Carbs of less than 20g at a meal

[Ccash]

Hi, I am still new to being type 2 diagnosed just over two weeks ago. I have been testing fairly consistently before I eat and then 2hrs after I finish eating. I am finding that I can tolerate about 20 grams of carbs in a meal. Is this sustainable? Are other people this low in their tolerance? I am not taking meds, just diet controlled.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi, I am still new to being type 2 diagnosed just over two weeks ago. I have been testing fairly consistently before I eat and then 2hrs after I finish eating. I am finding that I can tolerate about 20 grams of carbs in a meal. Is this sustainable? Are other people this low in their tolerance? I am not taking meds, just diet controlled.

I tend to have 15-20g carbs at breakfast, 20g ish at lunch and a bit more 25g ish at dinner, the extras are in drinks, I try to keep to about 70g per day. I am finding it sustainable and it is just my new way of eating.
Of course there will be occasions when I have more, meals out but I am careful not to just have the extra for the sake of it.
What readings are you getting, an increase of 2-3mmol/l after 2 hours is fine or no more than 8-8.5mmol/l after 2 hours is the aim.
You may find that it may depend on exactly what the carbs are as some people tolerate some better than other even though they are the same grams of carb. So worth trying different things.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

You may find you get a little more flexibility as time progresses @Ccash - especially if you are in the process of losing weight?

Losing weight, especially visceral fat around organs in the abdomen can help reboot your metabolism. Keep experimenting!

 

[Ccash]

You may find you get a little more flexibility as time progresses @Ccash - especially if you are in the process of losing weight?

Losing weight, especially visceral fat around organs in the abdomen can help reboot your metabolism. Keep experimenting!

Hi,

I wouldn't be considered overweight, have a healthy BMI. I have had a hatrick of diagnoses in recent weeks though cholesterol is high (for a diabetic anyhow) and I'm anaemic. The cholesterol is I guess another sign of metabolic syndrome.

I'll be honest I'm loving trying new things, so there's a positive following diagnosis. I had cabbage ribbons in place of spaghetti the other day and really enjoyed it.

 

[Ccash]

I tend to have 15-20g carbs at breakfast, 20g ish at lunch and a bit more 25g ish at dinner, the extras are in drinks, I try to keep to about 70g per day. I am finding it sustainable and it is just my new way of eating.
Of course there will be occasions when I have more, meals out but I am careful not to just have the extra for the sake of it.
What readings are you getting, an increase of 2-3mmol/l after 2 hours is fine or no more than 8-8.5mmol/l after 2 hours is the aim.
You may find that it may depend on exactly what the carbs are as some people tolerate some better than other even though they are the same grams of carb. So worth trying different things.

To be honest I'm getting readings all below 7.8 which I know is within a healthy range. If I eat much in the way of starchy carbs though I.e, pasta, rice, bread, potatoes I get reading of 10 and above.

 

[Leadinglights]

To be honest I'm getting readings all below 7.8 which I know is within a healthy range. If I eat much in the way of starchy carbs though I.e, pasta, rice, bread, potatoes I get reading of 10 and above.

You could try reducing the portions of those or find if any are better than others, I use edamame bean or black bean pasta, don't have rice, I do have some bread, home made, occasionally potatoes. If you are under 8.5 after 2 hours then you are making some good choices and it gives you a bit of leeway for treats.

 

[Lucyr]

Hi, I am still new to being type 2 diagnosed just over two weeks ago. I have been testing fairly consistently before I eat and then 2hrs after I finish eating. I am finding that I can tolerate about 20 grams of carbs in a meal. Is this sustainable? Are other people this low in their tolerance? I am not taking meds, just diet controlled.

Whether it’s sustainable is individual. If it’s not sustainable for you then consider how else you might prefer to manage it, low carb isn’t the only option. You could do a plant based diet or increase exercise or add medication.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

BMI. I have had a hatrick of diagnoses in recent weeks though cholesterol is high (for a diabetic anyhow) and I'm anaemic

Interesting that you mention anaemia - was that taken into account with your HbA1c? Sometimes fructosamineis used instead (because HbA1c relies upon red blood cells).

 

[Drummer]

Hi, I am still new to being type 2 diagnosed just over two weeks ago. I have been testing fairly consistently before I eat and then 2hrs after I finish eating. I am finding that I can tolerate about 20 grams of carbs in a meal. Is this sustainable? Are other people this low in their tolerance? I am not taking meds, just diet controlled.

