1200 Calories, Diabetic Diet and not eating all my calories and starving
sandrafondren
Posts: 10 Member
I'm a borderline diabetic and taking my sugar readings twice a day and trying to keep them low so my doctor won't put me on medicine. So I'm eating VERY FEW carbs and NO SUGAR. The problem I have is I'm not eating all my calories because I am not finding low calorie foods without carbs or sugar. This means I can't eat any fruits. I need some suggestions because I'm really hungry and feeling weak. I need to be successful with this. Thank you in advance for advice.
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Replies
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Did your doctor give you carb or sugar levels that he/she wants you to stay under?
Eat more meat and more fat is the only suggestion I can make to increase your cals without your carbs/sugars going up, but many people here have been able to prevent diabetes or keep it under control primarily by losing weight, without special attention on sugars.4 -
Since this could become a more serious medical issue, I really suggest talking to your doctor about what you should eat and having your plans approved. With that said, I think you can address hunger by drinking more water and tea, and make sure your nutrition goals are met via small meals and snacks throughout the day. I've heard this works well for a lot of people who are diabetic, so it's worth a try.4
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I am in the same situation but losing weight has gotten my sugars down quite a bit so no meds for me for now . The dietician I saw a few yrs ago told me to go for a walk after every meal if possible . Only a 20 minute walk and at a normal pace not over exerting because you are still digesting your meal . This really made a difference in my readings . It's been almost 6 yrs now I lost about 35 pounds but didn't cut out breads etc just cut back and used whole grains . Check with a dietician for sure .
Here is a sample menu from The Canadian Diabetes Association . Best of luck .
http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/healthy-living-resources/diet-nutrition/basic-meal-planning2 -
I am not diabetic and do not fully understand what you must be going through. I would try supplementing with fiber like Swanson Vitamins Organic Psyllium Husk powder and Garden of Life Super Seed Beyond Fiber, also can be ordered through Swanson., but check with your doctor. Fiber fills you up, and since you can't eat fruits it should help. And try to drink at least 3 liters of water but a gallon would be even better. Best wishes.
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-organic-certified-organic-psyllium-husk-powder-12-oz-340-grams-pwdr
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/garden-of-life-super-seed-600-grams-pwdr
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Thank you for the tips.0
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When my husband was diagnosed as diabetic they told him to go with wholegrains in moderation, more veggies than fruit, lean meat, fish etc. My understanding is that pairing your carbs with fibre is a good thing, but I'm not an expert here.
You really need to seek advice that is specific to you, I suggest you ask your doctor for a referral to a dietician who can help you with foods and meal planning to suit your needs.2 -
Tell your doctor you need a chat with a dietician who understands diabetic diets. They can talk food choices with you and how to level things out.
Anything you eat is going to spike your sugar for a while, what times of the day are you checking vs the times you are eating?3 -
I am a type 2 Diabetic. My Doctor recommended that I follow the Low Glycemic Diet. It's actually not a diet but a way of life. By eating smaller meals several times throughout the day it helps to balance your blood sugars. I have been off of my Metformin for over 3 years now. I was taking 1000mg per day. Please feel free to add me.2
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Lots of meat and leafy veggies. My husband is diabetic and he still has some carbs, but about 1/2 servings worth at dinner.
I've been doing another specific diet, no grains or potatoes, so personally, i double-triple up on veggies and meats, and cook with coconut oil or bacon grease to get calories and fats up.1 -
I'm pre-diabetic as well, Since diabetes originates in the skeletal muscle of our legs the best strategy to take is to build as much skeletal muscle as you can. I lost a dear loved one from diabetes complications and l am fighting to change my unhealthy lifestyle. I'm female and train to gain strength and am seeing the results of my hard work. The Diabetic dermopathy on my shins is slowly disappearing.
Eat foods to gain muscle mass to support your training and you will see magnificent results; surprisingly you can actually eat more food and the more muscle that l build, the more insulin sensitive l become. I wish you the best1 -
nostalgicmeadow wrote: »I'm pre-diabetic as well, Since diabetes originates in the skeletal muscle of our legs the best strategy to take is to build as much skeletal muscle as you can. I lost a dear loved one from diabetes complications and l am fighting to change my unhealthy lifestyle. I'm female and train to gain strength and am seeing the results of my hard work. The Diabetic dermopathy on my shins is slowly disappearing.
Eat foods to gain muscle mass to support your training and you will see magnificent results; surprisingly you can actually eat more food and the more muscle that l build, the more insulin sensitive l become. I wish you the best
Not accurate!1 -
sandrafondren wrote: »The problem I have is I'm not eating all my calories because I am not finding low calorie foods without carbs or sugar.
Admittedly, I know nothing about diabetes, but if you can't reach your calorie allowance, why do your food choices have to be low calorie? How about some chicken, nuts, or avocado?
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sandrafondren wrote: »I'm a borderline diabetic and taking my sugar readings twice a day and trying to keep them low so my doctor won't put me on medicine. So I'm eating VERY FEW carbs and NO SUGAR. The problem I have is I'm not eating all my calories because I am not finding low calorie foods without carbs or sugar. This means I can't eat any fruits. I need some suggestions because I'm really hungry and feeling weak. I need to be successful with this. Thank you in advance for advice.
