• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2026 Survey »

Problems starting low carb diet

J

Justgettingby

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. This is my first post! For the last couple of weeks I've been trying to start the low carb diet, to help control by blood sugar levels better. Luckily my grown up daughter has been on the diet for years, and is a great source of information, although she eats meat and I am vegi plus fish. However, on two nights I vomited and then felt really terrible the next day, vomiting again. I read on this forum about diabetics often having impaired metabolic flexibility, and I'm thinking that it must be that; the change is too rapid for my body. I've gone back to eating "normally", but cut out bread and eating a bit less carbs and a bit more fat.... I'm thinking of getting there slowly.
My question is, how long should I aim to take to get on to low carb? A month? More? We are all different, but does anyone have any experience of this, or advice? Thanks!
 
There are no hard and fast rules on timimg. I suggest you take it as slowly as you are comfortable with and don't set a target. Good luck.
 
How many carbs do you consume daily now?
What are you defining as low carb?
Do you actually count carbs?
I don't low carb in the way it is perceived on this forum but nonetheless eat fewer carbs than most people I know in real life.
Perhaps the low carb experts on the forum would be able to advise more with more dietary information from you.
Good luck.
P.s welcome to the forum. Sorry it's early:) still half asleep
 
Hello! I’m a veggie plus fish too, been keto-ing for a couple of months. By no means an expert but I’m getting the hang of it. I went straight from a regular carby diet to keto in one go and felt awful for about a week. I would heartily recommend taking it slowly if I were making the change again.

What would an example of your meals be?
 
Have you got a blood glucose meter so you can test your blood sugars as you go along and guage what impact different levels of carbs in a meal / food have?
Low carb covers a very wide range of daily carb totals - the range starts at under 130g daily down to almost 0g daily - every body and their diabetes will vary in what works for them.
Some people start at the higher end of the low carb range (say 100g a day) and work their way down until they find a level that gives the control they want, others start at the really low ketogenic end (say under 20g daily) and stay there, some with the hope / expectation of being able to go higher again in the future. I would think the first is a slower and more gentle adaptation for the body
Im not sure tho’ that vomiting would be a low carb adaptation effect - Ive usually heard it talked of more in terms of flu like aches and pains etc

Edit - sorry hadnt clocked you are T1 so obviously will have a meter to test - I would suggest only slowly reducing carbs and keeping a very close eye on the impact
 
Last edited:
Remember to match your insulin to the carb reduction as well.
 
What is are your BG and keytons levels like?

Remember vomiting is a symptom of Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).... So check you don't have any other symptoms of DKA and if you do, go to A&E.
 
Thanks all for your help and suggestions.
I don't count carbs so don't know how many I was eating before, when trying to eat low carb, and now. I've been type 1 diabetic for 22 years, I've always changed my dose according to the food, and I guess I've just got a feel for it over the years. Probably like most of you type ones!
My control was much better for the first 10 years or so, and has slipped since. My last HBA1C was 75, and has been around there for years, which is why I'm thinking of going low carb. Also I have a 3 year old and need to be around for many years yet!
 
Justgettingby said:
Thanks all for your help and suggestions.
I don't count carbs so don't know how many I was eating before, when trying to eat low carb, and now. I've been type 1 diabetic for 22 years, I've always changed my dose according to the food, and I guess I've just got a feel for it over the years. Probably like most of you type ones!
My control was much better for the first 10 years or so, and has slipped since. My last HBA1C was 75, and has been around there for years, which is why I'm thinking of going low carb. Also I have a 3 year old and need to be around for many years yet!
Click to expand...
Carb counting really helps with dose adjustment...
 
Oops, pushed the upload button by mistake.
I saw a good stabilisation of my bg levels when I started the low carb, so encouraged to continue lowering the carbs gradually as many of you suggest.
At the moment a typical meal... tuna in tomato and veg sauce with a little rice or quinoa, plus salad including avocado and olive oil dressing. As gradually go lower carb will reduce grains pots etc to zero. When trying to do low carb I was drinking homemade sesame milk too to up the fats.
Ringi, I don't think it was DKA as I was checking my bg regularly. I think it was too much fat for my liver to cope with, maybe coupled with dehydration. Just my diagnosis :-)
 
@Justgettingby . Like yourself I spent 20 yrs + just knowing how to control my diabetes. Was fairly successful but I then did a DAFNE course after much persuasion from my consultant. At first I thought there's nothing they can tell me......how wrong was I?
Would definitely suggest a carb counting course to help you regain some of that control that always seems to drift over the years.
 
Back
Top