[Dan Gato]

Fran,

Welcome to DF !!
You received good advise from the above posters.
Controlling carbs is a key to good A1C's.
How was your latest A1C?

[pegasus]

This can help calculations also:

NutritionData BMI & Calories Burned Calculator

[jaime7803]

this also brings to mind another carb quandary, in foods such as saltines, when they state the carbs on the box as per container, is that a package or the entire box????? i'd say logically they mean per package, but i dunno? thanks!!!!

[Kubilee]

Originally Posted by jacobsam622

I don't count carbs.

I do not eat foods that have a lot of sugar and I don't eat any white foods. I don't eat white rice, white bread of any-kind (bagels, English muffin, muffins, white sandwich bread , hot-dog rolls, Hamburger rolls etc. ) or regular pasta.

What I can eat; any kind of meat, eggs, sugar free jello and sugar free or no sugar added ice cream, an veggies except corn, (I will eat small kernel white corn on the cob) brown rice, whole wheat bread (low carb when I can find it). whole grain pasta. Nuts of all kind Basically I follow a modified sugar busters diet.

This is basically my plan of attack, and it works for me... I was never much of a "sugar" freak anyway so I do pretty good following something very similar to this......rice and bread were easy to cut, I didn't like them anyway..... lol

But I go crazy if I try and start counting carbs, most of the time, in fact, about 80% of the time, my carbs are so low it doesn't even matter and it was stressing me out FAR more trying to keep count of them and I just stopped doing it and have been doing a LOT better since.... just keep out the "whites" except once in awhile..... I AM a pasta freak, so I can't cut them out completely. lol

[JohnHenry]

I'm Type 1, so my answer might not be relevant. I'm pretty active and I have a hefty appetite. I'll usually have 70-110g of carbs for lunch and dinner, and around 60g for breakfast. Since eating any carbs without insulin seems to send my glucose sky high, snacks are always 10g or less.

[MaireC]

Originally Posted by forlornjohn

This little calculator may be useful...it is only approximate.

UMMS: Health Calculators

Most definately only approximate - I tried it for the Diabetes thing. Apparently I'm not at risk Hah!

As for the original question - I tested myself until my fingers nearly dropped off at the start. I slowly found out what I could eat and what I couldn't, and the amounts. It takes a while, but even now, the amount I can eat varies from time to time depending on how active I am during the day. Test Test Test...

[jacobsam622]

Originally Posted by forlornjohn

This little calculator may be useful...it is only approximate.

UMMS: Health Calculators

So much for your calculator it says I am not at risk for diabetes

[ElleMarieR]

I am still REAL new to this but I try to keep my carbs to about 10% of my calories or about 12 per day. It is pretty hard to do but most days I can manage.

I will go next week for my first blood work since starting this so I will see if it is paying off.

[John_B]

Hey guys, I want to thank you for the info! This gives me a target to shoot for while I wait to find out for sure if I have diabetes or not.

[Lloyd]

I eat 75 to 80 carbs a day.

That has served me well, for glucose and lipid control, and for weight loss. How many carbs depends on body mass, activity level and other things.

-Lloyd

[papajohncutter]

I only get carbs from veggies. I am on a modified Atkins Diet and have lost 60 pounds in the last year. I figure my total complex and sugar carb intake per day at around 10 to 12. Lots of fiber in the form of powder mix and I take supplements to enhance nutrition.

As most know... those that eat sugar or a starch diet give their body what it likes best... sugar to burn as energy. That's why a person finds themselves in the kitchen at 8 in the evening popping popcorn. Their body has burned the sugar and is looking for more... call it craving.

Those that eat a high protein high fat diet train their body to burn just that. Your body runs out of what you ate and then begins to look for more and... there you are with your stored fat to burn. After a short time with limited carbs of the bad kind you lose your appetite naturally. Peanuts and Macadamia nuts that are high in fat are good snacks in moderation along with the sugar free jello or other sugar free snacks. My problem is that since my appetite controls itself I usually forget to eat snacks... my cravings are gone.

This works for me giving me average readings of around 95 to 98. Remember... lots of fiber like a glass of Metamucil Sugar Free Powder after each meal and of course... talk to your Doc.

[Bobbydigital]

Originally Posted by Kubilee

This is basically my plan of attack, and it works for me... I was never much of a "sugar" freak anyway so I do pretty good following something very similar to this......rice and bread were easy to cut, I didn't like them anyway..... lol

But I go crazy if I try and start counting carbs, most of the time, in fact, about 80% of the time, my carbs are so low it doesn't even matter and it was stressing me out FAR more trying to keep count of them and I just stopped doing it and have been doing a LOT better since.... just keep out the "whites" except once in awhile..... I AM a pasta freak, so I can't cut them out completely. lol

Have you tried whole grain pastas...like dreamfields.

[Bobbydigital]

Originally Posted by Lloyd

I eat 75 to 80 carbs a day.

That has served me well, for glucose and lipid control, and for weight loss. How many carbs depends on body mass, activity level and other things.

-Lloyd

I'm in awe of your a1c improvements,great job, keep it up.


5/12/08 A1c 4.9 2/18/08 A1c 4.9 11/2007 A1c 5.3 8/2007 A1c 5.5 6/2007 A1c 5.7
3/2007 A1c 6.9 12/2006, A1c 7.8 9/2006, A1c 8.5 6/2006 A1c 8.7

[EllieK]

So glad you found us! I've only been a member for a little while but what a difference it has made in helping me stick to my goals and my food choices.

Eat by the meter is definitly the way to go. I'm one of those who can't tolerate any grain. So my carb count per meal is less than 15 and most times under 10.

Welcome, I hope you visit often.

[papajohncutter]

I'm with you Ellie. Limiting carbs or at least the complex and sugar carbs and doing it as a regular part of every meal and between meal is the key. If that doesn't do the trick of lower readings then it's definitely doctor time.

Good carbs in the form of fiber are a must. I once asked my doctor how much fiber I should be including in my diet each day and he told me "you can't ever get too much fiber in your diet". This is especially important when you drop the grains and associated starches that contain the carbs that turn to or begin as sugar in your diet.

I started off with an 86 this morning and was in the 90's for three readings yesterday and 104 before bed. I'll take that.