Low Carb questions...

ALekaeHay
ALekaeHay Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all!

I'm not at all interested in doing a "low carb" diet for life simply because I know it's not realistic for me in the long term. However, my doctor told me today that my insulin level was high and that in order to drop some weight and get my body ready for the future baby makin' abilities I should limit my carb intake. Ok. Great. I can avoid the bread, pasta, and potatoes. As much as I don't want to I will, at least until I get my body working as it should be.

My concern or confusion I guess lies in sugars. I've been trying VERY hard to kick my sweet tooth to the curb. I've noticed though that most fruits (apples, bananas, and peaches are my fave!) are really high in the "sugar" category when I log them on MFP. Should I be worried about this?

My doctor didn't say anything today about watching my sugar (just carbs) but I thought they were pretty much one in the same.
Any advice you can give me would be helpful. (My food diaries are open if that helps.)

Thanks! -- Ashley

Replies

  • She_Hulk
    She_Hulk Posts: 277
    I can't wait to hear the responses. I'm struggling in this area, too. I pretty much have one bowl of oatmeal in the morning (which I will not give up-gives me energy to work out) but I am always over on carbs and sugar for the day and it's from my fruit. I'm not sure if I should fret over it or not. ?????
  • toddt65
    toddt65 Posts: 1
    Here's what worked for my wife and me to lower our insulin levels...
    We have almost totally cut out "bad carbohydrates" like refined sugar, white flour, etc. Sometimes we still break down and have an unhealthy snack.

    We have also limited the amount of fruit that we eat. Although fruit is healthier, the sugars in fruit can make some people (like my wife and I) fatter. I personally love unsweetened cherries. Instead of having them every day, I mix them in a protein shake every other morning.

    Hope this helps!
  • ALekaeHay
    ALekaeHay Posts: 37 Member
    Here's what worked for my wife and me to lower our insulin levels...
    We have almost totally cut out "bad carbohydrates" like refined sugar, white flour, etc. Sometimes we still break down and have an unhealthy snack.

    We have also limited the amount of fruit that we eat. Although fruit is healthier, the sugars in fruit can make some people (like my wife and I) fatter. I personally love unsweetened cherries. Instead of having them every day, I mix them in a protein shake every other morning.

    Hope this helps!

    Thanks for your response!

    Are there any fruits you've noticed that have been better than others? As cliche as it sounds considering I'm a teacher, I really do like to keep apples at work b/c I can eat them easily while doing other things - even if I have a class in my room at the time - but they seem so high in sugar! Bummer city!!!
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
    apples aren't as "bad" as bananas, mangos, peaches, pineapple.... i really like berries- strawberries, blueberries, bla bla bla.

    i love sugar, but i decided to go grain free (paleo/primal) a year ago. i found that increasing my fat intake and dropping my carb intake really helped me lose my craving for sugar. don't get me wrong, i still crave it sometimes and usually give into my cravings, but the cravings are nowhere near as bad nor frequent. personally i try to keep my carbs around 100 grams a day, which i have found to keep the cravings at bay most- when i start to slip up and fill my daily calorie allotment with more carbs, my craving for sweets rises :)

    good luck!
  • dailytammy
    dailytammy Posts: 49 Member
    I stay with a low carb diet. If I do eat fruit I only eat in the morning and not everyday. I usually stick with berries.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    Pick lower GI foods, and make sure you calculate you protein needs and add a decent amount of fat. The amount of carbs you have left should be in balance if you did that. Also, try picking food that has a low GI. Sprouted grain breads, foods with lots of fibre.
  • Scubanana7
    Scubanana7 Posts: 361 Member
    If the doc says your insulin is high---please sit up and pay attention! You do not want to develop diabetes. If you can drop the weight and lower your insulin, DO IT by all means. When you are pregnant, there is a good chance you will have gestational diabetes. I have no idea if my insulin was high before becoming pregnant because it was not tested. However, I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies. My first baby was a month premature. My second was full term and a rather large baby. I was on insulin for second pregnancy. I was to start insulin on first pregnancy the day I delivered (early). You don't want to go thru that if you can avoid it.

    So, yes, drop as much weight as you can before you think of becoming pregnant. Do research on lower carb lifestyle. There are folks who will tell you it is not necessary. And it may not be as each of us is wired differently. But if you are having insulin issues, then most likely reducing those carbs will help that and help lose weight. Start cutting them with the breads, pasta. sweets. Get retested. If that is not enough to 'fix' your sugars, then cut deeper. Fruit is healthy. It is also can be a contributor to higher blood sugar. There are lists of low-glycemic fruit. Stick to the lower ones...berries, apple, some melon (NOT ALL).

