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.
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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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pebble4321 wrote: »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.
you do realize that veggies and whole grains are carbs and they have fiber in them? so I dont get what you mean by pairing carbs with fiber? I have heard that if you eat carbs to make sure you have enough protein and fat with it. is that what you mean?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
where do you get your info?0 -
Diabetes starts in the pancreas which is the part of the body that produces insulin. Type two diabetics get the disease because there body stops being able to process the insulin in the blood stream. Insulin is what turns sugar to energy. The reason why it is linked to obesity is fat causing the cells in your body to lose some of there ability to absorb insulin. Type 1 is your body doesn't produce enough insulin.
The reason activity helps is it make your absorb more. Also when you lose the fat the cells are then able to start better absorbing the insulin.
Always talk with your dr. There is no way to cut all sugar from your diet. You wouldn't be able to function. You just have to make your body work the way it is designed to. That's what the pills and insulin shots do. I am trying to make mine go back to doing it naturally.3 -
When I was diagnosed type 2 last February, the first thing my doctor did was give me a referral to a nutritionist. Your body needs a variety of food because you need nutrients from many different things. I will tell you what's working for me (which may not work for anyone else). I've adopted a pescatarian diet. I eat mostly veggies but will indulge in seafood every now and then. I've also dropped over 70 lbs. and my last a1c was 5.5%. I've gone from taking 2 metformin a day to just one and most days I don't even have to take one because my sugar remains low. My morning reading yesterday was 77 and today 81. Where I used to have morning readings of 110, 120 or higher, I'm now in the lower 70's and upper 80's. Evening readings stay in the low 80's.
So my two cents, please find a nutritionist so that you can work out a good meal plan. In the meantime, do a google search for eatthismuch. You can tell the site how many calories you want to eat and it will automatically give you suggestions.1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »pebble4321 wrote: »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.
you do realize that veggies and whole grains are carbs and they have fiber in them? so I dont get what you mean by pairing carbs with fiber? I have heard that if you eat carbs to make sure you have enough protein and fat with it. is that what you mean?
I think what she might mean is that higher fiber foods are better, such as whole wheat bread, because you can subtract 1 gram of carb for 1 gram of fiber in the food. So if a food has 40 carbs, and 18 grams of fiber, you net 22 carbs, which is better, and can help keep you within your carb allotment for the meal. Some foods actually end up being only 1 or 2 carbs once the fiber is figured in.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »pebble4321 wrote: »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.
you do realize that veggies and whole grains are carbs and they have fiber in them? so I dont get what you mean by pairing carbs with fiber? I have heard that if you eat carbs to make sure you have enough protein and fat with it. is that what you mean?
I think what she might mean is that higher fiber foods are better, such as whole wheat bread, because you can subtract 1 gram of carb for 1 gram of fiber in the food. So if a food has 40 carbs, and 18 grams of fiber, you net 22 carbs, which is better, and can help keep you within your carb allotment for the meal. Some foods actually end up being only 1 or 2 carbs once the fiber is figured in.
yeah I get that part. but some people dont know carbs are a type of sugar. not saying this is the issue. just stating for those who may not know1 -
I am type 2 diabetic and was diagnosed very young like 16 or 17. I was told to be more active I didn't do that I was a know it all teen with other medical issues as well... I'm now much older and trying to get everything under control. The best thing I did was ask for a referral to a dietician. I know weigh everything I eat liquid or solid. I do no less than 30 minutes of cardio a day plus strength training. In January my A1c was 7.9 Tuesday it was 6.2. I now eat lean cuts of meat, chicken, and fresh fish and whole grain pasta and breads if I am in the mood for pasta or bread. I also avoid processed foods as much as possible as well as canned things. I eat fresh fruit and veggies and enjoy hummus or guacamole with my carrots and the like instead of half a bottle of ranch. I wasn't told to avoid fruit i was told to eat the correct portion size. The dietician was so helpful and I can't wait to see where I will be in a few more months!!! Good luck to you!2
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My friend is an diabetic one of the biggest problems she is having is cutting out to much carbs which makes her feel tired and weak on top of high blood sugar, but mostly tired. I had to tell her that her carbs have to stay above 150 or she won't be able to Function right. She also still drinks soda ( Pepsi Max) and that mess with her sugar levels beside the fact she finds any Excuse to not be active. I suggest asking your doctor what you can do to keep your blood sugar down , be more active, oh and find those diabetics cook books to help you find good Recipes. I have some and have some favorite recipes in them.0
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erickalynch19 wrote: »My friend is an diabetic one of the biggest problems she is having is cutting out to much carbs which makes her feel tired and weak on top of high blood sugar, but mostly tired. I had to tell her that her carbs have to stay above 150 or she won't be able to Function right. She also still drinks soda ( Pepsi Max) and that mess with her sugar levels beside the fact she finds any Excuse to not be active. I suggest asking your doctor what you can do to keep your blood sugar down , be more active, oh and find those diabetics cook books to help you find good Recipes. I have some and have some favorite recipes in them.
not everyone needs 150g of carbs or more a day to function right. lots of people with diabetes do low carb/keto and have no issues with being able to function. in fact a lot of diabetics find keto helps with their insulin and so on. and keto is 50g of net carbs a day.150g of carbs for some diabetics may be too many carbs,while others may get away with eating more carbs than 150g. it depends on the person.if she is tired she may have low vitamin D,have anemia, or it could be something else entirely, also when you first cut carbs down low,some people do experience fatigue and tiredness,it usually goes away after a few days. those who do keto some get whats called keto flu(not real flu but feels like it). she needs to talk to her Dr and see a dietitian and work with them to get things right. exercise may also help her to feel better but if she doesnt want to do it,theres nothing you can do.1 -
Sounds to me like you might be over reacting to the diagnosis. I am diabetic and have never taken a medication for it, i control it thru diet and exercise. You do need carbs, just opt for healthy ones, not sugar or refined, whole grains are good, white rice is bad. White bread will kill you! Exercise is key, you need to move to burn the carbs you take in. I eat Ezekiel bread, freezer section, healthiest bread i know of, is sprouted grains, not flour. Eat one slice open face sandwiches, strawberries and blueberries are good, low carb fruits......I eat gobs of apples, good with a protien cutter like peanut butter. Have your doctor refer you to a diabetic class, your insurance may pay for it, educate yourself. Bottom line, move your body and eat as clean as you can. Good luck.1
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