How do you cope with carbs after remission?

Listlad said:

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.

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Thanks for answering so quickly, I am a firm advocate of eating less carbs.
We certainly are not 'one size fits all that's for certain.

I am fortunate that my wife does most of the counting. She is on a diet of her own, and although we eat mostly the same things she is not so much counting her carbs, as her calories, proteins, and fat. It works perfectly for both of us.

I like you, will be due another HbA1c soon and hope to have dropped my A1c still further..
Mainly due to the fact that I would rather it was a bit lower. That said, my DN said to me last week, before she discharged me, that she did not think I needed to lower my A1c any further.

I am so glad I found this site and discovered the best way for me to drop my levels, on my tiny screen each day, was to eat less carbs, and eat as much cream, butter, cheese, meat, as I like. (well, within certain limits).

Back to the OP, I fully understand that I have to keep away from some of the foods that used to be my staple diet, or those numbers will creep up and up and up, to where they were before and I sure, beyond.

Education is the key, followed by a determined approach to stay healthy and not put myself though a life threatening, detrimental change to where I was, ever again. I did not understand how unwell I was, because I felt so well.

This is my answer to how I do - and will cope after my remission.
Po

I was diagnosed with T2 a year ago. I take 500 mg Metformin tablet once daily. I'm female and 69 years old last week. I've been "pre diabetic" for donkeys years - literally. I was never told what this actually meant. Within 12 weeks of being told I was Type 2 diabetic - I lost 2 stone - down to 12 stone - 5'8" - I've been a "true" vegetarian for 35 years. To lose the 2 stone, I lived on cheese/wine/cream etc.,! Hardly healthy eating - yet I lost all of that weight on it! I'm utterly bored and tired of eating "non carb" foods, and miss sooooo much my "pre diabetic diagnosis" wonderful carbs. I've come to the conclusion that life's too short to be miserable like this, I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow! As much as I enjoy reading all of your blogs, I do find that some of your comments are very much "holier than thou" regarding your "lack of carbs" diets! Well, good for you - for me - it's carbs, carbs, carbs, I've never met one that I didn't love!

DeniseT 2 said:

As much as I enjoy reading all of your blogs, I do find that some of your comments are very much "holier than thou" regarding your "lack of carbs" diets! Well, good for you - for me - it's carbs, carbs, carbs, I've never met one that I didn't love!

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Members here speak only for themselves. We are all here to share our experiences and learn from those of others. Sometimes it may suit and sometimes it may not. You are free to live your life however you choose, as is everyone else. I find these accusations of "holier than thou" aimed at other people expressing their own views and sharing their own experiences to be incredibly ironic.

But welcome to the forums anyway.

DeniseT 2 said:

I was diagnosed with T2 a year ago. I take 500 mg Metformin tablet once daily. I'm female and 69 years old last week. I've been "pre diabetic" for donkeys years - literally. I was never told what this actually meant. Within 12 weeks of being told I was Type 2 diabetic - I lost 2 stone - down to 12 stone - 5'8" - I've been a "true" vegetarian for 35 years. To lose the 2 stone, I lived on cheese/wine/cream etc.,! Hardly healthy eating - yet I lost all of that weight on it! I'm utterly bored and tired of eating "non carb" foods, and miss sooooo much my "pre diabetic diagnosis" wonderful carbs. I've come to the conclusion that life's too short to be miserable like this, I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow! As much as I enjoy reading all of your blogs, I do find that some of your comments are very much "holier than thou" regarding your "lack of carbs" diets! Well, good for you - for me - it's carbs, carbs, carbs, I've never met one that I didn't love!

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And some of us will survive longer than next week. I’d like to do it with as many body parts and faculties as possible thanks. If it doesn’t suit you don’t do it but please don’t mock or deride those of us who see it differently, feel better not worse and try to help others that want to feel the benefits.
We all come at this from different angles. Who knows if I was the same age as you without any complications I may be more fatalistic and want to live life for now. If you were younger and already suffering you might see it differently too.
I genuinely hope you get a lot of pleasure from your carbs, got to be a win out of the situation somewhere

HSSS said:

And some of us will survive longer than next week. I’d like to do it with as many body parts and faculties as possible thanks. If it doesn’t suit you don’t do it but please don’t mock or deride those of us who see it differently, feel better not worse and try to help others that want to feel the benefits.
We all come at this from different angles. Who knows if I was the same age as you without any complications I may be more fatalistic and want to live life for now. If you were younger and already suffering you might see it differently too.
I genuinely hope you get a lot of pleasure from your carbs, got to be a win out of the situation somewhere

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I agree with this. Tolerance should be applied equally in all directions.

