Starting Low Carb diet - confused!

lily2521
lily2521 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just found out my blood sugar is slightly high, so my doctor is recommending exercise (which I also need to, and am going to, start) and a low carb diet.

I've Google'd low carb diets, but I'm confused by the different ones out there, and it seems like so much information I don't know where to look first. I just need a good starting point right now, and I'm in information overload. Can someone point me in the right direction just to get started on this low carb diet? I'm very confused, and don't know even the basics of what I should and shouldn't be eating right now.

Thank you.
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Replies

  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Well, the Atkins Diet is the original low-carb diet, it's pretty easy to follow, I did it when I was young. I didn't have blood sugar issues though. Basically you'll want to limit your carbohydrate intake to a set amount, and really, that limit should be dictated by your doctor. I suggest you start logging everything you eat, and paying close attention to your carb totals. If you make a sustained effort to avoid foods that are mostly carbohydrates, you'll should be fine if your condition isn't serious. Cut out sugar, cut out bread, cut out pasta, rice, and potatoes. And there are lots of sugars and other carbs that lurk in sauces, soups, and condiments, so watch out for those. Best of luck to you, and don't deprive yourself any more than you have to. :drinker:
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    www.atkins.com if you're looking for something structured. Otherwise simply look through their "allowed" food lists for some good ideas of things you CAN eat while following a low carb lifestyle. Mostly you'd be eating lean proteins, vegetables, nuts and small amounts of berries. Avoid sweets, breads, pasta, rice, potatoes and anything else starchy except in very limited amounts.

    There are also some low carb groups here on My Fitness Pal where you can get a lot of support and advice. Good luck!
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.
  • KarenisPaleo
    KarenisPaleo Posts: 169 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.

    @Tribe : If I ate 1200 calories of bread I'd be miserable and want 1200 more. I wouldn't eat it, but I'd want it. Glad 1200 calories of carbs works ok for you. Good luck.

    @lily
    Try reading posts in the Low Carber forum or the Primal/Paleo forum. Low carb posts usually getting mostly unsolicited bashing. I don't know where all the hostility comes from but WATCH OUT!!!!!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.
    South beach isn't a low carb diet. Not by a long shot. South beach does not use any "magic calculations". In fact, south beach doesn't require counting or calculations at all.

    OP: to get support I'd agree with the poster who said find a low carb group here.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.
    South beach isn't a low carb diet. Not by a long shot. South beach does not use any "magic calculations". In fact, south beach doesn't require counting at all.

    Well, that sounds like a really dumb diet then. If you don't know how/why it works, and you just follow it, how do apply it to your life after you've lost the weight?
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit
    This may or not be true for you, but it doesn't hold true for everyone. In addition, the OP is trying to resolve issues with high blood sugar by eating low carb, not lose weight. Low carb plans are very beneficial for those with blood sugar issues like diabetes.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Does your doctor actually want you on a structures low carb diet (such as Atkins) where you cut out carbs completely to induce ketosis, then slowly add a small amount of carbs back in? Or does he just want you to limit carbs in order to control your blood sugar? H is diabetic and he eats less than 100g of carbs a day and avoids enriched grains. This is pretty simple and very different from following a regimented diet like Atkin's, which cuts carbs down to well below that and restrics certain foods completely.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.
    South beach isn't a low carb diet. Not by a long shot. South beach does not use any "magic calculations". In fact, south beach doesn't require counting at all.

    Well, that sounds like a really dumb diet then. If you don't know how/why it works, and you just follow it, how do apply it to your life after you've lost the weight?
    :happy: :flowerforyou: Who says the followers don't know how and why it works? Who says the followers don't know how to apply it to their lives? Where'd you get that notion? I didn't say that. I merely clarified that it wasn't low carb and didn't require "magic calculations" (or counting at all).

    ETA: I lied. Apparently you do have to count nuts lol.
  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
    I basically eat a low carb diet, but I prefer to call it a high fat diet since it makes more sense to me to refer to it by the thing you eat the most of and not what you eat the least of.

    The basics are to set a limit for how many grams of carbs to eat each day. Your doctor should give you a number to work with. I set mine at 100 grams which works well for me. Of that number, I try to use most of the carbs as fiber and complex carbs, so that's almost no sugar or white flour I the diet. It still allows one small to medium carb serving a day of bread, rice, pasta, etc... but that's about it. Some people only count carbs that aren't fiber in that number. I just count all carbs towards it. There are 4 calories per gram so multiply what your limit is by four to get the carb calories total.

    Then make sure you get your required protein for the day which is somewhere between half a gram to a gram of your lean body mass depending on whether you're less active or working out active. Multiply this by 4 to get the total calories for your planned protein.

    Whatever calories you have left in your daily calorie limit after subtracting the two previous combined totals is how much fat calories you have left for the day. Divide that by 9 to determine how many grams of fat to eat. The only fats to avoid are trans-fats (eat none if you can) and poly-unsaturated fats (limit these since they tend to oxidize fairly quickly). Saturated fats and mono-saturated fats are extremely stable and despite all the bad press they've gotten over the years, are finally being recognized as beneficial and having no links to heart disease.

