totally at a loss

[joeynomates1969]

I opted for housework lol

 

[woodywhippet61]

Hiya all. Thank you for all of your advice. I am astonished as to how much this way of eating is frowned upon, but then, I feel like the nurse I spoke to yesterday was almost brainwashed!! Anyway, I've been busy having a good look for meal ideas. One thing though; should I wait for my blood sugars to go down before I start to exercise, or try and do something? Ive simply not got any energy.

When I had high blood sugars (before I was diagnosed) I couldn't do anything. The slightest thing would exhaust me. Once I had started on a low carb diet I had energy to spare and I've been walking for miles ever since. I started the diet first, and the testing to see what effect the food that I ate was having on my glucose levels and then I started walking. Just short 10 min walks after every meal. If you can only do one at first then that's fine just build on it. Go at your own pace.

When my bg was high I couldn't have walked on the flat for 10 mins without being totally exhausted. Once my bg came down which in my case was very quick a 10 mins walk wasn't long enough. After months of exhaustion and feeling so ill I had to exercise to get rid of all the energy. I really hope that a low carb way of eating works for you

 

[frankbegbie]

Bacon and eggs, Eggs and bacon, then bacon, then eggs. And a salad or brocolli. And some cheese. No bread, no pasta, no sugar, no grain. Cream in your coffee. Easy as and cheap too

Been doing that for 8 weeks now; not lost an ounce yet.
My legs are aching all the time which could be due to higher chilesterol and lower blood flow.

Am now deciding whether to carry on with the LCHF diet or return to my 'normal' diet to see if things improve.

 

[Chook]

Does it feel like cramp?

Cramp is a side effect of low carbing because we are not taking in as much salt as we used to. In the early days of my low carbing I'd spend hours at night hopping (naked) around the bedroom trying to get rid of the cramp in my legs and feet then someone recommended daily magnesium tablets to me and they really work.

 

[Phoenix55]

A really good positive attitude @joeynomates1969. Low carb need not be expensive but you do need to be careful for the first few weeks shopping. Reading the tiny writing on packets and tins can take an age, look for where they list the nutrition for each 100g and try to keep the carbohydrate value around 10 or below. As a general rule vege that grow above the ground are OK, those from below ground treat with caution. If there is a market near you there may be a stall selling cheeses, there are a huge variety around and the fats will help you to feel full. Olives are also good for snacking, but be aware that the high fat content also means high calories so eat until that first sigh and then stop until the next meal. I make unsweetened Greek yoghurt which is good with a handful of berries for breakfast or to make your own salad dressings.
With the additional exercise take it easy at first, a walk around the block on a sunny day is lovely, or a walk in a park. When it is raining or time is tight try a 'Youtube' walk ( I type in Leslie Sansone and a lot of them appear including one that is just 5 minutes to start walking) Gradually you will build up the time, distance and speed. You will find that you will still have plenty of energy, if not more than usual, swollen ankles go down and you start to slowly lose weight as long as you watch the portion sizes.
Use you meter and keep a note of everything you eat and drink, that is enough to keep a meal simple for me, test just before you eat and 2 hours later. If you are not sure ask, no question is silly. Good luck.

 

[joeynomates1969]

Thanks phoenix. This advice is great.

 

[ickihun]

Hiya all
I have been type 2 for 14 years. I have tried all sorts of different medication to treat this and bring my blood sugar down but with everything I've tried I've been met with nasty side effects. My levels are now 26mmol in the morning, which I know are unacceptable. My GP and nurse want me to try insulin again but I fear that I will have the same side effect again. Last time I developed a rash and I ballooned with water retention. It was also swollen and painful around the injection site.

I really don't know what to do anymore. I am at an all time low and really do need some advice. Has anyone else been Unlucky too with nasty side effects? Can low carb really be the answer?

How many units were you injecting? All in same application?
How did you manage to come off insulin? Or did you stop it when advised not to?

Low carbing can reduce the amount of units of insulin needed in some, but not all.
Are you insulin resistant as well as having site disturbances?

 

[ickihun]

Hi Phoenix55. Thank you for your reply. My GP and nurse don't seem to share the same feelings about low carb as I do. also, I don't get much support from those at home either. I'm not feeling sorry for myself but I do need support. I have read up about low carving, but is it do-able on a budget? I really do not want to use meds.

If I can in a family of 4 on low income and all the costs of 2 young children at school. Most people in less disadvantages circumstances definitely can.
All it is is not buying pasta, bread, rice, cereal and potato products. I find; because I don't drink alcohol anyway.
Even on insulin I'd like to think everyone's diabetic team would advise about how carbs and protein interact with insulin injected.

