Carbs and PMR

[christi48]

I've seen a lot of posts stating the necessity of eliminating carbs from one's diet. Does this mean all carbs, or the simple ones? So many healthy foods are also carbs and make up the majority of my diet - fruits, veggies, whole grains. When I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes I made some dietary changes by reducing the amount of fruit I was eating and adding protein to every meal. Could someone clarify the carbs issue, please...

[piglette]

You can eat nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, and high-fat fruits like avocado and coconut since these foods are low in net carbs.

[christi48 in reply to piglette]

Thank you

[agingfeminist]

I could only keep my weight down by cutting out all the usual culprits...pasta, rice, potatoes and anything made with flour. Also no sugar (and no fruit juices). I continued with beans and lentils (carbo but high fiber).

[christi48 in reply to agingfeminist]

Thank you

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Depends on the person. Some people need to restrict carbs drastically to avoid weight gain - Snazzy and I have to get to 20g if we want to lose weight. Others can simply eliminate processed carbs and don't gain weight or become diabetic.

Carbs are carbs, whether perceived as healthy or not, but it is available carbs that count. As you know there is a lot of sugar in most fruit and root veg, Fibre in foods doesn't count - and the amount of carb that is fibre can be subtracted from the total carbs in a food when counting the carbs

I find this site very useful

dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods

- you don't need to buy anything.

This page

dietdoctor.com/low-carb

discusses the principles

[Miserere in reply to PMRpro]

Sadly I also have to reduce carbs to 20g to lose any weight - but it works.

[christi48 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you

[Pass7 in reply to PMRpro]

my hubby is full blown 3X a day insulin diabetic.His endocrinologist says no beans. I found that statement contradicting. I’m trying to lose the PMR pounds. Not easy.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pass7]

Sorry, not clear what you mean?

[Pass7 in reply to PMRpro]

I thought I I read where beans were good for you but his endocrinologist says they are not. I find lots of conflicting information out there.

[Bcol in reply to Pass7]

From all that I've read and understood beans seem to be pretty healthy for most of us. Generally not recommended for those with IBS, and anyone with an allergy to peanuts needs to approach them with care. I would guess that the sauce/s that go with baked beans could be a problem depending on their ingredients.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pass7]

There is - I just googled "why would beans be bad in diabetes" and one medical media source quotes the ADA as saying they are a superfood for diabetes!

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

If ASA says that, who am I to argue!!! I suspect it depends how you take your beans - a can of baked beans probably isn't very good!!!

[SnazzyD]

It depends on your body. As PMRPro said, we had to cut out nearly all of it. When the Pred got very low I could be less frugal and after Pred I still had the tendency to put on weight with carbs for at least year. Some find as soon as they stop Pred weight comes away easily. I suggest that is a gamble to rely on that. I’m much better but most meals I don’t eat pasta, rice potato, maize or bread. To be honest I often forget about them. Just because something is whole grain doesn’t mean it doesn’t count with Pred. I made sure I supplemented B vitamins (except B12, I had meat for that) and ate lots of fats, mostly vegetable.

[christi48 in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you

[pammy_hyland]

Yes this is the truth as I am living proof... I am the same exactly as I was diagnosed with PMR and pre- diabetes over 10 years ago now I felt awful for years...I have turned things around completely by living on a Keto diet which I have sourced locally and have delivered ..I've done that for over a year now and its changed my life as I feel amazing ...I highly recommend it ..

[christi48 in reply to pammy_hyland]

I admire your self-discipline. Thank you

[Louisepenygraig]

I don't think eliminating carbs from your diet is a 'necessity'. Many people find it's helpful but everyone is different. Around the time I was diagnosed with PMR i was also diagnosed with high blood pressure so decided to try to lose weight for that reason. I lost weight by calorie counting in spite of being on 10 - 15 mg pred for most of that time. I tried a keto type diet for a while but it didn't help much and I found it difficult long term. If you're worried about gaining weight find what works for you

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Louisepenygraig]

You do need to remember that the lower carbs advice is also for the people at risk of developing pred-induced diabetes where the only thing that works is fewer carbs.

[christi48 in reply to Louisepenygraig]

Thank you

[nuigini]

Can't agree more, it totally depends on the person. I gained over 25 pounds in the first two years regardless of being on a high protein, high fiber, low carb diet. The weigh came off bit by bit as the prednisone was reduced, and I was back to my pre-PMR weight a little over a year later. I don't know when I gave up on the low carb diet, but I've been eating root veggies, fruit, pasta and gluten free bread, in moderation for ages.

I began the Noom weight loss program in June last year, reduced alcohol consumption and have lost 30 pounds. My weight is now the lowest it's been in decades. I honestly can't remember when it was this low. I still have more to go, but certainly feel the benefits.

I'm currently on 13 mg of prednisone and have been hovering at that level for longer than I'd care to admit, despite many attempts to crawl down at .5 mg on the DSNS plan. A lower absorption rate of prednisone may be the reason, or the fact that I may have the type of PMR that flares for no apparent reason.

I've never followed any fad diet plans and always knew it was a matter of eating fewer calories and doing more exercise. It's common sense really. I'm not advocating any weight loss program, perhaps I was just ready to buy into the philosophy of eating less and moving more.

Now it's all about watching daily calories and gradually increasing movement to the extent that PMR allows. Before changing my diet I was basically sedentary, now I'm inching up on the active scale. With celiac disease and microscopic colitis in the mix I eat what I enjoy, allowing for these conditions.

[christi48 in reply to nuigini]

Good job! Thank you for sharing

[jaykayvee]

May I recommend "Carbs and Cals" by Chris Cheyette and Yellow Balolia? It tells you all the nutritional values with pictures of portion size. It's really easy to use and I have found it invaluable in managing my OH's diabetes and my diet. I think it's now about £15, but worth it's weight in gold! It's available online.

[christi48 in reply to jaykayvee]

Thank you.

[Temeraire]

Just to add. I’ve been reading a bood on Circadian Code. Hoping to improve blood sugar, weight and sleep. I’ve started Time Restricted Eating -So only eat in a 10 hour window from 7.30am. I try to eat healthy but have small treats too. Nothing but water after 5.30pm. Have improved blood sugar and lost 7lb. Still working on sleep but am very encouraged.

[christi48 in reply to Temeraire]

Thank you.

[Temeraire]

ha ha -I meant Book not bood

[HeronNS]

I had elevated blood sugar from pred, but was also very thin. I cut out virtually all "white" carbs, but I continued to eat root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, etc, as well as some fruit. I didn't gain any weight and the blood sugar came down, although not really low until pred was tapered.

[christi48 in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you.