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mum of twins from Melbourne

A

aimee11

Well-Known Member
Messages
52
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
as the heading says I have 21 month old twin boys and I would say they were the answer to my prayers so I believe in prayers

i have been diagnosed 2 years ago and am managing my blood sugar reasonably well - it hovers around 6 or 7

I use metformin the highest dose

so just when do i start to feel better? less tired, less urgent urination? less aching all over? less pins and needles in my fingers and toes?less famished and starving hungry?

i seem to be doing it all and being on a strict diet and denying myself little pleasures and snacks and do not see ANY benefit whatsoever except in the meter

yes I know I am saving myself from long term complications but it seems that I am feeling just as unwell constantly

any suggestions?
 
Do you follow any special diet, for example LCHF ie low carbohydrates high fat. Using this way of eating you can control your blood glucose and eat enough good foods to be satisfied and feeling well all the time.
 
Pasha said:
Do you follow any special diet, for example LCHF ie low carbohydrates high fat. Using this way of eating you can control your blood glucose and eat enough good foods to be satisfied and feeling well all the time.
Click to expand...


yes that is what i eat
 
Have you been tested for Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency? If you've been on metformin for any length of time, B12 deficiency is a common side effect. If you're being tested, I'd also ask for a Vitamin D3 test as well as the deficiency seems to be quite common among diabetics and can cause unexplained aches and pains.
 
Indy51 said:
Have you been tested for Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency? If you've been on metformin for any length of time, B12 deficiency is a common side effect. If you're being tested, I'd also ask for a Vitamin D3 test as well as the deficiency seems to be quite common among diabetics and can cause unexplained aches and pains.
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helpful advice but I have been tested for those and all seems to be correct and as well as that I take supplements

so let me get this straight

it is not usual to continue having the exact symptoms once blood glucose is established? the symptoms are supposed to go away?
 
Hi Aimee

Congratulations on your twins. They must be very active at 21 months and I'm sure you have your work cut out and need to be on top form. I can understand your concerns for your health.

Many of us who follow LCHF as you do, report an improvement in energy levels, mental alertness and a return to feeling "normal" again so it doesn't seem right that you should be experiencing those symptoms, while achieving such excellent bs levels. Also on LCHF it isn't usual to feel hungry or to deprive yourself of snacks.

Can you give us an idea of an average day's food intake?
 
Hi and welcome.

Do you take your blood glucose measurement before and after food, or is that your fasting measurement that you have given?
 
2 fried eggs in the morning
2 chicken drumsticks with cucumber tomato capsicum and carrot for lunch
some blueberries in the evening

so if I am not feeling better then I really should bug my doctors?
 
i take my blood glucose before eating and after eating and it goes from 6.9 to about 8.5
 
dianagrace said:
Hi Aimee

Congratulations on your twins. They must be very active at 21 months and I'm sure you have your work cut out and need to be on top form. I can understand your concerns for your health.

Many of us who follow LCHF as you do, report an improvement in energy levels, mental alertness and a return to feeling "normal" again so it doesn't seem right that you should be experiencing those symptoms, while achieving such excellent bs levels. Also on LCHF it isn't usual to feel hungry or to deprive yourself of snacks.

Can you give us an idea of an average day's food intake?
Click to expand...


yes twins are active and they make my life very fulfilled

i wish i had more energy to play with them

yes on my low carb eating plan I do feel famished all the time no matter how much I eat :(
 
aimee11 said:
2 fried eggs in the morning
2 chicken drumsticks with cucumber tomato capsicum and carrot for lunch
some blueberries in the evening

so if I am not feeling better then I really should bug my doctors?
Click to expand...
Your food and BG levels sounds good but you don't say you have an evening meal you only say berries so maybe you are just not eating enough You can snack between meals anything low carb like nuts and cheese are good. Are you worried you may put on weight if you eat more
 
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Well, your blood glucose if fine.
It actually looks as if you aren't eating enough.
Could you double the quantities for a couple of days, and see what happens?
I don't know how you are frying your eggs, or whether you are eating the chicken skin, but that looks waaaay too little fat to sustain you on a low carb diet. unless you've been adding mayonnaise and stuff?
and simply not eating enough calories would be enough to explain the tiredness and lack of energy.

