Susan, those are pretty good numbers of the carbs, per meal/snacks. I am wondering something…what are your fat/proteins like for those same meals? I am having conflicts with the right balance of the carbs-fats-proteins. This is giving me some real trials to know what is the right thing to do. The more the carbs…the higher the readings. Barb
Barbie
Breakfast is almost always a poached egg on buttered toast and coffee with cream. This is about10 g carbs, 12 g fat, 11 g protein. Lunch varies a lot, maybe tuna salad heaped on one slice bread (or no bread) or my favorite home made ‘gualsa’ a guacamole salsa mix of 1 roma tomato 1 avocado, cilantro, jalepenos, garlic and onion. Dinner would be varied, but a porkchop with 2-3 cups of broccoli and cauliflower with cheeese sauce would be typical. I will almost always have an ounce of nuts or my own fibre mix of wheatbran, oatbran, psylium husks, cinnamon, walnuts at some time during the day. My great carb indulgence is a cup of blueberries with a soy coffee cream almost every day, or an ounce of brie with 1/3 pear. So you can see high fat, lots of protein, and no hunger. Although I do have dawn effect, generally aroung 6,5 (117) in the morning, the rest of the day I am between 5.1 and 7.0 (92 to 126) unless I decide to see if I have suddenly become able to eat pizza… But enough of Me talking about me!! Why don’t You talk about me for a while!
So the less the better. Well I am hispanic and my diet has alway been fully loaded with carbs(rice,beans,tortillas,plantains and on and on). I have found it really difficult to cut them out. I really don’t know what to eat. By the way I’m type2 on 10mg of glipized twice daily.I am working hard to try to not have that go up or go on insulin. I really think that if I learn to eat right I can do it. Any types of foods I can have that will keep me full longer. I am also trying to lose weight. I need to be on a 1500 cal diet. I am fine with the counting calories yet I find the carb thing really tricky. Any advice will be welcomed!
I understand how difficult it is figuring out what foods to eat. My old diet was based on lots of rice, breads and potatoes. I used my glucometer to figure out what I could eat and how much I could eat. How to do this is explained on Blood Sugar 101 http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ I also read Dr. Bernstein’s book http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316099066 My diet now consists of low carb veges, meats, eggs, cheese and a few bites of fruit.
If you do lower your carb intake, be careful about lows. I am not on medication. I am not sure how one goes about lowering carbs when on medication as the meds may need to be decreased. Hopefully someone will jump in here with that information.
Have you considered going on metformin instead of glipizide? When I was diagnosed in 2000 I was also put on glipizide, but the more I learned the more I believed that was not the way to go, as glipizide overtaxes an already tired pancreas, by forcing it to put out even more insulin. If you’re type 2, you probably have tons of insulin in your body already that can’t get into the cells (insulin resistance). Metformin works on that, getting the insulin already in your body into the cells where it can be used, instead of floating around where, unfortunately, it causes the food you eat to turn into that telltale type 2 belly fat. I know some people can’t tolerate metformin, but many of us have used it for years very effectively. It fights the actual cause of type 2 (insulin resistance) rather than burning out your pancreas.
Oh, and the problem with lows that Anne mentions will not occur on metformin, as you are not adding extra insulin to your system.
Susan,
Me? I can’t compare with your sharing of low-carb,and high everything else. Your diet seems very reasonable. The only thing…I’m sorry to say, I don’t identify with some of the foods you eat. I’m just a plain old-fashioned Iowa girl with the simple down-home meals of meat and potatoes. The one thing I did give up is the smellin’ and cookin’ of Iowa apple pie. In fact, I gave up everything that has sugar and enriched flour in it. (not an Iowa tradition, I can tell you). Walnuts I can handle as I know it is a food that works on cholesterol control. I am almost drinking a home brand lemonade exclusively. The sugar is Splenda which doesn’t spike the BG. Thanks for your response to my question. I appreciate it.
I was on metformin for a while. it did give me some of the side effects just until my body got used to it. The problem for me was that I gained so much weight on it. That is the reasone they changed me. It is so difficult to try and balance everything out bit frustrating!
Hi, everyone. After reading all of these posts about carb counting, no wonder I am confused. So one can lost weight, take drugs and not eating anything with very many carbs in it, there is nothing left. I don’t see many labels of food with no carbs on it except cheese, oil, fish products, jello, pork, and eggs (1). Not a very exciting array of foods. I just tried for my lunch to see if I can gather a minimum of carbs and more fat. I must say, it left me hungry…not very filling. I could sure use some input here or I’ll go whole hog with my diet.
