How often should I eat?

On the subject of low-carb diet for weight loss.

Is it better to eat more frequently and avoid sudden spikes in blood glucose, or eat more infrequently so that a larger proportion of the day is spent at a low level of blood glucose?

I have a tendency to nibble, and although I am keeping carbs between 30 and 60 grams, my weight loss is very slow. (2lb per month) Wondering if I am doing it wrong.

Blood glucose is wonderful, though. So I am not complaining. my BMI of 28 might be as low as I can go :roll:

Hi Viv,

Thanks for those kind words.

Like you, the first time I did the Atkins, about six years ago, I lost stones perfectly easily. But... as soon as I started eating carbs again it just all piled back on, and more. I cursed that blasted diet.

Of course now that I am diabetic, and older, and my metabolism appears to be somewhat knackered, it is all so much slower, a real slog. It is strange though - knowing I have to do this for life holds no fears, only a kind of relief to know what I have to eat and why.

You gave me some advice about the dawn phenomenon a while back, and I found that counting carbs fixed the problem. My fasting BG is around 5.7 in the morning now. After lunch it settles around 6 for the rest of the day. About 6.5 at bedtime. The other day I risked some rice with my evening meal (18 carbs, thought I could handle it) Result - BG of 9.5 after 3 hours - took six hours to drop back below 6. Goodness knows how high it went. No question, refined carbohydrates are out.

I also asked a while back if people thought that deterioration with this condition is inevitable. I honestly believe now that it is not. In fact, on the correct diet I think at least some of the damage is reversible, although insulin resistance is incurable. I have been Coeliac for 27 years and I discovered that on a gluten free diet I simply did not have the illness, and of course, in a couple of years my gut actually recovered and healed. So although I will always have coeliac disease, on the right diet I am symptom free. I hope that Diabetes follows the same pattern.

Travelling hopefully
Angela