Can anyone help shed some light on what's happening please!l?

Starfish18

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My levels are getting me down. I was diagnosed 2 months today and my levels have risen over the past 2 weeks from 5-6s to 6-7s but today my fbg was 8.1 so I assume I've had a DP? As it was 7.2 on going to bed. I'm trying so hard to be LCHF and I have since the day I was diagnosed. I had a Hba1c of 95 so I know it's going to be hard work to get it down. I'm on diet alone atm. I really do not want to use meds yet but maybe I do need some help from meds?
Yesterday I had a fbg of 7.5 had bulletproof coffee for breakfast at 6.30am then nothing else to eat till 13.20 so I did almost 7 hours between meals, this was due to work and I wasn't overly hungry. I had a salad with mayo so didn't test before/after as I've had salads before with never much of a rise in levels and with being busy at work it was easier. Anyway I tested before my evening meal and I got 7.6 (similar thing happened on Saturday - similar routine with work) but then 2 hrs after tea I got 6.9. Is my liver playing a part do you think with me going a long time without eating? I usually eat earlier than 13.20 in the day but sometimes get higher levels due to DP, I think! It's just so confusing and disheartening. Everyone else with diabetes seem to be doing so well, my mum is type 2 but on meds and insulin and she basically eats what's she wants (even though she said she doesn't) one of my friends is type 2 but is following the NHS guidelines and doesn't test but she's brought her Hba1c down and here's me trying so hard and struggling
Any help, support and advice gratefully received
Tia.
 

Listlad

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For the record, In 2014 / 2015 I brought my HbA1c down from 49 to 43 in just 3 months using the old NHS guideline advice, but it stopped there. To bring it down further I had to reduce carbs.
 
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Starfish18

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For the record, In 2014 / 2015 I brought my HbA1c down from 49 to 43 in just 3 months using the old NHS guideline advice, but it stopped there. To bring it down further I had to reduce carbs.
That's interesting and tbh I thought that would be the case. My mum follows NHS guidelines too pretty much, shes been told she needs carbs but over the years (been a diabetic for about 30 years) it's got worse and as just needed more and more meds and now insulin too. I am trying to educate her with lchf but have to be careful cos of the meds she's on
 

Listlad

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That's interesting and tbh I thought that would be the case. My mum follows NHS guidelines too pretty much, shes been told she needs carbs but over the years (been a diabetic for about 30 years) it's got worse and as just needed more and more meds and now insulin too. I am trying to educate her with lchf but have to be careful cos of the meds she's on
Yeah I got stuck on 41 and then dropped through that once I dropped the amount of carbs as in no rice, bread, potatoes and pasta. That seemed to work very well once I started up on that diet.
 
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Debandez

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4,019
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My levels are getting me down. I was diagnosed 2 months today and my levels have risen over the past 2 weeks from 5-6s to 6-7s but today my fbg was 8.1 so I assume I've had a DP? As it was 7.2 on going to bed. I'm trying so hard to be LCHF and I have since the day I was diagnosed. I had a Hba1c of 95 so I know it's going to be hard work to get it down. I'm on diet alone atm. I really do not want to use meds yet but maybe I do need some help from meds?
Yesterday I had a fbg of 7.5 had bulletproof coffee for breakfast at 6.30am then nothing else to eat till 13.20 so I did almost 7 hours between meals, this was due to work and I wasn't overly hungry. I had a salad with mayo so didn't test before/after as I've had salads before with never much of a rise in levels and with being busy at work it was easier. Anyway I tested before my evening meal and I got 7.6 (similar thing happened on Saturday - similar routine with work) but then 2 hrs after tea I got 6.9. Is my liver playing a part do you think with me going a long time without eating? I usually eat earlier than 13.20 in the day but sometimes get higher levels due to DP, I think! It's just so confusing and disheartening. Everyone else with diabetes seem to be doing so well, my mum is type 2 but on meds and insulin and she basically eats what's she wants (even though she said she doesn't) one of my friends is type 2 but is following the NHS guidelines and doesn't test but she's brought her Hba1c down and here's me trying so hard and struggling
Any help, support and advice gratefully received
Tia.
Lots of things can effect BS. not just food. For example stress. Or illness. It's very frustrating for you when you are trying so hard to see your BS going up. Can you share with us a couple of days of your food diary? There may be an obvious solution.
 
