Need Some T1 Diabetic Friends With Success Please

BetesBitch

Hello, im looking for some friends with T1 diabetes. I have worked at for the last 3 months while eating at a deficit and lose nothing. My doctor told me it's because my blood sugars aren't stable. I am devastated by this news. I started 2 days ago to log all food and blood sugars and exercise. I NEED to find the problem so I can finally lose this pregnancy weight. My son is already 27 months old!

bluedown10

Hi there! I have had type 1 for 34 years and in my experience you will lose weight when eating at a deficit even if your blood sugars aren't perfect. My weight was in the 150's for years, then I started counting calories and have remained in the 130's for 13 years without struggle. That being said, I also mountain bike, ski, hike and weight lift to keep my disease and weight in check. You can do this!!

LongIsland27itl

It's most likely hat you are not logging the correct calories of your food or aren't logging every calorie you consume thus eating at less of a deficit than you think.
Also, you have your "good days" which you seemingly eat at a deficit, then overeat on other days , ruining your weekly deficit so it's no wonder you're not losing weight..

albertabeefy

I found I didn't lose weight until I switched my diet to a ketogenic/LCHF diet. I now do a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) to coordinate my carbohydrate intake (both amounts and timing) with my exercise.

Before I was ketogenic I was eating the typical 45g of carbohydrate per meal and not losing weight at 2,200 calories a day. Once I adopted a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet, I actually INCREASED my caloric intake to about 2,750 per day and started losing quite rapidly.

Eating ketogenic also allowed me to eliminate bolus insulin (I inject basal-only) which has prevented hypos and helped regulate my hormones - which is likely responsible for my weight loss due to increased BMR/RMR.

BetesBitch

I found I didn't lose weight until I switched my diet to a ketogenic/LCHF diet. I now do a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) to coordinate my carbohydrate intake (both amounts and timing) with my exercise.

Before I was ketogenic I was eating the typical 45g of carbohydrate per meal and not losing weight at 2,200 calories a day. Once I adopted a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet, I actually INCREASED my caloric intake to about 2,750 per day and started losing quite rapidly.

Eating ketogenic also allowed me to eliminate bolus insulin (I inject basal-only) which has prevented hypos and helped regulate my hormones - which is likely responsible for my weight loss due to increased BMR/RMR.

Hello, do you have Type 2 diabetes?

BetesBitch

I found I didn't lose weight until I switched my diet to a ketogenic/LCHF diet. I now do a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) to coordinate my carbohydrate intake (both amounts and timing) with my exercise.

Before I was ketogenic I was eating the typical 45g of carbohydrate per meal and not losing weight at 2,200 calories a day. Once I adopted a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet, I actually INCREASED my caloric intake to about 2,750 per day and started losing quite rapidly.

Eating ketogenic also allowed me to eliminate bolus insulin (I inject basal-only) which has prevented hypos and helped regulate my hormones - which is likely responsible for my weight loss due to increased BMR/RMR.

Hello, do you have Type 2 diabetes?

Nvm i just read your profile. Good job on the turn around in life! Thanks for your comment here but I don't this that diet would be for me for this reason - I am not morbidly obese (It is proven the most-effective diet for morbidly obese people needing to lose weight with minimal exercise.) And I need carbs for energy. Definately not 45 every meal but at least 15 per meal. If I don't have it Im gonna be high or low depending on what im doing after the meal. I can't not take insulin at a meal for like veggie/protein meal (pratically no carbs so no insulin needed) I will most like go high because of this. I need to eat carbs here so i can take insulin and stay at a good level.
My A1C is like 8.2 right now. Not that good. I really want to change that and I really want to be me again. I can't be me at this weight. I hate it so much.

123_lac

Type I diabetics can develop insulin resistance like a type 2. If you don't mind me asking, how much insulin do you average per day?

albertabeefy

Hello, do you have Type 2 diabetes?

Nvm i just read your profile. Good job on the turn around in life! Thanks for your comment here but I don't this that diet would be for me for this reason - I am not morbidly obese (It is proven the most-effective diet for morbidly obese people needing to lose weight with minimal exercise.)

FYI there are more than just morbidly obese diabetics on the diet. I'm not remotely obese anymore (about 10.5% bodyfat). I got the idea from Ron Raab, who is the Vice-President of the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) and Founder of the charity "Insulin for Life". He's been a Type I diabetic since the age of 6, never been obese but has been on a low-carb approach since 1998. More and more Type I's are adopting it as research shows the benefits are considerable. (Better/tighter overall glycaemic control - ie: lower A1c's ... but with reduced risk of hypo's.)

