Struggling

[Kay East]

Hi
I was told I was pre diabetic last October, given very little help or advice but started cutting my carb intake. Started well lost 9lbs initially but was then told I wasn't eating enough carbs. Haven't really increased carb intake from October no pasta or rice, bread once or twice a month same with potatoes but all the weight I lost is piling back on. Run 20 -25 miles a week and do yoga when I have time. Recently started self testing but results showing from low (2.7) some mornings usually in mid 6s to upper 8s after eating. No HBA1C test since December next one in September. Worried the weight gain means pre diabetes is getting worse.
Any advice greatly received thanks

 

[xfieldok]

Welcome to the forum.

What are you eating in a typical day please?

 

[Marie 2]

It would be also helpful to know if you are on any diabetic medications. Only because some people might be able to help you in case it's a med causing an issue.

 

[Kay East]

No meds for anything.
Eating lots of eggs (omelettes, scrambled, poached, fried you name it), meat, salad, coleslaw, spiraling veg to replace pasta. Snacking on nuts, olives, cheese, strawberries & raspberries.

 

[mouseee]

Keep a record of your bs before and after eating and you might spot a pattern. You can always request another hba1c if you are worried.

Do you think there are 'hidden' carbs in what you are eating?

 

[Kay East]

Couldn't get a test till the surgery call me for one but GP has intervened and wants to do a thyroid check which I'm sure will be normal like the last one so will get one at the same time but not until September.
There could be hidden carbs but not sure where prep and cook all our meals from scratch and rarely eat any 'ready to go' meals.

 

[ringi]

Snacking on nuts, olives, cheese, strawberries & raspberries.

Even without cream on the strawberries, the nuts, olives and cheese can be very high energy without making you feel full up. Snacking is often the reason for weight problems on low carb diets.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. The weight gain will not normally result from the diabetes but from too many carbs or another medical condition. Your GP is obviously trying to see if there is a reason apart from diet. Your diet does appear to be quite low carb. I think all you can do is carry on with the low carb diet plus fats and proteins and see what the thyroid check produces.

 

[Kay East]

Thanks all

 

[Marie 2]

You can gain weight from too many calories over all. Fats are very high calorie, you might have to cut down on total food consumed.

 

[bulkbiker]

No meds for anything.
Eating lots of eggs (omelettes, scrambled, poached, fried you name it), meat, salad, coleslaw, spiraling veg to replace pasta. Snacking on nuts, olives, cheese, strawberries & raspberries.

Hmm might be that snacking isn't so great for you.

Which nuts are you using too some can be surprisingly high carb.
I wonder if by eating 3 meals a day and snacking you are just keeping yourself out of fat burning mode which would explain the weight gain.
You'll be constantly spiking insulin production which won't be helping.

You may find that restricting your eating window might be useful and just eat a couple of large meals a day with enough fat to provide satiety and plenty of protein and as near zero carb as possible. I'd give that a go for a week or two maybe replace one meal with coffee with double cream.

 

[derry60]

What about portion control? Are your portion controls to large?

 

[Resurgam]

I saw a definite change once I was keeping my post meal levels below 8 mmol/l.
Once I got there, I felt so much better for a start, so I kept to those meals, and my levels dropped without further changes.

 

[Resurgam]

There is a big difference between writing 'when I did this, I found this and this, you might try something similar and test to find out what is best for you', and 'I did this, found this and this, so now I am telling you that you would be the same so you should or should not do it on my say so'.
For me a balanced diet has always seemed like a death sentence, and my physical and mental heath has been affected many times by printouts or even glossy pamphlets from the doctor pushing me to eat more carbs. It went on for many decades - so yes, you can have an opinion, but there will be those who report their experiences and suggest other ways to go.

 

[Krystyna23040]

Hi
I was told I was pre diabetic last October, given very little help or advice but started cutting my carb intake. Started well lost 9lbs initially but was then told I wasn't eating enough carbs. Haven't really increased carb intake from October no pasta or rice, bread once or twice a month same with potatoes but all the weight I lost is piling back on. Run 20 -25 miles a week and do yoga when I have time. Recently started self testing but results showing from low (2.7) some mornings usually in mid 6s to upper 8s after eating. No HBA1C test since December next one in September. Worried the weight gain means pre diabetes is getting worse.
Any advice greatly received thanks

Reading your post about your weight gain even though you are eating no pasta or rice and really limited amounts of bread and potatoes is exactly what happens to me from time to time.
For me it is caused by too much of the nuts, nut butter and cheese and cream. I put on 7lbs even though I kept my total carbs to under 20g over lockdown by doing just that. It also caused some weird swings in blood sugars - from 3.8 to 9. I had an Hb1ac over lockdown and it had gone up a little - but nothing significant.

Have lost over 7lbs in the last month just by restricting them to what my body seems to be able to tolerate, but making sure I am eating enough to be perfectly satisfied and not hungry. Blood sugars are staying really stable between 4.6 and 6.6 with no wild swings.

 

[VashtiB]

Hi
I was told I was pre diabetic last October, given very little help or advice but started cutting my carb intake. Started well lost 9lbs initially but was then told I wasn't eating enough carbs. Haven't really increased carb intake from October no pasta or rice, bread once or twice a month same with potatoes but all the weight I lost is piling back on. Run 20 -25 miles a week and do yoga when I have time. Recently started self testing but results showing from low (2.7) some mornings usually in mid 6s to upper 8s after eating. No HBA1C test since December next one in September. Worried the weight gain means pre diabetes is getting worse.
Any advice greatly received thanks

Hello and welcome,

Upfront I am a type 2 who has gone keto since about the time of my diagnosis- had a bit of a try at the 'healthy' diet advice with 'healthy' carbs- it didn't go well.

So my personal belief is that type 2s do not need many (any?) carbs. I do more exercise than immediately before my diagnosis- had plantar fascitis and that is now resolved. But for me the biggest positive is that my life long quite severe asthma has gone- and I mean completely. We had a heap of bushfire smoke here in Australia which before would have sent me to hospital this time not.

So that is my personal bias. Keto may have saved my life.

What I have found since doing keto is that if I increase my carbs then I stop losing weight and actually put some back on. As I have still a lot to lose despite already losing g 30 kg what I find works is to increase my water intake and dramatically (well in context dramatically as I'm rarely more than 15 grams of carbs if that) reduce my carbs for a few days and I get back on track. I also use intermittent fasting- often one meal a day. I think I remember posting when first diagnosed ones that I'd never be able top do that but with very low carbs comes much less hunger and a feeling of saitity . For the first time ever.

Good luck on your journey. You may find logging your food might also reveal some patterns.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi. a number of posts have been removed.

Our new forum member Kay lives with pre-D. No meds, expressing an interest in low carb management & weight loss too.

There are individual metabolisms. some may change cross gender & age.

It would be appreciated in respect of the OP if the topic remained within these boundaries.

Thanks for everyone's understanding, compassion & compliance.