HELP!!!!

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pekemom
pekemom Posts: 13
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, my name is Patti, I'm 56-years old, weigh 240 pounds and am now pre diabetic. I am desperate to finally figure this out. A friend told me about this website and I am now optimistic that I can make this happen. A question - has anyone had success with counting carbs compared to counting calories? Thank you!

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  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Low carb diets work because you are under maintenance calories.

    Best not to get rid of a macro. Counting calories works wonders :]
  • cwilson466
    cwilson466 Posts: 3 Member
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    My husband has lost weight counting carbs, BUT... he always puts it all right back on as soon as he stops. If you go the carb route, it is much harder to stick to it for the rest of your life. Focusing on healthy foods and calories is much easier to stick with.
  • pekemom
    pekemom Posts: 13
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    Thank you for the very quick reply. I think you are right - I will start with counting calories and see how that works for me. I was worried counting carbs would be too restrictive for me. So, tomorrow morning I begin. Thank you so much! :flowerforyou:
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    A caloric deficit is all you need to lose weight.

    :flowerforyou:
  • vsmurrow
    vsmurrow Posts: 145
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    Carb counting is a quick-fix.

    Never. Ever. Quick-fix.
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    You should count carbs (counting os not the same as restricting or eliminating). Just make sure you dont go over your calorie goals, and keep your macronutrients somewhere near the recommended amounts. You can change this as you get a better feel for what works for you, but the default or something like 40% protein/40% carbs/20% fat will work for most people.

    Oh and one last thing, don't forget to include some exercise in your daily routine!

    Oh and one more last thing :P, there are HEAPS of lovely helpful people here on the forums, most of them with something useful to contribute and a genuine desire to help, so use this place as much as you need to for guidance and support!
  • melvac
    melvac Posts: 333 Member
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    I do a combination of both. like the other parson said with stricly low carbs I seem to put back on with the combination of both I am able to maintain. I like the low calorie and the carbs within in reason works a lot better. I eat every 2 3 hours to keep my metabolism revved up.... Good luck and welcome to MFP
  • Bonita_Lynne_58
    Bonita_Lynne_58 Posts: 2,845 Member
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    Welcome! I'm 53 and haven't been diagnosed with any health problems yet. So I'm hoping to avoid my family legacy of heart disease by losing the extra weight and giving my body the exercise it needs. I started Sept 9th at 208.5lbs. I currently weigh 189lbs. I've been counting calories and getting more exercise (mostly walking).

    I still have a long way to go but I will get there. If I can do this, you can! There are many great people on here who know what it's like to work to take control of your body and life. They will be happy to help you.

    If you need a friend just send me a request. Good luck!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Thank you for the very quick reply. I think you are right - I will start with counting calories and see how that works for me. I was worried counting carbs would be too restrictive for me. So, tomorrow morning I begin. Thank you so much! :flowerforyou:

    Welcome aboard!
    Great idea, get started with counting calories and if you feel you need to keep and eye on carbs, that is easy to do in MFP, you can plan your meals to suit your macros (ie. to get a good balance of carbs, protein and fat).
    My best suggestion - don't wait until tomorrow! Start right now and write down what you ate today and plan what you are going to eat tomorrow.
  • mmacintosh321
    mmacintosh321 Posts: 32 Member
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    I'm hypoglycemic... which is more or less the opposite of Diabetes/pre-diabetes... but the way to control it is identical. A higher protein, lower carb diet works well for both conditions because it doesn't cause a spike in blood-sugar... when your blood-sugar spikes, your pancreas struggles to produce enough insulin to bring your blood-sugar back to a normal level... when my blood-sugar spikes, my pancreas produces TOO MUCH insulin and my brain gets starved of glucose. Either way, the solution is to reduce carbs. This works wonders for reducing food cravings.

    Feel free to friend me and you can take a look at my food diary. I've lost 35 pounds total (10 through MFP) and I basically count calories but make sure that I get a bit more protein that what is normally recommended... but not CRAZY amounts, like what you find in the Atkins diet... I just don't think that's healthy. I do egg whites in the morning with one whole wheat muffin. Whole wheat and various grains are better than white flour. Avoid simple sugars (candy, pastries, etc.) at all costs. Once you go a couple weeks without that stuff you won't crave it at all. Do brown rice instead of white rice. Limited fruits are good, but don't go overboard and avoid certain fruit with a high glycemic index (mangos, grapes, apples and bananas are the highest) -- that means they cause the greatest spike in blood-sugar because they're absorbed very quickly into the blood stream. Get lots of fiber, count calories... slow and steady wins the race.

    Anyway, that's what's worked so far for me. I'm still looking to lose an additional 20 some pounds, but I'm no loner overweight.... I'm just looking to get really, really fit. The more fit you get, the more likely it is that your Type II diabetes (or pre-diabetes... it's all on a spectrum) will disappear. It happened to my mom -- she was diagnoses Type II diabetic and she's not longer diabetic now (having dropped 40 pounds). One you get your blood-sugar back to normal levels, you can reintegrate a normal distribution of carbs back into your diet, because ideally you don't want TOO much protein... we are omnivores after all.

    This is a great place to find support! Stick with it! And feel free to ask me any questions. And of course, I'm not a doctor or a dietician, so take whatever you like and leave the rest. I have done a lot of research on this, though.... and from credible sources... and its worked in my own personal, anecdotal experience.

    Good luck! You can do it!

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