DeniseT 2 said:

I was diagnosed with T2 a year ago. I take 500 mg Metformin tablet once daily. I'm female and 69 years old last week. I've been "pre diabetic" for donkeys years - literally. I was never told what this actually meant. Within 12 weeks of being told I was Type 2 diabetic - I lost 2 stone - down to 12 stone - 5'8" - I've been a "true" vegetarian for 35 years. To lose the 2 stone, I lived on cheese/wine/cream etc.,! Hardly healthy eating - yet I lost all of that weight on it! I'm utterly bored and tired of eating "non carb" foods, and miss sooooo much my "pre diabetic diagnosis" wonderful carbs. I've come to the conclusion that life's too short to be miserable like this, I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow! As much as I enjoy reading all of your blogs, I do find that some of your comments are very much "holier than thou" regarding your "lack of carbs" diets! Well, good for you - for me - it's carbs, carbs, carbs, I've never met one that I didn't love!

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I know the holier than thou stuff. It is quite prevalent isn’t it. Having said that, the trick is to find non carb or low carb stuff that you enjoy. If you can do that it helps.

DeniseT 2 said:

Hardly healthy eating

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Yet amazingly you lost 2 stone and probably reduced your HbA1c greatly..
sounds like pretty healthy eating to me...

DeniseT 2 said:

I was diagnosed with T2 a year ago. I take 500 mg Metformin tablet once daily. I'm female and 69 years old last week. I've been "pre diabetic" for donkeys years - literally. I was never told what this actually meant. Within 12 weeks of being told I was Type 2 diabetic - I lost 2 stone - down to 12 stone - 5'8" - I've been a "true" vegetarian for 35 years. To lose the 2 stone, I lived on cheese/wine/cream etc.,! Hardly healthy eating - yet I lost all of that weight on it! I'm utterly bored and tired of eating "non carb" foods, and miss sooooo much my "pre diabetic diagnosis" wonderful carbs. I've come to the conclusion that life's too short to be miserable like this, I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow! As much as I enjoy reading all of your blogs, I do find that some of your comments are very much "holier than thou" regarding your "lack of carbs" diets! Well, good for you - for me - it's carbs, carbs, carbs, I've never met one that I didn't love!

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On further thought I suspect this post may have been an attempt at satire

DeniseT 2 said:

I was diagnosed with T2 a year ago. I take 500 mg Metformin tablet once daily. I'm female and 69 years old last week. I've been "pre diabetic" for donkeys years - literally. I was never told what this actually meant. Within 12 weeks of being told I was Type 2 diabetic - I lost 2 stone - down to 12 stone - 5'8" - I've been a "true" vegetarian for 35 years. To lose the 2 stone, I lived on cheese/wine/cream etc.,! Hardly healthy eating - yet I lost all of that weight on it! I'm utterly bored and tired of eating "non carb" foods, and miss sooooo much my "pre diabetic diagnosis" wonderful carbs. I've come to the conclusion that life's too short to be miserable like this, I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow! As much as I enjoy reading all of your blogs, I do find that some of your comments are very much "holier than thou" regarding your "lack of carbs" diets! Well, good for you - for me - it's carbs, carbs, carbs, I've never met one that I didn't love!

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You don't have to choose between a very low carb diet and all the carbs you can eat. There is a middle way of reduced carbs which will still be beneficial but, importantly in your case, more sustainable. There are those on here who's strict diet is understandable, considering their previous complications, particularly if they are much younger. For those of us who are older and have no symptoms a moderate change of diet might be all that is required.

@DeniseT 2 welcome to the forum. We are all individuals and have different tolerances to carbs. I am lucky in that I can still maintain my hba1c at non diabetic levels on approx 100 to 130g carbs per day however many cannot and we all speak of our own personal experiences hence why some members are stricter in their carb intake than others. Diabetes management is not a ‘one size fits all’ but is dependent on a number of variables unique to each individual. You have proved that cutting down on carbs works and hopefully you can find a way of eating that works for you and you can maintain.

Daphne917 said:

@DeniseT 2 welcome to the forum. We are all individuals and have different tolerances to carbs. I am lucky in that I can still maintain my hba1c at non diabetic levels on approx 100 to 130g carbs per day however many cannot and we all speak of our own personal experiences hence why some members are stricter in their carb intake than others. Diabetes management is not a ‘one size fits all’ but is dependent on a number of variables unique to each individual. You have proved that cutting down on carbs works and hopefully you can find a way of eating that works for you and you can maintain.

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Not to mention there are people that don't want to eat carbs/grains for other reasons besides diabetes. But apparently that upsets the easily offended

When I was first diagnosed as Type II my hba1c was high (110). I came on here and read of a few people keeping carbs at 20g a day so I just started with that and fairly quickly got my hba1c back into the normal range (35). I have since thought about seeing if I could increase my daily carbs but I haven't done it yet as I enjoy the food I eat at this level. I guess the other thing I wonder is if increasing my carbs might start me having cravings. I just don't have them at this level.
For me the most important thing is that whatever level you choose it's something you can sustain - and, of course that means enjoy.

Hi Denise,

I too love carbs and don't particularly like the food I am eating to keep my carbs below 20 grams a day. I don't think I have a holier than thou attitude- at least I hope not. I only eat low carb because that keeps my blood sugar levels down. If I thought I could keep them down while eating carbs I would. I feel a bit of envy for those that have more carbs but have kept in remission. The problem for me is that I find carbs addicting.