    As far as giving up bread/sweets, you do not have to. If you are willing to make your own bread (and sweets), it can be done with only 1 or 2 net carbs!!! I am no baker, but the recipes are simple and I actually enjoy making them...and eating them. Google OOPSIE bread. There is ever a uTube video explaining how to make it. Mine came out perfect the first time. Even my hubby loved it. There are lots of muffin, pancake, cookie recipes on here and also just google it.

    Another thing is make sure you are getting good fats--avocado, olives, nuts, little butter, little cheese, whole eggs, flax seeds and olive or coconut oil. The good fats keep your body from absorbing sugar too fast. If you want fruit, eat a little protein with it...peanut butter on apple, or a small piece of cheese with fruit, or a bite or two of meat with your fruit.

    Good luck. Take CHARGE of your health. It is easier when you are young. Hopefully, you can beat this and ditch the Diabetes Monster. You really don't want him in your life :explode:
  • choijanro
    choijanro Posts: 754 Member
    no or low carb diet can lose weight but temporary and not healthy
  • jogglesngoggles
    jogglesngoggles Posts: 362 Member
    I would suggest to you to do it in a manner that you CAN and WILL do for life! Carbs are not bad, There are carbs in everything, however it's all about quality over quantity! Try to make vegetables and low GI fruits your carbs. Make sure you are gettiing enough healthy fats (Avocado, nuts). If you think about it, eating a diet full of vegetables, fats and proteins is essentially "low carb" and extremely healthy!

    I wish you the very best of luck on your journey!
  • ki91690
    ki91690 Posts: 1
    All starchy things are high in Carbs so that is all breads and pasta's, and rice and fruits. Some fruits, though, are lower in sweets. Most of the "berries" can be lower in starch-- blue berries, strawberries, etc. If eaten in moderation, these can be enjoyed. Some of the Whole Wheat versions of breads and the brown rice are also lower in starches than regular, in moderation. Be careful with the breads and pasta that are whole wheat. Look at the ingredients. If any of the first few ingredients have the word :"enriched"-- it is not low carb. Enriching means they put vitamins into it- enriching it. Why would they need to enrich it if it had not already been stripped of all of its natural goodness.
  • ALekaeHay
    ALekaeHay Posts: 37 Member
    If the doc says your insulin is high---please sit up and pay attention! You do not want to develop diabetes. If you can drop the weight and lower your insulin, DO IT by all means. When you are pregnant, there is a good chance you will have gestational diabetes. I have no idea if my insulin was high before becoming pregnant because it was not tested. However, I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies. My first baby was a month premature. My second was full term and a rather large baby. I was on insulin for second pregnancy. I was to start insulin on first pregnancy the day I delivered (early). You don't want to go thru that if you can avoid it.

    So, yes, drop as much weight as you can before you think of becoming pregnant. Do research on lower carb lifestyle. There are folks who will tell you it is not necessary. And it may not be as each of us is wired differently. But if you are having insulin issues, then most likely reducing those carbs will help that and help lose weight. Start cutting them with the breads, pasta. sweets. Get retested. If that is not enough to 'fix' your sugars, then cut deeper. Fruit is healthy. It is also can be a contributor to higher blood sugar. There are lists of low-glycemic fruit. Stick to the lower ones...berries, apple, some melon (NOT ALL).

    As far as giving up bread/sweets, you do not have to. If you are willing to make your own bread (and sweets), it can be done with only 1 or 2 net carbs!!! I am no baker, but the recipes are simple and I actually enjoy making them...and eating them. Google OOPSIE bread. There is ever a uTube video explaining how to make it. Mine came out perfect the first time. Even my hubby loved it. There are lots of muffin, pancake, cookie recipes on here and also just google it.

    Another thing is make sure you are getting good fats--avocado, olives, nuts, little butter, little cheese, whole eggs, flax seeds and olive or coconut oil. The good fats keep your body from absorbing sugar too fast. If you want fruit, eat a little protein with it...peanut butter on apple, or a small piece of cheese with fruit, or a bite or two of meat with your fruit.

