Benefits of a low carb diet and taking less insulin

[azure]

If you had read my post properly then you would see that we are basically in agreement on that. What I am saying which seems to be in conflict with you and Tim is that T1D's are reporting putting on weight when on insulin, as evidenced by posters in the forum that I linked to. Are you saying because you and Tim do not put on weight then the same must apply to all T1D's. I say that insulin is required for storing glucose in tissue, regardless of how the insulin enters the blood (exogenous or inherent). The processes are the same in terms of storage of glucose for both of us, with a possible exception that I can suffer Insulin Resistance, but T1D do not. Ergo, both can put on weight, and both can benefit from a low carb diet.

Apologies if I misunderstood your opinion or if I was unclear in mine.

What I'm saying is that for Type 1s insulin per se does not cause unwanted weight gain. (I put "unwanted" there to distinguish that from the desired regaining of weight when insulin is started at diagnosis.)

If a Type 1 has other additional issues eg insulin resistance or thyroid problems or other hormonal problems, then those additional issues might contribute to weight gain.

But insulin and an appropriate level,of calories for the individual Type 1 doesn't cause weight gain.

I think this is important to,stress for the reasons I mentioned above - skipping insulin to lose weight, or fear of insulin because of the myth of weight gain.

Your situation as a Type 2 might well be different. This is a Type 1 thread. If you would like to elaborate on your own experiences or on the subject of insulin and weight gain in Type 2s, then you could start your own thread

 

[Scott-C]

My understanding has always been that the main effect of insulin is to allow uptake of glucose into cells to be burned as energy immediately for our moment by moment energy needs, and some uptake for storage for fasting needs, and it's only when there's an excess of glucose that weight issues might arise - which takes us back to the notion that weight issues are kinda more to do with eating too much rather than insulin per se.

These threads can sometimes lose perspective. It seems to me that low carbers sometimes assume that non-low carbers are all stuffing themselves relentlessly with super-sized meals and gallons of insulin, but that's plainly not the case for the vast majority of us.

It would be interesting to put some numbers to it instead of discussing it in the abstract.

For example, some of my meals will be low carb, if I fancy some grilled lamb chops and steamed veg. But if I was to have an omelette, I always prefer to eat it on top of three slices of toast, say, 36g, maybe a tub of rasps, say 10g. Kinda low carb, but if I decide I'm going to have some tortellini, I'm getting on for 80 to 100g there.

Just out of interest, what do the low carbers make of those choices? Am I tempting fate with tortellini?

I've been on insulin for almost 30 years and have been about 70 to 75 kg all that time. The only time I put on a few pounds is over Xmas and on holidays, when I, erm, eat more. And then I lose it when I eat less. Maybe I'm just lucky with my metabolism, but it's all suggesting to me that it's a calorie in versus calories used issue rather than insulin. Although I do accept, of course, that we're not all the same and there can be other factors involved.

I was surprised when I started carb counting to find out just how low some of my meal choices were, about 50g, not through design, but just because the meal I wanted to eat that evening happened to have 50g. I think a surprising number of us might be accidental low carbers without realising it!

 

[dbr10]

I suggest googling Insulbulemia. It happens, but I am not going to give details here since it is a dangerous practice,

Thanks

 

[MIQ]

I went from 160 grams of carbs and 16 units of insulin per meal to 40 and 4 units , my HBA1C has improved and I get less lows and have lost a lot of weight,

Carbs are bad weather you are diabetic or not.