Newly diagnosed type 1

[KC67]

At the grand old age of 50 I have just been diagnosed with type 1 (LADA). This came as something of a surprise as I didn't really think I was really likely to get type 2 diabetes, and I ignorantly assumed type 1 was only diagnosed in childhood. I have other auto-immune issues going on and it seems that it's all linked. For the first few weeks my GP thought I was type 2 and I was put on Metformin and Gliclazide - my HbA1c was 103 and my random glucose was 22 when I went to see my GP and that was first thing in the morning so goodness knows how high they went. After further tests and a visit to a consultant I am now confirmed type 1 and on insulin. My HbA1c has come down a bit to 75 but my consultant has written to say this is still too high. I will see a dietician next week but at the moment I am totally, totally confused about what I should and shouldn't be eating. I think my general diet has always been quite healthy and since Easter I have cut out all obvious sugar but I am very confused about carbs. I am still losing weight (when I don't want to) but I don't understand how I cut out or cut down on sugar and carbs and yet maintain weight. My sugars are a little more stable but I am still having spikes of up 12 or 13, even though I am not really eating very much at the moment. Sometimes I feel a bit hungry and go to get a snack and then I think, hmm I can't have anything sugary, can't really have too much fruit, got to cut down on carbs ... and then I think it's all too confusing so I don't have anything! *Sigh* Any advice for a middle-aged newbie welcomed

 

[Deleted Account]

Welcome to the club.
There is a huge assumption that type 1 only comes in childhood. Somewhere I read that more than 50% of people with type 1 are diagnosed aged over 20. But not even doctors seem to know this.

You say you are now treating your diabetes with insulin.
Are you on a basal - bolus regime and are your carb counting?
If you are counting your carbs it is possible to eat them and manage your insulin dose without major spikes - you can have sugary snacks.
If you are not carb counting, you may find some useful hints on the bertie online course: https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/

 

[slip]

Any advice for a middle-aged newbie welcomed

Take your time getting use to things (the saying "its a marathon not a sprint" is so true), I presume at the moment you're on set dosages if you're very newly diagnosed? Keep a log; time and date of what you eat(number of carbs as well if poss), injections and BG results, it will help you and your Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) come up with a better basal/bolus regime and/or tweak things easier, see patterns etc.

 

[KK123]

At the grand old age of 50 I have just been diagnosed with type 1 (LADA). This came as something of a surprise as I didn't really think I was really likely to get type 2 diabetes, and I ignorantly assumed type 1 was only diagnosed in childhood. I have other auto-immune issues going on and it seems that it's all linked. For the first few weeks my GP thought I was type 2 and I was put on Metformin and Gliclazide - my HbA1c was 103 and my random glucose was 22 when I went to see my GP and that was first thing in the morning so goodness knows how high they went. After further tests and a visit to a consultant I am now confirmed type 1 and on insulin. My HbA1c has come down a bit to 75 but my consultant has written to say this is still too high. I will see a dietician next week but at the moment I am totally, totally confused about what I should and shouldn't be eating. I think my general diet has always been quite healthy and since Easter I have cut out all obvious sugar but I am very confused about carbs. I am still losing weight (when I don't want to) but I don't understand how I cut out or cut down on sugar and carbs and yet maintain weight. My sugars are a little more stable but I am still having spikes of up 12 or 13, even though I am not really eating very much at the moment. Sometimes I feel a bit hungry and go to get a snack and then I think, hmm I can't have anything sugary, can't really have too much fruit, got to cut down on carbs ... and then I think it's all too confusing so I don't have anything! *Sigh* Any advice for a middle-aged newbie welcomed

Hi KC, I was diagnosed 11 months ago at the age of 56! I found it very confusing at first but what I would say is calm down, don't rush into things, take it slowly over the first few weeks and read, read, read on this wonderful forum! Once you understand how insulin works and the effects the 'honeymoon period' might have on your levels along with exercise and just going to work, etc, you will get to grips with the science.
Food wise, I immediately completely cut out any obvious rubbish, ie all processed foods/pastries/sweets/pies which although I ate infrequently and was never overweight, they were clearly no good for me.
I had very small amounts of wholemeal pasta/rice to begin with (no more than a tablespoonful) and although I know they are still as carby as their white counterparts, they didn't spike me as much.
Roll on 11 months and I now only have around 50 carbs a day and at the moment very little insulin.
Don't be afraid of food, I eat fish/chicken/beef/all manner of salads/lower carb veg/some cheese/eggs and when I feel like a higher carb foodstuff (ie toast) I am able to jab an extra unit of insulin for it. As a 'snack' I eat low carb brownies/a piece of cheese/nuts/boiled egg/small piece of dark chocolate, yogurt with a sprinkle of muesli so it's not too carby, strawberries and blackberries etc. I know there are type 1s that eat as they did before and combat it with insulin and that is great but I remember at the start I too, was afraid to eat but now I am much more confident having tested and tested and seen the results of my efforts.
I do hope this helps. x

 

[Diakat]

There is no requirement to low carb as a T1. Some find it helps their control, others can happily eat as they did before diagnosis. Carb counting is essential though.

