Baffled

[Speedbird]

I need some advice from the wise ones.

I have been doing intermittent fasting since diagnosis about 16 months ago. At first it worked well with low FBG down to the 4s.
But slowly it’s been creeping up. My diet hasn’t changed, still low carbing, still exercising. Not overweight. Probably a TOFI, although my visceral fat is 6.
Annoyingly I’ve always had a problem with DP. Usually in the 8s and very lucky if it occasionally shows 6.5.
I am just getting over a cold and realise that BG can be unsteady and stay high when unwell. But what I find hard to fathom is that it is staying in the 8s until I eat about midday. This morning, for instance it was 9.3, the give away was being quite hot when I woke up. 2 coffees with cream then I took the dogs out. BG back down to 8.0. Then it creeped up to 8.3. I had nothing to eat until 1ish, a fry up lunch and 1 hour after it came down to 6.4!
2 hours after 5.7. How does that work?
I may have missed something in the forums about this happening to others but would appreciate a link or some advice.
Thank you x

 

[DCUKMod]

I need some advice from the wise ones.

I have been doing intermittent fasting since diagnosis about 16 months ago. At first it worked well with low FBG down to the 4s.
But slowly it’s been creeping up. My diet hasn’t changed, still low carbing, still exercising. Not overweight. Probably a TOFI, although my visceral fat is 6.
Annoyingly I’ve always had a problem with DP. Usually in the 8s and very lucky if it occasionally shows 6.5.
I am just getting over a cold and realise that BG can be unsteady and stay high when unwell. But what I find hard to fathom is that it is staying in the 8s until I eat about midday. This morning, for instance it was 9.3, the give away was being quite hot when I woke up. 2 coffees with cream then I took the dogs out. BG back down to 8.0. Then it creeped up to 8.3. I had nothing to eat until 1ish, a fry up lunch and 1 hour after it came down to 6.4!
2 hours after 5.7. How does that work?
I may have missed something in the forums about this happening to others but would appreciate a link or some advice.
Thank you x

Have you actually tried eating early? I know it may not fit in with your chosen way of IFing, but it would be another piece of the puzzle.

 

[Speedbird]

I have my 2 morning coffees with cream as I don’t usually have breakfast in the morning. But you may be right. It is something I will try. Just worried that it will raise my morning BGs even more.

Thanks x

 

[DCUKMod]

I have my 2 morning coffees with cream as I don’t usually have breakfast in the morning. But you may be right. It is something I will try. Just worried that it will raise my morning BGs even more.

Thanks x

I have a feeling eating might stop the rise, but I could be very wrong.

Have you considered using a Libre for a couple of weeks?

 

[Resurgam]

To keep my BG steady I need to eat fairly early and fairly late, so spacing out my meals quite wide during the day. I also need to have a few carbs in the morning, but some as no carbs doesn't work - I was developing symptoms of hypoglycemia in mid afternoon eating at lunchtime.
I suggest trying various options to see which suits you best - it might take a few days to settle into the right regime, but I found once I got it right for me then my BG first of all stabilized and then reduced a few points a month on the same meals and amounts.

 

[OrsonKartt]

I have a feeling eating might stop the rise, but I could be very wrong.

Have you considered using a Libre for a couple of weeks?

I get this sometimes. Usually I find its best for me to eat a small thing first thing however sometimes I can get away without eating till miday. I have my theories why this happens and am working out how to know what to do when. Meanwhile welcome to the club...

 

[Speedbird]

I have a feeling eating might stop the rise, but I could be very wrong.

Have you considered using a Libre for a couple of weeks?

I have one waiting to be stuck on as we speak. )
But after having a lovely low carb meal of steak and fried kale this evening reading @ 6.6 - 2 hours after, now feeling peckish before bedtime and readings are now 7.2. This is almost 4 hours after eating. Well I’m confused. X

 

[Speedbird]

To keep my BG steady I need to eat fairly early and fairly late, so spacing out my meals quite wide during the day. I also need to have a few carbs in the morning, but some as no carbs doesn't work - I was developing symptoms of hypoglycemia in mid afternoon eating at lunchtime.
I suggest trying various options to see which suits you best - it might take a few days to settle into the right regime, but I found once I got it right for me then my BG first of all stabilized and then reduced a few points a month on the same meals and amounts.

So an early breakfast soon after getting up? And a little something before bedtime?
Is that what you mean? X

 

[Speedbird]

I get this sometimes. Usually I find its best for me to eat a small thing first thing however sometimes I can get away without eating till miday. I have my theories why this happens and am working out how to know what to do when. Meanwhile welcome to the club...

If ever you want to share those theories, I’m all ears x

 

[Resurgam]

So an early breakfast soon after getting up? And a little something before bedtime?
Is that what you mean? X

I eat twice a day, early and late - no snacks just two meals. In a morning I might have about 10 to 15 gm of carbs and then at dinner time I eat what I feel I need - perhaps up to 35 gm of carbs in the main meal and dessert, but not every day. 50 gm is about my limit these days but I tend to eat more when I have been more active during the day.

