I have just been diagnosed with type 2. My nurse told me not to eat bread, potatoes, pasta, rice plus other items high in carbs. I have to keep my carbs to 20 per meal and eat more in the way of fat ie I can have sausages etc. I noticed you have sandwiches in some of your food suggestions so I am really confused
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Newbies say hello here
- Thread starter Jenni49
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Hello - the experts here will be along in a moment I know (wonderful folk!)
I'm new here too, and (I hope!) only pre-DB2 (waiting for my next HBa1C as I am very close to call). I've been 'fighting back' from a high pre-DB2 result (45 - very close to T2 level!), with a far lower carb-intake diet, swapping across to high protein, high fibre, but, because I need to shift weight as well (lost a stone so far - hurrah!), not too much fat either (I've got quite enough in my spare tyres to feed me for quite some time!).
Cutting out/down on carbs, especially the 'fill you up' starch carbs (the bread etc) can feel very hard at first (wont I be hungry???), but if you swap to more protein and fibre it truly does help fight off those hunger pangs. (If you don't mid the Daily Mail, their resident 'doc', Michael Mosely today writes about how more protein keeps you feeling 'fuller for longer'). Fibre bulks of course (lots of veg, ideally 'green' rather than 'root', though root veg are still better than potatoes etc, as more fibre-to-starch) (check out carrots though - sugary??? I'm not sure about them at all, I just avoid them now)
More veg can sound boring, but at least with DB it's Ok to put butter on them!! (unless you're trying to lose weight as well initially.)
There is a fantastic amount of information, advice, and experience on this forum, so you are in a good place!
I'm new here too, and (I hope!) only pre-DB2 (waiting for my next HBa1C as I am very close to call). I've been 'fighting back' from a high pre-DB2 result (45 - very close to T2 level!), with a far lower carb-intake diet, swapping across to high protein, high fibre, but, because I need to shift weight as well (lost a stone so far - hurrah!), not too much fat either (I've got quite enough in my spare tyres to feed me for quite some time!).
Cutting out/down on carbs, especially the 'fill you up' starch carbs (the bread etc) can feel very hard at first (wont I be hungry???), but if you swap to more protein and fibre it truly does help fight off those hunger pangs. (If you don't mid the Daily Mail, their resident 'doc', Michael Mosely today writes about how more protein keeps you feeling 'fuller for longer'). Fibre bulks of course (lots of veg, ideally 'green' rather than 'root', though root veg are still better than potatoes etc, as more fibre-to-starch) (check out carrots though - sugary??? I'm not sure about them at all, I just avoid them now)
More veg can sound boring, but at least with DB it's Ok to put butter on them!! (unless you're trying to lose weight as well initially.)
There is a fantastic amount of information, advice, and experience on this forum, so you are in a good place!
IrvineHimself
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
It would help if you could tell us what your BG, both pinprick and hba1c, also any meds you have been prescribed. Also, your weight, BMI, height and build. In my experience, without knowing whether, in their youth, someone is/was light or heavily built, knowing their BMI is useless. I mean, my BMI I was technically in the safe range, but being lightly built, I was seriously overweight. (I am a natural beanpole🙄)
20g of carbs per meal seems a bit low to me, but others may disagree. The low carb approach is very popular around here for us type 2s. About a year ago, I went from and hba1c of 135 mmol/mol to around 40 mmol/mol in six months with a low carb diet and prescribed meds. (I need to book a blood test for my four month check-up on Monday, so you can wish me luck if you like
)I agree with your nurse about cutting completely high carb foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, oats, breadfruit, yams...... etc. Despite at one time being my favourite foods, I no longer touch them. Generally, I aim for roughly 150g of carbs per day, although others aim lower. Others will give you more details, but the most important thing to remember is that there is no one size fits all daily carb target. It is a case of what works for you!
Anyway, I will leave it to others to get into the gritty details. Welcome to the forum and best of luck
Irvine
Edited:
To change "20g of carbs a day" to "20g of carbs per meal"
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It would help if you could tell us what your BG, both pinprick and hba1c, also any meds you have been prescribed. Also, your weight, BMI, height and build. In my experience, without knowing whether, in their youth, someone is/was light or heavily built, knowing their BMI is useless. I mean, my BMI I was techicaly in the safe range, but being lighly built, I was seriously overweight. (I am a natural beanpole🙄)
20g of carbs a day seems a bit low to me, but others may disagree. The low carb approach is very popular around here for us type 2s. About a year ago, I went from and hba1c of 135 mmol/mol to around 40 mmol/mol in six months with a low carb diet and prescribed meds. (I need to book a blood test for my four month check-up on Monday, so you can wish me luck if you like
I agree with your nurse about cutting completely high carb foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, oats, breadfruit, yams...... etc. Despite at one time being my favourite foods, I no longer touch them. Generally, I aim for roughly 150g of carbs per day of carbs, although others aim lower. Others will give you more details, but the most important thing to remmember is that there is no one size fits all daily carb target. It is a case of what works for you!