    The only danger of eating a high fat diet (or any type of diet) is if you don't burn all your calories. Continual excess of fat or sugar in your blood isn't healthy and will also wind up being stored as fat. As long as you burn it, there's no excess to be concerned about.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.
    South beach isn't a low carb diet. Not by a long shot. South beach does not use any "magic calculations". In fact, south beach doesn't require counting or calculations at all.

    OP: to get support I'd agree with the poster who said find a low carb group here.

    That's interesting because pretty much anyone who has looked in to the named diets knows South Beach is a modified Atkins diet. From WebMD:

    "Both the South Beach and Atkins diets restrict carbohydrates. True, "good carbs" are allowed. But South Beach dieters must say goodbye to potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, some of these foods remain strongly discouraged."
  • lily2521
    lily2521 Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks. My doctor didn't give me a set number of carbs to aim for per day. Just said to start a low carb, low sugar diet and to start an exercise routine. I am not trying to lose weight, just reduce blood sugar.

    @stage14: My doctor also didn't suggest a specific structured low carb diet, and hasn't suggested cutting out carbs completely.

    I don't eat red meat so I'm also wondering if that could cause a difficulty with the low carb diet?
  • lily2521
    lily2521 Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks for suggesting the low carb forums too..I'll check those out as well
  • Aelyssa1989
    Aelyssa1989 Posts: 8 Member
    This might not be a sustainable way to eat, but look up the 4 Hour body by Timothy Ferris. It's a 'Slow carb' diet, not necessarily low carb. you get your carbs from legumes. Worth a read, lots of good information. He mentions in the book that this is a very good way for diabetics and people with blood sugar issues to eat, because it keeps your blood sugar consistent.

    I went on this diet and lost 7lbs & 7 total inches the first week I was on it. Did it for only 2 weeks and dropped 14lbs. I kept it off for over 2 years. I was never hungry, and you never count calories.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Thanks. My doctor didn't give me a set number of carbs to aim for per day. Just said to start a low carb, low sugar diet and to start an exercise routine. I am not trying to lose weight, just reduce blood sugar.

    @stage14: My doctor also didn't suggest a specific structured low carb diet, and hasn't suggested cutting out carbs completely.

    I don't eat red meat so I'm also wondering if that could cause a difficulty with the low carb diet?
    That's not very helpful of your doctor. If you have access to a nutritionist (my health plan allows one visit per year, I believe) take advantage of it.

    There's no need to eat red meat on a low carb diet. Unlike popular opinion, eating low carb is not all steak, bacon and cheese. :laugh: Eat whichever proteins you normally do, just make sure you're logging everything you eat and watching the carb counts of those foods so you can learn what works and what doesn't.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    You couldn't eat 1200 calories of bread and lose weight. If you kept it up very long you'd be dead. The body has no requirement for even 1 carb but requires protein and fat for life. What you eat is just as important as how much.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    The ADA has reversed its opinion of low carb diets and now finds them helpful for diabetics and pre-diabetics.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Not sure exactly what you're confused about but then again I've never been on a low-carb diet. Here's what I know:

    - High carb foods are basically grains or anything with a significant amount of sugar
    - Atkins, south beach, and other low-carb diet plans have some sort of weird magic calculation that involves fiber? to come up with net carbs
    - At the end of the day weight loss does not depend on carbs. It is calories in - calories out. You could eat 1200 calories of bread every day and lose weight because you're still eating at a deficit

    Good luck.
    South beach isn't a low carb diet. Not by a long shot. South beach does not use any "magic calculations". In fact, south beach doesn't require counting or calculations at all.

    OP: to get support I'd agree with the poster who said find a low carb group here.

    That's interesting because pretty much anyone who has looked in to the named diets knows South Beach is a modified Atkins diet. From WebMD:

    "Both the South Beach and Atkins diets restrict carbohydrates. True, "good carbs" are allowed. But South Beach dieters must say goodbye to potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, some of these foods remain strongly discouraged."
    TWO WEEKS. FOR SOME PEOPLE. If you don't have cravings you don't have to give up breads, fruits, cereals etc at all.
    Regardless, discouraging beets and carrots doesn't make it a low carb diet. And no I've never read it's a "modified atkins". I'd always read it was just a heart health diet created by a cardiologist. But then, I've read all three of his books. If you don't have cravings or is past the first two weeks you're encouraged to eat THREE starches and THREE fruits a day while losing weight. Along with vegetables, lean meats, dairy etc. That's hardly low carb. He does encourage WHOLE GRAINS and high fiber starches which I know is not fashionable on here, but no, not low carb.

    That said: I lost my weight before south beach diet, but did do a two week stint where I cut out all added sugars and yes, it helped me with cravings (so much so, I left them out). So I like that aspect of his diet. ymmv of course.
  • donjessop
    donjessop Posts: 186
    When I joined MFP my blood sugar wasn't just slightly high, it was really high. Insulin shot level high. I didn't resort to a low-carb diet, I resorted to a lower carb diet. Just follow the parameters that MFP provides (bump up the protein count to 25% and take it from carbs) and then eat away.

