T2 low carb advice

[SoulfulXombi]

Hi,

I'm curious does weight impact the number of carbs one should eat (appreciate the basic that less is best with diabetes) but I am very heavy and my cal recommendation is quite higher than a normal dieters even for weight loss so just wondering if there are any implications or should I still just aim for the 120 -150 recommended by diabetes.co.uk.

I know some will say self monitor etc which I have just started doing but for me it's still very new so just curious if there is any general concenus

 

[bulkbiker]

I found that by cutting out as many carbs as I could and skipping breakfast I lost a lot of weight quite quickly.
I went lot lower than 120g of carbs per day. I was 23 stone when diagnosed now about 15 stone.. still have a bit to go.

 

[bulkbiker]

Never counted calories either..

 

[Phoenix55]

Please do not confuse calories and carbs. Your calorie intake may be quite high on a low carb high fat diet. I would aim to reduce the carb intake as a priority and then 'fill up' on healthy fats, oily fish, cooking in olive oil and vegetables like olives. I found that doing this I lost about a pound (0.5 kilo) each week until I reached the target weight that I set myself. There were a couple of weeks when I didn't seem to lose weight but I attributed this to my body resetting itself, redistributing fat.

 

[caroline_92]

I also cut down drastically on carbs and then measured my blood sugar after meals to understand how many carbs, and what type/size of meals I could eat, without spiking my blood sugar. Also never counted a single calorie!
Been doing low carb for 6 years now and doctor says I am now 'normal'!

 

[Alexandra100]

I also cut down drastically on carbs and then measured my blood sugar after meals to understand how many carbs, and what type/size of meals I could eat, without spiking my blood sugar. Also never counted a single calorie!
Been doing low carb for 6 years now and doctor says I am now 'normal'!

Did your bg respond instantly to lower carb meals, or was it a gradual process? I am feeling discouraged as I have cut my carb intake enormously and progressively over the past few weeks and I'm not seeing that much reduction in bg.

 

[caroline_92]

My blood sugar levels after meals were hugely responsive to what I ate in my meals, so I ate to my meter. My HbA1c dropped from 63 to 37 in 3 months... Are your post meal bg levels not changing in response to what you eat?

 

[Phoenix55]

I also ate to my meter, without realising that I was doing it. I would test before a meal and then about 2 hours later. By keeping a food diary and rigorously testing each meal twice I soon began to understand which foods caused a spike in bg. It took time for the bg levels to drop on a regular basis, but then I was fortunate that my diabetes was picked up when I was only just into the diabetic range and so borderline prediabetic. I lost the excess weight gradually and it has stayed off. My bg levels stabilised at prediabetic to normal levels, I am happy with that because it allows me some flexibility occasionally and I can also be more rigorous if my body becomes more sensitive to carbs. Keep the rise across a meal to less than 2, preferably less than 1.5, and that meal is OK. Three meals a day leave me feeling full and not wanting to snack between times. Be a little patient and you will see results. Trust your meter - it told me that my local supermarket was selling some 'smoked' products that were enhanced with sugar so I steer clear of them now.

 

[KathyCP]

I agree with caroline-92, i think it's really important to see which foods your body reacts to. it seems that very few of us on this forum can tolerate starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, bread, cereal, etc.), but they're not the only source of carbs, and it seems that we can vary a lot in terms of other types of food. for example, i have read here that some people can't even look at apples or raw carrots without their sugars spiking, whereas they're both staples for me, my body is completely happy with them. on the other hand, there are foods that are supposed to be pretty ok, like cannelini beans, but they push my levels really high, though kidney beans don't. so if your bg levels are staying up, then it's probably a really good idea to experiment - eat and monitor bg levels afterwards, and you'll start to see what you body does and doesn't like. oh, and i was advised to leave at least 5 hours with no/minimal snacking between meals, so that my body has time to reset itself before i eat again. the other thing i suspect is that it probably takes a different amount of time for our bodies to start handling glucose more effectively - i know it took mine a good few months after switching to lchf before i started seeing any real difference in my levels, whereas other people here seem to get a much quicker response. we're all different

 

[SoulfulXombi]

Thanks for all the feedback, I will have a chat with the diabetic nurse also when I see her. Was just concerned as I am very heavy that I was getting enough for my body as a whole while taking the carbs into account.

 

[caroline_92]

I agree with caroline-92, i think it's really important to see which foods your body reacts to. it seems that very few of us on this forum can tolerate starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, bread, cereal, etc.), but they're not the only source of carbs, and it seems that we can vary a lot in terms of other types of food. for example, i have read here that some people can't even look at apples or raw carrots without their sugars spiking, whereas they're both staples for me, my body is completely happy with them. on the other hand, there are foods that are supposed to be pretty ok, like cannelini beans, but they push my levels really high, though kidney beans don't. so if your bg levels are staying up, then it's probably a really good idea to experiment - eat and monitor bg levels afterwards, and you'll start to see what you body does and doesn't like. oh, and i was advised to leave at least 5 hours with no/minimal snacking between meals, so that my body has time to reset itself before i eat again. the other thing i suspect is that it probably takes a different amount of time for our bodies to start handling glucose more effectively - i know it took mine a good few months after switching to lchf before i started seeing any real difference in my levels, whereas other people here seem to get a much quicker response. we're all different

Agree on the leave 5 hours between eating with no snacks approach too! It means you aren't constantly producing insulin to turn excess blood sugars into fat and more likely to switch to fat burning...

