Ok, I have figured out the carbs part of this diet - now have a question about the fat and protein?

Food
1

Me new. Only about a month. I am a Type 2 and take Metformin (500 2x)

I am finally getting the hang of how to do the carbs on this diet thanks to everyone here and a diabetes class. I am now working on the fat and protein stuff. I don't really need to lose a bunch of weigh (just on my tummy) as I am not oveweight but I am staying on the low fat side until I get rid of my what I call "burrito rolls". :)

According to calculator, I need 69 grams of protein and I forget how much fat (but i never eat that much fat anyhow being a vegetarian.) - my question is that i know I have to spread out my carbs throughout the day - not too much at one meal etc - do I do the same with the amount of protein and fats I eat for a day? Or does it not matter in relation to sugar levels etc?

My sugars are doing very well with the meals I have now. But being a perfectionist, I will have to fine tune this sucker until its perfect (for the most part) and I won't stop until it is right. (just the way I am). And once I do it will probably all be put into a program so I can compare. ha ha.

Do I need to make sure I have some amount of protein and some amount of fat for each meal and snack? Currently I am not doing much snacks as I am not hungry in between my meals but I may soon.

I know it seems like a basic question but I never looked at stuff like this before so it is new to me.

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Without making yourself nuts trying to be exact, it’s good to keep the amount of carbs/protein/fat fairly consistent day-to-day per meal. Also helpful, though certainly not always possible, to eat at around the same time.

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Don’t make the mistake of thinking that that eating low fat will get rid of body fat? It actually turns out that carbs have a much bigger role in the formation of bodyfat. My recommendation for losing body fat. Eat a very low carb, protein sparing diet with less calories than you need for the day. Look up your BMR and calculate the number of calories needed. A protein sparing diet is a diet high enough in protein that your body can always get needed protein from dietary sources. The next thing you need to do is perform resistance exercise to challenge your body to build muscle. That will signal to your body that it should keep your muscle mass cause you need it and in order to make up for your slight energy deficiency, your body should turn to burning fat. Try to eat 4-6 meal/snacks a day, with a constant level of protein throughout the day.

Becoming lean is not the same thing as being thin. Remember that. You could gain twenty pounds and become lean and be smaller than you are now, even fitting into a smaller size.

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Thanks Gerri,

No, I won’t make myself nuts. :slight_smile: I am just really trying to come up with a plan (or meal plans to be exact) to make deciding on what to eat easier. I plan to come up with basic meals that I can pick from for every meal so I can have the carbs, fat and protein already calculated that way I don’t have to be reading label everytime I make something. You know, like Breakfast Meal #1, #2 and so. More for ease than anything else.

I am definately trying to eat around the same time too.

Can’t remember if I read this somewhere - but does the amount of protein or fat effect the BG 2 hour number? I think I read a few posts where some people were saying that fat slows it down and some were saying protein. I guess it probably doesn’t matter since you need to eat both in your meals anyhow but just curious to how that works.

Oh, also I wanted to ask you - I am planning to make the muffin recipe you sent me but I have unable to find any bulk powdered stevia (at least not in individual packets). I do have a big bag of xyitol - I know it has some carbs in it but I would like to use it - any suggestions?

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Protein & fat digest slowly (fat more than protein), but usually it’s excessive amounts that can cause spikes later. Another one of those everyone is different type thing because it depends on your individual digestion, as well as the type of protein.

Sorry you can’t find stevia. My supermarket carries it & health food stores in small bottles & packets. I live in the boonies. I don’t use Truvia brand because of the carbs. I’ve never used xylitol. It’s a sugar alcohol. For some people (I’m one), it acts the same as sugar & raises BG. Sugar alcohols in excess can cause gas, stomach cramps & diarrhea.

Be sure you get sufficient fat. We’ve all been brainwashed that fats are bad. Fats are very much needed by our bodies.

