carbs are my enemy
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As a prediabetic, my fasting glucose and triglyceride measurements were all that was needed to tell me this (in addition to the family members with Type 2 diabetes).
Look at the level of glucose without food 12 hours prior to blood draw. This number should be 60-90. Anything higher while fasting will give you an indication as to how you're digesting and processing your carbs. Hemoglobin A1C is another indicator of diabetes (I forget the normal range for that). Then Triglycerides are another indicator (upper normal should be 150. Anything above that is starting to get high).
Bottom line is that you have a family member with Type 2, therefore, you are more likely to get diabetes. You're doing the right thing by losing weight and trying to stay away from carbs as much as you can. The actual number of grams is less important than the balancing of carbs with your proteins and fats. When I started my dieting seriously to try and stay away from Type 2, I set my calories to 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fat. As it got easier to stay away from carbs over time, I reduced further to 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
Anything steadily above 90..(although I think it's the mid 90s where the line is)..is a warning sign. One or two times with a fasting glucose at that level does not a pre-diabetic make.0 -
rachylouise87 wrote: »As a prediabetic, my fasting glucose and triglyceride measurements were all that was needed to tell me this (in addition to the family members with Type 2 diabetes).
Look at the level of glucose without food 12 hours prior to blood draw. This number should be 60-90. Anything higher while fasting will give you an indication as to how you're digesting and processing your carbs. Hemoglobin A1C is another indicator of diabetes (I forget the normal range for that). Then Triglycerides are another indicator (upper normal should be 150. Anything above that is starting to get high).
Bottom line is that you have a family member with Type 2, therefore, you are more likely to get diabetes. You're doing the right thing by losing weight and trying to stay away from carbs as much as you can. The actual number of grams is less important than the balancing of carbs with your proteins and fats. When I started my dieting seriously to try and stay away from Type 2, I set my calories to 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fat. As it got easier to stay away from carbs over time, I reduced further to 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
so would you recommend starting at 35% carbs 35% protein and 30% fat or increase fat intake? i was reading up on the ketogenic diet which recommends 10% carbs 20% protein and 70% fat? would this be the wrong way of doing it. to be honest i have been low fat until now and moderate protein so the only things changing would be carbs and fat if i was doing the ketogenic diet.
I recommend thoroughly researching keto before you try it. Speaking to a doctor would be a good idea as well.0 -
This...all day long.Do you use a food scale?
2oz dry @200 cal adds up fast. I eat a lot of white pasta, 3+ days a week. Serving size varies from 2-6 oz depending on how many calories are on the table come dinner. Or if I want a roll @ 140/ delicious serving. It's sort of like tetris fitting it and it's part of what I like about tracking. There's absolutely no way I could do it accurately without a scale and I'd be over 99 times out of 100.
Alternatively, fresh spinach pasta rocks if you can find a grocery store that sells it. Bagged is alright too. Pretty much the same calorie count / 2 oz serving though. I need to get some over the holidays.
Accuracy > all.
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rachylouise87 wrote: »and also was this for weight loss or health benefits. mine would be for both?
Now see that was not asked of me.
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It is nobody's business. If you don't want to discuss your personal stuff, you need not. It's probably better if you don't, honestly.rachylouise87 wrote: »i never said i was insulin resistant however undergoing medical advice about this and currently seeing a dr which would be nobody's business but my own. the symptoms i present relate to PCOS however medical testing suggests no cysts but the hormonal imbalance which comes with it and hormones are constantly up and down. for the people who know about PCOS then fair deal however if you dont i suggest google to be a good start otherwise discussing my own personal symptoms on here is not something i would like to do. i came for advice on following a low carb diet as i have proved in the past by lowering carbs unintentionally at the time and only looking back on it now proved to give me results. however this was done through no thinking at the time (around 2 years ago whilst trying to conceive my son through fertility problems) so i had no idea where to make a starting point and if at all it could be coincidence that lowering my carbs could relate to previous weight loss and introducing more could cause gain and water retention.Just to put it out there my dad has type 2 diabetes so my own personal reasons for following a low carb diet is there... i do not want to end up with type 2 as i am higher risk for developing this. i am already 32lbs overweight... i am doing my best here.
that is all.
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Why wouldn't they test for insulin resistance due to your age? That doesn't make a lot of sense.
