-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Carb question
- Thread starter Ronnie@68
- Start date
- Status
askeelsepttype2
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I am trying to loose weight so try to stick to 1200 cal a day. I think the average carb is about 2000 but not sure.
Martin.A
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- In remission from Type 2
T2s generally go low carb, which is 130g per day. Some go lower and some much lower. I try and stay below 130g and manage it most days.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If you are managing your diabetes with diet and or just metformin then the suggested amount of total carbohydrates not just sugar is no more than 130g per day, which is what people who are following a low carb approach and they worry too much about calories as that become too complicated
Other people will follow a low or very low calorie regime.
One or the other rather than try to do both.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Not sure what you are referring to as Carbs at 2000?
Suggested carbs per day is no more than 130g
askeelsepttype2
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I was referring to calories. I don't know about carbs or the 130g you mention. Would like to find out about carbs and how to measure them.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You have to look at the nutritional information on packets, tins, etc or look on supermarket web sites as their products will be there with nutritional information, allergy and what they contain.
For fresh foods then search on the internet for food X and total carbs.
It is usually given as per 100g or sometimes per item for things like biscuits but then you need to work out the carbs for the portion you are going to have. Having some scales on your worktop makes the job easier as you can weigh your portion rather than eyeball it as it is easy to under estimate the amount.
People use various apps which have info loaded into a database, some are free some cost money.
There is also a book Carbs and Cals which is useful as it gives the carb values of a whole range of foods with portion sizes.
No more than 130g per day carbs is the suggested amount that people should be aiming at for reducing blood glucose.
You may find this link helps as it explains the ethos of low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Look at packets for carb information. You’re looking for Total Carbs. The Diabetes U.K. recipes are carb-counted too.
Dragonheart
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
If you are in the uk, Europe or Australasia the word “total” will not appear on any label or listing. Instead you want look at “carbs” and ignore the part that says “of which sugars” as that is already included in the first figure. Also ignore (for the purpose of glucose control) the separate line that gives a fibre figure. It Is an entirely separated figure from carbs already.
Unfortunately some people in the uk use the word total to mean “not just sugar” needs to be counted and it gets confused with the USA meaning that is very common online. Be careful you are aware which listing you are viewing. USA spell fiber and uk spell it fibre. In the uk it has its own line entirely, in the USA it’s indented under the carb listing (As is of which sugars” in both places). Get it wrong and you either double deduct fibre and get a false low carb count or included fibre unnecessarily and get a false high count.
only if you are in the USA and a few other places will you see the words total carbs on labels etc. then it means it includes fiber in their count and to get the figure you need you must deduct fiber amounts to gets net carbs.
UK carbs = USA net carbs = carbs including sugars but not fibre.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
To discover what amount of carbohydrate to eat, and what foods to avoid, checking your blood glucose after meals is the only sure and certain method.
Some people can eat porridge, some are fine with beans and peas, both those make me spike. I seem able to extract more than the listed amount of carbs from legumes - others have mentioned the same thing which they found by testing.
To stay below diabetic levels I eat no more than 40gm of carbs a day, as that is what the testing showed I can cope with.
Some people can eat porridge, some are fine with beans and peas, both those make me spike. I seem able to extract more than the listed amount of carbs from legumes - others have mentioned the same thing which they found by testing.
To stay below diabetic levels I eat no more than 40gm of carbs a day, as that is what the testing showed I can cope with.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I think there has been this argument before and the response from @everydayupsanddowns was given in this post.
Dragonheart
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yep I understand - whilst agreeing with my points - that some prefer to allow the confusion to continue. Not everyone reading this thread read that one and I’m trying to help newbies understand the difference so they don’t make the same mistake many other have.. I also covered the point about how it’s often meant in this forum (including sugars). I stand by my explanation and it’s relevance.
Many thanks for your reply, that's really helpful
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
@Ronnie@68 - I'm now over 70 but the whole of my adult life as a 5ft 1ins (used to be an inch or so taller but have shrunk in height) titch I have rarely, if ever, eaten over 130g of carbohydrate in a day. Most people eat more! So - 130g means they eat less, rather than what would be more for me. Hence - you need to know where you're personally starting from.
- Status