 

[ickihun]

Been doing that for 8 weeks now; not lost an ounce yet.
My legs are aching all the time which could be due to higher chilesterol and lower blood flow.

Am now deciding whether to carry on with the LCHF diet or return to my 'normal' diet to see if things improve.

Lchf didn't reduce my meds or aid weight loss either. I had to go low carb and low fat. Not sure why but lost 3.5stones since and less levothyroxine tablet too. Still waiting for less hypertension but still high occasionally. On lchf I experienced palpitations with constant fast heart beat. So had 3 more tablets added, well 4 if I took statin as advised. Oh and started with Asthma for reason/s unknown. Dizziness and wobbly legs still with me, no matter my diet. Most likely tablet side affects, I've concluded.
Give low carb, low fat a try and see weight loss immediately like me?

 

[ickihun]

Ps. I don't eat veg on the whole unless in a restaurant but supplement for them instead.

 

[MikeTurin]

If I can in a family of 4 on low income and all the costs of 2 young children at school. Most people in less disadvantages circumstances definitely can.
All it is is not buying pasta, bread, rice, cereal and potato products.

Also stay away from sugary dinks, snacks, cheap prepared and prepackaged foods.
Try to but fresh vegetables directly from farmers. If you have a freezer you could also buy meat wholesale. I don't know how it's feasible for you but I found that cutting the middlemen makes you make savings. I pay 1 liter ow raw milk in the farm 1 € when a liter of skimmed milk in the supermarket is 1,39 €. Buy seasonal veggies and fruits.

If you have a decent combined microwave Read The Fine Manual or even if you have an old school LPG oven RTFM is important (in this case not following the manual could cause explosive outcomes). Not reading the manual is a sure way go get burnt or partilaly cooked food.
For salads try to experiment with seasoning using different vinegars or lemon juice instead. Same with cooked vegetables: steamed carrots with a good extra virgin olive oil or a good butter and pepper are quite tasty for instance.
Also eggs could be quite useful and are cheap, especially if you cut the middlemen (I am repeating myself, I know)

I am a really bad cook, 'cause mum didn't teach me to cook "because cooking and ironing is for girls" I learnt something in my 30s... but i can survive on simple dishes.

 

[ickihun]

Stay away from sugary dinks, snacks, cheap prepared and prepackaged foods.
Try to but fresh vegetables directly from farmers. If you have a freezer you could also buy meat wholesale. I don't know how it's feasible for you but I found that cutting the middlemen makes you make savings. I pay 1 liter ow raw milk in the farm 1 € when a liter of skimmed milk in the supermarket is 1,39 €. Buy seasonal veggies and fruits.

If you have a decent combined microwave Read The Fine Manual or even if you have an old school LPG oven RTFM is important (in this case not following the manual could cause explosive outcomes). Not reading the manual is a sure way go get burnt or partilaly cooked food.
For salads try to experiment with seasoning using different vinegars or lemon juice instead. Same with cooked vegetables: steamed carrots with a good extra virgin olive oil or a good butter and pepper are quite tasty for instance.
Also eggs could be quite useful and are cheap, especially if you cut the middlemen (I am repeating myself, I know)

I am a really bad cook, 'cause mum didn't teach me to cook "because cooking and ironing is for girls" I learnt something in my 30s... but i can survive on simple dishes.

I heavily shop around. Disciplined so only buy the bargains from that particular store or stall.
Love lidl for value for money and morrisons now too expensive for my family needs.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @joeynomates1969 here are a few threads about eating low carb on a budget.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-on-a-low-budget.115701/

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-on-a-tight-budget.98749/

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-on-a-budget.87849/

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-food-and-diet-on-a-low-budget.79787/

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/lower-carb-on-a-budget.65135/

 

[Guzzler]

Been doing that for 8 weeks now; not lost an ounce yet.
My legs are aching all the time which could be due to higher chilesterol and lower blood flow.

Am now deciding whether to carry on with the LCHF diet or return to my 'normal' diet to see if things improve.

A return to your 'normal' diet will see a rise in bg. Also, cholesterol levels do not usually cause this kind of symptom. My advice would be to keep up the LCHF for at least the next few weeks, for some it takes longer than others. Good luck.

