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I'm back, from outa space, with an HbA1c result..

phdiabetic said:
'I will survive!' Certainly looks like it. Amazing weight loss.
Click to expand...

Nah, it's only 10kg

Which is another pyschological trick I'm doing. I was used to closely monitoring weight gain/loss when I fought competitively, and watching the pounds mattered.. Even though it was an <81kg weight class. So now I'm watching kilos because I can say 'I've only lost 10kg' as motivation, as well as 'I've only got to lose 7kg' to hit my current target. I think psychologically, 15lbs or 1 and a bit stone makes it look like a harder target.

And I think once I hit 81.. or maybe a nice round 80kg, there's a treat of my favorite sausage, eggs and chips waiting
 
So I'm back again, with another result:-
May 2017 58 mmol/mol
Nov 2017 73 mmol/mol
Feb 2018 48 mmol/mol
June 2018 38 mmol/mol

So yet another shameless plug for the benefits of the low carb lifestyle. Weight loss has not been as dramatic, and hovering around 85-88kg. That's probably down to more exercise and muscle gain, but I've still got some fat to shift.
 
That is a brilliant result, well done!!!
 
Brilliant and it keeps getting better .. very well done indeed.
 
Thank you, thank you..

And in all seriousness, I couldn't have done that without the help and advice given by the people here. And it's great that the low carb message is getting a lot more mainstream attention, because it works. And it's a fairly simple change, and could reduce the need to medicate.

And I'm pondering setting up a 'Diabetic Dining Club' if I can rope in a dietician. I live in a pretty multi-cultural area and am thinking that could expland low carb meal ideas or ingredients.
 
Fab result, keep up the great work.
 
I’m a type 1 since 1972 and wish I could stick to a low carb diet. I’m a vegetarian which I think makes it more difficult and also have no willpower. I crave sweet things and end up bolusing with my pump to counteract the carbs I eat. Please HELP!!!!!!!!!
I think I need a program which tells me what I can eat when.
 

I don't know all the challenges T1's face, but for me, it's been a combination of willpower, and diet. So initial challenge was giving up the usual suspects, rice, bread, pasta, potatoes and finding new ways to eat. Bread was probably the hardest given I like(d) it, and it was just convenient. Quick snack? Sandwich! I also love Marmite, so cutting out bread meant not having a Marmite delivery platform. Luckily I discovered Ryvita/dark rye crispbreads don't spike my BG, so I can use those. But being carb conscious, I eat those less often, which is perhaps a good thing given Marmite's salt content.

One of my favorite tips though was using lettuce leaves to make wraps. They're great this time of year being cold & crisp, stuffed with something. I like tuna with some finely chopped onion & peppers but also make a veggie salsa that works well.

That's really been the secret to my success, looking at suggestions here and elsewhere to find low carb foods and meals that I really enjoy. If I'd not done that, I'd probably have slipped back into the wrong foods and not manage my diabetes as well.

Something I do for a willpower boost is if I get cravings, I tell myself it's bad. Then have that internal dialogue going 'just one cornetto won't hurt' and 'but it's the slippery slope' etc. and can usually avoid temptation. I guess as a T1, you could do that with the added bonus of knowing that if you eat something, you have to do math, bolus, inject and create pain/hassle.. So is that treat really worth it?
 
Thank you! Good suggestions. I need to really try!
 
I'll agree it's OK to cheat once in a while, once you're in control (and only then), but it's important to call it what it is, cheating.

Confucius — 'The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.'

I completely reject the notion that type 1s should consider eating any diet they want and simply take more insulin. Avoid taking more insulin than you need, by avoiding ingesting more calories than you need. This is your long-term health, take responsibility for it. Complications don't care if you feel like a victim and keep making the wrong choices in life every time. Make the right decisions (low carb and sugar) as often as possible.

But when you do cheat, call it by its proper name, and don't delude yourself. There is no such thing as an "essential carb", so any negative side effects from larger insulin doses, accumulated over many years (weight gain, hypos), are entirely ones own fault.

There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path, and sometimes we do fall. But it's also important to look reality in the face and say "I'm taking charge of my health outcome". Eating pizza all the time is not a winning strategy, even for non-diabetics. Be safe and act responsibly, given all the data that low carb diets are better for us, I think it's important to listen to what the studies are saying, and drop the delusions that all food is OK. It's not. That's child-like in its naiveté.
 

Doing low carb is certainly easier if you enjoy eating animal meat, but as a vegetarian (as opposed to a vegan) you can also eat low GI veggies you can then drench in butter and cheese.

Plus, there are lots of low-carb alternatives for every type of carb heavy food, even pasta. I eat this tofu-based pasta once a week with my wife and we both love it. Very low insulin required to cover it. Comes in spaghetti and fettuccine varieties. Then there's also things like cauliflower pizza (some places even offer this now as a crust option for delivery!), almond-flour pancakes, spaghetti squash, spaghetti zucchini (get a shredder for that). You can also make alternatives to french fries, using sweet potatoes. We make poutine this way once in a while and it's a nice treat. My sugars barely rise afterwards.

Just do some research and even as a vegetarian you can find lots of delicious substitutes for carbs, and never look back. Get on Pinterest, there are TONS of low-carb options for every type of diet there.

The easiest diet to stick to is one that you enjoy sticking to, that requires no real effort aside from preparing the food yourself (which is healthier and cheaper anyway). I don't even need to be convinced to avoid carbs most of the time, I eat ribs, bacon, steak, chicken, fish, nuts, all kinds of delicious veggies and cheeses.
 
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