Getting confused about carbs

[Dockyardgill]

Type 2.......

When I was first diagnosed my lovely nursey told me nothing was off limits so long as they were eaten in moderation. She told me to avoid white rice, white bread and white pasta which was fine as I don't like them anyway. I love wholewheat pasta and brown rice and baked spuds.

I don't eat meat (No, tell a lie. I eat crispy bacon, cheaper sausages and I like stuff like salami. It's the texture of meat I can't cope with), fish or eggs. I get most of my protein from cheese, dairy and nuts.

How much carbohydrate can I eat and how do I know if I'm eating too much? On meds not insulin so can't adjust for each meal.

My levels are generally around 8.5 at breakfast and between 6 and 8 before lunch and tea........but I'm on a shed load of pills.

Looking at previous posts you all sound so knowledgeable so I know I'm in the right place.

 

[Amigo]

Type 2.......

When I was first diagnosed my lovely nursey told me nothing was off limits so long as they were eaten in moderation. She told me to avoid white rice, white bread and white pasta which was fine as I don't like them anyway. I love wholewheat pasta and brown rice and baked spuds.

I don't eat meat (No, tell a lie. I eat crispy bacon, cheaper sausages and I like stuff like salami. It's the texture of meat I can't cope with), fish or eggs. I get most of my protein from cheese, dairy and nuts.

How much carbohydrate can I eat and how do I know if I'm eating too much? On meds not insulin so can't adjust for each meal.

My levels are generally around 8.5 at breakfast and between 6 and 8 before lunch and tea........but I'm on a shed load of pills.

Looking at previous posts you all sound so knowledgeable so I know I'm in the right place.

Your lovely nursey is well meaning but a bit off base I'm afraid. It's true wholemeal may have a slightly lower carb content (and lower GI) than white in terms of bread, rice and pasta, but they're still carbs and as such should be eaten in moderation. Baked spuds would spike me to hell! It's a pity you can't tolerate eggs or fish (or indeed meat) because the proteins are your friend along with some fats and vegetables. Do you like chicken? Try to have high meat content sausages as the cheap ones are padded out with bread (carbs) and other undesirable things. Be aware of how much milk you're drinking in terms of dairy but cheese and nuts are good as long as you're not trying to lose weight.

The only way to know if you're eating too much is to test and I can't recommend this highly enough. We all have unique tolerances to food and you need to work out yours.

8.5 is a bit high at breakfast. Aim for waking level of 7 or under and no more than 8.5 two hours after a meal. If you've just been diagnosed, it may take a while to achieve those levels so don't worry.

I don't think you've worked out for yourself what's best to eat as yet and I suspect your diet is a bit carb heavy. Could you tell us honestly a daily food intake so people can advise you. No judgements, just help.

 

[Martin Canty]

Well it kinda depends on your medications, if you are on an anti-diabetic which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin then you will require constant carb input throughout the day (meals & snacks), if not then you can actually go quite low (how low depend on you). Many people find 50-100 acceptable, personally I tolerate under 20.

I'd cut or reduce those carb sources you love.... The critical thing is to "Eat to your meter", you should be looking for no more than 2-3 mmol rise 2 hours after eating. If you are significantly reducing carbs then do spot checks, especially if you are feeing a little off....

 

[Dockyardgill]

Today I've had....

2 slices wholemeal toast for breakfast

Small handful fruit and nuts (very few sultanas) for a snack

Lunch was half a pack of Ainsley Harriet couscous with 50g feta and salad, followed by Greek yoghurt and blueberries

When I got in from work I had 4 tiny sugar free chocolate wafer bickies (just found them, bliddy 'ansome)

Tea was sa small baked spud with cheese and salad

 

[Dockyardgill]

Martin

I'm on slow release gliclazide as well as metformin.

50-100.....is that grams of carb??

 

[Martin Canty]

Martin

I'm on slow release gliclazide as well as metformin.

50-100.....is that grams of carb??

Ah, gotta be careful of Gliclazide, it's one of those anti-diabetics I was talking about, I eventually took myself off a similar drug because I started getting Hypo's. I would recommend carrying some dextrose tablets as well as your meter wherever you go.

Yes, 50-100 is in grams.

 

[Dockyardgill]

Had my first hypo a few weeks ago and it scared me so stopped gliclazide but sugars crept back up so started it again. Test 3 times a day so always have meter and I have packets of dextrose all over the place

 

[Martin Canty]

Had my first hypo a few weeks ago and it scared me so stopped gliclazide

Under advice from the Doc I halved my dose; as I reduced my carb intake even further eventually quit Glyburide. He was fine with me doing that. I have not looked back since as I was really hating those hypos.

A year later my FBG is typically around 5 & last A1c was 37.

 

[Dave W]

Type 2.......

