What am I doing wrong?

[W&D's Nana]

Hello from Canada!

I am a 62 year old female that was diagnosed a month ago after being treated for a foot ulcer. The doctor phoned to say I needed to come right back to the hospital as blood work showed my glucose was 30 and it should be no higher than 7. I am assuming mmol/L. He said I had diabetes, gave me a prescription for Metformin and said someone would call me.

Four days later the dietician came for a consult and gave recommendations for what I should eat. I needed to increase my protein with a goal of 85g or more per day. I was a little confused as she said I could still have two cookies (biscuits) with my lunch but should save my apple for an afternoon snack along with some protein. She gave me a sheet with a list of approved snacks for diabetics. For supper my plate should be one quarter protein, half vegetables and 1/2 cup of potatoes, rice or pasta. If I wanted some cake just don't eat the starch serving. I followed that advice for one week.

Meanwhile I started doing some research and came across this forum. After reading it continuously and almost obsessively I decided to try the LCHF way. I cut out all potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, cookies, sugar etc. I've been doing it for three weeks now and have not lost any weight at all. I currently weigh 70 kg.

Had my appointment with the Diabetes Support Clinic two weeks ago. Luckily I got in on a cancellation or I wouldn't have been seen until Nov 30. I had my meter which I hadn't used yet and they showed me how to use it. The reading was 18.5 mmol/L. I mentioned that I was having horrible side effects from the Metformin and the Nurse Practitioner gave me a prescription for Janumet. I am tolerating it much better. She said that LCHF was a good idea.

I am testing upon waking, before meals and two hours after meals. My readings this past week have been pretty consistent in the 10.3 to 12 over the course of the day. I know that is still too high. I don't know if the decrease is due to my following LCHF or the medication or a combination of both.

I am not sure what else I can do and why my weight has remained the same when everyone says the weight just falls off. I haven't been able to exercise as I was told to stay off my feet as much as possible until the foot ulcer had healed completely.

I apologize if this post is too long and appreciate any suggestions.

 

[catinahat]

Welcome @W&D's Nana
You really are not doing anything wrong, 30mmol/l is extremely high, think of your body as an overstuffed suitcase. Every time you had cake, cookies, pasta and the like you have been cramming More clothes into your suitcase. It's taken a whole lifetime of eating carbs to get you where you are now it's just not possible to fix it in a few weeks or even months.
You are doing all the right things, testing before and after meals, reducing carbs as much as possible. Your levels have already improved, from 30 to around 10 is a fantastic reduction in such a short time.
Don't get too fixated on your weight, getting your blood sugar levels down is far more important.
Remember you don't have diabetes because you put on weight. You have put on weight because you have diabetes.
You don't just get T2 overnight, for years your body will have been having trouble dealing with the carbs in your diet. It can't efficiently use the sugars that carbs produce so it has been trying to get rid of it by storing it as fat and cramming sugar anywhere it can to get it out of your blood. (filling up your suitcase)
The success you have had so far will almost certainly be down to the changes you have made. The medication you are taking will help a little but diet is a very powerful tool for reversing T2.
Give it time, stop filling up that suitcase, eventually your blood levels will come down which will help your foot recover and you will probably find as many of us have that weight loss will come as an added bonus

 

[Daphne917]

@W&D's Nana welcome to the forum. I didn’t lose much weight, and still haven’t, when I started eating low carb but I have managed to keep my hba1c in the non diabetic range which for me is more important. Yes it would be nice to lose more weight but, having been told by an endochronologist that ‘I was one of his few patients who could truly blame their metabolism for their weight’ I just ensure I eat healthily and keep my hba1c in check.

 

[Ronancastled]

she said I could still have two cookies (biscuits) with my lunch

Wrong

but should save my apple for an afternoon snack

No

For supper my plate should be one quarter protein, half vegetables and 1/2 cup of potatoes, rice or pasta.

What type of vegetables & no

If I wanted some cake just don't eat the starch serving.

Good god

Meanwhile I started doing some research and came across this forum. After reading it continuously and almost obsessively I decided to try the LCHF way.

Yes

I apologize if this post is too long and appreciate any suggestions.

Sounds like you already know what to do & have embraced the low carb way.
Don't worry about your weight until your leg heals up, concentrate on your diet.
Those 30s have already turned into 10s, you are on the right path, it wont happen over night but you'll see single figures soon.

Ever wonder why only 1 in 20 T2s are in remission ?
https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003828
Cause they listen to the same dietary advice you were given, think of your body as carb intolerant, at least for the short term.
Congrats on taking the right path

 

[ajbod]

Your reduction is fantastic so far. Sitting at 10 is most likely because you still have an ulcer which will be affecting your levels. Once the ulcer has been dealt with you will probably find things change even more for the better. Also whilst you are fretting over your diabetes that is affecting your levels. Until these 2 things go away you will not be able to control your BG levels properly. Concentrate on 1 problem at a time the ulcer being the first part, still tackle the others but they are also being affected by the ulcer so don't worry if they only slowly improve, as you conquer each thing, things will improve.

 

[W&D's Nana]

Thanks all for your wonderfully supportive advice.

My foot is well on the way to healing thanks to a week of IV antibiotics and I believe increasing my protein consumption. I am looking forward to swimming again once I get the all clear on the foot front and hope the exercise will also help control my blood sugar.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @W&D's Nana As has been said above (but perhaps not strongly enough) Stress, injury, illness and various medications are among about 40 different factors (apart from food) which can raise Blood Glucose. You can't expect 'normal' Blood Glucose numbers until your foot has healed and you aren't getting stressed about things.
You have made huge progress considering your obstacles, so try to be patient.

 

[jjraak]

Welcome @W&D's Nana
You really are not doing anything wrong, 30mmol/l is extremely high, think of your body as an overstuffed suitcase. Every time you had cake, cookies, pasta and the like you have been cramming More clothes into your suitcase.


Give it time, stop filling up that suitcase, eventually your blood levels will come down which will help your foot recover and you will probably find as many of us have that weight loss will come as an added bonus

Liking the suitcase analogy.

Limiting what we put in means it's less stuffed,

But It's really only when we begin unpacking the suitcase after each trip (use up the incoming food)

That we really start to free up space , and begin managing our BG's.

Like it.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome @W&D's Nana

I agree with previous posters that you have made a great start and such a big reduction in a short space of time is wonderful. I also agree with the idea of focusing on your blood glucose levels rather than your weight. I have also had a doctor agree that I couldn't do much if anything more by my diet to lose weight. It was really odd to have a doctor accept what I told them, believe me and not just respond with more calorie restriction. I would love to lose more weight but my levels are okay so a huge step forward.

Like you I haven't done regular exercise for a while- very long hours at work and illness and now injury have all contributed to it. I'm sure once you have recovered it will help.

Congratulations on such a big drop and I hope you stay around and update us on how you are going.

Welcome and good luck