Hi all,
I’ve just finished reading Dr. Bernstein’s “Diabetes Solution”. I’ve decided to give this lifestyle a go. I currently eat about 60g(ish) a day carbs, but would like to tighten up my control. For those who do eat under 30g carbs a day, does that include your protein? For example, if you eat a salad with 2 hard boiled eggs, would you count two carbs for each of the eggs? or would you count only the vegetables, lettuce and dressing?
I don’t bother with all that counting. I only eat proteins and the allowed vegetables, fats, and coffee with cream. Occasionally some nuts, red wine or whisky, 100% chocolate … 2 or 3 meals a day. It works.
Bernstein’s goal is 30 grams of carbohydrate a day, usually broken into his 6-12-12. You don’t count the protein as part of the 30 g/day, you may choose to count protein when calculating your mealtime bolus. In the case of a salad, I count an egg as 0.4 g carb and thus two eggs would be 0.8 g carb towards the 30 g / day goal.
Part of the challenge with Dr. B’s diet is that we are taught that certain foods are “free” when they are not. A food that has 10 g of carb may be free on a 300-500 g carb/day diet, but not on a diet like Dr. B;s.
ps. 60 g/day is a great start. You see a big difference at that level.
There’s quite a long, recent thread here on the low carb, high fat diet: Low Carb High Fat Diet
I use an insulin pump and for my personal endocrine response I’ve found that I only need to account for the protein if I’m having a lot of meat. If I cut up 3 slices of hard salami to go on top of my salad, there’s enough uncertainty in the carb count of the salad itself that any contribution from the salami is lost in the noise. For me. You are certainly different, and need to find what works for you.
The goal is flat blood sugar. That’s been elusive for me, as variations in sleep, exercise, weather and even amount of sunlight I get seem to affect my BG. I’ll cook up a big batch of fish, divide it by weight, and then eat the exact same meal down to the gram and have 2 different BG results. I’ve come to grips with this as ‘your mileage may vary’ and that’s how it is. So I’m not as… obsessive as I was when I started out. But following Dr Bernstein’s principle of Small Numbers has brought my A1C down into the high 5s, so here’s one person it works for.
–buck
Been following the Bernstein diet for manys years now. Over time I still learn new things. I suppose it is time to read his book through once more.
Have not gone over an A1C of 5.7 since that start. I was able to get that down to 5.2 at one time, but at the cost of too many lows. Loosened up just a little and have worked out the most likely times those will show. I still think it is possible to get down to 5.0 without going into excessive lows.
My endo says she has other patients trying this diet and all have failed to stick with it. I believe it will pay big dividends with health over the years. Just learn to take on a very different lifestyle.
I stick very close to the 30 gram goal. That can be the most difficult with the whole world shoveling food at me sometimes. I often just take a cup of coffee and later go and eat my celery, 1oz of cheese and 1 oz of ham. Does not bother me at all and I do not get hungry.
By the way I am 61 years old and have been a type 1 since age 24.
I stick to as close to zero carbs as possible because I am so very sensitive to them and insulin resistant. As long as I don’t have carbs my BG stays perfect (80-120). I do not count protein as carbs at all.
I’m wondering if your basal is covering your proteins. Do you do the miss a meal basal checks. This might also be when you add a few carbs. The wheels fall off
I count proteins fats and vegtables. It is amazing that there really are no free lunches.
For breakfast I eat a 1 oz slice of sausage. Then take a bolus of 2.5.
For lunch 4 stalks of celery, 1-oz of ham, and Ian oz of cheese. Take bolus of 2.7.
At dinner to maintain the peace I will eat a little more. (So as to satisfy the chef that I will not die)
Have a bowl of salad, with some dressing. A 1.5 oz serving of chicken, fish, beef, or pork. And a 1.5 oz serving of cooked vegetables. Bolus 2.8. I am running a basal of right at 10 units per day.
Even with a predictable diet and activity
the lows and highs come at unpredictabe times. I guess that is just part of the high calling for a ‘D’.
@Itaintover - My word, if I ate that little, I think I’d disappear. How many calories a day do you think you eat on your current diet? Are you losing weight - or just one of those individuals who needs fewer than normal calories to maintain weight?
for me, i try, to stay, as close to zero carbs, it just the way i like to eat,.
I weigh in at 175. Little above optimal weight fot a 5’ 10’’ male. I lost 20 lbs in a short time with the Bernstein diet. But then leveled off.
The biggest issue I have is with weekends. Start doing a little labor and find myself reaching for candy. Sometimes need to eat extra meals. I think that keeps me from losing anymore weight.
If I were more alert I would remember to set a temp basal. Maybe I should tape a note to my nose?
During the week I sit at a desk and work a computor screen. Not much exercise there.
I follow Dr B too, but his principles, not the exact counting. It is not my personality to log and count except for very short periods if I have to work out something new.
My approach is more a ‘what has worked for me’. I don’t count carbs, but I do avoid them mostly.
I also use intermittent fasting and typically will only eat 1 - 2 meals a day. I figure if my bs is perfect for 16 - 18 hours a day (with no food), then it is not too hard to get them right for the remaining 6 - 8 hours. Oh, I am far from slim, and would like to lose weight, but that is an ongoing war.
This does mean very low carb eating, and includes essentially no grains or sugars, fruits rarely if ever, and avoidance of non-starchy veges. If I do have them occasionally, they are always combined with plenty of fat which slows down absorption, and I know now how to cover most of them well 8 years into being diabetic, and regardless I monitor closely.
What and how much of a certain food is “free” will differ from one person to another, and even based on time of the day. For me, reasonable serves of fatty meats and non-starchy veges are free, and I eat without bolus at all. Large serves (buffet barbecue?) are not. Eggs in the morning are never ‘free’ and even though they have no carbs, I do need a small amount of insulin to cover them. My approach now is just not to have breakfast… which works perfect for me.
I find that the hype is true - eliminating carbs really reduces hunger. I also eat very little, not because I’m trying to, but I just don’t need that much anymore.
This past weekend was big success for me. I finally remembered to set a temp basal before I picked up the tools of ignorance and began some tree trimming. Went through a long day Saturday with no lows. Then did a few hours Sunday with same temp basal at 33%. No lows. Also took only 1 unit at lunch and after breakfast. Saw only a small rise and then steady. Nice.
I thought it was a diet. I’ll have to go back and re-read my copy.
I bolus for carb, proteins and fat. I use a calculator that accounts for how much protein and fat will be converted to carbs (approximately 2 hours later). I bolus assuming that 50% of protein and 10% of fats will get converted to carbs. That combined with delayed eating – 15 to 30 minutes – leads to relatively flat blood glucose swings during the day that only occasionally go above 140 or below 70. I am still adjusting the numbers but the early morning and late night are still a challenge.
