damocles

bonnynemia said:

Thank you very much, Grazer, for taking the time to read the latest conversations. You are not being mean by telling the truth as far as you are concerned.

Just to emphasize that I want to reach as many newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetics and prediabetics and to tell them that, like me, they can discover their own special, unique, effective, lasting, safe, and inexpensive way of managing their diabetes. I would like to think that anybody who has done as well as I have in controlling my diabetes for more than 21 years with the use of daily exercise as my only anti-diabetes med is obligated to share this good, unbelievable, and exciting news.

Thanks again.

Bonny Damocles

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Bonny I read your post and I congratulate you on your ability to exercise and carefully control your diabetes that way. A lot of what you explained makes sense ... but only if you are a diabetic who is able and in a position to exercise in the first place.

Many people have other medical conditions on top of their diabetes which at best hinder and at worst prevent exercise - and I'm one of them. I have severe allergies which are made worse by exercise. And I also understand that there are forms of diabetes or stages of diabetes where exercise is not advised. So while I truly commend you on your success, and for those who may benefit from exercise I wish them all the very best ... but the exercise route may not be for everyone and I think that needs to highlighted too.

GraceK said:

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Bonny I read your post and I congratulate you on your ability to exercise and carefully control your diabetes that way. A lot of what you explained makes sense ... but only if you are a diabetic who is able and in a position to exercise in the first place.

Many people have other medical conditions on top of their diabetes which at best hinder and at worst prevent exercise - and I'm one of them. I have severe allergies which are made worse by exercise. And I also understand that there are forms of diabetes or stages of diabetes where exercise is not advised. So while I truly commend you on your success, and for those who may benefit from exercise I wish them all the very best ... but the exercise route may not be for everyone and I think that needs to highlighted too.[/quote]

GraceK,

Thank you very much for your feedback. I truly appreciate it.

Yes, I have been totally depending on daily exercise as my only anti-diabetes med, and for more than 21 years, I have been very lucky to be getting tremendous benefit from it. Since my diagnosis based on a fasting blood sugar reading of 468 mg/dl, I have been kind of living like I have no diabetes.

(For those who have not seen this yet, please click on this link: http://diabeteshealth.com/read/2012/09/24/7659.html).

Have I ever suggested to any other type 2 diabetic to follow 'my way' of controlling my disease? No, never, not even once. What I wish to make very clear now and in the future is that any type 2 diabetic should believe, as I do, that he can discover his own special, unique, effective, safe, lasting, and inexpensive way to properly manage his diabetes.

Maybe, I should also add that, like me, once a type 2 diabetic starts living like he has no diabetes, then there is need waiting for a cure for it.

Enjoy life always!!!

Bonny Damocles

Hi Bonny. As others have said in reply to you, although many T2s can adjust their diet, take exercise and control their diabetes, not all can do that. Apart from other illnesses, people under steroids etc there are those, like me, who have diabetes nearer to or actually mis-diagnosed LADA where exercise, low-carbing and tablet regime just aren't enough. So, I agree it is good to start by doing your best to exercise and control diet and aiming to avoid medication it will not always be possible. As diagnostic techniques and GP education improve then it will be easier for insulin resistant T2s to be correctly categorised and for most of those execise and diet will be all they need for many years possibly with low-level meds. I'm generalising of course as we are all different.

Daibell said:

I'm generalising of course as we are all different.

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I'm not different! I'm the same as everyone else!

Daibell said:

Hi Bonny. As others have said in reply to you, although many T2s can adjust their diet, take exercise and control their diabetes, not all can do that. Apart from other illnesses, people under steroids etc there are those, like me, who have diabetes nearer to or actually mis-diagnosed LADA where exercise, low-carbing and tablet regime just aren't enough. So, I agree it is good to start by doing your best to exercise and control diet and aiming to avoid medication it will not always be possible. As diagnostic techniques and GP education improve then it will be easier for insulin resistant T2s to be correctly categorised and for most of those execise and diet will be all they need for many years possibly with low-level meds. I'm generalising of course as we are all different.

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Daibell,

Thank you very much for your feedback. I love it when I get the chance to meet different people with diabetes who also have other different problems. It makes me appreciate more all things that I have, good and bad.

I really wish that I were smart enough to know what to tell you. Please forgive me.

Having lived this long (I will be 77 in 3 months), I thank God that I have this strong desire and motivation to encourage other type 2 diabetics, especially those who feel that t2d is a progressive disease, that they can as easily succeed as I have in enjoying a life like they have no diabetes.

Bonny Damocles