 

[busydiabeticmum]

Some info on 10 minute walk https://www.nhs.uk/news/diabetes/a-10-minute-walk-after-a-meal-good-for-diabetes/
Low Carb has certainly helped me. My approach was an engineering one, and I liken Diabetes (T2) to a fire.
There are three elements that have to come together to cause a fire

1. A combustible material
2. A Temperature higher than the 'flash point' of 1. above
3. Oxygen

For T2 read

1. Sugar (or sugars worth)
2. Insulin
3. Insulin resistance

In the case of fire, remove any one element and the fire goes out - deprive the fire of oxygen, reduce the temperature, don't add any more fuel.

For T2 it is not so easy, the only element you have any direct control over is 1.

For your blood sugars to go high, you need sugar, or carbs that are quickly turned into sugar, (the fuel) so reducing the amount of fuel you put in will reduce the amount of sugar your body can produce?

It will take time to drain the liver though I agree with the principle. In a lot of cases especially the newly diagnosed we are talking about a house fire, not a candle.

But, it can be done and the damage can be reversed to a certain extent... though it will be never be the same pre fire... it all depends on how quickly you catch it and how aggressive you are in putting out the fire... you would also need to make sure you become fire safe... so as not to burn the house down again!

 

[Freema]

If one misses pasta a lot Then thin sliced zucchini can be used instead , and Lidl’s protein rolls are a fine substitute for ordinary bread

 

[Freema]

Sometimes I just boil a whole cauliflower for 6 minutes then take it out of the water let it drip off and then put it in a tray cover it with cheese slices. and put it into a hot Owen for 10 minutes . It is my favourite easiest cooked meal and it taste so amazing

 

[SimonCrox]

Yes - fiddly.
After 14 years of T2DM, one would expect to have difficulty controlling the glucose levels with just tablets.
With a fasting glucose of 26, on average a drug reduces the fasting glucose 4 mmol/L (an average); so to control with tablets, you would need to add in several different varieties, and I suspect that you have been through the metfomin, sulphonylurea like gliclazide, pioglitazone, gliptin such as linagliptin, SGLT-2 inhbitor such as empagliflozin.
You do not mention your weight / BMI.
So, thinking injections, insulin sometimes makes people retain a bit of fluid for 6 weeks or so; perhaps some other tablets such as calcium channels blockers or alpha blockers for hypertension or gabapentin for pain were contributing? The pain on injection is more common with glargine cos it is slightly acidic. Rashes with insulin are often due to the preservative; decades ago each manufacturer used a different preservative, but now it seems that all insulins have the all same preservatives mixed in.
I think that you will have diffiuclty avoiding injections, and I think it unlikely that a simple basal once per day long-acting insulin will do the trick. I would consider mixing a GLP-1 RA with an insulin, and the one that comes to mind is IDegLira which is a mixture of insulin degludec and liragutide and very expensive, so perhaps a stupid suggestion. BUt IDegLira is gently up-titrated with small doses of each in the same injection, so it is generally well tolerated.
As for exercise, if your glucose levels are high, then you are probably not driving the glucose into your muscles, so running etc might be unpleasant, but I would go for normal activities of daily living; if you just sit around, it will help your glucose levels go up.
Thinking low carb diet, from a medical point of view, these trials were reviewed in the BMJ a few weeks ago; diabetic control was better for the first year, and then the same; the key thing about trials is that an average treatment does well cos of the care and interest from the trial. But no health care professional could tell you off for following a low carb diet following this BMJ review. And it clearly works well for many folk using this forum.
best wishes

 

[frankbegbie]

Does it feel like cramp?

Cramp is a side effect of low carbing because we are not taking in as much salt as we used to. In the early days of my low carbing I'd spend hours at night hopping (naked) around the bedroom trying to get rid of the cramp in my legs and feet then someone recommended daily magnesium tablets to me and they really work.

No, its like I've ran a few miles without the training before hand.
Climbing stairs or peddaling my bike are terrible.

It's been like this since I've been on LCHF and I'm sick of it, so today was the last day for me.
I've given it 8 weeks but have seen no weight loss whatsoever.
Going back to my 'normal' diet starting tomorrow.

 

[frankbegbie]

A return to your 'normal' diet will see a rise in bg. Also, cholesterol levels do not usually cause this kind of symptom. My advice would be to keep up the LCHF for at least the next few weeks, for some it takes longer than others. Good luck.

I think 8 weeks is long enough.
I can't stand not having enough energy and the aching legs anymore.

Beginning to think it's a big con.
The only way you can lose weight is if you starve yourself which you shouldn't have to do on this diet.