Anyway, I will leave it to others to get into the gritty details. Welcome to the forum and best of luck
Irvine
IrvineHimself
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yeah, I understood that, but, unless you eat several meals per day, 20g per meal adds up to about 60g of carbs @LeadingLights has the lowest daily carb target I know of, and that is 70g per day.
IrvineHimself
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Sorry, I apologise most profusely. I did understand what you meant, but I just realised that I misquoted your 20g/meal as 20g/day. I really apologise about any confusion. However, at the end of a day, the point remains that 20g/meal is still very low, I believe @LeadingLights target is 35g/meal, I myself aim for around 75g/meal. At a carb target of 20g/meal (or between 40 and 60 g/day) you are really going to struggle to find things you can eat.
I apologise once again for the confusion caused by my misquoting you, it's just that around hear we usually, but not always, talk about a daily target for carbs
Irvine
IrvineHimself
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I keep thinking about this 20g carbs/meal, and the more I think about it, the more I see potentially serious health problems. All plants contain carbs, and, unless you are eating an Eskimo diet, (and even they eat plant based food,) you need to eat vegetable matter for essential vitamins, roughage and whole host of minerals. For example a carrot contains 10g of carb per 100 grams.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I don't take any medication and do aim at 70g carb per day, usually 15-20g for breakfast, 15- 20 for lunch and 25ish for dinner the rest for drinks.
I just have normal fat rather than low fat and even with that lost weight pretty effectively.
This link may help you with some ideas. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
I would also say it is better to reduce your carbs gradually over a few weeks as it is less likely to cause issues with your eyes and nerves.
I just have normal fat rather than low fat and even with that lost weight pretty effectively.
This link may help you with some ideas. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
I would also say it is better to reduce your carbs gradually over a few weeks as it is less likely to cause issues with your eyes and nerves.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
The choice of carb sources is probably quite important - I eat mushrooms, salad and stir fry, or mixtures of low carb vegetables. After 5 years I seem to be thriving on fairly levels - I started off at 50 gm a day and reduced to 40 to try to reduce my Hba1c - which it didn't. As the foods are low carb it means that there is quite a bit to eat.
IrvineHimself
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yes, at such a low level of daily carbs, your choice of vegetables is going to become very important.
@LeadingLights and @Drummer, do you take supplementary minerals and vitamins?
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I have started taking a multivitamin. When I first started the low carb my folate was low and the doc prescribed folic acid for 1 month, I speculated that it was because I had cut down on foods which were fortified with folic acid like bread and cereals, blood tests since have been OK.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Jenni49
That’s quite unusually low carb advice from your nurse, given what many other newcomers say when arriving here.
20g of carbs per meal is borderline ‘keto’, whereas most practice nurses who advocate moderate/low carb seem to suggest something like 130g per day as a starting point.
We have some members here who do really well on very low carb. and others who value the flexibility of moderate or low carb and their metabolisms are happy to process the extra carbs.
I think it’s one of the reasons why diabetes can be so confusing to begin with, because the nature of the advice (and some of the details) can seem so different and occasionally contradictory! Bit it’s really a matter of working out what your body and your diabetes needs, and then developing a plan around that.
There are a range of different meal plans here for you to dip into and try things - including a low carb (130g per day) option.
Meal plans and diabetes
Eating nutritious, healthy and downright delicious food is that bit easier with our meal planners. We've created multiple different weekly meal plans to suit all types and tastes. They're nutritionally balanced, are calorie and carb counted, and can help if you want to lose weight. They also...
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I buy lots of fresh salad and other fresh veges, also frozen vege mixtures and berries - I probably have more natural sources of vitamins and minerals than most people eating a 'normal' diet.
42istheanswer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If you mean in the Food Ideas thread, do remember that not everyone here is type 2 - some members are Type 1 (or another rarer type) and can theoretically eat anything they want so long as they count how many carbs and take enough insulin. Some type 2s who are on insulin or follow different strategies may not be low carb either.
Then some of us who do eat lower carb (but say 130g rather than 60g) will sometimes calculate some bread into our daily carbs either for convenience or because we fancy a sandwich that day.
You will also find that some low carb members make or buy special low carb breads
This is all incredibly helpful. I feel as the doc has said 20g per meal of carbs I should stick to it for the moment. My next blood test is the end of May so hopefully that will show if it has helped.
Unfortunately I have not lost any weight yet which is frustrating. Getting active is also difficult as I am in my mid 70s with a dodgy knee. I seem to be collecting ailments
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Just walking is good exercise, though I sympathise about the knee, I am struggling to get back to my pre knee injury level ( ruptured patellar tendon and fracture). But still trying with walking and gardening.
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