Finding it difficult to limit carbs
Replies
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Hannahwalksfar wrote: »I think they should just listen to their doctor. You disagree. And so the world turns. Each to their own. Peace
There is a world of difference between "listen to your doctor" and "interpret your doctor's recommendations to mean keto". keto is NOT the default dietary recommendation for diabetes, let alone prediabetes, so I highly doubt the doctor recommended it specifically. What most likely happened is that because "cut carbs" has come to mean "do keto" recently due to its popularity, something must have been lost in translation.16 -
As others have said I am not a doctor. I am a person who was diagnosed as prediabetic and medicated with metformin to try to save my pancreas. My doc recommended low carb as well. I had tried low carb many times and simply could not adhere to it so I was just going to take the meds and live with it but I decided to count calories instead. I admit that I do better with less refined carb and try to limit them but walking daily and losing 100 pounds has put me firmly into the non-diabetic group. I no longer take the medication and my doc is very happy with my progress. So to answer your question, yes you can probably do it by just losing weight. HOWEVER, you may need to take the meds until you get it under control and you can't ever go back to your old way of life. In other words eating healthy and exercising daily are not just until you lose weight it is for the rest of your life. If you want to do this and make it as easy as possible I recommend limiting the refined stuff. Avoid sugar and white flour as much as you can. Note that I did not say eliminate it. I don't know what your normal eating habits have been but I can tell you I ate lots of white flour and sugar before. Unreasonable amounts. I don't anymore. I'm happier and healthier and probably feel about 10 years younger since quitting.
It's all worth it in the end. Do what you can live with for life. Be open to new foods and try stuff. If you don't like it you don't have to incorporate it into your lifestyle but at least give it a try. I thought my son was nuts when he used greek yogurt on baked potato instead of sour cream but now I often use it. I had to try it to find out it wasn't as bad as I imagined. Also over time your tastes will change so if you don't like it now you might 6 months from now.
Finally try to work with your doctor. Never quit medication without their help. I think they get pretty fed up with patients who are unwilling to follow their advice so they just dish out the same advice to everyone because no one listens anyway. It's better if you ask questions and tell him/her what you want to try. I think seeing a dietician if you can is helpful. Don't give up. We all had to find our way with what worked for us personally. You can too. Good luck.13 -
i think clarification is needed as typically this is not recommended. or get a second opinion from another doctor or specialist.
drs are human. one said i had crohns, i clearly do not. second opinion=correct diagnosis. one told me to cut out sugar and carbs to lose weight. i eat ice cream nearly every night and have lost 60lbs. etc etc9 -
Bread always has been my "trigger food" - meaning when I was unhappy / frustrated / depressed I could easily eat a loaf or two and whatever I managed to put in between the slices. Finally I have realized that bread is not the healthiest food for me - I have learned to replace it and with that my weight is also coming down.2
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I'd ask for a referral to a registered dietitian. I've never heard of keto being necessary for pre-diabetes, it's not even the default recommendation for actual T2D, and many people on MFP have controlled T2D without medication or gone into remission (not getting into the debate on that) by controlling carbs and sticking to moderate carbs eaten with fiber and protein, but not even going fully low carb.
I don't have IR or T2D, but I enjoy eating lowish carb from time to time (around 100 g to 120 g), and that did not require me to cut out fruit or starchy carbs, just watch portions.
Another vote for getting a referral for a registered dietitian.
The best thing you can do for pre-diabetes when you are 100 pounds overweight is to lose that weight, and you need a plan you can stick to. Eating meat, eggs, and vegetables only is clearly not that plan, so you need help crafting another one.
(Don't tell your doctor that - just ask for a referral to a RD.)9 -
get to a registered dietician. my ex had T2 diabetes and was allowed carbs daily. where does this one piece of a bread a week BS come from? I think his limit was 80 or 90. exercise (even just walking) also helps reduce your risk factor and when combined with a permanent change in the way you eat, and how many carbs you eat, can work miracles for getting those numbers back to where they should be.4
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Thank you everyone for your replies! To clear up a few things - my doctor did not specifically tell me to do keto, he simply said "eat mostly meat, vegetables, and eggs and limit bread to once a week". I had tried keto in the past and asked him if I should do that again - he said that would be fine. But I didn't really get any more specific guidance than that, which is honestly why I'm a little confused now.
