Diabetic on 1200 calorie diet..Advice?

MarybethAltizer
MarybethAltizer Posts: 226 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am posting this for my sister in law. She wears an insulin pump all the time, and recently started losing weight by working out. I was talking to her about maybe cutting back her cals to 1200, adding back a little of her exercise calories. She did this but her sugar was kind of low all day. Do any of you diabetics have any advice I could pass along to her with what's worked for you? She's not on this site, but I will send the link of this topic to her. Thank you in advance!!!!

Replies

  • VeronicaanddMatt0605
    VeronicaanddMatt0605 Posts: 122 Member
    I have type 2 diabetes as well but it wasn't diagnosed until I was 9weeks pregnant. I am currently 23weeks pregnant so I don't know if this advice will work well for her or not but what I plan to do after baby is born is keep my calorie deficit relatively low but limit my carbs I try to avoid desserts and white flour type of products I eat lots of vegetables and fruits but try to eat more berries because they have less of an effect on blood sugar also eating whole grain bread and plenty of meat and cheese and whatever other proteins she likes. When I reduce my carbs to around 150 per day I see weight loss while eating about 1800-2000 cals a day but it will depend on her weight. Also can she not turn down the insulin on the pump if she is eating healthier and less carbs then she should also need less insulin. I'm also interested to see what other people who have been doing this longer than me have to say. Good Luck.
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 737 Member
    If her blood sugar being “kind of low all day” means she is hypoglycemic, then I suggest she gets her medical advice from her doctor, not from any on line forum.

    From National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/
    “Hypoglycemia can happen suddenly. It is usually mild and can be treated quickly and easily by eating or drinking a small amount of glucose-rich food. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can get worse and cause confusion, clumsiness, or fainting. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.”

    I became hypoglycemic after 5 months of eating properly and exercising, went to my doctor who reduced my diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol meds.
  • TiggerLady
    TiggerLady Posts: 5 Member
    If her blood sugar is kind of low, perhaps she should consult her doctor and see if she should change her insulin pump settings a bit? I think that would imply that she is getting more insulin than she actually needs.

    The same need to consult physician/change pump settings would apply if she would choose to follow this suggestion:
    I would also suggest looking into a low-carb diet such as
    http://www.diabetes-book.com/ (in general, look at the work of Dr Bernstein). This is time tested: for years before pure insulin was readily available, diabetics were prescribed a low-carbohydrate diet and incidence of diabetes-related complications such as vision loss and circulatory problems was less for those who complied. Now we have the idea that fat is horrible (see Fathead Movie or Gary Taubes books for questioning the evidence on that) and that diabetics are "entitled" to eat whatever, which is kinda like saying people with peanut allergy should be entitled to use epi pens so they can eat Reeses.

    The low-carb part is easy, delicious, and a time-proven treatment for diabetes (successful for years before insulin was readily available). The hard part is finding a physician who is open-minded enough to go "back to basics" instead of pushing drugs, and she does need a physician because as Type I chances are she will still need some medication and she can cause serious problems if she lowers her carbs without lowering her insulin.
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