I am seriously considering trying to go on a low carb diet to see if it would help improve my blood sugars. I would like your opinions on how you feel about going low carb. I am a carb junkie, so it would be a very huge step for me to take on such a thing, but I really need to get my blood sugars down and maybe add a little time to my life. What do you all think of low carb eating? Thanks in advance! Kimmy
First, someone please define how low is considered low carb!
I think reducing carb consumption makes every type of D easier to manage. I don’t think you need to get down to Bernstein (30 g per day) levels to see quantifiable improvement in BG numbers. I would suggest that you gradually decrease you daily carb count until you reach something that reaches your BG goals and satisfies you palate. A couple of small changes in a day can lead to a 10% (or more) reduction in daily carbs. Like eating peanuts for a snack, instead of crackers (or something else with carbs). When you are used to that reduction, then try another reduction. Of course some people prefer a “cold turkey” approach too.
I'm a T2 not on insulin and consume 30 to 50 grams/day. Low carbing has been essential in my diabetes management. Pre diagnosis I was definitely a carb addict, plenty of potatoes, 'healthy" whole grain etc. I started on the "eat to your meter" approach soon after diagnosis and found all fast acting carbs were causing larger spikes than I was willing to tolerate, so I cut them out cold turkey. I can honestly say it wasn't that hard, my numbers improved dramatically immediately. I was motivated as I spent 6 days in the hospital on diagnosis. You sound motivated too, you just have to take the first step.
I've been at it 2.25 years and do not anticipate going back to eating lots of carbs, I find it easy to stay on the straight and narrow in spite of daily temptations at work (donuts, birthday cake etc.) My coworkers think I have an iron will but I actually never had any self control around food. Fast acting carbs are addictive for many people, carb junkie is actually a very descriptive term. So you can do it too, as many others around here have done.
Here's some references if you want to read further. "The Diabetes Solution" by Dr. Richard Bernstein, "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" by Phinney and Volek and the bloodsugar101 website. At tuD there are lots of low carb recipe groups as well as the Bernstein Group which is a great source of motivation, techniques and recipes.
For me going cold turkey was a good choice, the cravings go away rather quickly if you cut out the problem foods.Frequent testing is a motivator for me, each good reading makes me want to stick with the program and I want to fix bad readings when they happen. I think it's important to find recipies that are interesting because this is something you need to keep with for the long term. One thing I have found is that there are lots of good tasting foods you can still enjoy. One final tip that I got from "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" is that your kidneys will start to excrete more salt as your metabolism changes so additional salt will help with the transition. Some good sources are bacon and bullion.
I wish you good luck and improved blood sugars.
As a type 1, low carbing it has helped me. I define “low carb” to be anything that is more than 50g under the currently-recommended guidelines for someone’s age/activity level. Don’t ask, it’s just my benchmark. I was told by a dietician not long ago that, given my age, weight, activity level, etc, I should be eating at least 250 carbs per day. Now, I KNOW if I eat that many carbs in a day, my BGs are going to be a mess. When I can keep my carb intake around 90-150g/day, my BGs are MUCH more stable. I also find that highs are easier to correct because the food that is in my system is more predictable. I eat a very high fat/high protein diet to ensure I’m getting all the nutrients I need. Thus far, it has not had any impact on my cholesterol.
Now, I am not 100 percent consistent with this. On the weekends, I am a little more relaxed. BUT, I always avoid pasta, rice, and bread because (for me) these are the foods that make things the worst. Their taste just isn’t worth what happens afterward.
Some things I eat A LOT of: Tomatoes, avocados, frozen meals that have 30g carbs or less, nuts, vegetables, salads, plain yogurt, fish (I don’t eat any other meat), cheese, eggs, and olives.
I do eat fruit because it has always had a very predictable impact on my BG. It will make me high, but a simple bolus covers it just fine.
I avoid processed foods as much as possible and keep things simple. While I don’t follow any particular diet, I have found that the South Beach diet book has some good food suggestions. There are so many low carb recipes out there these days that it’s not too hard to find something that works for you. Omlettes are fun way to stay low carb and be creative (you can do them in so many ways). Potatoes are difficult, although not as much as bread, rice, and pasta (at least, not for me). Don’t know why, but I can usually cover potatoes but I still only eat them on a rare occasion as a treat.
