Base level glucose - low carb

[Nicki484]

Hi,
Wondering if anyone can please explain the reason why my blood glucose level is always around 8mmol.
Throughout the day and night my glucose levels always are in the 8’s.
They go higher and lower but even when I eat just fats they seem to settle at 8mmol.
I’m type 2 and not on medication. I’ve tried intermittent fasting and this makes my levels go up to in the 9’s.
Everyone else on lchf seem to lower their glucose much better.
I’m eating 1200 calories a day, 40g carbs and 70g protein and the rest from fats.
I’m so upset that I can’t get my bloods lower even by starving myself.
I’ve tried Ketosis and that’s made it worse!

 

[bulkbiker]

but even when I eat just fats they seem to settle at 8mmol.

Maybe give us some examples of what you are eating?
I see you have been around for a fair while .. how old is your meter (which one are you using)?

 

[Nicki484]

Maybe give us some examples of what you are eating?
I see you have been around for a fair while .. how old is your meter (which one are you using)?

I use contour next, and I am currently using the freestyle libre so I can see my glucose continuously, I only by the sensors now and again because they are so expensive.


Breakfast - yogurt blueberries flaxseed peanut butter and linseed 16 carbs,
Lunch - tuna, coleslaw, mayo, lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes 9 carbs
Dinner - salmon with ground almond on top, broccoli and celeriac 11 carbs
Snack before bed - livlife bread and flax peanut butter 5 carbs

 

[Member496333]

How long ago were you diagnosed, what was your HbA1c at that time, how long have you been in ketosis, and what was your HbA1c around the time that you started it?

Depending on the severity of your insulin resistance, it can take a long time to fully purge all that glucose and to clear the fat from your liver and pancreas. Your blood glucose concentration is rising when you fast because your body still has plenty of glucose to draw from. It will always prioritise glycolysis over ketosis so long as it has the necessary means.

EDIT: apologies, I see you are not in ketosis.

 

[Nicki484]

How long ago were you diagnosed, what was your HbA1c at that time, how long have you been in ketosis, and what was your HbA1c around the time that you started it?

Depending on the severity of your insulin resistance, it can take a long time to fully purge all that glucose and to clear the fat from your liver and pancreas. Your blood glucose concentration is rising when you fast because your body still has plenty of glucose to draw from. It will always prioritise glycolysis over ketosis so long as it has the necessary means.

EDIT: apologies, I see you are not in ketosis.

I was diagnosed in 2015 and my hba1c was 88, through lowering my carbs to 70g a day I lowered my hba1c to 49 but it then went up to 52 a month ago so I’ve lowered my carb intake more but it’s not helping.

 

[bulkbiker]

I use contour next, and I am currently using the freestyle libre so I can see my glucose continuously, I only by the sensors now and again because they are so expensive.


Breakfast - yogurt blueberries flaxseed peanut butter and linseed 16 carbs,
Lunch - tuna, coleslaw, mayo, lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes 9 carbs
Dinner - salmon with ground almond on top, broccoli and celeriac 11 carbs
Snack before bed - livlife bread and flax peanut butter 5 carbs

I found that reducing my eating window was quite helpful.. for me skipping breakfast. You seem to have quite a few carbs at the start of the day which some find has a negative impact. Also the snack before bed should be unnecessary if you are having enough fats..
That would be my one observation.. its a fairly low fat regime with possibly too many carbs and 4 meals a day.
I'd try cutting down to 2 meals a day either b/fast and lunch or lunch and dinner with some coffee with cream maybe as a meal replacement. I'd also try removing things like the almonds on the fish, peanut butter (peanuts are legumes not nuts) and the bread completely and see how you go. Eating higher fat things like chicken thighs, pork belly rib-eye may make you want to eat fewer meals.
For me I try to stay below 20g of carbs per day. you might find that by doing what you are doing you are just topping up your glucose stores enough to never get into full on fat burning mode. Just some thoughts...

 

[Member496333]

Seems like you may need to go full ketogenic with fasting, and give it more time. Difficult to say much more than that.

 

[DCUKMod]

I use contour next, and I am currently using the freestyle libre so I can see my glucose continuously, I only by the sensors now and again because they are so expensive.


Breakfast - yogurt blueberries flaxseed peanut butter and linseed 16 carbs,
Lunch - tuna, coleslaw, mayo, lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes 9 carbs
Dinner - salmon with ground almond on top, broccoli and celeriac 11 carbs
Snack before bed - livlife bread and flax peanut butter 5 carbs

Nicki484, are your carb counts OK? Your supper doesn't seem many carbs for Livlife and peanut butter, but of course I don't know the quantities involved.

 

[Thomas the Tank]

I use contour next, and I am currently using the freestyle libre so I can see my glucose continuously, I only by the sensors now and again because they are so expensive.


Breakfast - yogurt blueberries flaxseed peanut butter and linseed 16 carbs,
Lunch - tuna, coleslaw, mayo, lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes 9 carbs
Dinner - salmon with ground almond on top, broccoli and celeriac 11 carbs
Snack before bed - livlife bread and flax peanut butter 5 carbs

I found that reducing my eating window was quite helpful.. for me skipping breakfast. You seem to have quite a few carbs at the start of the day which some find has a negative impact. Also the snack before bed should be unnecessary if you are having enough fats..
That would be my one observation.. its a fairly low fat regime with possibly too many carbs and 4 meals a day.
I'd try cutting down to 2 meals a day either b/fast and lunch or lunch and dinner with some coffee with cream maybe as a meal replacement. I'd also try removing things like the almonds on the fish, peanut butter (peanuts are legumes not nuts) and the bread completely and see how you go. Eating higher fat things like chicken thighs, pork belly rib-eye may make you want to eat fewer meals.
For me I try to stay below 20g of carbs per day. you might find that by doing what you are doing you are just topping up your glucose stores enough to never get into full on fat burning mode. Just some thoughts...

