Hello, so I’m currently struggling to manage my diabetes and what I can or can’t eat. I try to do like what I did at the hospital and manage close to that way at home such as having peanut butter and graham crackers or something carb related. I live with my Uncle who is a type 2 diabetic and my Aunt who was diagnosed with gestational diabetes for short term. I love them but I think they kinda lose the idea about Type 1 vs. other types. My blood sugar would elevate at times way too high or way too low. My thing is that maybe I need to be sure about what I eat and how much I eat to give myself the right insulin dosage. But the thing is my family thinks I eat this or that it would sky rocket my sugar. I feel like I need help and get the right idea that its ok to eat something as long as it gets covered amd nor just think that I have to have a low carb total for a day. I mean I said at the hospital, they gave me 60g of carbs per meal. But my Aunt literally thinks that its too much for the day and that I only eat 60g of carbs per day. ( I am losing it!!!)
Someone please advise me what is wrong here please. Kindly appreciate it.
-Zack-
How recently were you diagnosed, how old are you, and when is your next doctor’s appointment?
I do agree with you, more so if you are malnourished due to recent diagnosis or at an age where you are growing(which is assumed since other adults are making decisions on your behalf). You should be able to eat anything within reason, a healthy diet just like non diabetics. 60 carbs is probably not enough for a growing teenager(I’m assuming that age). But, I could maybe understand if the doctor wanted you on a low carb diet to ease your learning of diabetes early after diagnosis, and if you are at or above a healthy weight. I know that you are probably very hungry, this isn’t something you should be ashamed about. If your body is telling you that you’re hungry, especially if you’re a newly diagnosed, teenage diabetic, it’s probably because it needs the nutrition. But, something I hope you learn firsthand very soon, if your blood sugars are under control, your body’s energy needs will significantly decrease. If you have elevated blood sugars, all the calories in your food will be wasted. So sometimes for us diabetics, less is more when it comes to nutrition.
This sounds like a conversation that would absolutely be best to come from your doctor. Perhaps you can talk your caregivers into scheduling an appointment sooner?
Im 26 years old and I have an appointment with Dietitian in 2 weeks, I try to eat a lot of protein or veggies but I still be hungry and find peanut butter and crackers is my best filling option. But I also know that I also need to cover the carb intake now these days.
It definitely sucks that Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes have the same name, and that Type 2 diabetes is so much more prevalent. Very few people know the differences, usually they mean well, but Type 1 is very different. I’ve had it for a decade and a half, every day of which has been a high stakes experiment, spent hundreds of hours studying info on it, and I still don’t have it figured out.
26, Your metabolism is probably going to start slowing down at some point in the near future. My unprofessional guess, you’re hungry because your blood sugars are like a roller coaster. If you could get them more steady, you wont be as hungry because you wont be peeing away the calories. When you have a high blood sugar, you literally pee out sugar water. You need to get control of snacking. 4 or 5 meals is okay, but no snacking, it will ruin your ability to make corrections or tell what’s going on with your BG. Eggs, cheese, meat, you can eat those without consuming carbs, I’d suggest them whether or not you have a restriction on carb intake because they are very filling choices anyways. Omelettes are the best.
Veggies arent that great in my opinion. They are one of two things, completely nutritionless fiber or carbohydrate, okay maybe some protein. If you are eating a carb restricted diet, you need a high fat and protein intake to replace the missing calories.
Peanut butter is insanely dense, its roughly 1/2 fat(9 calories per gram), 1/4 (extremely low glycemic index) carbohydrate, and 1/4 protein. While there is a significant amount of carbohydrate, there is a stupid amount of protein and calories.
It’s imperative you take insulin for every carb you eat. If you don’t, you’ve wasted that fuel, wasted other fuel, and done damage to yourself. If you eat something and don’t bolus, you will pee out the calories, besides causing irreversible damage to your body. That’s why, at first I think that you will think it is hard not snacking, but once your blood sugars are under control you wont be as hungry. I was like you, now I am 29 and my a1c is 6.9, now I dont always eat 3 meals a day because I forget or I am not hungry.
