Hi

[Tina80]

Hi I've today been diagnosed with type2 I'm going to try and change my diet and see if I can reduce my fasting bloods (6.8) in 8 weeks if I can't ill start medication. I had gestational diabetes with both my children now 11&7. Can any body recommend how grms of carbs per meal might be a good starting point for me please.

 

[Docb]

Hi @Tina80 and welcome to the forum. You will get many different answers to your question because there is no fixed number, you have got to find out what works for you.

My suggestion for a route in is to sit down with a pencil and paper and write out a brutally honest food diary for a typical week. It needs to include everything! Then work out the carb content of each item and total it all up. If you don't know how to work out carbs, ask and we will help. When you have got that then work out a carbs per day figure. In very broad terms, a "normal" western diet has about 250g of carb a day. If you get a number like that, then consider reducing it to 125-150 g/day. This is the sort of level that many aim for. If you are already well under 200 g/day, then you might have to set a lower target.

It is a bit of a fag getting it all down and calculated, particularly if you are not good with numbers, but it is worth the effort because it removes some guess work and your food diary will help you identify where your biggest carb sources are. That will give targets to change things to get your levels down.

 

[Lucyr]

Hello. Sorry to hear you were diagnosed. I’d start by trying to reduce carbohydrates gradually if you want to reduce them, rather than aiming for a set number. So you could start by cutting out snacks or replacing carby snacks with less carby snacks. You could reduce your serving of carbs at meals by say having half the portion you usually would of carbs and increasing the vegetables to compensate. That might be an easier route than aiming for a set number.

 

[cameron]

Welcome to the forum @Tina80.

Good advice above. I recommend you start small and focus on gradually introducing healthy foods to your diet, instead of worrying about a target number of carbs. Eventually you'll find out what best works for you. It's important you develop healthy eating habits that are sustainable over time.

 

[ColinUK]

Hi @Tina80 and welcome to the forum.

Anything you want/need to ask them ask away. Someone here will be able to point you in the right direction.

I’d say follow the suggestions above, note your carb intake and then cut it in half for a week. The following week cut it in half again.

 

[Ljc]

Hi @Tina80 , welcome to the forum. Whatever changes you make re dietary changes and exercise must be sustainable long term. It really is better to start with gradual changes as lowering your blood glucose levels too swiftly can cause some unpleasant symptoms .
It’s only carbohydrates we can’t deal with too well , protein inall it’s forms are fine as are good fats.

 

[Tina80]

Hi thank you for your replys I'm doing OK I think I've halfed my carbs and am walking for 45 mins most days or cycling just trying to break old habits I'm finding hard. Have been this morning and done a food shop, I'm also struggling with making myself eat 3 meals aday but I'll get there.

 

[Toucan]

Hello @Tina80
You are making a really great start, and I'm sure you will see some good results from this.

There is nothing magic about 3 meals a day, it is the total food and particularly carb consumption that matters. Best to follow what ever meal routine fits with you and your lifestyle and is sustainable.

Personally I find it best not to eat carby snacks, and also try to avoid eating too late in the evening, as this gives my body more hours of overnight 'fasting'.

 

[rebrascora]

I prefer just two meals a day and that works really well for managing my diabetes. It is what you eat that counts. If you are worried about being tempted to snack with just 2 meals a day, opt for low carb snacks and then it is no problem.... things like a boiled egg with mayonnaise, or some veggie sticks with a sour cream and chive dip or a pot of olives if you like them or a chicken drumstick or a cooked sausage or a few nuts (nuts are moreish and some are higher in carbs than others, so best just limit yourself to a small handful) or a chunk of cheese or just a coffee made with real cream. All of those things will help to keep you from feeling hungry (because of their fat content) and help to keep your BG levels stable.

Sounds like you have made a great start with cutting the carbs and the exercise. Walking is great for bringing levels down... Try walking at a brisker pace than you normally would or lengthening your stride... (not a good idea with the current icy conditions) or incorporating a hill into your route to get your lungs and muscles working a bit more and make it more challenging.

 

[Drummer]

Having been pushed to eat what I felt was wrong for decades, and by people who ought to know better, I have resolved to go with what feels right from now on. I eat twice a day at most and have under 40 gm of carbs per day.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi thank you for your replys I'm doing OK I think I've halfed my carbs and am walking for 45 mins most days or cycling just trying to break old habits I'm finding hard. Have been this morning and done a food shop, I'm also struggling with making myself eat 3 meals aday but I'll get there.

Welcome to the forum @Tina80

Sounds like you are off to a brilliant start.

Hope you can adjust to your new way of eating, and gradually adapt it to a long-term plan that you actively enjoy (this may involve adding in some ‘good fats’ and extra protein which will keep you feeling full and give you extra tasty options.

 

[Tina80]

I prefer just two meals a day and that works really well for managing my diabetes. It is what you eat that counts. If you are worried about being tempted to snack with just 2 meals a day, opt for low carb snacks and then it is no problem.... things like a boiled egg with mayonnaise, or some veggie sticks with a sour cream and chive dip or a pot of olives if you like them or a chicken drumstick or a cooked sausage or a few nuts (nuts are moreish and some are higher in carbs than others, so best just limit yourself to a small handful) or a chunk of cheese or just a coffee made with real cream. All of those things will help to keep you from feeling hungry (because of their fat content) and help to keep your BG levels stable.

Sounds like you have made a great start with cutting the carbs and the exercise. Walking is great for bringing levels down... Try walking at a brisker pace than you normally would or lengthening your stride... (not a good idea with the current icy conditions) or incorporating a hill into your route to get your lungs and muscles working a bit more and make it more challenging.

Thank you I've got my bike out that I used daily in loockdown 1. I'm a keyworker so tomorrow I'm biking to work and back apx 5 miles round trip. I worry about easting things to fatty be ause of my cholesterol as it was also high.

 

[Tina80]

Welcome to the forum @Tina80

Sounds like you are off to a brilliant start.

Hope you can adjust to your new way of eating, and gradually adapt it to a long-term plan that you actively enjoy (this may involve adding in some ‘good fats’ and extra protein which will keep you feeling full and give you extra tasty options.

Thank you I have increased my protein as I was becoming very hungry eg I've doubled my chicken intake nealry. So far I think I've done on now I'm not hungry all day

 

[trophywench]

Dietary fat does not generally impact on serum cholesterol amounts.