Counting carbs

VioletViolet said:

5.2 before meal on empty stomach and just over 90 mins 11.5 afterwards.

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Goodness, that was a big spike - what did you have to eat?

VioletViolet said:

I had half a ready meal pizza , about 6 oven chips and buttered corn on the cob. Followed by a papaya.

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Sounds yummy but I don't think I could eat any of that except for the butter (without the corn).

How many carbs per day are you aiming at?

The only time I counted carbs was when I was on insulin for the first year after diagnosis so I had to count them, I believe the best way to find a balance and what is right for you is to test your bg levels before and 2 hours after eating and if your postprandial (after eating) level is more than 2 mmol/L more than your pre meal level you need to reduce the carbs you eat, ie eat fewer potatoes, less rice etc.

Now you can count carbs if you want to but there is no need unless you are on insulin just test pre and postprandial and adjust the carbs down accordingly.

I really couldnt tell you how any carbs a day I actually eat and when I have tried to work it out it is almost always much less than I actually think, I just think its much easier to know how much of some carb or other I can eat rather than knowing a total amount of carbs as all carbs affect me differently ie white bread affects me much more than say chips with vinegar or basmati rice so if I was just counting a certain number of carbs a day I would be missing out on things that I can happily eat.

Test, test and keep testing till you know what you can safely eat and what you must do without or only eat in very small amounts.

Its the same with calories, Ive never counted them either if I want to lose a little weight I eat less its that simple.

VioletViolet said:

At the moment I am feral and aimless carb wise :-/

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Maybe that huge spike, and the knowledge that such swings in BS cause internal damage (not to mention making you feel rough), could be a motivating factor to get you back on track? I do hope so.

You are reacting to your foods in an entirely normal way for a diabetic - the pizza dough is bread - high carb, the chips - potato, high carb, sweet corn is a cereal, so high carb and the papaya is a sweet tropical fruit - high carb.
Last night my dinner was a plaice fillet with peas and then Greek style full fat yogurt with desiccated coconut mixed in. BG level afterwards, 7.6 mmol/l - For tonight I am plotting a beef casserole with a heap of low carb veges, lunch was salad , ham and tomato.
I prefer the low carb diet foods to the 'healthy' Eatwell confabulation and the BG numbers they result in delight me.

I think you nailed it - right choices right numbers.

Resurgam said:

I think you nailed it - right choices right numbers.

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Absolutely! Brilliant post prandial response.

It doesn't take long to work out a whole host of meals that keep you under 7 if starting in the fives....

Life becomes so much easier once the initial experimenting is done.

Well done.

VioletViolet said:

Well... tonight I ate butter fried chicken and onions with parsley (a mix I usually add to a risotto- so really a chicken risotto without the rice) with cheese on top and side of cauliflower , peas and green beans. Before the food it it was 5.8 then an hr and a half later it was 6.3! I think that tells me all I need to know.

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That sounds s lovely meal if you want it to be a bit more rice risotto like I've been using cauliflower rice and it really US a good substitute.

VioletViolet said:

I REALLY miss the buzz of sugar and fruit but not the cravings that go with it and the Walking Dead style mindless zombie eating behaviour.

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Oh, yes, I remember that zombie feeling! Standing in front of a cupboard or fridge and just eating one thing after another after another. I cried once when I found a tub I thought was full of icecream turned out to only have a couple of spoonfuls left. I'd say I was definitely addicted.

I think I felt so much more in control the day me and Mr Chook had a mega throw out of all the carb stuff.

Papaya has got a lot of sugar in it so i haven't eaten any since I started low carbing. It could be that you had a spike in your BG shortly after eating it and tested when you were on the way back down. I don't eat fruit nowadays - it's not worth it - the sugar in it is called fructose and fructose can only be processed by the liver and doesn't get processed like other carbs. Fructose is very good at giving you a fatty liver.

I drink a lot of water, no added sugar squash and decaff coffee (and Prosecco at the weekends).

VioletViolet said:

Well it's been over a month since I asked for advice. It's not been easy, more psychologically than physically and it took about 4 weeks to get into a rhythm and accept that this is indeed the best thing I can do with the rest of my life. But.... I think I must be getting there. I cut out the obvious suspects like refined carbs and tested myself before and after eating as advised so that I had a good idea of what causes spike. Suffice to say my life is a low carb one now. I tested this morning on waking and it was 4.2! When I first started testing it was regularly 8 +

Just want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to give advice and support. Without it I would still be on the downward spiral.

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Very well done indeed.. did you find it quite easy once you got your head round it or was it tough?
Hopefully the former ... great results anyway.

I am so glad for you - (I am even more glad for me) that a low carb way of eating has proven so effective.
There are so many things you can eat, and be looking after yourself.
I want to keep up my energy levels today so I had no sugar jelly for breakfast, getting up early early to eat it. I know - weird, but it works. I'll have a mug of coffee with cream the percolator has just finished bubbling, and a lidl protein roll with loads of cheese and a tomato, maybe coleslaw, and then go out to the morris dancing event. I don't dance any more, but I take my drum and join the band. There might even be a Maypole, it being May Day Eve.