Update on my Journey

[Blade72]

You're doing amazing!
Going close to zero carbs, like bulkbiker does, isn't necessary for most. It all comes down to personal preference, we have multiple members who prefer a low carb granola type of breakfast over coffee and cream or bacon and eggs, and that's perfectly fine.

Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much

Hi @Blade72 well done on changing your diet and like @MrsA2 I'm the wife with a supportive husband.

I agree that a meter is a great idea. You can use a meter to find out how different foods affect you. This gives you the information to make choices about the levels of carbs you eat and when. Some people can see great results on 100 grams of carbs a day- others need to go a lot lower. The other thing is that it needs to. be sustainable. In my opinion it is unlikely you will ever be able to go back to a very high carb diet which is seen as normal nowadays. That's not to say it can't happen but I don't think that's the usual outcome.

Good luck on your journey and let us know your results in April.

Two things which meter and I have a massive needle phobia from when I had 3 lots of blood taken by mistake in a hospital some years ago when I had gastroenteritis, since then I have a genuine bad fear of needles

 

[VashtiB]

Hi @Blade72 I can completely relate to a needle phobia!! It's very real. It still exists despite me testing at least 3 times a day even more than 2 years after diagnosis. So I do sympathise. I won't say it's easy but I suggest that it is necessary. Without testing you can't work out what you can eat safely.

Please try- I have got a lot more blasé about it but I really get the mental stress. It used to take me ages to build up to a test. Now I try to just do it without thinking about- I focus on the strip and the meter rather than my finger.

Good luck!

 

[Blade72]

Hi @Blade72 I can completely relate to a needle phobia!! It's very real. It still exists despite me testing at least 3 times a day even more than 2 years after diagnosis. So I do sympathise. I won't say it's easy but I suggest that it is necessary. Without testing you can't work out what you can eat safely.

Please try- I have got a lot more blasé about it but I really get the mental stress. It used to take me ages to build up to a test. Now I try to just do it without thinking about- I focus on the strip and the meter rather than my finger.

Good luck!

I've seen the fastclix lancelet and in terms of meter what do you recommend , ideally one I can use with an app

 

[VashtiB]

I personally use a Accu-Chek guide. When I was diagnosed I just went to a chemist told them I needed a meter and I wanted to be able to sync it to an app. I use Mysugr . It gives me an approximate HbA1c which helps keep me motivated.

There are others. I haven't used anything else so can't really comment but I am sure others will.

 

[Blade72]

I personally use a Accu-Chek guide. When I was diagnosed I just went to a chemist told them I needed a meter and I wanted to be able to sync it to an app. I use Mysugr . It gives me an approximate HbA1c which helps keep me motivated.

There are others. I haven't used anything else so can't really comment but I am sure others will.

Thankyou il do my research

 

[Jaylee]

Thankyou il do my research

Hi,

As a point of interest regarding BG monitoring & an aversity to needles..
Something like a freestyle Libre sensor is a one off jab every 14 days planting a hair line fillimanent under the skin, which measures interstitial fluid & interprets BG levels with an NFC scan using an app on your smartphone?

It depends on your budget.. But it may help with spotting your BG trends. Whilst overcoming your phobia?

 

[bulkbiker]

Agree!

Why would you expect a meal of less than 4 grams of carbs to cause a spike?

Because I'm T2 and have experienced similar things.. why wouldn't you?

 

[Blade72]

Hi,

As a point of interest regarding BG monitoring & an aversity to needles..
Something like a freestyle Libre sensor is a one off jab every 14 days planting a hair line fillimanent under the skin, which measures interstitial fluid & interprets BG levels with an NFC scan using an app on your smartphone?

It depends on your budget.. But it may help with spotting your BG trends. Whilst overcoming your phobia?

Thanks budgets not an issue , il do some research

 

[Jaylee]

Thanks budgets not an issue , il do some research

I'll point you in the direction. https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/

Libres can also be obtained from pharmacies.. The last I checked before being granted T1 funding from my GP. (Sorry, endo instructing my GP..)
(Before that self funded for 2 years.) was ASDA pharmacy did a reasonable deal & always seemed stocked?
There is the Dexcom too.. A little dearer..

Hope this helps..?

 

[EllieM]

Libres can also be obtained from pharmacies.. The last I checked before being granted T1 funding from my GP.
(Before that self funded for 2 years.) was ASDA pharmacy did a reasonable deal & always seemed stocked?
There is the Dexcom too.. A little dearer..

@Blade72 The libre were doing a free trial for uk diabetics...
free-trial (freestylelibre.co.uk)

 

[Resurgam]

Although my choice of foods is very different, I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 five years ago and was no longer diabetic very quickly.
I do have lots of things for baking, but use them very rarely - I suspect they are all past their sell by date by now. I tend to eat fish or meat first thing, with around 10 gm of carbs from fresh veges in the morning, with coffee with cream of a fruit flavour tea, then go all day without eating. In the evening I eat again, but I can cope with more carbs then so will have more veges and a couple of times a week a dessert, and more coffee usually.
I just don't need to eat very much at all - but I think that the decades of hard dieting account for a lot - the last 5 years of consistent low carb eating have done me a lot of good.

 

[Blade72]

Although my choice of foods is very different, I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 five years ago and was no longer diabetic very quickly.
I do have lots of things for baking, but use them very rarely - I suspect they are all past their sell by date by now. I tend to eat fish or meat first thing, with around 10 gm of carbs from fresh veges in the morning, with coffee with cream of a fruit flavour tea, then go all day without eating. In the evening I eat again, but I can cope with more carbs then so will have more veges and a couple of times a week a dessert, and more coffee usually.
I just don't need to eat very much at all - but I think that the decades of hard dieting account for a lot - the last 5 years of consistent low carb eating have done me a lot of good.