The definition of low carb is pretty slippery. With many Americans consuming 300g per day 150 might be called low, personally I would call it moderate. Perhaps the goal should be what level allows you to meet your goals, irrespective of what it is called. Exactly what this will be, of course, varies from person to person.
Hi Kimmy, Low carb works very well and is not as limiting or difficult as you might think. Like any diet regime it takes a little experimentation to find the things that work best for you. I try to stay around 100 carbs per day. This may include a banana, some whole wheat bread, popcorn and maybe some potato. Just to give you an idea. When you eat low carb you will find you crave them less. I can tell when I over do the carbs because I quickly get “hungry” again and crave more carbs. After eating this way for the better part of a year I have become very particular about the carbs I do eat. Some things just are not worth the grief and some are just no longer tasty. And there is no comparison in controlling my BG.
Because of how low carb works I would recommend a drastic change in that direction for at least a couple weeks. This will give your system a chance to adjust and you a chance to figure out your meals. During that time I have no doubt you will see a dramatic change in you BG.This is what I did. Then you can begin to add new foods to your diet. There is no magic number for the right amount of carbs. Technically you do not need any carbs, but that takes a lot of knowledge and focus to be safe. 100 carbs is not extreme and allows quite a bit of flexibility. The main thing is to stay away from the usual D suspects like white flour and sugar among others. Also low fat products actually have more carbs and sugar than the whole version (check the nutritional label on skim vs whole milk).
Understanding how carbs work, especially as they relate to D was very helpful for me. It really is not that different a diet. I can find multiple selections at most restaurants with no problem. I would recommend checking out the low carb groups and posts here. Maybe even read the Bernstein book. It’s probably more extreme than you want, but the information will be quite helpful. Do some studying and make your plan. I can’t imagine that you won’t be thrilled with your results.
Yeah, what he said.
After I was diagnosed, I cut out all the crazy stuff (sugary sodas, cakes and other desserts, lots of breads) and I sort of naturally ended up at a diet that was about 150g a day. I still eat rice and potatoes at meals and that is the main source of carb for me. I suppose I could go lower But this is not hard to manage right now and I don’t feel deprived. The
worries I would have about going too low are (a) I need enough calories to maintain weight while (b) avoiding an excessively high protein diet that is hard on the kidneys in itself and © avoiding too much fat that will cause other problems.
Obviously many on here have managed to find solutions to go very low…but at this point I don’t feel compelled yet to go there.
As a Type 1 for 5+ decades a lower carb count per meal has really helped me over the past 5 years. When I wanted to lower my carbs per meal I discussed this method of control with my doctor - first!
As said in another post – what IS a low carb meal depends on what works best for each of us.
My average carbs per meal is between 20 and 30 grams of carbs (gCb) per meal, and depends on my activity level any given day. The way I began to lower my carbs was to reduce the amount of carbs slowly in small steps ie by 3 grams per meal and then to 5 grams per meal. It is important to watch test results, and lab reports; we need enough nutrients and carbs to support our energy level.
- Testing frequently is important when I begin using a low carb method (not Dr “B” way but it did help to read some portions of his low carb method)…
- I kept a Daily Log and still do. Very helpful to have a quick review of previous test results and the amount of carb for a busy day.
- I watched my test results, and tested frequently. My doctor adjusted my Ratio and taught me how to do this for myself… It may take a couple of adjustments. …
- I found that a glass of water per hour helped me to feel full while eating less, – a plus factor is lots of water is a huge help to the kidneys (My doctor tells me the kidneys like to be wet all the time!)
It is a Trial and Error process so keep a careful watch . My test was a good guide…
Good Luck
There is a lot of confusion on what is low carb. If you read the analysis of low carb diets by the American Dietetic Association, they define low carb as any diet with less than 45% of calories from carbs. For someone requiring about 2000 calories/day, this is 225g of carbs. Not surprisingly, their assessment of low carb diets found that low carb diets performed no differently than high carb diets (surprise).
