Pre-diabetic diagnosis ~ how do I approach this lifestyle?
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SazzySuze
Posts: 119 Member
Hi. I'm new to the low carb lifestyle and new to MFP. My doctor recently told me that I had pre-diabetes but still had time to turn this thing around. She said to eat more veggies and fruits and less processed foods and my grains needed to be whole grains. That's about all she offered in terms of advice about my eating, so I'm guessing low carb is the way to go. I've been staying away from pasta, rice, sugar, and breads and eating more veggies and fruits but decided to actually start counting carbs today to help me lose weight. I need to lose about 50-60 pounds to be at my ideal weight. Right now I have my nutrition goals set for 15% carbs, 20% protein, and 65% fats (based on some of the posts I've seen) and 1,312 calories. Does this seem doable for someone with pre-diabetes or should these macros be looking a lot different in my case? Also, I noticed that fruits have a lot of carbs. Should I not eat fruits or does the fiber kind of cancel out the carbs, so to speak? Please be gentle. ... I've seen what happens in the forums. Like I said, I'm new and unlearned. Open to suggestions!
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You probably don't want to eat too many fruits as they are full of sugar/fructose. Eat berries instead. Grains, regardless of what kind, all are carb loaded. Here is keto calculator to help you with setting up your macros.
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
Please read this link at the top, a lot of information to educate yourself. My best wishes!!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10103966/start-here-the-lcd-launch-pad0 -
Welcome! You're not alone. Probably something like 1 in 4 people are pre-diabetic, insulin resistant, have metabolic syndrome, etc.
For me, it helps to understand that the cause is the combination of an excess in carbs + a chronic excess in calories. If you reduce both, you'll be fine.
Also, it's helpful to understand that your body is telling you that low-carb should be a way of life for you. So find both a level of carb intake and a mix of food that you can stick with for the long term.
Set a gram target for carbs, not a percentage. If you want a couple tried-and-true methods, check out the New Atkins or Protein Power books.
Fruit is OK in small quantities, but berries are better.0 -
The most important thing for you to do is to exercise and lose weight. Low carb is fantastic and an absolute blessing for some of us but you don't want to fall down the low carb rabbit hole and lose sight of exercising and losing weight being key. It's perfectly ok to start off incorporating more exercise and activity into your day, logging your calories, eating more whole foods and slowly bringing your carb count down to a healthy level that matches your activity.
The only exception to the slow approach would be if your appetite feels out of control and you're always hungry. If that's the case the macro range you have above seems like a good start. You will have to limit some fruits and even vegetables when eating a strict low carb diet. Best wishes.
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Thanks everyone! I did use the keto calculator and put in 50g carbs and 70g protein to get started and these were the percentages that it kicked back to me. I tried to lose weight last year solely based on calorie counting and wasn't very successful. I would hit plateaus that lasted for months and my significant other hated that I was so crazy with the calorie counting (weighing my food, taking forever to make choices at restaurants, etc). I would like to take a "relaxed approach", but I'm not sure that's even possible. It would help if I only had to worry about carbs but seems like calories are a big deal, too. Ugh. My knees and feet are pretty bad so the only exercise I do is a walk in the evenings, but I chase a toddler around and clean house most of the day. Thank you all for your help.0
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Suze. It sounds like you are heading in the right direction. I finally cut carbs to 5% is protein 15-20% and fats 75-80% and walk at least a 1/4 mile daily but now spring is here I do some manual labor keeping up the place. I was 63 when I got serious last Oct and cut out carbs and in very POOR health. Seven months later not only have I lost 20 pounds without going hungry or cutting net calories in any real way but just stayed away from most all carbs unless they are about 50% fiber like in almonds and coconut meat.
