Can type one diabetics do the atkins diet?

[helz95]

I want to lose weight like quickly, and i've heard that the atkins diet is good.. but i wasnt sure if i could because there's like no carbs lol...

diabetics* oops

 

[Northerner]

Hi Helen, it is possible to do the Atkins Diet as a T1, although you do have to be extra cautious and it may be difficult calculating insulin. Some people have reported that when they don't eat carbs with their meals for a while then they find they need to inject for protein and fat, which can be much more difficult to calculate. Also, by burning fat instead of carbs for energy, you will produce a lot of ketones and you need to make sure that your body can adequately process these, which also requires insulin. For this reason, you should always take your background insulin and monitor your levels closely.

Why not just try a low carb, low GI diet instead of going to the extremes of Atkins? Lucy123 has been using The Gi Diet by Rick Gallop, which she reports great success with 🙂

 

[redrevis]

And just remember that losing weight fast is not healthy and neither is cutting something completely out of your diet.😉

 

[newbs]

I'm sure it's possible but I definitely wouldn't do it myself, sounds very risky and a nightmare to sort your insulin doses out to avoid hypos. I'm a carb lover though so wouldn't deny myself of my favourite foods

 

[lucy123]

Yep - can definitely recommend the Rick Gallop book - the first few days are tough but after this as long as you keep low GI you will be fine and shouldn't be hungry. I bought his book 'the express diet' to start with and that is sufficent to get you going -then you can expand your books when you get bored of the recipes. You eat some carb on the diet, whilst still losing weight, so it seems to work. The book was recommended by my consultant for my diabetes - although I am type 2.

 

[Unicornz]

I'd be careful about ketones though. If you cut out carbs alltogether, your body will start burning fat for energy (which of course will make you lose the weight) but it also creates ketones in the process. Could test to see how it is when you try, it might not all be that bad though just something to keep in mind 🙂

 

[Robster65]

As Northerner says, sometimes protein and fat, when being burnt off in place of carbs, need a bolus.

The difficulty is that quick acting insulins have a peak at about 2hrs and last for 3-5hrs. Protein and fat, when converted to carbs via gluconucleogenesis, can take up to 3 or 4 hours to start entering your system and may trickle slowly through for the next 8 hours or so.

So you would be best to consult your GP/DSN or dietician first.

And I would agree with redrevis that a slow, steady weight loss is more healthy and less complicated for your diabetes management.🙂

Rob

 

[C*5_Dodger]

I want to lose weight like quickly, and i've heard that the atkins diet is good.. but i wasnt sure if i could because there's like no carbs lol...

diabetics* oops

Dear helz95,

Sure you can do Atkins, you have already been advised that you need to take care. I would suggest that you read the book before starting because then you will see that it is in 4 phases and it is only the 1st (Induction) that you reduce carbs to 20g per day. In the remaining three carbs are actually increased.. BTW you are not supposed to lose weight quickly (although you can choose a higher loss rate if you wish) on Atkins - another myth that will die if you read the book!

Regards Dodger

 

[FM001]

Speaking as a type 1 myself I don't think a diet such as Atkins is the best way to lose weight. The sensible approach would be to lose weight over a period of months by making small changes to your diet which will give the body time to adjust - this way you'll will be less likely to put it back on. I had a interesting chat with a dietitian the other day about my diet and the calories I consume, I suggest you also speak with a dietitian and ask them to analyze your diet with a view to losing weight.

 

[Robster65]

Probably the safest way to lose weight as a T1 is to increase exercise levels so you can decrease your insulin to very little and burn off your intake plus excess fat in a controlled way, whilst improving your insulin sensitivity and overall health. 🙂

But it takes a lot of stamina and dedication and requires a certain amount of physical mobility.

Even walking a bit quicker and for a bit further can make a huge difference if you're not big on exercise.

Rob