Low carb diets hypos

[AndBreathe]

No i don’t as I rarely take meter readings as I’m needle phobic. It’s only since i started the low carb diet.

i’m wondering if I should do low GI rather than low carb. Seems less restrictive

Gerry, for me, personally, I pretty much have to disregard Libre readings overnight, as they have me at Low and 2.2 all night, and I really doubt I am.

Again, for me, the Libre almost 100% of the time runs low. I low carb and my numbers are neat, but not as neat as the Libre suggests. My lab Hba1c are usually (for the last 9 and a half years) been 31-33, the Libre consistently forecasts 19-21.

I don't know what range you have set for the Libre, to calculate your time in range, but my TIR is routinely lower than I would expect - again, mainly due to the bonkers Lows and 2.2s overnight. I would think yours in buoyed up by the 9.5s which is quite a shift from the 3 and under of your starting point.

Personally, I might be inclined to think you are experiencing the effects of quite wild swings in blood glugose. 3 - 9.5 quickly, then back down again could be an uncomfortable rollercoaster.

In your shoes, I would try a few days of virtually no carb (and certainly not the crackers), but eat until you are satisfied, and see how it goes. It can take a few days to adjust to different patterns of eating, but I'm wondering if your crackers (as an example) are your blood sugar rocket fuel, and leading to some of these feelings.

 

[HSSS]

No i don’t as I rarely take meter readings as I’m needle phobic. It’s only since i started the low carb diet.

i’m wondering if I should do low GI rather than low carb. Seems less restrictive

GI assumes a lot that simply isn’t true. It was established with healthy people not those insulin resistant. It measured an individual food on a fasted stomach. We eat meals of several items and aren’t always fasted. And it only allowed for a small amount of the item which is often not reflective of what we actually have of that thing.

All of these can give quite a misleading effect on many of us for many meals compared to a meter/cgm. Glycemic load helps a little better as it reflects actual amounts eaten.

it’s not really any less restrictive either as you still have to make choices about what’s high and low same as doing low carb.

 

[Lamont D]

Unless you are on diabetic meds, you should not go hypo which is termed as below 3.5mmols ( with exceptions). You may experience what is known as false hypos, sugar crashes due to insulin over production because of insulin resistance or carb intolerance.
In most people, if you have those symptoms of a sugar crash, false hypo, is to tell you to have something to eat. But if you don't, your liver should give you a liver dump to help you with those low blood glucose levels.

However, there are those like myself, where my insulin over production, my liver for some reason doesn't do that. And I go hypo, if I have carbs.

Hypoglycaemia is a different condition than diabetes. If you are continually going hypo, then you will have to have the tests to confirm diagnosis. And a referral to an endocrinologist.

But, I would confirm your cgm readings with finger prick testing.

And if the cgm readings are correct around the carbs (crackers and such) I would definitely have a rethink about your intake, having the rollercoaster ride of spikes and crashes, is not good for future health, you have a prediabetic hba1c levels. That is a warning, and if you do take heed of that diagnosis, you can get control of this. It will take time and will power, going low carb works for most of us!

Take care.

 

[Deleted member 475901]

As others have said, doing low carb correctly should mean you are never hungry. Do you eat fish/meat/poultry? If not fill up with eggs and cheese. Add good quality fats eg olive oil dressings to green salads and butter on green veg.

 

[GerryBolger]

Hi all
Thanks for the responses. I am having a battle getting referred as my Hba1c is twice technically put me in diabetic range but because I’m in France they don’t refer unless it’s very high ***** and it’s loose weight. I find the L2 myself at 100€ a month.

Forgetting libre the issue is I am shaky in the afternoons and morning but not hitting keto. i’m testing urine and it showing keto signs. i know urinalysis isn’t totally accurate.

So it’s how to go low carb without being miserable

 

[HSSS]

Hi all
Thanks for the responses. I am having a battle getting referred as my Hba1c is twice technically put me in diabetic range but because I’m in France they don’t refer unless it’s very high ***** and it’s loose weight. I find the L2 myself at 100€ a month.

Forgetting libre the issue is I am shaky in the afternoons and morning but not hitting keto. i’m testing urine and it showing keto signs. i know urinalysis isn’t totally accurate.

So it’s how to go low carb without being miserable

Referred to who?

Most type 2 in the uk just see a practice nurse assigned to type 2 - unless there’s something extra about the case

I really think you need to do some more reading on the diet and then be more specific about what’s making you miserable, what you are eating and what you miss and what you really won’t eat so we can help with specifics. You keep not answering those questions and they are the most helpful ones to answer.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi all
Thanks for the responses. I am having a battle getting referred as my Hba1c is twice technically put me in diabetic range but because I’m in France they don’t refer unless it’s very high ***** and it’s loose weight. I find the L2 myself at 100€ a month.

Forgetting libre the issue is I am shaky in the afternoons and morning but not hitting keto. i’m testing urine and it showing keto signs. i know urinalysis isn’t totally accurate.

So it’s how to go low carb without being miserable

Quite simple, eat more of it, but only the low carb stuff, starting with upping protein portions.

To where, or what do you want to be referred to?

 

[GerryBolger]

Quite simple, eat more of it, but only the low carb stuff, starting with upping protein portions.

To where, or what do you want to be referred to?