For me eating low carb while restrictive and boring has had the side effect that I don't feel the carb craving as much- I think I'm like an alcoholic- one chocolate is both too much and not enough.

I hope that once I've kept my levels down for over a year and lost some more weight that I can tolerate more carbs but I'm not sure I will test it for a long while. For me the hope is there but I will only do it if the meter allows me.

Some interesting posts/responses, nice input from everyone.

I learned more about carbs as my head cleared after diagnosis ( was at a hba1c of just over 140 at the time)

As I cut carbs & bad things out, and read more on here (2014 it was, and I had some great guidance from kind people on the forum) I felt a liberating return to myself & hadnt noticed in hindsight how I had lost my way.

The strange thing is that I wasnt overweight really, a few stone (was 37 years old, 15st 8, now 13st 8 at 6.1") but Ive learned that my fat threshold for pancreatic function must be lower so things went pearshaped fairly quickly.

I cut bread (reluctantly, with a few blips which taught me how awful I could feel after it) and also my beloved breakfast oats, which I had my whey protein mixed into (all low sugar versions) as it all pretty much turns to sugar on a biological level.

No more sweeteners in coffee etc.. stripped right back, and the clarity is superb, although I'll admit I find it hard at times when I see others eating all manner of treats.

It doesnt take much for my levels to rise after some carbs, very frustrating. So its no breakfast, strong coffee & a pint of warm water, a few 3-5 mile runs in the week (which help figures lots) and brilliant stews my wife makes, along with other ideas I read up about on here. I do have an indian takeaway from time to time, but its a real treat when I do and makes the less exciting times bearable

I’m genuinely puzzled how people cut out carbs completely? Even a carrot has carbs! Do they just eat protein and fat? Surely unhealthy and unsustainable and BORING. My husband was diagnosed with type 2 over twenty years ago but has brought down his blood sugars by eating a low carb diet (under 100g daily) since January. He has lost around 5 stones in total and has been able to drop some medication. However, I still struggle to find meals to make that are tasty and low carb, especially in winter when salads often don’t appeal. Basically I fill our plates with various vegetables and a portion of protein. The trouble is, at 70, we have been brought up to think of a balanced meal as meat or fish, a few vegetables and potatoes, rice or pasta, and it’s been hard to break that pattern, often followed by a dessert. Eating out is fraught with problems as most menus follow that pattern and I’m tired of the chips with everything attitude. With so many struggling with weight and diabetes, you’d think some pubs and restaurants would offer alternatives but few seem to.

Confused by differing advice said:

Surely unhealthy and unsustainable and BORING.

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Nope, nope and nope..
Although I will admit to a few carbs from cream in coffee and milk in tea.. rarely some frozen raspberries and high cocoa chocolate but eating meat or fish is in fact very healthy and hardly boring and the time and waste saved by not prepping veg or throwing away when it gets old is revelatory!

Confused by differing advice said:

I’m genuinely puzzled how people cut out carbs completely? Even a carrot has carbs! Do they just eat protein and fat? Surely unhealthy and unsustainable and BORING.

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Yes, just animal produce for me. Fat for fuel, and protein for maintenance and repair. The liver makes up the balance of glucose by manufacturing it. The benefit of this approach is that blood glucose is virtually always flatlined, since it's being drip-fed into the bloodstream on demand, rather than being pushed by exogenous consumption and the excess then being mopped-up by insulin and shuffled into fat cells.The subject of micronutrients is a complex discussion, but basically there are none that are exclusive only to foods containing carbohydrate.

For me it is entirely sustainable and not in the least bit boring, but I appreciate that it's not for everyone. Nor is it absolutely necessary for absolutely everyone all of the time, but thankfully, humans have no essential requirement for exogenous carbohydrate, meaning we have options to do as we please and/or survive in a variety of food environments.

Confused by differing advice said:

I’m genuinely puzzled how people cut out carbs completely? Even a carrot has carbs! Do they just eat protein and fat? Surely unhealthy and unsustainable and BORING. My husband was diagnosed with type 2 over twenty years ago but has brought down his blood sugars by eating a low carb diet (under 100g daily) since January. He has lost around 5 stones in total and has been able to drop some medication. However, I still struggle to find meals to make that are tasty and low carb, especially in winter when salads often don’t appeal. Basically I fill our plates with various vegetables and a portion of protein. The trouble is, at 70, we have been brought up to think of a balanced meal as meat or fish, a few vegetables and potatoes, rice or pasta, and it’s been hard to break that pattern, often followed by a dessert. Eating out is fraught with problems as most menus follow that pattern and I’m tired of the chips with everything attitude. With so many struggling with weight and diabetes, you’d think some pubs and restaurants would offer alternatives but few seem to.

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I think some people genuinely need to go that far for dietary solutions. Though some for academic pursuit and others as part of a crusade. Just depends on the individual. It does make sense to not cut them out completely if one doesn’t have to. I agree.

Listlad said:

I think some people genuinely need to go that far for dietary solutions.

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Some also want to go that far. Not all food choices are about diabetes.