Low carb

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ChristyMorris0514
ChristyMorris0514 Posts: 12 Member
edited June 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
My dad was a diabetic. The doctor told him He needed a low carb diet as for when we found out he was about to go into a diabetic coma. He has stuck with low carb and has done wonderful with it! He was on a shot and two pills a day and kept moving down until the doctor told him just one pill a day! Now he is completely off of the medicine and is still doing amazing and watching his carbs. He is staying on the low carb diet so he can stay off of the medicine and it is really much healthier for him! The doctor told him it's really not the sugars that you are watching so much, it's the carbs. My dad says you can have 30 carbs a meal. I am going to ask him more about low carb so he can help me :)

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    My dad was a diabetic. The doctor told him He needed a low carb diet as for when we found out he was about to go into a diabetic coma. He has stuck with low carb and has done wonderful with it! He was on a shot and two pills a day and kept moving down until the doctor told him just one pill a day! Now he is completely off of the medicine and is still doing amazing and watching his carbs. He is staying on the low carb diet so he can stay off of the medicine and it is really much healthier for him! The doctor told him it's really not the sugars that you are watching so much, it's the carbs. My dad says you can have 30 carbs a meal. I am going to ask him more about low carb so he can help me :)

    Low carb will help you if you have a medical necessity or you find it a suitable and sustainable diet. Below is the low carb group that you might find beneficial to your journey.


    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
  • ChristyMorris0514
    ChristyMorris0514 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you!
  • ChristyMorris0514
    ChristyMorris0514 Posts: 12 Member
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    Is this a commercial?

    No, it isn't. I just figured it might be helpful information for some people. Mainly ones who are diabetic or for the people that it runs in their family or if you know someone who is diabetic. A lot of people think it's mainly about sugar intake but it has a lot to do with carbs. Low carb helps you lose a lot of weight and stay healthy also.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited June 2016
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    High carbs have been my savior.
    I love lentils, quinoa, barley, farro, oatmeal, beans, even sweet potatoes.
    Different strokes for different folks.
    Threw out chips and cookies.
  • ChristyMorris0514
    ChristyMorris0514 Posts: 12 Member
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    Meanwhile, my plant-based diet is 75% carbs (grains, legumes, potatoes, fruits, veggies, table sugar etc), that's about 350g/day and yet, my lab tests taken 2 weeks ago showed a fasting blood glucose of 81mg/dl and Hemoglobin A1c of 5.2% (normal range is 4.8-5.6). Pre-diabetes is 5.7-6.4 and diabetes is over 6.4.

    It's great that your dad is much better but it's also important to understand that carbs don't give you diabetes.

    I agree with this. I'm not saying it will give you diabetes, just that it might be something helpful is all. Being overweight can really be a factor of it and it runs on both sides of my family. I want to start a low carb diet to improve my overall health and hopefully help to prevent it. I need to lose white a bit of weight and I'm hoping it will help me. :)
  • itsthehumidity
    itsthehumidity Posts: 351 Member
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    Great for him! For anybody else reading, if you have some sort of medical condition, allergy, sensitivity, etc., please disregard every single darn thing you see on MFP and go see a doctor. Better yet, also see a registered dietitian. A dietitian is a certified professional (a nutritionist is not - I could claim to be a nutritionist and I'm not an expert) who can help you construct a diet around your particular constraints.

    That very well may lead to a low carb diet, but it also may not!

    Congratulations again to OP's dad for his progress. I'm glad he found the solution that worked for him.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Is this a commercial?

    No, it isn't. I just figured it might be helpful information for some people. Mainly ones who are diabetic or for the people that it runs in their family or if you know someone who is diabetic. A lot of people think it's mainly about sugar intake but it has a lot to do with carbs. Low carb helps you lose a lot of weight and stay healthy also.

    You say that low carb helps you lose a lot of weight in the above quoted comment.

    So if I ate at a calorie surplus but kept my carbs low, would I lose weight?
    Could you also explain how a low carb diet would make the average person without any medical conditions stay healthy ?


