Is this too many carbs?

[HSSS]

Hi No wonder you are confused. You are not on the right "diet"
I have attached the diet that my diabetes dietician gave to me when I was first diagnosed. I hope it helps you
It is all about carbohydrate counting. The less carbs the better
I lost 18kg on it in the first year. I never went hungry although I had cravings. In time I managed to find substitutes fo satistfy me.
Good luck
Regards
Diana

If I ate those carbs my numbers would be way higher than at diagnosis It’s still at lot of carbs for many of us !

 

[HSSS]

I have been type 2 for 4 years now and I take Metformin with no ill-effects. However, I now have high cholesterol and have been prescribed Atorvastatin. I’m not following low carb because I constantly experience gnawing hunger and just can’t cope with it. Now, I have to take fat intake into account which restricts my diet even more. At least I know that the metformin is keeping my blood sugar down.
Any dietary suggestions would be appreciated.

Did you eat fat whilst low carb? You do know that statins raise bgl? And there’s a lot of controversy now that fats eaten and cholesterol aren’t particularly linked nor cholesterol and cvd issues. I’d do a lot of reading on the subject if I were you. Also metformin doesn’t do that much. It helps stop the liver dumping glucose but does nothing to deal with the carbs you do eat.

 

[bulkbiker]

However, I now have high cholesterol and have been prescribed Atorvastatin

Do you have your full lipid panel numbers..? High total cholesterol isn't necessarily "bad" (in fact it can lead to longer life especially in females..)

I’m not following low carb because I constantly experience gnawing hunger and just can’t cope with it

Were you restricting fat when low carb? If so you were probably inadvertently restricting calories too so being hungry isn't surprising.. the HF bit is important for satiety and the reason why many of us can fast for extended periods relatively easily.

 

[Apulahra]

Did you eat fat whilst low carb? You do know that statins raise bgl? And there’s a lot of controversy now that fats eaten and cholesterol aren’t particularly linked nor cholesterol and cvd issues. I’d do a lot of reading on the subject if I were you. Also metformin doesn’t do that much. It helps stop the liver dumping glucose but does nothing to deal with the carbs you do eat.

Do you have your full lipid panel numbers..? High total cholesterol isn't necessarily "bad" (in fact it can lead to longer life especially in females..)



Were you restricting fat when low carb? If so you were probably inadvertently restricting calories too so being hungry isn't surprising.. the HF bit is important for satiety and the reason why many of us can fast for extended periods relatively easily.

I can’t actually remember if I restricted fat but I think I probably did as I was told to lose some weight too. I was limiting carbs to 12g a day and at my first review the nurse said she had never seen anybody’s bs levels reduce so drastically. It’s all so confusing to me even now. I was told I didn’t need to reduce carbs very much and to eat normally but not overdo it on the carbs. I can identify with others who are confused. I had bought a testing kit and found that it gave me a sense of control in that I could see what was raising my bs, e.g. I had some rice and my bs went into double figures. At clinic I was told not to test as, of course, my bs would be raised because I had eaten and therefore it was meaningless. I was made to feel like I was neurotic about testing. But to me it made sense and I had nothing else to go on, no idea what I was supposed to do really. Anyway, I stopped testing. The only time I test now is when I get shaky and feel awful and then my bs is under 4.0.

I feel really guilty as I have neglected myself and just eat what I want (my son unexpectedly died a year after I was diagnosed and I’ve found it hard to care about myself) but I’m getting a bit panicky about my health now. I haven’t bothered going to clinic for reviews because I can’t see the point. I had no idea about statins and bs so I will definitely do some research. I have no idea what my cholesterol figures are. I appreciate your comments.

 

[Apulahra]

Do you have your full lipid panel numbers..? High total cholesterol isn't necessarily "bad" (in fact it can lead to longer life especially in females..)



Were you restricting fat when low carb? If so you were probably inadvertently restricting calories too so being hungry isn't surprising.. the HF bit is important for satiety and the reason why many of us can fast for extended periods relatively easily.

I like the idea of a longer life! I don’t know what my full lipid panel numbers are. I wasn’t told. I know there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types of cholesterol so on a low carb high fat diet what type of fat do you eat? Beef, lamb, sausages, bacon, cream, full fat milk, butter? Thanks for you comments.

 

[jjraak]

It does not spike my blood sugars
It is within the allowable range of carbs per meal.

Does that mean you did test. ?
Do you remember what you were pre and post meal..?

Have to say, I'd spike heavily on that when first DX

 

[bulkbiker]

Beef, lamb, sausages, bacon, cream, full fat milk, butter?

Yes all of those.. great eh..although with sausages try and find very high pork content. Most supermarkets do a 97% pork sausage which would be the one's I'd go for as they have fewer carbs than others.

 

[bulkbiker]

I was told I didn’t need to reduce carbs very much and to eat normally but not overdo it on the carbs

I'm afraid as you realise that was rather poor advice

At clinic I was told not to test as, of course, my bs would be raised because I had eaten and therefore it was meaningless

And that is complete and utter drivel.. as you saw what you ate made a huge difference to the readings you got and which foods were best avoided.
I get so angry that people who were in fact doing everything so right have been put off by ignorant HCP's..

 

[Lotties]

I like the idea of a longer life! I don’t know what my full lipid panel numbers are. I wasn’t told. I know there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types of cholesterol so on a low carb high fat diet what type of fat do you eat? Beef, lamb, sausages, bacon, cream, full fat milk, butter? Thanks for you comments.

You can request the results. I did; they have to check with GP before release so it can take a day or two. You will probably have to collect as they won't post them.