 

[KC67]

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes, I am on a basal-bolus regime but as yet I don't understand the whole carbs thing. I'm seeing a dietician next week so hopefully that will help. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

 

[KC67]

There is no requirement to low carb as a T1. Some find it helps their control, others can happily eat as they did before diagnosis. Carb counting is essential though.

Thank for your reply. Yes, it is carb counting that I need to get my head round.

 

[KC67]

Hi KC, I was diagnosed 11 months ago at the age of 56! I found it very confusing at first but what I would say is calm down, don't rush into things, take it slowly over the first few weeks and read, read, read on this wonderful forum! Once you understand how insulin works and the effects the 'honeymoon period' might have on your levels along with exercise and just going to work, etc, you will get to grips with the science.
Food wise, I immediately completely cut out any obvious rubbish, ie all processed foods/pastries/sweets/pies which although I ate infrequently and was never overweight, they were clearly no good for me.
I had very small amounts of wholemeal pasta/rice to begin with (no more than a tablespoonful) and although I know they are still as carby as their white counterparts, they didn't spike me as much.
Roll on 11 months and I now only have around 50 carbs a day and at the moment very little insulin.
Don't be afraid of food, I eat fish/chicken/beef/all manner of salads/lower carb veg/some cheese/eggs and when I feel like a higher carb foodstuff (ie toast) I am able to jab an extra unit of insulin for it. As a 'snack' I eat low carb brownies/a piece of cheese/nuts/boiled egg/small piece of dark chocolate, yogurt with a sprinkle of muesli so it's not too carby, strawberries and blackberries etc. I know there are type 1s that eat as they did before and combat it with insulin and that is great but I remember at the start I too, was afraid to eat but now I am much more confident having tested and tested and seen the results of my efforts.
I do hope this helps. x

Thanks so much, that is very helpful and reassuring. I really don't understand the whole carbs thing - never really thought about it before. But I'm sure it will all fall into place. But a tablespoon of pasta doesn't sound very much!! Where do you get your low carb brownies from? Do you make them? Thanks again for your reply.

 

[KC67]

Take your time getting use to things (the saying "its a marathon not a sprint" is so true), I presume at the moment you're on set dosages if you're very newly diagnosed? Keep a log; time and date of what you eat(number of carbs as well if poss), injections and BG results, it will help you and your Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) come up with a better basal/bolus regime and/or tweak things easier, see patterns etc.

Thanks so much. Yes, a marathon - I must remember that! Yes, at the moment I'm on a fixed dose so will have to learn how to tweak things as I go along. Thanks for your reply.

 

[KK123]

Thanks so much, that is very helpful and reassuring. I really don't understand the whole carbs thing - never really thought about it before. But I'm sure it will all fall into place. But a tablespoon of pasta doesn't sound very much!! Where do you get your low carb brownies from? Do you make them? Thanks again for your reply.

Hi KC, I get mine from 'Adonis' online, they are quite expensive though. There are plenty of recipes for low carb brownies if you are willing to cook! I know a tablespoon of pasta doesn't sound much but when I heap it with bolognese sauce it's surprising how filling it is. I used to have whole bowls of pasta and now realise that that isn't necessary because a little goes a long way. Again, don't become too obsessed with lowering carbs excessively to begin with, many type 1's do not do this, this is just what I prefer. Can you tell us what you would normally eat because I am sure that with a few tweaks, you may find you do not feel restricted at all. I just cut out my 'snacks' to begin with, which were crisps/a bar of chocolate/the odd cream cake etc. I call it the obvious rubbish that most people eat. I worked shifts so would often take a ready made meal to work, always good quality but full of carbs/sugar. Now I don't, I prepare a chicken salad (and I don't mean with boring old lettuce and tomatoes either!). One thing to remember, they do tell you to eat what you normally eat at the start because they are trying to gauge where your glucose levels are at along with your insulin but I have to say, I was not prepared to do that for months on end so I adjusted my diet as mentioned. I understand you thinking it's not worth eating a snack but if you are like me you will start to lose weight if you become too afraid to eat much (at the start), I had no weight to lose and went from a bmi of 24 to 21, now I do have to be careful not to lose anymore.

