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[Rocksteady]

Hi everyone, I am type 2 diabetic. Diagnosis since February 2021 with Hba1c of 50 and 118kg. Since then I have lost 4kg in March.

I have been on a low carb diet since start of March 2021. Initially my glucose levels were relatively stable apart from the higher morning readings (which I attribute to the dawn phenomenon). At present morning readings have been ranging between 8.5 to 10 over the past week. Readings are lower in the afternoon about teatime usually around 5.5. I have been skipping breakfast and eating mostly protein for lunch and evening meal. I maintain my daily carbohydrate intake at around 30 grams. My portion sizes remain generous to ensure I feel full after a meal. I try not to snack between meals although I find a dessert spoonful of crunchy peanut butter irresistible. However I have this at lunch or tea time. Bed time readings usually around 6.5.

My questions are:

1. What could I do to help lower my morning blood glucose levels?

2. My urine has been foamy/bubbly, does this mean I am in ketosis?

3. Weight has stopped coming off since losing 4kg in March despite going for regular walks and a sprint. Would working out on rowing machine help?

Thanking you for your support, once again.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi everyone, I am type 2 diabetic. Diagnosis since February 2021 with Hba1c of 50 and 118kg. Since then I have lost 4kg in March.

I have been on a low carb diet since start of March 2021. Initially my glucose levels were relatively stable apart from the higher morning readings (which I attribute to the dawn phenomenon). At present morning readings have been ranging between 8.5 to 10 over the past week. Readings are lower in the afternoon about teatime usually around 5.5. I have been skipping breakfast and eating mostly protein for lunch and evening meal. I maintain my daily carbohydrate intake at around 30 grams. My portion sizes remain generous to ensure I feel full after a meal. I try not to snack between meals although I find a dessert spoonful of crunchy peanut butter irresistible. However I have this at lunch or tea time. Bed time readings usually around 6.5.

My questions are:

1. What could I do to help lower my morning blood glucose levels?

2. My urine has been foamy/bubbly, does this mean I am in ketosis?

3. Weight has stopped coming off since losing 4kg in March despite going for regular walks and a sprint. Would working out on rowing machine help?

Thanking you for your support, once again.

1. Keep at it. morning blood glucose readings are often the slowest metric to change after going low carb

2. No. You can test for ketones using urine strips (highly unreliable) or blood, using a meter rather like a blood glucose testing meter. The strips are usually much more expensive than the glucose test strips.

3. Cardio isn't much use for weight loss. It is great for other things though. Weight loss is never linear. There will be good weeks and bad weeks, and stalls and drops. Just keep going and try to focus on how you feel, your energy levels, and don't weigh too often. Also, try measuring your waist. Sometimes ppl lose measurements while the scales stay the same.

 

[Andy_Warlow]

Hi everyone, I am type 2 diabetic. Diagnosis since February 2021 with Hba1c of 50 and 118kg. Since then I have lost 4kg in March.

I have been on a low carb diet since start of March 2021. Initially my glucose levels were relatively stable apart from the higher morning readings (which I attribute to the dawn phenomenon). At present morning readings have been ranging between 8.5 to 10 over the past week. Readings are lower in the afternoon about teatime usually around 5.5. I have been skipping breakfast and eating mostly protein for lunch and evening meal. I maintain my daily carbohydrate intake at around 30 grams. My portion sizes remain generous to ensure I feel full after a meal. I try not to snack between meals although I find a dessert spoonful of crunchy peanut butter irresistible. However I have this at lunch or tea time. Bed time readings usually around 6.5.

My questions are:

1. What could I do to help lower my morning blood glucose levels?

2. My urine has been foamy/bubbly, does this mean I am in ketosis?

3. Weight has stopped coming off since losing 4kg in March despite going for regular walks and a sprint. Would working out on rowing machine help?

Thanking you for your support, once again.

My questions are:

1. What could I do to help lower my morning blood glucose levels?

Drink water before bed, But seriously The morning glucose is the last to drop. Just keep going the way your going and it will drop.

2. My urine has been foamy/bubbly, does this mean I am in ketosis?

Check your ketones, but it could be due to high portein, that does have the affect until your body get used to it.

3. Weight has stopped coming off since losing 4kg in March despite going for regular walks and a sprint. Would working out on rowing machine help?

Lift weights, or HIIT training will help with weight lose. You have reached a plateau by the sound of it. Mix it up. have a look at your Cals too. Low carb is great but you still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Agree with the other posts especially the point about calories. Whilst you shouldn't count them if you have lost 4kg and plateaued your body is finding sufficient energy from what you are eating and isn't dipping into your fat stores. Peanut butter can be a bit moreish so consider a few walnuts instead , for example.
I would not worry so much about a little dawn rise.
Mixing up cardio with 1 x HIIt sessions and 2 resistance workouts will work to increase insulin sensitivity and promote gradual fat loss.
Happy to suggest a basic format for those sessions if it would help you. YouTube also has plenty or try an app like Peleton (offers free month's trial).
Finally I think its good that you have made the changes that you have and that you are continuing to think about how to evolve things in a sensible way that you can sustain.