I also want to mention that fact that your Aunt and Uncle are involved in your diabetes. I have been alone in managing mine since I was diagnosed at age 14. My parents did not care, they never helped in any way, I never saw an endocrinologist until I went myself this year. I moved out at 18 and they dropped me off their insurance. You have at least two people who actually care about you enough to invest effort and concern, even if it is misplaced it is a blessing. They may not provide the best help, or even the right help, but they are trying to help you and you have a team to support you.
It’s great that you are seeing professionals who can help you with managing your Type I diabetes. It’s a lot to take in, that’s for sure. I think that as people learn, they will come to understand how people are different in how they treat their condition.
I’m not sure if you are near any large cities, but, there are very informative conferences about diabetes care throughout the country. I have attended one called Taking Control of Your Diabetes that really changed my life. I found a great Endo there (he was a guest speaker) and so much support and information. You can check to see if it or something similar is coming to your area. This one caters to Type I and Type II’s. It’s a day filled with information, support and fun. So, all of your family could benefit. (I am in no way affiliated with that conference.)
@ZackDGraham93 Zack, when type 2’s tell me the secret to diabetes is baked apples…or their 2nd cousin’s friend’s sister uses “no carb bread and eats buckets of sugar “free” ice cream”… I smile and nod. …Smile…and…nod… It goes a long way in keeping me happy.
of course you can eat carbs and cover with insulin… at 26, if you are NOT trying to lose weight, 30-60 grams carb per meal(if you can use insulin correctly), is FINE. .please read Think Like a Pancreas, or “Using Insulin” and beware google searches and well meaning family members. You’ll feel better, I promise.
Just my .02$. Everybody is helping! Problem that I see, is that they are dealing with type 2 predominately. Type 1 is so different. Like apples and p-nut butter. You may never convince them of the differences. Sad to say that , but it happens. Use the Dr for advice for treatment. I have family that’s the same way. Its a royal pain, they hear you, but they don’t listen. Your gonna have to become your own expert to rely on, with your Drs guidance of course. That’s what I ve had to to. I found that if I get a steady diet, one where I eat enough and am not losing or gaining weight. I stay on it and manipulate one meal a day. That way I found out what … that ate did to me. Then a few days later eat the same dinner and see what happened, same as before or change, then a few days later do it again, look at the changes. This eventually you get an idea of what “should” happen. All good experiments should be able to reproduce results consistently.
Keep a log of foods, if your like me some patterns will emerge!
Then talk to Dr about the changes. It can and will give false readings on some of your tests. So to stop from getting more meds, procedures etc. let the Doc know first! Cause you might make cholesterol go screwy one time or false liver readings due to these diet changes in the future. This way they don’t panic and your their New Guinea pig! LOL.
It takes time (weeks )to test stuff out. After a few years, you get a handle on lots of different foods.
Just an example, but if your dropping everybody says drink OJ. If I do it I go up 10 points. That’s it! If i eat 2 oranges, and 2 hotdogs and potato chips, I have to eat something sweet too! If not I drop within 2 or 3 hours after eating. It’s a hard crash too. That’s just me, why, no clue, but it’s just me.
I think you’ll have an easier time of convincing your family that everybody reacts different to diabetes than trying to convince them about types.
Hope that helps a little.
Charlie
I’m sorry to hear you’re having so many issues. I don’t have diabetes, but my dad has Type 1 and I have numerous family members with all different types of diabetes. I’m also a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. I would highly recommend if you go to a dietitian make sure it is someone trained in working with Type 1 diabetes (I can tell you that they teach us the basics in school, but you want someone with a specialty in this). I’d also recommended asking to be referred to a certified diabetes educator (or an RDN/CDE if available), they can go over your numbers and your insulin dose and find a plan that works for you. Hang in there! It sounds like you’re doing a great job asking good questions.
I’m so sorry that you’re dealing with this on top of being newly diagnosed. My impression is that misinformed family members often need to hear the truth straight from a medical professional before they will believe it. Do you think that your dietician would be willing to give your aunt and uncle a call to explain that you don’t need to have a “low carb total,” as long as the carbs that you eat are covered with insulin?
