New Diabetic seeking help balancing carbs & fat..

I am a "new" diabetic, too, but I find that controlling my fat and my sodium is very difficult. My major concern right now is working to get rid of my weight and getting my carbs under control--I'm decreasing the percentage in my profile again tomorrow and seeing how well I do with that for the rest of the summer. Once I get my cabs under control I'll work a little harder on the other things, I guess, although I'm already starting to use the reduced sodium version of things.

Good luck in your new lifestyle. If you're anything like me, sometimes you'll just feel as if you're banging your head against the wall in frustration over life suddenly being so complicated. Take it one step at a time and, unless your doctor tells you otherwise, on change at a time. That's what I'm doing and it seems a little less threatening that way.

I'm also a newly diagnosed diabetic and running into the same problem. I'm also vegetarian and am going to try to start adding protein shakes so I am not as reliant on eggs and dairy.
There is a diabetes group that might be helpful.

You're going to have to eat plenty of fats to keep your carb intake down while meeting your energy needs.

High fat intake in the context of a low carb diet is not a problem regarding your lipid profile and heart risk - CVD risk markers improve on low carb high fat moderate protein diets.

So the answer to the apparent conundrum is to control the carbs, get a sensible amount of protein from oily / fatty sources and lose your fear of fat.

Relatively new T2D here..diagnosed last April & I'm 46 (if that makes a difference).
I completely agree with the post above....bloodsugar101.com helped me a great deal.
Good luck, the only thing that keeps me within my blood sugar goals is fat.

Who'd a thunk it??

Not my endo, for sure :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

edited for duh typos

I don't think the OP necessarily has a "fear of fats." The American Diabetes Association continuously reminds people that diabetics need to control their fat intake. They are always recommending "lean meats" over any other kind, as well as skim milk and so on down the line. I agree, there's a difficulty in getting energy with both low carbs and low fats, but somehow diabetics are expected to manage. (I'll still take the fats over the carbs.)

I certainly did...that is, until I started eating to my meter & I saw the difference it made in my BG levels.
After being told for my entire life that low fat was the only way to eat healthy, it was tough for me personally to swim upstream, so to speak.

I'm with you buddy....I'll take the fat over carbs any day of the week!

Your carbohydrate sources will have to be complex carbohydrates and not simple.

So, broccoli, celery, whole wheat, etc. are in.
White bread, cakes, snack foods, etc. are out.
Fruits may also need to be removed or minimized.

You will probably want to add a daily multivitamin to help ensure you get proper nutrition throughout the day when forced to minimize many carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates are metabolized quickly, which released their sugar very fast and causes spikes in the blood. Complex carbohydrates take more work to metabolize, so their sugars are released slowly in the blood, so no spike.

So long as your pancreas, gall bladder, and duodenum are structurally sound, you shouldn't have any issue with fats. Eat them up.

A benefit of eating more complex carbohydrates beyond not having a blood sugar spike is that when eaten with a fat (think broccoli and ranch dressing) they can help lower cholesterol.

Many members of my family are/were diabetic. My best friend is diabetic. So, I grew up around people managing their diet around it.

Type 2 for a year. Metformin only at this point. You can add me/message me if you'd like. Everyone's diabetes and blood sugars are going to be a little different. I at this point, try to match half to all protein with carbs. Ex: 45 carbs, 20 + g of protein. Fats I usually don't pay too much attn. to. I watch mainly carbs and proteins, and sugars. You can do it :-)

The good news about waiting a month for a diabetes class is that you'll have a whole bunch of questions to ask based on your experience. You might jot down your questions or concerns from now until the class starts so you don't forget anything. ~Lynn /Glucerna

I was just put on Metaformin as well. I don't worry about the fats as much as the carbs. I miss cold beer though.