Early Onset RA and Diabetes, and wanting to feel better

kokopelli505
kokopelli505 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
HI! I have had RA since 2008 and diabetes since 2012, and I am overweight. I want to lose weight and feel better, and hopefully get off all meds that I take.
My question is how do I eat more fat daily (should have about 125g a day, AND how do I lower my carbs (I can't seem to get under 50-70g a day)
Help!

Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Well, WHY would you need to have such a low carb goal? I know that diabetics need to monitor carbs (i don't know what RA is), but even the vocal diabetic here are eating closer to 100-150g a day.

    More fat, just choose full-fat options. Full fat cheese, real bacon, use more butter on your veggies, eat lots of peanut butter on top of some slices of apple or something, avocados, full fat milk and yogurt, plain nuts, etc. Lower carbs by eating nutrient-dense (low calorie) carb sources like most veggies. But I doubt your goal needs to be this low.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    kokopelli505 wrote: »
    HI! I have had RA since 2008 and diabetes since 2012, and I am overweight. I want to lose weight and feel better, and hopefully get off all meds that I take.
    My question is how do I eat more fat daily (should have about 125g a day, AND how do I lower my carbs (I can't seem to get under 50-70g a day)
    Help!

    Mostly think about adding foods to your day:

    Eat lots of frozen, fresh, or canned veggies: broccoli, swiss chard, kale, spinach, romaine, cabbage, mushrooms, asparagus, avocados, okra, cauliflower, bell peppers, snow peas, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, green beans.
    Eat this: beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, beans, seeds.
    For more oil: eat salmon, tuna, sardines, full fat cheese, whole milk
    Limit this: bread, pasta, pizza, rice, corn, potatoes, cereal, fruit, popcorn.






  • kokopelli505
    kokopelli505 Posts: 7
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Well, WHY would you need to have such a low carb goal? I know that diabetics need to monitor carbs (i don't know what RA is), but even the vocal diabetic here are eating closer to 100-150g a day.

    More fat, just choose full-fat options. Full fat cheese, real bacon, use more butter on your veggies, eat lots of peanut butter on top of some slices of apple or something, avocados, full fat milk and yogurt, plain nuts, etc. Lower carbs by eating nutrient-dense (low calorie) carb sources like most veggies. But I doubt your goal needs to be this low.

    Hi, I guess that I should have said that I am no wheat as well. RA is Rhematoid Arthritis. I have not had any wheat since 1/10/15, have lost 6 pounds so far. From what I am reading I should be seeing a lot more weight loss by this time?
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    I have RA, had it since i was 25, and am Insulin Resistant which can be a precursor to diabetes. I do LCHF and am aiming for Keto.

    Try the http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group here on MFP. Much more friendly to your way of eating and lifestyle than the main forums. Great ideas and help there.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Talk to your endocrinologist and ask for an eating plan. It is something your dr should have provided along with the diabetes diagnosis. I can bet it will not be "no carbs, eat lots of fat".
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
    edited February 2015
    When someone makes a post about how to do moderation while eating snacks, no one comes in and demands to know why that person wants to eat that way, they try to answer the question.

    That said, I do think you should ask your doctor, maybe get a referral to a nutritionist specializing in your specific diagnosis.

    I like coconut oil coffee for fat. I throw it in the blender and it's frothy and delicious. Just don't overdo at first, if you aren't used to coconut oil, it might have a laxative effect.

    There are three kinds of fat, though. Coconut oil is saturated fat. If you're after omega three, there is flax seeds and chia seeds (both need to be ground up for best absorption) or fish oil, or eating fish. There is also grass fed butter.

    Most of us already get more than enough omega 6 fat.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited February 2015
    Why aren't you eating wheat? Unless you're intolerant or have celiac disease there's not a reason to avoid it.

    I have celiac disease, fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, chronic fatigue, and Hashimoto's disease.

    I've lost 19 pounds so far by eating less and moving more.

    I'm a vegetarian (meat doesn't really agree with me and I have trouble digesting it) and eat a moderate carb diet, generally aiming for 100-150g a day of of carbs mainly coming from beans, legumes, whole grains, veggies, fruits, and dairy. I also aim for about 100 grams of protein a day.

    I asked my doctor about my diet and think you should do the same for yours. The main thing my doctor told me for my arthritis was to lose weight and exercise.

    Diabetes is something different, and I can bet that what you're doing is not what you're going to be advised to do.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    edited February 2015
    kokopelli505 wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Well, WHY would you need to have such a low carb goal? I know that diabetics need to monitor carbs (i don't know what RA is), but even the vocal diabetic here are eating closer to 100-150g a day.

    More fat, just choose full-fat options. Full fat cheese, real bacon, use more butter on your veggies, eat lots of peanut butter on top of some slices of apple or something, avocados, full fat milk and yogurt, plain nuts, etc. Lower carbs by eating nutrient-dense (low calorie) carb sources like most veggies. But I doubt your goal needs to be this low.

    Hi, I guess that I should have said that I am no wheat as well. RA is Rhematoid Arthritis. I have not had any wheat since 1/10/15, have lost 6 pounds so far. From what I am reading I should be seeing a lot more weight loss by this time?

    Switching to LCHF you typically see a big loss of water weight the first week, same as any other change, but a little more pronounced. After that, it works like anything else, and you should shoot for 2lbs/wk or less. To lower your carbs to the range you want, you need to focus on veggies as your main carb source. Also, make sure you're looking at net carbs, which is carbs-fiber. Other countries do that math up front on their labels, but the US does not. There's a 3rd party greasemonkey script that will let you view that directly on MFP, but the site doesn't have it built in. If you don't install it, you'll have to mentally do the calculation yourself every time you check your diary.

    To increase fat, look to avocado, butter, cream, coconut and olive oils. Use full fat cheeses, not fat free.

    Watch out for misleading foods. Read the labels carefully on things like yogurt and "healthy" granola or protein bars, some of them are worse than candy bars. Weigh your foods with a kitchen scale (you can get a decent digital one for under $20), even if they're labeled, because labels are notoriously wrong. Don't trust anything entered on MFP's database on site, it's filled with bad numbers - check them against your food labels or the USDA website before you add them to your diary.

    Make sure you're still running at a calorie deficit. Even if you hit your goals for carbs and fat, it won't help if you're eating more calories than you need to maintain your weight.

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