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What is low carb consider as in grams per day?

markpj31

Well-Known Member
Messages
177
Location
England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes.
Just wondering what everybody aims for in terms of number of grams per meal and total for the day?

I was told to get off keto as it was putting my body 'in survival mode' by my diabetic nurses and told to aim for 50g of carbs per meal, which sounds a lot to me. I'm fairly active, walk a fair few miles a day, ride and do weights every after day.
 

I probably take in 100-200g of carbs a day, I thought that was a normal amount as that's all I've known but since becoming T1D my diabetic nurses have said I eat a very low carb diet. I haven't purposely chosen a low carb diet I just naturally eat that way. I'm fairly active and go for three long walks a day with my dog and swim 2-3 times a week. So aiming for 50g per meal is still classed as low carb.

I hope this helps
 
Edited to correct my typo about daily official amounts.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are very different, including in the amount of carbs we can eat.

Officially, low carb is around 120g of carbs IN TOTAL a day. My experience is that I have to keep to 80g of carbs a day when possible to control my blood sugar level. I suspect the nurses advice about 50g a meal is based on type 1 diabetic advice? Often the advice is not tailored to type 2.

The only way to know what level of carbs is safe personally is to test your blood sugar levels before, and 2 hours after a meal. If the difference is more than 2 whole points, then the meal has more carbs than your body can safely handle.

There is some useful basic information here:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

This also depends on what medication someone is on for their diabetes, as some meds can cause hypo's in type 2's if the carbs are too low for the dosage.
 
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i can't advise directly as I am type 1 and on insulin ... if you are diet only that is quite high( i aim for 80 to 120 carbs per day ) and even with meds you could reduce and still eat a very healthy diet .... activity is also important which can help to increase insulin sensitivity .. i am sure a few more people will be along to give more specific options ....good luck !!
 
As a T2 I eat a moderate amount of carbs, 100 to 150 grams a day.

I have been off of diabetes medication for several years now, and now diet controlled.
 
Survival mode > diabetes mode.

Respectfully, your nurse is talking rubbish. You can eat as few or as many as you like. Whichever suits you personally and helps you achieve your goals and maintain best possible health. There is no essential dietary carbohydrate. It is the only non-essential macronutrient. Micronutrients are a different matter, but there’s nothing in carbohydrate containing foods that can’t be acquired elsewhere.
 
Hi- I stick to under 20 grams a day- usually a lot under but occasionally close to 20 grams. This is what works for me. I base it on my meter and my personality type. I find it easier on very low carb rather than moderate/low carb. However I have had battles with my doctor who doesn't approve so I am switching doctors.
 
I aim for under 50g carbs a day, but often eat a lot less. For me this has kept my glucose levels for the most part at low pre-diabetic-high end of normal for over 8 years now - over half of that time without any diabetic medication. But everyone really needs to test to find the amount of carbs that suits their diabetes and lifestyle.

I believe we are actually designed to use both carbohydrates and fats as fuels for our energy needs, and eating few enough carbs to be in ketosis/fat burning mode is perfectly natural and IMO is more efficient than just relying on short term energy from a high carb diet. However there do seem to be some weird ideas regarding (so called) "Keto Diets".
 
I went to 50 gm of carbs per DAY as that is what I settled on when doing Atkins.
I found that I was more insulin resistant in the mornings so had only a small amount of carbs first thing. I then ate again in the evening. That did bring my Hba1c down to 41, but it then stayed at 42, so I decided to reduce it by eating fewer cabs, no more than 40 gm per day - and my Hba1c has remained at 42 except for an unexplained blip which I was not told about, and which went away by the time I was told.
Perhaps not such an exact science after all.
I am still eating twice a day and my blood glucose levels are normal, so I'll stick with that.
A blood glucose meter is a good guide as to what to eat and how much of it, as we are all individuals.
 
Jim Lahey said:
...but there’s nothing in carbohydrate containing foods that can’t be acquired elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Actually I should probably correct myself there. Fibre is a carbohydrate, so if you want fibre then of course you will necessarily need to consume dietary carbohydrate. That said, there's a growing body of evidence that shows humans can live and thrive with little or no fibre in the diet, so even then it might just be personal choice.
 
I don’t count my carbs, but I do try to consume as few as I can. I balance what I eat from food with no carbs (meat), few carbs (for me, this is < 5g carb per 100g), and higher carbs ( between 5 and 10g/100g) and try to completely avoid anything with more than 10g/100g. Obviously, consuming less of a food the more carbs it contains.

Ultimately, I have tested myself with a meter and arrived at a menu of meals that I know only raise my BG by about one point. Most of my carbs come from above ground veg, berries and dairy, with a few nuts. When I try a new meal or new ingredients I test a couple of times to assess its impact.
 
I was on very low carb before for around 3 years, under <20g per day on Keto and those carbs were from vegetables (above ground veg). I was thinking, how could I be in survival mode? I was told that keto diets are just for weight loss and that because I'm not overweight, its causing me more harm that good.

I guess if we think back to when we were cavemen/women, all we would have eaten is low carb? Meats, berries, leaves, veg - pretty much as nature provided it - so how can it be bad?
 
I have between 20 to 30 grams of carbs a day.
 

Keto diets are definitely not "just for weight loss" though this may be the main aim for non-diabetics by eating less fat than they actually need, and so using stored body fats to lose weight. But for us T2s, it's essentially an excellent way to manage glucose levels by balancing our need for fewer carbs with enough full fat food to supply our energy needs. A ketogenic diet was originally designed and used in the 1790s to treat diabetics - believe it or not.

We don't have to go as far back as our cave man ancestors either! I was brought up as a World War 2 child on a moderate carb, normal full fat, three meals a day with no snacking between meals type diet, and it took me over 70 years and then "chief cook & bottle washer" husband's insistence on a high carb (and often low protein) diet that with the aid of long term statins finally tipped me over into myT2 diagnosis. As soon as I cut down on the carbs again my glucose levels also came back down.
 
Jim Lahey said:
Because scientists working for the grain industry say it is. Follow the science
Click to expand...

Very good point. A specialist was speaking to me after I had covid and said that the majority of people in ICU with covid (82%) were Vitamin C deficient and Vitamin D too. He said the reason why diet/exercise/importance of vitamins doesn't get pushed is "Because there is no money in it".
 
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