New to LCHF - T1 - Help Needed

[Happy Daffodil]

Ok, trying out LCHF and read the links and lots of posts and had some great (and prompt response from folks) but is this just a very ad-hoc kind of approach to a diet? I'm ranging 30-40 grams CHO/pd with carbs from green vegs, berries (breakfast only), a few nuts, nut butter (a little) ad some from dairy etc (calculated as per nutritional info on packaging). I'm eating small amounts of protein per meal ie: 3 slices of bacon and a cube of cheese, a chicken breast, 1 egg and something but instead of going down over the last 2 days my blood sugars have risen? I've discovered I don't seem to react well with cream so am avoiding it. It does seem to raise my BG and keep it up for a good few hours after despite extra blousing . I understand the concept of gluconeogenesis but surely this only applies if significant amounts of protein are eaten and I'm unsure if the amount I'm consuming would lead to this? I do have very 'brittle' diabetes tendencies so that doesn't help either. Does anyone have any idea of a baseline diet sheet to follow with regard to portion sizes for this type of diet as I'm feeling a little lost at sea at the moment? I think I need a kind of 'Idiot's Guide! so if anyone knows of one please let me know. Thanks .

 

[donnellysdogs]

I eat mainly fish and salads with heaps (now) of avocado and olives and home made dressing. Fish varies om white cod, plaice, haddock to salmon. One day a week I eat sausages and eggs but always have walnuts and dark choc --2squares. I only eat once a day so I am a bit odd compared to others.
My carb intake is about 12-50g ish on a daily basis as I may add in a bit of torte on salmon days.
I absolutely love salads... Have literally no desire to eat extra carbs. I done this for decades..
I'm nagged constantly tonraise my hba1c.
I do get higher levels, but these are directly related to stress not carbs.
I did find adding more dairy in a while back raised my blood levels. However, I know stress is my main factor. By reducing the dairy I have reduced my levels and my insulin back to normal.

I don't check for ketones etc because I have pretty much ate this way all my life...(50+ years). I am lean and I don't achieve good bloods all the time, but thats due to stress now. Not full fat dairy...

 

[claire_786]

For the past few days I've been doing low carb for only breakfast and lunch...I have porridge with water no milk ...(I think the milk raised my blood sugars) and omelette or chicken and salad for lunch and it seems to be going well plus I downloaded a app called mysugr which I can write what I ate and the carbs I had.. and I do a bit of walking as well ...I'm trying to get my hba1c down from 8.1

 

[donnellysdogs]

Monitor your readings after the foods...
Choices of foods have to be on a long term basis.. So if you really wanted milk with your porridge for a long term basis then its finding a way around it...
I never really ate a lot and found that when eating bread, porridge for breskfasts a few years back that it really wasn't me.... So you need to do what is right for you on a long term basis.
It may be thst you would get improved bg's with berries n cream or yogurt for breakfast etc but its all down to doing things long term.

People here will remember me introducing avocado and olives in to my salads... I thought I hated them... But they are the best additions with my home made dressings to the salads...

I can only say really that minimsing carbs has always been good for me. Less fluctuations in levels..
Extra dairy didn't suit me.
Even adding in 1/2 a slice of bread on a one off doesn't affect my BG Levels but my stomach doesn't like it and reacts with a solidifying mass in it everytime.. So avoidance of problems is key to my 3 decades of lower levels..

I do go out with friends for meals and takeaways occassionally. I'm not a pure saint....but everything with me is in moderation. I used to think I was a moderate carb eater until I started reading more and more on this forum and realised that I do small everything... Even my plates aren't a huge plate in evenings with my meal.. They are between the large plates and tea plate sizes... It wasn't until finding out things on here that I found out a lot about myself and I hope that you can gsin lower levels and less fluctuations by minimising your carbs.

Do please ensure that you are fully happy with adjusting your doses as you will need to do this for a while.

When you find a long term eating lifestyle it will be easier..

 

[Happy Daffodil]

Thanks so much for your responses! It's a little nerve-wracking doing this and feeling just awful some days. I am trying to avoid the dairy and substitute it with soy or coconut products instead as I don't think the milk sugars are a good option for me. At least these days there are tonnes of other options out there without having to go over processed. Hmm seems really trial and error and that makes it harder as my diabetes, even though well controlled (HbA1C usually around 5.3-5.7) my readings can change for seemingly no reason. Thanks for your advice and information though - it's nice to read of someone elses experiences because although they will be different to mine it all puts it into perspective. I appreciate insulin needed for more than just blood sugar regulation but odd that in doing low carb one can actually need more?!?

 

[tim2000s]

I think it was @Spiker in another topic who mentioned that an allergy to dairy can show up as higher bg levels.

 

[Happy Daffodil]

For the past few days I've been doing low carb for only breakfast and lunch...I have porridge with water no milk ...(I think the milk raised my blood sugars) and omelette or chicken and salad for lunch and it seems to be going well plus I downloaded a app called mysugr which I can write what I ate and the carbs I had.. and I do a bit of walking as well ...I'm trying to get my hba1c down from 8.1

Well done you! If you're feeling better (and not hungry!) even better. I'm never too bothered about food as such as long as I'm not hungry - I work on the food is fuel mantra I guess but nice to have options when you fancy a change. I may well try your porridge but with almond milk rather than water! Good luck I hope it all goes to plan!

