Hi!

Hi @jamesmsawyer ,

Welcome to the forum.

Reducing carb intake.. It uncomplicates things for me.
But you're in no doubt going to get different views from others by asking "if it's a good idea." (Which also depends on the exstent of the "reduction?")

I would say it's a positive initiative if it works for you..
We are all individuals, understanding the difference & not making certain comparisons to other lifestyles with the same condition, thus finding one's own bespoke method forward is what counts.

Take a look around the forum, join in ask questions. Be (& own) your own D!

Lower carb can help if that is how you want to eat. If you prefer to maintain carbs then learning as much as possible about your reactions to food/insulin and using tech at hel bring the numbers down.

So, @Mel dCP uses low carb, @Scott-C eats whatever he wants, and lots of people fall somewhere in between...

Hi again,

Lol, just about to dart off to work... I'll tag in @michita & @Mel dCP (a couple of members that come to mind.)

@Diakat beat me to it with Mel

Hi @jamesmsawyer and welcome on board

From experience in having had this over 7 years now. I started lowish carbing within 12 months, mostly down to the fact my BG levels were swinging wildly and going high/low was very mentally exhausting, however with that said, if I want carbs I still eat them, so last night had a couple of small slices of pizza, they can be managed if this is what you would prefer to do, having attended DAFNE with a load of men, most coped very well with them. I have also found that taking smaller amounts of insulin reduces the room for error with miscalculations.

The major game changers for me in improving my HbA1c have been in using an insulin pump and more recently self funding the Dexcom G6 which has had a major impact on my control, I correct for anything above 7 now, and have an alarm to alert me to lows, also my hypos are less frequent and less severe, so I rarely go below 3.

Also becoming really knowledgeable in managing this is an absolute must, so good reading material includes 'think like a pancreas' written by a type 1, get yourself on DAFNE if you haven't already been put forward, Dose Adjustment for normal eating - your DSN can get you onto a course, this is really useful and you also meet other type 1's too.

I was pretty embarrassed about my t1 after diagnosis, almost ashamed of it, but the more I talked about it the easier it's become and meeting other people with t1 has been great, knowing you don't sail this ship alone is quite comforting.

Hi James, I am quite low carb too, around 60 to 80 per day, sometimes more but mostly less. As long as you adjust your insulin in accordance with what you are eating you should be fine. Lots of testing as usual of course and don't forget that applies to your basal as well as your bolus. I think people sometimes focus on the insulin they take with meals and reduce that only but I found that my between meals levels dropped rapidly too until I adjusted my basal.

Oh and @Scott-C, do you really eat 'what you want'?

To be honest @jamesmsawyer Only you can make that call, your meter and HbA1c will tell you what's working and what isn't, and we are all different even with type 1.

I'm not embarrassed at all now - but i'm not outspoken or attention seeking though either, prefer to blend it into life and remain uncomplicated, mentally and physically, I tell people if they need to know, i.e. in case I go hypo and then have to explain strange behaviour, otherwise doesn't stop me doing anything, in fact taken up running since diagnosis and that's helped hugely too with control - sorry forgot to mention that bit, exercise is very important

KK123 said:

Oh and @Scott-C, do you really eat 'what you want'?

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I've got my own versions of Intermittent Fasting and OMAD. It involves having a really long lie in on a Saturday until about 2pm, which covers the IF, then adjourn to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, so that's like OMAD, then I just have a few beers throughout the evening, as they don't count as a meal...

jamesmsawyer said:

And any other tips that people have found for helping reduce their blood sugar levels (slightly) due to change in diet or whatever

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If you're not trying it already, pre-bolusing is well worth it, injecting before a meal to give the insulin time to get to work, before hitting it with food. That way, the food is meeting already active insulin so it's more of a level playing field, instead of the insulin playing catch up.

Timing varies between people, 20 to 30 mins is quite common, but it does need experimenting with, and will often vary depending on whether you're on an upward or downward trend, the gi of the food, the order that "faster" carb components in the meal are eaten, the general macro composition of the meal overall, and general sensitivity to insulin in the last day or two.

It can make a significant difference - I could eat a 50 to 70g meal and end up well above 10 for an uncomfortable period of time if I inject at first bite, but if I pre-bolus the same meal about 20 to 30 mins, it'll frequently not go above 7 to 8.

Sugar Surfing by Stephen Ponder covers the topic very well, although it's more aimed at people using cgm (which is well worth using, it's influenced my a1c hugely).

Sugar Surfing also says don't be shy of inter-meal corrections if the trend is going obviously out of line, but, again, that can be difficult to be confident about without cgm

Maybe also re-think ratios. Many of us get caught up in thinking 1u to 10g is set in stone (hcps can be quite strident about that), but it's just a general starting point, and there is nothing at all wrong with playing it differently. 1 to 7 seems to work for me pretty well, but again, it's entirely individual.

I suppose the big question is what do we mean by low carb? Many of my meals are around the 50 to 70g mark, with a fair number of 80 to 100g ones. Low carbers might look askance at those numbers, but I don't think 50 to 70 per meal is excessive, nothing which pre-bolusing can't handle, and, to be honest, the 80 to 100g ones are generally over a few courses, so nothing a bit of split-bolus won't handle depending on how long I'm taking to eat it.

@jamesmsawyer . Welcome to the forum.
Would like to give advice but I see that you’ve got some of the best advice available from all the gals and guys above.
One thing I will say. Diabetes thrives in dark places. Open up and let the sun shine on diabetes and it becomes far easier to control. Well done on opening up. All that you need know is a t- shirt letting everyone know that you are the proud owner of a useless pancreas.

Hi and just a couple of comments -
I am a 60+year veteran with T1 and have seen some very helpful changes mainly technology over the years.
I work on a fixed insulin dose morning and evening and enjoy the opportunity to eat more when having heavy exercise.
HbA1c has been between 55 and 65 ever since the test became available. From experience everyone is different so I would recommend learning all you can and then seeing what works for you! And please do not believe all so called health professionals know what they are talking about but also some are exceptional!
I have never hidden or advertised that I am a diabetic. It is, I think , essential that someone in the group you are with does know.
I am still here with no complications so I must be doing something right for quite a few years.

Paul - Hobbies - Fishing - Boating - Ham Radio - and Chainsaw sculpting!

Hi jamesmsawer
I was diagnosed in my 40s about 3 years ago. Switching my diet to low carb was logical choice for me and because of the diet change I have been doing well in terms of bs level and keeping fit. Going low carb has been relatively easy for me and I feel getting diabetes made me determined to be the healthiest I can be (because I am a little bit angry )

I note in your profile that you are 19 so my situation is probably quite different to you. You would eat out more with friends etc. I think it’s all about balancing and finding what you feel comfortable most. All the best !

@Paul520785 . Chainsaw sculpting. Not an everyday pastime. One of those things that to someone like myself beggars belief.
It is amazing how such a powerful piece of kit can create such stunning works of art.

Hi @jamesmsawyer and welcome to the club we don't really want to join. I have reduced carbs, but not a low carber and exercise helps me to get number's down ( I like to walk) but as always, it's a balancing act and sometimes we topple.
You could try to tweak your medications and food, keep testing, also 2 hours after food.