Carb count
ddzgm
Posts: 11 Member
Hello, I am new to this group. I am a diabetic who is looking to lose weight, get healthier and lower my blood sugar levels. When we say "low carb" how many carbs are we talking in a day? I have given up white flour, bread, rice, potatoes etc.... I am eating leaner meats and tons of veggies. No fruit for the last few weeks. I have recently lost about 5 lbs and have a long way to go. I need to incorporate exercise, that is my next goal. Any suggestions for a newcomer?
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Replies
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@2t9nty. @RalfLott. @midwesterner85.
I'm not diabetic so these guys and many others here are the ones to offer info.
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Hello, I am new to this group. I am a diabetic who is looking to lose weight, get healthier and lower my blood sugar levels. When we say "low carb" how many carbs are we talking in a day? I have given up white flour, bread, rice, potatoes etc.... I am eating leaner meats and tons of veggies. No fruit for the last few weeks. I have recently lost about 5 lbs and have a long way to go. I need to incorporate exercise, that is my next goal. Any suggestions for a newcomer?
Welcome!
I restrict my carbs to 20 per day. I was diagnosed with T2D in late 2016. I was checking my glucose and found that the glucose levels responded dramatically to lower carbs. I have lost weight - 108 lbs total and 68 of those were once I restricted the carbs to 20. Before that it was straight CICO in early 2016 trying to avoid the T2D.
I have gotten glucose levels low enough with diet and weight loss that the doctor first reduced my metformin and then took me off of it entirely.
Are you checking glucose levels? Are you on meds?20 -
Will the food diary track net carbs?0
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I am tracking my glucose levels now... I wasn't for a while... I have been watching them come down since I have been eating better, about three weeks. I am on Janumet which is Metformin, 1000 mg and Januvia 50 mg. How do you stay under 20 mg of carbs? That sounds hard. I have been around 60 carbs lately. I guess I am not use to eating so little carbs.
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Will the food diary track net carbs?
If you install the script which can be found in the "stickies".
Some of us go to settings and replace the sugar category with fiber and mentally subtract fiber from carbs. I've shuffled mine around so fiber is beside carbs in the diary. Quick glance and subtraction.6 -
so, we are talking net carbs, basically carbs less fiber. Right? I was just checking my food diary and I am already at 20 carbs and I have not eaten dinner yet.2
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I am tracking my glucose levels now... I wasn't for a while... I have been watching them come down since I have been eating better, about three weeks. I am on Janumet which is Metformin, 1000 mg and Januvia 50 mg. How do you stay under 20 mg of carbs? That sounds hard. I have been around 60 carbs lately. I guess I am not use to eating so little carbs.
I will send a friend invitation and you can check my food diary.6 -
Sounds great!0
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Things that have lots of carbs:
-Anything processed with sugar (of course) - candy, cake, donuts, ice cream, etc.
-Fruit
-Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots)
-Grains, rice, peas (grain includes breading found on some processed meats)
-Some dairy (particularly milk)
Things that have enough carbs that you should be careful about quantities:
-Legumes (beans, peanuts) - beans could be in the 1st category
-Some vegetables, such as tomatoes
-Liver (perhaps could be in 1st category)
-Condiments (ketchup, BBQ sauce) - some of these have so much added sugar that they are best avoided
Things that would be alright, though it is technically possible to go overboard on some of these:
-Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach), celery, cucumbers, pickles
-Cheese
-Beef, pork, lamb, fish, chicken, bacon, turkey, bacon, eggs, sausage, and bacon
Leave the bun off your burger and don't cover it in condiments. Skip the fries and have a salad or cottage cheese instead.
Cutting carbs is mostly about cutting processed food, fruits, starchy vegetables / grains, and milk.5 -
@ddzgm If you haven't seen the Diabetic Section in our "Stickies" yet, this will keep you busy reading for a while and may offer some insights:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482542/diabetic-discussions#latest3 -
My brother has been successful with treating his T2D using carb levels between 50-100g/day
he's about 6'1", probably 250-280 lbs...so you might not be able to go as high if you are smaller or female...4 -
I am female and 5'4.
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Yes. On the group "home" page.
They are under the Heading "Announcements."
To get there from here click, scroll to the top of the page.
Click "Low Carber Daily Forum....The LCD Group." That page is the Group's Home page.
