Trying to find a LC diet for my mother.

[puddypark]

:help:
My mother is ready to start the low carb way of life but is unsure of where to start.
She is a diabetic and has been using the pump for several years. She is 62. She had bypass surgery 5 years ago and gained about 50 pounds since. She is fed up with her back and legs hurting and tired of getting out of breath with the extra weight that she has gained since her surgery.
Can anyone help??

[Lessara]

Honestly it depends if she is addicted to carbs or not. If she isn't South Beach is excellent, if she is, then Atkins is the way to go. In my humble opinion of course :) They are easy to follow as long as you eat all your veggies. I'm getting quick results from Atkins, my sugar has dropped over 40 points in 10 weeks. :)

[MammaC]

Atkins should be great for your mother. Why not encourage her to use the same plan you are on? That way you could support each other.I'm 56, not quite as old as your mother but getting there. Atkins has been great for me.

[Kestrel]

Get her Life Without Bread by Dr. Lutz, which outlines low-carb for health benefits, and not specifically about losing weight. His version of low-carb is based on Austrian treatment of diabetics as practiced prior to WWII. My sister now follows it, and is off medications.

He also suggests that you DON'T follow the Atkins induction methods, particularly if ill or an older person, as it imposes too much stress for no good reason.

If you're looking for a plan, LWB is a good one to follow.

[Lessara]

My mother is 66 and she followed Atkins without any problems. She found it stopped her cravings thus making dieting easier. :)

[Sorta]

Yes this all sounds good, just make sure a good check up, blood work is being done regularly. And a visit with her drabout this would be a great start! Tell her GOOD LUCK :D

[Kristine]

How about Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution? :idea:

[Lisa N]

puddypark, if your mom is on an insulin pump she needs to be careful about adjusting for her carb intake. OTOH, if she's been on it for several years she's probably quite familiar with that.
I would suggest, though, that she let her doctor in on what she's doing so he/she can offer support and suggestions.

[Squid]

I agree with Lisa - a doctor should be involved in this, especially with all the medical problems your mom has. I think a better approach would be for your mom to slowly cut back on the carbs a little bit more each 1-2 weeks while her body adjusts. The weight loss won't be as fast, but she'll feel better and not risk going hypoglycemic.

[ddaniels]

Another book to check out is The Atkins Diabetes Revolution. It's really good! Maybe you could start by getting her a couple of the different books that have been suggested and then she can read them and figure out which one makes the most sense for her. As an insulin dependant diabetic, no matter what she decides to do she'll need to be really, really careful and will need to become very knowledgable about whatever dietary changes she decides to make.

[Aquamarina]

The problem with some people who are a little old to use a pc or don't have time to do it, is that they can't calculate carbs easily.
What I did with my dad was to make him a list of what he can eat and what he can't. Atkins is great for diabetic people. If you make her a list you'll definetely make her life easier. :)

[Bat Spit]

I second the recommendation for Life Without Bread. I think its one of the best books out there.

Dr. Bernsteins book is also excellent and particularly slanted for diabetics. My FIL (mid 70s) is on that one.

One question for you to consider when deciding how to guide her is: is she 60's and getting frail, or 60's and vigorous?

[Nancy LC]

My sister and I are both low carb advocates and we would have loved for my Dad, who has raging hyperinsulism, to go on the diet. But... his mental facilities have faded so much that we didn't feel like he would be able to follow anything. And I think at my parents point of life, making any sort of change is extremely difficult.

But they are quite a lot older. They're in their mid-80's.

[black57]

Aquamarina, that is how I began my Atkins journey. I made a list of foods that I can have and gave it to DH. He does 95% of the shopping and cooking. There are alot of lc friendly foods that really made this easy for me. What makes induction difficult for a diabetic isn't the food but the meds. If your mom takes the same dosage once she begins Atkins or any low carb program, she can run into problems, so make sure that her physician knows that she is making dietary changes that may require a reduction in meds.

[LilPunkin]

I would highly recommend Atkins! I have a friend whos father had also been on an insulin pump. After following Atkins for awhile, he was off of ALL insulin! It was fantastic!

[black57]

I think that Protein Power is an excellent book to read that offers a medical explanations for why low carbing is the best therapy for diabetes. Why low carbing benefits the heart and hugh blood pressure. I hate to suggest another book to read along with what everyone else has suggested on this thread. Too much information can lead to confusion but if I had my druthers, I druther read Protein Power by Drs. Michael and Mary Eades.

[Aquamarina]

black57 I used to be on meds for many many years. I wasn't on Atkins then. The basic thing I knew was that if I was losing weight I would reduce the meds. So you are correct. Btw, even if I have stopped meds, my epilepsy is still here and Atkins has helped me more than any other diet!

[puddypark]

Thank you all so much for your help! I am on my way to the library to do some research on your reccomendations! I will try to let you know which one she chooses!!
Thanks again!

[puddypark]

Thanks for the advice all!! I am hoping that she goes to her doctor this week so I should know more then!!