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Carbs vs calorie counting

Seaweed1984

Seaweed1984

Member
Messages
7
Location
United states
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I've been counting calories since I was diagnosed nearly 20 years ago. Many people recently have been trying to tell me I need to count carbs. My recent A1C this week was a 5.7 my doctor says to do what I am just feel frustrated.
 
Seaweed1984 said:
I've been counting calories since I was diagnosed nearly 20 years ago. Many people recently have been trying to tell me I need to count carbs. My recent A1C this week was a 5.7 my doctor says to do what I am just feel frustrated.
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Morning @Seaweed1984 what is it that is causing your frustration? Surely not your hba1c which is excellent? Are you having any problems with diabetic management? Are you having problems with hypos? Or is the frustration with calories to do with weight maybe - sorry just guessing?

How do you manage your diabetes? What insulin regime are you on? On a basal bolus regime carb counting is essential. I don't quit understand why you would have started counting calories on diagnosis, because, as understand it calories don't have much to do with diabetic management, but I've only been diabetic 5 years so they could have been doing it differently 20 years ago. And, with that hba1c I can only assume what you are doing works well for you. Apart from your frustration - if you can explain a bit more what you are frustrated by, people might be able to suggest how to resolve.
 
When I was diagnosed 75 calories was one point and insulin based off calorie points. But I learned over time that different foods affected sugar level differently so I just take insulin based off what I eat. I don't count carbs or calories. I was talking to some friends and they talk about different insulin terms with carbs like bolus etc. Most of the apps I have tried use this. I take "X" amount of novalog depending on what I eat. Then I take tujeo for my lint lasting insulin.
I guess I'm confused on the different terms that are used for insulin when counting carbs and frustrating because its how apps do so. Just trying to figure out what these are from people that work with this daily to see if I can put my information in and make it work with this system
 
Hi. Calorie value is of limited value in the food we eat as the calorie value of foods thru test burning is completely different from the way the body metabolises food. We have to control carbs to manage blood sugar and also weight. Fats may have twice the calorie value of carbs but they don't raise blood sugar and do help slow carb absorption. They also only really affect weight if taken together with high carbs. In summary forget calories.
 
Withnan A1c of 5.7 you are clearly doing something very right! Maybe your subconscious mind, over 20 years, has acquired all that knowledge and experience and you just 'know' how to dose to your diet! Maybe you don't naturally err to very high carb choices, or maybe your diet is consistent and you have learned a huge amount by trial and error.

I think I'm surprising my self by saying this, but 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. If your HbA1c goes up, or if you are troubled with hypos - or have any other problems associated with your diabetes, fair enough, back to the drawing board, but I think if I was you I'd be seriously tempted to trust in what works for me!
 
its a night mare, I am a carb addict and trying to break the addiction is not easy
 
Chaobaby7 said:
its a night mare, I am a carb addict and trying to break the addiction is not easy
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Carb counting in this context doesn't mean cutting carbs, it is literally counting how many grams of carbs you are eating to put an insulin dependent diabetic in a position to work out their insulin to carb ratio and then to take the correct amount of insulin to balance the carbs they are eating.
 
Chaobaby7 said:
its a night mare, I am a carb addict and trying to break the addiction is not easy
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I don't want to derail the thread as it is on another subject entirely but no, breaking the addiction is not easy but the important things rarely are so please take this as tough love and not meanness or discouragement. You can either tell yourself how hard it is and try to make compromises with yourself or find substitutes for the carbs and you will probably get nowhere but the amputation ward or you can find a good coherent low carb diet and stick to it 100%. After a week or so if you are totally committed and not cheating, the cravings will go away. Also no artificial sweeteners at all, they feed the addiction. I would recommend either the low carb program on here or going to the atkins site and doing the induction diet.(just DO NOT buy their products please) . Both will spell it out with food lists and recipes and even menus if you need that. Get all the forbidden foods out of the house if it is feasible, drink a lot of water, and don't worry about exercise at first. Just concentrate on diet. And lastly but very important, get a meter if you dont already have one and USE IT.
 
chalup said:
I don't want to derail the thread as it is on another subject entirely but no, breaking the addiction is not easy but the important things rarely are so please take this as tough love and not meanness or discouragement. You can either tell yourself how hard it is and try to make compromises with yourself or find substitutes for the carbs and you will probably get nowhere but the amputation ward or you can find a good coherent low carb diet and stick to it 100%. After a week or so if you are totally committed and not cheating, the cravings will go away. Also no artificial sweeteners at all, they feed the addiction. I would recommend either the low carb program on here or going to the atkins site and doing the induction diet.(just DO NOT buy their products please) . Both will spell it out with food lists and recipes and even menus if you need that. Get all the forbidden foods out of the house if it is feasible, drink a lot of water, and don't worry about exercise at first. Just concentrate on diet. And lastly but very important, get a meter if you dont already have one and USE IT.
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discovered cauliflower rice and have made a salad using it, it really is lovely. I don't go near artificial sweeteners though. It helps that I adore veggies alot.
 
Well, there you go then! Low carb just has such wonderful food - different but wonderful! If you try to focus your head around the wonderful things you can have, rather than the stuff you can't have, you are on the right track!
 
Took a blood testing machine back to Boots to as it was not working. The assistant at the prescription counter, who is diabetic, told me diabetes is based on eating carbs, not cutting them out/down. I was shocked as i have always thought carbs were the diabetic's enemy, and i should cut right down, only eating good veggies and meat. I am really confused now. She actually told me off for doing Atkins.
 
Ignore her!
Low carb actually works!
Have a read of the success stories forum, the evidence is there.
Tanis said:
Took a blood testing machine back to Boots to as it was not working. The assistant at the prescription counter, who is diabetic, told me diabetes is based on eating carbs, not cutting them out/down. I was shocked as i have always thought carbs were the diabetic's enemy, and i should cut right down, only eating good veggies and meat. I am really confused now. She actually told me off for doing Atkins.
Click to expand...
 
Tanis said:
Took a blood testing machine back to Boots to as it was not working. The assistant at the prescription counter, who is diabetic, told me diabetes is based on eating carbs, not cutting them out/down. I was shocked as i have always thought carbs were the diabetic's enemy, and i should cut right down, only eating good veggies and meat. I am really confused now. She actually told me off for doing Atkins.
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She was an assistant at the counter. She clearly knows nothing about anything, including her own condition. Continue doing exactly what you are doing, you are on the right lines. She is talking utter garbage!
 
AtkinsMo said:
She was an assistant at the counter. She clearly knows nothing about anything, including her own condition. Continue doing exactly what you are doing, you are on the right lines. She is talking utter garbage!
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Will do, :)
 
I am 6 months in to round 2 of fighting with diabetes. I am LCHF and unable to exercise much. I got my new numbers today. A1c 5.8, FBG 6.3 and weight -30 pounds. It really does work. 6 months ago I was A1c 10.4, fasting around 14 and 30 pounds heavier.
 
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