    I'm sure by now you get where I'm going with this. There's nothing wrong with a diabetic going on a low carb diet but for the average person without any medical conditions, it's not at all necessary. There's nothing that proves a low carb diet would make me , a healthy person without any medical conditions, more healthy then a traditional well balanced diet. For people like myself, carbs are not the enemy. Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit . Just because someone does low carb, doesn't mean they will lose weight. They would have to be at a caloric deficit to lose weight. Low carb doesn't always mean healthier by any stretch of the imagination. If it works well for you then that's awesome! Go for it! But just know that there's flaws in your above statement. Again, if you like low carb than that's great but just because someone goes low carb does not mean they are healthier.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Meanwhile, my plant-based diet is 75% carbs (grains, legumes, potatoes, fruits, veggies, table sugar etc), that's about 350g/day and yet, my lab tests taken 2 weeks ago showed a fasting blood glucose of 81mg/dl and Hemoglobin A1c of 5.2% (normal range is 4.8-5.6). Pre-diabetes is 5.7-6.4 and diabetes is over 6.4.

    It's great that your dad is much better but it's also important to understand that carbs don't give you diabetes.

    I agree with this. I'm not saying it will give you diabetes, just that it might be something helpful is all. Being overweight can really be a factor of it and it runs on both sides of my family. I want to start a low carb diet to improve my overall health and hopefully help to prevent it. I need to lose white a bit of weight and I'm hoping it will help me. :)

    How would beginning a low carb diet improve ones overall health if they are not diabetic,ir or have no known medical conditions?
  • ChristyMorris0514
    ChristyMorris0514 Posts: 12 Member
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    Meanwhile, my plant-based diet is 75% carbs (grains, legumes, potatoes, fruits, veggies, table sugar etc), that's about 350g/day and yet, my lab tests taken 2 weeks ago showed a fasting blood glucose of 81mg/dl and Hemoglobin A1c of 5.2% (normal range is 4.8-5.6). Pre-diabetes is 5.7-6.4 and diabetes is over 6.4.

    It's great that your dad is much better but it's also important to understand that carbs don't give you diabetes.

    I agree with this. I'm not saying it will give you diabetes, just that it might be something helpful is all. Being overweight can really be a factor of it and it runs on both sides of my family. I want to start a low carb diet to improve my overall health and hopefully help to prevent it. I need to lose white a bit of weight and I'm hoping it will help me. :)

    How would beginning a low carb diet improve ones overall health if they are not diabetic,ir or have no known medical conditions?

    I believe it will help me. I wasn't telling everyone to do it and it's a must. I however have health problems and I am overweight. I believe this will help me. I'm not shoving it down your throat to do it. I don't understand why I am getting rude comments all because I posted my dad's story and my opinion. One which obviously everyone has. I however am not going to be rude.it's awesome that you have your opinions and are able to voice them. :) I hope you find the diet that works best for you. Good luck everyone! :)
  • ChristyMorris0514
    ChristyMorris0514 Posts: 12 Member
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    I am counting my carbs and calories. Potatoes and breads and things like that are fattening. They are also loaded with carbs. Just saying. I am trying to lose weight and this is what I am going to try for now.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    edited June 2016
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    I am counting my carbs and calories. Potatoes and breads and things like that are fattening. They are also loaded with carbs. Just saying. I am trying to lose weight and this is what I am going to try for now.

    They aren't. I eat bread daily and potatoes several times a week. i am 16% body fat and keep going lower.

    Its ok though. I hope you find this dietary style beneficial and help with compliance. Compliance is the number 1 requirement for all diets. The fact is, any diet that helps you achieve weight loss will improve your health. Even the twinkie diet guy improved all his health markers. This would suggest that obesity and inactivity have greater impacts on health, than the particular diet.


    Also, make sure you join that group. They have a good getting started guide (from my understanding) as there are some minor things that need to be addressed when going low carb, such as; increased sodium/potassium/magnesium, and increase fats.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    A 4 ounce sweet potato is less than 100 calories.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Definitely join the Low Carber Daily group. They are very supportive.
    Meanwhile, my plant-based diet is 75% carbs (grains, legumes, potatoes, fruits, veggies, table sugar etc), that's about 350g/day and yet, my lab tests taken 2 weeks ago showed a fasting blood glucose of 81mg/dl and Hemoglobin A1c of 5.2% (normal range is 4.8-5.6). Pre-diabetes is 5.7-6.4 and diabetes is over 6.4.

    It's great that your dad is much better but it's also important to understand that carbs don't give you diabetes.

    I agree with this. I'm not saying it will give you diabetes, just that it might be something helpful is all. Being overweight can really be a factor of it and it runs on both sides of my family. I want to start a low carb diet to improve my overall health and hopefully help to prevent it. I need to lose white a bit of weight and I'm hoping it will help me. :)

    How would beginning a low carb diet improve ones overall health if they are not diabetic,ir or have no known medical conditions?

