@Bethshine82 Also, do you use a pump? A pump makes sugar surfing easier. Small corrections can be given by monitoring your cgm, do you don’t have to rely so much on carb counting.
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Great suggestion! @Trying
A pump also give you the benefit of multiple basal settings. Once your basal is on target, it makes bolusing and correcting more effective.
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Definitely correct Terry that the way |I am getting my exercise is not the only one that works. I saw a posting from an elderly diabetic in New York who did not feel safe walking outside because of muggers, drunks and distracted drivers. He got his after meal exercise by stepping up and down on his living room sofa for 15 minutes.
This is a really tough one for me. As per some comments that I’ve read, yes there will be a drop typically from night time to morning time. Some doctors suggest to go to bed with slightly higher bg levels to adjust for this. Lately I’ve been waking with sugars around 34, 50 in the morning with sugars around 145, 116 at night. And yes the bg variability does do damage to the kidneys in particular. And yes I cannot just eat what I want. Originally doctors never said things like this. It was always schedule, schedule, schedule, same thing same time, watch this watch that. But life…it’s tough. But it is the way the doctors recommend. And then there’s the “stacking” as one doctor called it to me. Overtaking insulin to adjust for just eating whatever you want. Many diabetics do this. I myself have at times. Although I try to take as little insulin as I can. I also skip meals, usually breakfast, but I still take a little insulin, and if I don’t take the right amount we’ll its trouble. Diabetics metabolism is probably slower typically than a non-diabetic. But the lows and the highs are very confusing with how to deal with. Not having or taking the right amount will cause chaos in thinking. Insulin makes you hungry no matter what, you can’t control that feeling, and it’s dangerous if you don’t eat enough, or you eat too much.
As for me, the problem I’ve always had are the lows. So it’s 34 I wake up and am light headed confused a little nervous, can’t think too well, and of course confused so hungry, well how fast that sugar goes up to get rid of that feeling. And how much food, glucose tablets orange juice, do I take. Surprisingly most of the time it’s just a little, and then if I have too much, my sugar eventually goes up to 224, or if I eat just the right amount like 100. But then it’s tough because that feeling of not eating enough which causes the low blood sugar stays in my mind, and of course the thought of having a low blood sugar stays in my mind and is worrisome. So the thought and feeling of course of eating stays in my mind. It’s tough in situations of low blood sugars I have to say. Really tough. Because what am I supposed to do? Take insulin after a low blood sugar because I ate too much? No. That’s not good thinking. But I’m still having trouble with figuring things like this out, even after all these years. Like I said, the doctors have it right, eat a planned well scheduled diet based on the same routine every day.
Types of foods to avoid should be all complex carbohydrates, even potatoes, even chickpeas. All flour products, etc
Foods to eat, beans, nuts, cheeses, yogurts (no sugar, I heard stories about companies adding sugar to plain yogurts and not labeling it), fruits, meat meat meat (lol), and vegetables (such as squash). I’ve had a1c’s as high as 13, and I’ve had a1c’s as good as 6. Currently speaking for the past year, 3 visits to my endo, my a1c’s have been consistently 7. But the foods above that I mentioned worked out the best for me. It’s tough to stick to though, because you’re always shopping for fresh ingredients, and the healthy foods like these well they’re not cheap either. It’s tough, but it’s really my goal to stay on this simple carbohydrate diet, and lower the insulin I take significantly. Kind of like what the doctors said in the beginning, get the body to get used to how to function properly again on its own…
This describes well the precarious balance we all try to negotiate with insuln and diabetes. Diabetes is a “Goldilocks” disease.
While I realize you are suspicious of this, I’ve successfully used this tactic many times. Due to the hypo monster that overwhelms clear thinking and any willpower to resist, we often over-treat serious hypos. When my better thinking returns, I just add up all the carbs (minus the small number actually needed to correct the original low) I consumed and give myself the appropriate insulin correction dose as if it’s like another meal or snack.
Your hesitation about this may arise from over-correcting and leading to the glucose roller coaster. This is a serious risk! But if you can clearly assess the number of carbs and dispassionately determine an appropriate correction bolus, this situation could land well. Not too much, not too little, just right – Goldilocks!
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Yeah I would argue this is actually a great idea and essential to avoiding rollercoasters sometimes, at least for me. I’ve definitely taken insulin when still low because I know the food will kick well before the insulin will. Or I wait until it starts coming up just a little if I’m worried about it, then take my shot for the extra.
Thanks. I appreciate the replies. It’s hard to be perfect with this, and know what’s going on all the time. I guess there’s always gonna be some level of guilt at doing something wrong. But I appreciate what you guys said.
Also though the thing I hate about this is say my sugar is around 180. So maybe I take 2 u to keep it normal. But I don’t eat because my sugars 180. Eventually that insulin is not only gonna change the way I feel, but eventually make me feel hungry. What do I eat then? No matter what. And then what do I do eat again and then go through the whole thing all over again. Insulin is very very powerful medicine. I just think and am trying to believe that there are other ways with diet to not be so dependent on the insulin for everything. And schedule schedule schedule. But it’s tough sometimes. Anyways, thanks again.
