Low carb and diabetic tips and tricks :)

OliesMommy0109

Ok, so I have tried everything...just like everyone else lol. Low carb diets are most helpful to people with large tummies as opposed to low fat diets that are good for people with large hips, buns, and thighs. Diets higher in protein and fat are great for people like us! I have a few tips and tricks for us apple shapes, but of course I DO NOT know everything lol. This diet is proven to work for us and I am living proof it is working. I just recently found MFP but since starting a low carb diet a year ago I have lost 100 pounds!!! It is so easy when you have the right foods and tools to satisfy carb cravings. This is not a carb FREE diet..which is nearly impossible, but a decent amount of carbs would be setting your allowed carbs a day to about 20-30%, I am personally doing 20% because I am still trying to LOSE weight, if you are trying to maintain or just lose a few pounds I recommend doing 25% or 30%..I have done a ton of research over about a year and a half but like I said i don't know everything, so if you have any tips or tricks for low carb diets please feel free to share! Recipes and websites with low carb diet, or diabetic information is also appreciated!
Who knew that a diabetic diet was also right for apple shapes?! I had no idea! Well now I do and so do you! Low sugar and carbs can be difficult when you are a bread and pasta lover .......Well here are some things that may help!
1. 100% whole wheat crackers. I use Kroger or Kellogs brand, yes the carbs are 19grams BUT the serving size is 17 carckers!

2. Dream fields pasta is also great, the box says 41grams of carbs BUT the digestible carbs and minus the fiber the carbs is 10grams per serving which is half cup so feel free to eat more! Just because the box gives you a serving size doesn't mean you can't eat a double serving if you have enough of whatever you are nutrients you are tracking on MFP.

3.Apple cider vinegar is great with EVOO or Grape seed oil on a salad or as a pre-meal shot. This helps regulate your glycemic index. It also helps break down carbs and sugars.

4. http://www.squidoo.com/low_carb_recipes this is a site with info, recipes, and links to other sites.

5. NOT ALL FRUITS AND VEGGIES ARE GOOD FOR THIS DIET!!! This was the biggest shock for me. Lettuces and cucumbers are best and apples and watermelon are good fruits for this diet.

6. Shirataki miracle noodles. I haven't tried or know much about these but I have heard they are carb free! I'm not sure how true it is but if you find them and like them or dislike them, I wanna hear about it!!

I am still continuing my research into the low carb and diabetic diet fields so please feel free to share anything you may have to help us in our weight loss, weight maintaining, or diabetic journeys! Thanks

loadsandloads

Thank for the info!

great job on the 100 lbs lost.

SmallMimi

yep, I was an apple shape, just got my waistline back. Agree that a lower carb and sugar diet is best for us and I follow recommendation for a diabetic diet myself. Expecting delivery of the miracle noodles today. i will send you a friend notice, so I will remember to let you know how they are.

osubuks92

Congrats on the great weight loss... I myself have lost 35 lbs but all in my face, arms, chest and legs. My stomach looks just as bulbous as before I lost weight... so, even though I should feel tremendous for losing weight I keep seeing my old self in the mirror when I look at my stomach... it is so frustrating

My problem is bread items... I heard Traders Joes has a low carb bread so am going to stop by and check it out... and am going to try to be stricter with my carbs and sugars and see if it helps any with the last 15-20 lbs I have to lose

T.

ThinkingFit_365

I just started low carbing but reading The Ketogenic Diet has helped me understand a bit more about low carb, I`m just starting it, but so good so far!

OliesMommy0109

Love all of the feed back, and yes it was sooooooo hard for me to take it easy on bread but honestly I LOOOVE bagel thins, 100% whole wheat ones toasted with low sodium turkey and vegan cheese is AMAZING! It's like a healthy melt. SOOO delicious! And thanks for the add, yes please do let me know how the noodles are!!!

OliesMommy0109

O yea! I forgot! There is a sauce that goes GREAT on almost anything and is ONLY 9 carbs for a 1/3 cup!! It is Seeds of Change-Korma Simmer Sauce. There are about 4 or 5 different kinds but I personally love the Coconut and Cream sauce because it has a mild curry flavor to it and goes AMAZING on any meat or tofu mixed with low carb pasta. Look it up on your database and check out the Nutrition Facts!!

