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You can eat your normal diet

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achyut1939

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Location
Hyderabad-india
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
If you are a type 2 diabetic, you can eat your normal daily diet, which you are accustomed. It is not necessary to eat LCHF diet. However, you should control the portion size of your diet to less than 120 carbs per day, and take insulin/medicines of required dosage. This is my personal opinion only. I am 80 years old. I am having type 2 diabetes from 30 years. I eat cooked rice-vegetable diet every day limiting it to 120 carbs per day. I take 30/70 premixed insulin 40 units before breakfast, and 20 units before dinner. My bg levels are under control, except for occasional hypers, and hypos. My fbg varies from 70 mg/dl to 110 mg/dl. My ppbg varies from 140 mg/dl to 250 mg/dl. The high ppbg level gets reduced to near fbg level in about 12 hours. I do not have any diabetic complications till now. I would like to invite the opinion/comments of the other members on this.
 
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Someone taking insulin injections can have a broader diet than the majority of us T2s who don't have any meds at all. Those of us on no meds, or just Metformin, need to reduce carbs to lower levels than you in order to keep blood glucose levels under good control.
 
I certainly wouldn't be on insulin if I had a choice in the matter. Not eating rice would be a small price to pay.
 
120g of carbs is low carb albeit at top end of the range. You might be able to reduce your insulin by going lower carb but if your current regime suits you then stick with it.
 
That's fine if you don't have insulin resistance. I do have it and adding more insulin would only make me fatter.
 

It wasn't that long ago, maybe a week or so that you were experiencing very high readings and then hypos and extreme fluctuations. That clearly doesn't sound to me like they are under control.

I don't understand why you state that LCHF is not necessary, but then quote that people should limit their carb intake to 120g a day. Do you know that 120g per day is low carb?

I think it is fine to do what you want with your diet. It's your choice. However the assumption that people should take insulin medication isn't really good advice. If it works for you and you are happy with that, great. I know this is your experience, but it doesn't mean it is for everyone.
 
Yeah, I had a couple of years of eating my normal diet with T2, my meds were upped and upped, then insulin was added and upped and upped. Granted I didn’t have any diabetes complications, but as I’m only 30 not 80 I felt they were guaranteed. Changing my diet has meant I’ve stopped meds and insulin and am maintaining normal numbers, will I stay off them for ever, I don’t know but even if I buy myself another 5 years it’s worth it. In my opinion.
 
I think a "normal" diet is quite subjective. I think OP is on low carb if it's 120g a day but not high fat by the looks of it but his insulin regime doesn't allow him to correct high numbers (from his previous posts, he is on mixed insulin) or tweak his carb intake. I know some type 2's on basal/bolus and like type 1s, have more flexibility and can do either low carb or keto. From reading for the last few months, I think there are type 2s who do well on extremely low to low carb and some are doing well on moderate carbs. But it's reduction in carbs that have helped them, unfortunately for some low carb doesn't seem to help and it's not always diet.
 

Hi, how long have you been taking Insulin for and are you okay with taking Insulin, or would you really like to change and not take any Insulin at all ? What are your BG levels ? 80 years old is a good age and I hope you have many more years under your belt Oh and good luck with this thread.
I am not type 2.
 
You are right in that everyone has choices. Here are mine, I intend to use LCHF unless or until it stops being enough to manage my Diabetes well. Having read about the various drug treatments on offer including insulin and weighed up the risks to benefits I am sticking to the 'treatment' that has no side effects or risks.

Good luck for the future.
 

Hi @achyut1939

i edited that for accuracy..hth's

T2 no insulin, Diet & Met..doing ok..cheers.

Q for any Type 1's

IF you COULD drop insulin by simply making dietary changes.....would you ?
Just curious.
 
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If you are happy taking jabs and risking hypos and high blood sugars so you can eat those carbs (about half the average standard Western diet btw) but if you're already controlling portions why not try and minimise the insulin dose by further reducing those portions by eating more of other things?
You are on 60 units a day so by definition that's insulin resistance and not just that your beta cells are under producing that hormone. Not that the outcomes have been bad for you but I suspect that you've been very controlled about your carb intake whereas some of us choose to eat even less carbohydrate and more fat and protein in order to further minimise insulin toxicity.
I am type 1 but we still risk becoming insulin resistant with the complications that comes from that (macro-vascular complications) alongside the micro-vascular damage caused by higher than normal blood sugars (have already lost some vision and kidney function) and at age nearly 50 I'd like to keep my blood sugars and insulin as low as possible.
 
jjraak said:
Hi @achyut1939

i edited that for accuracy..hth's

T2 no insulin, Diet & Met..doing ok..cheers.

Q for any Type 1's

IF you COULD drop insulin by simply making dietary changes.....would you ?
Just curious.
Click to expand...
I'm Type 1 and I did make dietary changes. I am now low carb. I still have to take insulin, but much less.
 
Yes! I get hypers, and hypos. But the hypers get reduced to near fbg values in some hours. I am forced to take premixed insulin as I suffer from gastroparesis. I cannot calculate the bolus dosage daily three times to control my bgs. I am having no other diabetes problems to face.
 
Gastroparesis can be a complication of Diabetes (although non Diabetics also suffer with this condition).
Do you think that your Gp was caused by your T2?
 
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I have a friend who is in her late 80s who is type 2. She maintains that her DN is very happy with her dietary control and claims (unsubstantiated from what I see her ) that she is careful what she eats. She has had diabetes for 17 years and like you has not experienced physical complications although has been on depression tablets for the whole of that time. In the last couple of years her meds have been upped so as well as metformin she now takes Gliclazide. Now at 87 she is unlikely to want to change her diet which is fine and it seems to work for her but I also have a sister aged 72, who is Type2, who has no feeling in her hands and feet, has problems with her eyes and has lived in a world of black depression for a number of years such that she feels her life is not worth living. Admittedly she does not have very good control which has aggravated the situation. Over the years her meds have been upped and upped so she is now insulin dependent. Whilst I know that sometimes whatever we do our bloods have a mind of their own, whilst I can, I will do everything I can to avoid my diabetes progressing so I eat a very low carb diet no more that 30gms a day. I reason if I can keep my bloods at non diabetic levels for as long as possible, then there is less likelihood that I will suffer the complications that my sister has experienced. I do not miss eating bread or potato or other high carb foods and I was never a sugar lover. Yes its a personal choice but low carb eating has also helped me to lose weight without trying which I found difficult to achieve prior to my lifestyle change. I also feel so much better in my general health and fitness. I think if I went on 120 gms of carbs I would see my bloods lift up and I may also start putting on weight I don't want to take that chance. My sister is 5'2 and weighs 15stone and hates herself for it.

In your case, it's quite often quoted on this website, "everyone is different" so if you have found something that works and you are happy, then embrace it.
 
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