starting lchf while on insulin

Kristin251 said:

I am very clear on what basal and bolus do as I am on both. I was just confused as you said you didn't take insulin anymore but you reduced basal, which of course is insulin. You just aren't taking bolus. Good for you. I still need 1/2-1 unit bolus and 2 basal with low carb ( almost no carb) and my half unit pen is indispensable!!! I couldn't live without it. I wish lantus came in half unit pens.
As my pancreas is producing less insulin I have needed to up doses a tad but still quite small. I don't care for how insulin makes me feel. I like keeping doses low.
Best of luck. Low carb is the way to go!!

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@Kristin251

Hi there, sorry to get you confused. I don't take ANY insulin at all now. I've just looked back through my old diaries, and see I last took a single unit of basal on 9-9-15, having stepped it down slowly from 12 units.

I began reducing my bolus in May 2015 when starting LCHF. With the exception of the rare high carb meal when eating out or takeaway with friends, I have been bolus-free since August 2015.

[My previous post was not tagged to you as it was a general reply to try and help others on the forum. As I'm answering you directly this time, I've tagged the post to you.]

Good luck with your LCHF; I'm healthier and fitter now than I've been in years

Nidge247 said:

@Kristin251

Hi there, sorry to get you confused. I don't take ANY insulin at all now. I've just looked back through my old diaries, and see I last took a single unit of basal on 9-9-15, having stepped it down slowly from 12 units.

I began reducing my bolus in May 2015 when starting LCHF. With the exception of the rare high carb meal when eating out or takeaway with friends, I have been bolus-free since August 2015.

[My previous post was not tagged to you as it was a general reply to try and help others on the forum. As I'm answering you directly this time, I've tagged the post to you.]

Good luck with your LCHF; I'm healthier and fitter now than I've been in years

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No worries !! I m not as fortunate as you now. Enjoy !!! Lchf helps us all !

@hognose, I know very little about insulin but I think this will give you the flexibility to choose the diet you want.

Although a bit of a wait, I think you can use to the time to learn as much as possible about the basal/bolus routine. You will be in total control with guidance from your dsn.

The first responses to your question in this thread provide a lot information and a good basis for your research. There is an online carb counting course that might be helpful to you.

hognose said:

What do you think ?

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I don't know much about mixed insulin but I think basal/ bolus will give you a lot more flexibility. My basal keeps me steady while I sleep. Being vlc I only take a tiny amount somim sure it's presence is scarce if at all by morning. Then I use my bolus for meals as well as any corrections I might need. Much easier to control. I can take as much as I need or as little depending on my meals or my spikes. If you do decide to do this I would ask for a half unit pen. I often use that for corrections or if I ate more than I intended. Some meals ( high fat/protein) can require a staggered bolus and the half unit is great there too to catch the tail end of a rise.

I'm on bolus & basal insulins so I just adjust accordingly... but with mixed insulin I don't think it would be that simple as others are saying for you... best to speak to your diabetes team. I'm trying to do one low carb meal per day at the moment but my body doesn't like red meat or vegetables (other medical stuff) so I am struggling. I'm eating non starchy vegetables and paying for it basically as it triggers spasms on me. I did LCHF before and got very high cholesterol so came off it but from memory back then I ate red meats and bacon which I can no longer eat. This time I'm sticking to no red meat or pork and only healthy fats when I do have low carb meal.... so it's usually fish with avocado and non starchy vegetables like baby spinach, etc. I really need to lose weight and trying to figure out how to do that. My body doesn't like it one bit.... I fair better with carbs except I'm sure they're not helping me with my sugar levels or weight. But I hope you find success with changing your diet and you can get your insulin dosage right.