I have insulin resistance and I am now finding it VERY effective to be careful about my carb intake. Effective in that I have lost about 1.5 lbs/ week (now at 43 lbs down) and in that my binge eating, stress eating, and constant focus on sweets and junk food are GONE.
However, I am not low carb, thus I don't think you need to actually go low carb to see good effects. Personally, my calorie goals are about 1,800 per day, and I try hard to balance any starchy foods that I eat. This means limiting starchy/sugary foods to 30g per eating occasion and always pairing with protein and/or fat. My protein goals are 1g for every lb of lean body mass (125), and I try to keep my carbs between 100-150 net grams per day. I personally have found eating higher fat to be helpful, although I don't have a specific fat gram amount that I am aiming for.0 -
rachylouise87 when I got started learning more about diet concerns I got so much info it took two months to sort out what might or might no be of interest/help to me.
You are getting a lot of ideas to learn more about and you will be fine. Some days I swear diet is more art than science.
Your medical advice from England may be different than we get in the USA so keep that in mind when reading posts.
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thanks. in the UK the NHS will screen with a certain number of factors. last time my dr did not take me seriously. its quite an ignorant process where you have to fit certain criteria for the NHS to fund such investigations. now hormonal panel for pcos was done a few years back but there is no treatment for pcos only the birth control pill which i cannot take as i have family history of Deep vein thrombosis. so my only option really would be correct diet and exercise. now if i do infact have insulin resistance like my dad started with then again depends how borderline/bad it was and usually again the NHS recommend diet and exercise rather than medications that can be expensive when a simple cure could be for me to lose weight. if even i was screened it doesnt mean i could get any further but a diet that works and exercise plan that works would be more than enough for me to push through this rather than rely on a dr for medication. i have battled with this for many years up and down through needing fertility drugs to conceive my children to the obstetricians telling me i need to lose weight and control my weight through pregnancy... which i completely sucked at and gained 2-4 stone each time. its a time for change a time to feel healthy and good and not be lugging loads of weight around my middle and to be honest look good in clothes.0
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blktngldhrt wrote: »As a prediabetic, my fasting glucose and triglyceride measurements were all that was needed to tell me this (in addition to the family members with Type 2 diabetes).
Look at the level of glucose without food 12 hours prior to blood draw. This number should be 60-90. Anything higher while fasting will give you an indication as to how you're digesting and processing your carbs. Hemoglobin A1C is another indicator of diabetes (I forget the normal range for that). Then Triglycerides are another indicator (upper normal should be 150. Anything above that is starting to get high).
Bottom line is that you have a family member with Type 2, therefore, you are more likely to get diabetes. You're doing the right thing by losing weight and trying to stay away from carbs as much as you can. The actual number of grams is less important than the balancing of carbs with your proteins and fats. When I started my dieting seriously to try and stay away from Type 2, I set my calories to 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fat. As it got easier to stay away from carbs over time, I reduced further to 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
Anything steadily above 90..(although I think it's the mid 90s where the line is)..is a warning sign. One or two times with a fasting glucose at that level does not a pre-diabetic make.
The keto diet would be fine if it wasn't such a dramatic change from what you're used to. This change won't be sustainable or at least it would be real torture for the first few weeks. Perhaps, start out at the 35% carbs and eventually lower it when you get used to the decreased amount. 35% carbs was STILL quite low when I first started to titrate and ween myself from my rice, pastas, and breads. After about 2 weeks, the cravings were much less and I was actually able to stay within my caloric allotments of 1200-1300. Because I was so used to the carbs, my body was constantly hungry (spikes and dips in the blood sugars). When I got used to the lower amount of carbs, I wasn't craving the rice anymore. It was a like a light switch after week 2. I didn't even realize it after a while since I just try and stay away from carbs, my carbs eventually all came from my fruits, veggies, and legumes. I just know not to go for the rice/carbs first thing at meals or snack time. I can even stay below my 30% carbs which is where I reduced it to after 2 months on 35%. I LIVED off of hard boiled eggs while I was learning the low carb thing.
Once you see that you can do it, the number can go down if you feel you need to, but there isn't a reason if you stay within your calories allotted from the macro.0 -
blktngldhrt wrote: »As a prediabetic, my fasting glucose and triglyceride measurements were all that was needed to tell me this (in addition to the family members with Type 2 diabetes).
