Hi!
I am not currently a low carb eater but am quite interested.
I am a type 1 diabetic, on a pump. I am wondering if anybody else has insulin dependent diabetes and can offer some tips. If so, have you been able to keep carbs low while combatting hypoglycemia?
Thanks, Lori

Hi Lori, welcome to the forum.
My husband is also a Type I who's been on a pump for about 10 years. I'm a Type II controlled by low carbing (no meds) since May. Since I'm low carbing, he's eating pretty much what I do.

Have you checked with your doctor about this? Are you considering low carbing to lose weight or to control your diabetes?

As far as preventing insulin reactions, low carbing will require some vigilence, a lot of tracking and several adjustments in your basal doses. You may experience some dawn phenomena until you make all the correct adjustments. All the more reason to have your doctor involved. Of course your boluses would be based on your food intake, so that part will be fairly easy.

While Atkins isn't the best for Type I's, a lower, "controled carb" method was used for years to control blood sugars before the AMA decided that a carb is just a carb and DMs could eat anything.

If you haven't already talked to your doctor, check out the other thread in this forum. Read the info in the links, in particular the one about the diabetes diet wars. I think you and your doc find it very helpful.

Don't hesitate to ask for help, that's what we're here for.

Good luck to you.



Always eat your veggies first!

Thanks for the help, Brightlady.
To answer your questions, I have checked with my doc - just for curiosity (she believes it might get tricky with insulin reactions as I am tightly controlled and therefore maintain my blood sugar on the lower end of the range).
I am looking into it not for diabetes control, as I am already well controlled, but more for a healthy lifestyle change and to perhaps lose 10 or so pounds.
What does your hubby eat to cover low's? And how many carbs does he usually eat per day?

I'm T1 and have been on south beach for 3 weeks , have also tried atkins. You just have to watch your insulin intake for a while and you can get it figured out. I'm on lantus and am taking very very little regular, so I'm getting 2 to 3 shots , versus 7 pre south beach

Welcome to the forum, Bella!

Lori, dh does not have a weight problem. Well he does, but it's keeping weight on, not losing it. He eats roughly 150-200 complex carbs a day. He's only low carbing by default because I do most of the cooking. His carbs are in the form of the same veggies I eat,side dishes (rice, potatoes, etc.), cereals, breads and some fruit. His way of handling lows is to drink grape juice or eat candied orange slices, which won't work for a true low carber.

One of the things that makes losing weight as a diabetic so difficult is that weight loss won't happen if your BGs aren't well controlled. This is something that you'll need to work on closely with your endo; adjusting your basals to avoiding highs and lows.

We have a great thread on the old message board on keeping a food/activity diary, when to test and how to track your BGs. It's vital to journal this info and share it with your doctor. I'm hoping to have the thread copied over to this message board it the next few days.

HTH



Always eat your veggies first!

Thanks to both of you!
Bella - how do you treat low's?
And didn't you have many the first week?
I still haven't started but am thinking of starting next week.
Last minute tips? What do you snack on? I am a big snacker/little meal eater.

Almad, I usually would have them in the morning one morning had a 42 so I had a little pepsi. On the other's around 60 , I would drink spicy v8 and some celery with lite pimento cheese. I know pimento cheese isn't on the diet but I still managed to lose 6 pounds in almost 3 weeks.We have a little more difficulty sticking to it perfectly with the insulin we inject.I only have about 12 pounds more to go so I'm very encouraged.Hope you do well!!

[This message was edited by bella on 09-11-03 at 12:11 PM.]

Also I snack on turkey pepperoni and string cheeese also boiled eggs.I also started eating atkins bars but I have to cover with 2 units of insulin even though the package say's only 2 carbs count , I find that all the carbs affect my blood sugar.