 

[Tony337]

Hello and welcome on board.
I'm 50 too and have been type 1 since I was 6.

Diabetes is an equation involving food, exercise and insulin.
Tinkering with one will have an effect on the other two.

You are amongst friends in a very knowledgeable place.

Wishing you all the best

Tony

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. I've been thru the same route and it took along while for me to work out what I was. As you have only just started on the insulin you may have been given a slightly low dose until they work out what you need. When the dose is 'right' your blood sugar will come good and your weight loss should stop. While your blood sugar remains too high your body will be burning fat as it can't burn carbs well without enough insulin. You should be taught shortly how to carb-count. That means adjusting your Bolus for the amount of carbs in each meal. I suspect currently you have been given a fixed Bolus to have. Do ask your GP/Consultant to explain this to you or come back here if needed. Ref diet do keep the carbs down to a sensible level, perhaps below 200gm or less and have enough fats and proteins, veg and fruit to keep you feeling full. Some of us will say to beware of NHS dieticians as some appear to know nothing about diet; there are some good ones. If you are given advice to eat carbs freely but go low-fat then come back to these forums for better advice. Even as a T1 once balanced, you may still need to be careful with the carbs to avoid weight gain as the insulin will allow the body to use the carbs and too many will get stored as - fat. I go to the gym but keep my carbs around 150gm/day to avoid weight gain.

 

[Alexandra100]

at the moment I am totally, totally confused about what I should and shouldn't be eating.

I strongly advise ordering Dr Bernstein"s classic book on diabetes "Diabetes Solution" https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_a...ch-Books-Submit.x=0&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=0
While you wait for it to be delivered, you can find lots to help you on his site. In particular you might find helpful his Law of small numbers http://www.diabetes-book.com/laws-small-numbers/
and his advice on diet
http://www.diabetes-book.com/restricted-carbohydrate-diet/

 

[Alexandra100]

I am still losing weight (when I don't want to) but I don't understand how I cut out or cut down on sugar and carbs and yet maintain weight.

I have this problem too. I think that probably I am LADA but still (just about) in the so-called honeymoon stage where I produce enough insulin to cope with a very low carb diet, but only with the additional help of Metformin. I pay a lot of attention to keeping my weight stable as I am seriously skinny. If you choose to eat very low carb (under 100g carbs daily) then you can afford to add more protein and fat to your diet. I find that adding grated cheese and butter to just about every meal has the effect of satisfying me for much longer than carbs used to. I also eat nuts in moderation, eggs, and large portions of free range chicken and wild Alaskan salmon. For snacks I make sure to have cheese and nuts always with me.

Alongside Dr Bernstein, you might be cheered by this free book which you can download straight away; https://brightspotsandlandmines.org
And if you like it, there are follow-up articles here as well as lots of info:
https://diatribe.org/type-1-diabetes

 

[KC67]

Hi KC, I get mine from 'Adonis' online, they are quite expensive though. There are plenty of recipes for low carb brownies if you are willing to cook! I know a tablespoon of pasta doesn't sound much but when I heap it with bolognese sauce it's surprising how filling it is. I used to have whole bowls of pasta and now realise that that isn't necessary because a little goes a long way. Again, don't become too obsessed with lowering carbs excessively to begin with, many type 1's do not do this, this is just what I prefer. Can you tell us what you would normally eat because I am sure that with a few tweaks, you may find you do not feel restricted at all. I just cut out my 'snacks' to begin with, which were crisps/a bar of chocolate/the odd cream cake etc. I call it the obvious rubbish that most people eat. I worked shifts so would often take a ready made meal to work, always good quality but full of carbs/sugar. Now I don't, I prepare a chicken salad (and I don't mean with boring old lettuce and tomatoes either!). One thing to remember, they do tell you to eat what you normally eat at the start because they are trying to gauge where your glucose levels are at along with your insulin but I have to say, I was not prepared to do that for months on end so I adjusted my diet as mentioned. I understand you thinking it's not worth eating a snack but if you are like me you will start to lose weight if you become too afraid to eat much (at the start), I had no weight to lose and went from a bmi of 24 to 21, now I do have to be careful not to lose anymore.

I have this problem too. I think that probably I am LADA but still (just about) in the so-called honeymoon stage where I produce enough insulin to cope with a very low carb diet, but only with the additional help of Metformin. I pay a lot of attention to keeping my weight stable as I am seriously skinny. If you choose to eat very low carb (under 100g carbs daily) then you can afford to add more protein and fat to your diet. I find that adding grated cheese and butter to just about every meal has the effect of satisfying me for much longer than carbs used to. I also eat nuts in moderation, eggs, and large portions of free range chicken and wild Alaskan salmon. For snacks I make sure to have cheese and nuts always with me.