4myhealth77

The Miracle Noodles are great! I dry-fry them until they are almost dry as a bone and just add garlic. I eat them just about every day. They have alot of fiber though, so I got a stomach ache several times when I first started eating them. They soak up whatever sauce or flavor you put on them.

CJuliaV

I am very recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic so I jumped into the low carb, high protein deep end! I follow Dr. Hyman's book called The Blood Sugar Solution. That's where I started and have branched out to lots of other recipes.

I second that endorsement of the Indian simmer sauces. I do broccoli and onions then the sauce and add chicken breast. love it. I put individual serving sizes in the fridge and eat them with 1/2 c quinoa.

For bread, I have found:

1. Pepperidge Farms Light Style Oatmeal bread. Three slices for around 25 carbs.
2. Flat out sandwich thins
3. Bays or Thomas' high fiber English muffins, also around 25 carbs a piece.

Hands down my favorite site is elenaspantry.com -- I regularly make the Thai veggie soup and the shrimp cakes. Also tried the chicken piccata form her book and for the fourth of July, her lemon bars made with almond flour.

Thanks for this great thread. I have learned a few new tips and tricks here already! I can't wait to try the noodles, I heard about them but haven't tried them yet.

OliesMommy0109

Julia I hope you get better! Type 2 diabetes is no joke! My father in law lost both legs and has had 4 transplants and is on the list for another pancreas. If you stick to this diet not only will you lose weight but 9 times out of 10 the diabetes just goes away.
I have also found that sparkling water curbs my soda cravings. I love to mix the peach and the strawberry over blended ice...so freakin good!

OliesMommy0109

Ok, so I have been getting a lot of questions on 'Digestible carbs' and regular carbs. To figure out the digestible carbs you take the fiber minus the carbohydrates and then what you have left is the digestible carbs. Like if there are 25 carbs in a bagel and 5 grams of fiber, the amount of digestible carbs are 20grams. If you don't know what digestible carbs are, here it is, Digestible carbs are the carbs that get turned into glucose or sugar in your body. The 'bad' carbs. I have adjusted a few of the things I eat. Feel free to adjust the things u eat so we can all use them. Make sure you subtract correctly please!

mollyW2012

Good info, thanks for posting.

wftiger

6. Shirataki miracle noodles. I haven't tried or know much about these but I have heard they are carb free! I'm not sure how true it is but if you find them and like them or dislike them, I wanna hear about it!!

I do not recommend these. If you want spaghetti substitute try spaghetti squash. That is lower carb and doesn't smell like fish and feel like chewing rubber bands.

I have been lower carbbing it for about 7 months and lost 105+ now. I feel better than I have in years and honestly don't think I will go back to the old way even after I lose all I want. I don't need those carbs and the crabby feeling I got when I ate them.

Edited to add: for "bread" products try Flat Out wraps, LaTortilla Factory tortillas or Mission corn tortillas. I mostly stick to the Mission as they are less than 16 carbs for 2 and low sodium. The others, like all other bread products, are higher in sodium then I like to eat.

OliesMommy0109

Good job on the loss Wftiger!! Thanks for the info on the noodles...I haven't heard much about them so thanks for that. Glad I didn't waste my money haha

osubuks92

OK folks... was at Trader Joe's last night and found Sprouted Wheat Bread. 1 slice is 60 calories Total Fat 1g Carb 7g Fiber 3g Sugar 0g Protein 5g

Tried it this morning with 1 Tbsp of organic creamy peanut butter and can I just say it was delicious to eat a peice of bread ! It was very good ! A little more dense then regular bread but oh my I can eat a peice of bread again without eating a bunch of carbs and feeling guilty !

OliesMommy0109

Thanks for the info! I loooove bread personally but it's like ok, if I eat this I have to cut out this, this, and this today...it SUCKS!! But thanks sooo much I can't wait to try it!!

SusanTilghmanHawthorne

I'm also a type 2 diabetic and have used low carb for years to control it. Just an FYI, diabetes never goes away, if you lose weight it might become better, but if you eat high carbs your sugars will go up. Please always keep track with your meter. There's no cure but you can keep it in check with wt loss and a low carb diet.