What diet

[Loopylouuk]

Hi there

I have on my FB page lots of different diets that keep popping up. Noom, Keto are but two that are regularly popping up.
I have looked at the Keto diet but this is not recommended for diabetics.
Can anyone recommend one, I am type 2 and am struggling with my weight.
I am 60 and have a very naughty child in my head if you know what I mean.
I know I have to lose weight as I am very obese and unfit, and I feel hungry most of the time
I would struggle with a very low carbohydrate diet as I need to feel full, so if anyone could recommend either a eating plan or
Recipe books etc I would be very grateful.
I am still waiting for my Balance mag so hopefully will have some information I can use

Thank you

 

[Flangebarks]

I have type 1 diabetes and I’m currently on weight watchers blue, there are different plans and Each one has free foods so you don’t go hungry. I have to weigh foods to count carbs anyway so I went for the blue plan but for others you don’t have to weigh & measure. I’ve lost a stone so it seems to be working. I did suffer with a lot of hypos at the start though. My colleague who I see every day at work is type 2 and is on slimming world, her lunches always look a lot more filling than mine! I’ve never been to a group because I started in lockdown so I’ve just been following weight watchers on the app. I know they do online groups but I haven’t joined one. I would recommend either weight watchers or slimming world, I think they are worth the money and you get support along the way

 

[Drummer]

I think you must have got that the wrong way round - if a type two diabetic abandons high carb foods then there is every chance of getting rid of the problems.
You are always classed as diabetic, but just don't see any symptoms.
Diets such as Banting, Atkins etc, have been trying to get it over to the population in general that a low carb diet and ketosis are a good idea, but there are still those who deny it.
Eating low carb usually means that you don't feel hungry and it is quite normal for people to eat only twice a day, or even just once due to the contentment eating nourishing food brings.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

Are you looking for something that tells you exactly what to eat and when?
Because I have found that completely hopeless for me.
I am eating making keto choices. I have found it excellent for me and it has sorted out my blood sugar problems entirely.
This is what I had for lunch.
It is a keto meal because it is very low carbohydrate and moderately high fat.

The stuffing is home made using breadcrumbs from a keto recipe loaf I made myself in my breadmaker.
The mash is mashed celeriac and the roastie is roast celeriac.

I can 100% guarantee I don't leave my table without feeling full and I stay feeling full all day.
A good keto menu intended to control your blood sugars rather than to lose weight will fill you up and you won't feel hungry.
Once you have trained your body to adapt to burning fat for fuel instead of carbs you will naturally find that you eat less dysfunctionally and you will lose weight the same way you gained it - gradually and without noticing and without having to try. You will feel you have more energy and you will find yourself being more active and able to do more activity which alone will lead to you gradually finding your natural healthy weight. At that stage you can restrict calories a bit by just having smaller portions but I have found when food is delicious and satisfying I tend to eat slightly smaller portions and skip a meal here and there because I am just not hungry and I have almost entirely stopped eating snacks. Not because I feel I 'should' but because i just don't want them any more. I do drink a lot more tea, coffee and sparkling water though.

Oh and funny you should say about having a naughty child in your head!! I have a Facebook page with recipes and tips which I recently renamed The Naughty Diabetic's Dream Come True!!

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Loopylouuk

The basis of any food choices for people with Diabetes, is to eat an amount of carbs that your pancreas can deliver enough insulin that you can use to balance out the glucose that is made from these. There are diets which offer you food replacements but many find that by simply reducing their carb intake they are able to find a balance that works. For some this is going low carb for others it is just reducing the carbs to a level that their body can manage.

Do you know how many carbs you are eating each day? This can be a good starting point as it will get you familiar with the sources of carbs. Some are surprising. You can use the labels on packaging as well as weighing raw ingredients and working out the carbs from info on the packaging or using Google to get carbs in .... Once you know how many carbs you are eating, as you have Diabetes you know this is too much, so need to reduce the amount, either by swapping foods for lower carb options or reducing the portion size.

We choose to limit ourselves to 30g of carbs at each meal and we’re surprised at the start how small these meals seemed, but now we are very used to it, and struggle to eat bigger meals. For us there are no foods that we ‘do not eat’ but some are so packed with carbs we choose to avoid them as the portions would need to be tiny. We have gradually found out what works for us..

Having said all that I am not trying to lose weight (or wasn’t until Lockdown!!!!) I think that is where some people start to use the ketones diet to burn up some of the stored fat.

I hope that helps.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

While you are awaiting your copy of Balance, you might enjoy a briese through the Enjoy Food section here

Eating with diabetes

If you, or someone in your family, has type 1, type 2 or another type of diabetes, you'll know that it can sometimes be difficult to know what to eat. Start here for the key information you need to make healthy food choices for a balanced diet.

www.diabetes.org.uk

But bear in mind that those recipes are put together to suit a wide range of people, with very different carbohydrate tolerances, so you will still be wise to check your own BG response to any that you fancy, and reduce the carb content / adapt them if you need to 🙂

 

[DaveB]

Hi. There is nothing wrong with a Keto diet if you choose to go that way. In general you will find keeping the carbs down is the best way forward. All carbs turn to glucose in the stomach and if you have too many the body stores them as fat and guess what - you gain weight and become insulin resistant. The way to stay full when on low carbs is to have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full. These food groups slow carb absorption and keep you satiated for longer. Be careful with the brand-name diet companies as they tend to offer whatever diet you want to reel you in as a long-term customer. They do provide motivation which is good but make sure you understand how the body works first.

