prediabetic, low carb, but can only eat carbs

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Marjatta007
Marjatta007 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Guys, I need your help! My GP told me to get on a low carb diet as I'm prediabetic. But I have a huge problem with that: I live of carbs! I cannot eat much protein because I get terrible reflux in my esophagus from that and stomach pain. My stomach just feels so full for a long time after eating. And I think I cannot digest fat properly. Sorry for being so explicit, but my poop floats and when wiping it always feels slippery and oily. What can I eat? Meat and eggs are particularly bad for reflux :(

As a note: I'm in the UK and did get a referral to a gastroenterologist. But the waiting time is at least 25 weeks I've just been informed. I just don't know what to do. Apparently I cannot get a referral to a dietist either. I just don't know what to eat now.
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  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
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    Losing weight - however you do it - should help with the pre diabetes.

    As far as the fat digestion, are you lacking your gall bladder?

    And are there particular proteins that cause you trouble? Certain meats, dairy, or something else? Maybe you could tolerate some kind of protein powder if meat is the issue.

    I like Royal Sport LTD. for what that is worth because I find I have less digestive issues with it. Your mileage may vary on that though.
  • Marjatta007
    Marjatta007 Posts: 22 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Thanks a lot. I have a lot of weight to lose.

    And I still have my gall bladder. I don't think my poop (sorry) has ever been different. I never thought much of it but just realized at a certain time that fatty foods don't keep me full and thus I naturally ate only little. I only read lately that poop does not normally float and feels oily. I don't want to know what happens if I eat lots of fat.

    I also don't know what exactly causes the reflux. I have those problems for years but also never thought about it. The last few weeks I tried eating more protein, and my reflux and stomach pain after eating those has never been worse before. It's meat, fish and egg white mainly, but also larger amounts of milk (full fat milk feels better for me) or yoghurt, though the latter two don't give me this full stomach feeling. A slice of fatty cheese seems to be ok, but I don't want to eat too much for poop reasons. And what's the point in eating it and stuffing my stomach if it comes out anyway again?

    The only idea my GP has is to put me on PPIs, but those never worked in the past and only make things worse.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    I had really bad reflux until I lost about 40 lbs. It has virtually stopped, unless I drink too much beer. Maybe losing weight will make that go away for you.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
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    Are you trying all of this at once? Maybe just try one thing at a time and don't make huge changes right away. A change in diet can upset your stomach, you may need to ease into it... eat carefully and find out what foods you tolerate and what foods you don't.
  • Marjatta007
    Marjatta007 Posts: 22 Member
    edited May 2016
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    makingmark wrote: »
    Are you trying all of this at once? Maybe just try one thing at a time and don't make huge changes right away. A change in diet can upset your stomach, you may need to ease into it... eat carefully and find out what foods you tolerate and what foods you don't.

    Yes, I've been doing that. I tried to eat other things than the rather big amount of bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and fruit. I tried breakfast first and got reflux an hour later. I never had reflux in the morning before. I went back to bread and tried it a few more times, and the reflux came back every time again when I ate more protein. If I had my normal breakfast but took more meat during lunch the same thing happened after lunch. Every single time. I'm already trying to eat differently a few weeks now. In the end my GP suggested I search for a diet forum and look for help there.

    I did lose weight though, due to feeling so miserable. :(
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I think you do have a specific problem digesting fats, so don't try and eat too much meat or eggs.

    There are still many routines you can start now for the pre-diabetes that allow for carbs like eating on a schedule, starting with breakfast at the same time every day. Measure out your portions carefully and log everything. MFP is great for that.

    Always eat a snack mid-day and mid-afternoon. This will help your blood sugars remain stable.

    Increase the amount of vegetables at your meals, filling half your plate. This can help with fullness in the absence of protein and fat.

    How about Greek Yogurt? Can you tolerate just the egg whites, say, prepared in an omelet? How about protein powders such as whey protein and PB2? I suggest eating your proteins always with plenty of fruit or vegetables and see if your stomach handles it better.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    If you have problems digesting both fat & protein and need to lower your carbs, then it might be time to see if your doc can refer you to a registered dietitian. They'd be able to give you much more specific advice that takes all of your medical issues into account than most of us can.
  • workhardtogethard
    workhardtogethard Posts: 49 Member
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    What does your doctor mean by low carb? Hoping he's thinking more along the lines of cutting back on carbs, not going full out kept or Atkins. If you just need to cut back, the diet changes will be more tolerable and you'll be more successful in the long run.
  • Marjatta007
    Marjatta007 Posts: 22 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    I think you do have a specific problem digesting fats, so don't try and eat too much meat or eggs.

    There are still many routines you can start now for the pre-diabetes that allow for carbs like eating on a schedule, starting with breakfast at the same time every day. Measure out your portions carefully and log everything. MFP is great for that.

    Always eat a snack mid-day and mid-afternoon. This will help your blood sugars remain stable.

    Increase the amount of vegetables at your meals, filling half your plate. This can help with fullness in the absence of protein and fat.

    How about Greek Yogurt? Can you tolerate just the egg whites, say, prepared in an omelet? How about protein powders such as whey protein and PB2? I suggest eating your proteins always with plenty of fruit or vegetables and see if your stomach handles it better.