Alongside Dr Bernstein, you might be cheered by this free book which you can download straight away; https://brightspotsandlandmines.org
And if you like it, there are follow-up articles here as well as lots of info:
https://diatribe.org/type-1-diabetes

I have this problem too. I think that probably I am LADA but still (just about) in the so-called honeymoon stage where I produce enough insulin to cope with a very low carb diet, but only with the additional help of Metformin. I pay a lot of attention to keeping my weight stable as I am seriously skinny. If you choose to eat very low carb (under 100g carbs daily) then you can afford to add more protein and fat to your diet. I find that adding grated cheese and butter to just about every meal has the effect of satisfying me for much longer than carbs used to. I also eat nuts in moderation, eggs, and large portions of free range chicken and wild Alaskan salmon. For snacks I make sure to have cheese and nuts always with me.

 

[KC67]

Hello and welcome on board.
I'm 50 too and have been type 1 since I was 6.

Diabetes is an equation involving food, exercise and insulin.
Tinkering with one will have an effect on the other two.

You are amongst friends in a very knowledgeable place.

Wishing you all the best

Tony

Thanks Tony. I am only just beginning to understand the relationship between the three. Thanks for your reply.

 

[KC67]

Hi KC, I get mine from 'Adonis' online, they are quite expensive though. There are plenty of recipes for low carb brownies if you are willing to cook! I know a tablespoon of pasta doesn't sound much but when I heap it with bolognese sauce it's surprising how filling it is. I used to have whole bowls of pasta and now realise that that isn't necessary because a little goes a long way. Again, don't become too obsessed with lowering carbs excessively to begin with, many type 1's do not do this, this is just what I prefer. Can you tell us what you would normally eat because I am sure that with a few tweaks, you may find you do not feel restricted at all. I just cut out my 'snacks' to begin with, which were crisps/a bar of chocolate/the odd cream cake etc. I call it the obvious rubbish that most people eat. I worked shifts so would often take a ready made meal to work, always good quality but full of carbs/sugar. Now I don't, I prepare a chicken salad (and I don't mean with boring old lettuce and tomatoes either!). One thing to remember, they do tell you to eat what you normally eat at the start because they are trying to gauge where your glucose levels are at along with your insulin but I have to say, I was not prepared to do that for months on end so I adjusted my diet as mentioned. I understand you thinking it's not worth eating a snack but if you are like me you will start to lose weight if you become too afraid to eat much (at the start), I had no weight to lose and went from a bmi of 24 to 21, now I do have to be careful not to lose anymore.

Hi there, and thanks so much for your reply. Yes, my BMI is also 21 and is still dropping but since being diagnosed, like you, I immediately cut out anything sugary etc I have always had a reasonably healthy vegetarian diet but now that I am measuring blood glucose levels I see a direct relationship between what I am eating and the effect it has. I can see that carbs such as bread makes it shoot up. I will check out those brownies you mentioned!

 

[KC67]

I have this problem too. I think that probably I am LADA but still (just about) in the so-called honeymoon stage where I produce enough insulin to cope with a very low carb diet, but only with the additional help of Metformin. I pay a lot of attention to keeping my weight stable as I am seriously skinny. If you choose to eat very low carb (under 100g carbs daily) then you can afford to add more protein and fat to your diet. I find that adding grated cheese and butter to just about every meal has the effect of satisfying me for much longer than carbs used to. I also eat nuts in moderation, eggs, and large portions of free range chicken and wild Alaskan salmon. For snacks I make sure to have cheese and nuts always with me.

Alongside Dr Bernstein, you might be cheered by this free book which you can download straight away; https://brightspotsandlandmines.org
And if you like it, there are follow-up articles here as well as lots of info:
https://diatribe.org/type-1-diabetes

Thanks for your reply. Initially I was put on Metformin and Gliclazide but only for a few weeks until my antibodies test came back and they decided I was type 1. It was impossible for me to control it on the Metformin, but I'm finding it hard on insulin too! But it's early days and I think more education is needed for me. I will definitely check out the books you mentioned - thanks for the links.

 

[Circuspony]

I was diagnosed last Aug at the grand old age of 43 - bit of a shock! I kept a food diary alongside my insulin dosages to see what spiked me. Basmati rice is fine as are potatoes, but pasta is really hard for me to manage.

The nurse's originally set me off on a ratio of 1 unit of novorapid to 10g carbs. That was a bit steep and I've altered it over time.

See if you can get on one of the carb counting courses. It's good to meet other T1s if nothing else!