 

[Speedbird]

Okay thanks @Resurgam.
I am so used to IF now and it seems counterintuitive to eat, but I think from tomorrow I will give breakfast a go for a few days. X

 

[OrsonKartt]

If ever you want to share those theories, I’m all ears x

Hmm. I'm a tall skinny active bloke who follows a low carb diet after doing the Newcastle diet. My morning blood sugars are often under 6 which I like. Sometimes they creep up and I calorie restrict myself for a day or two by skipping breakfast which has always corrected the situation. However If I do this for more than a couple of days I get a blood glucose rise which doesn't stop until I eat I'm guessing that I get a liver dump as and when I haven't got enough external glucose available. Does that make any sense. ??

 

[Speedbird]

@OrsonKartt Actually, yes it does. It could be the same for me. Thank you.
I just find it perplexing. If I’m not eating, how is the liver finding glucose to dump ? If IF worked before, why is it not working now?
I guess I will have to experiment. X

 

[OrsonKartt]

@OrsonKartt Actually, yes it does. It could be the same for me. Thank you.
I just find it perplexing. If I’m not eating, how is the liver finding glucose to dump ? If IF worked before, why is it not working now?
I guess I will have to experiment. X

Experimenting is the thing 4 sure. Let us know if you can find a pattern x

 

[DCUKMod]

@OrsonKartt Actually, yes it does. It could be the same for me. Thank you.
I just find it perplexing. If I’m not eating, how is the liver finding glucose to dump ? If IF worked before, why is it not working now?
I guess I will have to experiment. X

When the liver dumps, the first suitable food drunk/eaten goes towards replacing the stocks - a bit like a rechargeable battery. That's why I think the rise will stop if you eat. It probably needn't be much..

 

[Speedbird]

I ate a small piece of cheese just before bedtime. 9.8 this morning! At 0700
Depressing.

I ate a boiled egg and had my 2 small cups of coffee and cream. Down to 8.9 at 0900.

I am just not used to such high numbers, considering how low my carbs were last night. X

 

[Brunneria]

Hi @Speedbird

Just a couple of random thoughts, really

- I wouldn't read too much into minor fluctuations, such as bg rising from 8 up to 8.3 mmol/l over a shortish time. That is well within the accuracy tolerance of the meters, and you would probably find that variation, or larger, if you did two tests from the same drop of blood within moments of each other. It is just one of the things we have to accept about home testing.

- also, I second what DCUKmod said about liver dumping.

- and, my own bg rises in the morning until I have something to eat, or have a coffeesubstitute and some cream. But there are a lot of other variations that can affect things too. Like stress. Or a change in routine. My over-helpful liver will step in with a glucose release if I look out of the window, see rain, and decide that yes, I AM going for that dog walk, and YES, it is going to be wet, cold and clammy. It is a pain, but I don't know of a way to stop it, since 'stress hormones' seem to be a major player for me. disturbed sleep and bad news contribute hugely too. Again, it is just something I have learned to accept.

- other things that will cause blips, up or down, include exercise (even a few trips up and down stairs in the middle of a sedentary day can cause my bg to drop measurably), plus of course illness. I think it is easy to assume that our bg is affected by viruses or other infections, but pain is a player too. And these effects can kick in days before we realise that we are getting ill, and last days or even weeks after we thought we had recovered.

I guess I am saying that bg management is more like spinning plates, than hanging a plate on a wall. Sorry for the bad comparison, but I hope you can see what I am getting at...?

 

[DCUKMod]

I ate a small piece of cheese just before bedtime. 9.8 this morning! At 0700
Depressing.

I ate a boiled egg and had my 2 small cups of coffee and cream. Down to 8.9 at 0900.

I am just not used to such high numbers, considering how low my carbs were last night. X

Speedbird - Something I would usually ask right up front (but for some reason totally forgot to with you - apologies); have you around the time of these BG changes started a new pot, or new batch of test strips? It has been known for the odd pot or batch to read a bit higher or lower than we usually see. That can, erm,....... lead to a certain amount of grumpiness in this house!

Just a thought.

 

[Speedbird]

I think you may be right in that stress plays some part in this. For someone who could be as cool as a cucumber at work, I am now quite the opposite at home. I believe I have noticed a pattern and it may be responsible for some of my 8s and 9s. Added to th fact I am getting over a cold. It all makes sense and I am just impatient to get it right. So more stress. Just like you and the dog walks. It’s silly but I entirely empathise with that.
It’s those awful early morning readings that bring me down. But as you say it is relatively unimportant.

Thank you for your post. I feel better for reading it. X

 

[Speedbird]

@DCUKMod
Yes thanks. I did realise that and the Codefree does tend to give a slightly higher reading so I alternated between the accumobile. And 2 different pots of Codefree do indeed vary at times. Annoyingly so but to good to know. X

Thank you all. You are so helpful.
I do think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. That will be next week then!