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Giving up on LCHF

linda321

linda321

Well-Known Member
Messages
118
Location
West Sussex, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I am giving up on LCHF! Shocking I know, but after 1 year of a diet of moderately low carbs (50-80g per day), I have become very fed up with missing out on many of my favourite foods. Plus, I have not reduced my Hb1Ac enough, it is still at 8.5mmol/l. I have recently changed from mixed insulin to basal/bolus regime and am very happy about having greater flexibility in what I eat. Another problem I have had, is that I have put on weight, probably because I have been eating too much fat (bacon, full fat creme fraiche, fried this and that.) I am quite surprised at how much weight I have put on as I exercise a lot, 3 times a week Boot Camp at the gym, once a week Pilates, and lots of walking and gardening.

I won't be going crazy, just a few potatoes with dinner, and more fruit (YAY!), including plums, nectarines and oranges. And maybe a piece of cake every so often!

I am just looking forward to being more flexible especially when I go out with friends and not having them ask 'What can you eat?'

I am in awe of those of you who eat very low carb diets. It's just not for me.
 
linda321 said:
I am giving up on LCHF! Shocking I know, but after 1 year of a diet of moderately low carbs (50-80g per day), I have become very fed up with missing out on many of my favourite foods. Plus, I have not reduced my Hb1Ac enough, it is still at 8.5mmol/l. I have recently changed from mixed insulin to basal/bolus regime and am very happy about having greater flexibility in what I eat. Another problem I have had, is that I have put on weight, probably because I have been eating too much fat (bacon, full fat creme fraiche, fried this and that.) I am quite surprised at how much weight I have put on as I exercise a lot, 3 times a week Boot Camp at the gym, once a week Pilates, and lots of walking and gardening.

I won't be going crazy, just a few potatoes with dinner, and more fruit (YAY!), including plums, nectarines and oranges. And maybe a piece of cake every so often!

I am just looking forward to being more flexible especially when I go out with friends and not having them ask 'What can you eat?'

I am in awe of those of you who eat very low carb diets. It's just not for me.
Click to expand...

How long have you been diagnosed, Linda?

I'm surprised you gained weight, although you don't say how much, as I have to work to keep it on these days! If I were asked why you gained weight, I might be more inclined to point the finger at your insulin maybe being a little out of kilter than the LCHF, if you were keeping the carbs in the range you suggest.

Just for the avoidance of doubt; I'm not saying you are mis-declaring your carb consumption, just making the proviso.
 
If you were gaining weight then maybe for you, your threshold of nutritional ketosis needs a lower level of carb intake before it would kick in?

I realise that's easier said than done. Do you know if you were in ketosis?
 
@AndBreathe, yes I am sure that my insulin was out of kilter, my blood sugars are generally all over the place, often in the teens but I also experience hypos. I never did get the hang of the mixed insulin. Hoping to get on better with basal/bolus!

I would have thought that I would lose weight with high blood sugars. I did lose about 2 stone before being diagnosed about 15 months ago. I have put on about 1 stone since then.
 
@Spiker, no I don't know whether I was in ketosis. How would you know? I did check for ketones when my blood sugar was over 14mmol/l, but luckily they were never a problem.

I am afraid I don't want to go even lower carbs at the moment. Not ruling out that I might try again in the future though.
 
I think its good you have decided you want to eat some more carbs...............

as your still relatively new to the basal/bolus regime you should settle in to that and see how things go on that and if you need to you can make some changes again to the carbs if needed.......

it all about flexibility and balancing good BG control and living life....

best of luck......:)
 
linda321 said:
@Spiker, no I don't know whether I was in ketosis. How would you know? I did check for ketones when my blood sugar was over 14mmol/l, but luckily they were never a problem.

I am afraid I don't want to go even lower carbs at the moment. Not ruling out that I might try again in the future though.
Click to expand...
Yes exactly you can use a ketone test to see if you are in ketosis. It sounds like perhaps you were not in ketosis, and in that case most or all of the benefits of LCHF are missed, and you are likely to gain weight.

Maybe try again in a few weeks or months?
 
For nutritional ketosis anything below 8 should be fine. Actually any level is safe as long as BG is in a normal range. People see levels around 1 or 2 in nutritional ketosis, often a bit higher or lower.

But for sure there is little point doing LCHF unless you get into nutritional ketosis and stay there consistently.
 
Ketoacidosis is a breakdown in blood pH regulation due to lack of insulin to clear ketone breakdown products. But almost always a lack of BG regulation will be evident before there is a lack of pH regulation.

So if BG is not high there is nothing to worry about. As per standard NHS guidelines.
 
50 to 80 carbs a day would have been to high for me to be in ketosis ... But you must find your way of eating that suites your life style. If you do try LCHF again I would advise you go a lot lower with the carbs 20 to 30g a day worked well for me .. Now I seem to be in remission and can eat higher than this without impacting on my blood sugars.. BUT ..I am T2 and not on any diabetic meds now
 
Spiker said:
For nutritional ketosis anything below 8 should be fine. Actually any level is safe as long as BG is in a normal range. People see levels around 1 or 2 in nutritional ketosis, often a bit higher or lower.

But for sure there is little point doing LCHF unless you get into nutritional ketosis and stay there consistently.
Click to expand...

I seem to be able to lose weight doing low carb higher fat without getting into nutritional ketosis. Although I have been quite overweight with more to lose, so that may make it easier. I never got below a BMI of 27 so perhaps I would need to reduce carbs much more, to be able to do that.

I think any amount of carb reduction can only be a good thing for most T2s?
 
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