I'm sorry, I have to go out for the morning or I would explain more.

But in the meantime, have a look at
http://www.dietdoctor.com/
and you will see what I mean.

And I am sure that @alliebee and @donnellysdogs wouldn't mind explaining how increasing the fat in her diet helped tremendously if they are around/
Hope you don't mind, allie and donnelly?
 
aimee11 said:
yes twins are active and they make my life very fulfilled

i wish i had more energy to play with them

yes on my low carb eating plan I do feel famished all the time no matter how much I eat :(
Click to expand...

Aimee, are you just doing low carb or low carb and high fat combined? There are others here who will consider themselves more knowledgeable than me to advise you, but like you I'm T2 and take the highest dose of metformin and am on no other drugs for diabetes. In my experience you need to be replacing lost carbs with another energy source. For me it comes in the form of increased pure fat intake, such as cream, cheese and yoghurt etc
 
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Brunneria said:
Well, your blood glucose if fine.
It actually looks as if you aren't eating enough.
Could you double the quantities for a couple of days, and see what happens?
I don't know how you are frying your eggs, or whether you are eating the chicken skin, but that looks waaaay too little fat to sustain you on a low carb diet. unless you've been adding mayonnaise and stuff?
and simply not eating enough calories would be enough to explain the tiredness and lack of energy.

I'm sorry, I have to go out for the morning or I would explain more.

But in the meantime, have a look at
http://www.dietdoctor.com/
and you will see what I mean.

And I am sure that @alliebee and @donnellysdogs wouldn't mind explaining how increasing the fat in her diet helped tremendously if they are around/
Hope you don't mind, allie and donnelly?
Click to expand...


no i do not have mayonnaise or chicken skin and I am about double the weight I should be and no matter what I do I cannot lose it :(

doubling the quantities will make me much heftier than I am already alas
 
AnnieC said:
Your food and BG levels sounds good but you don't say you have an evening meal you only say berries so maybe you are just not eating enough You can snack between meals anything low carb like nuts and cheese are good. Are you worried you may put on weight if you eat more
Click to expand...


sigh

I already have waaaaaaaaay too much weight and would love to lose some
 
dianagrace said:
Aimee, are you just doing low carb or low carb and high fat combined? There are others here who will consider themselves more knowledgeable than me to advise you, but like you I take the highest dose of metformin and am on no other drugs for diabetes. In my experience you need to be replacing lost carbs with another energy source. For me it comes in the form of increased pure fat intake, such as cream, cheese and yoghurt etc
Click to expand...


ok so that could be my problem but I cannot have cheese or nuts due to allergic reactions

it kind of does not leave much foods I can have between diabetes type 2 and the allergies

and being waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too overweight

sigh
 
It could be! But if you have those allergies there are other sources of energy you could have such as full fat yoghurt, cream, avocados and fattier meat etc.

I know its a strange concept, but increasing your fat intake will actually help improve your energy levels and aid weight loss, but it has to be good/pure fat, not low fat or processed foods.

There is a forum dedicated to LCHF here. Why not have a read of it? http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/low-carb-diet-forum.18/
 
aimee11 said:
sigh

I already have waaaaaaaaay too much weight and would love to lose some
Click to expand...
I understand that but just doing LCHF should help you loose weight over time but you still need to eat enough to keep you feeling well and that seems to be your problem you are not eating enough. As long as you are low carbing then increasing the foods you can eat will not make you put on weight. Try eating more meat and fish with plenty of leafy green vegetables and salads
 
Aimee the problem may be that by decreasing your calorie intake too much your body is trying to hold onto the reserves it has and your metabolism has compensated by slowing down too much. I went on a v low calorie diet a few years ago and only lost a few pounds in 3 months when others doing the same diet lost up to 2-3 stone in the same time. It also made me so ill that my GP told me to start eating properly again as my body was beginning to shut down. This was confirmed by a specialist who, after various blood tests etc, told me that I was one of the few people who could honestly say that my metabolism was to blame and I would always have problems loosing weight because of it! However, since finally being diagnosed with an under active thyroid last year and being put on medication I have managed to loose about 2 stone - not as impressive as some of my forum colleagues but, for me, it's a start!!!
 
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