Dr's Orders: very low carb diet... Anyone else following thi

HI :) Just last week I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The Dr recommended a very low carb diet until my next check up, to get me off the carbs cravings. He also suggested eating less than 800 calories a days for 5 days a week, and 1,200 2 days where some carbs are allowed. I am finding difficult to eat very few carbs. Being of hispanic heritage the meat and veggies are a side dish to rice, pasta, or potatoes. And I can't eat anything of the such, Dr prohibited any rice, pasta (even if it is wheat, the carbs are way out there) and potatoes. For the past week I have been handling it, eating cheese, chicken, tuna salad, egg salads, nuts, veggies, salads with little dressing, lots and lots of water...and keeping a written journal of my sugar before and after medication. So far so good, my blood sugar is lowering and the results are amazing already lost 4 pounds! I am just wondering how long I can eat meat, cheese and eggs without getting sick of it. Anybody else in my predicament?

Replies

  • bugtrain
    bugtrain Posts: 251 Member
    Not in your situation personally,but my Dad is.He controls his diabetes through his diet and does pretty well with it.800 calories is really low though...but I'm not a doctor and I don't know what his reason is for it.
    As far as the salads go...I use the Marie's (full fat) Ranch dressing....it's very low in carbs. and usually only takes about 2 tbsp. on a large salad.....and there's quite a bit of dressing there :).
    I'd try adding a few friends that do low carb. and join one of the low carb. groups.....you can get a lot of advice there.
    Whatever it takes to get your sugar under control is what you need to do.......good luck!
  • sgimpys
    sgimpys Posts: 12 Member
    Back in september I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabeties. The hardest thing for me was to cut the carbs because I love bread, sweets, things of that nature that caused me to become diabetic. At first, counting carbs and cutting them was a very difficult thing to do. I had a lot of trouble with it. Then I was refered to a diabetic nutritionist and she helped me out. For starters, my daily carb intake used to be around 300 grams a day, which was quite heavy. I am now down to between 100-130 a day. There are a lot of things you can do to replace your bad carbs with good carbs for. Obviously anything high in fiber is great for you. Those are all your greens, whole wheat bread. They cut carbs down a lot and they keep you feeling full longer. The bad carbs create hunger.
    Ill admit, at times it does get boring with the special diet we are on, but then when you find new recipes it all gets exciting again. There are a ton of things you can do to spice up for food. Use panko breading instead of bread seasoning. Add some spices to it. And eat more fish. A little secret I found was to add a very small amount of Smart Balance mayo to the fish before you cook it (i know it sounds weird). It gives it s sweet taste. Mix your salads every few days. The lite dressing are actually very good. Lite balsamic vinegrette, lite italian, even lite ranch.
    Use the weight loss as motivation. When I found out I had diabeties in September, I was 270 pounds. With diet and exercise, this morning i weighted in at 238.4. Its a good feeling. Watching your carbs, you will see (as you have already) that the pounds shed off. Its just something you have to work at everyday
    In the beginning I used to have to test my blood 1-2 times a day. In 5 months, I am now only testing my blood 1-2 days a week, by doctors orders. If I lose another 10 pounds, my docotor is going to take me off my medicine. I learned that you can never get rid of diabeties, but you can control it to a point where its not a daily issue. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!!!!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I am just wondering how long I can eat meat, cheese and eggs without getting sick of it. Anybody else in my predicament?
    Really, you should be eating lots of veggies, not just meat, cheese and eggs. There are plenty of interesting vegetables out there that are low in carbs. I'd suggest checking out the Atkins list of approved foods and do some experimentation. There are probably lots of things on there you've never tried that you might like. This is the phase one list which I'm putting here just because it's longer and lists most of the vegetables. You can probably have some things on the phase two list, depending on the amount of carbs your doctor recommended:

    http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase-1/What-You-Can-Eat-in-this-Phase.aspx
  • Ty! :) I am looking at the list right now. I normally eat veggies/fruits like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, corn, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, celery, pumpkin, lime beans, and tomatoes. Let's see what I find in that list!
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Check out http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/diabetic-recipes/
    Lots of recipes. You can choose them by the number of carbs you want for each recipe.
  • I do a low carb diet and one of my favourite replacements for pretty much any pasta is steamed vegetables. I used to have chicken alfredo over fettucini noodles, now I eat it over steamed broccoli.

