A Month Into Low Carbing

Copey, I'm exactly the same - weight loss has stalled and readings are higher.
So disheartening.

My house is chaotic at the moment and I'm really stressed, so I'm trying not to think about my BG and make things worse, so just testing my FBG and last thing at night at the moment.

Hi Copey, first of all -I'd love to be your weight! I'm 3 1/2 stones heavier but I'm being silly, it's so disheartening when the weight won't shift. The other thing is:- most of the people posting low BG figures are on medication which brings their BG down so, you comparing your readings with theirs isn't a true comparison. I wouldn't ever suggest what anyone else should do, I personally am trying to get off my half dose (40mg)Gliclazide a day but was happily on Metformin for several years until a major surgery on my large intestine made me intolerant to it. Everyone's different, hope you find a way to enjoy life despite the diabetes.

Copey - Can I ask if you were desperately unhappy with your weight in the couple of months before you were diagnosed?

I've only been on low carb for approx four weeks, so far lost 11lbs but I had a Lot to lose. First week lost 6lbs (water I Think) 1lb second week 3lbs 3rd week 1lbs so far this week. I'm finding lchf easy so far but then I've had years of low fat dieting, always hungry and getting fatter, I was ideal weight when I was diagnosed Type 2 then gained over 5stones over 10yrs I am so glad I found this forum and lchf my BG levels came down from 8.9-10s to 5-6s in 4 days following lchg but I am very active and on blood sugar lowering med too, both of which help bring down BG levels. Good luck with whatever you decide to do Copey X

If we lived near one another we could go together, I'm only getting fit again after 15mths recovering from my op. I had infections + other complications from the surgery was in+ out of hospital for 8 mths after op - Since I'm up here in Scotland though perhaps we could encourage each other to be brave and go on our own.

Not only do we have a swimming pool at the top of our road but we have the sea only minutes away too. I haven't swum for years Copey, I used to every week when our boys were growing up, maybe when my hubby retires at Christmas we could start going again. I do encourage you to go to your Aquarobics class, I bet they'd be delighted to see you again. I've just come back from a lovely walk in our local country park which is in the next village, settling down now to watch TV till bedtime.

copey399 said:

We couldn't be further away from each other could we with me being right on the South Coast They do Aquarobics at our local pool on Monday mornings and I keep planning to go but then it gets to Monday and I chicken out. I used to go with someone I was friends with and we did have a laugh and didn't take it too seriously and I think she still goes so I would probably see her there so no excuse really. How about you? Do you think you would like Aquarobics rather than just swimming up and down and have you got a session near you?

Click to expand...

Copey I was living in Rye and a free train pass but I too I'm in the north.
I'm on a limited budget with 2 young kids and was recently given an referral from my gp but it was gym weights and cardio in the gym of the local barely used council leisure centre. I know my body better than anyone else and I know swimming always gets me started/restarted and interested in exercise again.
My experience with Metformin was a good one for 13-14yrs but then my tummy had other ideas after my second pregnancy. I do miss the Metformin years. Good BGs and a fairly normal diabetic existence made me feel nearly normal. I think I'm grieving after those days again. I know insulin is important but I too are having medium to high readings on the lchf diet and very little to no weight loss at all. Some days I think I was adding weight.
I love the idea of lchf but I might have to adapt it to a low carb low fat one. Mind you my fatty liver has totally gone on high fat diet thou.
I'm going to keep an open mind. My hunger seems to get suppressed on high fat too but they seem to be quite caloric.
I think I need to tailor it to my pacific needs.
I too believe meds need to help our fight and occasionally need tweaking.
I hope your hard work will soon show fruition. I have no doubt it will with your determination.
I highly respect your attitude and your posts are very positive and filled with common sense. For which I want to thank you.
Regards

copey399 said:

Hi Icki x I get free train travel too as my o/h worked on the railways for 25 years. Don't really use it much as I have a car. So do you think you might start swimming again? It's not cheap though is it. You either have to fork out for membership which gives you a reduced rate but I tend to join and then don't go enough times to make it worthwhile. If you don't join it's about £5 for Aqua sessions. I know when my kids were little there was never enough money to spend on myself. Even now we have to be careful.

That's a great shame about the Metformin as you were doing well on it I wonder why lchf works so well for some and not others. I think you're right about tweaking it to suit you personally. It's just test, test, test and see what gives us the highs but it's not always possible.

It's nice of you to say that I sound positive as I feel very negative lately but I'm not giving up just yet. It's such a good job we can come here and get support from others in a similar situation otherwise we'd feel very isolated. xxxxx

Click to expand...

Copey I know I must increase my once a week swimming routine but yes money does stop that from being easy. I've told my partner that I must increase it to 3 times a week as this week I have had horrendous pains in my lower back/ pelvic which I believe it is from buggy pushing with heavy bags on or my fat distribution has changed and therefore my posture needs realigning. I had to take codine tablets which were left over from giving birth 2 years ago.

copey399 said:

Hi, no I didn't significantly reduce the fat really but then I don't overdo it.

