How do you cope with carbs after remission?

[Listlad]

Sure thing. We're all surrounded by carbohydrate. None of us live in a zero-carb bubble. My point was that I don't need to exercise any self-restraint because it no longer interests me. None of it even resembles food anymore. This wasn't the case when I was attempting to moderate. I'm not gloating or anything. Just lucky I guess, but there you have it

I guess you and me attack it, so to speak, from differing directions.

 

[poemagraphic]

Last year I had Christmas diner on two days consecutively - we have two offspring - I made Yorkshire puddings using bread flour, cream diluted with water instead of milk, lots of eggs, beef dripping in the pans - ate roast carrot and parsnip plus assorted steamed low carb veges, Yorkshire pudding, lots of turkey with ordinary gravy, and then more Yorkshire pudding, and both days my BG was 5.6mm/l two hours later.
When I weighed myself a week later I was slightly heavier, but another week and that had gone.
Normal days are under 40 gm of carbs - but just once in a while seems absolutely fine.

That is my Christmas Dinner right there!

How can an alcoholic say they are cured if they can never ever have a drink ever again?
Or a Type 2 say they are cured if they can never ever eat a Christmas dinner once a year?

Perhaps not the best analogy to use, but I am such a food lover and will have some brandy and a few beers over Christmas knowing it will raise my levels, of that I am 100 certain. What of the other 365 days till next Christmas... we'll that's a whole healthy new year of LCHF eating that I am really looking forward to.
Po

 

[Robbity]

I don't claim to be in remission, but I've kept to the low end of pre diabetic for nearly six years, and as I prefer low carbing anyway there's no way I'm ever going return to eating a higher carb diet. However I can tolerate a few more carbs occasionally without it necessarily being a problem - and I get bigger spikes from stress for example than I do with a few "naughty" carbs. I' don't actually see any point though in playing a game of "What if" with extra carbs!

Robbity

 

[Mr_Pot]

There are various ideas of what constitutes a low carb diet, 20g, 50g, 130g? Similarly there would be a huge variation in what might be considered a high carb diet. If you could go back in time to some years before you were prediabetic what would be a reasonable level of carbs to eat? People often say they wouldn't go back to a high carb diet even if they appeared to be "cured" but shouldn't they be able to have this "reasonable" level that wouldn't have resulted in diabetes in the first place.

 

[Member496333]

People often say they wouldn't go back to a high carb diet even if they appeared to be "cured" but shouldn't they be able to have this "reasonable" level that wouldn't have resulted in diabetes in the first place.

I think it's less about what people 'should' be able to do, and more about what they want to be able to do. Not everyone necessarily follows a low-carbohydrate lifestyle solely for glycemic stability. Some folk also prefer it.

 

[Daphne917]

I have had non diabetic levels for 6 years and average between 100g and 130g carbs per day which is at higher end of low carb. However I do not worry about occasionally eating something that is more carby than usual, particularly on holiday when it happens a lot, and, if I’m at home, I test out of curiosity and usually the effects on my BS is not too bad. If I have the same result a couple of times then that item is back on the menu such as jacket potatoes which I probably have a couple of times per year now.

 

[bulkbiker]

I'm working on it but my husband is a hard sell. He thinks while they are growing they can eat them. Carbs are just convenient really so it's only if I can't manage to prepare something better that I might fall back on them (which is more often than I like, although the only bread they get is my husband's sourdough rye). I talk about what different foods do to our blood sugar and my 5yo even said to me the other day "Mummy, you shouldn't eat that potato." But she loves porridge herself and begs for it. I usually give them eggs for breakfast now though. It'll be an adjustment that will take time and probably tantrums...

Maybe get him to watch this, very interesting and only 23 minutes

 

[Listlad]

There are various ideas of what constitutes a low carb diet, 20g, 50g, 130g? Similarly there would be a huge variation in what might be considered a high carb diet. If you could go back in time to some years before you were prediabetic what would be a reasonable level of carbs to eat? People often say they wouldn't go back to a high carb diet even if they appeared to be "cured" but shouldn't they be able to have this "reasonable" level that wouldn't have resulted in diabetes in the first place.

I agree. Going down to very low carb levels per day can be an over-correction for many.

Sledgehammers and walnuts spring to mind.

 

[Listlad]

I think it's less about what people 'should' be able to do, and more about what they want to be able to do. Not everyone necessarily follows a low-carbohydrate lifestyle solely for glycemic stability. Some folk also prefer it.

And they are entitled to do that if they choose.

 

[bulkbiker]

And they are entitled to do that if they choose.

How kind of you...

 

[Listlad]

How kind of you...

Why thankyou. One act of kindness deserves another.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I think it's less about what people 'should' be able to do, and more about what they want to be able to do. Not everyone necessarily follows a low-carbohydrate lifestyle solely for glycemic stability. Some folk also prefer it.