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If you can’t find stevia locally, you can always order it on-line. I’ve gotten it from places like vitacost and netrition. I personally have no problem with sugar alcohols, but some do. If you want stevia to have the same density and texture as sugar, you need to have it mixed with a filler. I personally like stevia mixed with Erythritol. Erythritol has a GI of basically 0 and disolves well. You can get stevia mixed with Xylitol as Gerri notes, but Xylitol has a GI of 13, so it may well have an effect on your blood sugar. David Mendosa has a good table of these sugar alcohol sweeteners at (http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm). Truvia is stevia with Erythritol and Purevia is stevia with Erythritol and isomaltulose. I’ve also gotten stevia with inulin, a fiber, but had a lot of trouble getting it to dissolve properly. The other form I’ve used is liquid stevia. Stevia extract is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so a drop goes a long way.

Listen to Gerri about fat. Don’t fear the fat. Good fats are actually your friend.

7

Thanks guys!

I am not worried about the fat per se. I was thinking of that calculator thingy I used (jenny’s site I think) that helped me calculate my protein and fat. It had two section of maintain weight and lose weight (I am not sure if that really is more refering to actual poundage or fat on your body you want to get rid of) and for losing weight the fat grams was slightly lower. My maintainance weight fat was 144 grams I think - I will never eat that much fat in a day because of my veg diet so not worried about that as I don’t really eat any saturated fats except a bit of cheese- I have never looked at fat before. I love avocadoes, olive oil etc so the good fats I guess.

I guess I was wondering more for the portion and blood sugar perspective on the thing. So if the amount of fat in each meal or spread out throughout the day doesn’t matter too much than I won’t worry about. :slight_smile: I’ll just try to get some fat in each meal.

I don’t think I have a problem with sugar alcohol - at least not that I know of. Yeah, I have looked at Whole Foods and a few other places and nadda - they all had the liquid and individual packages. I have a few other places to hit. I am a little worried about trying the xylitol. My ex bought it for me when I was first diagnosed because it said it was specifically made for diabetics on the package. I guess it comes from some bark - interesting. Maybe I’ll make a half batch and see how it goes. If I eat one my my sugar goes way up, I’ll give the to my mom. :slight_smile:

I usually use FoodStamp card to pay for most of my food right now so I try to avoid buying online right now because than I can’t use the card.

bsc, yeah, I know - unfortunately I am a thin, not-much-muscle person right now. I used to be kind of lean and musclar when I had a very physical job - than I got a too busy desk job - sat on my butt - muscles went bye. Resistance exercises are weights or exercises like pushups right? Right now I either walk or do the indoor exercise bike which is helping my leg muscles and back (the bike has those moving handles).

My calorie recommendation was 1500-1600 - I don’t think I hit that at all but I haven’t been calculating. I’ll have to start calculating part too. I have a feeling I don’t even get close to 1000 but I adding new things to my diet so that is changing soon.

Thanks! This gets easier each time a “tackle” a new subject. :slight_smile:

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I think this might answer your question. I hope. I am type 1, so I’m different. I will tell you what is true for me, some you might not know because you are very new to diabetes.

First of all, WELCOME!!!

Second of all, since you are female, and so am I, 3 days before my period starts, I wake up with a blood sugar between 200 and 250. That morning I increase my insuiln by 1/3, and when the "meses starts, I go back to my normal dose. You might have to figure out a different system for those a couple of days every month.

Third, from what I have read, protein only raises blood sugar significantly if you eat large amounts of it, especially relative to the carbs you take. You have to learn how protein affects you. How much your blood sugar is affected by protein. My blood sugar is raised 4 to 6 hours after a meal whenre I have a lot of protein. You will have to figure out how much it affects you, and how long it takes to raise your blood sugar. We are all different how much it affects us and how long it takes. I have read on hear ranges from 0.4 to 0.6. Multiply the grams of protein by that factor and that is the equivalent number of grams of carbs.

Fourth, unless you are a relentless exercizer, it tends to drop yoru blood sugar a couple of hours after yoru workout. So, if you go on a hike, you may be fine when you are on the hike and then have bg plummet a couple of hours later. Be prepared and it will all be good.