 

[Rocksteady]

1. Keep at it. morning blood glucose readings are often the slowest metric to change after going low carb

2. No. You can test for ketones using urine strips (highly unreliable) or blood, using a meter rather like a blood glucose testing meter. The strips are usually much more expensive than the glucose test strips.

3. Cardio isn't much use for weight loss. It is great for other things though. Weight loss is never linear. There will be good weeks and bad weeks, and stalls and drops. Just keep going and try to focus on how you feel, your energy levels, and don't weigh too often. Also, try measuring your waist. Sometimes ppl lose measurements while the scales stay the same.

Thanks for the response. I will start measuring my waist. Been reliant too much on the scales which are not always accurate. Sometimes I step on the scales within a minute of another weigh in and get a different reading. Very frustrating and confusing.

 

[Rocksteady]

Thanks for the responses. Will certainly incorporate some of the suggestions mentioned in your replies and see how it turns out.

It can be frustrating when progress appears slow. I also acknowledge that undoing damage that has occurred over many years will require more than a few weeks to undo (at least in my case).

I am ever so grateful for this forum as you all give me hope

 

[Rocksteady]

Agree with the other posts especially the point about calories. Whilst you shouldn't count them if you have lost 4kg and plateaued your body is finding sufficient energy from what you are eating and isn't dipping into your fat stores. Peanut butter can be a bit moreish so consider a few walnuts instead , for example.
I would not worry so much about a little dawn rise.
Mixing up cardio with 1 x HIIt sessions and 2 resistance workouts will work to increase insulin sensitivity and promote gradual fat loss.
Happy to suggest a basic format for those sessions if it would help you. YouTube also has plenty or try an app like Peleton (offers free month's trial).
Finally I think its good that you have made the changes that you have and that you are continuing to think about how to evolve things in a sensible way that you can sustain.

Will follow suggestion for Hiit now that gyms are open.
Will start counting calories, had wrongly assumed that low carb diet gave me the carte blache over carbs.
The hardest part will be giving up on the peanut butter.

 

[Rocksteady]

My questions are:

1. What could I do to help lower my morning blood glucose levels?

Drink water before bed, But seriously The morning glucose is the last to drop. Just keep going the way your going and it will drop.

2. My urine has been foamy/bubbly, does this mean I am in ketosis?

Check your ketones, but it could be due to high portein, that does have the affect until your body get used to it.

3. Weight has stopped coming off since losing 4kg in March despite going for regular walks and a sprint. Would working out on rowing machine help?

Lift weights, or HIIT training will help with weight lose. You have reached a plateau by the sound of it. Mix it up. have a look at your Cals too. Low carb is great but you still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions. Will now start calorie counting. Will also head to the gym for Hiit. What kind of equipment would be easy to use for weights as this is a new terrain.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Will follow suggestion for Hiit now that gyms are open.
Will start counting calories, had wrongly assumed that low carb diet gave me the carte blache over carbs.
The hardest part will be giving up on the peanut butter.

Well don't give up the peanut butter just yet! I just meant if you're standing eating heaped spoons of it this just means your body has no need to tap into the 'stores'.
I make my own almond butter (less carbs ) by heating up almonds on a tray with salt for 10 minis at 200 degrees then blitz in a food processor with a bit of coconut oil.
My fave HiiT protocol for what it's worth:
1 Warm up for 5-10 minutes.
2 Cycle/row/run/power walk HARD (can't talk easily pace) for 30 seconds
3 Recover for 1 minute
4 Repeat this 4 times
5 Next block same again but drop the recovery (easy pace) to 30 seconds
6 Repeat 5. x 4
7 Cool down easy pace for 5 minutes.
TOTAL TIME is 20 minutes depending on length of warm up.

There are other ways of doing this but cardio machines are simplest!

 

[Rocksteady]

Well don't give up the peanut butter just yet! I just meant if you're standing eating heaped spoons of it this just means your body has no need to tap into the 'stores'.
I make my own almond butter (less carbs ) by heating up almonds on a tray with salt for 10 minis at 200 degrees then blitz in a food processor with a bit of coconut oil.
My fave HiiT protocol for what it's worth:
1 Warm up for 5-10 minutes.
2 Cycle/row/run/power walk HARD (can't talk easily pace) for 30 seconds
3 Recover for 1 minute
4 Repeat this 4 times
5 Next block same again but drop the recovery (easy pace) to 30 seconds
6 Repeat 5. x 4
7 Cool down easy pace for 5 minutes.
TOTAL TIME is 20 minutes depending on length of warm up.

There are other ways of doing this but cardio machines are simplest!

Thanks so much for this invaluable advise. I have printed off a copy and will use it when I get to the gym later on today. It's given me a starting point.
I will also try to stick to a dessert spoon of peanut butter at a time. Obviously with the diagnosis most things are off the menu and peanut butter is one of the few things i truly enjoyed in 'previous life'. You mention almond butter will try that too, bought some from Aldi in the past. However I like the idea of making my own as you suggested. Will shop for a blender.

once again thanks for the support.