    Also, I've found that roasting vegetables in the oven makes them all delicious! Just brush a bit of olive oil on them, add salt and pepper and they are fantastic!

    And don't get me started on soups! So many good soups and a great way to get a lot of vegetables!
  • Sgimpys that is amazing weight loss and results, you must feel incredible! :) I am so happy your sugar is in control now. Thanks for your post!
  • I am a Personal Trainer and Diet Consultant. 800 calories is WAY too low. You should be eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day even if your a diabetic. Your body needs carbs so cutting them out completely is just not realistic. You should have between 150 to 175 total carbs per day. Only 60-75 of that being starchy carbs. 1 serving of starchy carbs is 15 grams. You should have about 1 to 2 servings per sitting but no more than 5 per day. Look at your labels and learn how to read them. Watch your portion sizes. 1/4 cup of oatmeal/rice is a serving......ect. You will get amazing results from cutting carbs from your diet. Remember as fast as you lose that weight....once you go back to eating a "normal" (normal being something that you can LIVE with) diet which include carbs....that weight will come right back twice as fast.
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    My fathers been diabetic most of his life, the more you learn about it the more you realize how much you can actually eat.

    Sugar-wise, my mother made fantastic desserts her whole life, using sugar-free products and complex, insead of simple carbs (basically fruits vs straight sugar).

    Some dishes you wouldn't realize were very low calorie, and very low sugar (basicaly low carb), and even I would be tempted to eat the whole pan cause they were amazing.

    Just realize you've opened the door to a whole new type of food and eating.

    He also can, and does consume anything he wants, of course in moderation, but he's knowledgeable enough to know how it'll affect his body and blood-sugar.

    For the time being, I'm sure your doctor is helping you play it safe, til you familiarize yourself with the symptoms/effects of the disease and the way you'll handle certain foods.

    Generally speaking, low-cal diets are gonna be low-carb therefore keeping you a lot safer in your next few weeks, as you learn more about it all.

    You're just gonna hafta get more creative in the kitchen. ;)
  • Vkopriva, thanks for your post. I will tell my Dr. you feel 800 calories is too little and that I will gain twice the weight very quickly if 'normal' diet is resumed.

    Thing is... this is not a 2 week diet, this is how my Dr wants me to eat for life... I am not looking for 'experts' in criticism, I am looking for support. I already have an endocrinologist, dietitian, and internist to tell me how they expect my body to react.
  • Zumbaeng
    Zumbaeng Posts: 28 Member
    I'm not diabetic but was when I was prego both times. I have begun following low carb (i.e. sugar) because it's best for me and helps keep me slim. My precoius findings to deal with the comfort foods that we don't and are not allowed are as follows. You'll need to google receipes and cook. There ain't an easy way to eat well if you don't cook. And as one user said, you should be eating lots of veggies too. Not just meat and cheese. You may get constipated if you don't.

    - fake mashed potatoes using cauliflower. Steam the cauliflower, put them in a food processor. add cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper chives, and a tad bit of chicken bullion. Then melt cheddar cheese on top. Amazing and tastes like tators.
    - Julian low carb bread. Only 1 Net carb per slice. You can buy it at Mothers and Whole Foods. Can use it to make french toast. etc.
    -Flax seed tortialla chips. Eat about 7 with your tuna and egg salad. or grind them up and use as breading.
    -Breading for fried chicken and things. Use parmasan cheese and pork rinds. put into food processor and use as breading mix.
    -Chocolate cake with sugar free frosting - google "best low carb chocolate cake" the first one that pops up is great. I use it all the time.