My view is that low carb is a level of carbs that drives your body to fuel significant portions of your energy expenditures from fat. The level at which this occurs will vary. I find that anything below 100g of carbs and I start to generate ketones. But I am also 200 lbs, a 100 lb woman would probably find that she has to drop down to 50g. And everybody is different. Atkins actually has you start with 20g/day and start increasing until you stop losing weight. There is no carb level, it is based on what your body set point is converting from fat based energy to glucose based energy.
But I would tell you that underlying your question is the question “What level of carbs should I target?” And some of that answer will depend on some other factors like will wether your carb cravings go away if you stay below 100 g/day. I think many of us have explored different levels of carbs and seen how they affect us. I started Bernstein more than 5 years ago. I no longer follow such a strict diet, but I do follow a very low carb diet by most definitions, but usually between 50-100 g/day.
Kimmy, let me offer a slightly different perspective.
Don't call your new way of eating low-carb. If you must call it anything, call it low-spike. That's what I call mine. My goal was to turn my blood glucose spikes into gentle bumps.
If you can achieve that goal, it really doesn't matter whether that means you eat less than 5gms of carb at breakfast or over 60gms - provided that menu works for you. I discovered my own limits were <10gm at breakfast, <15gm at lunch but quite a lot at dinner. You may be similar or totally different. Read and apply this to find out: Test, Review, Adjust
Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia
Everything in Moderation - Except laughter
Going low carb for me has done wonders for my bg control. And I’ve also managed to maintain my weight loss as well. Its a huge step, and if you are a “carb junkie” I’d suggest gradually reducing the amount you eat. For me I TRY to stay around 30 g per meal…sometimes I go over some, but that kinda depends on what my numbers are running.
For me I have noticed unsweetend almond milk has done wonders, cause I am a BIG cereal eater for breakfast…also I tend to eat Koshi cereals…most of them are around 40 grams for 1 cup…but you can always reduce your serving to half a cup. AND its very feeling too. It’s all kinda about playing around and seeing what foods you tolerate better than others. As much as I love rice I have a HARD time eating it…even if Ive been running low and inject for carbs. It just keeps me high for several hours. Hate that cause I do really like rice.
Good luck with it, me personally I feel better and eat less than I have in a REALLY long time.
I look at it as around 75g of carb/ day, since the “hardcore”/ ultra people seem to report running below that amount? I am totally unscientific in my surveying though. I think that it may be healthy to figure out what your current level is and then cut some out? I am usually very disciplined during the day, eating like 20G for breakfast and about that for lunch, with some 10-15G snacks during the day, and it seems to keep my weight where I want it, even though I eat more maybe 50G for dinner and 25-30G in beer and munchies some nights. This is still > 100 but less than I used to eat and I still am fairly energetic. It took me a bit to get used to. MrsAcidRock has suggested that if I’d cut out the beer & junk food, I would easily hit whatever my goal is but so far, I am sort of content to be losing maybe a pound/ month, although I’m taking this month off as I am on the DL for exercising, still watching carbs.
This is an example of just how its nots just grams of carbs. Today I had around 33 grams of carbs for breakfest. But since I am off today I decided I’d really eat instead of just grabbing cereal and going like I do most days.
Most days I average between 28-to as high as 38 carbs for breakfest. I tend to run low early morning and stabalize more throughout the day.
Most days its a bowl of Koshi cereal anywhere between 25 carbs to 35 carbs, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk 1 carb, and maybe a couple of string cheese (Im addicted) which are around 1 carbe each. Post prandial Im usually no higher than 130 MOST of the time around low 100’s.
Today I had sausage 3 grams, eggs 1 gram, 2 string cheese 2 grams, 1 protein shake 5 grams, and 1 slice of bread 17 grams, and some almonds 4 grams…Pre breakfast blood sugar was 77…2 hours after eating I was at 144, not a HORRID spike, but just an example of how different combinations of food at different times of the day, but still staying in the same carb range can have different results. But it was good though : - ) Not to often I get the luxury of having time to cook and ENJOY breakfast, 99% of the time its what can I eat quickly.
