Too many carbs :(

Your question isn't clear, but I think your answers are in the previous replies:

You have to set your carbs to at least 5%, mfp won't let you choose zero, and if you reduce carbs you have to increase one or both oft he other two macros or mfp won't let you save your changes. Carb% + Protein% + Fat% has to equal 100.

If you want to reduce carbs, that's fine, but calories are what determine if you gain or lose weight. You want to eat enough so that your body is properly fueled, but less than your body burns. So you want to hit the calorie goal mfp gave you.

If we're not answering the question, please come back and clarify! And good luck :drinker:

Increase the percentage of fat and protein until you hit your daily minimum calorie requirement.

Standard MFP setting are annoying especially if you have special/medical dietary needs.

I had to upgrade to premium MFP to be able to set the carbohydrates and protein to fix amounts and to be able to look at macros at a glance rather than go dig for it or do calculations.

I think it's well worth the upgrade.

Grammabear2 wrote: »

rheddmobile wrote: »

Y'all, the usual comments about not needing to limit carbs to lose weight don't have any relevance here. A type 1 diabetic has to inject insulin to digest ANY amount of carbs, and more injected insulin makes it harder to regulate blood glucose and lose weight. What is true for people with functioning pancreases doesn't work for people who don't have one.

@Grammabear2 How have you been tracking your carbs to determine your insulin dosage in the past? How many carbs on average have you been eating up until now?

I'm type 2, so my needs are a little different from yours, but I've had good luck reducing my A1c and getting off meds using MFP to track, so you are definitely in the right place. You should have no problem setting your macros to eat less than 100g carbs per day. Can you describe what you were doing when you got the message that you needed to eat more?

One thing I would suggest is to add a column for fiber to your settings, so that you can easily subtract fiber and get net carbs instead of gross carbs, since net is what you need to know for your dosing. Also remember you have to cover protein with insulin, even though the amount needed is less. Test a lot while you are making changes!

For someone insulin dependent like you, one of the keto diet subforums might be helpful. Focus on green vegetables and proteins - it's usually pretty easy to get enough fat in an American diet. Avoid starchy vegetables, sweets, and grains. Limit fruits.

rheddmobile - I used to write down the amount of carbs I ate daily and my average carb intake is about 125. When I was diagnosed in 2003 the dietititian told me 45-60 carbs at each meal plus two additional snacks of 30 carbs between meals. I foolishly followed that advice until I realized I had gained 75 pounds. I now have a pump and a cgm so I can track my blood glucose better. I need and want to lose weight but I just don't know how to manage the carb intake plus keep my blood sugars on track. My A1C isn't too bad at 6.5 but it could be better. I am not young at 72 but I still desire to be healthier if possible. I also have trouble with going 'low' after I have ridden my stationary bike.

When I get the message that I haven't eaten enough calories for the day is at the end of the day when you click on the button that summarizes your day's intake.

Okay, well, you do need to be eating the full allowance of calories MFP gives you for the weight loss rate you choose. If you are getting that message, you have logged fewer than 1000 calories. Log everything you eat, and if you are still under 1000, eat more protein and fat. It's not healthy for an adult, even an overweight adult, to eat less than 1200 calories a day for any length of time. Plus, getting enough protein will protect you from losing lean muscle as you lose weight.

Some carb-free options include any kind of meat, tuna, eggs. Dairy has carbs but also has protein, and so do beans and nuts. When I'm low on protein and need a low calorie increase at the end of a day I usually eat some tuna on a lettuce wrap. But if you are that low on calories, add some fats to your diet too.

I think most dieticians give similar advice to newly diagnosed diabetics - for me the advice I got also turned out to be way too many carbs, I can only handle about 30 per meal and 15 per snack. But everyone is different!

Stationary bike can definitely cause lows - in fact I use it when I'm high after meals to quickly drop my levels. I can drop it from 160 something into the 70s in 15 minutes of intense peddling. What works best to keep my levels steady is eating something quick acting like an orange before (before a workout is one time you may be able to get away with eating higher levels of quick acting carbs) and then something with both carbs and protein, such as a glass of milk, or Greek yogurt with berries, afterwards. Your situation with the insulin is different from mine, but definitely eat a little after.

I also carry smarties candy to the gym in case of lows - if you have problems getting really low, consider carrying an injectable and instructing people around you in how to use it in case you ever faint.

Grammabear2 wrote: »

Sorry about the confusion on my question. The amount of insulin I use is determined by the amount of carbs I eat. If I eat less carbs, then I can use less insulin hence maybe lose weight. My doctor suggested I keep my carbs at around 100 or below. I am not tech savvy and I am definitely not good at setting goals on MFP.

Do as your doctor suggests, then sort out the protein and fat to suit your calorie allowance.