By Marie Veselsky, RD, LD, CDE, BC-ADM
There is no “magic bullet” for successful weight loss, but finding out and keeping to your daily individualized carbohydrate number for weight loss works pretty well! Your individualized carbohydrate number for weight loss is based on a percentage of your assessed calorie level for weight loss.
As a Registered Dietitian that has worked with many clients over the last 20 years, I have educated clients on just about every type of diet. From low-fat, to calorie-controlled diets and even South Beach and Dr. Atkins which are very low-carb diets. None of them really worked long term for my clients. Calorie-controlled diets stop working after a while and very low-fat diets are just unappealing and not healthy. Dr. Atkins was right that it is the macro-nutrient carbohydrate that seems most to affect weight gain, but I have never met anyone that could stay on a very strict low-carb diet for any length of time. So I started searching for a meal plan that would work!
As a Registered Dietitian, I knew that out of all the diets out there that the lower-carb diet makes the most sense and is closest to the way our earliest ancestors ate. Our earliest ancestors got their carbohydrate mostly through fruits, vegetables and nuts. They had no processed carb. I also knew that if a person feels deprived on a diet they will stop that diet at some point, so I worked on developing a lower-carb diet that is individualized to the person. This diet would allow a person to still have “a life” and have some carb and also give a feeling of being more in control when they know how much carb is right for them.
Many credentialed licensed health care professionals that believe in a “get back to the basics” approach to pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and weight loss (through diet, individualized exercise, carb counting and other lifestyle changes such as stress reduction) may recommend carbohydrate intakes below 130 grams a day depending on the patient. According to research, low-carb diets can help stabilize blood sugar levels and facilitate weight loss. Integrated Optimal Health can help you determine if you are a good candidate for this type of supervised meal plan on its own or in addition to your diabetes medications as per your MD.
So what is Your Right Carb Number for Weight Loss? At Choice Center for Diabetes and Weight Loss we assess each person’s carbohydrate needs individually, depending on the need for blood sugar control and/or weight loss. We can figure your carb number for weight loss without exercise through an individual appointment. Then we provide exercise programs and stress reduction programs to get you fit and strong! One step at a time!
At Choice Center for Diabetes, Choice Center for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and Choice Center for Movement we are credentialed licensed health care providers advocating for a healthier approach to diabetes, weight loss and other chronic illnesses. We provide individual appointments and group programs to help you reach your optimal health. Most Insurances accepted.
Call to make an appointment to get your individualized carb amount for weight loss. Don’t forget our very popular Level 1 and Level 2 Movement Camp, Yoga classes and Massage Therapy! Call 603-770-4856 in NH. Let today be the first day of the rest of your life. You can’t go back and start over, but you can start from here and have a better future!
