Food labels

cratat

Well-Known Member
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56
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
being diabetic, struggling with food choices
After many years I'm still struggling with my type 2 diabetes and weight loss current weight is 20st looking to lose at least 3st. When looking at food package labels should I concentrate on the carb content, sugar content or fat content. Current meds is 2000mg metformin 1.8mg victorza blood sugar fluctuates between 9 and 11. Looked at slimming world but not sure due to amount of bread, pasta, rice unless I'm missing something. I run 3 times a week between 5 and 7 mile so exercise isn't a problem. Any and all help appreciated. Many thanks Craig
 

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
You can ignore the 'of which sugars' part of the label as this value has already been added to the total carbohydrate value. Where you may come unstuck is the value per weight, sometimes it is given as carbs per100g/ml but sometimes it is given per serving. For instance a can of soup may be two servings but be e.g 75g per serving not per can.

The fat content is up to you, if you are wishing to lower your carb intake then raising the fat intake to compensate for the fuel from the lost carbs would be wise however, as you are on a medicine that actively lowers blood glucose levels then great care has to be taken i.e you must test with your glucometer more often and it would be wise to speak with your prescriber before you embark on any dietary changes. Good luck.
 
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NoCrbs4Me

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,700
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Vegetables
I'd advise you to avoid processed/packaged food as much as possible. Eat real food and avoid sugar, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread and other starchy or sugary food.

Eat real, minimally processed food: eggs, bacon, cheese, nuts, beef, poultry, seafood, above ground veg as described here:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb


If you're not losing weight after ditching the carbs, you may need to reduce your calorie intake.

Here's some advice with respect to meds and low carb diets: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/with-diabetes-medications
 
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Dexterdobe

Well-Known Member
Messages
305
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Being unwell and seeing BG levels soar
Well done for exercising. However, I'm still a rugby referee at 64. For many years I refereed at least one match a week and sometimes up to three. It didn't stop me getting type 2 diabetes. Since diagnosis in November 2017 I have continued the refereeing, but also done 25 minutes on an exercise bike and walked for half an hour on the days when I don't referee. I have found that exercise really lowers my BG, not just for an hour or two, but for several hours. By exercising every day and cutting down on carbs I have gone into remission with an HBA1c of 40. I suggest you try doing some exercise every day Cratat. By all means have a day off, but try to spread your exercise out across the week. It worked for me.
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi there @cratat - What the other guys have said about trimming back on the carbs has certainly worked for many (although not 100%) on here; even those for whom weight loss has been a struggle in the past.

As Dr Aseem Malhotra says, often,...... "You can't outrun a bad diet".

There is now way I'm suggesting your diet is bad, but more echoing that exercise tends, for most people to be more about finessing, or an add-on to the impacts they can achieve by modifying what they eat and drink. I know, personally, when I trimmed back on the carbs, I got very slight, very fast, although I was fortunate not to have a large amount to lose in the first place.

Finally, in your first post you mention Victoze, but not your Gliptin medication? I'm assuming that's because things have changed a bit since you set up your profile signature. It would be really helpful if you could update your signature, to save confusion in posts where you don't repeat your current medication regime.

You can update your signature by going to your Account, then Signature in your browser window when logged in. making those changes a re a bit more limited via the App. If you have issues making those changes yourself, if you send any of the Mods, or myself a PM stating what you need to change, we can happily help you with that. It's important the meds are up to date.

I'd hate it if you were given misguided suggestions based on old info.
 

cratat

Well-Known Member
Messages
56
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
being diabetic, struggling with food choices
Information has been updated