    The key is to not to use the above things in abundance - in an effort to eat like we used to. You gotta be creative and willing to cook. It's a good way to live your life. I love low carbing. Wouldn't ever go back to eating all those refinded sugars.
  • Hi, I am on a similar diet, it’s considered a Ketosis diet like yours. Originally I was eating 600 calories for the first four days. I am now trying to eat around 800. I wish I had an answer for you on how not to get tired of the lean meats and proteins. By the end of week two I was introducing protein bars and by week three, I was trying protein shakes. It is hard not to get bored; I have been experimenting with spices (no salt). I found a website that is somewhat helpful and may help with some of the starch cravings (they have pseudo mash potatoes) http://www.thesimpleskillet.com/index.php I started week four Saturday, and the doctor told me to eat more fish. He thought that would be helpful after I expressed to him; I was bored of the diet and wanted to add nuts and avocado. Last Saturday when I weighed in, I had lost 13 pounds to date. I wish I had better advice, I wish the 13 pound weight lose was a motivator for me. However it’s not I would rather eat bread, pasta, starchy vegetables like the rest of my family. Just take a step at a time.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    HI :) Just last week I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The Dr recommended a very low carb diet until my next check up, to get me off the carbs cravings. He also suggested eating less than 800 calories a days for 5 days a week, and 1,200 2 days where some carbs are allowed. I am finding difficult to eat very few carbs. Being of hispanic heritage the meat and veggies are a side dish to rice, pasta, or potatoes. And I can't eat anything of the such, Dr prohibited any rice, pasta (even if it is wheat, the carbs are way out there) and potatoes. For the past week I have been handling it, eating cheese, chicken, tuna salad, egg salads, nuts, veggies, salads with little dressing, lots and lots of water...and keeping a written journal of my sugar before and after medication. So far so good, my blood sugar is lowering and the results are amazing already lost 4 pounds! I am just wondering how long I can eat meat, cheese and eggs without getting sick of it. Anybody else in my predicament?

    Don't jump to any short-term conclusions. It sounds like your doctor is trying to get you to a more consistent baseline while working on a longer-term strategy. Type 2 diabetes can be a dynamic condition and is affected by a number of things. Losing weight, exercising, lifting weights--these can all have dramatic effects along with your diet.

    The important thing right now is to try to be as consistent with your lifestyle as possible and collect data about how you body responds to different foods and activities. This is the time when your fingers become pincushions because you might be testing yourself up to 5 times a day.

    Some of the numbers sound a little low, but, again, no one here knows the details of your overall history or your doctor's strategy so it would be irresponsible for anyone to try to give you specific medical or dietary advice--and not a good idea for you to listen to any that is given.

    Is there a longer term plan yet? Have you been referred to a Diabetes Educator or Licensed Dietitian? If no, then that would be a question I would be asking right away. Diabetes is a lifestyle management condition--it cannot be addressed with occasional doctor visits.

    If worst came to worst and you felt you were not getting the right advice, you could always try going to an endocrinologist.

    Good luck.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I would suggest you go see a nutritionist or dietitian for a second opinion for a proper diet. (800 cals is extremely low, and it is difficult to get all the required nutrition on a diet less than 1200 calories)
  • Thanks Clarisabear. I enjoy inventing things in the kitchen. The cauliflower mash sounds delish. :) I don't like chocolate, but appreciate the offer. I am eating about 1 cup of veggies a day, a small salad, and baked or grilled meats. For breakfast I do eggs, sausages, oatmeal, sauteed onions with veggies and ham. Sort of like that has been my week. I will try the bread you mentioned. :)
  • Resalyn
    Resalyn Posts: 528 Member
    Some of the numbers sound a little low, but, again, no one here knows the details of your overall history or your doctor's strategy so it would be irresponsible for anyone to try to give you specific medical or dietary advice--and not a good idea for you to listen to any that is given.

    ^^^^^ THIS. Just one comment though - are you working with a nutritionist or a registered dietitian? The two aren't always the same. 800 cals definitely sounds too low for long-term intake....
  • nikkisa10
    nikkisa10 Posts: 31 Member
    You can try looking in to Paleo or Primal diets. They are low carb and maybe you can get some Paleo recipes. One site is http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
  • missle30
    missle30 Posts: 40 Member
    I try to eat fairly low carb and have been having some luck finding new recipes lately.