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HSSS

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Unfortunately your mum is a good example of what happens when a person follows nhs guidance. They get worse over time. If she chose to try low carb it’s perfectly possible but may well need insulin and or other meds reducing as her levels drop to avoid hypos. Medication should match needs not met by diet alone not the other way round!

As for you two months really isn’t that long and fasting readings are often the last to respond. And other things have an effect. Are you unwell? under more stress than usual? Testing a bit later in your morning routine than previously? Just half an hour of getting ready makes quite a difference to me.

Some people get fantastic drops very quickly. Others (me included) go to more extreme lengths and see slower or less drastic improvement. Maybe we’re just more resistant , maybe we’ve been brewing this condition for longer, maybe it’s some other reason but we get there the scenic route instead of the motorway. I remind myself of all I have achieved and how much worse it could be if I’d done nothing.
 
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M

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Honestly I probably wouldn’t worry too much. So long as your diet is well formulated then things will eventually settle down.

Remember that it isn’t just about what you last ate, it’s about overcoming insulin resistance, and this doesn’t happen overnight. With a HbA1c nearing triple figures then it’s safe to asume that your entire body is overburdened with glucose. This will take quite some time to burn off, and it isn’t just about liver glycogen...every cell is stuffed with sugar. So yes your liver will be releasing glucose when you don’t eat. Stick to the LCHF plan, mixed in with plenty of fasting, and your sugar reserves will slowly be depleted.

Plenty of people disagree with the overflow hypothesis, but read The Diabetes Code and it will all make sense.
 
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briped

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Everyone else with diabetes seem to be doing so well,
I don't know if I can give you any help, so I'm aiming for the support part. Please don't compare yourself with everyone else. Compare yourself with yourself, as you know, we're all different. 2 months is not a long time at all, so my rule #1 - patience. They do say that FBGs are the last to come down. In the beginning of Feb. mine had been in their 4s for a few weeks, and then suddenly one morning ... 7.3. They can be so unpredictable, and there's not much you can do about it but diet, exercise, grin and bear it. My other rule is called "rule #2", curiously enough. Soul searching. Did I overstep my boundaries with those almonds yesterday? Did I have anything else that might have been a bit too much on top of everything else I had yesterday? That keto mug microwave bread for example? (Mind you, I am very carb sensitive, and aim for below 16g a day). Am I on the slippery slope back to having too many carbs compared to what my body seems to be able to cope with? Not yours, Starfish - mine! You have to find your own limits. Last night I went to bed with a reading of 6.6, which is over the top for me, but then I'd had a late supper and would you believe it, perhaps as much as 100 g of cauli rice, naughty girl!
I have no idea if that was helpful at all, but I do find that on days when I've been out for a walk my readings are great. Walks really make a difference to me, so is that something you might take up, once the weather is a bit more pleasant, I mean :)
 
M

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So yes your liver will be releasing glucose when you don’t eat.

Just to clarify, the liver is supposed to release glucose when you don’t eat. The problem arises when your entire body is insulin resistant and the liver continues to release glucose even in the presence of elevated insulin.
 

Guzzler

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It took me the best part of a year to get consistently 'good' fasting readings. We are all different so comparing our results with other peoples results just leads to frustration in my experience. Add to that the fact that our bodys cannot be calibrated like a set of scales, we see differences sometimes that just defy explanation.

Keep at it, it will all come together in the end.
 
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Starfish18

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It took me the best part of a year to get consistently 'good' fasting readings. We are all different so comparing our results with other peoples results just leads to frustration in my experience. Add to that the fact that our bodys cannot be calibrated like a set of scales, we see differences sometimes that just defy explanation.