    I have bagels which are quite high carb, but I balance it out with proteins and it has worked for me.

    Just because you are slightly high in your blood sugar doesn't necessarily mean that you need to go low carb, you just need to better monitor your carbs and reduce them from your current level. Easier to do.
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  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Reduce carbs, increase protein and fat. Count calories. No magical diet plan required.
  • dellaquilaa
    dellaquilaa Posts: 230 Member
    Buy a book called the Starch Solution. It explains why diabetes is actually more positively correlated with a high FAT diet, not a high CARB diet. It also points out that doctors receive a mere fistful of hours learning about nutrition in medical school - including lectures on nutrition-related diseases like diabetes. They spend more time learning what drugs to prescribe to hide symptoms than they spend on learning the cause of the problem.
  • lily2521
    lily2521 Posts: 22 Member
    Buy a book called the Starch Solution. It explains why diabetes is actually more positively correlated with a high FAT diet, not a high CARB diet. It also points out that doctors receive a mere fistful of hours learning about nutrition in medical school - including lectures on nutrition-related diseases like diabetes. They spend more time learning what drugs to prescribe to hide symptoms than they spend on learning the cause of the problem.

    Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it. I'm actually going to look into my options tomorrow too about seeing a nutritionist, wondering if that might be a good option to help me at this point.
  • thefoodscholar
    thefoodscholar Posts: 4 Member
    I also have a slight blood sugar issue, and my nutritionist put me on a Low GI diet. From what I gather it's more about balancing your protein/carbs rather than eating just a low-carb diet. Low GI diets are supposed to help you regulate your blood sugar. So you might be interested in looking up Low GI or Low GL diets?

    I'm not an expert, so I can't give you any real advice. But I'd recommend including them in your research. :) Good luck!
  • Twargo3
    Twargo3 Posts: 8
    I have done Atkins - and have lost 44 pounds! I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and borderline high blood sugar.... now I feel great and am off all medications! My weight loss has been slower than most - I started Mid November and lost 40 by Mid August...I believe it IS IMPORTANT to know why you are doing what you are doing - and why the heck it works. I recommend "the New Atkins For A New You" and anything Gary Taubes - there is also a book called 'Why We Get Fat"... very helpful.
  • bayberry223
    bayberry223 Posts: 1 Member
    Hello. My name is velvelyn smith and I've been on the grapefruit diet since January 1 2013 and today Oct 31 2013 I've lost 70 pounds. It's a low carb diet and it has changed my life. Give it a try and continue to ask God to strengthen you. Good luck...google the grapefruit duet for the 12 day plan if you are interested
  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
    Don't let people scare you about eating high fat. Yesterday 57% of my calories came from fat, 25% from protein, and only 17% from carbs ending the day with a 250 calorie deficit. I never felt hungry at all and got a good workout in. Keeping my carbs in that 15-20% range keeps my energy way up and my body fat percentage keeps edging down.

    When I do occasionally eat a lot off carbs, it helps to balance them out with fat, so lots of butter, olive oil, and full fat cheeses on bread and pasta. Pasta is preferably homemade with a couple whole eggs.

    I ate low fat for several years and just got fatter. Restricting calories worked, but I was constantly hungry and just couldn't keep it up for long. Since I went high fat, losing weight is so much easier and people can't understand how I lost and continue to lose weight eating full fat everything like I do.

    There are essential proteins and essential fatty acids your body needs. There are no essential carbs. Carbs are good for fast energy and available glucose, but you can do just fine with very little of them. Stay above 75 grams or so a day and you'll be efficiently burning fat (dietary and body fat) for most of your fuel and never go into full ketosis.
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Bump
  • SusanUW83
    SusanUW83 Posts: 152 Member
    I had pretty good luck on South Beach a few years ago but had no reason to do it again -- but I still reduce carbs by looking for low GI vegetables and grain options vice those that are higher. (GI = glycemic Index). The Dr. who wrote South Beach advocates low GI and low fat -- not "no carb" and "high fat high protein" as the early Atkins diet was famous for (it has been modified not to be so counter-good sense, in my opinion). Most of the low carb diets have phases where the first phase is a pretty strict group of foods (less starchy vegetables, low fat protein, low fat dairy, mostly). 2nd phase fruits and whole grains are added back in in small amounts, and more in 3rd (maintenance) phase.
  • can3mwh
    can3mwh Posts: 17 Member
    I have had an acquaintance that kept diabetes under control for some time through a low carb diet. I like the low carb life style because it keeps my cravings at bay. Basically, cut out most things refined or processed, increase protein intake, and limit high sugar/starch vegetable and fruits. There is much to be learned from the internet from which you can create your own plan. I like the low carb plan created by Dr. Heller where you dinner plate is divided into 3rds for 1/3 protein, 1/3 low carb vegetables and 1/3 unrefined(unprocessed) starches like whole grain breads or beans. Good Luck.

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