    Good luck. Take CHARGE of your health. It is easier when you are young. Hopefully, you can beat this and ditch the Diabetes Monster. You really don't want him in your life :explode:

    Thank you for the ideas! I LOVE to bake & will check out the OOPSIE bread :)

    And yes, the Dr. told me that if I were to get pregnant now (which I'm not) I would more than likely get gestational diabetes. I'm having issues with not ovulating regularly now b/c my insulin level is high. She said they could give me meds which would help but that losing weight would help. I told her that there was no way I wanted to put the health of my potential child (as well as my own) at risk by becoming pregnant right now. I'm really hoping that by cutting out breads, pasta, and potatoes (those are the things she told me to really watch out for) it will help me. I'm determined to do this!
  • ALekaeHay
    ALekaeHay Posts: 37 Member
    Thank you all so much for the responses!

    I certainly feel more motivated to cut out some carbs. I get SO mad for allowing myself to get to this point, but I guess this has all been the push I needed to really take inventory of my health.
  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
    I would urge you to get a glucose meter. They are pretty cheap at Walmart or amazon. You won't be able to get a good idea about how sensitive you are to foods unless you test yourself. Find out what your fasting levels are and check 1 hour after eating to see how much a certain food effects you. If you have a higher then normal post meal reading you can make note to limit that meal or adjust the carbs.

    Most whole fruits should be OK but you can tweak your choices towards low glycemic varieties with high fiber and/or low sugar. As for grains and pastas you can't always assume that if it is made from whole grain that it is safe. The way it is processed greatly effects how quickly it is absorbed, spiking your blood sugar. For example instant oatmeal has a greater effect then steel cut oats. This again is where the meter comes in handy to help keep you informed with how your body is effected. Everyone is different and can have largely varying degrees of insulin resistance.

    This is something you will be better off sticking to for life. Your body is telling you now that it can't sustain itself with the amount of sugar and carbs that you are consuming. The level that you need to cut to so you can stay healthy may not be to an extreme of cutting out all carbs but likely some fraction of your current level and will take some experimentation on your part.
  • Scubanana7
    Scubanana7 Posts: 361 Member
    since you mentioned the ovulation issues, did the doc say anything about PCOS?
  • ALekaeHay
    ALekaeHay Posts: 37 Member
    Scubanana7 -- Ya know, I thought for sure she would, but she didn't! I had already consulted Dr. Google and was going down that track. I'm guessing she wants to see if just dropping the weight will help me get my body back to ovulating regularly. (She did order bloodwork so maybe that's part of it.. ? Maybe she didn't wat to mention it & worry me unless blood tests showed more reason.. ?)

    I should've started this long ago! My husband & I are wanting to start a family at the beginning of next year (2014) so I'm really pushing myself to drop as much as I can by Jan.-Feb. My doctor told me that getting below 200 (about 25 lbs) would help tremendously so I've set my goal to 195 by then!
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    Berries, black, rasp, blue, and straw are all good fruit options ... high in fiber ,,, cut out the simlpe carbs like bread and pasta ... Stick with veggies, lean protein, fruits, nuts, seeds, avocado, and plain dairy (like stay away from the lite yogurts with all the flavorings )added, switch from white to sweet potatoes ... ALWAYS eat some sort of protein (cottage cheese and greek yogurt go good with fruit) with your carbs, it helps lessen any bloodsugar spikes ...

    ETA: Beans and lentils are also good choices ...
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I use Ezekiel sprouted grain english muffins and they have little affect on my blood sugar levels too. A decent amount of protein and fibre for only 150 calories too. It's my go-to starchy carb. Sometimes you just want bread :P
  • ALekaeHay
    ALekaeHay Posts: 37 Member
    Thank you, thank you, thank you again!

    I have blueberries and strawberries in the fridge and am staying away from breads, pasta, and potatoes as much as possible! Potatoes are the hardest for me right now b/c I make a BANGIN' baked potato! And we eat (well, did eat) them often because it seemed healthier than say french fries or rice. I only sort of like cottage cheese (it's a texture thing for me) but am trying to open up to it more.

    (disclaimer: these questions may sound really dumb... ) Are red potatoes any better than plain white or russet potatoes? Also, is it better if I have wheat bread? (I usually eat Heiners - which is a local brand - light wheat bread which has 35 calories and 6 carbs per slice.)

    This "low carb" mindset is a bit difficult at first because it goes against so many of the "diet" things I've used as a crutch in the past! (Did I really just have eggs & bacon for breakfast?! YES!)

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