T1 diabetes question...?

[~Axis~]

Hey guys. I definately know this is NOT the right place for this question but i just wanted to know what you guys have as opinions or findings if you know about T1 diabetes or live with it yourself. So I have been using Lantus and Humalog to regulate my blood sugar, however, due to my diet (low carb, high fat) I see that i need less and less fast acting insulin and am reducing doses of humalog to the point where i almost dont need it anymore as long as i exercise. What I dont get is how lantus works and its effect on the body.

I know that its a slow acting insulin that works over the course of 24 hrs, and that its needed so other cells besides fat can absorb and use the sugar in my blood. Now, i know that if i dont have a large insulin spike or much carbs in my system, my body will want to burn fat, but im also getting the idea that fat burning is inhibited by a presence of insulin in the blood in general. My long term goal is to really cut this extra fat on my body, which unltimately leads me to my question(s)...

What effect does lantus have on fat burning and the metabolism? Does it stop or prevent my body from using fat? Can my organs use fat instead of glucose for energy? As i have seen from charts, lantus doesnt create a spike but rather just a steady amount. I have an appointment with my doctor on June 3rd and I will definately ask him, but Im just curious for an answer before then if you guys know anything (looking at you PatientZero). I googled for hours but cant find a satisfying answer. Just so you know i am taking 35units of lantus (lol i'll update "units" if need be).

[PatientZero]

Hmm, this is a very specific question, and I want to preface my response here very clearly that I'm not a professional, and in fact there are medical experts who specialize specifically in diabetes. That's noteworthy because even a general medical practitioner (which I am not) may not have the specialist knowledge needed to tell you everything you might be curious about.

That said, and so long as we're all in agreement that anything I say should be discarded immediately in favour of information given by a licensed doctor, here's the rough stuff I do know.
Lantus is a brand name for insulin glargine, which is a synthetic hormone that essentially matches the insulin generation of a non-diabetic, and in theory it doesn't have the traditional peaking effect.

On paper, provided you are taking the correct dosage, it shouldn't affect your metabolism in the same way that fast-acting insulin would. I'm sure you know, but for anyone reading this out of curiosity, the issue with weight gain is a little confusing, the issue is that if you're in an insulin peak, or if you take too much, your body will burn excessive amounts of glucose, rapidly lowering your blood-sugar levels rather than burning fat. In effect you can be eating perfectly healthy and your body will be acting like you're on an all-sugar diet.
(This is actually what insulin is for, the problem here is with the peaks, or taking excessive amounts)
The opposite issue comes about with low levels of insulin, your body can't metabolize the glucose in your blood, resulting in dehydration (and the side effects of it) along with burning excessive amounts of fat and muscle. In this case you could also be eating a healthy diet, but your body will react as if you're starving.

Whichever way you slice it, having the right amount of insulin is important.
(Please do not ask me how much you should be taking, and do not take less because you want to lose weight, take the amount your doctor prescribes. You really, really don't mess around with this stuff)

Now, the real question you seem to be concerned about is weight, and burning fat in particular, in this case you're basically in the same position as anyone else, your body burns glycogen for energy first, which are reserves of glucose (or sugar, in simple terms) specifically for that purpose, the reason people avoid carbs is because they are  complex sugar molecules that not only take a long time to break down, but are the first source of energy used.
Basically, carbs are a really efficient source of energy, which is why they prevent you burning fat instead, if you stay low on carbs your body will burn excess fat instead.

From the studies I've seen (and I'll admit that's not a huge number, and a lot of them focus more on Type-2 diabetes), taking insulin doesn't directly affect your metabolism outside of the peak period, so that's really the key issue that, thankfully, you seem to be mostly able to avoid.

So long as your insulin levels are right, your body will burn fat the same as anyone else, the idea is that your blood-sugar levels are regulated by insulin, which is to say that when you're exercising your body will only drop your blood-sugars to a certain point before burning fat, and doesn't [/i]exclusively[/i] burn sugars until it has no other option. Because that would be dumb, and your body is a smart thing that's pretty good at staying alive.

