kelpie,
Almost every dietitian you talk to will recommend more carbs than we generally talk about here. The current minimum is 130. Most folks are advised to eat around 180-200 carbs distributed between 3 meals and 2 snacks. There's a formula that diabetes dietitians use when they counsel you. They have to know it to pass their certification exams.
When new standards are adopted by the professional organizations, the dietitians change their recommendations accordingly. My new health insurance company recently required me to meet with a dietitian before they would approve my doctor's prescription for extra test strips. I brought my folder with all of her previous advice.
The last time I met with her, she told me that I would do serious, permananet damage to my health if I ate under 170 carbs/day, that my sugar would go nuts if I didn't eat every 3 hours, no longer than 5; that I was seriously undereating; that it would be so much easier if I ate meat; and that low fat was mandatory.
This time, she told me I could go down to as few as 130 carbs (and she's talking starches- not the carbs in lettuce and cucumbers) in order to lose some weight. I asked her why she changed her recommendations and it was because new standards had been adopted -not because of any real knowledge.
The key to finding out how many carbs you need, is to test, test, and test some more. That's the only way to discover your own personal requirements. Some folks need very few carbs, some need more- I happen to need about 80-90 net cabs a day to keep my sugar stable, my hunger under control, and to lose a small amount of weight each week. If I eat fewer carbs, my body overcompensates by making too much glucose for me, and my numbers run higher. If I don't eat in the morning, my numbers go up and up until I do, even if I take metformin without eating anything to try and squash the bg rise.
My doctor suggested South Beach to me when I was first diagnosed. Phase1 is very low carb, phase 2 is moderate carb- there are books and websites that give day-by-day menus- if you are still feeling dazed and confused- that might be a place to start.
If you are a vegetarian (as I am) or tend to eat like a veggie- here are some low carb protein sources that you might enjoy- tofu, soy meat products, Quorn products; TVP (texturized Vegetable Protein); unsweetnend soymilk; unsweetened almond milk; seitan, miso, black soybeans, edamame, organic nut butters, whey protein, soy protein, egg replacers.
The supergrain, quinoa, has an excellent carb/protein ratio too, and tastes awesome.
Unflavored greek yogurt has 20grams of protein/6 grams of carb in a cup.
good luck to you- you'll soon be an old pro at this.
Sandy