I have started to incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, which is apparently a good way to control high blood sugar. In terms of food, I never really ate a ton of refined white carbs to begin with, so it's not really a matter of just switching to wheat bread or brown rice. But it sounds like limiting carbs to maybe 100g per day would be a good place to start? It would certainly be more sustainable for me than doing keto. Thank you all for your help - getting a diagnosis like this is scary and it's nice to hear from others who have had the same experience.11 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »I have only glanced through some of these comments but I wonder whether you clarified with the doctor what he/she meant by low carb. Low carb can be anything under 150 grams of carbs a day by definition and does not have to be keto. If that is the only information you got then I'd be seeking further advice, either from the doctor or better yet, a trained dietician who specialises in diabetes.
This. 1. Ask doctor to provide recommended daily grams of carbs. Their statement is very nebulous. 2. Ask for referral to a registered dietitian (not a nutritionist), preferably one who specialized in diabetes education.
I am diabetic and follow a low calorie, lower carb diet. But this doesn't mean no carbs. My dietitian recommended maximum of 150 to 180 grams of carbs per day, with 30 to 60 grams of carbs per meal, 15 to 30 grams of carbs for snacks. I test my blood glucose, and over time, I have determined that 30-40 grams of carbs per meal, and 15 grams per snack works best with my blood sugar, resulting in about 120 grams of carbs daily. My dietitian is happy with this. The key for me is spreading those carbs out throughout the day.
Other dietitian recommendations are cardio to help with insulin resistance (5 days or more per week, totally minimum of 150 minutes), and strength training 3x per week. And for my situation, weight loss.
Also recommend researching the American Diabetes Association website for more information.5 -
Also just wanted to add in case this matters - my dr said that I am not yet close to T2 diabetes, just over the line into prediabetes territory and I am not on any medication at this point.3
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concur with the request for a referral to a RD - but even before that, if you aren't already log your food intake - so that way when you see the RD you have good insight into what you are eating - that will help them to provide more guidance9
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LIFOtheparty wrote: »Also just wanted to add in case this matters - my dr said that I am not yet close to T2 diabetes, just over the line into prediabetes territory and I am not on any medication at this point.
Hi again, I checked out the American Diabetes Association website and they do have some great information about pre-diabetes that you might be interested in reading. Wishing you the best!2 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »Also just wanted to add in case this matters - my dr said that I am not yet close to T2 diabetes, just over the line into prediabetes territory and I am not on any medication at this point.
Hi again, I checked out the American Diabetes Association website and they do have some great information about pre-diabetes that you might be interested in reading. Wishing you the best!
Thank you, this is a great recommendation. I will do that!2 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »Thank you everyone for your replies! To clear up a few things - my doctor did not specifically tell me to do keto, he simply said "eat mostly meat, vegetables, and eggs and limit bread to once a week". I had tried keto in the past and asked him if I should do that again - he said that would be fine. But I didn't really get any more specific guidance than that, which is honestly why I'm a little confused now.
I thought you sounded a bit confused about how to implement the advice, which is why I think a referral to a registered dietitian would be a good idea if possible. It's usually covered by insurance if the doctor will refer you. That would give you a lot more guidance and let you talk through things that you think would be difficult for you.I have started to incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, which is apparently a good way to control high blood sugar.
Yes, it is.In terms of food, I never really ate a ton of refined white carbs to begin with, so it's not really a matter of just switching to wheat bread or brown rice. But it sounds like limiting carbs to maybe 100g per day would be a good place to start? It would certainly be more sustainable for me than doing keto. Thank you all for your help - getting a diagnosis like this is scary and it's nice to hear from others who have had the same experience.
There are others longtime posters here who have controlled T2D with diet (hope one shows up). It seems like it's common to work with a certified diabetes educator (your dietitian could be one of those).
Anyway, I think there's some variation on what foods trigger you -- I have a friend with T2D, and he found white rice, even with fat and protein (maybe especially with fat) was one of the worst things for his blood sugar, he basically had to give up the Chinese take out he loved.
That aside, as I understand it, it's about limiting carbs per meal and making sure that you get a good amount of fiber and also protein with it -- a mixed meal. If you can't get a referral, maybe something like that, so 100 g or so of carbs a day, about 30-40 g per meal? And for weight loss, are you using MFP to set a calorie goal and count cals? Weight loss alone often addresses insulin resistance.
