Keto newbie

jstreakyc

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi all

looking to get started on the keto diet but a little overwhelmed and confused at all of the information thats available.
if there is a link to a thread anyone found helpful when getting started i'd be grateful of it.
thanks
 
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JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,982
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all

looking to get started on the keto diet but a little overwhelmed and confused at all of the information thats available.
if there is a link to a thread anyone found helpful when getting started i'd be grateful of it.
thanks
It is a bit much. These are basics of low carbing/keto, https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html , maybe that'll help a little. Keto is whatever you want to make it. I was completely overwhelmed with all these crazy ingredients I'd never even heard of, very complex methods of making a meal... But it can be as simple as just cooking proper, real food. (As in, as straight from the source as it can be, without six factories intervening). Keep it simple, and go from there. I've never gotten to guar gum or whatever, I just stick with stuff I can pronounce. ;) And that's kept me in the normal range for the past 7 years, so no worries.
 

jstreakyc

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
hi
thanks for the link , very useful.
i do an active job so my big struggle will be finding some thing for a packed lunch or snack to keep me going through the day.
i typically skip breakfast but will be making the effort to include it now.
i don't really like vegetables as such but the ones i do like are kind of off limits.
i'm looking for a smoothie recipe that would tick the boxes in terms of getting the veg nutrients that i need if you know of any ?
I think it will be a trial and error scenario at first but im determined to get it working
 

Outlier

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,596
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I can't help with smoothie advice, but as for packed lunch - any cold meat, eggs hardboiled, cold omelette with mushrooms, bacon lardons, cheese, egg mayonnaise made with real mayo, a FEW nuts (not peanuts, cashews or Brazils) lettuce leaves, cucumber, pork scratchings if your teeth will stand it (mine won't) cheese, full-fat plain yoghurt.....lots of options and I'm sure others will be along shortly to fill in what I've missed.
 

jstreakyc

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
I can't help with smoothie advice, but as for packed lunch - any cold meat, eggs hardboiled, cold omelette with mushrooms, bacon lardons, cheese, egg mayonnaise made with real mayo, a FEW nuts (not peanuts, cashews or Brazils) lettuce leaves, cucumber, pork scratchings if your teeth will stand it (mine won't) cheese, full-fat plain yoghurt.....lots of options and I'm sure others will be along shortly to fill in what I've missed.
thank you , very helpful. should i be concerned with portion size?
 

ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,431
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
thank you , very helpful. should i be concerned with portion size?
If you actually manage to go low carb enough to be Keto then eat until satiated always!

Also some of us eat Peanuts and Brazils - but not cashews, since they are much higher in carbohydrates.
But try not to fill up on nuts and cheese too much since can easily be eaten to excess.
 

Kaydee59

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been doing keto for about 4 months now. I have lost 14Kg and have not needed any insulin with meals as I have only been having a small amount of carbs (usually not more than 20g). I have also done some intermittent fasting with success. It is the easiest diet I have ever done and has had great results. There are plenty of recipes online but mainly steer away from things like pasta, rice and potato and cakes and sweets and chocolate
 

Kaydee59

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all

looking to get started on the keto diet but a little overwhelmed and confused at all of the information thats available.
if there is a link to a thread anyone found helpful when getting started i'd be grateful of it.
thanks
Good books to read are Keto Continuum, written by a doctor and the other book I found really interesting is Fast Like A Girl by Dr Mindy Pelz
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,982
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
hi
thanks for the link , very useful.
i do an active job so my big struggle will be finding some thing for a packed lunch or snack to keep me going through the day.
i typically skip breakfast but will be making the effort to include it now.
i don't really like vegetables as such but the ones i do like are kind of off limits.
i'm looking for a smoothie recipe that would tick the boxes in terms of getting the veg nutrients that i need if you know of any ?
I think it will be a trial and error scenario at first but im determined to get it working
You'll want to up the fats and protein to compensate for the loss of carbs, so you don't get knackered halfway through the day. So yes, eggs, cold cuts, maybe a bucket of chicken wings if need be. ;) If it's properly low in carbs, never mind the portion size, just go with what keeps you full and energetic.