When I was first diagnosed my lovely nursey told me nothing was off limits so long as they were eaten in moderation. She told me to avoid white rice, white bread and white pasta which was fine as I don't like them anyway. I love wholewheat pasta and brown rice and baked spuds.

I don't eat meat (No, tell a lie. I eat crispy bacon, cheaper sausages and I like stuff like salami. It's the texture of meat I can't cope with), fish or eggs. I get most of my protein from cheese, dairy and nuts.

How much carbohydrate can I eat and how do I know if I'm eating too much? On meds not insulin so can't adjust for each meal.

My levels are generally around 8.5 at breakfast and between 6 and 8 before lunch and tea........but I'm on a shed load of pills.

Looking at previous posts you all sound so knowledgeable so I know I'm in the right place.

In order to get a handle on how much carb you can eat you really need to measure before AND after a meal. That will give you an idea as to how the specific food has affected your blood glucose. Your nice nursey is still sticking to the bog standard NHS/NICE "Eatwell Plate/Diet" which isn't the best for a diabetic as there are too many carbs promoted. We all react differently to foods, if I have just a half slice of bread my BG shoots up and I no longer eat more than a tiny piece of a potato.
As I said, the only way you'll learn how foods affect you is by testing (about 2 hours) after a meal.

 

[Ralph-YK]

How much carbohydrate can I eat and how do I know if I'm eating too much?

There's no way of knowing, unless you self test. Do before and after eating. Record what you eat and your readings.

 

[Stitch147]

Everyone is different with how many carbs they can and cant eat. I personally dont do low carb, but I have significantly reduced the amount of carbs that do eat. Testing yur blood levels before and after meals is only the real way of finding out what you can and cant eat.

 

[grovesy]

Everyone is different with how many carbs they can and cant eat. I personally dont do low carb, but I have significantly reduced the amount of carbs that do eat. Testing yur blood levels before and after meals is only the real way of finding out what you can and cant eat.

I am the same.
I found early in my journey that if you adopt eating patterns that can't be maintained long term, then they are not good for you. You have to find what works for you long term and can maintain most of the time.

 

[Dockyardgill]

Great advice everyone, thank you.

I want to lose weight mainly and get to grips with my sugars. It's just so confusing at the moment as there is so much in the media about being able to 'stop' being diabetic. If your pancreas is damaged and therefore not producing sufficient insulin, can it repair itself? Spoke about this to my nurse and she was of the opinion that with my medical history it wouldn't and that eventually (20 years hence) I would be on insulin.

Looking at other T2s on here I do seem to be on more meds than they are. I test 3 times a day before meals but haven't really tested after. What exactly am I looking for 2 hours after eating?

 

[Ditto]

I believe it's so you don't go up by more than two. Two what I have no idea. I hope to stick to between 5.0 and 8.0

Don't eat dried fruit like sultanas, I know they're scrummy and squashy but they're not good for us.

 

[Martin Canty]

Spoke about this to my nurse and she was of the opinion that with my medical history it wouldn't and that eventually (20 years hence) I would be on insulin.

With good control there is no reason to have this expectation, many of us have reduced our meds & even come off meds altogether, it's all about control which (unfortunately) many T2's don't get.

 

[Drummer]

To check how you react to various foods or meals you should test just before and then two hours after eating. If the after number is a lot higher than the before one, the food has 'spiked' you and you should consider how much of it you should eat.
People tend to react differently to different foods, so for some oats are not a problem, some spike when they have eaten potato, or wheat. If you can test your blood glucose levels and find the culprits then you can start to take control.

 

[Ljc]

Great advice everyone, thank you.

I want to lose weight mainly and get to grips with my sugars. It's just so confusing at the moment as there is so much in the media about being able to 'stop' being diabetic. If your pancreas is damaged and therefore not producing sufficient insulin, can it repair itself? Spoke about this to my nurse and she was of the opinion that with my medical history it wouldn't and that eventually (20 years hence) I would be on insulin.

Looking at other T2s on here I do seem to be on more meds than they are. I test 3 times a day before meals but haven't really tested after. What exactly am I looking for 2 hours after eating?

Hi @Dockyardgill. To find out how carbs affect you, test just st before then two hours afterwards.
Have a read of "Test review adjust" by Alan S
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html
For future reference you'll find this and much more in the thread called "useful links for people new to diabetes" which you'll find right at the top of the "Newbies say hello here" forum . I hope you find it helpful.

To be honest, a lot of what I hear / read in the media is a pile of .... you know what.

 

[Ditto]

Agh after preaching not to eat sultanas I ate dried fruit at the hospital yesterday. Mixed nuts and fruit were the only thing available in the machine for me to eat, everything else was chocolate and stuff. I don't know whether it was them that spiked me or the two platefuls of comfort pasta I ate when I got home. 🙄