Someone who knows what they’re doing. They don’t have practice nurses in France. Everyone is managed by an endrocrine doctor.

As for diet. I’ve stopped all bread etc. But starving in PM. I eat huge portions of chicken fish etc. Just not winning

 

[HSSS]

Someone who knows what they’re doing. They don’t have practice nurses in France. Everyone is managed by an endrocrine doctor.

As for diet. I’ve stopped all bread etc. But starving in PM. I eat huge portions of chicken fish etc. Just not winning

Are you eating fats? If not you’re on a uphill battle

 

[GerryBolger]

Not overly. I don’t like them and I’ve early cardiac disease so been told to have a low fat diet.

 

[HSSS]

Not overly. I don’t like them and I’ve early cardiac disease so been told to have a low fat diet.

If you go low carb and low fat that only leaves protein and it’s no wonder you’re hungry. I never liked fats at all when I was low fat and eating carbs. My tastebuds have changed so much. I don’t eat blocks of lard but I do eat the natural fats that come with meats and real dairy etc. I used to hate cream and I really quite like it now.

Make a cup of tea and have a read of the cholesterol thread by @bulkbiker. gazillions of links for research on the subject. For a quicker read start with this page https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/cholesterol-basics

Almost all of us find a cholesterol levels and ratio improvement on low carb and reasonable to high fat levels despite the last few decades terrifying us all into low fat with very little actual evidence. The taught theories are based on a fundamental assumption that isn’t actually proven.

 

[Mrs HJG]

Warning from today - I was reading constantly below 4 since returning from my walk after a low carb breakfast and having been <4 most of the night - it got really daft after I had a slightly higher carb than usual lunch, so with 3.2 on my Libre I finger-pricked at 5.8, and then 30 mins later the Libre still hadn't raised me above 3.4 - I so swapped it, called Abbott and am now reading in the 5s as I'd expect. First truly faulty one I've had in 6 months, on day 12/14, so @GerryBolger don't always believe the tech, and eat the avocados!

 

[Deleted member 527103]

@Mrs HJG it has been repeated many times to check Libre against finger pricks for high and low readings as they can be with inaccurate. Or lows at night could be compression lows. Technology is very frustrating and of limited use of you do not understand the limitations.

 

[AndBreathe]

Someone who knows what they’re doing. They don’t have practice nurses in France. Everyone is managed by an endrocrine doctor.

As for diet. I’ve stopped all bread etc. But starving in PM. I eat huge portions of chicken fish etc. Just not winning

I haven't eaten bread in years. For me, it was easy to give up.

How about adding some avoocado or nut, or something like a peanut sauce, with some chicken satay? On veg, add a dollop of butter or healthy oil of your choice? Oily fish? Cheese? If it is specifically in the afternoons you are hungry, then you need to think about your lunch or even a snack between lunch and dinner. I'm not one who snacks, so that wouldn't be too palatable to me, but then were I finding myself in your shoes, I might find a chuck of cheese or something equally convenient to be the lesser of the two evils. Hunger is no way to live, and really there is no need for it.

If you're looking for folks who know what they're doing, then those with years of lived experience (like very many on here) can be extremely useful. Just saying. If knowing what they're doing is something different, it could be helpful if you would expand and perhaps folks might have some ideas.

Trust me, in UK, most of those diagnosed see an HCA who knows as much about diabetes as she can read on the sheet she follows doing "reviews".

In UK, I see and Endo, but not for my diabetes. He does work with diabetes too,, so is interested in me in that regard. When I first met him, as a private patient, we spoke at great length about my diabetes and approach to it. He sort of thinks I might be LADA, but with each year that passes, I'm pleased to say I hold stable.
For him, he's happy for anyone living with diabetes to follow a low carb way of living, provided it works for them and they are content with it.

 

[catinahat]

Not overly. I don’t like them

I think sometimes when we say increase your fats, people have visions of eating spoonfuls of goose fat or chunks of lard.
A knob of butter to cook your mushrooms or on your veg, olive oil dressing on salads, some delicious cream in your coffee or on your berries, natural yoghurt instead of the low fat rubbish that they have to add sugar to just to make it palatable.
When you cut out carbs you have to replace them with something healthy and nutritious otherwise your diet will be unsustainable.
For the whole of our evolution we have been eating healthy fats, it's only in the last 60 years or so that fat has been blamed for all of our problems. In those year's we have seen a unprecedented rise in obesity, heart disease, T2 diabetes, fatty liver disease among other things. Low fat diets don't seem to have worked very well do they?

 

[HSSS]

For the whole of our evolution we have been eating healthy fats, it's only in the last 60 years or so that fat has been blamed for all of our problems. In those year's we have seen an unprecedented rise in obesity, heart disease, T2 diabetes, fatty liver disease among other things. Low fat diets don't seem to have worked very well do they?

So we’ve replaced natural healthy fats with low fat, highly processed junk with fake fats (marg etc) or those high in omega 6’s (Vegetable sunflower etc), sugar and chemicals and still blame the fats we’ve removed ??makes no sense to me

 

[Deleted member 475901]

GPs are still concerned about fats, but current research doesn't support low-fat diets for most people. And research on animals showed the combination of high fat plus high carbs in ultra-processed foods caused the major issues that fats alone did not (think about doughnuts and most fast food restaurant meals).