Could not say it better. Cut the carbs right down and give it time. Just lowered my Hb1 to 39 from 78 in 6 months of low carb and 20 kg weight loss from low cal as well

 

[Nicki484]

Nicki484, are your carb counts OK? Your supper doesn't seem many carbs for Livlife and peanut butter, but of course I don't know the quantities involved.

Yes it’s 3.8 carbs for one slice of livlife bread and 10g of whole earth flax seed butter is 1 carb

 

[Pasha]

Hi,
Wondering if anyone can please explain the reason why my blood glucose level is always around 8mmol.
Throughout the day and night my glucose levels always are in the 8’s.
They go higher and lower but even when I eat just fats they seem to settle at 8mmol.
I’m type 2 and not on medication. I’ve tried intermittent fasting and this makes my levels go up to in the 9’s.
Everyone else on lchf seem to lower their glucose much better.
I’m eating 1200 calories a day, 40g carbs and 70g protein and the rest from fats.
I’m so upset that I can’t get my bloods lower even by starving myself.
I’ve tried Ketosis and that’s made it worse!

Hi Nicki484,
You can get a very clear picture of your situation [ IMHO ] if you cut out carbohydrates for a week, eat just meat, cicken,fish,eggs etc and fats, butter ,olive oil etc Test you BG throughout the day and within a few days you will probably see your BG values drop very significantly. I did this eating to the protein: fat ratio of 20:80 .ie on the basis of calories The results were very clear indeed. Takes a good few days until your body gets rid of its glycogen stores.

 

[Deleted Account]

Hi Nicki484,
You can get a very clear picture of your situation [ IMHO ] if you cut out carbohydrates for a week, eat just meat, cicken,fish,eggs etc and fats, butter ,olive oil etc Test you BG throughout the day and within a few days you will probably see your BG values drop very significantly. I did this eating to the protein: fat ratio of 20:80 .ie on the basis of calories The results were very clear indeed. Takes a good few days until your body gets rid of its glycogen stores.

That's interesting.
With type 1, my BG would rise if I ate heavily protein meals with no carbs.
I haven't tried it for longer than a few hours.

 

[bulkbiker]

That's interesting.
With type 1, my BG would rise if I ate heavily protein meals with no carbs.
I haven't tried it for longer than a few hours.

Thats quite interesting .. The video link I just posted with Dave Feldman and Ben Bikman has a short section when Dave was wearing a CGM and eating a carnivore diet. It is almost flat and the highest peak is at 4 am when his Dawn Phenomenon pushed his BG up from 5 to 5.8 mmol/l whereas the food he was eating has almost no effect. You can't even guess the timing of the meal from the graph.

Edit to add Dave is of course pretty metabolically flexible...

 

[Flora123]

I use contour next, and I am currently using the freestyle libre so I can see my glucose continuously, I only by the sensors now and again because they are so expensive.


Breakfast - yogurt blueberries flaxseed peanut butter and linseed 16 carbs,
Lunch - tuna, coleslaw, mayo, lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes 9 carbs
Dinner - salmon with ground almond on top, broccoli and celeriac 11 carbs
Snack before bed - livlife bread and flax peanut butter 5 carbs

I found I had to go much lower carb. I couldn’t tolerate your breakfast or the snack before bed or my levels would also be in the 8s. I can’t miss breakfast I’ve found, or my BG just keeps rising. Someone suggested a snack in waking. I tried various things but a mini babybel keeps my FBG stable until I can have my eggs for breakfast. I miss lunch if I can and by dinner time my levels are in the 5s. Too much protein makes my levels rise too. I have learnt this through advice in here, testing a LOT and just trying different combos. Snacking is a huge no no for me but I’ve only noticed that recently. Don’t forget stress is a huge factor and drink lots of water which definitely helps, as does a good walk after a meal. We are all so different and what works for one, doesn’t for someone else.....sadly. I take screenshots of suggestions from posts here so I can flick through them to try as there are so many great suggestions to try to see what works for YOU.

 

[Pasha]

That's interesting.
With type 1, my BG would rise if I ate heavily protein meals with no carbs.
I haven't tried it for longer than a few hours.

Note, my meals were heavy on the fat, not on the protein

 

[FSnow]

I use contour next, and I am currently using the freestyle libre so I can see my glucose continuously, I only by the sensors now and again because they are so expensive.


Breakfast - yogurt blueberries flaxseed peanut butter and linseed 16 carbs,
Lunch - tuna, coleslaw, mayo, lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes 9 carbs
Dinner - salmon with ground almond on top, broccoli and celeriac 11 carbs
Snack before bed - livlife bread and flax peanut butter 5 carbs

Hi Niki484
I started taking 3 desert spoons of Ground flax seed for breakfast. I would hit my one hour 7.8 and two hour 6.6 targets and then seemed to be getting odd spikes of up to 7 several hours with no carbs or food. This went on for a few weeks and could have been related to the portion too large but also understand Flaxseed may have contraindications with Metformin and mimics estrogen. I decided to not have it for a while and see what happens . I eat to my meter and change many things all the same time so it is difficult to see results of one particular change. The experiences of others would be helpful on this issue.
I take 1000 mg Metformin