    Thanks a lot. I'm not the biggest lover of vegetables but I need to do something. Thus more vegetables it is. This at least gives me some hope. I'm devastated since my GP told me I'm pre-diabetic!

    I need to try Greek Yoghurt. Fat reduced yoghurt is fatal, but yoghurt with around 3% fat is better, same as with full fat milk or hard cheeses. Chicken breast though is terrible, and there's not much fat on that. It just feels like a stone in my stomach and my reflux gets so bad. That's why I'm convinced the problem is both protein (stomach) and fat (intestines I think?). I tried omelets for breakfast. Not good! I never tried protein shakes. How do I prepare them? Just with water? I'm not too keen to have too much milk or fluid, low fast yoghurt.
  • Marjatta007
    Marjatta007 Posts: 22 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    If you have problems digesting both fat & protein and need to lower your carbs, then it might be time to see if your doc can refer you to a registered dietitian. They'd be able to give you much more specific advice that takes all of your medical issues into account than most of us can.

    I asked for a referral but apparently I can only get one once I have full diabetes. There are too little consultants and too long waiting times.
  • Marjatta007
    Marjatta007 Posts: 22 Member
    edited May 2016
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    workhardtogethard wrote: »
    What does your doctor mean by low carb? Hoping he's thinking more along the lines of cutting back on carbs, not going full out kept or Atkins. If you just need to cut back, the diet changes will be more tolerable and you'll be more successful in the long run.

    Not quite sure. My GP is not a nutritionist. He just told me to prevent blood sugar spikes and eat less sweet stuff and reduce carbs (and hence eat more fat and protein). When I told him I can't due to.. (see above) he could not give me further advise apart from referring me to a gastroenterologist - but it will take at least half a year until I can see one.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
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    How are you with things like beans: kidney beans, baked beans (in small quantities because of sugar), butter beans and such? Lentils/spilt peas? They are all protein sources but at least not of the animal variety, you could try upping protein that way. Maybe for reflux, smaller meals more often would be better if your lifestyle allows this, I mean I couldn't eat say 6x a day due to the nature of my job but if you could, that may help (I'm no expert though).

    Just losing weight will help prediabetes though whether low carb or not. Good luck!
  • Owlfan88
    Owlfan88 Posts: 187 Member
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    Complex carbs (veggies, brown rice, whole wheat flour, etc) are supposed to cause less of a blood sugar spike, so maybe try to shift the carbs you are eating to less white flour, sugar, pasta. If you need to, go half whole grain , half white at first. Good luck!
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    Maybe sweet potatoes, squash, and some legumes might be worth a try. Sweet potatoes are lower carb than white potato varieties, and squash is generally tolerated by even the most sensitive tummies. Plus, both back be eaten whole or hit with a stick blender and made into soup fairly easily.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Well seeing as you have to wait half a year to see a physician that can help I would look into things that can help with digestion.

    This is from a quick search so there may be better info out there:

    https://sott.net/article/266284-Natural-solutions-to-increase-stomach-acid-and-improve-digestion

    And this is book is about treating diabetes with a vegan diet. Only throwing this in because you say you don't tolerate meat or fat well so it might be a way of eating that could work for you:

    https://amazon.com/End-Diabetes-Live-Prevent-Reverse-ebook/dp/B0089LOG7U?ie=UTF8&keywords=diabetes%20cure&qid=1464732955&ref_=sr_1_2&s=books&sr=1-2
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    This at least gives me some hope. I'm devastated since my GP told me I'm pre-diabetic!
    When I got my pre-diabetes diagnosis I got myself a blood sugar tester and diarized all my food for three months (before my first dietitian appointment). All those diary entries helped a lot as I started to associate certain foods with high blood sugars therefore baaaad. I was able to stave off type 2 diabetes for almost a decade. My diabetes went in to remission a few years ago from significant weight loss.

    Diabetes is a controllable condition, so there is definitely hope!

    I love the suggestions above to switch to unrefined and complex carbs. Indeed, they process much more slowly, so are good for blood sugar control.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Open your diary.
    Caring people will help you.
    Log food for a few days, and put your symptoms on the note section.
    Did you know that many doctors know about this program? Use it !
    Do you eat salads?
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
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    Drop wheat in a hurry. That was my prediabetic issue. Look up Wheat Belly diet. (Several of your issues are the same I had-even the BM) Then, start bouncing for 5 minutes a day. Either with one of those little trampolines, or jogging, or just bouncing. I know it sounds crazy, but I was diagnosed with GERD and my Dr put me on meds for it. THEN I started getting heartburn. Talked to my chiropractor, and he explained that runners don't get Reflux because the bouncing motion causes the stomach to drop lower in your abdomen. My brother was suffering with the same issue, and it helped him too. Now, no prediabetic issues, no GERD, no heartburn, and the only thing I don't eat is wheat. You will know within 7 days if it works though. Just stick with it for 7 days.
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
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    I agree with the others. Log everything you eat and make notes about how you feel. You will have lots of data for the dietian to review when you see them. Also check into a diabetic diet plan. Losing weight will hopefully solve both the reflux and prediabetes. Good luck.

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