Look under our logo and there is the Announcements section. Those links listed are the "stickies." They are always there for reference.1 -
got it! Thanks!1
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it does take some getting used to. I'm still around 50g carbs per day, but slowly trying to work down from there. aim for getting most of your carbs from low-starch veggies, about a cup with each meal, then once you subtract out the fiber, you should be ok. I find the visual guides on https://www.dietdoctor.com/ helpful and he has some good info for getting started on keto.
also, as a diabetic, be aware that protein does raise blood sugar. It took me a while to figure that out. It's not a big immediate spike like carbs, so a lot of people don't even mention it, but over the next few hours, you can see it. on the good side, that helps you feel full longer and not as inclined to snacking, but aim for a consistent amount of protein with each meal.
so now that you have some carbs and your required protein, add fat calories until you are full.
I like Cheese (1g carb per ounce), goes nicely with broccoli or pretty much everything.
for some ideas on how to get more fat in your diet look up "fat bomb recipes".4 -
I am slowly reducing my carbs... it's getting easier. Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas.1
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WOW what a helpful group of folks. I'm always inspired by your replies.5
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i do 20 carbs or less a day , been 36 days now and it gets easier , and fun trying to find things to eat , and i am cooking way more , I am losing , but i have a lot to lose . and remember sugar free jello , it is saving me LOL3
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I try and stay under 100 I prefer 50 I tried to go to 20 and in two days I seen my b/s at 3.9 to low for this gal. You can try going low up to the individual but be careful. You lose weight fast on ketosis but as soon as you get a slip it comes back on. Best of luck to all.2
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Just to add more data to what has already been posted. I had T2db on the run by dropping under 100g carb a day. Since then I dropped my intake further to 20-40g daily to pursue a keto diet.0
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I am T2D. I started at 50 net carbs daily and after some health problems went to 60 and then 70 and still lost weight. Now I have worked my way back down to coming under 50 daily. My advice is start high see what works for you. You can always work your way back down. You can still get into keto being under 100 carbs it just takes longer than it would if you are at 20 carbs or less. Good luck on your journey! You can do it!!3
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i am new to the forum as well i used to try and stick to about 60 and lost about 2 stone,these days i have about 150 carbs a day and approx 1500 cals and have gained 6lb in one month despite plenty of exercise,either jogging cycling or gym on daily basis,need to get backon the low carb2
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I've been getting excellent blood glucose results with the above method.
I don't count anything.
I check my bg#s & lately I'm reducing my meds.
Complex carbs is the key.
Reasonable protein & fats for taste.
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Hey how come this just died. Probably I can find another similar as i'm back on the wagon. And no bread no sugar works wonders.2
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I was attempting 25-ish net carbs a day, but it wasn’t feasible for me. I noticed that I was craving vegetables (which would have thrown me over my count) and not wanting to eat another egg.
I’ve changed my percentages for macros to give a bit more carb flexibility and less fat. I’m naturally not fussy over grains (except for oatmeal), pasta or bread. Fill my plate with protein, salad and some vegetables and I’m happy.
So, technically I am low carb, but had to play around with things to find something I can live with.1 -
imlightning wrote: »I was attempting 25-ish net carbs a day, but it wasn’t feasible for me. I noticed that I was craving vegetables (which would have thrown me over my count) and not wanting to eat another egg.
I’ve changed my percentages for macros to give a bit more carb flexibility and less fat. I’m naturally not fussy over grains (except for oatmeal), pasta or bread. Fill my plate with protein, salad and some vegetables and I’m happy.
So, technically I am low carb, but had to play around with things to find something I can live with.
Low carb covers a lot of territory. It is a matter really of figuring out what works for you.5 -
imlightning wrote: »I was attempting 25-ish net carbs a day, but it wasn’t feasible for me. I noticed that I was craving vegetables (which would have thrown me over my count) and not wanting to eat another egg.
I’ve changed my percentages for macros to give a bit more carb flexibility and less fat. I’m naturally not fussy over grains (except for oatmeal), pasta or bread. Fill my plate with protein, salad and some vegetables and I’m happy.
So, technically I am low carb, but had to play around with things to find something I can live with.
Low carb covers a lot of territory. It is a matter really of figuring out what works for you.
This is so true. My biggest downfall was beer, which I would drink daily, sometimes in excess. I’ve cut that out to 1-2 per week (on weekends only).
Bread or grains of any sort just make me hungrier. I’ve done best in the past on eating plans that don’t involve wheat, grains, etc but loaded up on other good and healthy items. The weight slid off, and as soon as I hit a rough patch and started throwing back the beers, it all came back (plus some more)3 -
Yes i find with this way of life low carbs as soon as you hit a flaw it comes right back on.@imlightning I hear you full well on eggs I get I don't want to see another egg. And I have chickens. lol
We can we believe and we will do this
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