I'm just really fed up with it all at the moment. I don't think I can cut down on the carbs any more than I have already and not only is my weight still 11st 6lbs but I'm getting BS readings of 7+ both fasting and after meals !!!

Something's not working for me compared to the results reported by others. I know we're all different but it's a bit disheartening when I think I'm doing the right things. I'm thinking of going on the dreaded Metformin to see if that helps.

Click to expand...

I think a big factor in your weight is 2 of the pills you need to take for other reasons - water pills and Diazepam. I too have to take pills for other reasons that I have no intention of changing. Always remember that you have these meds, which means there is a good reason for some of your weight, and it's something you can't be expected to be able to do anything about.

Now, I think it's concerning that your fasting BGs are 7+ despite doing your best with food choices over a long time. I think it might be time to consider metformin. You could ask for SR, and either way if the side effects don't go away within a couple of weeks then don't push yourself to keep taking it. (I suggest discussing this at the start with your HCP so they are aware that if the side effects don't resolve, then the agreed plan is to stop taking it and book an appointment to discuss other options). If you try metformin, take it with food, and ask for an anti nausea pill to help you get through the first couple of weeks.

In addition, I know this might sound extreme, but bear with me. I'm not a fan of Gliclazide or any diabetes meds other than metformin and insulin, due to what I have read about them at Blood Sugar 101. They appear to have side effects and risks that outweigh the benefits. So until better drugs are invented, if I needed to, I would consider insulin. It can be used temporarily or in an ongoing way. The following article explains where I'm coming from:
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/15478720.php

According to the above website, many T2s who need insulin and are carrying extra weight also take metformin, and if they use a basal/bolus MDI regime and carb count with each meal, then they can reduce their BGs and even their weight. So it might be worth reading and thinking about, and asking your HCP to try it. If you want to try it and they won't play ball, you can always see a different HCP.

I hate to see you feeling like you have to give up and accept things the way they are. I don't think you have to accept this. Not without considering metformin and insulin.

@copey I know what you mean about swimming in the sea, I remember from holidays in Devon just a few days when the sea was warm enough to swim in, it's even worse here we're on the North Sea/Firth of Forth and its freeeeezing. Have a great day x

copey399 said:

..... BS was 8.4 2 hours after but I got a 5.6 first thing this morning. That's lower than some of the ones I get when I've been good all day! I'll never understand these BS figures.

Click to expand...

I've had a similarly unimpressive start on a low carb diet (plus more exercise). By and large, my highest readings are the first ones of the day, and lots of the after-a-meal readings are lower than the before-a-meal. This wasn't what I was expecting from what I'd read about the low carb diet. But I'm sticking to it - I'm now a couple of months into this - wondering if there will eventually be an overall shift down in the levels.

I started off recording all the food details every day, got driven mad by that, and because the meals don't vary a lot now, stopped doing it. I'm now thinking of having a week where I carefully record all and everything, to see if I can identify things which might be making a difference one way or the other.

I wish there was someone I could pore over these results with, but it was Diabetes UK which got me onto the low carb diet and monitoring, not my GP or diabetic nurse, so I'm assuming neither of them would be a great deal of help. Am I being too negative?

copey399 said:

Same here, the sea only 5 mins away but I'd never swim in it. I like my swimming water a bit warmer ... lol. Glad you had a nice walk.

My hubby won't come swimming because he gets ear infections too easily. I've spent the day doing piles of washing for my Grandson. He rents the downstairs flat from us (in theory only he's been in and out of work for over a year now so we haven't had any rent off him - so much for our retirement investment.). Good job it's been a brilliant drying day - sunny and windy. Up and down the back steps to the garden to hang it out must have done my BS good. Didn't do much for my back pain though. Plenty of sit downs in between trips. xxx

Click to expand...

If your nephew isn't working, why can't he hang his own washing out, even if you are puting it through the washer?

copey399 said:

Same here, the sea only 5 mins away but I'd never swim in it. I like my swimming water a bit warmer ... lol. Glad you had a nice walk.

My hubby won't come swimming because he gets ear infections too easily. I've spent the day doing piles of washing for my Grandson. He rents the downstairs flat from us (in theory only he's been in and out of work for over a year now so we haven't had any rent off him - so much for our retirement investment.). Good job it's been a brilliant drying day - sunny and windy. Up and down the back steps to the garden to hang it out must have done my BS good. Didn't do much for my back pain though. Plenty of sit downs in between trips. xxx

Click to expand...

I have a young relative who lives in a downstairs flat from his aunt and uncle. They have an arrangement where he pays a proportion of his income, whether its from wages or benefit.

He's should be claiming housing benefit it if he's unemployed.
No reason not to pay at all.