You can find more information on his reasoning and my own at his website: http://www.diabetes-low-carb.org/

And I need carbs for energy. Definately not 45 every meal but at least 15 per meal. If I don't have it Im gonna be high or low depending on what im doing after the meal.

That's why I do a targeted ketogenic approach, timing my carbohydrate intake for energy-requirements of exercise, etc. As I do take basal insulin I need some carbohydrate, obviously, but I can have 15 to 30g or more of carbohydrate between 30-45 minutes before heavy exercise and never spike close to 7.8mmol/L (140mg/dl) where damage from elevated serum glucose starts to occur. My typical day is between 45 and 60g of carbohydrate, but on heavy exercise days I'll have 90 or more, depending on the requirement to support the exercise.

I can't not take insulin at a meal for like veggie/protein meal (pratically no carbs so no insulin needed) I will most like go high because of this. I need to eat carbs here so i can take insulin and stay at a good level.

I'm not sure I'm understanding exactly what you mean by this ... but the less carbohydrate you ingest, the less insulin you require for bolus. Some people even find they can reduce basal insulin as well. This actually IMPROVES overall glycemic control, preventing both hypo- and hyper-glycaemic episodes. I personally no-longer use bolus insulin at all.

There's considerable information on an LCHF diet for Type I diabetes in the websites that follow... I'm not saying you SHOULD adopt one dietary method or another, just that you MAY want to educate yourself on it and it's benefits.

http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb-manage-type-1-diabetes

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/low-carbohydrate-diet-to-manage-diabetes/4880362

http://profgrant.com/2013/08/23/type-1-diabetes-and-low-carb/

http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/22650646/Low_carbohydrate_diet_in_type_1_diabetes_long_term_improvement_and_adherence:_A_clinical_audit_

My A1C is like 8.2 right now. Not that good. I really want to change that and I really want to be me again. I can't be me at this weight. I hate it so much.

I'm sure you know that most diabetes organizations recommend an HbA1c of under 7.0% ... however that advice is in order to limit risk of hypoglycaemia. Clinical guidelines recommend tighter control IF you can reduce the risk of hypo. The LCHF diet does that - and it's why my HbA1c's have all been in the 5% range for over 2 full years now.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck and take care!

ponycyndi

I've been living with T1 for over 25 years, mother of 3. For a long time I also believed that my diabetes was preventing me from losing weight. It doesn't. It's just one more factor that most people don't have to deal with. I did lose very slowly, and had plateaus because I would get lows, and then blow my calorie budget. My youngest is just two, and I'm now at my lowest weight and smallest size in my adult life, which I've been maintaining since October 2013. You can add me, I feel that I need even more support to maintain than I did to lose in the first place!

BetesBitch

Type I diabetics can develop insulin resistance like a type 2. If you don't mind me asking, how much insulin do you average per day?

15 units of Levirmir
Approx 15 units of Humalog

BetesBitch

So a couple people in here basically said that if you got T1 and sure sugar aren't in control you can STILL lose weight. Okay so this is how I see it then, my doctor just said that I couldn't because it's in HIS best interest to get my sugars in good control and it's in MY best interest to lose weight. Don't get me wrong though - I've decided to put diabetes first and weight loss second. See how it goes. I am going in a deep state of depression (I can just see it) if no weight is lost this month. Im weighing at the end of month to see.

BetesBitch

Hello, do you have Type 2 diabetes?

Nvm i just read your profile. Good job on the turn around in life! Thanks for your comment here but I don't this that diet would be for me for this reason - I am not morbidly obese (It is proven the most-effective diet for morbidly obese people needing to lose weight with minimal exercise.)

FYI there are more than just morbidly obese diabetics on the diet. I'm not remotely obese anymore (about 10.5% bodyfat). I got the idea from Ron Raab, who is the Vice-President of the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) and Founder of the charity "Insulin for Life". He's been a Type I diabetic since the age of 6, never been obese but has been on a low-carb approach since 1998. More and more Type I's are adopting it as research shows the benefits are considerable. (Better/tighter overall glycaemic control - ie: lower A1c's ... but with reduced risk of hypo's.)