Look at the level of glucose without food 12 hours prior to blood draw. This number should be 60-90. Anything higher while fasting will give you an indication as to how you're digesting and processing your carbs. Hemoglobin A1C is another indicator of diabetes (I forget the normal range for that). Then Triglycerides are another indicator (upper normal should be 150. Anything above that is starting to get high).
Bottom line is that you have a family member with Type 2, therefore, you are more likely to get diabetes. You're doing the right thing by losing weight and trying to stay away from carbs as much as you can. The actual number of grams is less important than the balancing of carbs with your proteins and fats. When I started my dieting seriously to try and stay away from Type 2, I set my calories to 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fat. As it got easier to stay away from carbs over time, I reduced further to 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
Anything steadily above 90..(although I think it's the mid 90s where the line is)..is a warning sign. One or two times with a fasting glucose at that level does not a pre-diabetic make.
The keto diet would be fine if it wasn't such a dramatic change from what you're used to. This change won't be sustainable or at least it would be real torture for the first few weeks. Perhaps, start out at the 35% carbs and eventually lower it when you get used to the decreased amount. 35% carbs was STILL quite low when I first started to titrate and ween myself from my rice, pastas, and breads. After about 2 weeks, the cravings were much less and I was actually able to stay within my caloric allotments of 1200-1300. Because I was so used to the carbs, my body was constantly hungry (spikes and dips in the blood sugars). When I got used to the lower amount of carbs, I wasn't craving the rice anymore. It was a like a light switch after week 2. I didn't even realize it after a while since I just try and stay away from carbs, my carbs eventually all came from my fruits, veggies, and legumes. I just know not to go for the rice/carbs first thing at meals or snack time. I can even stay below my 30% carbs which is where I reduced it to after 2 months on 35%. I LIVED off of hard boiled eggs while I was learning the low carb thing.
Once you see that you can do it, the number can go down if you feel you need to, but there isn't a reason if you stay within your calories allotted from the macro.
if i am reducing carbs do i need to adjust protein or fat? which one would be higher? if the carbs go down the calories need to come from one of the other two groups?
i would love to reduce the carbs they are making my life a nightmare
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Conservatively, so that you can eat more, your allotted carb calories should shift to your protein calories. However, take the macros on MFP as a guide and not gospel. Just eat balanced (like 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 of all three macros).
The best results for satiation and fitness should be having that ratio with each meal (at the least) but also your snacks. If you can't, then just get in your proteins and fats. The fat calories are way more than carbs and protein, watch your overall calories (a deficit is still needed to lose the weight). So if you're trying to be in deficit, it is just easier to shift to protein where it is the same number of calories per gram as carbs, but much more impactful for you (filling you up and trying to keep as much muscle while losing weight as you can).0 -
thankyou my deficit is 550 without exercise so i will keep an eye on it as a whole. i have protein a little higher than fat.0
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GaleHawkins wrote: »rachylouise87 wrote: »i think i found the problem to my weight loss stalls, carbs... slowly been creeping in again even though i am keeping the calories down i seem to have a problem with crisps, potatoes,pizza,chips, pasta rice etc when i cut it out the weight comes off. surely this cant be a coincidence?
As you can see you are not alone in finding carbs are the sneaky calories.
I can over eat by a 1000 calories a day and if they are carbs it is bad news at weight-in since they become glucose. Protein is so so because about half of them become glucose and Fats just do not seem to add much if any to my short term weight gain since they do not go to glucose in any meaningful way it seems inside of MY body. A professional body builder that is burning off the glucose may see no weight gain like I do.
Gale, you don't defy science. You cannot overeat by 1,000 calories and not gain weight. How many people need to tell you this?0 -
rachylouise87 wrote: »i never said i was insulin resistant however undergoing medical advice about this and currently seeing a dr which would be nobody's business but my own. the symptoms i present relate to PCOS however medical testing suggests no cysts but the hormonal imbalance which comes with it and hormones are constantly up and down. for the people who know about PCOS then fair deal however if you dont i suggest google to be a good start otherwise discussing my own personal symptoms on here is not something i would like to do. i came for advice on following a low carb diet as i have proved in the past by lowering carbs unintentionally at the time and only looking back on it now proved to give me results. however this was done through no thinking at the time (around 2 years ago whilst trying to conceive my son through fertility problems) so i had no idea where to make a starting point and if at all it could be coincidence that lowering my carbs could relate to previous weight loss and introducing more could cause gain and water retention.Just to put it out there my dad has type 2 diabetes so my own personal reasons for following a low carb diet is there... i do not want to end up with type 2 as i am higher risk for developing this. i am already 32lbs overweight... i am doing my best here.
that is all.
