Confused Type1.

Daisyflower said:

Hi I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I've just joined the forum. I've been diagnosed type 1 for 4 years. I've been reading through the forum and it seems that a majority of people follow a low carb diet but I was under the impression that as a type 1 you can pretty much eat what you want as long as you cover it with insulin. Am I wrong?

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No, you're not wrong.

Yes there are a lot of people on a that supports low carbing posting about low carbing. There are still many type 1s on the forum who eat a varying amount of carbs. Lots of different approaches and lots to learn.

Hi @Daisyflower , welcome to the forum! Yes, in theory a Type 1 can eat anything as long as you cover it with insulin. However, I personally find that eating a lot of carbohydrates, especially grains, tend to result in me spiking quite high after meals, making it much harder to keep my control stable. Restricting my carbohydrate intake to about 100g a day, not eating bread, pasta, rice, and so on, helps me keep a smoother profile. But as Catarpillar says above, there is lots to learn, and different approaches work for different people! Personally, for various reasons, a very low carb diet wouldn't work for me, but lots of people have had huge success with it.

Daisyflower said:

it seems that a majority of people follow a low carb diet

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There are a range of approaches - anything from lchf through to "the only things diabetics can't eat are poison, and cookies with poison" - but maybe the low carbers (which include me) bang on about it a bit more (I know I've been guilty of this).

I think there's a trade off between how tight a control you're after and how much food choices interfere and intrude on your daily life.

Yes, you can eat a carby meal, bolus for it, and maybe test 2 hours later to see if you're in range, but for part of those 2 hours you were probably a bit high. Or you can wander round the supermarket muttering to yourself "won't be eating that anymore" and spend time on internet forums looking for alternatives to the food you used to enjoy. Or somewhere inbetween. Experiment and see what you're happy with.

Daisyflower said:

So do you find that eating breads pasta etc... is harder to control your sugars? Do you mind me asking how many carbs per day you eat and you strict as in never eating bread or take away etc...

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@Daisyflower No, I don't personally. I do eat moderate portions of carbs though and avoid excessive carbs.

Don't worry. When I first found this forum, I was confused too. There seemed to be LCHF everywhere and, as I'd been Type 1 for many years, I didn't get why there was all this very low carb talk. I then realised that most of the very low carbers were Type 2.

Weigh/count your carbs, test lots, adjust your insulin as needed, and you'll soon find a level of carbs per day that works for you. You may also want to look at bolusing further in advance of eating. That's one of my top tips and it can work fantastically.

I eat approx 180g carbs a day, spread over three meals and two snacks. My HbA1C is 5.2.

Eat what suits you and your body and your blood sugar

Daisyflower said:

I've been reading through the forum and it seems that a majority of people follow a low carb diet but I was under the impression that as a type 1 you can pretty much eat what you want as long as you cover it with insulin. Am I wrong?

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There are some type 1 members who eat a higher carb diet and have good blood glucose control but I think most of us control our carb intake........ be it low or lower carb/carbs in moderation.

Daisyflower said:

So do you find that eating breads pasta etc... is harder to control your sugars? Do you mind me asking how many carbs per day you eat and you strict as in never eating bread or take away etc...

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No I don't find it hard to control my bg eating the above, provided I keep the portion sizes under control and get the bolus timing right I can keep my bg levels within range, tbh I find meals with some carbs included are much easier to bolus for than very low-carb meals as I can predict where my bg levels will be postprandial, plus for very low-carb meals I needed to split-dose my insulin when on injections (but could now use an extended bolus being on a pump).

Carbs wise I eat around 180g a day, some days it can be down to as low as 130g but other days it can be up to 200g (if eating out/Christmas for example), but I eat bread most days and enjoy the occasional takeaway, my preference is a Chinese but do enjoy Indian food too.

Daisyflower said:

Hi I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I've just joined the forum. I've been diagnosed type 1 for 4 years. I've been reading through the forum and it seems that a majority of people follow a low carb diet but I was under the impression that as a type 1 you can pretty much eat what you want as long as you cover it with insulin. Am I wrong?

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Hi @ Daisyflower

Firstly, it's not a stupid question. The ways that different people treat their D is varied, and with everyone being individuals, no one treatment suits everybody.

I followed the usual NHS advise to start, which was to eat whatever you want and cover the carbs with insulin. It worked insofar as my BGs were lowered, but once down into the 'normal range of 4-7, a high carb meal meant a spike, and the insulin taken gave an unpredictable low - the consequence of which made you feel shocking. Plus, being high carb intake, I was gaining weight rapidly, having lost 2 stones just prior to diagnosis.

I both heard and read up about LCHF, and decided that rather that the feeling of hitting your head with a hammer and taking a painkiller (carbs and insulin method), there had to be a better way to tackle this condition.

I have never regretted going LCHF, my health has improved dramatically, and many non-diabetic friends have also adopted this lifestyle change. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't suit everybody, and some people seem to prefer their carbs and insulin. Being T1.5 the future is always a little uncertain; this could be a 26 month honeymoon, or I could just have found a plateau where my remaining beta cells can cope fine with up to 50g carbs per day, and we'll motor on fine like that for years - only time will tell.

The OP has been diagnosed 4 years so is unlikely to be honeymooning. As a Type 1.5 you may have a slower onset and be able to treat your diabetes by diet for a while. That's great for you

But most Type 1s need insulin whether they eat or not.

Carbs/insulin doesn't make you fat unless you overdo things. It pains me to see the 'insulin makes you fat' lie repeated and see so many Type 1s believing it. Look at recent threads.

LCHF is ONE diet. It's not the only diet, and it's perfectly possible to eat moderate carbs, use insulin appropriately and get good results.

Daisyflower said:

Thank you everyone for all your replies, really means a lot and also I no longer feel like I'm going crazy. Guess I need to see what works for me. I don't think I could do really low carb but will reduce them and maybe not eat foods that give me a spike so quick. Thank you again

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For spikes, the best thing is to pre-bolus. That's a fantastic tool to reduce spikes.

If I do Humalog right before my cereal breakfast, my 2hr sugar would be 11+ but with pre-bolusing it's in the 6s.

Hi @Daisyflower
I have been T!D for over 44 years and recently went on a pump - I find that a moderate carb intake ( between 120 -150) works good for me
it is really important to view this as a lifelong condition ( which it is ) and act appropriately -- no aiming for quick fixes , no beating yourself up over a day or a week with bad results -- we have to try and aim for a lifestyle that allows us to live yet keeping an ever watchful eye on the D beast ( not easy but dooable )

azure said:

But most Type 1s need insulin whether they eat or not.

Carbs/insulin doesn't make you fat unless you overdo things. It pains me to see the 'insulin makes you fat' lie repeated and see so many Type 1s believing it. Look at recent threads.

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Everybody needs insulin to process what we eat. Some can produce enough naturally, and some need to add more to their system. It's all about balance.

Carbs taken in excess of what your body can process make you gain weight - as aptly demonstrated last Christmas where I took on extra carbs (total 60-70g daily) but in small amounts so as not to cause a spiked rise in BGs. These levels stayed steady but I gained a stone in weight over the 10 days, having maintained a steady weight previously. Exercise remained constant throughout. Hence, carbs DO make you gain weight. I didn't say "insulin makes you fat".

This is being countered now with lower carbs (30-40g daily), still no extra insulin, and an increase in gentle exercise - now the excess gained weight is coming off, and the BGs still remain stable.