I've been eating under 50 gm of carbs since diagnosis, going down to under 40 gm some years ago to lower HbA1c - it didn't but by the time I found out, a year later, I was used to eating that way.
I have two meals a day, with about 10 gm of carbs in the morning and the rest in the evening. I feel very well - any problems are not related to diabetes as far as I can tell.

 

[LizziR]

Hi, I am still new to being type 2 diagnosed just over two weeks ago. I have been testing fairly consistently before I eat and then 2hrs after I finish eating. I am finding that I can tolerate about 20 grams of carbs in a meal. Is this sustainable? Are other people this low in their tolerance? I am not taking meds, just diet controlled.

Ive just been diagnosed aswell and finding it so confusing, i wasnt even told how many grams of carbs to go for - is it per 100g? I was told cut most out then the metformin says eat regular carbs! Im about to have a mugshot, says 18.2g carb for 100g but the sachet once prepared is 48.8g so not sure which one to count!

 

[Leadinglights]

Ive just been diagnosed aswell and finding it so confusing, i wasnt even told how many grams of carbs to go for - is it per 100g? I was told cut most out then the metformin says eat regular carbs! Im about to have a mugshot, says 18.2g carb for 100g but the sachet once prepared is 48.8g so not sure which one to count!

In my opinion that would be too much to have in one meal as it is very high carb and sounds as i it would be a big portion.
It is no good taking medication to help whilst still eating high carb foods.
I don't know what those mugshots are but it doesn't sound like a good option.
I'm not sure what 'regular' carbs mean. Carbs are Carbs though some people tolerate some carbs better than others, that is the 'fun' of diabetes.

 

[rebrascora]

In my opinion that would be too much to have in one meal as it is very high carb and sounds as i it would be a big portion.
It is no good taking medication to help whilst still eating high carb foods.
I don't know what those mugshots are but it doesn't sound like a good option.
I'm not sure what 'regular' carbs mean. Carbs are Carbs though some people tolerate some carbs better than others, that is the 'fun' of diabetes.

I wonder if the mugshot is a cuppa soup and the contents of the sachet is 18.2g carbs per 100g but the actual contents of the sachet are just 48.8g of product, rather than 48.8g carbs in the made up product?? Not had a look online to see what the nutritional info is.
However like yourself I stopped buying highly processed products like that and try to stick to homemade soups now.

 

[helli]

I wonder if the mugshot is a cuppa soup and the contents of the sachet is 18.2g carbs per 100g but the actual contents of the sachet are just 48.8g of product, rather than 48.8g carbs in the made up product?? Not had a look online to see what the nutritional info is.
However like yourself I stopped buying highly processed products like that and try to stick to homemade soups now.

I had not heard of mugshot so being curious, I asked Google. Looks like it is more like a pot noodle without the pot rather than a cuppa soup. For example https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/mug-shot-noodle-creamy-cheese-68g.
One sachet is 268g. So, that is 48.8g carbs per portion.

 

[LizziR]

In my opinion that would be too much to have in one meal as it is very high carb and sounds as i it would be a big portion.
It is no good taking medication to help whilst still eating high carb foods.
I don't know what those mugshots are but it doesn't sound like a good option.
I'm not sure what 'regular' carbs mean. Carbs are Carbs though some people tolerate some carbs better than others, that is the 'fun' of diabetes.

Its basically a mug full of pasta with sauce - i used to eat them all the time when slimming!

 

[rebrascora]

Ah, not a good choice at all then..... highly processed and full of carbs!

 

[Leadinglights]

Its basically a mug full of pasta with sauce - i used to eat them all the time when slimming!

That is why it is so high carb then, pasta is high carb, not good for blood glucose level and likely full of artificial flavouring.

 

[helli]

There is an understandable obsession about minimising carbs if you have insulin resistance.
I understand that it is more nuanced than "carbs raise your BG so must be avoided like the plague".
Likewise, "processed foods are the foods of the devil" is an oversimplification.

We are all different, have different bodies, different lifestyles, different tastes, different priorities and different reactions.
The best way to find the right diet for you is to decide what your goals are (reduce BG, lose weight, find time to eat something in the middle of a highly stressful packed day at work, fuel my training for a marathon, ...) and then measure to see if you are progressing along your targets. Weight loss target means weighing yourself, finding time to eat is counting how many lunches you don't miss, marathon training is how far you run and your time,

Likewise, reducing BG is about testing your BG. And, this is where the nuance I measure earlier comes in, finding out how your body can tolerate different foods, especially carbs. Some people with type 2 find porridge the best start to their day whereas others find that it sends their BG soaring.

