Newbie from Suffolk

everydayupsanddowns said:
Thanks for filling in some of your back-story @Robval - and brilliant to hear about your line dancing and zumba!

Hope you get on well with the transition to a lower carb menu - just remember it isn't NO carb, and you don't have to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. Initially some portion reductions to get you down towards 130g of total carbs per day might help, and from there you can take your time and see what, if any, further adjustments may be helpful.

All the best for your next eye op too - and hope you get the improvements to vision you were hoping for once the recovery has run its course.
Click to expand...
Is the 130 g for everyone or is there a guide to work out how many g you should have. I’ve been looking it up but can only find keto checkers which want me to have 20g?
 
It is good that your doctor acknowledged that situation although low calorie works well for some people, it is maintaining the weight loss when the low calorie diet ends which is challenging. I have yo-yo dieted as many other people do. Low carb is a change of approach in that it is a new way of eating for life, not a short term fix and once you get your head around eating low carb and invest some time and planning and experimenting into it, it can be very enjoyable. I found breaking my sugar habit was probably easier than mostly cutting bread and potatoes from my diet as these have been cultural staples all my life. We got a loaf of bread from the shop every day and my Dad grew our tatties (and other veg and fruit) in the garden. Bread is a carrier for so many different foods in the form of sandwiches and toast, that it is probably more the convenience of it than the taste which makes it so challenging to drastically reduce or avoid it, but once you learn how to get around that without feeling guilty..... My sandwiches are now 2 slices of ham with cheese and coleslaw/pickle/tomato between them or rolled inside them, or a tuna wrap is large lettuce leaves stuffed with tuna and full fat mayonnaise and tomato and cucumber. Not that I have sandwiches (like this) very often, but it is certainly an option and I do it occasionally. There are lots of other work arounds, but they take time to figure out and find what works for you. The odd time I have bread now, or buy a sandwich at a shop feeling like it is going to be such a treat, I am almost always disappointed. I thought I used to love bread, but now I find that actually I don't. There are plenty of other tasty foods to eat than bread or pasta or rice or yes even potatoes, although the odd new potato with butter does pass my lips when they are in season, but not the staple part of my diet they used to be.
 
saffron15 said:
I'm short sighted so will choose a low minus so l can read without glasses but will need glasses for distance. My main problem is my pupils are stuck down and with the cataract they cannot see back of eye.
Click to expand...
It was my diabetic retinopathy appt at hospital that put me forward for cataract as they couldn’t see to clearly back of eye either. Hope they sort you out soon.
 
Robval said:
Is the 130 g for everyone or is there a guide to work out how many g you should have. I’ve been looking it up but can only find keto checkers which want me to have 20g?
Click to expand...

130 is a general guide as to the point below which diets are said to be ‘low carb’. But diabetes is very individual. Some will get on fine at 130g, others manage well at 150-160. Some on the forum find 70-90 suit them better. Some find problems with insulin resistance worsening below about 40-50, but others find full-keto suits them!

Generally forum folks find ‘eating to your meter’ a practical and emotionally neutral method. Get hold of a BG meter with affordable strips like the Gluco Navii, Spirit Tee2, or Contour Blue, then use before & 2hr after meal checks to keep the ‘meal rise’ down to 2-3mmol/L by adjusting carb sources and portion size.
 
Robval said:
Is the 130 g for everyone or is there a guide to work out how many g you should have. I’ve been looking it up but can only find keto checkers which want me to have 20g?
Click to expand...
There are Carb counting apps around, but I don't like the Faff. So I just count the obvious carbs, Bread (wholemeal) potatoes Pasta (wholemeal) brown Rice etc . I try and keep that to around 80-100g then the carbs in fruit and veg makes up the rest, an average of 10% of weight. I am having between 100 - 150 g of carbs a day. I have lost over 2 stone from my heaviest and my weekly average morning BGM results are in the low 6's - My next A1c test in Nov will be the real test.

Good Luck every small step helps.
 
I used my Carbs and Cals book and info on packets, websites etc to estimate the carbs in any particular meal. Allowing myself 15-20g for breakfast, 25g for Dinner and the rest for drinks making my 70g which is what I chose to keep to.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
130 is a general guide as to the point below which diets are said to be ‘low carb’. But diabetes is very individual. Some will get on fine at 130g, others manage well at 150-160. Some on the forum find 70-90 suit them better. Some find problems with insulin resistance worsening below about 40-50, but others find full-keto suits them!

Generally forum folks find ‘eating to your meter’ a practical and emotionally neutral method. Get hold of a BG meter with affordable strips like the Gluco Navii, Spirit Tee2, or Contour Blue, then use before & 2hr after meal checks to keep the ‘meal rise’ down to 2-3mmol/L by adjusting carb sources and portion size.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I am going to try for 130 g and see how I get on. Have found a useful carb counting app which doesn’t try to make me do keto macros and was recommended another app from gps in Essex which has food plans so will try these first.
 
JOV said:
There are Carb counting apps around, but I don't like the Faff. So I just count the obvious carbs, Bread (wholemeal) potatoes Pasta (wholemeal) brown Rice etc . I try and keep that to around 80-100g then the carbs in fruit and veg makes up the rest, an average of 10% of weight. I am having between 100 - 150 g of carbs a day. I have lost over 2 stone from my heaviest and my weekly average morning BGM results are in the low 6's - My next A1c test in Nov will be the real test.

Good Luck every small step helps.
Click to expand...
Thank you for info have now found simple app which allows me to put in 130 g most others wanted me to do Keto at 20 g. Was also recommended another app which has no in app purchases and is by gps in Essex which has food plans. Hopefully these tools will help me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JOV
Leadinglights said:
I used my Carbs and Cals book and info on packets, websites etc to estimate the carbs in any particular meal. Allowing myself 15-20g for breakfast, 25g for Dinner and the rest for drinks making my 70g which is what I chose to keep to.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Have bought the Carbs & Cals book which looks really useful. Like seeing the photos of different amounts of food on the plates.
 
Robval said:
Well done for losing two stone. Do you use a low carb app to work out carbs?
Click to expand...
no just carbs/cals the book. dont have a smartphone
 
Good luck with your efforts @Robval

Hope you find a way of eating that works for you 🙂

Do you have a follow-up check arranged with your GP/nurse?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top