That wasn't really what I meant. I was suggesting that there must be a safe level of carbs to eat that wouldn't have resulted in Type 2, assuming diet was a cause. This is not what the OP was asking so I will start another thread when I have time.

ETA: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/ideal-diet-to-avoid-diabetes.169517/

 

[Member496333]

That wasn't really what I meant. I was suggesting that there must be a safe level of carbs to eat that wouldn't have resulted in Type 2, assuming diet was a cause. This is not what the OP was asking so I will start another thread when I have time.

Ah ok. Gotcha.

 

[TriciaWs]

I
I was thinking to try coconut flour instead of polenta. I know the polenta is giving me big spikes. My kids love all the carbs and it's hard having to make certain things for them and not join them in eating it but I guess that's everyone's journey here. Self discipline and control. Redefining one's relationship with food. Addressing one's addictions. It's like having to break up with the love of your life but still see them everyday, with their other lovers...

So while you were eating 85g of carbs per day, were you able to keep your levels under 7.8? Is that the aim, or should I be aiming more for 6s?

I got mine down under 6. Then under 5.5 in the morning and before meals. Now I aim for under 5 most of the time. But others find that harder, depending partly on how long you've been diabetic - I was lucky as it was caught quickly (from normal BS in the previous two annual checks, so less than a year of high BS before I started low carb).

I like cooking with coconut flour now I've got the hang of it - I had a few disasters in the early months. But I also use a mix of ground almonds and coconut flour as I prefer the texture. Coconut flour dries out my mouth!

I just posted on Facebook about issues with family meals - and suggested they focus on making low carb dinners then adding a carb for the others. The children could have smaller portions of the meat and other vegs. The meal is a complete low carb dinner, with a small add on for the fussy eaters ...
The idea is that you think of it as taking away part of their portions instead of doing without yourself.
And don't forget you get a treat that they don't share, ie raspberries with double cream?

 

[HSSS]

I agree. Going down to very low carb levels per day can be an over-correction for many.

Sledgehammers and walnuts spring to mind.

Out of interest how do you know it’s over correction for them?
Even though my starting point wasn’t that high and I wasn’t obese (just overweight) every time I let my carbs creep up so do the blood results!

 

[Listlad]

Out of interest how do you know it’s over correction for them?
Even though my starting point wasn’t that high and I wasn’t obese (just overweight) every time I let my carbs creep up so do the blood results!

It would have been over correction for me. And for others that have succeeded in reversing their condition on the higher band of low carb intake. It obviously isn’t always necessary to go to the extreme end of the low carb spectrum.

I don’t let my carb level intake creep up. I hold it within a certain low band that isn’t extremely low.

 

[HSSS]

It would have been over correction for me. And for others that have succeeded in reversing their condition on the higher band of low carb intake. It obviously isn’t always necessary to go to the extreme end of the low carb spectrum.

I don’t let my carb level intake creep up. I hold it within a certain low band that isn’t extremely low.

Totally agree not everyone needs to go ultra low but to say because you don’t need to that others are overdoing it isn’t accurate

 

[Listlad]

Totally agree not everyone needs to go ultra low but to say because you don’t need to that others are overdoing it isn’t accurate

I said an over correction for many.

 

[poemagraphic]

It would have been over correction for me. And for others that have succeeded in reversing their condition on the higher band of low carb intake. It obviously isn’t always necessary to go to the extreme end of the low carb spectrum.

I don’t let my carb level intake creep up. I hold it within a certain low band that isn’t extremely low.

Hi Listlad Could you please tell me what levels you like to hold to?

What some people call low is normal level to others... What is normal? What is Low?
I think the definitions of 'High' must be those that raise our BG levels over 3 after a couple of hours. That said those numbers change daily, hence I might be worried some days and don't give it a thought others.

 

[Listlad]

Hi Listlad Could you please tell me what levels you like to hold to?

What some people call low is normal level to others... What is normal? What is Low?
I think the definitions of 'High' must be those that raise our BG levels over 3 after a couple of hours. That said those numbers change daily, hence I might be worried some days and don't give it a thought others.

I agree, this is often a source of confusion.
I don’t count every carb each day. I don’t keep a spreadsheet. I aim for somewhere between about 70 to 130grams per day. 130 grams per day is my strict upper limit. I do err towards the 70 as a matter of routine. I use a rough reckoner approach. My barometer is or are my diabetic symptoms which are consistently absent since adopting my version of the LCHF approach.
The bulk of my carbs are in the form of milk, some above ground vedge, greek yoghourt, low carb bread and a piece of fruit in the form of an apple or orange each day.
Since going LCHF my HbA1c readings have been 35 and 36. I am due for another soon.