Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tim on December 26, 2011 at 6:28pm

Hi Kelly, welcome to TU

I eased into lower carb a few years ago, which for me has now become somewhat of a modified Paleo diet. Low carb, lots of lean protein, good fats, etc as others have stated. In addition, I also try to eat little to no processed food (this was a big adjustment but has more than paid off) I cut out breads and most starches (pretty much anything high on the glycemic scale). I try to work out 5-6 times a week. For me, I found I could workout 20 hours a day with no results when I wasn't eating well, it's all about what I put into my body that made the difference. About once a week I do go off it completely and have whatever I want for a meal or two, which helps with the mental aspect tremendously. After 3 years I find I get plenty to eat, don't feel deprived, and have cut my insulin needs in half. We are all different and 'd' affects us all differently, but it's working for me. There is a Paleo group here on TU, but here are some additional resources...

Paleo resources

Everyday Paleo
http://everydaypaleo.com/
http://twitter.com/everydaypaleo

Marks Daily Apple
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz1hJRCjOPM
http://twitter.com/Mark_Sisson

Modern Paleo
http://www.modernpaleo.com/

The Paleo Diet
http://thepaleodiet.com/

This is the workout I do…
http://diet-fitness.healthguru.com/video/bradley-coopers-total-body...

Permalink Reply by Kelly Collins on December 26, 2011 at 6:39pm

That is interesting you mention the paleo diet, I was doing the Warrior diet pretty heavily over the summer and i felt great but have been following a less restrictive version of it lately. Warrior is basically low carb and and fresh uncooked vegetables during the day. It's more of a light fasting diet during the day and a big meal at night. I like it and it works for me because I don't take a lunch hour during the day. As far as exercise, I love to work with kettlebells and I usually walk/run with my dog or cycle as other forms. Are there any TU members who like kettlebells too, I like trying new complexes.

Permalink Reply by Tim on December 28, 2011 at 8:36am

Kelly, here is a short TU discussion on kettlebells I found.... http://www.tudiabetes.org/main/search/search?q=kettlebells
I use them a bit as part of my workouts, all I will say is they are deceiving... and tough! Guess that just means I need to learn more about them and use them more often.
-t

Permalink Reply by Andrea Karim on December 26, 2011 at 10:37pm

Hi, Kelly! I've been on a low-carb diet for a couple of years. Something I found really helpful at first was shirataki noodles (also, kelp noodles). They are calorie-free and maybe take a bit of getting used to, but if you need to avoid pasta, they are a good way to get the FEEL of having noodles without the carbs.

You can buy them in many Asian markets (kelp noodles are easier to find in co-ops or hippie stores - I mean that lovingly). The off-putting thing about the noodles include a slight fishy smell at first, but if you rinse them and then par boil them or just cook them long enough, it goes away.

I was a vegan for a long, long time, and I have to admit, I struggle constantly with the ethical issue of my current diet, which is very meat-focused. I do enjoy egg whites, some cheese, and lots of chicken (I eat other meat, but in smaller amounts) and also fish. I try to choose fish that I know is less prone to issues with mercury.

I also found that I do much better on low carb when I eat smaller meals several times a day, SLOWLY. When I first tried out a low carb diet, I ate really big helpings, like a whole 12 oz steak, because Dr. Atkins said I could, and then I would be STARK, RAVING hangry (hungry + angry) an hour later.

Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on December 27, 2011 at 8:44am

I like the shirataki as well, although I find them a poor substitute for pasta. However, stir fried the are wonderful.

I have to say, I started low carb in 2006. I slowly moved down, eventually finding Dr. B's diet and within 6 months getting right down there. In hindsight, I think there is a major reason to jump in cold turkey. That is cravings. The Atkins diet, particularly as described in the "New Atkins for You" has a very specific induction of 20g carbs/day. And they describe a reason, your body has to adapt. And until it does you will crave carbs and you may feel like you have the "Atkins Flu," tired, lack of energy, etc.

So I would just jump in. And another point is that Atkins recommends extra salt, I think you should consider extra salt as well. This is to counteract a natural shedding of salt as your body drops glycogen and water.

Permalink Reply by Hana Rous on December 27, 2011 at 8:42am

I think I started at 30g and then slowly revised downward fron there. I've been doing it for years and I've forgotten the details. However it does get easier and the rewards are GREAT! I ound Atkins recipes useful and I READ ALL food labels. Since I'm retired and also of an older generation [65 just after Christmas] I can cook and do make food rom basic ingredients pretty much all the time. That way I know what I'm eating.
Snacks are the most difficult thing, so I try not to snack. I use minimal mediation, so I'm not put in the position of feeding the medicine, which I know happens with insulin therapy.
Hana

Permalink Reply by Cindy on December 27, 2011 at 12:50pm

Boy am I glad I discovered tudiabetes!!
You members are ALL so knowlegable and helpful. You are all so understanding and patient with new "kids". Years ago I soured on an Eckhart Tolle discussion group cuz it seemed members were very catty with one upmanship. I had thought his group would be a kinder gentler community. I haven't engaged in social networking since because of that experience.
Thanks for the discussion, Kelly. All the replies are so informative for me. And I like that I'm reminded of the Paleo diet. There are so many aspects to the law of small numbers.
Happy Holidays!
Gratefully, Cindy

Permalink Reply by Yolanda Gordon on December 27, 2011 at 1:49pm

Kelly good for your! As far as I am concerned low carb is the only way to go for Diabetics. I started DR. B last year at Thanks Giving. I know, it's kind of a weird time to change your diet and lifestyle, but I had to change my ways and just went cold turkey. Cold turkey is pretty easy when you just know you are really ready. The only problem I had for about a month was feeling light headed, dizzy and a general feeling of panic attacks. After listening to one of DR. B's live web casts, I did find out that if your Blood Sugars are used to running very high you need to set small goals of bringing them down. I was used to running 500-600 and started trying to average a blood sugar of 90 and really did feel awful. But I never gave up and today a year later have no trouble sticking to his diet. I love it!

Kelly good luck, there is nothing like feeling great! That's what keeps me on the diet.

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