Low Carb or Unrealistic?

grayhighlander
grayhighlander Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss

Been advised not to exceed 34 grams of carbs for any of the 03 meals planned for each day in response to my Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes diagnosis, but is this even possible in light of the fact that No Distinction was made between the different kinds of carbs, and I do Love my Fruits. Any Thoughts/Opinions or more importantly Success Stories out there?

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,610 Member

    Low carb is the preferred and default diet for pretty much all the metabolic clinics that deal with metabolic situations like diabetes and with very high levels of success. Personally I was in a similar situation, being pre diabetic and low carb solved that issue and some other health issues and I've continued that way for quite a few years, so it does work very well and continues to be in maintenance as well.

    I suspect your making most of your own food now because low carb pretty much dictates a whole food diet to be a must to be really successful and I would advice your protein and fat sources be animal sources, better adherence for low carb and healthier as far as blood markers and the all important microbiome are concerned.

    You've been given an amount of carbs that most people in that low carb community would say is high, nevertheless, it's still going to reap some of the rewards that low carb offers people. You have around 100 g's of carbs a day to work with and I would suggest you pick the carby foods you enjoy the most, grain products like pasta, potatoes, rice whatever and pick the fruit you like the most and fit them into your daily, weekly routine, it should be pretty easy to still enjoy most of the carbs you like, just maybe less of them. I have quite a bit of berries in my diet and eat them daily and my carb allotment is less than half of yours, so it can be done. The important part of this is to minimize your insulin response to the meals your constructing and to make sure you have enough protein and fat to accompany those carbs. I can give you a more nuanced answer if you like, just ask.

  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 2,068 Member

    I’ve had success.
    When I was fat I was diagnosed with borderline insulin resistance. Per my endocrinologist-I changed my diet to be low carb, low glycemic.

    -34 carbs can be quite a diverse menu.

    After a few weeks I noticed I felt better on a low carb, glycemic diet. I had better sleep, less fatigue and more energy. After weight loss… I still feel best and prefer a lower carb, lower sugar Whole Foods diet..

    Today - I have 4 fruits in the menu. (28.5 net carbs)


    IMG_4535.jpeg
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 843 Member

    When it comes to directions from your doctor, I tend not to comment, because I'm not a doctor.

    For me personally, I don't think I could eat that few carbs. My suggestion: Go back to the doctor who gave you those instructions and ask them if they mean refined carbs like sugar, bread and rice or do they mean all carbs. I have a feeling that they will say refined carbs. Assuming they meant refined carbs, then this target should be pretty easy.

    On a related note, I find when I eat refined carbs with protein & fat (eg., bread with avocado), then it kind of balances things out and I don't get that 'sugar-rush' that often comes with refined carbs on their own. But I do not have insulin resistance nor am I pre-diabetes.

    I'm assuming that they are having you check your blood sugar throughout the day. If not, my question is why not? If they are, then follow their advice for a week or so, track everything, then evaluate what foods impact your blood sugar and what foods don't. My sister-in-law and niece (mother-daughter) are both pre-diabetes and both monitor their blood sugar and they have found that they each have different foods that spike their blood sugar. Eg., one can eat white rice with little impact, while the other just cannot eat white rice.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,610 Member

    Yeah, if someone is prediabetic white rice will elicit a spike in insulin and if it didn't it would be like winning the lottery as far as the odds go.

  • rockyhi512
    rockyhi512 Posts: 45 Member

    hey neanderthin… just to let you know studies have shown that if you allow your rice to cool and reheat it after it is cold for at least 24 hrs, the insulin spike greatly decreases.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,610 Member
    edited May 1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48590644#Comment_48590644

    Yep, it's referred to as "resistant starch" it lowers the GI (glycemic index) into the 50-60 range from the 70 range and it doesn't deliver less total glucose, just delivers it slower. That actually means the someones blood glucose levels that resides above base line insulin is still active and so are it's anabolic and metabolic effects.

    It's kind of misunderstood that this might be a better carb source but it isn't in the context if someone is trying to find solutions for Insulin Resistance through to Diabetes thinking it might lower someones A1C, it doesn't for the most part.

    Of course if someone is reducing their total carb consumption and compensating with replacing those calories with protein for example, then consuming a resistance starch with possibly less fewer grams along with an animal based protein in that same meal then the insulin response to that meal will be quite a bit lower allowing blood sugar to get back down to based line quicker which is ideal in this context.

  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,833 Member
    edited May 1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48590644#Comment_48590644

    I follow this guy on youtube, insulinresistant1, who does blood sugar tests on various foods. He did the freshly cooked rice vs refrigerated rice and there was only a 3 mg/dl difference. For him. He's big on making that clear. 😀

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,586 Member

    I don't really track macros, but I know that if I eat too many I can't stay within my plan. So, I keep a lid on them, but I don't go ultra-low carb. I eat two pieces of whole fruit most days. This time of year, I love eating a whole orange in the afternoon. It's only about 70kcals. An apple is good, too. Lots of fiber. And a square of dark chocolate in the evening is essential!

    Now, I'm not a nutrition expert, but I have read in numerous publications that, if you are overweight, just restricting calories such that you lose weight will improve all your numbers, including your lipids and blood pressure. This requires eating fairly low net carb (e.g., 100g per day) but not ultra low carb, which means cutting out most fruit

    Looking back at the last few weeks, I'm eating about 100 - 120 g of net carbs a day. I've tried going lower, but it's made me very tired and slow. And, on days where I do significant exercise, I bump up the carbs to re-fuel.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,610 Member
    edited May 1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48590867#Comment_48590867

    Yeah, I've used a CGM a few times and it's also very individual and the same bolus of carbs will have variable effects, but yeah, the GI is pretty much useless when it gets right down to actual real life.

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