You don't need to have cysts to have PCOS. I have PCOS and have zero cysts. I suggest seeing your OBGYN so they can give you an official diagnosis.0 -
rachylouise87 wrote: »thanks. in the UK the NHS will screen with a certain number of factors. last time my dr did not take me seriously. its quite an ignorant process where you have to fit certain criteria for the NHS to fund such investigations. now hormonal panel for pcos was done a few years back but there is no treatment for pcos only the birth control pill which i cannot take as i have family history of Deep vein thrombosis. so my only option really would be correct diet and exercise. now if i do infact have insulin resistance like my dad started with then again depends how borderline/bad it was and usually again the NHS recommend diet and exercise rather than medications that can be expensive when a simple cure could be for me to lose weight. if even i was screened it doesnt mean i could get any further but a diet that works and exercise plan that works would be more than enough for me to push through this rather than rely on a dr for medication. i have battled with this for many years up and down through needing fertility drugs to conceive my children to the obstetricians telling me i need to lose weight and control my weight through pregnancy... which i completely sucked at and gained 2-4 stone each time. its a time for change a time to feel healthy and good and not be lugging loads of weight around my middle and to be honest look good in clothes.
BC is not the only treatment. Metformin is the main medication prescribed to those with PCOS.0 -
rachylouise87 wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »As a prediabetic, my fasting glucose and triglyceride measurements were all that was needed to tell me this (in addition to the family members with Type 2 diabetes).
Look at the level of glucose without food 12 hours prior to blood draw. This number should be 60-90. Anything higher while fasting will give you an indication as to how you're digesting and processing your carbs. Hemoglobin A1C is another indicator of diabetes (I forget the normal range for that). Then Triglycerides are another indicator (upper normal should be 150. Anything above that is starting to get high).
Bottom line is that you have a family member with Type 2, therefore, you are more likely to get diabetes. You're doing the right thing by losing weight and trying to stay away from carbs as much as you can. The actual number of grams is less important than the balancing of carbs with your proteins and fats. When I started my dieting seriously to try and stay away from Type 2, I set my calories to 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fat. As it got easier to stay away from carbs over time, I reduced further to 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
Anything steadily above 90..(although I think it's the mid 90s where the line is)..is a warning sign. One or two times with a fasting glucose at that level does not a pre-diabetic make.
The keto diet would be fine if it wasn't such a dramatic change from what you're used to. This change won't be sustainable or at least it would be real torture for the first few weeks. Perhaps, start out at the 35% carbs and eventually lower it when you get used to the decreased amount. 35% carbs was STILL quite low when I first started to titrate and ween myself from my rice, pastas, and breads. After about 2 weeks, the cravings were much less and I was actually able to stay within my caloric allotments of 1200-1300. Because I was so used to the carbs, my body was constantly hungry (spikes and dips in the blood sugars). When I got used to the lower amount of carbs, I wasn't craving the rice anymore. It was a like a light switch after week 2. I didn't even realize it after a while since I just try and stay away from carbs, my carbs eventually all came from my fruits, veggies, and legumes. I just know not to go for the rice/carbs first thing at meals or snack time. I can even stay below my 30% carbs which is where I reduced it to after 2 months on 35%. I LIVED off of hard boiled eggs while I was learning the low carb thing.
Once you see that you can do it, the number can go down if you feel you need to, but there isn't a reason if you stay within your calories allotted from the macro.
if i am reducing carbs do i need to adjust protein or fat? which one would be higher? if the carbs go down the calories need to come from one of the other two groups?
i would love to reduce the carbs they are making my life a nightmare
If you begin eating low carb, you must eat high fat because your body will no longer use carbohydrates as its primary source of energy but instead will use fat.
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rachylouise87 wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »As a prediabetic, my fasting glucose and triglyceride measurements were all that was needed to tell me this (in addition to the family members with Type 2 diabetes).
