There really is a range that is considered low carb. Anything under 150g a day is generally accepted as low carb.
Some go lower because they find more appetite control and cravings are more under control or completely gone at lower levels.
It's a very personal thing. Experimenting with different levels isn't a bad idea.
Read this to get a better idea of what low carb is all about.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10039486/what-is-low-carb-an-overview-and-guide

>My cardiologist told me last week to go on a low carb diet. This is new to me because I was accustomed to counting calories.

You can still count calories on a LCD, you just count your carb macros too.

WBB55 wrote: »

Did your doctor not give you a diet plan? Did your doctor say "keto"?

I ask because "low carb" could mean <150g or <20g. Keto (a different metabolic pathway used medically by epileptics -- among others -- and nutritionally by some others, which is achieved by eating VERY low carb and quite HIGH fat) might not be advised for you to attempt if you have a medical condition. I love eating a keto lifestyle, so I'm not trying to sway you from it. I just want you to be safe.

I urge you to follow up again with your doctor and get clarification, and then a referral to a nutritionist or dietician, if you have a pre-existing medical condition.

An actual dietitian preferably. Don't want to be taking dietary advice from someone's dead cat (bit of a joke, but yeah one doctor did get his dead cat registered as a nutritionist).

Since your cardiologist recommended the low carb diet, I would definitely follow up with a dietician, but one who knows how to teach the low carb way for your medical history.

Meanwhile you could visit the calculator here: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ and you can figure your macros based on the level you choose to be at, then plug the numbers you get into your mfp food diary. You don't have to be "keto" to figure your macros there. As someone above mentioned, low carb is a wide range of carbs per day (15050gm, or less, per day). Using the food diary will help you learn what's in the foods you eat (can be very eye opening!), and is a wonderful tool!

Welcome to the group!

Low carb diets have a diuretic effect. The lightheaded feeling is likely due to that and you probably need more sodium. Sugar isn't a NEED. But sodium is something the body needs.
Read the post about ELECTROLYES in the launch pad.

BARBnKS wrote: »

I am a little worried about this cardiologist's advice. My reason for seeing him is that I have been retaining fluid for almost 8 years. The only way my family doctor has chose to treat me is with a diuretic & potassium all these years. I practically had to tie him down to tell me why & all he could only say was to go back to the same cardiologist I saw 3 years ago & he did a test, sort of like a sonogram on my heart & he said it was fine but wants me to do a treadmill stress test. I already told him I can't hardly walk because my knees are shot & need knee replacements & I have plantar fasciitis in my feet. He said if you could walk into my office you can do it. My other option was the nuclear test which I had done 3 years ago & didn't want to go through it again because of excruciating pain through my left arm while it was being done, which he refuses to admit that this nuclear chemical caused it. He told me wanted me on a low carb diet but did not refer me to a dietitian nor tell me how this diet works. So not knowing what I am doing I am not eating bread, pasta, potatoes & other starches, baked or processed foods but eating meat, vegetables, fruit & some dairy. But I had trouble getting enough calories to make it at least 1200 in order for MFP to recognize my day & warns me I'm not eating enough calories, especially after recording my hour pool exercise. This morning after breakfast while sitting on the sofa I became light headed, wondering if this is from not eating sugar & salt? Well the stress test is tomorrow, I'm trying to be optimistic but sure is difficult. Thanks everyone for your input on my situation, you all have been helpful & given me something more to think about. I do think I will need a dietitian to tell me what is best for me.

@BARBnKS - Something else, too, is that while a long term heart condition does trigger edema and contribute to it, underlying thyroid dysfunction is often a contributing factor - and most times it takes 10-15 years for it to show up in the standard TSH tests. There is a full panel of tests that can be run to determine if you have the co-factors for it - or have an issue that isn't yet "bad" enough to show in the standard test. I was only in the last year that I learned to watch for swelling/water retention issues as a sign that my medications needed to be adjusted again. I'd never heard ANYWHERE that this could be a thing... So, my recommendation is to definitely get someone, preferably an endocrinologist, justifiable if you have EVER had struggles to lose weight, to run the antibodies panel - as well as all the levels of the thyroid tests. www.stopthethyroidmadness.com has some great explanations on the tabs about what tests to run. Specifically the total, free, and reverse numbers - and the antibodies tests - are the ones I strongly recommend that folks get tested when they have the signs and/or symptoms of low thyroid but their tests keep coming back "normal."

I suffered from plantar fasciitis in both heels for over a decade, so I totally feel your pain there... Sending you the hugest hugs to starting finding some relief.

@BARBnKS Absolutely, you are welcome. TSH, which the standard test, is definitely NOT the best test - or at least it doesn't provide the entire picture. Look into that website, and it will show you what tests you need and why. At the least, with a TSH, the two antibodies tests will show if there are more significant issues, then the total/free/reverse numbers for T4 and T3 will tell you TONS...

I've been fighting back against my thyroid issues for years and years now. I'm finally feeling like my medications are on the road to the right direction. My TSH has come down, but not enough for my age range apparently. It's a 2.04 uIU/mL, with the range being 0.36-3.740. I've been told I should definitely be well UNDER the 2 range, given that I'll be 40 in less than a week. Less than 9 months ago, it was 3.979, so it's definitely getting better (I go up then down, then up, then down, etc., adjusting medications, feeling better, then not, etc.)...again. But despite the improvement, I wasn't feeling symptom relief, so I did more digging, and found out that my T3 numbers (total and free and reverse) were showing that I wasn't converting well from T4 to T3 (a lot of other contributing factors were pointing this direction also), and we finally got that added in, and I'm starting to finally feel human again! Supplementing with iodine (after having the tests done to show that this isn't auto-immune hypo or Hashimoto's), has helped me have a dramatic impact in my symptom relief...but it can have negative effects on other types, so that must be tested, too...and started out slowly - very - because apparently many folks are sensitive to it and can have major wacky allergic reactions.

My PCP is pretty comfortable with making most of these decisions as long as I provide her info to research, so I hope it is the case for you, too. Some endocrinologists will actually do long distance phone consults in conjunction with your PCP running labs and such for you...so definitely look into it...

My Dr recommended LCHF and my dietician said NO WAY... since I know how my body reacts to high carb I switched to LCHF and am feeling amazing my carb count usually 20-25. Emotionally balanced too. I hope you find your level and for the record everyone on here is amazing and dedicated and also here for you.