I eat around 30 grams of carbs most day and probably 50 once a week. My blood sugars have greatly improved since going low carb and I no longer have cravings. For the most part I feel SO much healthier in general, although I continue to be plagued by headaches and I’m just starting to think they’re part of my DNA as both of my kids have them too.
I would also highly recommend a low carb diet for good control. I started eating low carb approximately one year ago and saw my A1c go from 7.1 to 6.2 and holding very steady (that’s a great number for me). I’d like to eventually see it down to 6 or less. I don’t know the facts and figures of the grams, etc., but for me low carb means basically no carb. I don’t eat bread, rice, processed corn or potato, no bagels, cereal, pasta, noodles. I do occasionally eat corn directly off the cob or a half of a baked potato. To have these items in their most natural state and in small quantity seems to be okay. Once it’s “processed”, it doesn’t work anymore.
If you are going to go this route, do make sure you eat plenty of protein because that will help keep you full.
This has not be too difficult a change to make. I am the only one in the household with diabetes. When the rest of the family is eating rice or scalloped potatoes, I just make sure I have an extra low-carb vegetable on my plate to take the place of it. I still enjoy lots of meat, chicken, fish and cheese, and lots of great vegetables–mostly green veggies.
You will find that you use MUCH LESS insulin and can stretch your prescriptions a little further. I hope you can do this because it’s been the ONLY way that I have truly been able to get a handle on things. After 25 years of struggling with control, this has been the only thing that really worked. Once you eliminate carbs from your life, you will look, feel and be much better. The long-term benefits of avoiding carbs far outweigh the momentary pleasure of eating them. Best of luck with it.
Hi, Kimmy,
I’m just going to add to the chorus. After many years of less than spectacular control, I had a diabetic coma last year, and after I got home, I decided to get serious. I had been hearing about low-carb for years, but stubbornly resisted it, because I just loved my bread and potatoes and rice and pasta and cereal too much. But this time, I decided to do it. My criterion is that the foods I eat have to have redeeming nutritional values. So far as I can tell, there are no nutrients in grain or fruits that can’t be gotten in non-starchy vegetables, eggs, meat, cheese, yogurt and nuts. I also decided to continue having dairy in my tea, but switched from 2% to half-and-half, simply because I want to retain my ability to digest lactose, and I LIKE cream in my tea! I’m averaging about 60g of carbs a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. I find that if I eat enough protein, I have NO craving for carbs at all.
The net result is that I lost about 30 lb. although I have regained 5 lb. but the really good news is that I had a fantastic lipid panel at my last checkup (after a year on reduced carb). It was the best I have ever had in my life, in spite of the fact that I made exactly NO effort to restrict any kind of fat, and did not exercise any more than usual, either. The only changes I made were reducing carbs and taking fish oil.
Used to be, I thought any BG peak under 200 was OK, and I often went above that, in spite of taking insulin. Nowadays, I’m usually under 140, and I’m having far fewer lows, too. Eating more protein means I’m never hungry, except at my usual mealtimes, and I don’t go low while exercising if I’ve had protein before I start. However, I don’t do really long-duration or strenuous exercise. For the truly athletic, the situation might well be different.
In my case, I went cold turkey, and really DIDN’T crave carbs, but YMMV. You should experiment and try to figure out what works for you. As you can see in the other posts, different strokes for different folks! 
I hope you find out what works for you!
Post prandial Im usually no higher than 130 MOST of the time around low 100's.
Today I had sausage 3 grams, eggs 1 gram, 2 string cheese 2 grams, 1 protein shake 5 grams, and 1 slice of bread 17 grams, and some almonds 4 grams...Pre breakfast blood sugar was 77...2 hours after eating I was at 144,
Just as an experiment try testing ONE hour after your last bite of breakfast, as well as at two hours, for the next few days. I suspect you will find that you are spiking earlier than two hours. The probable effect of the higher fat breakfast was to move the peak a little closer to two hours than one.
Read this for more detail: When To Test After Meals
Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia
Everything in Moderation - Except laughter