5:2 intermittent fasting diet and type 1

[smd]

Hi all I have type 1 diabetes and use an insulin pump. I also have coeliacs disease. I have gained about a stone in weight over the last year or so and am trying to lose it using the 5:2 diet. I tend to try and not have too many carbs anyway as I find my bg is much better if I don't have too many, but my weight has tended to go the wrong way. I exercise a lot, doing Zumba, legs bums and tums, Pilates, yoga and swimming but all to no effect. I have had my thyroid checked and there appears to be no medical issue.
Anyway on to my question, I note that 5:2 is not recommended for type 1 db's but thought this might be one of those 'could contain peanuts' type of comments so I'm giving it a try.
I have just done the third day and so far seem to be losing and gaining the same 1lb. The day after the second day I had a terrible headache and actually fell asleep in the afternoon as I was so tired. Today is the day after the third day and though I feel ok I (apart from waking with a hypo) have only lost the same 1lb I lost and gained over days 1 and 2.
Having type 1, wearing an insulin pump and having coeliacs disease, I am quite disciplined and willing to stick at it, but has anyone else out there tried it with success and can you offer any advice? Healthy eating, exercise and low carbing has not achieved results and I feel quite down with the extra weight that crept on slowly and that I have been trying to lose since it began to creep on. I have said to the doctors, dieticians and db nurses that they are dead keen to help obese people but don't have any support for normal, slightly overweight people who want to stop it before it becomes obesity. They all nod their heads and agree but do nothing. I have had different advice from all of them in terms of what to do, so now asking the real experts, those of us who actually have the problem and have overcome it.

I realise this is long winded but any advice greatly appreciated from the coal face

Thanks

 

[Spiker]

You need to gradually reduce your insulin or this will not work, you will just give yourself hypos.

The headache is normal and is probably ketosis kicking in, as intended.

With IF as a T1 you need to be very sure that your basal dose is right and isn't including some extra slack for part of your typical daily diet.

If you are really consuming zero carbs you will need small doses of insulin for any protein as it will be being converted into carbs.

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[Debmcgee]

I used to do the 5:2 but then got diagnosed as being prediabetic. Two docs I saw advised against fasting and told me to just eat a well balanced diet.

I was initially gutted as I thought I'd finally found a diet that worked for me, however once I started looking into alternatives such as the GI and GL, I'm convinced fasting is not great for balancing BG.

I never really understood why low carb was so hyped but now it makes total sense. I wish I'd found out about GL earlier. It was confusing at first but now I'm into it, I miss nothing and balance carbs with protein when needing to so my BG in theory should stabilise. I've been doing it for three weeks and have a second fasting test tomorrow.

I hope the results are better than the first one!

In essence, you need to find a diet plan that's right for you but I say give GL a go. Patrick Holford really knows his stuff and his recipe book for it is brilliant.

Good luck

D x


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[Spiker]

If doing Holford / GL keep in mind that Glycaemic Load, like Glycaemic Index, is not a reproducible metric across studies, so use it as a guideline but be prepared for your personal glycaemic response to be different from Holford's GL tables. Non diabetics don't notice this variation so much. We notice it more and it affects us more.

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[this is too difficult]

If doing Holford / GL keep in mind that Glycaemic Load, like Glycaemic Index, is not a reproducible metric across studies, so use it as a guideline but be prepared for your personal glycaemic response to be different from Holford's GL tables. Non diabetics don't notice this variation so much. We notice it more and it affects us more.

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Not even reproducible with myself some times.

 

[smd]

You need to gradually reduce your insulin or this will not work, you will just give yourself hypos.

The headache is normal and is probably ketosis kicking in, as intended.

With IF as a T1 you need to be very sure that your basal dose is right and isn't including some extra slack for part of your typical daily diet.

If you are really consuming zero carbs you will need small doses of insulin for any protein as it will be being converted into carbs.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Thanks. Yes I've done basal testing and they tend to be good, though like everyone they can vary. I didn't fast yesterday and went to bed with a bg of 8.4, took a small dose to correct this, then woke this morning with 19.9! I usually have a waking bg of around 4 - 6, so not sure what happened. I don't zero carb, just low carb.
I've done 3 days now and will persevere for a while to see if it is any good.
The pump gives me great ability to adjust insulin basal and bolus so we'll see. I think I can manage the complexities of the insulin regime, but so far I haven't lost any weight.
I'll keep you posted

 

[smd]

I used to do the 5:2 but then got diagnosed as being prediabetic. Two docs I saw advised against fasting and told me to just eat a well balanced diet.

I was initially gutted as I thought I'd finally found a diet that worked for me, however once I started looking into alternatives such as the GI and GL, I'm convinced fasting is not great for balancing BG.

I never really understood why low carb was so hyped but now it makes total sense. I wish I'd found out about GL earlier. It was confusing at first but now I'm into it, I miss nothing and balance carbs with protein when needing to so my BG in theory should stabilise. I've been doing it for three weeks and have a second fasting test tomorrow.

I hope the results are better than the first one!

In essence, you need to find a diet plan that's right for you but I say give GL a go. Patrick Holford really knows his stuff and his recipe book for it is brilliant.

Good luck

D x


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Thanks, think I'll tick wth 5:2 for a little longer. I have looked a GL in the past but given the complications with coeliacs as well, it just seemed like another thing to have contend with.
I think you are right in that you have to find what works for you. I don't want it to take over my life, just drop a few pounds. Easier said than done eh?

thanks for taking the trouble to post

S
x

 

[jack412]

also have a read of the coeliac suitable LCHF diets, you can also do a 5:2 with it if you want to, but you may not need to

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

 

[Spiker]

I didn't fast yesterday and went to bed with a bg of 8.4, took a small dose to correct this, then woke this morning with 19.9! I usually have a waking bg of around 4 - 6, so not sure what happened. I don't zero carb, just low carb.
I've done 3 days now and will persevere for a while to see if it is any good.

A strong possibility is an overnight hypo causing a big glycogen release. Any signs of having had a hypo such as sweaty bedclothes, aching, fatigue?
If so this could indicate that your basal is too high and/or your evening bolus was too high.

 

[smd]

also have a read of the coeliac suitable LCHF diets, you can also do a 5:2 with it if you want to, but you may not need to

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

Thanks, this does look interesting

 

[smd]

A strong possibility is an overnight hypo causing a big glycogen release. Any signs of having had a hypo such as sweaty bedclothes, aching, fatigue?
If so this could indicate that your basal is too high and/or your evening bolus was too high.

Thanks, no, no sign of hypo and I do tend to wake with them in the night if I get them, but it is someting to bear in mind.