- Messages
- 448
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I was diagnosed as diabetic by a GP in November 2014 and started taking Meformin (500mg once a day). I then went through additional examination by an endocrinologist who found GAD antibodies through another test. So, I was diagnosed as T1 in March 2015. Although my HbA1c was not too bad (40), he put me on Lantus (6 units in the evening) and NovoRapid (2 units before main meals). I think it was a sound decision since my post-prandial BS would spike to 9 without insulin.
I started reading about diabetes and found a lot of info on LCHF. I thought it makes sense and tried it. Unfortunately my medical team does not endorse LCHF and advised me to "eat normal" - others will probably have the same experience.
I went to eating about 90g of carbs daily and later reduced that to 50g. I stopped taking NovoRapid as my BS was excellent with low carb. I would still take Lantus. I experimented decreasing Lantus to 3 units and my fasting BS went up to 5.3, so I continued with 6 units. I would wake up with BS around 4.7.
As for my BS, everything went pretty well. However, I could not figure out how to gain or at least maintain weight (I am not overweight by any means). As far as I was concerned, I ate quite a bit of fatty foods (butter, cheeses, oil, jhigh-fat yoghurt, etc.). I started feeling quite weak and I also started feeling a strange pain or rather discomfort at the bottom of my neck. At some point I started having breathing difficulties and at that moment I decided to quit LCHF.
I went through a medical examination and just a deficit of potassium was found. Not sure if this was related to my problems. I also think I had sufficient intake of salt and liquids when on LCHF.
In any case, I quit LCHF for now and I eat about 50g of carbs per meal (a total of 150g per day) and resumed taking 2 units of Novorapid. I started feeling OK again. Perhaps I should also mention that I switched from Lantus to Levemir.
Even though I started eating carbs again, the combination of taking NovoRapid and being careful about my carb intake per meal helps me maintain a relatively good BS levels, even after meals. For instance: I found lentils are really good. After eating about 200g of cooked lentils (ca. 50g of carbs) my post-prandial BS is around 6.5 or even less. With other types of carbs (e.g. pasta), my BS would go a bit higher (above 7) and stay there for quite a while, so I try to limit pasta in my diet (unfortunately). Potatoes create a little spike in the first 30 minutes (e.g. 7.3) but then my BS goes down pretty quickly, e.g. to 5.4 wihin an hour from eating. I think these numbers are not too bad and I am aware that I can only achieve them thanks to the fact that I still have my own insulin. As my endocrinologist tells me, this is just temporary and I will have to face much higher insulin intake to compensate for the carbs.
So, I would prefer to go LCHF once this happens but am quite confused about the effects the first, failed attempt at LCHF, had on me.
Has anyone had a similar experience going LCHF? And any ideas how to overcome the initial difficulties?
I started reading about diabetes and found a lot of info on LCHF. I thought it makes sense and tried it. Unfortunately my medical team does not endorse LCHF and advised me to "eat normal" - others will probably have the same experience.
I went to eating about 90g of carbs daily and later reduced that to 50g. I stopped taking NovoRapid as my BS was excellent with low carb. I would still take Lantus. I experimented decreasing Lantus to 3 units and my fasting BS went up to 5.3, so I continued with 6 units. I would wake up with BS around 4.7.
As for my BS, everything went pretty well. However, I could not figure out how to gain or at least maintain weight (I am not overweight by any means). As far as I was concerned, I ate quite a bit of fatty foods (butter, cheeses, oil, jhigh-fat yoghurt, etc.). I started feeling quite weak and I also started feeling a strange pain or rather discomfort at the bottom of my neck. At some point I started having breathing difficulties and at that moment I decided to quit LCHF.
I went through a medical examination and just a deficit of potassium was found. Not sure if this was related to my problems. I also think I had sufficient intake of salt and liquids when on LCHF.
In any case, I quit LCHF for now and I eat about 50g of carbs per meal (a total of 150g per day) and resumed taking 2 units of Novorapid. I started feeling OK again. Perhaps I should also mention that I switched from Lantus to Levemir.
Even though I started eating carbs again, the combination of taking NovoRapid and being careful about my carb intake per meal helps me maintain a relatively good BS levels, even after meals. For instance: I found lentils are really good. After eating about 200g of cooked lentils (ca. 50g of carbs) my post-prandial BS is around 6.5 or even less. With other types of carbs (e.g. pasta), my BS would go a bit higher (above 7) and stay there for quite a while, so I try to limit pasta in my diet (unfortunately). Potatoes create a little spike in the first 30 minutes (e.g. 7.3) but then my BS goes down pretty quickly, e.g. to 5.4 wihin an hour from eating. I think these numbers are not too bad and I am aware that I can only achieve them thanks to the fact that I still have my own insulin. As my endocrinologist tells me, this is just temporary and I will have to face much higher insulin intake to compensate for the carbs.
So, I would prefer to go LCHF once this happens but am quite confused about the effects the first, failed attempt at LCHF, had on me.
Has anyone had a similar experience going LCHF? And any ideas how to overcome the initial difficulties?