Low carb diet and Type 1 Diabetes

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Diabolical

Active Member
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26
I only started this thread as a joke. Sorry about that.

However, I have been low carbing for a few weeks now. As an experiment.

It's been great in terms of my numbers - Rarely out of the normal range, fewer hypos etc, but I'm still not convinced that it's a sustainable option for me. Carbs are just so cheap.
 
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derailleurs

Member
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Piccalilly!!
Don't you get massive cravings for bread and potato? I'm asking because I was experimenting a bit last week and today I was just DYING for bread, bread, bread and bread! And also potatoes, well, chips, and scones! Shopping at M&S food department was a nightmare.

Obviously maybe I had too little of something last week, will have to be a bit more careful in the future.
 
F

fergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,439
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I probably speak for most of us by saying the withdrawl symptoms were a bit tricky with some types of carbs. I took me quite a while before I ditched the bread completely for example.
Other things were relatively easy though. I've never missed rice or potatoes and to be honest after a couple of weeks without bread I felt my addiction was gone completely. There's definitely an element of addiction as far as starchy carbs are concerned but to be honest there are lots of better alternatives once you get to grips with it.
Now I'm off to tackle my addiction to Cabarnet Sauvignon by means of Saturday night aversion therapy. :shock: It's a radical approach but since I've persevered with it this long, it would be extremely foolish to abandon it now.

All the best,

fegus
 
B

blackbird

Active Member
Messages
33
I don't like potatoes, or bread, but must admit I still eat them. My downfall is porridge, I love it. I'm not sure how I would manage my bolus injections if I wasn't eating carbs, I have a feeling that I would always be having hypos.
 
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derailleurs

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Piccalilly!!
Thanks for that Fergus, glad to hear others have experienced it too, I probably wasn't doing so badly with my experiments then!

Last week, I ate two pieces of toast bread (wholemeal) for lunch with ham, cheese and salad. Then in the afternoon 2-3 biscuits. In the evening, meals were meat and vegetables (stir-fries etc without noodles). A little bit of carbs there from sauces etc. Had a can of Bud on three evenings after the gym. I don't eat breakfast - tut tut - only have a cup of coffee. Don't tell me I should, I've been like this for years and I am not going to start now!

I really enjoyed my diet, cooked for me and a friend one evening and they were quite happy to not have a low carb meal.

I am going to continue to have bread for lunch - we get our fridge filled by the company so lunches are free and having something without carbs would be quite difficult. Biscuits with tea is a bit of an addiction (Digestives, oooohhhh) but I could swap that to natural yogurt which I really like.

At the moment I have a massive craving for something with vitamin C!! Fruit are another thing I am not going to give up on, I love them. Can probably again swap biscuits with a banana!

Yesterday, I had to buy mine pies and god were they lovely! Only had two :p

I ordered some books so I can read more...But this is me, I tend to just go and do something and then think about where I might have gone wrong afterwards...
 
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lilibet

Well-Known Member
Messages
515
I consider myself low carb in comparison to what I used to be, and in comparison to many others with diabetes that I've come across.

At present I prefer to say I 'manage' my carbs and I started doing this the week i was dx (sept 08). Consequently my TDD (plus honeymoon maybe) is only 10u per day at present premixed insulin and I know for a fact it would be much higher dose than this if I ate like i was told on discharge from hospital.
From about week 2 or 3 I was told that my bg was coming down nicely/too fast (depending on mood of medics on any given day methinks) and even now they put it down to honeymoon rather than managing carbs. I have been told by on DNS there is no point managing carbs on premixed insulin but I think im probably proof that to some degree thats not true.

I know someone who shoots 18u Levemir 2x, plus fast acting 18u 3x daily. Her hba1c is within non diabetic range but she has debiltating unpredictable hypos, significant weight issues and pretty much eats all the carbs she wants but shoots to cover it.

Im sure its not necessary for all diabetics (esp type 1 who can b/b for carbs should they choose ) to be low carb if they dont want but there is no denying it impacts on bg and therefore is an effective tool to use if lower bg eludes you on your chosen diet.

So each to his own but with at least some recognition that there is 'something in it'. I personally couldnt give up all starchy carbs but definitely keeping a close eye on what I eat from this 'range'.

L
 
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