But I am not a doctor or an RD, and I think the dietitian option is the best one.3 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »Thank you everyone for your replies! To clear up a few things - my doctor did not specifically tell me to do keto, he simply said "eat mostly meat, vegetables, and eggs and limit bread to once a week". I had tried keto in the past and asked him if I should do that again - he said that would be fine. But I didn't really get any more specific guidance than that, which is honestly why I'm a little confused now.
I thought you sounded a bit confused about how to implement the advice, which is why I think a referral to a registered dietitian would be a good idea if possible. It's usually covered by insurance if the doctor will refer you. That would give you a lot more guidance and let you talk through things that you think would be difficult for you.I have started to incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, which is apparently a good way to control high blood sugar.
Yes, it is.In terms of food, I never really ate a ton of refined white carbs to begin with, so it's not really a matter of just switching to wheat bread or brown rice. But it sounds like limiting carbs to maybe 100g per day would be a good place to start? It would certainly be more sustainable for me than doing keto. Thank you all for your help - getting a diagnosis like this is scary and it's nice to hear from others who have had the same experience.
There are others longtime posters here who have controlled T2D with diet (hope one shows up). It seems like it's common to work with a certified diabetes educator (your dietitian could be one of those).
Anyway, I think there's some variation on what foods trigger you -- I have a friend with T2D, and he found white rice, even with fat and protein (maybe especially with fat) was one of the worst things for his blood sugar, he basically had to give up the Chinese take out he loved.
That aside, as I understand it, it's about limiting carbs per meal and making sure that you get a good amount of fiber and also protein with it -- a mixed meal. If you can't get a referral, maybe something like that, so 100 g or so of carbs a day, about 30-40 g per meal? And for weight loss, are you using MFP to set a calorie goal and count cals? Weight loss alone often addresses insulin resistance.
But I am not a doctor or an RD, and I think the dietitian option is the best one.
I think you're right, seeing an RD will be very helpful for me. I will see if I can get on with one in my area. I just recently set up myfitnesspal and have started logging - aiming for 1,400-ish calories per day. Hopefully that's a good amount? I set it for 2 lbs per week.1 -
Did/can your doctor refer you to a registered dietitian to help you with a meal plan? I would be pretty sure you can eat more carbs than 1 piece of bread per week.
Set up your stats in mfp. Set a goal of 1 lb per week. Weigh all your food on a digital food scale. Eat the macro balance recommend by mfp. Work up to s 30 min walk per day. You should easily be able to lose weight by doing these things consistently. After losing 20-30 lb it’s likely you glucose will revert to a normal range. Then just keep going.2 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »LIFOtheparty wrote: »Thank you everyone for your replies! To clear up a few things - my doctor did not specifically tell me to do keto, he simply said "eat mostly meat, vegetables, and eggs and limit bread to once a week". I had tried keto in the past and asked him if I should do that again - he said that would be fine. But I didn't really get any more specific guidance than that, which is honestly why I'm a little confused now.
I thought you sounded a bit confused about how to implement the advice, which is why I think a referral to a registered dietitian would be a good idea if possible. It's usually covered by insurance if the doctor will refer you. That would give you a lot more guidance and let you talk through things that you think would be difficult for you.I have started to incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, which is apparently a good way to control high blood sugar.
Yes, it is.In terms of food, I never really ate a ton of refined white carbs to begin with, so it's not really a matter of just switching to wheat bread or brown rice. But it sounds like limiting carbs to maybe 100g per day would be a good place to start? It would certainly be more sustainable for me than doing keto. Thank you all for your help - getting a diagnosis like this is scary and it's nice to hear from others who have had the same experience.
There are others longtime posters here who have controlled T2D with diet (hope one shows up). It seems like it's common to work with a certified diabetes educator (your dietitian could be one of those).
Anyway, I think there's some variation on what foods trigger you -- I have a friend with T2D, and he found white rice, even with fat and protein (maybe especially with fat) was one of the worst things for his blood sugar, he basically had to give up the Chinese take out he loved.
That aside, as I understand it, it's about limiting carbs per meal and making sure that you get a good amount of fiber and also protein with it -- a mixed meal. If you can't get a referral, maybe something like that, so 100 g or so of carbs a day, about 30-40 g per meal? And for weight loss, are you using MFP to set a calorie goal and count cals? Weight loss alone often addresses insulin resistance.
