Bg Today Not Good

[Marcus1234]

I would appreciate lessons on low carb because it looks like I have been doing this all wrong.
I do try to avoid fast foods and takeaways but unfortunately due to demands in the work place I very rarely get to have a proper break and fast food is usually more convenient and easier, to be honest.
My understanding was low carb, high fiber diet. Bread is ok if low carb, even if eaten everyday, vegetables all ok, sugar and sweets none at all, Pasta in moderation, Beer, none at all, eggs everyday ok, salads everyday ok,
From reading the replies this may explain why I have felt ok, but not ok (if that makes sense) since I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago. May also explain the dizziness and shaky body feelings I have been getting, but wont explain why my BG has been good until today.

 

[Marcus1234]

Me again.
Marcus, not all low carb breads are that low especially if you have 3 slices, for example I have an occasional slice of toast at 3.9g per slice so 3 slices whould be almost 12g if however the bread you are having is hovis for example at I think around 9g that would be 27g quite a big difference. The KFC as you rightly guessed is a no no for the fries and although you thought the chicken would be OK it may be that the coating is not.
I use an app that allows me to track carb, fat, protein and calorie values it's called Nutrachek I think others use it too, there are others available have a look on the App Store or similar to find something that you think you can work with, I find it helps keep an eye on things, you type in the food you want to eat and the amount or weight, it gives you the carb value and keeps a running tally for the day so you can adjust as you go. I have been known to swap a food item rather than exceed my allowance but then I have also had carbs to play with on some days. It can be useful to help meal planning and you can always compensate over the week if you do over indulge one day just reduce your total for the coming days.
Hope this helps you?

Thanks Jayney, I will have a look on the app store.

 

[Marcus1234]

The OP's data seems to suggest he is "Insulin dependent". Does that not change the rules a bit for T2s?

I don't understand what that means so cannot comment sorry

 

[xfieldok]

Marcus we were all wet behind the ears when we first started. It is a steep learning curve.

I made loads of mistakes. Treat each mistake as part of your education and move on.

For now, try and stay away from all takeaways. It is not forever just wait until your numbers are better.

 

[Marcus1234]

Thank you.

 

[xfieldok]

Have you been through your kitchen cupboards? You need to remove all temptation if possible. Not easy if you have a family.

When I was diagnosed, out went the crisps, cake, biscuits etc. Then I went through the bottles and jars that contained sugar or glucose.

Fortunately I have a very supportive hubby.

 

[jayney27]

Thanks Jayney, I will have a look on the app store.

I just checked your KFC are you sitting down, the fries were a massive 41.8g for regular 60.6g for large plus 11.5g for the wings, for not very much quantity of food it’s a high number of carbs plus your toast this morning it’s so easy to eat way more than you intend to if you have no way of knowing the values.
It’s good advice from others to get rid of what you can from cupboards, I did the same, maybe your wife will join you in low carb eating for a while, it might help if only one meal is being prepared regardless of who is cooking. I don’t have that luxury but I do have my own cupboard now filled with all the strange and sometimes unpronounceable ingredients I cook with. There are days when my other half makes it easy and is happy to have eggs and bacon for tea, he is also quite a dab hand at whisking up an omelette for us at breakfast time, they take no more time to make then toasting and spreading toast, we had a challenge one morning to prove this.
It’s still early days but little by little you will come to know the good, the bad and the ugly regards carb values and once you see results in lower numbers both on the meter and the scales this will spur you on.

 

[Alexandra100]

I would appreciate lessons on low carb

You might find this site helpful: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/visual-guides

 

[Mike d]

@Marcus1234

Read the forum, digest it and then formulate a list of some sensible questions as currently, you don't have a clue. Most don't starting out, so it's not being critical

 

[Marcus1234]

Hi All. I'm home from work and I am beginning to panic now. This is the first time since diagnosis that I am beginning to panic with my health anxiety and I don't know what to do.
My BG after the KFC was 13.9 an hour and half after eating, then 2.5 hours after eating I am 9.5 then 3 hours after eating I was 5.8 then 4 hours after eating I have gone to 4.3. I have never been this high or low since my diagnosis. What happens if I go even lower when sleeping, will I not wake up and go into a coma.
Any advice asap will be appreciated.

 

[bulkbiker]

I don't understand what that means so cannot comment sorry

It means it depends on your medication what advice we give. Your profile says metformin only is that the case?

 

[xfieldok]

Marcus I have just been reading another of your posts.

I actually think you are doing very well given your circumstances.

From the day of diagnosis I stopped eating bread, pasta, rice and pasta. Of course I made mistakes there was much rooting around in the bin to retrieve labels to see what had caused a spike.

When you start low carb you can go through withdrawal. I did! Twice I ran to the corner shop to buy a packet of crumpets. Another time I munched my way through half a packet of ryvitas.

I absolutely hate to admit this to you, but the worst thing I did was to walk into town and have a KFC!

So. Don't worry about your fasting BG, but it's good to have the data. It will probably be the last number to get under control.

