I’ve never been a truly low carber. During the 18 months my PCP was treating me as a type 2 on oral meds that didn’t work effectively, I did have to restrict carbs more. But after an endo diagnosed me as type 1 and put me on insulin over five years ago, my daily diet has included about 120-150 grams carb most of the time. Nonetheless, I’d typically have to spread the carbs out over many meals and snacks because at my low weight, I’d otherwise have higher peak BG than I found acceptable.
Unfortunately, due to other health problems that caused lack of energy even to eat, I lost too much weight, getting down to a scrawny 101 pounds recently. I had so little real estate in which to give my many MDI injections that I was starting to get a lot of scar tissue. My last visit with the endo was spent mostly on talking about me trying to gain weight back rather than more typical diabetic issues. Anyway, I’ve been trying to expand my diet to include more high carb foods that I formerly avoided. One of these is to add some Mexican foods. My first try at stopping at a Mexican restaurant for an order of 2 enchiladas, beans and rice resulted in the BG reading later that afternoon of 335. I’d taken 12 units of insulin before lunch, then took another 3 units mid afternoon, which eventually brought me down to normal.
The second time I ordered the same thing, I told the waiter to skip the rice, as I’d only eaten a couple of bites of it the previous time. Past experience tells me that rice shoots my BG up far faster than beans, so I generally avoid it. I again took 12 units initially, expecting to check my BG sooner than the previous time and if necessary, give up to 3 more units as the BG started rising but long before it hit 300. Oops! It didn’t work. I still ended up over 300. However, I think part of that was that I hit scar tissue (I could feel something amiss) and probably didn’t have normal absorption.
So for the third time in about three months I tried ordering the same thing at the same restaurant yesterday. The 12 units of insulin taken just before eating was perfect! I didn’t need to take a correction in mid-afternoon and I never got over BG of 140 before dinner. I do think they gave me a smaller serving of beans yesterday, though. I’m so happy that it looks like I might be able to tolerate an additional menu item that initially looked like it would be impossible to tame. With my many dietary changes in the past month, I’ve only managed to gain about four pounds. Roughly 25 to go for my best weight.
thanks for sharing. it is always a good feeling to get the insulin/carb ratio correct
and have a good sugar.
Since you are eating out different cooks may cook the same thing a little differently,
unless you are eating Taco-Bell. Also your activity level and time of day will have an effect
keep going strong
It’s a challenge and frustrating running out of real estate to inject / insert cannulas
I’ve done this for most of my life, but recently found my preferred targets (abdomen) were so badly scarred they aren’t usable any longer. Have switched to legs but don’t know what I’ll do next
It sucks having sugars spike as a result of scarred / compromised sites
@Jimi63 - I had very little real estate in which to inject when I was first diagnosed with type 1 at 106 pounds. It was hard work getting my weight up to the 125-135 range, but I managed to keep it there for several years. But this drop to 101 pounds has been really difficult. Thank goodness my partner is willing to give my Lantus and breakfast injections in my upper butt, which I can’t reach. But using the few square inches of available space on my abdomen for all the other injections for five years has resulted in the scarred sites.
I look at my legs and can’t see how I could possibly give an injection there. And my poor arms are so thin that I can no longer even use my blood pressure monitor - the adult size cuff is now too large, and I’d need a child’s size to check my BP. So you can imagine there isn’t much fat under that skin. At my better weight I was able to give some shots in my “love handles” at the side, but at this weight I don’t have much of a love handle left even at my age (77). Besides, with my muscle problems, I’m really no longer flexible enough to reach there. I’ve scratched myself with the needle the last couple times I’ve tried.
So expanding the available territory by gaining weight really is my best solution. But it is a real challenge! I wish it were just as easy as being able to accept a gift of the pounds others would be willing to donate!
I can eat two enchiladas and beans without much issue. Corn tortillas aren’t terrible and beans have fiber in them which helps. Rice is a no go for me, so I’ll ask for salad instead.
Sounds like you need to focus on calorie dense food-fatty proteins like oily fish, dark poultry with skin, fat marbled meats, seeds & nuts, eggs, cheese, olives, butter & oil, avocados, whole milk and yogurt-some yogurt like Siggi’s triple cream has extra fat.
I feel you about the weight loss. I’m right there with you and it is very frustrating. Since switching to a pump, I’ve learned more about the extended bolus. What might be happening with Mexican food is a delayed absorption of carbohydrates due to a higher fat content in the food you are eating. Once your stomach is empty, then giving yourself that correction, is why your glucose came down. Ask your CDE or doctor about coping with high fat meals, large meals, or long grazing sessions and how to keep you b/g down. It might require 2 or more boluses, like how an extended bolus works on an insulin pump.
Hope that helps!
From what I have read, gaining weight is harder than losing weight. I had a friend that would lose really easily and then have to really work at gaining it back. Very very skinny at times. From knowing her I can see how shots would of been an issue.
But she would have to sit and make sure she ate a certain amount at given times of the day even if she didn’t feel like it;
Focus on making sure you eat plenty of higher calorie foods like nuts, avocados, etc I know my last endo would say eat an avocado a day, that it was the best food for a diabetic. You can make pates from seeds to spread on celery sticks or whole grain crackers. I know a favorite spread of mine is sunflower seeds in a blender with mustard and some flax oil. Walnut pates are also a favorite.
I used to get a cookie from a bakery that we have moved now and I will have to learn how to make it. But it was sliced almonds or pecans with a small amount of agave and potato starch to hold the nuts together and baked. 95% nuts and delicious.
High cocoa dark chocolate with lots of nuts is also really good. You can get some dark chocolate bars at a health store that are 85-95% cocoa, melt a minute in a microwave (don’t overcook) and pore over the nuts of your choice and refrigerate. The high dark cocoa bars I’m thinking of can have a little as 1 gram of carbs per square, so a great snack with the nuts!