But I am not a doctor or an RD, and I think the dietitian option is the best one.
I think you're right, seeing an RD will be very helpful for me. I will see if I can get on with one in my area. I just recently set up myfitnesspal and have started logging - aiming for 1,400-ish calories per day. Hopefully that's a good amount? I set it for 2 lbs per week.
If you have about 100 to lose, 2 lb a week is fine. Did it give you 1400? A couple of things to keep in mind is that MFP's sedentary is very sedentary, so many people who walk a decent amount in daily life are really "lightly active," and that MFP's number is without exercise, so adding back at least some exercise cals is a good thing.3 -
I would listen to your doctor's advice. Did he/she recommend seeing a dietician to help with planning your meals? I think that would be super helpful! I think swapping out heavily processed carbs like white sugar, white bread and white flours for more high fiber varieties would help, but then again, I'm no doctor!
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Ok... here is the deal. You can lower carbs or raise carbs and improve insulin sensitivity. When you lose weight, your insulin sensitivity goes up independent of carb intake. Their is evidence that even high carb vegan diets can put diabetes into remission. As long as they cause weight loss.3
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I would listen to your doctor's advice. Did he/she recommend seeing a dietician to help with planning your meals? I think that would be super helpful! I think swapping out heavily processed carbs like white sugar, white bread and white flours for more high fiber varieties would help, but then again, I'm no doctor!
He did not, but I'm hoping to get to see one anyway!0 -
psychod787 wrote: »Ok... here is the deal. You can lower carbs or raise carbs and improve insulin sensitivity. When you lose weight, your insulin sensitivity goes up independent of carb intake. Their is evidence that even high carb vegan diets can put diabetes into remission. As long as they cause weight loss.
So you're saying carbs don't matter at all?1 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »Ok... here is the deal. You can lower carbs or raise carbs and improve insulin sensitivity. When you lose weight, your insulin sensitivity goes up independent of carb intake. Their is evidence that even high carb vegan diets can put diabetes into remission. As long as they cause weight loss.
So you're saying carbs don't matter at all?
When calories are equated as far as fat and carbs, virtually no difference in weight loss, when protein and fiber are equated. Weight loss is the BIGGEST driver of insulin sensitivity. As far as satiety and hunger, that's individual for each person.3 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »Ok... here is the deal. You can lower carbs or raise carbs and improve insulin sensitivity. When you lose weight, your insulin sensitivity goes up independent of carb intake. Their is evidence that even high carb vegan diets can put diabetes into remission. As long as they cause weight loss.
So you're saying carbs don't matter at all?
They do matter short term for someone who is nearly diabetic because short term glucose control is important until weight loss takes care of it long term. A nearly diabetic person can get diabetic level blood sugar spikes if they eat too many fast carbs within a short period of time. If you are barely pre-diabetic, simply focusing on weight loss without paying attention to carbs may be enough (if your doctor agrees). A barely pre-diabetic person is much less likely to get diabetic level blood sugar spikes. Most likely, by trying to eat a balanced diet to reduce calories you are going to be somewhat reducing carbs by default simply because you have fewer calories to spend, so not worrying about it is a good option. Worst case scenario you don't regulate carbs at all, but weight loss takes care of it, best case scenario you regulate carbs without even realizing and end up controlling your blood sugar both short term and long term without it feeling like an ordeal.9 -
Wow. 12 Woos. Sorry for explaining physiology, geebus...11
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Prediabetes is not a condition - it's a risk assessment.
Having a good relationship and communication with your doctor is critical. Did you ask them why?
Unless there's some other medical reason, you don't need to limit carbs - this is just popular woo. You simply need to establish and maintain a deficit and manage your weight closer to your ideal BMI.9 -
Hannahwalksfar wrote: »I’m just going to tell myself that all the woos mean the people love my advice
More likely people are reacting to your sensational and unwarranted comment that the OP’s life is not worth bread...
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Hannahwalksfar wrote: »Hannahwalksfar wrote: »It’s like doctors shouldn’t even exist according to the majority of posters here. Bit concerning really.
Not really. But what is concerning is people who think that doctor's words should be taken as gospel and everyone should follow them no questions asked.