So, @LizziR if you find mugshots work to lose weight and/or are convenient for your busy day, but you don't know if they are suitable to manage your diabetes, you need a glucometer to test before you eat and 2 hours later. If your BG rises more than 3mmol/l, they are not great for your diabetes target and you need to decide whether your other goals are more important or whether you need to find an alternative for lunch.

But writing off food because it is "likely full of artificial flavouring" is not taking into consideration goals, lifestyles and what else you are eating. One meal of highly processed, convenient food, a week is unlikely to kill you but your body is not going to thank you for eating it for every meal every day.

Sorry, I have waffled a bit but what I wanted to say is
- work out what is important for you
- find out how your body reacts
- take other people's experience as guidance but not the absolute for you

 

[snowball12]

If the mugshot weighs 48.8grams then it's about half the carbs of 100g. Therefore it's about 9g of carb per sachet. Not too bad in my humble opinion. I know it isn't always possible to make your own soups etc.

 

[snowball12]

There is an understandable obsession about minimising carbs if you have insulin resistance.
I understand that it is more nuanced than "carbs raise your BG so must be avoided like the plague".
Likewise, "processed foods are the foods of the devil" is an oversimplification.

We are all different, have different bodies, different lifestyles, different tastes, different priorities and different reactions.
The best way to find the right diet for you is to decide what your goals are (reduce BG, lose weight, find time to eat something in the middle of a highly stressful packed day at work, fuel my training for a marathon, ...) and then measure to see if you are progressing along your targets. Weight loss target means weighing yourself, finding time to eat is counting how many lunches you don't miss, marathon training is how far you run and your time,

Likewise, reducing BG is about testing your BG. And, this is where the nuance I measure earlier comes in, finding out how your body can tolerate different foods, especially carbs. Some people with type 2 find porridge the best start to their day whereas others find that it sends their BG soaring.

So, @LizziR if you find mugshots work to lose weight and/or are convenient for your busy day, but you don't know if they are suitable to manage your diabetes, you need a glucometer to test before you eat and 2 hours later. If your BG rises more than 3mmol/l, they are not great for your diabetes target and you need to decide whether your other goals are more important or whether you need to find an alternative for lunch.

But writing off food because it is "likely full of artificial flavouring" is not taking into consideration goals, lifestyles and what else you are eating. One meal of highly processed, convenient food, a week is unlikely to kill you but your body is not going to thank you for eating it for every meal every day.

Sorry, I have waffled a bit but what I wanted to say is
- work out what is important for you
- find out how your body reacts
- take other people's experience as guidance but not the absolute for you

Couldn't agree more. Also not many foods contain artificial colourings and flavours anymore

 

[LizziR]

There is an understandable obsession about minimising carbs if you have insulin resistance.
I understand that it is more nuanced than "carbs raise your BG so must be avoided like the plague".
Likewise, "processed foods are the foods of the devil" is an oversimplification.

We are all different, have different bodies, different lifestyles, different tastes, different priorities and different reactions.
The best way to find the right diet for you is to decide what your goals are (reduce BG, lose weight, find time to eat something in the middle of a highly stressful packed day at work, fuel my training for a marathon, ...) and then measure to see if you are progressing along your targets. Weight loss target means weighing yourself, finding time to eat is counting how many lunches you don't miss, marathon training is how far you run and your time,

Likewise, reducing BG is about testing your BG. And, this is where the nuance I measure earlier comes in, finding out how your body can tolerate different foods, especially carbs. Some people with type 2 find porridge the best start to their day whereas others find that it sends their BG soaring.

So, @LizziR if you find mugshots work to lose weight and/or are convenient for your busy day, but you don't know if they are suitable to manage your diabetes, you need a glucometer to test before you eat and 2 hours later. If your BG rises more than 3mmol/l, they are not great for your diabetes target and you need to decide whether your other goals are more important or whether you need to find an alternative for lunch.

But writing off food because it is "likely full of artificial flavouring" is not taking into consideration goals, lifestyles and what else you are eating. One meal of highly processed, convenient food, a week is unlikely to kill you but your body is not going to thank you for eating it for every meal every day.

Sorry, I have waffled a bit but what I wanted to say is
- work out what is important for you
- find out how your body reacts
- take other people's experience as guidance but not the absolute for you

Thats great thankyou, ive been in tears so much worrying about it all and am i going to keel over or pass out. Today ive had yoghurt with berries, a salad and now some nuts and thats it, i tested mid morning and my blood was 10!