Just a thought..........
If you are cutting out carbs then you should be increasing fats. But no, those won't be low calorie. Nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil, full fat dairy.1 -
Get with a registered dietician to figure out a plan.
Meanwhile maybe eat more meat, eggs, avocado, oils
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabeticdiet.html1 -
If you are feeling weak at various times of the day your blood sugar may be dangerously low. Low blood sugar is even more dangerous than high blood sugar. Check your blood sugar more often but no sooner than two hours after a meal.
Eating a little protein and fat with your carb will help it be absorbed slower. So a little peanut butter with your apple, cheese with your cracker, hummus with celery, tuna in a wrap, or egg and a pickle.
Except for overnight don't go more than three hours without eating.
Keep an emergency stash with you. I find a protein bar cut in half is just about perfect.
Not having the BEST choices available is no excuse to stop eating altogether.
If you are going very low carb you must have protein with you at all times.1 -
nostalgicmeadow wrote: »I'm pre-diabetic as well, Since diabetes originates in the skeletal muscle of our legs the best strategy to take is to build as much skeletal muscle as you can. I lost a dear loved one from diabetes complications and l am fighting to change my unhealthy lifestyle. I'm female and train to gain strength and am seeing the results of my hard work. The Diabetic dermopathy on my shins is slowly disappearing.
Eat foods to gain muscle mass to support your training and you will see magnificent results; surprisingly you can actually eat more food and the more muscle that l build, the more insulin sensitive l become. I wish you the best
What!?!?! Um, no, diabetes (type 2) generally happens because you are overweight.0 -
Get referred to a dietician/nutritionalist by your doctor. You need to eat. What are you eating currently?
I have just started eating LCHF myself and there is a lot of options, meat, veg grown above ground etc I eat a lot of salads, various omelettes, chicken, beef, pork, oily fish, I snack on boiled eggs and fresh spinach, handful of nuts etc
I hope this ties you over till you can get some professional advice. I am honestly not hungry on 1200 cals a day (at 5'2 MFP gives me the lowest limit to loose 0.5-1lbs per week. How I wish I was taller!)
Feel free to add me if you want to chat.1 -
I am doing low carb, and have no problem reaching my calories. I eat eggs, chicken, spinach, salad with feta cheese, gazpacho for dinner, hummus and celery.
You need to see a dietician for education.1 -
sandrafondren wrote: »I'm a borderline diabetic and taking my sugar readings twice a day and trying to keep them low so my doctor won't put me on medicine. So I'm eating VERY FEW carbs and NO SUGAR. The problem I have is I'm not eating all my calories because I am not finding low calorie foods without carbs or sugar. This means I can't eat any fruits. I need some suggestions because I'm really hungry and feeling weak. I need to be successful with this. Thank you in advance for advice.
Have you talked your diet over with your Dr. One does not necessarily have to go low carb to beat back diabetes. I was borderline diabetic in January. My A1C was 6.2, 6.4, 6.4 and in January 7.4
My Doc wanted to put me on meds..I told him, I'll try and lose weight first. He said just get active, do something and cut back on portions etc. He did NOT say Low Carb, cut back on carbs, or anything else.
On Feb 29th I weighed 308 pounds, at 57 years old, borderline diabetic and morbidly obese. I put myself on a 1200-1300 calorie a day diet. Hard Boiled eggs, tuna fish, tomatoes, yogurt, bananas, apples, strawberries, Special K snack cracker chips (25 @ 130 calories) chicken breasts, pickled beets, frozen veggies, and more.
I started riding my stationary bike 5-10 minutes in the a.m and the p.m. I increased as my stamina increased.
I went and saw my Doc on April 28th. I weighed in at 273#. I had lost 35 pounds..but more importantly, my A1C was 5.4 My Dr was amazed and very pleased. He said , whatever you're doing keep it up..he wanted to hear everything. I told him. He did not tell me to raise my calories. He said your body will tell you that.
He only asked if my diet was sustainable. I told him, over time, I would increase the calories (I try and be around 1600 now) and I have increased the bike riding to 60-75 minutes a day with some light weights mixed in.
On Monday June 20th, I weighed in at 250 pounds. I go back and see Doc on July 28th. I am hoping for a good bill of health.
My point is, talk to your Dr. and there may not be that big a need to go Low Carb or any need to do that. By cutting calories, you'll naturally cut down on carbs as well. I did give up soda...I figured the sugar was doing me no good.
I wish you all the success in the world. Talk with your Dr. Talk to a dietician. I'm fortunate to have a really good Dr and more than one Health Coach (one through work and one through my Dr)
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I have been diabetic for a few years now hoping to fix that with some weight loss. Eat your fruits and carbs your body needs it for energy. Stay clear of processed sugars and added sugars. One of the biggest things that help diabetics is activity. Almost everything we eat is turned to sugar in our body. I have had days were I ate nothing but protein and my sugar was still high because I was just sitting around and not burning any of the excess energy. The more active you become the easier it is to control your sugar with your diet.3
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