Most doctors recieve very little nutritional training. Nutritional advice is not their areas of expertise. That is why we have registered dieticians. The truth is even with years of medical training, most areas of medicine are not any particular doctor's area of expertise, because the field of medicine is so vast. More than you think, doctors rely on Google like the rest of us.
And they also beleieve plenty of wrong information. My dad's endocrinologist told him he needed to stop drinking diet soda because "your body doesn't know how to process it and it all gets stored in your gut." That's not a real thing that happens. It's not true just because a doctor said it.
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. The world is undoubtedly better off because it has doctors in it, but people would be bettter served by not putting their doctors on a pedestal, and questioning advice that seems suspect.
My doctor saved my life so I’ll trust doctors over internet people. Especially when it comes to potentially life-threatening issues like diabetes.
I am glad the doctor was able to help you.
You don't ask your doctor to fill cavities for you, do you? Of course not. It is not their area of expertise. Nutrition is not their area of expertise either. If I had listened to my doctor I would have never lost as much weight as I have and he is a REALLY good doctor.14 -
LIFOtheparty wrote: »I was told by my doctor that I have prediabetes and that I should try to limit my carbs (i.e. have bread once a week max and eat meat, eggs, and vegetables only). I also want to lose around 100 lbs. I have tried keto off and on multiple times but I can't ever stick to it. I'm just finding it hard realistically to keep my carbs low. I feel very restricted and then when I inevitably eat carbs I feel like I've failed my body and my health.
Can anyone with prediabetes or blood sugar problems chime in on this? Is it really necessary to eat a low carb diet when you have prediabetes? I know for weight loss it's CICO, but surely I'm not doomed to a low-carb diet forever b/c of prediabetes?
You do not have to eat low carb for pre-diabetes. Yes, you may have to limit your carbs but you also can keep your blood sugar under control via losing weight and exercising. Everyone is different so you and your medical team need to work out what is best for you.
I am diabetic. My blood sugar is under control via diet and exercise. I do not eat low carb, I eat moderate carb (max of 150 grams of total carbs per day). I eat my daily sandwich with one slice of bread, not two. I have a half English muffin with my breakfast egg, not the whole muffin. I reduced my fruit servings and raised my vegetable servings and do not drink juice. If I have a soda, it is diet. I also eat potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles, dumplings, etc.; I just do not eat a huge pile of any of those in a meal. I eat sweets, just not daily and only one serving.
I agree with the suggestions to consult a Registered Dietician.
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I am (or was; probably not anymore but we'll see at my next annual) pre-pre diabetic. Blood glucose 102 or 103 or something. Here is what the doctor told me, verbatim. I remember it verbatim, because it had a huge impact on me and changed my life.
"You aren't diabetic, but you are going to be, and not that long from now. If you want that not to happen, you need to lose a lot of weight."
"Should I watch my carbs?"
"You can watch whatever you want. But you have to lose weight. That is what will prevent you from getting T2D. Everything else is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."
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LIFOtheparty wrote: »I was told by my doctor that I have prediabetes and that I should try to limit my carbs (i.e. have bread once a week max and eat meat, eggs, and vegetables only). I also want to lose around 100 lbs. I have tried keto off and on multiple times but I can't ever stick to it. I'm just finding it hard realistically to keep my carbs low. I feel very restricted and then when I inevitably eat carbs I feel like I've failed my body and my health.
Can anyone with prediabetes or blood sugar problems chime in on this? Is it really necessary to eat a low carb diet when you have prediabetes? I know for weight loss it's CICO, but surely I'm not doomed to a low-carb diet forever b/c of prediabetes?
Reducing carbs and going keto are two different things. Keto isn't necessary in the least. I was pre-diabetic when I started and I did reduce carbs to an extent...but not to keto extent...I was still eating around 130-150 grams per day, most of which came from things like vegetables, fruit, oats and other whole grains, legumes, lentils, root vegetables, etc...more of a "Mediterranean" type of diet. No way in hell I could ever do keto.
Really though, losing some weight and becoming active with regular exercise were the biggest factor IMO.
ETA: my Dr. wasn't really concerned about me watching carbs...he wanted me to get my weight down and to start exercising. Having excess weight (fat) is the biggest contributor to pre-diabetes and T2.7
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