You had the same reading as me , I'm glad your Doing ok

 

[Blade72]

@Blade72 The libre were doing a free trial for uk diabetics...
free-trial (freestylelibre.co.uk)

I might just try man up and get a normal meter , the lancets my wife can. Help with them if I can't il look at what you suggested.

 

[Resurgam]

I might just try man up and get a normal meter , the lancets my wife can. Help with them if I can't il look at what you suggested.

There are no needles involved with blood glucose testing.
The lancet is a tiny tiny little pin which does a swift stab and then retreats back into the holder.
You need to adjust the depth to get a small blob of blood to appear afterwards, put the tip of the test strip to it when prompted by the meter and in half a minute it is usually not possible to tell where the stab was done.
I am a musician and have never had any problems playing due to testing.

 

[Goonergal]

Why would you expect a meal of less than 4 grams of carbs to cause a spike?

Coming late to this thread, but I think there’s an important point to be made here. The direct answer to your question is that ordinarily I wouldn’t expect a spike, but for @Blade72 ’s benefit, on this journey there have been many surprises so I’d always give the advice to test and see. This is especially so if the meal in question involves anything other than meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. It seems it’s not just glucose that can push levels up.

Two examples for me personally would be those ‘protein’ or ‘keto’ bars which are very low in ‘net’ carbs, like 2 or 3. Some on here can eat them with no problem, but despite the very low carb content, I end up in the stratosphere. Similarly some low carb (and delicious) protein bread at 3.8g a slice puts me up more than I’d like, even when coated with a generous serving of butter.

If I hadn’t tested then I’d never have known. Guess I’m saying I agree with @bulkbiker - don’t just assume as reactions vary considerably.

 

[Blade72]

Coming late to this thread, but I think there’s an important point to be made here. The direct answer to your question is that ordinarily I wouldn’t expect a spike, but for @Blade72 ’s benefit, on this journey there have been many surprises so I’d always give the advice to test and see. This is especially so if the meal in question involves anything other than meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. It seems it’s not just glucose that can push levels up.

Two examples for me personally would be those ‘protein’ or ‘keto’ bars which are very low in ‘net’ carbs, like 2 or 3. Some on here can eat them with no problem, but despite the very low carb content, I end up in the stratosphere. Similarly some low carb (and delicious) protein bread at 3.8g a slice puts me up more than I’d like, even when coated with a generous serving of butter.

If I hadn’t tested then I’d never have known. Guess I’m saying I agree with @bulkbiker - don’t just assume as reactions vary considerably.

This is all new to me what are we talking in terms the levels you refer to as putting you up?

 

[Goonergal]

This is all new to me what are we talking in terms the levels you refer to as putting you up?

Hi

With the protein bars, I went up into double figures (I usually run in the 4s and 5s) and the bread, I went up 3 or 4 mmols. The bars didn’t even taste great so they were an easy ditch, the bread less so as the rise was smaller and the taste better.

For me it’s all about informed choices and my tastes, what I eat and my goals have all shifted over time. I also don’t find moderation easy so find it far easier to abstain from foods that don’t serve my health goals than to try and eat just a little of them. Many of those on here who appear to be ‘extreme’ (including myself in that) in terms of low carb are in that boat and for me personally I’ve found it an easier mind shift to stop looking for substitute foods to replace the ‘losses’ and enjoy indulging in, for example, fatty meats.

It all comes down to what works for you, but I for one was glad to learn of a variety of approaches when starting out as it provides options. I thought fasting was crazy, for example, but now I’m a big fan of it.

 

[Blade72]

Hi

With the protein bars, I went up into double figures (I usually run in the 4s and 5s) and the bread, I went up 3 or 4 mmols. The bars didn’t even taste great so they were an easy ditch, the bread less so as the rise was smaller and the taste better.

For me it’s all about informed choices and my tastes, what I eat and my goals have all shifted over time. I also don’t find moderation easy so find it far easier to abstain from foods that don’t serve my health goals than to try and eat just a little of them. Many of those on here who appear to be ‘extreme’ (including myself in that) in terms of low carb are in that boat and for me personally I’ve found it an easier mind shift to stop looking for substitute foods to replace the ‘losses’ and enjoy indulging in, for example, fatty meats.

It all comes down to what works for you, but I for one was glad to learn of a variety of approaches when starting out as it provides options. I thought fasting was crazy, for example, but now I’m a big fan of it.

I can relate to what you said I used to be an all or nothing but I'm now enjoying the low carb alternatives, same with portion sizes I've probably halved them and no longer feel hungry

 

[Lakeslover]

Would your wife be prepared to share her granola recipe with us? I buy a commercial keto one which is very nice, but expensive.

My daughter in law has a bad needle phobia and was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes. To begin with she used to bring her meter over to me to do the finger prick for her when my son was at work. After about a week she managed to start doing them for herself.

perhaps your very supportive wife could do it until you get used to how it feels. Either way press the lancet fairly hard against your finger, and use the sides of fingers rotating them around. Both stop it hurting too much, it becomes just a short pin prick.

 

[HSSS]

I’m wondering if the issue about granola is the name. My home made “granola” contains no grains despite the name. Just seeds, nuts (not the higher carb ones!), coconut and cinnamon all lightly browned with a little coconut oil. Originally based on a recipe from ditchthecarbs.com but only loosely now.

Exactly what ratios of the above depends what I have at the time. I used to add some keto sweeteners but seem to need less and less as the years go by. Sometimes I add turmeric for an interesting twist. Others add dark chocolate nibs. I stir in a few berries often and add to Greek yogurt or double cream.