Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
Home
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Install the app
Install
Reply to Thread
Guest, we'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the
Diabetes Forum Survey 2024 »
Home
Forums
Diabetes Discussion
Newly Diagnosed
confused with the numbers game
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="SockFiddler" data-source="post: 1719395" data-attributes="member: 412001"><p>Wow... you've really hit the ground running - congratulations!</p><p></p><p>It's a complex thing, really, that you've asked, and I hope you'll attract more comprehensive answers from more experienced posters in time. But here's my attempt.</p><p></p><p>Carbs: Our bodies like carbs. They're easy, they release dopamine, we're addicted to them. Suddenly cutting them out can cause something called "Keto Flu" or "Carb Flu", where you feel just grouchy and under the weather for a bit. This is, basically, the same as going "Cold Turkey" with other addictions: your body likes, them, thinks it relies upon them and wants them back. Essentially, it's a metabolic temper-tantrum.</p><p></p><p>Now, here's the complex bit: how our 3 macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) effect each other.</p><p></p><p>Protein will also spike your BG, but it's a much slower rise over a much longer period of time. And, in a glut of nutrition, your body will take the carbs first (big spike) and then the protein (slower, longer spike), but crave the carbs again, almost before it's done with the protein. </p><p></p><p>Fat, on the other hand, is a much richer nutrient and takes much longer to break down. But fat can also <em>delay</em> the high spike from carbs (so some lucky T2s can tolerate ice-cream: high fat and sugar, but the spike is flattened and delayed) so that, instead of a short, sharp rise, the carbs enter and leave our blood much more slowly.</p><p></p><p>It seems to me, from what you've written there, that you've not only gone cold turkey on the carbs, but you've not replaced them with a different macronutrient energy source. So, in a way, you've made it doubly-difficult for your body to adjust to anything, because there's no immediately available energy source.</p><p></p><p>We T2s pick fat as our Macro of Choice for a number of reasons:</p><p></p><p>1. Doesn't spike our BG like protein can.</p><p>2. It's cheaper (let's be honest)</p><p>3. It's tastier (cream, butter, animal fats, better cuts of meat, cheese etc)</p><p>4. "Fat Adaptation" is the most efficient way to persuade our metabolisms to lose weight.</p><p>5. Too much protein can compromise ketogenic diets (a whole other thing, not to worry about now).</p><p></p><p>Carb flu can be avoided by reducing your carb intake more gradually. It can be treated by increasing your intake of water, fat and salt and by going easy on yourself. It will last, at most, 2 weeks: most people experience it for between a week and 10 days. After a while you'll find you're not craving carbs. Then that you're not eating HUGE amounts of food. And then that you're not cooking huge amounts of food. </p><p></p><p>My advice, after this great long thing I've written, is to increase your carbs just a smidge and bring them down gently: your comfort and ability to manage this for the long-term is more important than hitting a super-low target right off the bat. Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint and your body is still figuring out that things need to change.</p><p></p><p>Hang in there, keep posting. Others will be along shortly, I'm sure.</p><p></p><p>Sock x</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SockFiddler, post: 1719395, member: 412001"] Wow... you've really hit the ground running - congratulations! It's a complex thing, really, that you've asked, and I hope you'll attract more comprehensive answers from more experienced posters in time. But here's my attempt. Carbs: Our bodies like carbs. They're easy, they release dopamine, we're addicted to them. Suddenly cutting them out can cause something called "Keto Flu" or "Carb Flu", where you feel just grouchy and under the weather for a bit. This is, basically, the same as going "Cold Turkey" with other addictions: your body likes, them, thinks it relies upon them and wants them back. Essentially, it's a metabolic temper-tantrum. Now, here's the complex bit: how our 3 macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) effect each other. Protein will also spike your BG, but it's a much slower rise over a much longer period of time. And, in a glut of nutrition, your body will take the carbs first (big spike) and then the protein (slower, longer spike), but crave the carbs again, almost before it's done with the protein. Fat, on the other hand, is a much richer nutrient and takes much longer to break down. But fat can also [i]delay[/i] the high spike from carbs (so some lucky T2s can tolerate ice-cream: high fat and sugar, but the spike is flattened and delayed) so that, instead of a short, sharp rise, the carbs enter and leave our blood much more slowly. It seems to me, from what you've written there, that you've not only gone cold turkey on the carbs, but you've not replaced them with a different macronutrient energy source. So, in a way, you've made it doubly-difficult for your body to adjust to anything, because there's no immediately available energy source. We T2s pick fat as our Macro of Choice for a number of reasons: 1. Doesn't spike our BG like protein can. 2. It's cheaper (let's be honest) 3. It's tastier (cream, butter, animal fats, better cuts of meat, cheese etc) 4. "Fat Adaptation" is the most efficient way to persuade our metabolisms to lose weight. 5. Too much protein can compromise ketogenic diets (a whole other thing, not to worry about now). Carb flu can be avoided by reducing your carb intake more gradually. It can be treated by increasing your intake of water, fat and salt and by going easy on yourself. It will last, at most, 2 weeks: most people experience it for between a week and 10 days. After a while you'll find you're not craving carbs. Then that you're not eating HUGE amounts of food. And then that you're not cooking huge amounts of food. My advice, after this great long thing I've written, is to increase your carbs just a smidge and bring them down gently: your comfort and ability to manage this for the long-term is more important than hitting a super-low target right off the bat. Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint and your body is still figuring out that things need to change. Hang in there, keep posting. Others will be along shortly, I'm sure. Sock x [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post Reply
Home
Forums
Diabetes Discussion
Newly Diagnosed
confused with the numbers game
Top
Bottom
Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Ad free.
Join the community »
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn More.…