    Pizza made on a cauliflower crust is surprisingly tasty!

    I started using Spring Roll wrappers to make my tacos and other wraps and stuff. You can really fill them with almost anything. They are very low in carbs and calories and if you bake them in the oven, they get crispy and delicious! :)

    Also, my fiance, who is type 1 diabetic sometimes eats sugar free candies when he's craving sweets. There are some that actually taste pretty decent! :)

    Good luck with your journey! I've noticed there are a lot of people on this site who claim to know what's right for everyone else. I would go with what all of your doctors are saying for YOUR body!
  • I am seeing an endocrinologist, dietitian and diabetic specialist in my area. The three doctors work hand in hand sharing an office. They are aware of my health condition and have done various tests. I will go to them every 4 weeks for weight and coaching and will start regular checkups every 3 months for testing and monitor my sugar and overall progress.
  • You can also try spaghetti squash or mashed cauliflower to give you some of the texture of carbs in a vegetable. Pesto or tomato sauce on spaghetti squash is very satisfying. When you can add back some carbs, try Quinoa as a high protein, low net carb whole grain. Goodl uck!
  • slim422
    slim422 Posts: 104 Member
    I have to run so short post, I will try and respond later in more detail with some other ideas but you must check out Spaghetti Squash - simply cut it in half (not lengthwise) and bake with cut side down in over until tender like a baked potato (about 25-40 min depending on size).

    When done, carefully take a fork and loosen the strands away from the sides without breaking them and spoon into a bowl. Add your favorite pasta sauce and voila - vegetarian spaghetti.

    This has got me though many a carb craving and you'd be amazed at how much you can eat for low calories too.

    Hope this helps.
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
    I am sorry to hear you've been diagnosed with type II Diabetes. I don't have diabetes, but I did at one point have insulin resistance (which leads to prediabetes) and used Metformin for it. I fixed my blood sugar issues by exercising (cardio) daily, especially after dinner, my largest meal, and I have normal blood sugar/insulin response now =) No more medications.

    I didn't consciously cut carbs (I'm sorry you've been instructed to do this), but I started adding in foods that are known to help your body regulate blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity. For example, cinnamon, onions (which contain chromium), oyster mushrooms (which have been used to make statin drugs), and buckwheat are all excellent foods you could consider eating more of to help your body heal itself. Buckwheat is not a grain, it is a fruit seed! It's a very good rice replacement, but it does contain some carbs. To me, though, the benefit was worth it, if you are able to fit it into your diet safely.

    Keep your chin up! It might be tough now but if you can lose some weight and make time for daily cardio and include blood sugar regulating foods in your diet, you don't necessarily have to have diabetes forever! It IS reversible with good lifestyle changes. Good luck!
  • slim422
    slim422 Posts: 104 Member
    LOL...megan524fedde great minds think alike - isn't spaghetti squash a life saver when you need something like pasta but can't have it?
  • dennydifferent
    dennydifferent Posts: 135 Member
    If you go to "Groups" on here you can do a search. There's a Low Carber Daily Forum group, a Keto group, and a la via low carb group. You might also get some good tips in the Paleo/Primal group (although not strictly low carb).
  • Resalyn
    Resalyn Posts: 528 Member
    I am seeing an endocrinologist, dietitian and diabetic specialist in my area. The three doctors work hand in hand sharing an office. They are aware of my health condition and have done various tests. I will go to them every 4 weeks for weight and coaching and will start regular checkups every 3 months for testing and monitor my sugar and overall progress.

    Then it definitely looks like you've got your bases covered! I really hope that this works for you! I'm an experienced low-carber, and the first 3-5 days are the worst for me, getting over the carb cravings.... Best of luck to you!
  • Zumbaeng
    Zumbaeng Posts: 28 Member
    gonna add you as a buddy so we can share more stuff =):wink: