Any carb counters? Diabetic query...

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  • LauraDotts
    LauraDotts Posts: 732 Member
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    It's crazy the different amount of carbs people with diabetes eat. My husband has been type 1 for 20 years and he gets:
    70 carbs at breakfast, 60 at lunch and dinner. If he has a really busy day at work he can have a snack with 20 grams, and then needs to adjust flexi pen for that. He wasnt following his diet for years and 4 months ago found a new Dr. he really likes and since following this he has lost 30 pounds doing nothing else.
    A type 1 diabetic on insulin has different dietary needs than a type 2 diabetic not on insulin.

    Type 1 diabetics do not produce their own insulin thus they need insulin and their carb intake needs to be more to balance their blood sugar and prevent insulin reaction (too low blood sugar).

    Type 2 diabetics produce insulin but it is either not enough insulin or their body has become resistant to the insulin they produce. Reducing the amount of carbs they eat will decrease their need for insulin and their body can better handle the insulin insufficiency or resistance. As a type 2 diabetic loses weight and/or keeps their blood glucose under tight control their insulin resistance can improve.
  • LauraDotts
    LauraDotts Posts: 732 Member
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    I am diabetic ( I take oral meds) Since I started MFP at the end of Feb I try and stay under 200/day. I follow the rule of nothing white if possible. No white potato, rice, bread etc. I use Dreamfields pasta because there are only 5 net carbs. I eat brown rice, sweet potatoes and light wheat bread or levash bread, quinoa is also great. If I have a dessert craving only sugar free things. I don't worry about the natural sugars in fruits. For me it hasn't had a negative effect on my sugars. Since I have been doing this the last few months my sugars have become under control. My A1C was 8.6 it is now 5.7.

    One thing you might want to watch is how your blood glucose reacts to Dreamfield's. Their net carb count is a little dicey for some people -- my blood glucose responds to Dreamfields just like it does regular pasta, so I have to avoid it. Hopefully you're one of the lucky ones. :)
    My blood glucose spikes with Dreamfields too. It just doesn't always show up within the 2 hours after eating it. It will definitely show up by my fasting morning glucose check.
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    Question for everyone... what do you meals typically look like? I'm trying to figure out how people can keep their carbs so low (under 50g).
    I've eliminated grains and restrict fruits and legumes to 1/4-1/2 servings. High fat, moderate protein. Lots of leafy and cruciferous vegetables - no starchy vegetables. No sugary yogurt or milk - my dairy is in the form of cheese or plain Greek yogurt.
    THIS!

    It's not as difficult as you think! :) It does mean you'll have to prepare more of your own food, but I think that is a good thing.

    I basically eat like I used to eat, but just leave out the starchy side dish. For example, for dinner I used to have a piece of meat, green veggies and rice or potato. Now I just leave out the rice or potato and increase my veg serving. I try to keep my protein under control too, as too much of it can be coverted into glucose. I keep my dietary fat intake high - I use a lot of butter and coconut oil. I aim for at least 20-25g of fiber daily as well, if not more.

    I've found low-carb replacements for things like rice (grated steamed cauliflower), pasta (shirataki noodles), sweet treats (anything sweetened with stevia), and pizza dough (cauliflower/cheese 'dough'). It's great!
  • TxFemme
    TxFemme Posts: 5 Member
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    The ADA recommends around 185 carbs per day as part of a "diabetic diet". However, as a nurse and someone who's lost over 100lbs doing lower carb, I think that is way too high. I would recommend going for less than 100. Also, remember that all carbs are not created equal. Aim to get 20-30 grams of FIBER (track it as one of your macros here on MFP)as part of that carb count and equalize those carbs throughout the day, eating them with protein and fat to slow down absorption and reduce sugar spike. Basically, I would say do 4 meals per day at around 20-25 carbs each with 5-8 grams of fiber per meal. I can almost guarantee your next A1C will be beautiful. Good luck and stick with it, it gets easier!
  • meechster20001
    meechster20001 Posts: 76 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies on this...I wandered off MFP for a couple of months but back now. I should have said I'm a Type 1, have been since before my first birthday. I'm tracking my sugar levels and food intake and finding my carb intake is naturally coming down and nice to see the scales slowly showing results!

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