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Could I have some advice please?

Cloudlesssky

Well-Known Member
Messages
273
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello, helpful people, it's me again!
Almost 2 weeks after being diagnosed with T2 and starting Metformin my bloods after main meals had seemed to settle at about 19 - 20, not good, I know but my first blood test at the surgery was just over 27 and my follow-up appointment and test the following week was 31... hmm, done quite well, I thought.
I had started to feel better, sort of "fresher" inside and not so sluggish. This evening I felt really tired and could hardly keep my eyes open again, so I used the monitor and was 26.6 - probably about 4 1/2 hours after eating beans on granary bread for lunch.
I decided that I shouldn't eat my dinner till the level had gone down, so drank a glass of water, went for a brisk 20 minute walk, came back and had another drink. (Sorry about all the detail!)
Have just monitored again and am now 22.0.
Used ketostick and all fine.

So, please could you tell me...

Did I do the right thing to exercise and drink?
Was I right not to eat until the level had dropped?
Do I still need to wait before I have dinner?
If levels go up, is there actually anything you can eat or drink to help bring them down more quickly?

Sorry, you experienced guys are fantastic with all your advice, hope I don't sound pathetic, demanding or anything. Thank you!
BG
 
it is very high, do you know about the LCHF or the Newcastle diet? that's the 2 diets I know of with the best way to get your bloods down.
it's good that you have a meter and ketostiks and it's a good sign that you have no reduced insulin ketones

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy.
blood testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
food counting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Newcastle diet aims in 8+ weeks to mimic or better, the gastric surgery rate of ~80% T2 remission
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2010/mar/weight-loss-surgery-and-type-2-diabetes.html
 
Hi Jack and thank you.
Yes, I thought we'd overcome the really high "scores", but it's only 10 days or so I've been on Metformin, and I'm only on 2 a day so far, so I hope it will improve.
Thanks for all the links too.
BG
 
Hi BeeGee

My understanding is that Metformin alone will cause glucose to drop by only 10-15%, diet and exercise are much more important in getting your levels down.

Probably the single most important factor is the quantity of carbs you consume.

Do you count carbs at the moment?

I suggest that, if you are not doing so already, you should use something like myfitnesspal to keep a food diary and count carbs and calories.

You should check before and two hours after each meal aiming for after counts to be within 2 mmol of before. If you consistently meet this target you should see your levels drop gradually to more acceptable numbers.

If you are not achieving this 2mmol target you need to reduce further the quantity of carbs you consume until you can meet the target.

Main carbs: bread and other grain products, rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals, bananas,

You are right to exercise and drink water as a way to reduce your levels but the idea of not eating at all does not sound a likely solution. Have a non carb light meal.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

Pavlos
 
Hi BeeGee - I have posted some information for you on your other thread
 
Hi BeeGee. Exercise is wonderful at rapidly dropping your BG levels. It works by not requiring you muscles to need insulin which they are being resistant to atm. Therefore, when you exercise they use up their internal stores (about 15mins of walking) and then start on the glucose in your blood. Now the complication is you probably arent producing much insulin because you pancreas has given up some what so you liver is continually releasing it as its signal is missing to stop. To reduce you insulin resistance you need to remove the fat from around your liver pancreas and the rest of your digestive system as well as reduce the fat from your muscles.

Exercise will work on these but diet is the key driver. To reduce it rapidly you need to reduce the carbs as Jack says but I would also recommend be a little deficient in calories for a few weeks. This has the largest effect. Jack also pointed you at a diet explicitly designed for this (Newcastle). It is 8 weeks of ultra low calorie diet (easier than you think) and you may even be able lucky to reverse the D.

You can have a read of my first 3 months after diagnosis when I went from levels like yours to normal (yes in 3 months - well actually faster than that if you look at my graphs). As I continued on I have just got better and better and manage whatever I throw at myself.

So consider changing your diet - it is most definitely worth it and read my journey in the thread linked in my signature
 
Thank you, Daisy, I thought I'd posted on the wrong board so tried to move it ... unsuccessfully, oops.
Appreciate your reply and I'll look at what you suggest.
Thank you.
 
 
Thank you for your reply I appreciate your time to help me.
Bee Gee
 
Thank you everyone for your support.
This morning, pre breakfast, blood glucose is just 15. Yay!
 
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