I had heard great things about the ketogenic diet. I had researched the diet thoroughly, discovering the weight loss benefits along with some pretty impressive testimonials from type 2 diabetics. Doctors a-plenty have chimed in on this eating plan, singing its praises. I am no doctor. I am a nurse, but for hospice. I write this not as advise but simply to share my experience since there was so little out there for me when I was doing my research.

What came as a disappointment was the lack of documentation regarding the ketogenic diet for the type 1 diabetic (T1D). Myself having insulin dependent diabetes diagnosed at age 10, having fluctuating weight erring on the side of over, and having a seemingly insatiable appetite, I decided to give it a try.

Easing myself into cutting out all carbs, I weaned myself off processes carbs – something I had been wanting to do for some time. With quite a bit of fuss initially, I also starting reducing the processed carbs out of what I cooked for my family.

With in a month of slowly taking these pasta, tortillas, bread, cereal, cereal bars, etc out of my diet, I was also limiting root vegetables and fruit. I had talked to my endocrinologist early on and her only advise was that she had other patients who had attempted the diet and found it hard to stick to. At that point I was already noticing my blood sugar and appetite dropping, so I was definitely up to the challenge.

Month two my blood sugars were in the high 100s which was an improvement for me; less highs and lows. My appetite had dropped so significantly that I often had only one meal a day (OMAD) and always skipped breakfast.

By month three I had lost 10 pounds, was working out daily and was starting to feel tired. Very tired. I had fallen off the wagon a few times, only to get back on board so I figured this exhaustion was the ‘keto flu’, a period where your body adjusts to transitioning from carbohydrate burning to fat burning. My blood sugars began to rise back into the 200s. I saw my endocrinologist again and my blood work was great, with no change from my previous labs. However my A1C, the blood test measuring the average of my blood sugars over the last 6 months, had gone from 9.4 (high) to 9.2 (very slightly less high). My target would be below 7 so this was not very encouraging.

About six months prior I had started the ball rolling on getting an insulin pump. At month four, I received my pump and attended training with a diabetes educator and nutritionist. She respectfully informed me she does not recommend the ketogenic diet for T1Ds. She stated when a T1D is in a state of ketosis – which is the goal for people on the ketogenic diet – the insulin taken must first clear out the ketones in the blood before it can lower the sugar. This made perfect sense to me because it felt like I could not seem to keep my blood sugar level below 200. I had also noted that during and after exercise my blood sugar would actually go up. I learned this is because the liver, when not taking in carbohydrates, will release carbohydrates into the blood, which is not a great situation when your body is already taxed by an auto-immune disease.

This all makes sense to me.

I am now eating a piece of fruit before exercise and have cut way back on fat. I still do not eat rice, pasta, bread or large quantities of root vegetables. And I am starting to feel more energetic. Interesting, eh? I thought so!

Now the insulin pump? That will have to wait for another entry.

Cheers friends!