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I am trying to lose weight as well as my BS how many carbs does your body need daily to do this? I saw someone eats 50-60 daily is this a good amount? please help.
daily carbs
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Personally I don't focus on carbs. I'm mostly a vegetarian, and you can't really get a low carb vegetarian diet. For me the most important thing about weight and health in general is to just have some activity you enjoy, or even better, are passionate about.
That keeps you distanced from the fridge, burning calories, and sometimes too busy to even think about eating.
But it doesn't have to be physical. Anything that makes good use of the brain is a big help too. That's just my own experience and not anything a person is likely to read in a diet book.
That keeps you distanced from the fridge, burning calories, and sometimes too busy to even think about eating.
But it doesn't have to be physical. Anything that makes good use of the brain is a big help too. That's just my own experience and not anything a person is likely to read in a diet book.
I have done varying amounts of carbs over the past 4 years. I get the best control of my bgs and weight around 35-50 carbs per day. Also our bodies seem to process carbs better at some times of the day. Mornings are tough for me especially if I wake up high. Today I woke up high (125) so I just ate nuts and some leftover sausage for breakfast. If I wake up in the 80's then I will be able to eat a few more carbs. This is what is called eating to your meter. Let your body tell you what is best for you. I know some diabetics that can eat 30-40 carbs a meal and still be in the 120-140 range after meals. Many of us in the beginning will keep a food and bg journal. Record everything you eat and the bgs you get after meals. Pretty soon you will see what works for you. A lot of times dieticians scare us into thinking we need a certain amount of carbs to function. As said I do fairly low carb and function very well. When you do low carbs your body burns fat, that is why we lose weight. I count carbs but not calories. I probably eat 2000 or more calories with most of it being some form of fat or protein.
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Mary, your last A1C in November 2010 is a little high. It might be good to try and understand carb counting and the effect that it has on your blood glucose. Since you take insulin, you can cover your carbs. The sliding scale doesn't work well with carb counting and you will need to know your insulin to carb ratio. This is all very simple to learn and if you have a library near you, get the book "Using Insulin" by John Walsh. 50-60 carbs a day is a good start. You need to find out your insulin to carb ratio. Start out with 1 unit of carbs cover 10 grams of carbs. So if you eat 50 grams of carbs with a meal then you will need to take 5 units of insulin. If you are testing high after meals then go to 1unit for every 5 carbs. Test often so that you find your best insulin to carb ratio.
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Hello - Here is what I can offer. The end of September my A1C was 6.4. I am 5 foot tall, 45 yr old female, and weighed 183.
I have been following the plan that I was given at DE classes. For ME, that meant 1400 calories per day, 3 meals - 2 snacks. It meant 45 grams of carbs per meal and 15 per snack.
MANY people think that this is way too many carbs. BUT, in 3 months time I have lost 11 pounds and my A1C - 2 weeks ago was 5.9. THIS WAS WITH NO MEDS!!
So, I have to stay on the band wagon that says you NEED some carbs. The body's preferred fuel is carbs and you need some to stay as healthy as possible.
(2 cents)
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Mary,
I read your post and I also saw in your signature that you went into denial.... So I will add my opinion here with a slight explanation.
The lower the carb intake on a normal person the more weight they will loose but, Surprise we are here because we are not normal. Now that that has been said I will also add that I loose around 20 carbs a day but, I am not dieting... I have changed my Life style! The key to successful weight loss is not finding the quick fix of lowering your carbs because your body will crave them and you will eventually go into denial again.
I guess what I am trying to say is forget about trying to loose by counting carbs... Get up and walk... run... bike.... swim... Do something.... eat healthier and you will feel better as you loose the pounds!
GOOD LUCK!!!
I read your post and I also saw in your signature that you went into denial.... So I will add my opinion here with a slight explanation.