Don’t forget, stress, hormones, illness, caffeine, so many things can raise our blood sugar to an unexpected amount.
Also, stress, hormones, illness, exercize, lack of sleep, and so many other things can lower blood sugar to an unexpected amount. We do our best. Don’t expect to be perfect, because you will go crazy. Just praise yourself for doing the best you can. That is all we can do.

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Hey Baby Tee,

Thanks for the welcome and advice! I am not on insulin so I don’t have to worry about that. I have noticed a few higher numbers within the last couple days but only after my usual breakfast meal (when I say higher number that are not high by others standards in the low 100s but higher than a few days before on the same meal). So not sure if that is my period (which should arrive today or within the next few days) or something else. I have a theory on what it might be but I am experimenting. :). Anyhow, yesterday, I worked out my calories, carbs, protein, fiber and fat for my three meals (haven’t been doing snacks yet). My sugars are pretty steady - probably will make most people jealous - between 70 and 120 all the time - actually normally below 100. So, I am doing pretty good and I ackowlege that. I just need more protein and I am trying to incorporate that into my diet since I tend to be weak with not much energy since the whole thing started which is why I am trying to work out a plan so I get what I need.

What exactly does it mean for the blood sugar to plummet? How many points would you consider a plummet? I do the before and 2 hr after testing. I have no insurance to pay for strips so I can’t afford to be testing every 15 mintues for 4 to 6 hours.Six times a day is expensive for me.

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Well, in terms of plummet, as an example, I went from 143 to 80 in 15 minutes this morning. I think this happens way more for Type 1’s and those on insulin. And yes, your numbers make me jealous!

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As a type 2 using metformin, low blood sugars (plummeting blood sugars) are fairly unlikely. Those tend to happen in people who use insulin or one of the drugs that encourages more insulin output by the body (glimepride, glyburide, glipizide, nateglinide).

To save on strips, if you sometimes test 2 hours after first bite of a meal and are in range then, and are also in range before the next meal, there’s probably no reason to test every 15 minutes!

That’s because as a type 2 not using insulin, the body is outputting some insulin to cover all the food you eat (carb, fat, and protein) and can handle fat digesting slowly from a high fat meal.

Best wishes!

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I think 6 times a day when you are starting out is normal. I went crazy testing when I started new treatment because I wanted to be aware of what certain activities or food or stressors did to my numbers. I’m not saying to maintain that schedule of testing long term especially if you can’t afford it, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for someone just learning.

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Thanks everyone!

Even though I hate the cost of the strips and I have the cheapie meter, since I just started I feel better checking 6 times a day. The cde/diabetic nurse said to do this even though I was already doing it because that is what the instructions in my meter said and on most of the diabetes forum. But the doctor said I didn’t have to test that much. Well, I would rather err on the side of caution. Plus I feel less worried than. :slight_smile:

I have certain meals which I know now never rise my blood sugar too much like hummus and celery/bok choy. But I have been adding new things lately so I always want to check those out. I haven’t been testing before and after exercise because I do it close to before dinner and my exercise is light. If I have something higher in carbs I always check like tonight I had a serving of beans (22g) but it was fine. It is weird how I had some higher numbers lately after my normal breakfast and than I realized I bought a different brand of peanut butter and the old one I had (I always buy the natural brands) had flax seed oil in it and new one had only peanuts and salt so I added flax seed oil to my peanut butter this morning - and guess what - it did go up as high as it did previous days. Funny huh? But who knows if that is really what happened - I am going to try it out of few more times and see. I wonder if the flax seed oil made the difference. :slight_smile:

14

Thanks Cat and Kelly,

Ok, well that doesn’t happen to me. My numbers will go down a bit inbetween meals but I guess that is normal if I am moving around or exercise. Sometimes my numbers go up a bit if I exercise. I was wondeirng what a “normal” rise is after one eats? I am guessing from my research it can be like 20 or 30 points and that most non-diabetics don’t go over 120 even after a big meal. MIne seems to vary between a few points and 20.

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It’s good to test a lot at first to know how things effect you. Do what makes you feel comfortable & puts your mind at ease.

As a T1, I have to test a lot. I’d test more if my insurance allowed it. Great that your CDE encouraged testing.