Keep at it, it will all come together in the end.
Thank you for your reply I do know I shouldn't compare myself to others it's just hard at times. I know this is my personal journey. I will stick to it
 

Starfish18

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Messages
1,080
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Lots of things can effect BS. not just food. For example stress. Or illness. It's very frustrating for you when you are trying so hard to see your BS going up. Can you share with us a couple of days of your food diary? There may be an obvious solution.
Thank you for your reply I don't think it's the food but here is a few days food/drink

Friday
Fbg 7.8
B coffee with double cream followed by bulletproof coffee
Before lunch 6.5
L scrambled egg with 2 x high% meat sausages and a bit of no added salt/sugar ketchup, black tea
After lunch 7.3
Coffee with double cream small pack of pork scratchings
Before tea 6.5
T Small portion of cottage pie (made with swede and carrot mash) black tea SF Jelly with glug of double cream
After tea 7.5
Coffee with cream pack of pork scratchings
Bed 7.6

Saturday
Fbg 6.8
B coffee with cream
Lunch (7 hours later) scrambled egg with 2 slices of ham and mayo, 30g macadamias 20g cheese, small pack of pork scratchings, black tea.
Before tea 7.2
T pork loin savoy cabbage a bit of carrot and broccoli with bit of gravy
After tea 7.7
Bed 7.4

Sunday
Fbg 7.5
B bulletproof coffee
L salad, ham, lettuce, spring onions, cheese 3 x cherry tomatoes, radishes and cucumber with mayo, black tea
Before tea 7.6
T homemade chicken curry with barenaked rice
After tea 6.9
Pork scratchings sf jelly with double cream
Bed 7.2
I do drink water through out the day.
 

Starfish18

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Messages
1,080
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Type 2
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Honestly I probably wouldn’t worry too much. So long as your diet is well formulated then things will eventually settle down.

Remember that it isn’t just about what you last ate, it’s about overcoming insulin resistance, and this doesn’t happen overnight. With a HbA1c nearing triple figures then it’s safe to asume that your entire body is overburdened with glucose. This will take quite some time to burn off, and it isn’t just about liver glycogen...every cell is stuffed with sugar. So yes your liver will be releasing glucose when you don’t eat. Stick to the LCHF plan, mixed in with plenty of fasting, and your sugar reserves will slowly be depleted.

Plenty of people disagree with the overflow hypothesis, but read The Diabetes Code and it will all make sense.
Thank you for your reply I will look into reading the diabetes code i am trying not to be so hard on myself and I will stick to lchf
 

Starfish18

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Messages
1,080
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Type 2
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Unfortunately your mum is a good example of what happens when a person follows nhs guidance. They get worse over time. If she chose to try low carb it’s perfectly possible but may well need insulin and or other meds reducing as her levels drop to avoid hypos. Medication should match needs not met by diet alone not the other way round!

As for you two months really isn’t that long and fasting readings are often the last to respond. And other things have an effect. Are you unwell? under more stress than usual? Testing a bit later in your morning routine than previously? Just half an hour of getting ready makes quite a difference to me.

Some people get fantastic drops very quickly. Others (me included) go to more extreme lengths and see slower or less drastic improvement. Maybe we’re just more resistant , maybe we’ve been brewing this condition for longer, maybe it’s some other reason but we get there the scenic route instead of the motorway. I remind myself of all I have achieved and how much worse it could be if I’d done nothing.
No, I'm not feeling unwell. Though I have got a cold sore but don't think that's got anythig to do with it. I was a bit stressed due to work but I feel a lot better now. I test first thing, get up wash hands then test though it can be at different.times.
Maybe,like yourself, I'm taking the scenic route. I think I've just got to be patient.and stop comparing myself to others which isn't always easy.
 
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Spl@

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Point of interest mashed carrots and sweed will be comparable or only moderately less than regular potato for carbs. So you may well be improving your carb resistance.

Lots of little meals may not help. When you eat your body kicks off the insulin to get things working. This will reinforce the insulin resistance and reduce the resting time for your pancreas .

As already said this works for me. I have an eating window of 6 till 9pm. Once I have eaten my fill that's it. Weekends I let slide as life is too short. (FBg is always up on Mondays as well as bigger dp effect. Fri is lowest FBg typically with little dp) .
 

Starfish18

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Messages
1,080
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Point of interest mashed carrots and sweed will be comparable or only moderately less than regular potato for carbs. So you may well be improving your carb resistance.

Lots of little meals may not help. When you eat your body kicks off the insulin to get things working. This will reinforce the insulin resistance and reduce the resting time for your pancreas .

