No-Carb or Low-Carb foods?

AndreaFitness
AndreaFitness Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've just started to accurately record my food and realized that I'm consuming way more carbs than I had thought. I'm recording down to the T and I'm seeing a lot of carbs that I didn't take into account. You can see in my food diary if you'd like. Does anyone have an suggestions on low carb foods? Alternatives? The only no-carb foods I've recorded have been eggs and chicken. Foods like apples and bananas I've realized i'll have to limit. I have insulin resistance and my doctor suggested I cut down on carbs. Thanks in advance. :)

Replies

  • theocine
    theocine Posts: 36 Member
    Did your doctor give you specifics? I'm shooting for 30-45 g per meal (and fewer at snacks), but I've crossed the line over into full Type 2 diabetes.

    Based on this week's diary, you like fruit and Arnold's flat bread. You might want to limit the bread to one meal a day (and maybe no Arnollds's when you have a Subway :wink: ) and choose more vegetables. Vegetables have fewer carbs than fruit. [and remember that for this, tomatos are fruit]. Fill up with lettuce, peppers, green beans, etc. Half a banana is the most I would eat in a day.

    I'll friend you, but be warned, I haven't been very successful this week. Am just getting back on track after the Easter family holiday.
  • AndreaFitness
    AndreaFitness Posts: 27 Member
    She hasn't, no. I've been insulin resistant/type two since I was 13 but I've only recently been having problems with my weight and eating since coming to college and eating at dining halls etc. I can definitely see where I went wrong with the Subway, haha. Is tomato definitely a fruit? I was told it's a vegetable. And good luck with the post-easter eating. :)
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    She hasn't, no. I've been insulin resistant/type two since I was 13 but I've only recently been having problems with my weight and eating since coming to college and eating at dining halls etc. I can definitely see where I went wrong with the Subway, haha. Is tomato definitely a fruit? I was told it's a vegetable. And good luck with the post-easter eating. :)

    botanically it's a fruit, in a culinary sense it's a vegetable.

    I'd recommend tracking what you plan to eat in advance -- that'll teach you where the things you prefer not to eat are. For me, one easy place to cut calories was most baked goods/pasta. When I tracked them, I saw that they weren't contributing much other than fiber, and that vegetables contributed a lot more on both fiber and micronutrients. Now, I still eat them when I'm eating out, and I'll probably work them back in when I decide to maintain or bulk, but they're not a part of my daily life.
  • theocine
    theocine Posts: 36 Member
    and I was thinking nutrional sense for the tomato. Though with 5 g carbs for one medium tomato - not bad.

    With the restriction of campus eating, I agree that preplanning could help. It's been many years since I was a student and many campuses have radically changed their cafeteria structure.
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    Try just limiting the traditional carbs in your diet such as cereals, bread, crackers, cakes, biscuits, potatoes, rice and pasta. The carbs found in fruit (limit to two pieces/day) and green/coloured vege's will not push you over any limits.
    If you're eliminating traditional carbs then increase the good fats (olive oil, nuts and seeds) in your diet so you don't get hungry.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Par boiled rice, cold cooked potatoes, green banana's (basically anything with a high content of resistant starch will not greatly affect your carb intake).
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
    i reduced my rice, potato, bread consumption
    i chose not to touch the fruit as i reconned in the longer run these were a sustainable source of carbs
    I aim for 2 portions (80g) fruit per day and 5+veggie portions though i don't always manage

    good luck
  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    You can start by changing the type of carbs you are eating - limit simple carbs and add complex carbs. Try to cut down or cut out bread, pasta, cereal, rice, certain fruit, starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn) and processed/pre-made foods. Add leafy greens, high fiber vegetables, whole grains, berries and healthy fats (to keep you satiated). I'd also monitor your sugar intake for a while because usually high sugar foods are also high carb. I'm also insulin resistant so I understand where you're coming from. ibreatheimhungry.com has really great low carb recipes. :)

    ETA: Your doctor recommended low carb because as we eat sugar and carbs, our insulin levels spike in order to process them through our system and be absorbed by cells. When you're insulin resistant, it requires more and more insulin to process the carbs and sugar. Anything not processed is left in the blood stream and can be converted into fat. It's important to stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day. Do you notice high energy after eating a high carb meal, quickly followed by the dreaded "sugar crash"? It's that intake of sugar and simple carbs that spikes your blood sugar and then drops it low again. If you eat more complex carbs that digest slowly you'll have a better chance of evening your blood sugar. It may also help to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day to keep it regulated as well.

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