Low Carbing counter-productive?

[barrym]

OK, so I started a low(ish) carb diet a week or so ago, and the results on BG are disappointing. My levels seem generally higher at my 4 test times (pre-breakfast, pre-lunch, pre-tea and pre-bed).

I'm wondering if restricting myself to a lower level of carb intake (less than 100g per day) is just encouraging my liver to dump more. What do you think?

I watched the video on the DietDoctor site and was totally convinced by the argument, but I'm not seeing the results I expected or am I expecting too much too soon? Can't really see why it wouldn't be immediate though.

 

[Cinderella]

I think you need to test 2 hours after eating to see what effect the food you are eating is having. I'm not sure why the pre-meal numbers are higher as I don't test before meals that often and when I do I am usually in range, except for fasting which is a bit higher than normal but within the pre-diabetic range. Am finding my readings have been a bit higher since the hot weather so maybe that has something to do with it. It's a strange and difficult condition at times I find. There's no rhyme or reason to it!

Best wishes
cinders

 

[barrym]

<snip>

There's no rhyme or reason to it!

Best wishes
cinders

Ain't that the truth? After a career in IT where repeatable tests were the order of the day I find this biologically complex stuff extremely frustrating. Two apparently similar days give different readings, aaaghhh!

I don't often do +2 test, only randomly for interest, because I know they're awful. Until I can get my +4s down, it's no point fighting the +2. If you see what I mean.

The original question was more a theoretical one.

 

[SamJB]

Hi Barry,
Can you post what you've eaten? As Cinderella said, it would also be useful if you could post your pre- and post-meal levels as they are the only diagnostic for what food is doing to your levels.

 

[Unbeliever]

Sam is right - you need to know what the premeal and post meal readings are and then you can work out the effect a particular food or foods have on your levels. you probably need o test the same thing a couple of times to be sure and should take into account exercise and any medication . its worth keeping a record of your readings and a diary of what you ate for a ime at least..

Soon it will become second naure. Your liver probably won't dump unlesss you are very llow. Reducing carbs needn't and shouldn't take you near to hypo levels -although it may cause false hyopos to begin wih depending upon your usual levells.

It works pretty soon usuallly but you can't judge until you have a proper timetable for testing and know which foods raise your levels/ Its not possible to just giive up or reduce a couple of items in isolation -you need to now how th we whole meal afffecs you.

Don't give up too quickly - its worth he effort . Ofen works when nothing else does - including medication.

 

[barrym]

I know from years of supporting IT forums, and motorcycle forums how easy it is to inadvertently answer posts with "teaching grandma to suck eggs" replies. I know I've done it. And without offence, these are examples.

I do keep records, the like of which you probably wouldn't believe. I have spreadsheet data of a minimum of 4 BG readings a day, every meal in detail with carb content, the meds taken and when, exercise done. I keep daily and rolling averages along with graphs of the BG readings with trend lines.

I think it's safe to say I have a pretty good handle on the data side Obsessional some might call it.

The problem is that I've had good control of midday and evening pre-meal, but night and morning have been too high. My post prandial is too high also. All this I know and so do my DNs. What we are struggling to do is make any difference (in the right direction).

To that end I have been trying a low carb diet. I was always eating a reduced carb one, maybe 150-200 per day. I could do you a graph :lol: . My question is a theoretical one. If I reduce my carb intake, and hence BG avilability, will my liver think I'm being starved and dump sugar to compensate?

I hope this doesn't sound ungrateful to the previous posters, it not meant to at all. I'm very grateful to the huge amount of info I have gleaned here from all the participants.

BTW if anyone would like a copy of the spreadsheet I'll happily provide it, although it really isn't anything that clever. If too many ask, I'll see if I can stick it online somewhere. Ever the optimist, or just plain daft. Who knows?

 

[SamJB]

No probs Barry, it's difficult to judge people's experience and know-how.

I would be surprised of you were experiencing liver dumps. Saying that, I experience something called the Chinese Restaurant Effect, which is a term coined by Richard Bernstein. When you eat your large intestine stretches, which triggers glucogen production in anticipation of the meal.

If it is this you are experiencing, you can reduce the impact of it by reducing your portion size so that you don't stretch your large intestine so much (and hence produce less glucogen).

Still, it would be useful if you could post what it is you have been eating.

 

[barrym]

Sam,

Have PM'd you a link to a spreadsheet with everything! Didn't really want to publish it to everyone. Not sure why really it's not that interesting :crazy:

Take a look and you'll see a few weeks ago it was all quite steady, if a tad too high morning and evening. Then I started experimenting and now it's hopeless.

All that said, my HbA1C taken on 29 June was 7.2% or 53, which was lower than 3 months earlier, but still not where I'd like it.