How many of what should i eat?

[kristyn28]

Hello, when i had the test done and it showed that i had Pre-D, the Doctor said no sugar, no starch. He didnt sent me to a dietician, he didnt tell me to exsercize or anything, just to cut out carbs.
Everytime i test in the morning, my number is usually in the 80's, i havent gotten a number over 100 on my meter, also even loading up on sugar or starch doesnt give me a spike, and once i ate and tested and my BS was lower after eating than before, and i was tired, bought a vault (70g carb) and i felt better, tested, and my number didnt spike.
I dont know really know what the problem is, no matter what, i get tired after i eat.
Anyway, could someone give me thier serving sizes so i can get an idea of what i should eat, servings of carb,protien, fat, ect. I figured i could ask Pre-D since we arnt exactly like D's. I just dont know how many servings of carbs i should try to start out at.
Thanks

[Ronin]

Hi Krysty!

Ah, the MD's in our lives. On what basis did he make the diagnosis of Pre-Diabetic? I have a feeling that it was on the basis of one FBG above 100.

I also love the "Eliminate all carbs" prescription, it is not only approaching undoable, it is actually unhealthy in the long run.

That being said we have discussed your need to adopt better eating habits, lose weight, and get regular exercise. None of those things are bad for any person.

The one thing that I have come to know is that portion control is the single most effective thing I have done that works for me. For me it takes the form of reading labels and owning a gram scale. I make sure that I weigh out portions of the foods that I eat to make sure that my portions are consistent with the portions noted on the label. (I was surprised to find out how small portions actually are...)

Yes, you should reduce your carb intake as the American diet is over packed with carbohydrates. Of course this is difficult because lean protien is often more expensive and less filling than a carb rich meal. The key word is "reduce" not eliminate. Elimination of carbs, even the elminination of favorite foods is the path to disaster because your self denial usually turns into a binge. Better to make the portions of those foods much smaller, and eat them much-much-much slower leaving them in the mouth longer to savor the flavors. You will be surprised how long you can make a small portion of a favorite food last.

Is this easy? Nope, it's darned difficult but the reward is that you lose weight, feel better, and have improved numbers.

[christineanne]

Hello,
Just like I was, your at the totally confused stage,I am no expert, I was diagnosed in May 08,the dr and clinics are a little useless, I found this site today,yippeee.
What I have achieved so far,
I walk 150 mins a week,it gets easier, you do it in 7 days,and keep a record, it takes about 3 weeks to feel a bit fitter.
I have 50 grms uncooked porrage oats for breakfast, no sugar,splash of milk,
I try to eat only 2 slices of bread a day, wholemeal or whole grain.
I try to drink water, 3 to 5 glasses a day,
try to eat every 31/2 to 4 hours, this stops me binging.
This site talks about carbs, which I hope to learn from,
one thing I have found is the expert is the diabetic,Drs do not have all the answers,
Cheers, Christineanne

[BrianSCohen]

kristyn28,

Don't ya just love doctors. If I recall, you were having reactive hypoglycemia which brought this on. You were seeing blood sugar highs and then dropping low. It sounds like just making some basic changes in your diet have fixed that. Is that correct?

You are in a really good place. You caught your problem early and may have a very easy time managing it for quite a while, but it is still there.

Look, you don't have to eliminate all carbs. If you did, it would not hurt you, but you should not have to. You do need to restrict your carbs and keep an even and managed diet. If you don't your diabetes will come back. What you need to do is learn where the carbohydrates come from in our diets and how to be aware and diligent about the carbs that you eat. You may need to give up sugar and candy, and regular soda and cake. But you may find that you can still tolerate small modest portions of other carbs like potatoes. You will just have to find out. The best way is to eat a measured amount and test. Test in the morning to monitor your fasting blood sugar, test before your major meal and then 2 hours after that meal. You may need to modify the testing some as you learn about how you react to carbs. For a while I was testing at 1 hour after meal to monitor my highest after meal measurement.

As to what your macronutrients should be an portion sizes, I have not idea. I don't know what your goals are and I don't know you. Are you trying to lose weight? Gain weight?