Doing low carb. Can I continue during pregnancy or add carbs

amother

↑ Hyacinth ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 11:23 pm

amother OP wrote:

So what are some practical suggestions to ensure the above?

Eat a nutrient dense diet
Take extra chromium, vanadium, potassium, magnesium, and Thiamine.

Support your liver: castor oil packs, milk Thistle, methylated b vitamins, minimize environmental toxins, avoid Tylenol and chlorine

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Dec 11 2024, 10:55 pm

shanie5 wrote:

Carbs break down into glucose. Proteins and fats not so much. The body will make any glucose it needs from protein and fat. So carbs are not necessary.

Why don't you get a cgm and monitor your glucose. If it gets too low, you'll know you need carbs. If it stays level, you'll know you're fine without them.
Personally, if I was pregnant, I'd specifically stick to my ketogenic diet. If it's made me healthier, it won't hurt the baby. Wish I knew better during my childbearing years.

Just following up to say that my body told me loud and clear that it needed more, so I did add more carbs.
When I was doing low carb before pregnancy, I was not hungry. The protein/fat/veg kept me quite full.
During pregnancy, it doesn't nearly cut it. I get really starving and very nauseous unless I eat more substantially, and unless I do so regularly.

I am trying very hard to eat healthier carbs- fruit, whole grain, seed crackers, chicpeas, sweet potatoes, etc. but I actually find it harder to do some carbs than no carbs. I guess like an alcoholic finds it easier to do no alchohol than just a half a cup.

amother

↑ Khaki

Wed, Dec 11 2024, 11:07 pm

I was also on a very low carb diet before pregnancy. Once I was pregnant, I assumed I'd just continue eating the same way. By about 10 weeks, I suddenly started to feel so sick. It took me a week or so to figure it out, but I eventually realized that my body needed carbs. I started eating healthy carbs in small portions with each meal, things like oats, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato. I also used to never eat after 8pm but now I can't make it if I don't eat again before I go to sleep. I start getting way too nauseous so I eat something small before bed, I try for a carb and protein then too.

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Dec 11 2024, 11:28 pm

Healthy unprocessed carbs, sweet potato, chick peas, lentils, split peas, barley, oatmeal, kasha have a lot of nutrients that are good for you and baby. If you weigh your food, try 2-4 oz at a meal or measure 1/2 cup to a cup at a meal. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there but I wouldn’t be comfortable eliminating an entire food group when pregnant. Don’t eat sugary carbs. You don’t need sugar, dates, honey but healthy grains and legumes are your friend when your pregnant. Of course run it by your doctor or midwife before you try any restrictive diet.

amother

Cyclamen ↓

Yesterday at 12:22 am

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

I would recommend working with a dietician to create a specific plan based on you and your needs. For both your own health and that of your unborn child.
I will say I remember my friend, who also had gestational diabetes saying that it wasn't the carbs that usually triggered her blood sugar levels. She used to test herself after eating and could see a pattern of which foods caused a rise and which didn't.

yes my friend had GD and she worked with a nutritionist and she HAD to have carbs by every meal I think...(balanced with protein etc.) it was limited, but it was necc....
too much protein isn't good either in general...personally I don't feel good when I went completely off carbs...nothing to do with pregnancy..

amother

Violet

Yesterday at 12:33 am

With all due respect to all of us imas - why would you take the random advice of random unknown ppl here but not see an educated nutritionist?
My take , based on my own personal experience , would be to eat healthy carbs in moderation and always pair with protein. But what do I really know ? And I certainly don’t know anything about you ? Please , can it hurt to go at least one time to a professional to get an educated assessment?
Wishing you a joyous healthy pregnancy and birth bshaa tova umitzlachas.

synthy ↓

Yesterday at 12:39 am

amother OP wrote:

Try pairing complex carbs with fat and protein, that keeps you full a lot longer than each one separately. Also, I get you. I’m ravenous in pregnancy and need carbs.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 10:57 pm

synthy wrote:

Try pairing complex carbs with fat and protein, that keeps you full a lot longer than each one separately. Also, I get you. I’m ravenous in pregnancy and need carbs.

Yes, I always always pair.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 10:58 pm

amother Violet wrote:

Why would I need to see a nutritionist more than anyone else would? I am followiing my body's cues and eating all food groups, just not having unhealthy carbs and processed foods.

No need to see a nutritionist for that lol.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 10:59 pm

amother Cyclamen wrote:

Why is too much protein not good? Never heard that one.

When I am not pregnant, I feel great off carbs. I am insulin resistant so that makes sense for me.

amother

↑ Cyclamen

Yesterday at 11:32 pm

amother OP wrote:

Why is too much protein not good? Never heard that one.

When I am not pregnant, I feel great off carbs. I am insulin resistant so that makes sense for me.

some nutritionists say ketosis is not a healthy state for the body to be in....
bad breath etc. is only one of the negative effects...
Also, I think different bodies are just created differently....I don't like or need alot of animal protein in my diet...I have a slice of cheese every day, and milk every day..I feel better when I eat a small amount of carbs at each meal.....you would probably be horrified at what I usually eat lol....
.I usually only get fleishig on Shabbos...but that's me! some people need protein or chicken/meat to feel full....
I try to go with my bodies cues...
but I'm not talking about pregnancy...in pregnancy protein needs for sure go up!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 9:27 am

amother Cyclamen wrote:

But you haven't answered why too much protein would be bad.
That doesn't mean you are in ketosis.

giftedmom

Today at 9:48 am

amother OP wrote:

shanie5, that's exactly the problem, there is lots of conflicting info!

People who say go to a nutritionist, well they each have their own personal shittas. And it's not like going to your rov and taking his psak. I have no reason to think one is better than the other in terms of this.

I do know from this site (and BH I was warned) that the GD nutritionists are way out of touch with current research and say you have to eat a CRAZY amount of carbs, and then surprise surprise, many of their patients end up going on insulin.

I BH did not follow that, I used the book everyone had recommended, "Real food for gestational diabetes".

I guess I can look in there for guidelines.

The nutritionist I saw when I had GD was focusing only on my weight and low fat food which was insane because I was actually losing weight from the GD and as I later figured out fat is amazing for stabilizing blood sugar.
That said it’s all about balance and you don’t want to end up in ketosis which is dangerous in pregnancy.

↑ synthy

Today at 10:09 am

amother OP wrote:

But you haven't answered why too much protein would be bad.
That doesn't mean you are in ketosis.

I don’t know if it’s just too much protein or in combination with too little carbs, but it can cause kidney issues. I know of more than one person who got a UTI when they tried keto.

I do believe everyone’s body is different. Keto works well for me, but not for everyone.

tulip3

Today at 11:21 am

amother Cyclamen wrote:

I'm so curious what your hormones, thyroid, poop, sleep, period is like with basically no protein...genuinely curious. Also, what are you eating if you eat very little carbs if you eat almost no protein? Just fat?

amother

↑ OP

Today at 12:51 pm

giftedmom wrote:

The problem is that a lot of the GD nutritionists are for some reason VERY out of touch/off base with their recommendations. Like very outdated.

Agree with last line very much.

amother

↑ Hyacinth ↓

Today at 1:42 pm

tulip3 wrote:

Vegetables?

amother

↑ Hyacinth

Today at 1:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

Why is too much protein not good? Never heard that one.

When I am not pregnant, I feel great off carbs. I am insulin resistant so that makes sense for me.

For some people with certain gut issues or blood types the ammonia can be an issue. Sometimes not doing well with protein is sign of low stomach acid or insufficient digestive enzymes. But these aren't "bad" things about protein per se, just why they wouldn't be right for a certain individual in certain situations.