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Low Carb pitfalls Newbies might fall into...

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,884
Location
Lincolnshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi All,

Anyone who has low carbed for any time at all has discovered that some things work for them, others don't, and sometimes our efforts are sabotaged through our best intentions...

So what went wrong for you, to start with?
And how did you solve it?
 
I think my biggest Newbie low carbing mistake, waaayyyy back, was not understanding what little daemons the carb cravings are.

I went on a strict low carb diet. Either Montignac or Atkins (can't actually remember), way back at the end of the 80s. It was marvellous. Weight dropped off. Fantastic. Felt great. This was IT! THE diet. Happy as a slug in a lettuce patch.

Then I had a weekend away and no choice of food.
So i ate carbs.
And was knocked sideways by the subsequent carb cravings.
It took me about 3 months before I clawed my way back to a semblance of LC.
Regained all the weight in a single rebound action.

Now, I recognise the cravings, give them my thousand yard stare, eat protein and fat to smother them, and know that they will subside fairly quickly. So I no longer feel helpless and a failure, because I have an action plan that works, when they strike.
 
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Following this threat as I've recently started to reduce my carbs slowly and trying to add more fats. I dont want to lose any weight at all I'm just wanting to get to a lower a1c target and be able to maintain it. I have no idea what I'm doing just learning from what I see people post on this forum!
 
I think my main lesson early on was to spread my daily carbs between three decent meals as much as possible and avoid 'saving up' my carbs just in order to have a blast in the evening. That may work for some, but it doesn't for me.
 
sanguine said:
I think my main lesson early on was to spread my daily carbs between three decent meals as much as possible and avoid 'saving up' my carbs just in order to have a blast in the evening. That may work for some, but it doesn't for me.
Click to expand...

In what way doesn't it work for you Rod?
 
Bluetit1802 said:
In what way doesn't it work for you Rod?
Click to expand...

Just that I get higher spikes that way, OK maybe it's just on one meal a day, but I don't like them, and if it's in the evening it's more likely to carry through to the following morning.
 
sanguine said:
Just that I get higher spikes that way, OK maybe it's just on one meal a day, but I don't like them, and if it's in the evening it's more likely to carry through to the following morning.
Click to expand...

That's my experience too.

If I ate 3 spuds spread across 3 meals, I would have 3 mini spikes.
But if I ate 3 spuds in a single meal, the spike would be much bigger than the 3 mini spikes added together.

I think it is something to do with the pancreas having learned to produce insulin based on what it had to do yesterday (and the days before). So if I ambush it with my potato-fest it takes a while to get itself organised to produce enough insulin to cope.

I hope that made sense.
 
Thanks @sanguine I was just wondering because most of my carb allowance is in the evenings, except Fridays! We change our meals over on Fridays as hubby goes out, so I have a very low carb salad mostly. I can't say I've noticed any difference with bedtime or fasting readings. I understand insulin resistance improves as the day goes on (from what I've read but please don't ask me to find it now!), and our lowest readings should show pre-evening meal. If insulin resistance is worse in the mornings, doesn't it make sense to start off with fewer carbs and increase as the day progresses? Just a thought.
 
I suppose I also do that by default, but I wouldn't choose to eat (say) potatoes at dinner just because I hadn't used up my 'allowance' earlier. But it's what works for the individual.
 
Initially I think I wasn't drinking enough fluid as I was very constipated switching to low carb. Upped my liquids and added flaxseed and that helped. Also I wasn't eating enough early on as I was so used to having to eat next to nothing to lose weight. Now I make sure I have a good bowl of salad with my curry or ragu sauce or a big mound of green veg with my main meals.
 
change of diet = constipation at first.
I would use bran next time and has been said, drink lots of water
I also took probiotics that helped a lot

**salt** you need to add salt because you have cut out processed foods and so a lot of your normal salt intake'
LC flushes salt as well

the first 2 days sucked for me, I was starving..you can eat anything but carbs ..lots of fats/oil and don't worry about too much protein the first week, as that will turn to glucose and help stop carb crave.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm
 
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Nice one @Brunneria
Cravings are like little demonic gremlins.
My daughter said oh mum nimble and burgen bread are low carb, tempted... Didn't bother to research there carb loads as I've done without for 2 months, and if I start replacing bread etc the the gremlins of craving will wheedle there way in and hey presto weight gain high B/s and I've conned myself it's ok.
For me total abstinence is the way to go
Nice advice thank you xx
 
Today the carb cravings have hit me hard and after 3 days of low carbing, i ate a slice of chocolate cheesecake and afterwards feel really sluggish and tired. For me I think that my wallet is my enemy as I tend to have it on me every single day with me and buy food without thinking about it.
 

Oh bother!

The thing about caving in to the carb cravings is it just sets up the next round, in a few more days. In my view, the thing to do is to have something (non-carby, like my beloved Babybel, or a small packet of salted peanuts) with you, and eat that if you have the cravings. I know I bite of cheese isn't the same as chocolate cheesecake, but the distraction is as important as anything.
 

I just need to stop carrying my wallet everywhere I go.
 
Before I started low carbing, your not going to believe this but........................I'd NEVER had peanut butter!!!! Probably due to so many years of weight watchers and fat is bad being rammed into my brain. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it and always have some in the cupboard. I like it on celery, but off a spoon is just great too!
 
I've never touched peanut butter. Even after being diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago I got told to not try it as its fatty and sugary.
 
I am using MFP to log my food, weighing stuff etc and trying to be accurate. So far I am not being rewarded very much. I have cut my basal and bolus but it seems as if I am almost having to bolus 1 unit for 1 g of carbs instead of my usual 1 for 2 grams or 3 grams. Today my readings have been stuck in the 7s, not much variance so no real spikes but they just won't come down. My lunch was something like 18 grams of carbs and I did 12 units and it still didn't correct it back into the 6s.

Lets not even talk about the non existent weight loss either. Nothing, but nothing, has ever worked diet wise, even Endomondo chirped its little heart out to tell me I logged 22.4 miles last month but did that make a difference to my weight either? No. If anybody cares to tell me calories in, calories out one more time I swear I will just find the nearest gun shop and end it all.

Ali
 
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