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Lower carb without high fat?
- Thread starter aj2890
- Start Date
Resurgam
Master
- Messages
- 10,216
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
The problem is that we are not mechanical - on a low fat low calorie diet I just slow down and can't find the energy to do much - on a very low calorie diet I can hardly get out of bed.
Increasing fats often results in a bouncing about like a tigger response, going out and doing things.
For me 50gm of carbs a day is the very top of my range - I am now sticking to under 40 gm to try to lose weight - I am losing fat, gaining muscle and a smaller waist but I am still far too heavy. It is very strange to see the legs I used to have reappearing from under the subcutaneous fat.
Increasing fats often results in a bouncing about like a tigger response, going out and doing things.
For me 50gm of carbs a day is the very top of my range - I am now sticking to under 40 gm to try to lose weight - I am losing fat, gaining muscle and a smaller waist but I am still far too heavy. It is very strange to see the legs I used to have reappearing from under the subcutaneous fat.
You don't have to eat "fat" per se just eat foods that contain more fat..so for example chicken thighs over chicken breast, pork belly over pork loin .....avocados are very fatty but don't appear to be... olives. If you like sauce on things then try melted butter on veg.. add some extra egg yolks into egg dishes... you don't need to chow down on lard just aim for full fat products. Maybe try cooking with some coconut oil?
Then you will probably get hungry, which is pretty counter productive.. do you have a particular reason why you don't want to have fat.
I was told by my doctor not to eat too much fat due to heart issues. But I was also told to control my sugars, so it seems I have to be careful with both carbs and fats.
Sounds like your doctor is a bit behind the times.. what particular heart issues do you have? Many top cardiologists now think that natural fats are not a problem but seed oils and carbohydrates seem to be the culprits.
Carbs can cause inflammation which can also lead to heart disease so removing them from your diet is beneficial. If you reduce carbs dramatically (which will help your blood sugar) then there are only proteins and fats left so you need to raise one r the other and eating more protein can be quite hard for some (and of course it comes with extra fat anyway in most cases as that's what we're meant to eat).
Carbs can cause inflammation which can also lead to heart disease so removing them from your diet is beneficial. If you reduce carbs dramatically (which will help your blood sugar) then there are only proteins and fats left so you need to raise one r the other and eating more protein can be quite hard for some (and of course it comes with extra fat anyway in most cases as that's what we're meant to eat).
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@aj2890
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
Pinkorchid
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,927
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
When anyone has a heart issue or any other medical condition we have to be careful what advice we give. Low carb high fat is popular here but is not a diet that suits everyone so you will need to talk about it to your medical team
- Messages
- 6,591
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I eat about 1200 calories a day - I know before everyone jumps in calories don't matter - but they do to me, with about 80 - 90g carb - slightly more than OP - I don't eat high fat nor do I look for fat but I don't avoid it either so I eat from the following
A few nuts
Avocado
Oily fish
Extra virgin olive oil
Mayonnaise
A small amount of dairy mainly cheese, not keen on cream and butter plus dairy tends to make me gain weight
Chicken thighs and skin
Pork without removing fat
I don't eat big portions - yes I get a little bit hungry when it gets to meal times but not starving - I don't snack but I do eat a large amount of veggies with my meals which seem to keep me satiated and where I get most of my carbs from
with about 80 - 90g carb - slightly more than OP - I don't eat high fat nor do I look for fat but I don't avoid it either so I eat from the followingA few nuts
Avocado
Oily fish
Extra virgin olive oil
Mayonnaise
A small amount of dairy mainly cheese, not keen on cream and butter plus dairy tends to make me gain weight
Chicken thighs and skin
Pork without removing fat
I don't eat big portions - yes I get a little bit hungry when it gets to meal times but not starving - I don't snack but I do eat a large amount of veggies with my meals which seem to keep me satiated and where I get most of my carbs from
