@zand
You're funny.
There's an obesity epidemic in my country as well. They recently started offering national health insurance but it doesn't make that much of a difference because it gets you a visit but not help. When I was diagnosed all the doctor said was "you have diabetes", prescribed some novolin, gave me the number for the local DRI and told me to go buy syringes. No pamphlets, no instructions on how to give a shot and no hba1c. It wasn't until my mother took me to a different doctor for a second opinion that I got all that stuff, insulin pens, dexcom education, and booklets on diabetes. I also got a dietician and my hba1c taken. I didn't even know what this "hba1c" thing was. She also put me in contact with 2 diabetics close to my age so I wouldn't feel so alone. It was a good thing we had insurance though because even though I got all that stuff it was really expensive.
When you first cut out all the high carb stuff was it hard? My friend wants me to try this paleo diet with him because he thinks I'm in the honeymoon stage but I've never been good at dieting so
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Oh I'm so sorry that your first doctor wasn't more help to you, that must have been dreadful being newly diagnosed and pretty much left in the dark.
My low carb story is a bit different to most peoples' experience. After my trip to the doctor who gave me 2 useless diets which she promised would help if only I had the willpower to stick to them ( I did stick to them, the diets didn't help) I thought I was the only one in the world who couldn't lose weight. I felt so isolated. I realised that I couldn't keep cutting calories and had to find a different way.
I have told this story a few times on the forum before, but you did ask.....! Several years ago my son and I were in the habit of having bacon butties for breakfast. One day I was short of bread so gave the bread to my son and I just had the bacon. Normally I ate breakfast at maybe 7.30 and then was starving hungry by 10 am when I needed a snack. I was always hungry back then. Well that day I had less breakfast than usual and didn't even think of food until 1pm!! I was less tired too. I noticed I had the same reaction when I left out mashed potato and jacket potatoes. So I gradually cut the 'white carbs' out of my diet (and by 'white' carbs I also mean their wholemeal alternatives too) . I read somewhere that natural, whole fats were best, so I switched back to using butter, whole milk and lard. I gradually drifted into what I now know to be LCHF. I don't miss the bland big carb items most of the time now.
So no it wasn't hard for me as I was following how I felt and I felt better cutting the carbs. Also at that stage I wasn't diabetic, so there was no pressure, no urgency to get it right.
If I were you I would make the changes slowly and find a diet that you are happy to live with for life. It's then not a diet at all - it's a lifestyle. You probably still are in the honeymoon stage, so use it to give yourself a bit of leeway to experiment with the changes you are willing to make and those which wouldn't be acceptable to you long term. Some T1s find that low carbing helps them even out the highs and lows in their BGs because the less carbs you have the less insulin you need so in turn there's less margin for error in your insulin dose, so the less risk of hypos. Paleo isn't for everyone, but it may suit you. The same with low carb high fat, it's a personal thing.
Good luck in finding what's right for you.
There's an obesity epidemic in my country as well. They recently started offering national health insurance but it doesn't make that much of a difference because it gets you a visit but not help. When I was diagnosed all the doctor said was "you have diabetes", prescribed some novolin, gave me the number for the local DRI and told me to go buy syringes. No pamphlets, no instructions on how to give a shot and no hba1c. It wasn't until my mother took me to a different doctor for a second opinion that I got all that stuff, insulin pens, dexcom education, and booklets on diabetes. I also got a dietician and my hba1c taken. I didn't even know what this "hba1c" thing was. She also put me in contact with 2 diabetics close to my age so I wouldn't feel so alone. It was a good thing we had insurance though because even though I got all that stuff it was really expensive.
