Hi all! I'm new to this forum...was recently diagnosed T2 diabetic in early August. I've lost 40 lbs since then but still need about 20 more. A little about me...I was a vegetarian for 15 years and was thin and healthy (blood work, etc. was awesome). About 6 years ago, I started eating meat and other high fat foods, got married, had a baby, and well, put on 60 lbs.
I want to continue with the calories in = calories out approach to losing weight and want to go back to vegetarianism, but if I do so, my carbs will go up. Right now my sugars are great with about 100 grams of carbs daily, but going veg will bump me up to 150-180 grams a day.

i know everyone is different and can tolerate different amounts and types of carbs, but I was just wondering how many daily carbs everyone's taking in. Thanks!

I always feel that carbs from veggies count differently than other carbs from grains. I know when I eat a lot of carbs from things like lentils and barley it doesn't seem to effect my weight loss.

I'm not a vegetarian and I get around 100 grams of carbs per day.

I know the atkins books have a variation for vegetarians. You may not want to be as low carb as they suggest for induction, but you could probably get some guidelines from the book about carb counting, and plan a maximum carb count per day, staying within your calorie counting. Also, if you read about the "carb ladder" you will see what carbs are suggested (atkins has an order of re-introduction, so you monitor your response to that type of carb). There is also the whole "net carbs" thing, where you subtract off the carbs that are fibre. If you are thinking whole foods vegetarianism, that may make a big difference. .
And of course, there will be blood sugar monitoring. I cannot tolerate grains anymore, my sugars just spike off the charts and it leaves me with cravings I can't handle yet. This may be quite different for you tho, but you will want to make sure you can handle to dietary change to make sure it won't negatively affect your blood glucose.
welcome to our forum

Some diabetics I know will eat certain foods then see how it affects their blood sugar to figure out what personally works for them. You may find added carbs from vegetables aren't a big deal.

I find the only thing that controls my BG is very low carb, I stay under 40g. I prefer not to be on medication. I gained a lot of weight being a vegetarian for 12 years as I ate far too much homemade breads and potatoes, yams and other high starch or sugar foods. You are right, we are all so different in what our bodies need to be healthy.

I aim for fewer than 100 carbs a day, and no more than 30 in a single meal. I usually end up around 50, mostly from veggies.

I came to these figures by experimentation, a la Blood Sugar 101. More than 30 grams carb, even "good" carbs like whole grains and lentils/beans, will spike my BG after I eat it. I can usually have a single slice of whole grain bread, 1/4 cup of beans/lentils, or an apple. But I can't have a two-bread-slice sandwich AND an apple... that's too much carb in one sitting for my BG.

I highly recommend that you test, test, test, and "eat to your meter". You'll quickly find out which carbs you can tolerate, and how much. (For instance, oatmeal spikes me no matter what kind it is, or how much... so I don't eat it anymore. Beans don't bother me as much, so I include small servings on occasion.)

The 100 grams/day I chose because it's about where I'd be if I ate three meals with 30 grams each (though I don't to that very often). It gives me some wiggle room, but still keeps my BG stable. It's also where I end up losing weight pretty steadily. It's when my carbs begin creeping higher than 100 grams/day that my weight loss stalls or reverses.

So there's what I do, and why. I hope you find what works best for you!

Thank you, everyone, for your words and advice. I tested today and here's what I found:
breakfast: oatmeal with skim milk, 2H reading: 115
lunch: sandwich with 2 slices of whole grain bread, spinach, tomato, brocco sprouts, honey mustard and low-fat cheese - total of 51 g carbs, 2 H reading: 127
dinner: "fried" rice: 1/2 cup of brown rice with 2 cups mixed veggies, 1 T of EVOO and 2 eggs, 2 hours: 110
I also had 2 snacks of about 15-20 grams of carbs each.

I'm hoping these numbers are okay, but I guess I'll have to wait and see when I see my doctor at the next appointment. Thanks again!

Sunny, what kinds of grains tho? WOuld instant, quick or steel cut oatmeal all have the same effect?
For bread, white, ww, or sprounted grain? what about rye? pumpernickel?
slow cooked brown rice, or instant or quick cooking.
Each will have different effects, but it will be important to find out which affect you and how.
If I do eat bread, sprouted grain has least effect on my bg, and steel cut oats are better for me.
good look discovering your strenghth and weaknesses. Its an interesting puzzle to figure out.

fatmad...thank you for your well wishes. The oatmeal was Quaker instant oatmeal; bread was Nature's Own Healthy Multi-Grain; brown rice was Success Instant boil in a bag brown rice. I chose instant for right now, as that is what's most convenient for me (time wise), but I will definitely try the slow-cooked stuff...maybe this weekend. I'll have to experiment on myself quite a bit in the next few months to find out exactly what stuff I can eat. I'm just curious as to how many carbs most of you guys out there find work best for you. Looks like so far, it hovers around the 100 gram or below mark, which is a little low for me to follow...being a vegetarian. Thanks for your feedback!

sunny, when I made steel cut oats, I cooked them in milk or soy milk (creamier and more protein) and would make a batch of 4 servings and divide it up into microwavable bowls. Then I could add flavour, cinnamon in 1 or 2, apples in another etc. to change it up.
I used to do the same with brown rice. I really like the nuttier flavour or regular brown rice, and again portioning out services really helped me keep a handle on calories and carbs.
Some of these things are a real pain to cook a single serving and take quite a while, (no wonder we turn to instant) but the flavour is better and nutrition, and often glycemic index is lower with slow foods. So I heartily recommend making batches.
have fun experimenting, its really eye opening!

Please read my posts on the insulin resistant and pcos forum titled Carb or no Carb. .I really need help. I posted there and should have posted here too. Please read and respond..I REALLY need help..Thanks Patty

Hey!
I'm a vegetarian and have been able to control my blood sugar readings. I do watch carbs though, and try to eat as healthy as possible. Of course, as we know, fiber also helps....so even if bread has carbs, if it's high fiber, the carbs won't affect your sugar levels as much. I think a vegetarian low-carb diet is definitely possible. Lots of cookbooks on the subject too.
Good luck!