The question about organs is a little confusing, and I'm not totally clear on the question, so if I'm coming at this wrong do let me know. The idea of "energy" is a bit nebulous, but basically your whole body works on the same energy reserves, your organs use the same energy as your muscles, and it comes from the same place.
And that place is your organs, using excess energy by working out simply causes your organs to process more fat reserves to provide that energy to your muscles, provided everything is in working order your organs will tick along nicely as long as they have reserves to burn.
(although it is worth noting that in extreme situations they will burn essential proteins, damaging muscles and organs, but that's only in extreme cases where no other option is available)

I hope I've been some help, again I'm not an expert on this stuff, and I did have to fact-check a few things. Please do keep my information at arms length, and consult a doctor before accepting anything I've said here as totally true, this really is getting into the realms of specialized medical knowledge.

[~Axis~]

Hey thanks for the response man. I know that you dont specialize in this or that you arent an actual doctor. I understand this is just your opinion and comments on this from as much as you know. I just wanted to discuss it is all. Better to communicate and know more. Makes for some legit disscussion material as well B)

You for the most part answered my question. Its not like im not completely ommiting insulin from my system, im still using insulin glargine. Just to make sure im understanding your idea correctly... In short.

- long acting insulin doesnt have the same spike effect as short acting, so your body can burn fat in its presence if enough sugar is not in the blood. Your body will always burn carbs first because they are a more efficient source of energy, insulin presence or not.
-same thing for organs.

I know that organ question was a bit confusing, but i asked that because i read an article that claimed that our organs couldnt use glucose for energy if insulin is not present in the blood. Am i getting you right? Right now what im doing is avoiding as much simple carbs in meals as possible and trying to get them from dark, leafy greens and vegetables (asparagus, brocolli, spinach) while trying not to exceed 20g of carbs per meal and get a majority of my caloric needs from fat and proteins (not too much protien because i know that the body will break down excess into glucose). As it is now, my blood sugar only increases 40 - 60 points and my blood sugar never exceeds 170 or dips below 80. Any excess sugar i have seem to go back to 110 after a workout or a mid ranged walk or some activity in general. Before a workout, i try to balance my carb and fat intake to be safe so my blood sugar doesnt dip too low after a workout and to restore any lost glycogen in my muscles (trying to mimic effects of insulin by working out).

[PatientZero]

I know that organ question was a bit confusing, but i asked that because i read an article that claimed that our organs couldnt use glucose for energy if insulin is not present in the blood.

Ah, I think I get the confusion, that would technically be true but it's not exclusive, your body just needs insulin to be able to process glucose, all the work is essentially done by your liver.

If you'd like a bit more of a breakdown, because I don't think I was totally clear in my post, your liver is the organ doing the magic here. In a non-diabetic body, when there are high levels of glucose in your blood your pancreas produces insulin, it's fairly complex biology, but in simple terms without insulin your liver breaks down fats into ketones as an alternative energy source.
What I wasn't totally clear about is that these two sources of energy aren't 100% one-or-the-other, for example, while the liver is what breaks down fat into ketones to provide energy, it will always use glycogen as an energy source, similarly your brain can use ketones as an energy source, but will always default to using glycogen. (This is an interesting one and there's lots of discussion around ketogenic diets and their seemingly positive effects on the brain, but this is why a blood-sugar crash or low insulin levels can cause confusion and make it hard to concentrate. Also, without any glycogen at all your brain will just die, and I'm assuming you probably don't want that to happen)
I also didn't mention that organs and muscles store a certain amount of glycogen to keep them working, but these are relatively small amounts so it's simplest to just think of your blood-sugar and insulin levels as a general indicator of how much glucose is in your system.

But basically you've got it right, the biology is naturally way more complicated than I can explain outright, (also taking into account that I don't know all of it myself), but so long as you keep your blood-sugar levels within safe margins your metabolism will work the same as anyone else, so by exercising and eating an appropriate diet you can lose weight and put on muscle, just never as fast as everyone would like.

[~Axis~]

Alright now i understand. Ok, the question has been answered. I guess it can be locked.