Smoothies are tricky, as those shred the fibers that would slow down the uptake of carbohydrates. DietDoctor has a couple veg/fruit ones though, maybe one of them suits? https://www.dietdoctor.com/search?s=smoothy
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,476
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Www.dietdoctor.com/keto has good info and links contained within it to the various potential issues around keto you might want to explore before you start. The same site has lots of articles, research links and recipes as well as food charts etc. all free no need to sit up for the menu planner unless you want to.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,868
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
If I eat a good breakfast then I don't eat again until the evening.
Smoothies are bad news for many type 2s as they release the cell contents and that usually results in a spike in blood glucose.
I bought a Nutribullet a few weeks before being diagnosed and I think it was used half a dozen times for smoothies all of which caused spikes.
These days I exclude high carb options and select lower carb foods with very little processed food so I don't see diabetic numbers and I feel great.
 

ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,431
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
Hi all I'm new to this, late onset type 2 at 55, I will be following this thread, thanks everyone ... xxx
Late onset Type 2? You don't mean Type 1 do you (LADA)? Late onset for a Type 2 would be somebody in their 90's - LOL !
 
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Betty Boop33

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Late onset Type 2? You don't mean Type 1 do you (LADA)? Late onset for a Type 2 would be somebody in their 90's - LOL !
Long story lol ... Back in February I was ill and collapsed, woke up 2 days later after being diagnosed as Type 1 with ketoacidosis with a HBA1C reading of 91, 3 weeks in hospital and Insulin dependent. After I was discharged I returned to the Diabetic nurse, she told me that with current readings they were now treating it as Type 2 and I was weaned off the insulin, Forgive me if I got it wrong, but I am really new to this.
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,476
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Long story lol ... Back in February I was ill and collapsed, woke up 2 days later after being diagnosed as Type 1 with ketoacidosis with a HBA1C reading of 91, 3 weeks in hospital and Insulin dependent. After I was discharged I returned to the Diabetic nurse, she told me that with current readings they were now treating it as Type 2 and I was weaned off the insulin, Forgive me if I got it wrong, but I am really new to this.
Very confusing. I’ve never heard of type being (accurately) decided by hba1c alone or by achieving decent blood glucose levels whilst on insulin. So you’ve had no insulin for the last 6 months? Are you on anything else?

Do you know if they tested your insulin production (cpeptide) in hospital or for antibodies? Or who by and why the diagnosis was formally changed? A nurse doesn’t normally have that official responsibility for naming which type even if they understand it and get their beliefs proven right.

It matters and they should make sure you understand it. Because if you are a slow onset type 1 (called LADA or type 1.5 sometimes) and you aren’t on insulin you could dka again. You will eventually need insulin. and the tech available to you will be different than if they call you type 2 on insulin at that point, as will attitudes even from medical staff. If you are truly a type 2 it’s unusual to dka and it would be helpful to establish likely reasons you did so it can be avoided in future. Also diet alone to manage it is a possibility for type 2 that isn’t a long term prospect for even a slow type 1.

Finally can I just check this isn’t a misunderstanding of what type 1 and type 2 actually are. It is NOT whether insulin is used or not, nor about age at diagnosis, as so many believe. Type 1 is about inability to produce insulin due to an autoimmune cause. Sometimes fast onset as is common in kids, sometimes slow as happens in adults more than kids. Type 2 is about inability to respond to the, likely high levels, of insulin you do have aka insulin resistance. Eventually type 2 can cease production after many years of overproduction but that’s not the way it starts. Both types do get treated with insulin, although for a lot of type 2 it might not be the most effective long term option in reality, and many adult type 1 are initially (or permanently) misdiagnosed as type 2.
 
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Betty Boop33

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Very confusing. I’ve never heard of type being (accurately) decided by hba1c alone or by achieving decent blood glucose levels whilst on insulin. So you’ve had no insulin for the last 6 months? Are you on anything else?

Do you know if they tested your insulin production (cpeptide) in hospital or for antibodies? Or who by and why the diagnosis was formally changed? A nurse doesn’t normally have that official responsibility for naming which type even if they understand it and get their beliefs proven right.

It matters and they should make sure you understand it. Because if you are a slow onset type 1 (called LADA or type 1.5 sometimes) and you aren’t on insulin you could dka again. You will eventually need insulin. and the tech available to you will be different than if they call you type 2 on insulin at that point, as will attitudes even from medical staff. If you are truly a type 2 it’s unusual to dka and it would be helpful to establish likely reasons you did so it can be avoided in future. Also diet alone to manage it is a possibility for type 2 that isn’t a long term prospect for even a slow type 1.