 

[Happy Daffodil]

I think it was @Spiker in another topic who mentioned that an allergy to dairy can show up as higher bg levels.

Yep he did - I had asked a question in another 'thread' - something to note.

 

[Happy Daffodil]

Ok advice needed if possible! I've lowered my CHO per day to approx. 35g and not over eating on the protein but blood sugars have escalated somewhat (for me anyway usually 5.3-5.7 or lower end) - often peaking over 10 which I don't like and feel just awful. Have been blousing constantly to try and get the sugars down and basals up (on a Medtronic Pump). Just asking the question - does LCHF suit everyone? I have always been very brittle and any teeny-tiny change to anything can cause havoc. I have considered something else may be going on in the background but rather than feeling 'unwell' I feel 'diabetic' if you get my meaning. I've noticed that it seems a greater proportion of people on this type of diet are T2 - if I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected. Any advice or guidance would be gratefully received as I am losing heart - I think I'm doing all the 'right' things but rather than going down my insulin requirement is increasing. Help! Thanks in advance.

 

[jack412]

it does seem strange, I think I would be looking for food allergies. I would seek a HCP for testing and advice. I'm sure there would be suggested methods of working out what groups and foods on google, but I have no personal experience other than with celiacs and gluten

 

[donnellysdogs]

Ok advice needed if possible! I've lowered my CHO per day to approx. 35g and not over eating on the protein but blood sugars have escalated somewhat (for me anyway usually 5.3-5.7 or lower end) - often peaking over 10 which I don't like and feel just awful. Have been blousing constantly to try and get the sugars down and basals up (on a Medtronic Pump). Just asking the question - does LCHF suit everyone? I have always been very brittle and any teeny-tiny change to anything can cause havoc. I have considered something else may be going on in the background but rather than feeling 'unwell' I feel 'diabetic' if you get my meaning. I've noticed that it seems a greater proportion of people on this type of diet are T2 - if I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected. Any advice or guidance would be gratefully received as I am losing heart - I think I'm doing all the 'right' things but rather than going down my insulin requirement is increasing. Help! Thanks in advance.

Have you basal tested all times of the day?

My needs when introducing mainly more cheese and cream went up for my insulin.
When dairy was reduced my insulin needs reduced. I now eat avocado, olives, oil instead of the dairy. My insulin needs have reduced despite needing more at the moment because of stress.

My other question though would be.. Have you started a new box of cannulas?

 

[Happy Daffodil]

Basals have been fine up to trying this out. My cannulas aren't an issue. I had some low carb bread and all came right immediately - blood sugar dropped which I kind of suspected would happen and feeling much more like my usual self. I've followed low carb for years but not LCHF which I am suspecting is not suiting me. Thank you so much for replying.

 

[Happy Daffodil]

it does seem strange, I think I would be looking for food allergies. I would seek a HCP for testing and advice. I'm sure there would be suggested methods of working out what groups and foods on google, but I have no personal experience other than with celiacs and gluten

Thanks for replying Jack. I haven't ever noted any particular food allergies - only that high carb foods never sat well with me hence following a low carb food pattern for years. I suspect, for me cutting carbs too low and adding high fat is the problem. I guess this approach can't suit everyone?

 

[LucySW]

Trust your records. You could try cutting out dairy - and/or gluten - those are the obvious inflammatory candidates - though you seem to get on with gluten.

But importantly, try whatever you are trying for long enough to be sure. Keep really good records and try it for two weeks? But document it, either way.

I know that LCHF increases my bolus doses. I do have to bolus for some of my protein, and nothing is a free ride. But I'm only talking about low doses: 2 u per meal.

Don't be downhearted! You are acquiring knowledge, and that is gold. You'll be able to manage yourself better when you have this information.

 

[jack412]

Good point @LucySW it may be as simple as TAG total available glucose where you bolus for the carbs and around 50% protein and 10% fat..but it is different for everyone and is split bolused a lot of times..
there is lots of info if you google the term too
https://healthonline.washington.edu/document/health_online/pdf/CarbCountingClassALL3_05.pdf

 

[robert72]

@Happy Daffodil - has your insulin gone up overall, or is it that your hi-carb I:C ratio doesn't work on low-carb (even accounting for protein)?

 

[Happy Daffodil]

Oh its all gone up everywhere!! I worked fine on 45-50 CHO/pd - always troubled waters but I've always had that - but, in the main I knew what had gone wrong and why - with this I am totally lost. I had about 9-10 g for breakfast and all hell broke loose just couldn't get sugar down - and felt so awful, couldn't even think straight!! Still feeling pretty yuk now TBH but sugars back down and under control after the addition of some carbs - only about 6 grams but made all the difference, Bloods dropped and I actually feel a bit more human! Interestingly Ive been having coconut yogurt for breakfast as high fat, low carb (well that's what it says on the packet ) instead of yogurt. I've never accounted for protein and the TAG stuff seems a little ad hoc which doesn't work well for brittles!!

 

[robert72]

45-50 carbs is probably an OK place to stay if it works for you.