Main thing is to get started as you have done. If you can stop doing new damage with your new eating lifestyle over the next few years you may reverse some current damage since you are still so young.0 -
Usually, if you take care of the carbs, the calories will take care of themselves. The weight loss will come if you stick with it. You'll stick with it if it becomes a habit. It'll become a habit if you log everyday and hang out here. 0
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I am also prediabetic and doing low carb. I would double check your calories, that seems awfully low. My macros, without exercise, are 75 carbs (I tend to net well under 50), 100 protein and 144 fat. But, I have over 100lbs to lose and get almost 2,000 calories a day. I usually eat 1600-1800. I have lost 14.6lbs since cutting bread and pasta from my diet, in one month.0
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Thanks. You guys are giving me a lot of hope which is dearly needed. Many in my family have died as a direct result of high blood pressure and diabetes. I'm 40 years old with a 2 year old daughter that deserves to have me there at her graduation.0
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I am also prediabetic and doing low carb. I would double check your calories, that seems awfully low. My macros, without exercise, are 75 carbs (I tend to net well under 50), 100 protein and 144 fat. But, I have over 100lbs to lose and get almost 2,000 calories a day. I usually eat 1600-1800. I have lost 14.6lbs since cutting bread and pasta from my diet, in one month.
MFP actually set my calories for 1200. I changed them to 1312 based on information from the keto calculator mentioned above. I'm 40 years old, 5'2", 164 pounds. Knowing my measurements, does that still seem low? Have you made any changes to your diet other than cutting bread and pasta?0 -
Yes I have, but those were the easiest and most obvious changes for me. Did that for a couple weeks, then started tracking and getting more serious. Now I measure/weigh nearly everything, make sure I am at a deficit. And keep my carbs in check. I am learning a whole new approach to cooking and eating food. I am finding that my food has more flavor and I am enjoying what I eat.Have you made any changes to your diet other than cutting bread and pasta? I am loving my new way of life!
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It looks like your base calories just to function is 1362, so you shouldn't go below that. What calculator did you use? I plugged your numbers into this one. http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
MFP actually set my calories for 1200. I changed them to 1312 based on information from the keto calculator mentioned above. I'm 40 years old, 5'2", 164 pounds. Knowing my measurements, does that still seem low
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It looks like your base calories just to function is 1362, so you shouldn't go below that. What calculator did you use? I plugged your numbers into this one. http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
MFP actually set my calories for 1200. I changed them to 1312 based on information from the keto calculator mentioned above. I'm 40 years old, 5'2", 164 pounds. Knowing my measurements, does that still seem low
I used that same calculator but I may be doing something wrong.
I put in 5'2", 164 pounds, my age, and lightly active and it says 1875 calories. It says my body fat is 43% so I put in 43% in that box. Under carbs I put 50g. Under protein it says 57 is no exercise and 93 is very active, so I put in 65. Next area I put in 30% deficit and it says I need to eat 1,312 calories and 95g fat a day. With all that input, it says I'll lose 4.7 pounds in the 1st month. I tried a lower deficit and it only had me losing about 2 pounds a month which is very discouraging. What am I doing too little or too much of in my calculations?
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You're stressing losing fast.
Relax and work on getting good eating habits and getting better. The weight will come off when it wants to. Most people have great results on low carb / keto, but I really wouldn't fret the "let's drop a ton of weight ASAP" part.
Anecdotal evidence in support of diet / lifestyle changes:
Fiance's friend found out recently that he is diabetic. As in, had to take insulin. Fiance's been on the keto diet for a while, and lifts / works out regularly. He started taking his buddy to the gym with him and started him on a light routine. He also coached him on eating. Although the friend is still quite stubborn, he did stop his soda habit and now drinks plenty of water. His sugar cravings are still bad, and he unfortunately indulges them still (although with Atkins bars at least, instead of ice cream). His friend walks a very fine line between low carb, and "treating himself". The good news is that after just a few months with exercise and better diet, his doc says he doesn't need the insulin anymore and doesn't need to keep seeing him. Wow.
I'm going to fix up some keto frosting for my fiance to take back to his friend to try to help keep him on track and still satisfy those cravings. Hope he stays better, and hope you can get yourself healthy as well.
-T.