Finally can I just check this isn’t a misunderstanding of what type 1 and type 2 actually are. It is NOT whether insulin is used or not, nor about age at diagnosis, as so many believe. Type 1 is about inability to produce insulin due to an autoimmune cause. Sometimes fast onset as is common in kids, sometimes slow as happens in adults more than kids. Type 2 is about inability to respond to the, likely high levels, of insulin you do have aka insulin resistance. Eventually type 2 can cease production after many years of overproduction but that’s not the way it starts. Both types do get treated with insulin, although for a lot of type 2 it might not be the most effective long term option in reality, and many adult type 1 are initially (or permanently) misdiagnosed as type 2.
Yes I understand that my knowledge is limited, yes all antibodies were tested and there was no problem, The diabetic nurse (at the Hospital) got the information form my consultant and printed it off for me, I was weaned off the insulin over 2 months. I have the freestlyle libre so my glucose levels are monitored closely, you know I was perfectly happy with my diagnosis and my coping ability, but hey now I'm worrying.
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,476
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Yes I understand that my knowledge is limited, yes all antibodies were tested and there was no problem, The diabetic nurse (at the Hospital) got the information form my consultant and printed it off for me, I was weaned off the insulin over 2 months. I have the freestlyle libre so my glucose levels are monitored closely, you know I was perfectly happy with my diagnosis and my coping ability, but hey now I'm worrying.
I’m sorry I worried you but the way you explained it made it sound a bit concerning to me, thus worried for you. And sadly it’s not at all unusual for those kind of mistakes and confusions to occur even in professionals. We see it fairly often in here. It’s far safer to be aware of the possibilities and never have it happen than the other way around though. It was in no way a reflection on your coping ability either so I’m also sorry if you thought I was saying that.

Having positive antibodies is pretty much conclusive it’s type 1. Having negative ones is an indication it’s less likely but not a guarantee. (Cpeptide levels give more information that usually helps). Is that the information that changed the diagnosis and treatment plan? The fact that you’ve been this long without insulin or levels rising is also another indicator it’s not type1, but not a guarantee either and will also be affected by what measures or medications you are now doing.

It’s great you have the libre so you can see any worrying changes happening early and head them off. That hugely diminishes any future risks if you do turn out to be a type 1, rather than a type 2 who had a rare dka. So please be reassured by that and all I ever would have suggested would have been the tests you ow appear have already had (not everyone gets given them) and a raised awareness with monitoring (which you also already have). I’m shocked that you still are given a libre if you’re no longer on insulin as it’s outside normal practice but hey I’d grab it with both hands as would most other type 2 if we had the chance. Did they provide ketone strips too ?
 
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Betty Boop33

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I’m sorry I worried you but the way you explained it made it sound a bit concerning to me, thus worried for you. And sadly it’s not at all unusual for those kind of mistakes and confusions to occur even in professionals. We see it fairly often in here. It’s far safer to be aware of the possibilities and never have it happen than the other way around though. It was in no way a reflection on your coping ability either so I’m also sorry if you thought I was saying that.

Having positive antibodies is pretty much conclusive it’s type 1. Having negative ones is an indication it’s less likely but not a guarantee. (Cpeptide levels give more information that usually helps). Is that the information that changed the diagnosis and treatment plan? The fact that you’ve been this long without insulin or levels rising is also another indicator it’s not type1, but not a guarantee either and will also be affected by what measures or medications you are now doing.

It’s great you have the libre so you can see any worrying changes happening early and head them off. That hugely diminishes any future risks if you do turn out to be a type 1, rather than a type 2 who had a rare dka. So please be reassured by that and all I ever would have suggested would have been the tests you ow appear have already had (not everyone gets given them) and a raised awareness with monitoring (which you also already have). I’m shocked that you still are given a libre if you’re no longer on insulin as it’s outside normal practice but hey I’d grab it with both hands as would most other type 2 if we had the chance. Did they provide ketone strips too ?
Thankyou so much for clarifying, the hospital were very thorough in their testing, I am now on Metformin 500mg morning and evening and eating a low carb regime. My own doctor refused the libre even when I was on Insulin, but the Diabetic nurse at the hospital had it on her desk, and when I asked about it (mid July) she said that the guidelines had now changed and more people are eligible, and yes I hace ketone strips, Thanks again.
 
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Ro9998

Well-Known Member
Messages
45
It is a bit much. These are basics of low carbing/keto, https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html , maybe that'll help a little. Keto is whatever you want to make it. I was completely overwhelmed with all these crazy ingredients I'd never even heard of, very complex methods of making a meal... But it can be as simple as just cooking proper, real food. (As in, as straight from the source as it can be, without six factories intervening). Keep it simple, and go from there. I've never gotten to guar gum or whatever, I just stick with stuff I can pronounce. ;) And that's kept me in the normal range for the past 7 years, so no worries.
Wow you’ve done amazing
 
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