You can find more information on his reasoning and my own at his website: http://www.diabetes-low-carb.org/

And I need carbs for energy. Definately not 45 every meal but at least 15 per meal. If I don't have it Im gonna be high or low depending on what im doing after the meal.

That's why I do a targeted ketogenic approach, timing my carbohydrate intake for energy-requirements of exercise, etc. As I do take basal insulin I need some carbohydrate, obviously, but I can have 15 to 30g or more of carbohydrate between 30-45 minutes before heavy exercise and never spike close to 7.8mmol/L (140mg/dl) where damage from elevated serum glucose starts to occur. My typical day is between 45 and 60g of carbohydrate, but on heavy exercise days I'll have 90 or more, depending on the requirement to support the exercise.

I can't not take insulin at a meal for like veggie/protein meal (pratically no carbs so no insulin needed) I will most like go high because of this. I need to eat carbs here so i can take insulin and stay at a good level.

I'm not sure I'm understanding exactly what you mean by this ... but the less carbohydrate you ingest, the less insulin you require for bolus. Some people even find they can reduce basal insulin as well. This actually IMPROVES overall glycemic control, preventing both hypo- and hyper-glycaemic episodes. I personally no-longer use bolus insulin at all.

There's considerable information on an LCHF diet for Type I diabetes in the websites that follow... I'm not saying you SHOULD adopt one dietary method or another, just that you MAY want to educate yourself on it and it's benefits.

http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb-manage-type-1-diabetes

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/low-carbohydrate-diet-to-manage-diabetes/4880362

http://profgrant.com/2013/08/23/type-1-diabetes-and-low-carb/

http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/22650646/Low_carbohydrate_diet_in_type_1_diabetes_long_term_improvement_and_adherence:_A_clinical_audit_

My A1C is like 8.2 right now. Not that good. I really want to change that and I really want to be me again. I can't be me at this weight. I hate it so much.

I'm sure you know that most diabetes organizations recommend an HbA1c of under 7.0% ... however that advice is in order to limit risk of hypoglycaemia. Clinical guidelines recommend tighter control IF you can reduce the risk of hypo. The LCHF diet does that - and it's why my HbA1c's have all been in the 5% range for over 2 full years now.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck and take care!

Thank you so much for all of this info - I really appreciate it! As for what I meant regarding can't no take insulin for veggies/protein meals - I need to take insulin even if I just eat protein and veggies (greens). There is something somewhere in those types of meals that makes my sugar go up. For instance, If I eat a chicken breast with string beans done in olive oil. I shall take 1-2 units. I think most diabetics would take nothing for that type of meal.

Also, Ive never adapted to the term bolus and basal. Can you suggest a reminder technique to me to remember which one is which? Thanks

albertabeefy

Thank you so much for all of this info - I really appreciate it! As for what I meant regarding can't no take insulin for veggies/protein meals - I need to take insulin even if I just eat protein and veggies (greens). There is something somewhere in those types of meals that makes my sugar go up. For instance, If I eat a chicken breast with string beans done in olive oil. I shall take 1-2 units. I think most diabetics would take nothing for that type of meal.

For many diabetics an excess of protien causes glucose to go up. When we eat protein, and it's broken down, a certain amount of it goes to repair/maintain lean tissue, etc., but EXCESS protein is either converted to glucose via gluconeogenesis or excreted as waste.

There is considerable research now that suggests that diabetics (regardless of type) experience gluconeogenesis in regards to protein more than non-diabetics, who will excrete more as waste. There is also a theory (that requires more research - I've got some proposals to investigate it) that keto-adapted individuals experience gluconeogenesis LESS than regular dieters, because our requirement for glucose is considerably less (as we primarily burn fatty-acids and ketones for fuel at the cellular level.)

As such, moderate protein is one more key to glycaemic control. In my case, for example, due to the amount/type of exercise I do, most would recommend I get a minimum of 1g of protein per lb of lean mass ... in my case about 180g per day. If you look at my diary, however, you'll see I am often in the 120-150g per day range. And the reason is any more than 120-150g per day and my glucose gets elevated.

Women need even less protein than men...

Also, Ive never adapted to the term bolus and basal. Can you suggest a reminder technique to me to remember which one is which? Thanks

Basal is your long-lasting insulin - in your case your Levemir. Think of it as "Baseline" insulin ... because it maintains a steady base of insulin in your system.

Bolus is what you dose to cover content in meals.