I often make a stir saute(I don’t really fry) as I can easily reheat it during the week. Today at lunch I reheated a bowl of saute that consisted of Italian sausage, onion, redpepper, broccoli, zuccini and spinach. There is a long list of low carb veges that can be used. Asparagus, bok choy, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms, any of the greens, spaghetti squash are a few that come to mind quickly. Maybe someone can suggest a good low carb cookbook. It can also take a while for one’s body to get use to the new way of eating. If you are eating a high carb diet, I think you will crave carbs at first. I don’t know if it is better to ease into this or jump in with both feet. I am the “jump in with both feet” type of person, but I was not on medication for blood sugar. I defer to the wisdom of the others on this issue.
Hi Barbie,
I eat very low carb & am never hungry. The protein & fat keep hunger away because these digest slowly. What did you eat for lunch?
Tons of great low carb recipes available. My carbs come from vegetables & nuts. I eat protein & vegetables at every meal. Lots of low carb veggies–asparagus, green leafy veggies, spinach, turnips, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms, cauliflower, red peppers, avocadoes (though I guess it’s not technically a vegetable), summer squash, zucchini, scallios, radishes, etc.
For baking I use almond meal, coconut flour & golden flaxseed meal. All of them are low carb/high fiber & healthy.
I eat 15g at breakfast, 32g at lunch, and 50-60g at dinner (or less if I’ve included a snack). I average 100g of carb per day. I found I gained too much weight and took too much insulin at the ADA recommended 180g per day.
My dietician put me on 224 carbs a day…I usually eat less than 100 though. I’ve lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks. Also I have high cholesteral and high triglycerides so she really limited the amount of fat…that cuts out lots of the “low carb” recipes. Add to that the fact that my microalbumen showed some kidney damage and I am to not have too much protein. It doesn’t leave a lot to eat…I was glad to see that someone said spaghetti squash is a low carb veggie. I love it.
My understanding is that a low carb diet, even while eating the fats…is better for cholesterol and tryglycerides than a high-carb, low-fat diet. Something to think about.
Cathy, That dietitian who put you on 224 carbs a day better do some other kind of work. I’ve just read Jenny’s article “How Blood Sugar Control Works…” and she said a whole mouthful of very important information about high carbs that can’t be ignored by any diabetic. You can find that study on www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046621.php She also wrote "A1c snf High Post-Meal Blood Sugars Predict Heart Attack. I was interested in this because I have an athersclerotic condition. High blood sugars = higher triglycerides = potential heart attack. Metforin is a drug used to lower triglycerodes as well as blood sugar readings. I am learning that this diabetic thing is a lot trickier than it appears and gets more confusing as I suffer with it.
I’ve always wondered if you have to eat carbs with each meal. I’m diet controled type 2, trying to lose weight, insulin resistant. Sometimes I just don’t want them and sometimes they are all I want.
You don’t have to eat carbs with every meal. You could have just protein/fat at times. Not that you’d want to & we need vitamins/minerals/enzymes from veggies, but you could live on just protein & fat.
May not effect you as much as a Type 2, but in the absence of sufficient carbs 50-58% of protein does turn to glucose & of course at a much slower rate. It’s a survival mechanism.
224 carbs–this dietician needs to go back to school!
Lots of research that it’s high carb, not high fat, that causes bad lipid profiles. Getting your BG in control helps improve LDL/HDL. You can’t eat low carb/low fat & low protein. You can eat moderate protein/relatively high fat/low carb,
I went back and looked at my book and yest that is what it says. I get 5 servings of carbs at Bfast, 3 at lunch, 4 at supper and 2 for a bedtime snack. The book tells what constitutes servings of starches, fruits and milks (carbs) and non starchy veggies, meats and fats. She went through and put red x’s on lots of it because of the chol. and trigly. My doctor said she is more concerned with the blood sugar and to not worry too much about the red x’s. I am eating less carbs than she said, but still have 3 at Bfast and 2 or 3 at each meal. Is that too much?
Cathy,
What’s the total number of carbs you’re eating for each meal? How’s your BG two hours after? What’s your morning fasting number? These are what are important to know. If you can eat a certain amount of carbs without it sending you high, than that’s great. If you’re trying to lose weight, than cutting carbs is the way to go. If your goal is better control, cutting carbs to a way to reach your goal.