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Thanks Teneko. I guess I am wanting to lose it fast, but I thought a pound a week was actually reasonable. Ugh. The anecdotal evidence is nice. I cut out sodas over a year ago, and have been making slow changes to my diet ever since my father died about 2 years ago. It was like a blow to the face to hear from my doctor that, despite my efforts, I am pre-diabetic and still headed on a downward slope. Before then, I had been patting myself on the back for all the changes I've made. I'm frustrated not knowing what to do to help myself. I told my doctor that same line and she just said "Well, if you hadn't made those changes, then I'd be making a full-blown diabetes diagnosis right now." I guess that was supposed to make me feel better. Anywho... thanks for telling me about your fiance's friend. 0
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I used that same calculator but I may be doing something wrong. I put in 5'2", 164 pounds, my age, and lightly active and it says 1875 calories. It says my body fat is 43% so I put in 43% in that box. Under carbs I put 50g. Under protein it says 57 is no exercise and 93 is very active, so I put in 65. Next area I put in 30% deficit and it says I need to eat 1,312 calories and 95g fat a day. With all that input, it says I'll lose 4.7 pounds in the 1st month. I tried a lower deficit and it only had me losing about 2 pounds a month which is very discouraging. What am I doing too little or too much of in my calculations?
1312 seems low...but you are a small person in height, so it actually may be correct.
Here is what mine are:
Female
261 pounds
69 inches
45 years
49% body fat
Sedentary. Typical desk job, little to no exercise.
1887 kcal Base Metabolic Rate
2265 kcal total daily energy expenditure
My personal macros:
1785 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
75 g Carbohydrates (17%)
90 g Protein (20%)
125 g Fat (63%)
This puts me at about a 20% deficit.
ROFL 164 pounds is my GOAL weight! Also, keep in mind that I am full on diabetic because I ignored the warning of pre-diabetes. This mornings BG reading was 185, after 50 units of insulin last night.
Of course, I almost doubled my carb intake yesterday, too. 0 -
Keliandra, 164 is probably not a bad weight at all for someone of your height. At my height,164 is in the obese range at 43% body fat. I'm so confused on what to do. I wish I could afford to visit a dietitian and them just tell me what to do. I'm a better follower than I am a leader. How much weight are you losing at a 20% deficit on an average week, if I may ask? 75g carbs seems more doable than 50. I can do without the bread and pasta and rice, but veggies and fruits? I need those, I think. Or maybe I'm just fooling myself. I had a large serving of broccoli today for a snack and it was 9g carbs. I could hardly believe it. 9 g just on freaking broccoli. -.-0
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I do a salad every day. I ate a box of raspberries last night. On average, I lose 5-9 pounds a month. I just got back onto eating like this after losing my focus and putting back on 35 of the 52 pounds I had lost. Here is what a typical day looks like for me.
Breakfast
Butter - Unsalted, 1 tbsp (in the coffee btw)
Coffee - Brewed from grounds, 8 fl oz
Egg, Generic - Egg, Large Grade A, 2.25 whole egg
Land of Lakes - Heavy Whipping Cream, 4 tbsp
Nestle (Coffee Mate) - Creme Brulee Creamer, 2 Tbsp
Lunch
Chicken Breast - Skinless/boneless/grilled, 3.55 oz
Baby Spinach, Raw, 1 cups
Carrot, Raw - Any Form, 1 oz
Cucumber, Raw - Any Form (With Peel), 1 oz
Hidden Valley - Original Ranch Salad Dressing, 35 ml
Baby Spring Mix, 1 cups
Radish, Raw, Red, 1 oz
Tomato, Grape, 2 oz
Cabbage, Purple, raw, 1 oz
Sliced almonds or roasted sunflower seeds, 1 oz
Cheese, Cheddar, sharp, 1 oz.
I usually do a protein bar as my snack around 3 pm. Dinner usually consists of 1 cup of a hot veg and 5-7 oz of meat. Dessert is berries, or dark chocolate. May also have hot tea with cream or butter at night too.
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I didn't even eat breakfast this morning and I'll be within 100 calories and 10g carb of my target if I don't eat anything else. I don't know how I'm supposed to make this work. Still about 2 1/2 hours til dinner and I feel like I'm starving to death. I would love some fruit, but I don't have enough nutrients left at the end of the day to afford it.
Morning
coffee with stevia and half and half
Lunch
turkey burger, no bun
lettuce
onions
slice of tomato
a pickle
mayo and mustard
Snack
big bowl of broccoli
Dinner
cup of green beans
about 6 oz. balsamic onion pot roast (diced tomatoes, seasonings, boneless chuck roast, onions, balsamic vinegar, beef broth)0 -
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^^ That is what I get when I plug your stats.0