If not, the JDRF has a lot of resources online that you could show your family. Here’s one I found that flat-out says in bold letters, “You can eat sugar” ! Type 1 Diabetes Diet: What Foods to Eat and Avoid
I agree with everyone who suggested your aunt and uncle come with you to the doctor and/or nutritionist. They’re probably more likely to believe them than you (sad to say).
Starting out, restricting your carbs is helpful because it’ll make it easier to figure out how much insulin you need to take for certain amounts and kinds of carbs. Simple sugars digest differently than complex carbohydrates. And meals high in fat and protein will digest differently than meals that are mostly sugar. That doesn’t mean, though, that you have to stick to a low carb diet your whole life. You just need to take some time to figure out how much insulin your body needs first. Charlie4801’s advice about keeping logs and experimenting with different foods is good. I do that, too, when I can. I’ll eat the same thing for breakfast for a week (or something like that) and look for patterns.
30-60 grams 6 times a day is what my doctor prescribed when I was 6 years old . Now I eat what I want. Personally, I love all things carbohydrates and routinely eat 90-120 grams per meal (only 3 per day, though). I just had a veggie burger on a bun, some cantaloupe, and an ear of corn for dinner (read “way more than 60 grams”). So you can tell your aunt and uncle about me if that helps. But you do you. Some type one diabetics go low carb, some don’t. No shame in either as long as you’re listening to your doctors, taking your insulin, and taking care of yourself (both physically and mentally/emotionally).
Everyone has been making good points. But may I add that you need more insulin for a high fat meal than a low fat one, and more insulin for one high in protein that one low in protein. I first went on insulin in England 49 years ago, and they just counted carbs. But I eventually learned that a whole lot of other things determine how much insulin you need. What raises my blood sugar the most is stress. Over a 9-month period before my son got married (so a wedding I was not directly responsible for), my insulin requirements went up steadily. The day of the wedding my blood sugar crashed. Other things that raise blood sugars are infections or blocked infusion sets. And each person is different. Stress may be my worst enemy, but high-sugar foods might be another person’s. I eat what satisfies my hunger and take enough insulin to cover what I ate. If my weight is steady, then I am fine. If you are hungry all the time, you may start to lose too much weight, or even to overeat. Fatty foods are needed for satiety, just no saturated fats!
Well if you have type one you can eat what ever you want as long as you take insulin for it !!
First of all glad you are looking for help this is a good place. For me I am on 670g pump with humilin R. I have realized certain foods need a different insulin does for carb ratio. I also have to split my insulin on certain foods I give myself half the dose 30 minutes before meal and the other half a hour later. I have to watch for a low at the 4 hr mark sometimes. I have noticed everything can effect how my insulin reacts. Figuring out how my body reacted to the foods I eat is just as important as the carbs I eat.
So what is your usual carb ratio with the Humilin R. I take Humalog(the pen version). Its really hard to decipher what’s work with what because it’s a sliding scale and carb counting. I sometimes blame myself if it gets high because I miscalculate my dose at times or give myself too much based upon my blood sugar. @lisandustin
You are going to have to work with your endocrinologist to get your scale right. I had to work with my endocrinologist it took me about 9 months to get my sliding scale manageable. Then I went on to figure out how my body reacted to when I ate certain foods. I had to keep a tight log book with my carbs and dosages. I found a Endo who specializes in type 1 that helped a lot for me.
I use humalog and I use to use lantus but I am on the omnipod now so I dont take lantus. I hope that your situation gets better. You are welcome to private message me, click on the flag under my message and click separate message
Well click the 3 dots and then click on the flag
Of course, we need to stick together!!! 
Zack,
I’ve read through all the responses, and I certainly don’t agree with them all. I don’t want to attack certain replies so I’ll get to my point.
I am an lada T1D for the last 14 years. Much of what the doctors have told me I’ve found to be poor advice. I personally do not believe that taking more insulin to cover extra carbs is a good plan.
I implore you to read Dr. Richard Bernstein’s T1D book. I found it life-changing. It has been the only source I’ve found (including my doctors and dietician) that truly explains the issues that really matter for a T1D: what high BG does to your body, exactly what insulin does to your body, and what carbs do.
You can find it on EBay used for $12. Best money I’ve ever spent.
Good luck