    It would probably increase HDL, maybe improve triglycerides (if they need improving). It may improve your skin. It could help reduce inflammation. It often reduces appetite so people find it easier to eat better/less. It could be a preventative measure for helping to avoid insulin resistance.

    Depends on how you implement the diet too. What foods you choose.

    Lots of maybe's and might's but that is true for diets of moderation too. It might keep you healthy, but it might not. People need to pick their own gambles. If your health declines, then you know you picked wrong. ;)
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
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    I am counting my carbs and calories. Potatoes and breads and things like that are fattening. They are also loaded with carbs. Just saying. I am trying to lose weight and this is what I am going to try for now.

    Then explain how I've gone from 152 lbs to 116 lbs eating 75% carbs (including potatoes and breads...).

    If your goal is weight loss, manage your total calories and increase your exercise. Focus on creating a calorie deficit and it will make your weight loss easier if you eat foods you like because you'll be able to stick with it. And just so you know, you can eat a zero carb diet and still not lose weight if you don't create a deficit.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Is this a commercial?

    No, it isn't. I just figured it might be helpful information for some people. Mainly ones who are diabetic or for the people that it runs in their family or if you know someone who is diabetic. A lot of people think it's mainly about sugar intake but it has a lot to do with carbs. Low carb helps you lose a lot of weight and stay healthy also.

    People who are diabetic should be receiving personally-tailored information about diet from their doctor and, ideally, a certified diabetic educator. Many people here have had excellent results with that and reversed their T2D, even without doing low carb. (Balancing carbs with the other macros, eating carbs with fiber, and perhaps a limit of 30 g/meal, which is not hugely low carb, all seem like common advice to me, and sensible for someone with IR/T2D, although I am not diabetic or IR or, for that matter, a doctor and would defer to someone else's medical team as to the proper advice for them.)
  • ticiaelizabeth
    ticiaelizabeth Posts: 139 Member
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    Congrats to your father, that is a huge accomplishment!! I believe people need to do whatever it is that keeps them going, and eating well. Be that low carb/high carb/vegan/raw, etc, etc. The key is finding what works for you, and clearly this diet worked well for your father. I believe there is some merit in the low carb lifestyle just for the fact that it helps beginners clean up their diet. It automatically eliminates many foods that people are likely eating WAY more than a typical or recommended serving size. Not necessarily sweet potatoes and other carb filled vegetables, but pasta, chips, and the like.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 798 Member
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    This is said in the nicest tone possible...
    This is called My Fitness Pal....not My Calorie Pal. People are on this site for many different reasons and keeping track of calories/nutrition for different reasons. CICO is not what everyone follows and sadly it seems that if you mention anything that differs from CICO you get a lot of backlash:/ I think everyone has different carbohydrate tolerance. I went low fat whole foods vegan (at least whole 90% of the time) and lost nothing...zilch. I don't do well eating a lot of carbs, but that's not to say that they next person is at all the same.

    OP, I think it's great that your dad had such great success! It's awesome that you are taking care of yourself and focusing on being healthier:) Don't worry about the negative comments. This is supposed to be a place you can share and converse...it's pretty natural for people to get defensive when they feel they're being challenged. Idk if CICO or LC is better, but I know everyone's different and you have to try different things to find what works best for you:)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    This is said in the nicest tone possible...
    This is called My Fitness Pal....not My Calorie Pal. People are on this site for many different reasons and keeping track of calories/nutrition for different reasons. CICO is not what everyone follows and sadly it seems that if you mention anything that differs from CICO you get a lot of backlash:/ I think everyone has different carbohydrate tolerance. I went low fat whole foods vegan (at least whole 90% of the time) and lost nothing...zilch. I don't do well eating a lot of carbs, but that's not to say that they next person is at all the same.

    OP, I think it's great that your dad had such great success! It's awesome that you are taking care of yourself and focusing on being healthier:) Don't worry about the negative comments. This is supposed to be a place you can share and converse...it's pretty natural for people to get defensive when they feel they're being challenged. Idk if CICO or LC is better, but I know everyone's different and you have to try different things to find what works best for you:)

    CICO is not a diet. Its the enegy balance equation that is the basis for all diets. What you are probably referring to is flexible or IIFYM. In either case, dietary preference and adherence is what matters.