Carbs, Protein, Fat...

blueimp

I put this up on a thread yesterday but got no response; really looking for some.help.
Hi T2s,
I' m new to this group. I've been off an on the pre-diabetic fence for years and pending a follow up blood test, I'll probably land on the diabetic side on Monday.
I saw a nutritionist a year or so ago and was put on a 1200 calorie, maximum 80 grams of carbs daily regime. I lost a lot of weight for the first two weeks, then less and less. Just recently the PA at my docs office said that I should lower protein to no more than 80 grams (60-80) which is a huge change from what I had -- and resulted in 25% carbs,25% protein, 50% fat -which even she said makes no sense. Her suggestion is to divide my plate in half, half 3/4veggies an 1/4 fruit; the other half is 50-50 split whole grain and protein. That may be fine for some, but visual is too subjective for me.
I've looked at some posts with varying opinions about where good fats should fall in the spectrum.
I'm looking for something simple and measurable. What's worked for you?
Sorry to be so long!
Judi

jknops2

OK, I am not sure what you are asking.

If you want to lose weight, calories in versus calories out is the key. Log your food and exercise, run a deficit and you will lose weight. I wouldn’t go with a fixed number, like 1200, put your numbers in MFP, determine how many you should eat, what deficit you want, and adjust daily based on how much you exercise.

For diabetes, you need to keep track of you carbs, net carbs, fiber and the only way to figure out how many you should east is by testing. You need to track your food and measure glucose 1-2hr after eating. Then you can adjust what you eat to keep your glucose number where you want. So, you need a glucose meter and test yourself.

If you are worried about the ratio of carb/protein/fat. Well, I don’t really pay much attention to that ratio. Mine is set at 25-30-45, but I am way off every day. Mainly eat healthy fat. So, nuts, fish, avocado, olive oil, grape seed oil, nut oils all are good. And if your cholesterol is high, limit your cholesterol intake below 100 and limit your saturated animal fat below 10g.

And for food ideas, check some diaries of people posting here out.

CALIECAT

I put this up on a thread yesterday but got no response; really looking for some.help.
Hi T2s,
I' m new to this group. I've been off an on the pre-diabetic fence for years and pending a follow up blood test, I'll probably land on the diabetic side on Monday.
I saw a nutritionist a year or so ago and was put on a 1200 calorie, maximum 80 grams of carbs daily regime. I lost a lot of weight for the first two weeks, then less and less. Just recently the PA at my docs office said that I should lower protein to no more than 80 grams (60-80) which is a huge change from what I had -- and resulted in 25% carbs,25% protein, 50% fat -which even she said makes no sense. Her suggestion is to divide my plate in half, half 3/4veggies an 1/4 fruit; the other half is 50-50 split whole grain and protein. That may be fine for some, but visual is too subjective for me.
I've looked at some posts with varying opinions about where good fats should fall in the spectrum.
I'm looking for something simple and measurable. What's worked for you?
Sorry to be so long!
Judi

Judi there is no magic numbers i know I have been serching for the last 20 years or so. I am paying close attention to my readings and adjustin my carbs occodian Its all about good carbs. good oil, Vegies and fruit.and protein.
Marie

Sharonks

Like jknops2 said, its all about testing. When I'm trying to figure things out I test 10 or 12 times a day. Once I've gotten it figured out I generally test 3 times. I often stagger when I test after meals since different foods digest more slowly or quickly. You may miss the peak if you are testing at just 2 hrs. For me, pasta hits at about 3. High fat can also cause me to peak later.

So the best thing to do is to log what you eat and what you test. Figure out what spikes you. Figure out what time of day spikes you. Figure out what exercise does to you. Then put it all together into a plan that works for you. Most likely exercise will be a positive thing since it helps with insulin resistance although for some, strenuous exercise increases BG. You need to figure out if the increase is worth it for you. I have adapted to pretty strenuous exercise and no longer spike.

As with weight loss, there is no magic numbers that are guaranteed to work for you. You need to experiment until you figure it out. Realize it will probably change with time. For me, every few years I get worse no matter what I do and I need to adjust how I deal with it.

Unless you have kidney problems you should be able to eat more protein. I shoot for 100 grams a day and I'm small but somewhat active. For the last several months I was eating low carb (25% or less), high fat/ high protein. I've had to up my carbs in response to new meds.

robert65ferguson

Hi Judi, I didn't realise the extent of your knowledge when I responded to your e-mail. I'm not yet testing but can see the benefit of doing so. What often comes across is that we are all differnet and are affected in different ways. What works for one person may not work for someone else. The other contibuters make very valid points. I would query the reason for starting at 1200 cals unless weight is a major issue. Have a look at Azdak's blog on weight management, assess your calorie needs and then work out the ratio of the macro nutrients. I currently have a target of 145 net carbs which I hope to reduce gradually. When you have your A1c test I suggest that you ask about Diabetic education courses in your area. The more knowledge you gain the better equipped you will be to deal with your diabetes.