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks for all the feedback, I will have a chat with the diabetic nurse also when I see her. Was just concerned as I am very heavy that I was getting enough for my body as a whole while taking the carbs into account.

A small word of warning.. some Diabetes Nurses are pro low carb others (most) are very anti and are wedded to the "guidelines" which say eat carbs at every meal. It will be a bit of a lottery which type you get. What are you worried about getting "enough" of?

 

[Alexandra100]

My blood sugar levels after meals were hugely responsive to what I ate in my meals, so I ate to my meter. My HbA1c dropped from 63 to 37 in 3 months... Are your post meal bg levels not changing in response to what you eat?

I agree with caroline-92, i think it's really important to see which foods your body reacts to. it seems that very few of us on this forum can tolerate starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, bread, cereal, etc.), but they're not the only source of carbs, and it seems that we can vary a lot in terms of other types of food. for example, i have read here that some people can't even look at apples or raw carrots without their sugars spiking, whereas they're both staples for me, my body is completely happy with them. on the other hand, there are foods that are supposed to be pretty ok, like cannelini beans, but they push my levels really high, though kidney beans don't. so if your bg levels are staying up, then it's probably a really good idea to experiment - eat and monitor bg levels afterwards, and you'll start to see what you body does and doesn't like. oh, and i was advised to leave at least 5 hours with no/minimal snacking between meals, so that my body has time to reset itself before i eat again. the other thing i suspect is that it probably takes a different amount of time for our bodies to start handling glucose more effectively - i know it took mine a good few months after switching to lchf before i started seeing any real difference in my levels, whereas other people here seem to get a much quicker response. we're all different

Kathy, your post is really encouraging. You say you are doing LCHF. How many carbs a day are you eating?

 

[Brunneria]

Thanks for all the feedback, I will have a chat with the diabetic nurse also when I see her. Was just concerned as I am very heavy that I was getting enough for my body as a whole while taking the carbs into account.

I agree with all the comments above suggesting that you test, and personally tailor things to suit your body.
But I would add that you need to factor in hunger.

LCHF usually helps people to feel less hungry. Which means that their portion sizes will often naturally reduce a bit, and they forget to snack, or even skip the odd meal. This is obviously very helpful if we are trying to lose weight. The effect may take a while to kick in, and it may take you dropping below a certain level of carb intake. But that carb level will be unique to you. It could be anywhere from 10-250g carbs a day, so none of us can really advise you, although of course we can say what works for us. Some of us (me!) also find that eating too many carbs can trigger carb cravings.

Hopefully you won't get hunger when you cut carbs, or carb cravings if you don't cut carbs enough... but if you do, then it is simply a matter of adjusting the balance of protein and fat and carbs till you find what works for you. The easiest way to do this (without counting anything), is to keep protein intake 'normal' and adjust the carbs down a bit, and the fats up a bit, until you forget to eat between meals. Works for me.

 

[SoulfulXombi]

A small word of warning.. some Diabetes Nurses are pro low carb others (most) are very anti and are wedded to the "guidelines" which say eat carbs at every meal. It will be a bit of a lottery which type you get. What are you worried about getting "enough" of?

Basically because of my heavy weight my bmr is quite high so if I was doing a normal calorie diet where as someone with a bit to lose might be advised one set of calories mine was significantly higher than a normal man trying to lose weight.

Just trying to understand if I face the same on here.

 

[bulkbiker]

Quickest way to loose weight is to fast. Hard to do at first so I would suggest eating LCHF and letting your huger pangs lessen before trying skipping some meals. Forget calorie reduction in a "diet" way just cut carbs as much as possible (ideally to as only green veg and milk/cream) up the fats to fill you up and keep you feeling fuller for longer. So butter, cheese, avocado, olives meat, fish, bacon and eggs.
That's how I did it and seems to work well for lots of people and dare I say it especially males.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. As all have said, do get a meter so that you have the information to be in control. I would forget calories as they are of little value not just to diabetics but many others. You need to focus on lowering the carbs. Don't worry about starving yourself as you don't actually need any carbs as long as you have enough veg, fruit, protein, fat and fibre. Keep the carbs down and have enough protein and fat to keep you feeling full. Use the meter to guide you. You should lose at least some excess weight but still be taking enough nutrients.

 

[SoulfulXombi]

Thanks for all the advise. I have a meter now so will try and get used to using that to help guide as well.

 

[KathyCP]

How many carbs a day are you eating?

i'm afraid that i can't help with that, as i have no idea - i don't count them. i just avoid all starchy food, limit fruit to one or max two pieces a day, try not to eat too much, and avoid the foods that i know push my levels up.