Arrrgghh Low carb not working….

[MaviesDavies2]

Hello
I’ve been eating low carb food for 2 years now, managed to get off the meds, and manage the t2 with diet alone. I don’t eat food with anything higher than 10g carbs per 100g. So, y’know, fruit, veg, nuts, protein, yog, etc. I don’t slip; I might overeat low carb stuff cos, y’know, food, but I have not had sugar or carby food in 2 years!

I had a stupid high h1 test end of last year, massive jump from being mid 30s, to mid 60s. They have put me back on meds, and my daily readings are not improving. I’m back up to 10 to 12 bg readings after eating meals. I dread to think what my scores would be if I was eating pasta with a side plate of chocolate biscuits and a pint of lager!!

Bit distraught, frustrated, really don’t know what’s going on, or what to do.

Hive mind, please help?

 

[Antje77]

I don’t eat food with anything higher than 10g carbs per 100g. So, y’know, fruit, veg, nuts, protein, yog, etc.

Foods with close to 10 grams of carbs per 100 can still add up to the total carb count, eating 200 grams of fruits or yoghurt with 10gr per 100 is still 20 grams of carbs in one go, and it's easy to eat more than 200 grams weight in one meal. So you might want to have a look at the total carbs per meal as well, and use your meter before and after meals to see how you react to them.

That said, a jump from the mid 30's to mid 60's on the same diet is a big jump. How much time was between those tests?
If things don't improve with having a close look at how different foods affect you, you might want to look into different types of diabetes. How long have you been diagnosed?

 

[MaviesDavies2]

Diagnosed about 2.5 yrs ago.

Understand about the total carb count per meal, will deffo give that a much sharper focus.

I get tested every 3 months, hence a big shock to have that jump.

I did have surgery in August which has resulted in me going into immediate surgical menopause?

 

[Antje77]

I get tested every 3 months, hence a big shock to have that jump.

I did have surgery in August which has resulted in me going into immediate surgical menopause?

In 3 months, this is a very big jump with no change in habits.
Menopause could be a factor though, I have no experience with that yet. And surgery itself can mess with your numbers as well.

Still, at only 2,5 years in, I'd keep different types of diabetes in the back of your mind if your meter doesn't show improvement with a closer look at your diet.

Good luck!

 

[Rachox]

My guess is that although eating low carb foods, maybe your portion sizes have grown slowly over the years, so as @Antje77 says you may be eating more carbs than you think. On top of that with surgery and the menopause that’s all combined to mess up your numbers.

 

[MommaE]

Diagnosed about 2.5 yrs ago.

Understand about the total carb count per meal, will deffo give that a much sharper focus.

I get tested every 3 months, hence a big shock to have that jump.

I did have surgery in August which has resulted in me going into immediate surgical menopause?

Any new medications since the surgery?

 

[MaviesDavies2]

Any new medications since the surgery?

Nope, but I don’t need to take iron supplements any more.

They won’t give me HRT until my blood sugar are back under control.

 

[BarbaraG]

What meds have they got you on?

if they don’t make a difference, then I’d second the suggestion to consider other types of diabetes. Many people, including medical professionals, will assume that anyone presenting with diabetes in their 40’s/50’s must be type 2. But you can develop T1 in later years, and it tends to develop more gradually in that case. My mother-in-law did, as did Theresa May!

 

[Lakeslover]

Stress, infections, injuries can easily put blood sugar up so I suspect your body repairing itself after the operation might well be a factor. Also I wear a CGM and (being a lady of a certain age) can very clearly see that every time I have a hot flush my blood sugar goes up. So if you have having a lot as your hormones settle down that might be contributing to the rise.

I do agree it’s worth measuring total carbs per meal though. You may well have slipped into eating more than your body can cope with. could you get a CGM for a trial hich would give you two weeks to experiment and see if any of your specific meals are affecting it?

 

[MaviesDavies2]

What meds have they got you on?

if they don’t make a difference, then I’d second the suggestion to consider other types of diabetes. Many people, including medical professionals, will assume that anyone presenting with diabetes in their 40’s/50’s must be type 2. But you can develop T1 in later years, and it tends to develop more gradually in that case. My mother-in-law did, as did Theresa May!

I’m on the dreaded metformin. I’ve got another blood test booked for next week, and then GP follow up. So will put all that forwards as suggestion. Thank you!

 

[MaviesDavies2]

Stress, infections, injuries can easily put blood sugar up so I suspect your body repairing itself after the operation might well be a factor. Also I wear a CGM and (being a lady of a certain age) can very clearly see that every time I have a hot flush my blood sugar goes up. So if you have having a lot as your hormones settle down that might be contributing to the rise.

I do agree it’s worth measuring total carbs per meal though. You may well have slipped into eating more than your body can cope with. could you get a CGM for a trial hich would give you two weeks to experiment and see if any of your specific meals are affecting it?

Really interesting to hear about your BG going up with the flushes. To be fair, the flushes have settled down a bit, but they were hideous. I do still get one or two a day, but less aggressive. They won’t give me HRT til the bloods improve, maybe they should turn that idea on its head!!

Coincidentally I was googling the CGM devices yesterday, I think it’s a good idea.

Thanks for helping!

 

[rhaardoerfer]

Stress raises my BG. Also, if I overeat it doesn’t come down well at night and then starts higher the next morning. I’ve been running and recently started swimming. It has helped me to correct when it goes to high. I’m lucky that my insurance covers the Dexcom G7.

 

[Paul_]

Hi @MaviesDavies2. I won't cover ground already asked in previous posts. However, do you use an app to track your actual food intake per meal/day? Do you weigh/measure portions, or just eyeball them? I'm pretty fanatical with tracking my intake, but even I have days where carb/portion creep can slip into the mix when a busy schedule doesn't allow for complete focus.

Sorry for the direct questions, they're in no way intended to point a finger. However, we're all going through the same battle when it comes to keeping BG controlled, so sometimes directness helps get to the heart of the problem.

Edit - Also, with carbs per 100g, it might be worth sticking to 5g or less per 100g, not 10g per 100g. From general experience so far, this allowed me to keep BG readings well within acceptable ranges.