 

[Apulahra]

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to respond and for your advice. I feel that I now have a plan of action. I’m going to request my full lipid panel results and my Hba1c results so far. I’m also going to research cholesterol and statins and check out websites mentioned in posts. I wonder if I can ask to be taken off statins? I’m going to start testing again to find out what foods make my bgl spike.
As for the metformin, I was told I would have to stay on it for life as diabetes is progressive.
One more thing, I was told that fibre mitigates the carbs in foods. Any truth in that? If so can you eat plenty of it? I’m thinking of avoiding constipation here.

 

[bulkbiker]

I wonder if I can ask to be taken off statins?

Your body your decision what to put into it.. doctors are there to advise not "lay down the law".

 

[Resurgam]

Diabetes, if a simple type two, is only progressive if it is not controlled, and low carb will control it, with a bit of luck.
That this form of diabetes is reversible is a dreadful shock to drs and nurses - some don't want to believe it as it means they have been handing out bad advice and causing problems for patients.

 

[SlimLizzy]

One more thing, I was told that fibre mitigates the carbs in foods. Any truth in that? If so can you eat plenty of it? I’m thinking of avoiding constipation here.

There are many low carb vegetables cauliflower, cabbage, celariac, cucumber ( seem to have started a foods begining with C game here) are just a few of them. There should be no reason to have constipation. As long as you are drinking enough as well.
Have you got the carbs and cals book/app? This can be very helpful with portion sizes.

 

[Lotties]

That would explain the attitude from the Dr at the diabetes clinic as he discharged me. Thought he might have been interested how I managed it considering I was the only one of his patients who had 'reversed' their T2 diabetes. But no, basically sod off and don't come back

Probably thought is was that you 'had a rubbish diet' and had now improved it - much like they think obese people 'eat too much'. Not helped by the DM running stories like 'I lost 10 stone in 6 months by giving up 14 takeaways a week & stopping drinking 5l of Pepsi a day' No **** Dr Sherlock.

 

[Apulahra]

There are many low carb vegetables cauliflower, cabbage, celariac, cucumber ( seem to have started a foods begining with C game here) are just a few of them. There should be no reason to have constipation. As long as you are drinking enough as well.
Have you got the carbs and cals book/app? This can be very helpful with portion sizes.

Hi, I’ve bought the carbs and cals book and I’m get my head round portion sizes. I’m not sure how many carbs to have each day yet. I don’t want to go Keto. More research I think. I’m going to get the app you. I'm on holiday until Monday then I plan on a low carb shopping trip. Thanks for your help.

 

[Resurgam]

As far as I can work out, Keto is just shorthand for being in ketosis - which is a natural situation which happens to many people all the time - even those not on a low carb diet - so it might be problematic if you wish to avoid that.
I used to have a couple of shopping lists which provided variety. I tweaked them so as to provide various meals from the start, and even now I don't buy tomatoes and mushrooms on the same trip to the shops.
If it is any help, many people start off at around 50 gm of carbs a day, and use a blood glucose meter to check that they are seeing normal levels after eating. Some - like me are really sensitive to the denser carb foods - I avoid grains, potatoes and most legumes, having small amounts of garden peas or runner/french beans, so as to avoid spikes. I do have some loaves of Livlife and protein bread in the freezer but it is not something I eat regularly even though the bread is 4 gm of carbs per slice.

 

[Apulahra]

As far as I can work out, Keto is just shorthand for being in ketosis - which is a natural situation which happens to many people all the time - even those not on a low carb diet - so it might be problematic if you wish to avoid that.
I used to have a couple of shopping lists which provided variety. I tweaked them so as to provide various meals from the start, and even now I don't buy tomatoes and mushrooms on the same trip to the shops.
If it is any help, many people start off at around 50 gm of carbs a day, and use a blood glucose meter to check that they are seeing normal levels after eating.

Thanks for the info. I watched The Magic Pill last night and got my partner to watch it as well. We were both shocked to find that a high carb low fat diet causes so many serious illnesses. The results of the 10 week LCHF diet for all the participants was astonishing. We are both going to change to LCHF. I’ll start off with 50g of carbs and check bgl after eating.

 

[Resurgam]

hanks for the info. I watched The Magic Pill last night and got my partner to watch it as well. We were both shocked to find that a high carb low fat diet causes so many serious illnesses. The results of the 10 week LCHF diet for all the participants was astonishing. We are both going to change to LCHF. I’ll start off with 50g of carbs and check bgl after eating.

I always feel so well eating low carb, and very like a Tigger too. Few people come even close to guessing my age - though the lanolin from the fleeces I spin disguise my hands very well.

 

[Apulahra]

Yes all of those.. great eh..although with sausages try and find very high pork content. Most supermarkets do a 97% pork sausage which would be the one's I'd go for as they have fewer carbs than others.

Hi again,
I took on board all the advice from replies to my previous posts. I am now on day 6 of LCHF way of eating. But... I am confused. I have the carb manager app and I have chosen LCHF setting which the app gives ratios for carb/protein/fat. I adjusted the carbs to 50g since I’m new to this diet. This gives me 74g fat/66g protein and 1135 cals. I’m finding that I’m going over the fat and calorie limits. If I reduce fat I’m hungry and miserable. I do want to lose weight but mostly control bgl. How much fat would be too much fat? Can I approximate the figures and still lose weight and reduce bgl?

Also, there are total carbs, diabetes carbs and net carbs. Which do I track??

Thanks

 

[Resurgam]

I just track carbs - lost weight without trying.