Concentrate on the difference between your before and after meal. If the number is over 2 then your meal contained two many carbs or the portion was too large.

If you need to snack, carry 30g of peanuts.

Keep coming back to us to tell us what you're eating and we will either shout at you or give you a high five!

Stick with it, I promise it will get easier.

 

[NikkieDuranie]

Marcus I thought it was low carb/high fat.

If your doing low carb high fibre it may have a different result. Hopefully someone on here will know

 

[Marcus1234]

Thanks, I was told low carb high fiber maybe I heard wrong. I've only been on metformin for 3 days. Take one in morning with food. My low BG concerns me in case I go into a diabetes coma because my count gets very low when sleeping.

 

[Marcus1234]

Marcus I have just been reading another of your posts.

I actually think you are doing very well given your circumstances.

From the day of diagnosis I stopped eating bread, pasta, rice and pasta. Of course I made mistakes there was much rooting around in the bin to retrieve labels to see what had caused a spike.

When you start low carb you can go through withdrawal. I did! Twice I ran to the corner shop to buy a packet of crumpets. Another time I munched my way through half a packet of ryvitas.

I absolutely hate to admit this to you, but the worst thing I did was to walk into town and have a KFC!

So. Don't worry about your fasting BG, but it's good to have the data. It will probably be the last number to get under control.

Concentrate on the difference between your before and after meal. If the number is over 2 then your meal contained two many carbs or the portion was too large.

If you need to snack, carry 30g of peanuts.

Keep coming back to us to tell us what you're eating and we will either shout at you or give you a high five!

Stick with it, I promise it will get easier.

Thanks xfieldok

 

[NikkieDuranie]

Thanks, I was told low carb high fiber maybe I heard wrong. I've only been on metformin for 3 days. Take one in morning with food. My low BG concerns me in case I go into a diabetes coma because my count gets very low when sleeping.

Think we are on a similar time line although I started Metformin pre results because of my symptoms and now on 3 times a day. I seem to manage a good proportion of the day low or no carb then get lost as to what else to eat and blow it. It’s certainly not easy, but I am sure each day it will get easier, I am already eating far less carbs than a week ago. Keep it up you are doing fab

 

[NewTD2]

I have had something to eat about half hour ago, 3 small pieces of KFC and small fries. I have checked now and my BG is 12.1

I would recommend Celeriac. It’s a low-carb alternative to potatoes. Peel, cut in chip size, boil for 10 minutes then roast or fry. Delicious!

Also use LivLife Bread available from Ocado.com or Waitrose. It’s only 3.8g of carbs per slice instead of having ordinary white or brown bread which are high carb approx 25-30g of carbs per slice!

I also make my own fried chicken at home, soaked in eggs, then mixed with almond flour, herbs, spices. Better than KFC!

 

[hankjam]

Thanks, I was told low carb high fiber maybe I heard wrong. I've only been on metformin for 3 days. Take one in morning with food. My low BG concerns me in case I go into a diabetes coma because my count gets very low when sleeping.

From what I see you are down as insulin dependent, the profiles are not 100% clear to all. @bulkbiker noted you were on metformin.

You need to be clear as to what drugs you are on. My earlier comment related to your use of insulin, which can be used to "correct" high carb meals for T2s. I am really loath to comment on insulin as I am exercise and diet only and it's something I know very little about.

I would suggest, though given my comment above, if that you are not on insulin, to stay away from KFC and toast... and anything else with carbs in it...

Don't worry about what you have been doing... you've been doing it for sometime.. think about what you're going to do and stick to it, given there will be times when you might lapse, we all do.

Good luck.

 

[xfieldok]

Marcus, it is not unheard of for a T2 to have a hypo or coma but it is very rare and Metformin will not cause this.

Your numbers are all over the place because of what you're eating.

More importantly, stress causes our BG to jump through hoops.

You are in danger of getting in to a vicious circle. Your anxiety is kicking in with these numbers and it may be that it has some effect on your BG.

An hour before bed do another test. If you feel it is too low, have a very small snack. Test again and it should set you up for a good night's sleep.

The meter is the most valuable tool we have. It tells us how food is impacting on our levels, what we can eat and what we can't.

There are some people who can't test because it is too stressful for them. I hope you are not one of these. I hope you can overcome your anxiety because I don't think you have that much work to do to get back to normal numbers.

Bacon and egg for breakfast, NO toast!

 

[Marcus1234]

Thank you all.
I thought I had done very well since my diagnosis 2 weeks ago. My Hba1c has come down from 7.8 to 6.2. The app I'm using "my sugar" has been 80% in the green with the odd hyper here and there. Then today comes along and it has been terrible. My highest 13.9 and lowest 4.3.
My medication is Metformin 500mg once a day with breakfast, my doctor changed that to take with evening meal, I did this for 2 days and then switched back to taking it in the morning, why I switched back to the morning I do not know.
Today has been a shock for me to see how something I thought I had control of can suddenly become erratic.
Thanks again for your help.