• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Any ideas or advice

C

cgb

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello to everyone. Sorry to jump in, but I've reached a crossroads.
I was diagnosed T2 15 years ago, am a 67 year old male. For a time I controlled without meds, then went onto metformin 10 years ago.
For years I've been on fairly low carb, but whenever I go very low carb, 2 things happen; extreme weakness when I exercise, which I do every day, and inability to sleep (sleep has always been problematic).
For the last year or two, hba1c has been creeping up - was 58 last time, and will have gone up more. Cholesterol is also high, but I have always resisted statins.
In the last few weeks fasting blood sugar has leapt up, and I seem powerless to reduce it - I'm awaiting a blood test result.
That apart, I have very few symptoms; I'm fitter and faster and exercise harder than for 20 years, having lost 20kg (now 84 kg).
I'm obviously worried because the illness is progressing, but also because of what the medical professionals might recommend - I want to remain as drug free as possible.
Colin
 
Hi Colin,

Just shooting in the dark here, but how long did you keep up the very low carb? You might have experienced keto-flu/carb flu, and that takes a week or two to dissipate, as your body finds a new equilibrium. In the meantime you feel like a headachy, peeing-too-often dishrag, unless you take a bunch of electrolyte supplements or feast on bone broth. So if you didn't keep your electrolytes up and stopped before your body adjusted, that might explain the weakness/fatigue. Maybe up the protein some as well... Also, though I'm still waiting for mine, I know some countries have already started their flu and covid jabs... Either or both can up blood sugars temporarily, so I don't know if you've been jabbed (or ill) recently, but it might pay to give your body a little more time to recover after it.

Just a few ideas though... Dunno if it helps at all. If you want to share what you eat in a regular day, maybe we can help you go lower carb than you currently are? That might also bring your cholesterol down.
Good luck, and welcome!
Jo
 
Thanks Jo.
A typical day may be; coffee with cream on waking up, maybe 3 scoops of Moseley protein powder mid morning, nothing else until lunch, which varies enormously but will be salad/veg, meat/fish/vegan protein, small amount of potato, rice, pasta, or oatmeal bread. Fruit, sometimes with cream mid afternoon, maybe cheese as well, then another meal with protein, veg/salad, some carbs at 7pm. Ideally I will then not eat until the next day, but in order to sleep I often find I need bread, cheese, peanut butter late evening (bad). This all varies depending on when I am exercising, and I often have no control as to when my tennis matches are. Alternately I may jog or visit the gym, or simply walk 5 or 6 miles +.
I reacted very badly to 2 of 3 covid jabs so will not have more unless it is vital. I've never had flu jabs.
I kept to the very low carb for at least 3 weeks, but the weakness when playing tennis etc. was getting worse and I was only sleeping a couple of hours a night.
I take 1mg melatonin for sleep and 3mg creatine most days. I've tried everything from dahlia extract to vinegar for T2, but nothing seems to help.
More strength work and less cardio in the gym may help.
 
I suspect looking at what you eat, you may not be eating enough, why have the meal replacement shake unless you are trying to lose weight.
Extreme weakness when exercising points to not being fat adapted. Once through (Keto flu) fat adaption, most people have an abundance of energy, without the hunger. It took me only 36 hours, i followed advice on a Keto forum, using food grade epsom salts, sea salt and lo-salt potassium as an electrolyte supplement. Others can take 2 - 3 weeks.
I would think looking at things, you need to increase protein slightly, and increase fats quite a lot. On low carb, the fats are what supply the energy. Have you calculated your calorie requirements. (metabolic rate), as a type 2 you cannot properly utilise the calories from carbs. So any calculations are thrown out of whack, you could easily be losing half of the calories from carbs.
I sympathise with you regarding the sleep disturbance, something i suffer from as well, usually i find eating anything at about 2 - 3 o'clock in the morning works for me, funnily on waking regardless of what i ate, and it's often toast with peanut butter, my morning numbers are usually the lowest i see.
 
Thank you ajbod, some interesting comments, I will look into electrolytes more, and also I had not realised that there would be such a lot of calorie loss from carbs.
What do you think about cheese as a source of fat/protein? I'm risking the wrath of the medical profession when my cholesterol goes through the roof.
In the last month my morning numbers have often reached 11 or 12, frightening, and I think apart from anything long term I need to reduce these to acceptable numbers; I have no idea why this has happened as I have been in otherwise good health.
 
Common misconception: most cholesterol isn't ingested, our bodies make it.

Hit the cheese.
 
Hi - I echo the comments above. When you say "very low carb" what are you aiming for? Given what you're eating I don't think you will be anywhere near keto levels. If you were, it's unlikely that your HbA1c would be increasing. It is more likely (based on my experience) that you're having too many carbs and not eating enough fat. Your tiredness could be caused simply by increasing insulin resistance (your rising HbA1c) and resulting lack of access to energy.

You are still eating quite a number of very carby foods. You might not be eating very much of them but they will add up. 100g of any of potato/rice/pasta/oatmeal alone will be about 60g carb. Fruit adds more sugar: then you have more carbs in the evening and finally bread/peanut butter before you go to bed. You have some protein, but very little fat, just the butter and cream.

Do you think it's possible to reduce your carbs?
 
I notice you’re having Moseley protein powder. Although not a huge amount there are 3.3G carbs per serving. You can get zero carb protein powder if you like taking it.
 
It's impossible to quantify the loss of carbs, as type 2 diabetics, but this is the main reason being overweight is a flag. It's not cos we're greedy &^%$ards, as most people wrongly think, it's because although we eat supposedly enough, it isn't, we're basically starving, hence the binge eating. Our bodies are demanding sustenance. but it's not reaching the target, so it keeps on shouting out for more. This is why being overweight isn't our fault, it's a symptom. Our bodies handle the excess by storing it away as fat, but because not enough is getting to where it's needed, the raging hunger signals are still active, and fatigue is felt due to the lack of fuel.
 
Thanks for replies, a domestic crisis has prevented me from responding until now!
Yes, I'm sure that much lower carb is the way to go, but I don't have much confidence that I'll be able to get readings back into the acceptable range, in which case I will have to swallow the doctor's bullet. It's ironic because I feel fitter than ever.
Sleep management is the no. 1 problem.
Anyway, I will try.

Where can I get non-carb protein powder MissMuffet?
 
Well I've been T2 for 10years now and my cholesterol has always been about 5 which I thought was fine until my doctor pointed out fine yes if I was not diabetic but not so, I reluctantly stated on lowest does of statin some 4 years ago level now about 3 to 3.4 and had no side effect or problem with statins.in fact my Doc recommends every one over 65 should be taking statins.
 

Amazon, Amazon sell’s everything!
 

Every body is different and reacts differently.
My blood sugar usually starts rising around 6 at morning (I usually wake up at 7). Unclear reasons and no cure/treatment. Few times a month I also have several bad sleeps in row (not related to stress). My doctors told me after 55 it happens to many people. Bad sleep - blood sugar up by 20-30%.
Oats and rice (a bit less) is increasing my blood sugar overvthe limits. Bottle of Japanese beer and Pilsner Urquell (one bottle) has almost no impact. Few glasses of white wine (dry) almost no impact. But with the food.

I used Freestyle Libre during last year to find out whatvI can eat. I can eat gluten in limited amounts. Some fruits I can eat, some in limited amounts.
Our bodies are different.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…