how do you get your calories

Hi @aard

The simplest way would be to increase fat intake. Cream instead of milk. Fattier cuts of meat. Oily fish. Eggs. Cheese. Add butter to your food.

It would also be good to understand what type of diabetes you have and whether you’re on any medication, particularly insulin as that can affect dietary advice.

Sounds like you’re trying to maintain weight rather than lose it - would that be a correct assumption?

Welcome! My body derived its calories while I was doing a low carb diet by burning my excess body fat. I then started to get quite hungry (after about 1 year) as the body fat had gone, so I now add adequate fat to my meals (olive oil, butter or beef dripping). My cholesterol readings have improved during this period and I now have lower cardiovascular risk. That's what I do, but it might not be correct for you...

aard said:

I dont get it, I am looking at trying a low carb diet. This excludes or limits about 90% of what I eat.

How do you get your 2000 calories a day.

The only thing i ever drink is water, milk, coke. Obviously no coke and milk restricted so very little calories there.

A whole bag of salad is only about 60 calories and I can only manage one a day.
chicken is about 150 calories per 100 gram so I would probably need to eat about kg a day to make up most of my calories!!!!

Fruit is restricted to such a pathetic amount, no calories there.

I don’t know you guys do it!

I really dont think I can have the energy for the gym on salads and theres no way im eating loads of meat, i love meat but theres a limit to what i can eat.

I guess im lookig forward to a life of bread and water, only Im not allowed to have bread. God this is depressing

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A 500g steak (which is usually the size I eat is moderately calorific if you are looking for calories). Also a nice fat to protein ratio and zero carbs.

Bacon

I don't count calories. I've reduced the number of carbohydrates I eat, and I've increased fattier foods as my energy source instead. I've kept my protein consumption fairly stable, but I choose fattier cuts of meat, oily fish, chicken with skin on, full fat dairy, nuts, etc, and since fat is a much denser fuel source than carbs ( containing a higher percentage of calories if you must involve them) there shouldn't be any deficit. And fat's pretty much a long term sustainable fuel unlike quick fix short term carbs, so much better for exercise. ( Try googling Volek and Phinney re performance and low carbing.)

Robbity

Eggs, cheese, fish and sea food - add coleslaw to the salad - and a few walnuts, radish, cucumber a little onion, beetroot, celery, tomato - raid the fridge. Don't forget the olive oil dressing with herbs.
I think that chicken is a bit higher in calories than that - unless you are removing the fat and skin of course.
I only eat two meals a day, but I have a mug of coffee with cream with them.

Pretty much what has been suggested, but try this on for size www.dietdoctor.com You may well find some good meal ideas there.

Eggs, cheese, nuts, dark chocolate, roast pork belly...

As above, eat more nuts. 10 almonds are ~ 140 calories. I can eat 100g easy and that's 500+ calories.

You need fuel and if you stop getting it from carbs then it has to come from somewhere. Proteins and fats are the answer. Few of us bother about calories. And if we’re being honest if you are obese then you are already wearing plenty. Once your body gets used to using fat for energy rather than carbs then it’ll use those body ones too. Low carb is very successfully used for weight loss by non diabetics. It’s hard to let go of the idea of calories or fats being “bad” but it really does work.

I second dietdoctor.com as a fantastic read explaining it all simply and clearly. There are loads of low carb and keto Facebook groups for support and we in here are around and have taken the same journey and more than happy to help.

Some blurb and links I often share might help

Can I suggest you take a good look at LCHF ie low carb higher fat (than typically recommended) methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and reduce or improve complications. It can also help with joint pains and high blood pressure and other conditions including improving, yes improving, cholesterol. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple

And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works and for motivation

and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas

also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
You
Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3, 6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. It also helps keep an eye out that any meds are working appropriately not too much or too little. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Please ask if you want any guidance on this.


IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON MEDS CONSIDERING LOWERING CARBS: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds or insulin increasing meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.

Fat. Very energy dense.

aard said:

Im prediabetic so im just trying to cut my carbs so as not to develop full blown t2.
Also my BMI says im obese.

i have bacon for breakfast, maybe not enough , i eat fish and have cheese(with every meal).

Last night i just reached 2000 calories, however this was because i was cleaning out the cupboard of bad foods, and had two cokes and 150g kettle crips. If I hadn't eaten these my calorie count would have been 1200.

The biggest problem for me is bread/fruit,i used to eat about 7 portions a day(a portion being a whole tub if grapes!) Ive replace these with berries but that doesn't give you much calories.
Also i used to eat bread to stop me eating crisps and chocolate bars etc.

Im down to two slices of bread.

I eat fish or chicken for both meals but that really doesn't get me to even half my calories.
I always remove the fat and skin from meat so i guess maybe i shouldnt.

And Im so Hungary all the time, and i’m no longer gaining muscle from the gym. This is so hard

anyway thx suggestions

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In a lot of cases the type of food eaten is only half the problem. The other half is the dose and frequency of eating it. If you eat too much of even low carb/high fat food that will have its own adverse effects. You need to produce a mixed meal plan that you can vary, consistency is key. If I was prediabetic, I definitely wouldn't be having two cokes and a large packet of crisps in a day whether they were lying about or not.