The lower the carb intake on a normal person the more weight they will loose but, Surprise we are here because we are not normal. Now that that has been said I will also add that I loose around 20 carbs a day but, I am not dieting... I have changed my Life style! The key to successful weight loss is not finding the quick fix of lowering your carbs because your body will crave them and you will eventually go into denial again.
I guess what I am trying to say is forget about trying to loose by counting carbs... Get up and walk... run... bike.... swim... Do something.... eat healthier and you will feel better as you loose the pounds!
GOOD LUCK!!!
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Well intentioned, but ...
I agree with Doc, that taking control of your diabetes has to be multi-faceted approach: diet, exercise, medications, attitude, etc.
What annoys me are the doctors and educators that have told me well intentioned but inaccurate information, like "try to limited your carbs to 50 per meal" and friends who gave me 'diabetic cookbooks' with recipes for complicated casseroles with only 48 grams of carbs ... yikes!
Many of us will never get our sugars under control following that advice. I think many of the posters in this forum have a better understanding of diabetes than the so-called "professionals."
I agree with Doc, that taking control of your diabetes has to be multi-faceted approach: diet, exercise, medications, attitude, etc.
What annoys me are the doctors and educators that have told me well intentioned but inaccurate information, like "try to limited your carbs to 50 per meal" and friends who gave me 'diabetic cookbooks' with recipes for complicated casseroles with only 48 grams of carbs ... yikes!
Many of us will never get our sugars under control following that advice. I think many of the posters in this forum have a better understanding of diabetes than the so-called "professionals."
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Moving isnt my issue, I have lost 98lbs and have been stuck at this weight for awhile now 3 different docs told me before to get my BS under control and i will lose weight again as well as lower my BS
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Mary, I know you are struggling to find doctors right now, but I really do feel that you need to find out what type of diabetes that you have.
I am insulin dependant and have been since 2005, a pill and diet and exercise no longer can keep my blood sugar stable and I am Type 2. What happens to you when you don't take your insulin? If I do not take my insulin, my blood sugar can read in the 300's and will not go down until I take my rapid-acting insulin (novolog), without my nightly dose of Lantus my fasting blood sugar would be totally out of range and my pre-meal readings would also be much higher and then that pushes post meal readings up and it is a constant battle to get my blood glucose under control. I have always included carbs in my diet and I don't have any intention to change that. I eat carbs almost every meal, I try to keep my total carbs at about 150 grams per day. There are many days that I only eat one meal per day and I allow myself to dip into that 150 gram allowance and other days when I only eat 50 carbs. I am 100% aware of every carb that I eat and I do pick and choose the type of carbs that I eat. Maybe someday, I will get the will power to cut my carbs down, but until that time comes, I will manage my diabetes to the best of my ability.
I am insulin dependant and have been since 2005, a pill and diet and exercise no longer can keep my blood sugar stable and I am Type 2. What happens to you when you don't take your insulin? If I do not take my insulin, my blood sugar can read in the 300's and will not go down until I take my rapid-acting insulin (novolog), without my nightly dose of Lantus my fasting blood sugar would be totally out of range and my pre-meal readings would also be much higher and then that pushes post meal readings up and it is a constant battle to get my blood glucose under control. I have always included carbs in my diet and I don't have any intention to change that. I eat carbs almost every meal, I try to keep my total carbs at about 150 grams per day. There are many days that I only eat one meal per day and I allow myself to dip into that 150 gram allowance and other days when I only eat 50 carbs. I am 100% aware of every carb that I eat and I do pick and choose the type of carbs that I eat. Maybe someday, I will get the will power to cut my carbs down, but until that time comes, I will manage my diabetes to the best of my ability.
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Off Topic Warning.....I like your new picture, but which one is you?I agree with Doc, that taking control of your diabetes has to be multi-faceted approach: diet, exercise, medications, attitude, etc.
What annoys me are the doctors and educators that have told me well intentioned but inaccurate information, like "try to limited your carbs to 50 per meal" and friends who gave me 'diabetic cookbooks' with recipes for complicated casseroles with only 48 grams of carbs ... yikes!
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