Healthy Carb Limit?

cara-joy234 · 11-14-2008, 03:13

Hi there,

I've recently been to visit a dietician. She recommended that my entire daily intake of carbs should be no more than 50g... this seems a little bit ludicrous and unrealistic to me. I am not obese, and my readings are now quite good.

I'm wondering if this is actually valid? I'd been to see a dietitian over a year ago and she recommended 3-4 servings of carbohydrates per meal... which seems much more realistic to me.

Thank you,
Cara-Joy

Anthill · 11-14-2008, 12:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by cara-joy234

Hi there,

I've recently been to visit a dietician. She recommended that my entire daily intake of carbs should be no more than 50g...

Geez!!! That is if you want to loose weight and you are already thin. That is very odd. I would look at a better diet too.

Richard157 · 11-14-2008, 14:45

Cara, a carb serving is 15 grams, unless I am badly mistaken. So 3-4 carb servings per meal would be 45-60 grams per meal and 135-180 carbs per day. If you add snacks to that you could be eating over 200 grams per day. That is way too much. I am a 218 pound man (33 pounds overweight) and I eat only 130 carbs per day. If you ate 30 grams (2 carb servings) per meal that would be 90 grams per day. You could then have 40 grams with snacks giving a total of 130 grams per day. that is what I do and it works well for me. You need to experiment and find what works well for you. Certainly 50 grams per day sounds unhealthy unless the dietitian is suggesting you starve yourself to lose weight. Our bodies need carbs for nourishment and energy to get through the day. With only 50 grams you would probably become very fatigued after a few days. I know a dietitian who says we need at least 130 grams per day for us to have the necessary energy we require. I know a few people who function at 90 or 100 per day but their jobs involve sitting for most of the day. they don't need as much energy. Your life style enters the picture here.

Good luck to you!

Richard

SunniD · 01-16-2009, 04:56

Your brain, in Canada and the states as far as I know, requires 120 carbs/day to function normally. This is the number that CDE's are told and should not vary from that number. However, Dr. Bernstein has been proving that his low carb diets are beneficial at 6/6/12 carbs/day. That, of course, is up to your self management as no healthteam member is allowed by their societies to tell you that. They may suggest approx. 45 - 60 carbs/meal and even that goes over the 120 carbs/day brain requirement. Low carbing will be officially coming but not this year.

Insurance companies in the states and few in Canada will insure diabetes clients if they use less than 60 units of insulin daily which I thought was highly interesting according to their statistics. Their statistics claim that diabetics taking more insulin than 60 units/day will die sooner so why should we insure them. I had nothing to say to disprove those figures. Stats don't lie.
It does make you wonder, doesn't it?

SunniD

meurtelken · 01-16-2009, 09:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunniD

Their statistics claim that diabetics taking more insulin than 60 units/day will die sooner so why should we insure them. I had nothing to say to disprove those figures. Stats don't lie.
It does make you wonder, doesn't it?

SunniD

and why would one die sooner if he needs more than 60 units a day? I'm above that number now, but I do need that amoutn of insulin. This is scary information, since I know many type 2's that use more than 120 units a day....I'm a type 1 myself

Lloyd · 01-16-2009, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunniD

Insurance companies in the states and few in Canada will insure diabetes clients if they use less than 60 units of insulin daily which I thought was highly interesting according to their statistics. Their statistics claim that diabetics taking more insulin than 60 units/day will die sooner so why should we insure them. I had nothing to say to disprove those figures. Stats don't lie.
It does make you wonder, doesn't it?

SunniD

I have never seen that 60 U of insulin thing.

It is absurd!

I use about 65 u a day, my average A1c for last year was 5.02, with a Standard Deviation of 14.

Not one diabetic in 10,000 does as well as me, according to my doctor.

Results are what affects your chances of complications, average glucose and variability, not what you did to get the results!

There was a book published many years ago with the title
"How to lie with Statistics"

-Lloyd

Anthill · 01-17-2009, 11:13

I will fall miserably in the "Too much insulin" catastrophe as I can use 200 Units a day. I need to marry a girl who can teach me to eat low carb or entice me to dance again.
There is no way that I can get below 60!!! Now way known!!!!! What can I do???

Terrie · 01-17-2009, 19:26

Insurance companies in the states and few in Canada will insure diabetes clients if they use less than 60 units of insulin daily which I thought was highly interesting according to their statistics. Their statistics claim that diabetics taking more insulin than 60 units/day will die sooner so why should we insure them. I had nothing to say to disprove those figures. Stats don't lie.
It does make you wonder, doesn't it?

SunniD

That is shocking and ridiculous. I haven't heard of this here or anywhere. I would like to see where that is written. I would have asked them where they got those stats from. Stats can be exaggerated just like everything else in this world. Many things can affect the results. It also depends on who produced the stats and who is offering out the information. Hmmmm....yes it sure does.

Terrie · 01-17-2009, 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthill

I will fall miserably in the "Too much insulin" catastrophe as I can use 200 Units a day. I need to marry a girl who can teach me to eat low carb or entice me to dance again.
There is no way that I can get below 60!!! Now way known!!!!! What can I do???

Well, I suggest that you marry that Girl soon then Peter.

You know, what you shouldn't be eating or at least eat less of the foods that you do. And drink your water. By Georgie, if I have to go to Australia....God help you.

You don't need to take less than 60 units of Insulin but you DO need to take less than 200 and still be in decent control by low-carbing and exercise.

Anthill · 01-19-2009, 01:55

Terrie has said
Well, I suggest that you marry that Girl soon then Peter.

You know, what you shouldn't be eating or at least eat less of the foods that you do. And drink your water. By Georgie, if I have to go to Australia....God help you.

Gee Terrie, That's one thing that I do and drink water, Plenty of it!! in ballet it was the very first thing that the teacher said drink water & plenty of it! plus a towel and in my case a jar of jelly beans too. And she also said to be happy. And I did but those were the days when diabetes were not understood sadly. There were good days.

I am sorry that I had to bring up ballet Terrie, It's an ocupation that I had and so enjoyed in doing.

You don't need to take less than 60 units of Insulin but you DO need to take less than 200 and still be in decent control by low-carbing and exercise.

Yes Terrie and that I have done and now that I am into counting the carbohydrates and the exercise is another thing that I have to increase.