Look at the level of glucose without food 12 hours prior to blood draw. This number should be 60-90. Anything higher while fasting will give you an indication as to how you're digesting and processing your carbs. Hemoglobin A1C is another indicator of diabetes (I forget the normal range for that). Then Triglycerides are another indicator (upper normal should be 150. Anything above that is starting to get high).
Bottom line is that you have a family member with Type 2, therefore, you are more likely to get diabetes. You're doing the right thing by losing weight and trying to stay away from carbs as much as you can. The actual number of grams is less important than the balancing of carbs with your proteins and fats. When I started my dieting seriously to try and stay away from Type 2, I set my calories to 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fat. As it got easier to stay away from carbs over time, I reduced further to 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
Anything steadily above 90..(although I think it's the mid 90s where the line is)..is a warning sign. One or two times with a fasting glucose at that level does not a pre-diabetic make.
The keto diet would be fine if it wasn't such a dramatic change from what you're used to. This change won't be sustainable or at least it would be real torture for the first few weeks. Perhaps, start out at the 35% carbs and eventually lower it when you get used to the decreased amount. 35% carbs was STILL quite low when I first started to titrate and ween myself from my rice, pastas, and breads. After about 2 weeks, the cravings were much less and I was actually able to stay within my caloric allotments of 1200-1300. Because I was so used to the carbs, my body was constantly hungry (spikes and dips in the blood sugars). When I got used to the lower amount of carbs, I wasn't craving the rice anymore. It was a like a light switch after week 2. I didn't even realize it after a while since I just try and stay away from carbs, my carbs eventually all came from my fruits, veggies, and legumes. I just know not to go for the rice/carbs first thing at meals or snack time. I can even stay below my 30% carbs which is where I reduced it to after 2 months on 35%. I LIVED off of hard boiled eggs while I was learning the low carb thing.
Once you see that you can do it, the number can go down if you feel you need to, but there isn't a reason if you stay within your calories allotted from the macro.
if i am reducing carbs do i need to adjust protein or fat? which one would be higher? if the carbs go down the calories need to come from one of the other two groups?
i would love to reduce the carbs they are making my life a nightmare
If you do choose keto you can check out my diary for ideas. I eat 5% carb 20% protein and 75% fat. It's definitely not perfect but I found it helpful to see what foods I could eat when I was starting.0 -
rachylouise87 you can Google different diets. Like wkwebby state the keto diet also called Very Low Carb High Fat diet and by other names is not easy at first for sure.
I had a bad sugar craving and I do mean bad. After about a month my carb craving more or less went away. At my age I knew it was the only diet that had a chance of working due to my 60 year track record abusing CARBS. This diet may NOT be for you for any number of reasons so read and read.
Again read all you can and if you can get access to your doctor see if he or she can be helpful.
eatingacademy.com/nutrition/is-ketosis-dangerous
Peter Attia MD is one medical doctor who has been living in a state of nutritional ketosis (another name for very low carb diet eaters) for years and I read some of his work.
Again I an not even suggesting doing low carbs but I do suggest if interested to read on the subject to pick up a lot of science involved with dieting. Not sure if UK doctors are into low carb dieting of this nature but it is working for me.-2 -
thank you, i have to say i have had minimal support from gp's in relation to weight loss and only advice to eat "healthily" and move more.... well something is clearly a miss because that advice is not strict enough. i was sent to an endocrinologist who said the symptoms fit pcos but because the androgen level was not high enough this was the problem so they could not diagnose and without cysts made it even harder so now i fit in the category of " hormone imbalance " it was suggested i could have androgen sensitivity rather than high levels which can make it impossible to tell only on symptoms and seeing as dianette (bcp+anti androgen) worked before i knew about the dvt history it seemed most of the check boxes were met. in 2012 however i was trying to conceive my 1 year old so i couldnt take anything but clomifene and was told i could not have metformin as the hormones had changed again and given me elevated estrogen and LH but sex binding hormone again was within range so no metformin for me.
since the birth of my son 14 months ago everything has returned to its once disorderly state of terrible skin, excess fat around the middle, hirsutism and problems losing the weight. but according to drs i dont meet the criteria to be helped and since my bmi is now 30 that means no weight loss help from the GP as i only have 5 bmi points to go... *rolls eyes*
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