 

[Loopylouuk]

I think you must have got that the wrong way round - if a type two diabetic abandons high carb foods then there is every chance of getting rid of the problems.
You are always classed as diabetic, but just don't see any symptoms.
Diets such as Banting, Atkins etc, have been trying to get it over to the population in general that a low carb diet and ketosis are a good idea, but there are still those who deny it.
Eating low carb usually means that you don't feel hungry and it is quite normal for people to eat only twice a day, or even just once due to the contentment eating nourishing food brings.

Hi Drummer
I read somewhere that the keto diet isn't suitable for diabetics, and I do love my pasta potatoes etc and would feel hungry without the

 

[Loopylouuk]

Hi. There is nothing wrong with a Keto diet if you choose to go that way. In general you will find keeping the carbs down is the best way forward. All carbs turn to glucose in the stomach and if you have too many the body stores them as fat and guess what - you gain weight and become insulin resistant. The way to stay full when on low carbs is to have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full. These food groups slow carb absorption and keep you satiated for longer. Be careful with the brand-name diet companies as they tend to offer whatever diet you want to reel you in as a long-term customer. They do provide motivation which is good but make sure you understand how the body works first.

Hi DaveB

Thank you, it is all so confusing when you are told to eat low fat but that means the sugar content is hight and low sugar the fat content is higher. My cholesterol is higher than it should be and on tabs for that
I'm such a mess at the moment

 

[Madeline]

Oddly it’s protein that signals satiety to the brain, not carbs.

 

[Madeline]

Ok so my understanding is that cholesterol is produced in the liver. The liver processes carbs, not fat, and excess cholesterol, fatty liver, etc is caused by too high a carb diet - not dietary cholesterol. If you’re diabetic and have high cholesterol you need to reduce your carbs right down. You’ll get used to it, promise. Add lots of above ground vegetables to your diet rather than cutting out low fat. Fat isn’t your enemy, carbs are.

 

[Loopylouuk]

Oddly it’s protein that signals satiety to the brain, not carbs.

Hi Madeline

That is interesting I didn't know that

Thank you

 

[Madeline]

You’re v welcome! It’s a huge culture shock at first.

 

[Loopylouuk]

Welcome to the forum @Loopylouuk

The basis of any food choices for people with Diabetes, is to eat an amount of carbs that your pancreas can deliver enough insulin that you can use to balance out the glucose that is made from these. There are diets which offer you food replacements but many find that by simply reducing their carb intake they are able to find a balance that works. For some this is going low carb for others it is just reducing the carbs to a level that their body can manage.

Do you know how many carbs you are eating each day? This can be a good starting point as it will get you familiar with the sources of carbs. Some are surprising. You can use the labels on packaging as well as weighing raw ingredients and working out the carbs from info on the packaging or using Google to get carbs in .... Once you know how many carbs you are eating, as you have Diabetes you know this is too much, so need to reduce the amount, either by swapping foods for lower carb options or reducing the portion size.

We choose to limit ourselves to 30g of carbs at each meal and we’re surprised at the start how small these meals seemed, but now we are very used to it, and struggle to eat bigger meals. For us there are no foods that we ‘do not eat’ but some are so packed with carbs we choose to avoid them as the portions would need to be tiny. We have gradually found out what works for us..

Having said all that I am not trying to lose weight (or wasn’t until Lockdown!!!!) I think that is where some people start to use the ketones diet to burn up some of the stored fat.

I hope that helps.

Thank you SB2015 that is helpful I must have read it wrong about the Keto type diets

 

[SB2015]

There are loads of ideas on the food thread if you want some tantalising meals to try.

Once you tart counting carbs you quickly find you remember a lot of them. When I was working I became quite expert at the carb values of biscuits that were on offer with coffee. Obviously With this useful knowledge I found I succumbed to temptation, talking of which there is a chocolate digestive with my name on waiting for me. Absolutely no excuse whatsoever for this one!!

 

[MissDaisy]

Hi Lou,

I’ve been reducing my carbs since @rebrascora answered my first post. I’ve got my BG readings down and feel less hungry. I’ve read that while sugars are high due to eating lots of carb the body cannot take the nutrients from the other food groups and this makes you feel hungry - so it’s kinda vicious circle.

I think you’ll feel better if you reduce carbs and eat more of the foods you can have. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and as I felt less fatigue, clammy turns etc - this meant I could start doing more around the house and I felt tons better!

It takes a while to get used to but Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) works and hunger does lessen day by day.

Hope this helps

MissDaisy 🙂

 

[Vonny]

Hi Lou, I can vouch for all the above. I was always hungry mid morning after a bagel or bacon sarnie for breakfast, hungry mid afternoon after a Greggs baguette or lunchtime special fish and chips, and hungry in the evening after dinner which included potatoes, rice or pasta. The first low-carb day was terrifying, and I had to take it one day at a time, but within a couple of days I just stopped being hungry! Now I eat what my partner and son eat, just without the carbs, and I really don't miss them! Best of luck to you x

 

[DaveB]

Hi DaveB

Thank you, it is all so confusing when you are told to eat low fat but that means the sugar content is hight and low sugar the fat content is higher. My cholesterol is higher than it should be and on tabs for that
I'm such a mess at the moment

Just to add that the low-fat, high carb mantra comes from Government bodies such as PHE who are strongly influenced by the food company lobby and not by good science; carbs are very profitable.

 

[Drummer]

Hi Drummer
I read somewhere that the keto diet isn't suitable for diabetics, and I do love my pasta potatoes etc and would feel hungry without the

The KETO diet is low carb - diabetics cannot cope with carbs, but type twos can often, if they are lucky simply lower their carb intake and go into remission. I don't know where it might make the claim of KETO not being suitable for diabetics, but it is against all reason, experience and knowledge.
You might love pasta and potato - but they do not love you back if you are getting high levels of blood glucose after eating them.

 

[Drummer]

Oh - when I went from low fat high carb to low carb with the natural fat, my cholesterol went down.