To Terry4
WOW, I LOVE your graph. Wish mine looked like that. The only way mine would look similar is if I was unconscious. My graph looks pretty good while I am sleeping. It is being awake that does me in. Yes, being awake. Mine starts to climb as soon as I wake up. About 15 hours after my long acting insulin. One cup of coffee and I am nearing 200 after starting with a 105 fasting level. When it is on the decline, it is time for a meal and up I go again. Fast acting insulin starts quick but seems to work best hours later. I would be embarrassed to show you MY graph.
Great work on your part. Maybe I will get there some day.
I read the “Bright Spots and Landmines” book and am loving the chia breakfasts as my BG stays perfectly flat all morning. The way I make it is:
1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup hot water, 1 TBSN peanut butter, 1 tsn cocoa, and a Truvia packet or two.
Lunch and dinner: I tried going whole food plant based low fat but couldn’t maintain it. So I’m back to what works for me, protein plus a ton on veggies for meals. Nuts for snacks. And as much fat as I want to go with foods.
I’m also a relatively recent convert eating chia pudding. I think that the gelatinous nature of the hydrated chia seeds is something that the human gut loves. Your combination of the peanut butter and cocoa reminds me of the taste of a peanut butter cup chocolate candy bar.
Adam Brown’s Bright Spots and Landmines is a great practical manual to live well with diabetes.
Everybody is built differently and therefore has different needs and goals. Many individuals that tout zero carbs are actually eating up to 50 or so carbs a day. There are so many interpretations and misnomers that it really makes most sense for you to Google zero carb diets and zero carb foods to look at all the options and nuances and then if that WOE (way of eating) and controlling part or all of your diabetes makes sense to you, build a plan tailored to your body and specific goals.
Low carb, long term is the only way. You can even reverse complications using it and understanding insulin dosage. Meats, cheeses, milk, cream, vegetables (there are typical low carbish vegies, but each person will have different reactions to different vegetables so trial and error, eg I can eat a fair amount of rice or berries without my BG moving at all but if I even look at potato it flies up). Bernsteins ‘guide’ of 6 12 12 is a good place to start.
I have had type 1 diabetes for 61 yrs. Low carbing is not the only way to treat this illness. I eat a low fat plant based diet, and I eat about 275 healthy carbs daily. This includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, potatoes, quinoa, rice etc. Because this way of eating is very low fat, insulin resistance is lowered.
I ate less than 30 carbs a day for 11 yrs. I eat about 9 times that many carbs now but only use 4 more units of fast acting insulin a day,
My last A1c was 5.2. I try to stay within 60-170. When using Fiasp I rarely go over 150. Two hours after eating tonight my glucose level was 98.
I think low carbing is fine and I followed Bernstein for years, but it is not the only way to stay in excellent control. Many type 2’s who eat this way no longer take any form of medication.
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I eat what I want as long as it’s vegan! Prebolusing and timing are key for me. I enjoy fruits, veggies, grains, pastas, breads etc. My A1C was 5.1% last time and I stay in range 99% between 65-160. 96% between 65-140.
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Check out @Marie20’s beautiful flatline trace in this other thread.
While I don’t share the eating style of @Marilyn6 and @Marie20, they’ve convinced me about their ability to get great blood glucose results eating this way. It’s nice to have options.
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Well, this is definitely no longer the case for me. Low-carb was okay for my BG control, but I never did achieve the super-tight control so many people post about. I also found dealing with a low-carb diet on top of serious food allergies (including dairy and eggs) was way, way too restrictive and stressful, especially while travelling.
So I’ve reintroduced carbohydrates into my diet since posting that comment in 2018. My BG control is not quite as good as it was eating low-carb, but it’s also not enormously worse. There are things besides carbohydrates, such as other autoimmune diseases and monthly hormonal cycle, that have just as much impact on my BG as carbohydrates (or more). As long as I’m careful about accurately measuring the amount of carbohydrates I’m eating and pre-bolusing by a bit (much easier with Fiasp) and keeping an eye on things shortly after eating to make sure I don’t need more insulin, I’m comfortable with my control. I still have highs and lows every day, but I had highs and lows every day even while eating low-carb. My stress level with eating a less-restricted diet is MUCH lower than when I was restricting carbohydrates, and I think that’s really important.
I’ve also seen studies recently that indicate that eating very low-carb may not be the healthiest way to eat. But it’s so hard to tell, because so many of these studies and theories are so wrapped up in emotion. I’m beginning to think that carbohydrates don’t matter and that the only healthy diet is one that avoids processed foods.
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I agree with you!! I think as @Marie20 says, pre-bolusing and timing are important, and we all need nutritious food. So staying away from processed foods and whatever toxins they may include is probably the healthiest of diets!
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Hey Jen! I’ve been relatively low carb for years now due to eating Whole Foods and grain free. Usually between 100-150 grams per day. However the last couple of years as I’ve started the whole “peri-menopausal” stage of life, things have really changed. It’s like I have one IC ratio for meals that are 20 grams of carb or less, and another for meals that are over 20 grams, and that’s sometimes double or even triple the normal one. Over the last few month I have transitioned to quite low carbs, not keto but about 50 grams or less and this is working much better for me.
That’s said, no way of eating works for everyone. Bio-individuality rules the day, and what works for me now may not work in 20 years. So being flexible is a good thing. 
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