why obsess over carbs?

ZeroWoIf

Because I've been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I want to avoid taking insulin, therefore its important to lower my blood glucose levels. I suffered a severe attack of pancreatitus four years ago, lost 25% of my pancreas, and the pancreatic ducts are scarred and thus secret insufficient insulin.

I believe that I can control my blood glucose via medication, weight loss via exercise and limiting carbs. I'm 62 years old, 5'10" tall and weigh between 189 and 185 pounds.

Any other questions?

I heard of people who stopped taking medications and eat extremely healthy. Have you tried doing that or u need medications in addition to eating extremely healthy.

monicalosesweight

True. With diabetes you have to worry about sugar insulin levels. I think she's talking more about people who are constantly trying to go under the calorie intake for the day. I've heard that if you do that, your body thinks it's starving and that can cause you to have a harder time loosing weight because it goes into starvation mode. For someone whose in her 20's (just remembering being that age), it was easier back then for me to keep the weight off. As soon as you hit the 40's, your metabolism slows down big time and you have to watch the carb intake at that point. I didn't hence why now I'm dieting and watching everything I need to get it off. I miss my 20's - it was so much easier to loose the weight. The nice part is if you keep exercising, eating moderately and correctly - you won't have as hard of a time maintaining it when you reach my age.

angusmike

My last blood glucose level at noon today was 94. Watching the carbs, taking the meds, exercising, dropping some weight have all helped. I'll go in Tuesday for blood tests to see what my levels are.

Best course of action is to follow the directions of your doctor. Fortunately, I have less than ten pounds to drop. The wild card in all this is my pancreas.

WendyTerry420

Do your research. Carbs are absolutely not needed by your body. If there are no carbs your body can get energy from fat.

There is NOTHING that carbs can provide your body (outside of those in fruits and vegetables because those also have vitamins). They offer nothing for nutrition and think about it, do they taste good or the stuff you put on them?

But you know what? Carbs with fat are pretty yummy! :laugh:

TimedEventSystem

I eat lower carb. They are absolutely not needed, with the exception of fiber.

exactly right, there are no "essential" carbohydrates. and if the idea is to lose FAT not weight, exercise and low carb can help you to attain your goal. when your body has no caarbs for fuel, it uses your fat stores, after exhausting the glycogen in your liver, and muscles.

Lol, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb/keto diets barring those with a medical condition or intolerance that would require one to limt cho

You're confusing metabolic rate and the resources it draws from. There's a reason why people do RMR testing and look to see what ratio they're burning carbs and fat.

If you're looking to prepare for a major weight loss of fat, many dietitians and exercise physiologists have agreed on trying to lower carbohydrate intake to force the body to consume more existing fat. However, it is a very new school of thought, which probably came around 2 or so years ago.

Actually I'm not, hold cals and protein constant and fat loss will not be significantly different. Kekwick and Pawan theorized the metabolic advantage back in the 50's and it prob goes back even further, so not even close to 2 yrs

That's not the theory I'm actually referencing, but good try. I'll just let you think you're right, it's much easier. I'm just a stupid biochemistry major anyway.

Anya06

My last blood glucose level at noon today was 94. Watching the carbs, taking the meds, exercising, dropping some weight have all helped. I'll go in Tuesday for blood tests to see what my levels are.

Best course of action is to follow the directions of your doctor. Fortunately, I have less than ten pounds to drop. The wild card in all this is my pancreas.

hope tuesday brings u some good results...xxx

Anya06

True. With diabetes you have to worry about sugar insulin levels. I think she's talking more about people who are constantly trying to go under the calorie intake for the day. I've heard that if you do that, your body thinks it's starving and that can cause you to have a harder time loosing weight because it goes into starvation mode. For someone whose in her 20's (just remembering being that age), it was easier back then for me to keep the weight off. As soon as you hit the 40's, your metabolism slows down big time and you have to watch the carb intake at that point. I didn't hence why now I'm dieting and watching everything I need to get it off. I miss my 20's - it was so much easier to loose the weight. The nice part is if you keep exercising, eating moderately and correctly - you won't have as hard of a time maintaining it when you reach my age.

yes I did mean people who are generally healthy and have no medical reason to avoid foods.

AmyFett

You are 23, maybe you would consider other dietary options if you were, say, 41 and had a metabolism that had been knocked-about by the progress of time and a diet too heavy in carbohydrate.

When I was 23 I had way more latitude for my diet and I'd be rabbiting 'a calorie is a calorie' and 'we need carbs for energy'. Hey, just eat less and exercise more lardy!

Given I am 41 and prone to reading up about the science, not magazine articles, I don't rabbit anymore.

I'm 25 and read about these things, and also have a VERY slow metabolism. To me, people just need to find what works best for them, low-carb fads don't work for me, but I also have a diabetic mother and she watches carbs for that reason. She can't have too much or too little. I've never been able to eat whatever I want and not have it affect me, age doesn't really have anything to do with it for some people.