As already said this works for me. I have an eating window of 6 till 9pm. Once I have eaten my fill that's it. Weekends I let slide as life is too short. (FBg is always up on Mondays as well as bigger dp effect. Fri is lowest FBg typically with little dp) .
I do try hard not to snack but my levels seem to be the same whether I snack or not
 

Goonergal

Master
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Messages
13,466
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Hi @Starfish18

Firstly an apology. I’m on my phone and haven’t read all responses but saw your post earlier and wanted to respond.

Sounds like you are doing well but wanted to say a few things from the point of view of someone who also started with a high HbA1c but has managed to stay off meds.

1) Don’t compare yourself to others. Definitely listen and find those on similar journeys and learn from them but really get to know your own patterns and be guided by those.

2) Be consistent - personally I have found IF and keeping carbs as low as possible to be very powerful.

3) Focus on pre and post eating readings rather than fasting levels in the morning. The latter are the last to come down and don’t tell you too much.

4) Track your progress so you can check back and see the general trends. At first things will likely be erratic but the overall direction can help to keep you motivated and help you identify trends.

Hope some of that helps.
 

Starfish18

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,080
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I don't know if I can give you any help, so I'm aiming for the support part. Please don't compare yourself with everyone else. Compare yourself with yourself, as you know, we're all different. 2 months is not a long time at all, so my rule #1 - patience. They do say that FBGs are the last to come down. In the beginning of Feb. mine had been in their 4s for a few weeks, and then suddenly one morning ... 7.3. They can be so unpredictable, and there's not much you can do about it but diet, exercise, grin and bear it. My other rule is called "rule #2", curiously enough. Soul searching. Did I overstep my boundaries with those almonds yesterday? Did I have anything else that might have been a bit too much on top of everything else I had yesterday? That keto mug microwave bread for example? (Mind you, I am very carb sensitive, and aim for below 16g a day). Am I on the slippery slope back to having too many carbs compared to what my body seems to be able to cope with? Not yours, Starfish - mine! You have to find your own limits. Last night I went to bed with a reading of 6.6, which is over the top for me, but then I'd had a late supper and would you believe it, perhaps as much as 100 g of cauli rice, naughty girl!
I have no idea if that was helpful at all, but I do find that on days when I've been out for a walk my readings are great. Walks really make a difference to me, so is that something you might take up, once the weather is a bit more pleasant, I mean :)
Thank you for your reply, yes, I do find it helpful thank you. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others as every journey is personal and this is my journey. I do walk a lot already, granted that's the only exercise I do, do atm due to work etc
 

Starfish18

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,080
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @Starfish18

Firstly an apology. I’m on my phone and haven’t read all responses but saw your post earlier and wanted to respond.

Sounds like you are doing well but wanted to say a few things from the point of view of someone who also started with a high HbA1c but has managed to stay off meds.

1) Don’t compare yourself to others. Definitely listen and find those on similar journeys and learn from them but really get to know your own patterns and be guided by those.

2) Be consistent - personally I have found IF and keeping carbs as low as possible to be very powerful.

3) Focus on pre and post eating readings rather than fasting levels in the morning. The latter are the last to come down and don’t tell you too much.

4) Track your progress so you can check back and see the general trends. At first things will likely be erratic but the overall direction can help to keep you motivated and help you identify trends.

Hope some of that helps.
Thank you I really appreciate your.reply. As I've said to others I know I shouldn't compare myself to others its just hard when everyone seems to have lower readings than myself and I'm trying so hard. I do keep a log of my levels so I can see any patterns I also keep a food diary so I can look back and see what certain food does to me I am consistent I do try and keep carbs as low as possible.
I do keep an eye on my pre and post meal readings and record them in my log book. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and try and be patient, which is not my strong point lol.
 
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Starfish18

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1,080
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Type 2
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I will echo the helpful posts above.

The easy part is often reducing your HbA1c.

I got mine to drop from 88 to 32 in 3 months, but I was still insulin resistant and still was getting fasting readings in the mid 6's. It a quite a while until I saw the improvements needed to confirm to me that I was properly "on the mend"

You are clearly on the right path, so don't get despondant as I am sure things will start to look better soon.
Thank you for your reply I have my diabetic review in a months time I wonder what my. Hba1c is now. I am feeling anxious about it tbh as I don't want them to put me on medication. Well done, getting your Hba1c down in 3 months. That's good going! I'm sure my levels will start to come down again eventually I'm just impatient Lol