My consultant said that a low carb diet is not sustainable long term

[helli]

We have to remember that we are all different. Not only are our bodies different but so are our minds and our lives.
Likewise, there are different ways of eating low carb. Unless you are very overweight, you will need to replace the carbs with something. Some people replace them with meat alone - there are some people who eat a full carnivore diet which does not sound sustainable to me. At least, not if you have much of life with others.
Some people with Type 1 like @Vectian and @rebrascora find low carb works for them.
However, I regularly eat out for work, often sandwich buffets and the like, I have an analytical mind do like to review graphs and numbers and find maths for carb counting, etc relatively easy, I am ridiculously stubborn so will want to do what I do, I eat a “normal” (not low carb or high carb) diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, when I tried low carb I found it more effort in terms of lifestyle changes and insulin dosing (different proteins needed different insulin to protein ratios and timings), I have had diabetes for over 20 years, have never been overweight, have no complications or any other health issues (apart from a broken arm), an HbA1C in the low 40s and, when I don’t have a broken arm, I exercise most days.
My lifestyle does not suit everyone. My diet doesn’t suit everyone. My HbA1C is not possible for everyone. My exercise regime is not sustainable to everyone.

 

[beating_my_betes]

All diets are suatainable for SOME people. All diets are unsustainable for others. It's important for people to find the type of restriction they're comfortable with, so the chosen plan can be sustained.

Unfortunately, those who find the right program for them become evangelical about it. This is more so when the solution is discovered after having tried many different diets. Add to that the fact that the internet allows for people to come together in very specific groups, from all around the world, and survivorship bias and echo-chambers rear their ugly heads.

Fortunately this place has a much wider reference for what low-carb entails, whereas much of the low-carb space restrict to keto ad zero-carb levels. At this point not only do the chances of falling off wagons increase but so does the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies.

It's all very messy

 

[Vectian]

We have to remember that we are all different. Not only are our bodies different but so are our minds and our lives.
Likewise, there are different ways of eating low carb. Unless you are very overweight, you will need to replace the carbs with something. Some people replace them with meat alone - there are some people who eat a full carnivore diet which does not sound sustainable to me. At least, not if you have much of life with others.
Some people with Type 1 like @Vectian and @rebrascora find low carb works for them.
However, I regularly eat out for work, often sandwich buffets and the like, I have an analytical mind do like to review graphs and numbers and find maths for carb counting, etc relatively easy, I am ridiculously stubborn so will want to do what I do, I eat a “normal” (not low carb or high carb) diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, when I tried low carb I found it more effort in terms of lifestyle changes and insulin dosing (different proteins needed different insulin to protein ratios and timings), I have had diabetes for over 20 years, have never been overweight, have no complications or any other health issues (apart from a broken arm), an HbA1C in the low 40s and, when I don’t have a broken arm, I exercise most days.
My lifestyle does not suit everyone. My diet doesn’t suit everyone. My HbA1C is not possible for everyone. My exercise regime is not sustainable to everyone.

If you are classic T1 with pretty much no insulin, then surely you can eat what you like and just dose accordingly? The reason I am doing this is to keep blood sugar down without having to take any medication and trying to extend the life of my beta cells. Or a T2 for similar reasons to keep it down and reduce/stay off medications. With T1 what is the point of eating low carb? Seems like one of the few "advantages" of being T1 over T2.

 

[rebrascora]

I am Type 1 but was originally assumed Type 2 and I started on low carb in the vain hope of remission. What I found was that low carb made me feel healthier in many respects. I stopped having migraines which I had suffered for more than 20 years and they were not just chronic but also acute to the point of vomiting and passing out. My joints hardly ache any more when previously my back and knees particularly, had been causing me grief for years. I thought it was age and wear and tear. I live at the bottom of a steep hill and I was hobbling with the soreness when I walked down it and I assumed I was headed for at least 1 knee replacement, but they have been so much better since I changed my diet that I can now run down the hill without discomfort. My gut is much happier and my skin is less dry but most importantly, it has stopped almost all of the cravings and binge eating I have struggled with for many, many years. So for me there have been far too many benefits to following a low carb way of eating for me to change and I could not go back to the binge eating and try to manage it with insulin, as the couple of times I have slipped off the wagon, it has been positively dangerous, so I stick to what seems to really suit my body, suits me mentally and seems to be healthier for me. It took quite a bit of getting used to and it isn't always easy, but worth it for me.

 

[Martin.A]

He seemed to be saying more than 5 years. I wouldn't say 140g is low carb though, more medium. I have around half that, sometimes less. My blood sugar would be quite a bit higher on 140g. Proper low carb or keto is more like 20g, I wouldn't be able (or want) to go that low.

I've seen medium (or moderate) carb defined as being between 130 and 220g per day. 90% of the time I come in under 130g per day but on 2 or 3 days each month I'll be higher for whatever reason, which tends to skew my average. Even then I'm only averaging 133g per day ytd.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Some members here may remember @AlanS who's blog post Test Review Adjust about before-and-after meal BG checks as a means of tailoring a person's menu to create "a low BG spike, excellent nutrition menu that suited Alan" and linked to Jennifer's Advice was a commonly shared link in the forum's past much like the Freshwell Project currently is.

Test, Review, Adjust

Managing blood glucose levels for type 2 diabetes. Learning how to achieve long term control by testing and diet.

loraldiabetes.blogspot.com

He wrote that post in 2006, and from what I can see he has been blogging his travels and adventures this Summer. Which would make his 'unsustainable' low carb approach still apparently working well after around 18 years. 🙂

 

[louisew]

6 months in from diagnosis, A1C down from 97 to 36, all metrics well within non diabetic range purely through diet and exercise. Low GI primarily which also means fairly low carb, but not very low or keto. Saw the consultant for the first time properly yesterday and he said that's great but a low carb diet is not sustainable long term, and there were no studies on it beyond 5 years. Pretty sure that's b*ll*cks, but anyone been on it long term?

I eat around 60 carbs a day, as recommended by my specialist diabetic nurse, so definitely don’t agree. I am D2, diagnosed with an hbac1 of 15, 2 years ago. I was put on insulin immediately. Now on 1000 mg metformin too, and insulin reduced to 4 basal and 4-6 bolus. Works great for me. I was a healthy bmi of 23 when diagnosed, and very active with a healthy diet. So most carbs come from low carb fruit and veg, and my hbac1 is 5.4. I do have treats occassionally, but I never ate chips, pizza, cakes etc so don’t really miss them. I’ve found substitutes for rice/potatoes and it’s just a way of life for me now. I don’t think I ever ate as much as 130- 140 carbs a day, as I’m quite petite, my meals are quite small