Diet Doctor Low Carb Challenge

[Speedbird]

Without having to read the whole thread, would somebody tell me what DD stands for? If it's any good good for lowering DP ( I know what that is ) ). I need to give it a go. Thank you all. X

 

[Chook]

Without having to read the whole thread, would somebody tell me what DD stands for? If it's any good good for lowering DP ( I know what that is ) ). I need to give it a go. Thank you all. X

DD is the diet doctor website at
https://www.dietdoctor.com

That website offers a (free) two week challenge for participants to stay below 20g of carbs each day at
https://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=Challenge#search

 

[Brunneria]

Just a thought, do you think that this might mean you having to have crack slaw every day for breakfast?

sounds like an EXCELLENT plan!

Seriously, though, for the last week or so (even the Off Piste Potato Excursions at the weekend) my readings have been consistently and smoothly the lowest ever recorded. The drop is probably around 0.5mmol/l across the board. Although I am still getting a rise to 7ish mid to late morning, which I can't seem to budge. But that is now my highest reading of the day.

I can only assume this 0.5 drop is because my insulin resistance is dropping, so my background insulin production is dropping too. Oh, and maybe by liver's glucose stores are depleting.

Interested to see if this continues.

 

[Chook]

sounds like an EXCELLENT plan!

Seriously, though, for the last week or so (even the Off Piste Potato Excursions at the weekend) my readings have been consistently and smoothly the lowest ever recorded. The drop is probably around 0.5mmol/l across the board. Although I am still getting a rise to 7ish mid to late morning, which I can't seem to budge. But that is now my highest reading of the day.

I can only assume this 0.5 drop is because my insulin resistance is dropping, so my background insulin production is dropping too. Oh, and maybe by liver's glucose stores are depleting.

Interested to see if this continues.

I really, really hope it does carry on like this for you.

It's interesting that you also get that mid to late morning rise, too. I'm finding it the most frustrating because there doesn't seem to be a way of stopping it, except by eating a very large protein rich meal - a little meal/snack won't stop it for me - but I did stop it in its upward swing the other day when I had that large breakfast of baked mackerel - a big full English without the beans or tomatoes works too but I don't think I could eat a big breakfast like that every day.

 

[Brunneria]

I wonder what would happen if we swapped the lunch leftovers for breakfast, and then skipped lunch?

Although I am not sure that my morning rise is anything to do with food. I think it is just a side effect of my wake-up 'stress' hormones, and an unavoidable part of my daily routine. Gave up worrying about it a looooong time ago.

I tried for 3-4 years to avoid/eliminate/dodge the dratted thing, and now suspect that only a tiny bolus injection of insulin would do it - and that won't be happening any time soon. Hey ho. Not worth worriting about.

 

[Chook]

I wonder what would happen if we swapped the lunch leftovers for breakfast, and then skipped lunch?

Although I am not sure that my morning rise is anything to do with food. I think it is just a side effect of my wake-up 'stress' hormones, and an unavoidable part of my daily routine. Gave up worrying about it a looooong time ago.

I tried for 3-4 years to avoid/eliminate/dodge the dratted thing, and now suspect that only a tiny bolus injection of insulin would do it - and that won't be happening any time soon. Hey ho. Not worth worriting about.

Maybe its worth giving it a try for a few days. I'm going to go back through my food and BG diary to see if I can find anything else that might be preventing it on the odd few occasions it doesn't do it.

Nooooooooooooooooooo - definitely don't get started on the insulin unless you can't possibly avoid it. Its difficult to get back off of and I gained a stone for each year I was on it. PITA

 

[Brunneria]

No one would give me insulin here in the UK with my numbers.
Actually, I think probably the only person in the whole world who would consider insulin appropriate for me would be Dr Bernstein! lol.

 

[maglil55]

@Brunneria @Chook well done both of you on the results. I'm not quite there yet but it is still this morning rise that is getting to me (although less than it was before to be honest as I try to get an accurate picture of where I am).
Last night I went off to bed on 6.5 and got up to 7 which is fine. Then it managed a creep to 7.8 before I fed it breakfast. 1hr on and we're down to 7.6. So not a disaster by any means. I do know the rest of the day it will have this downwards meander.
I'm happier eating not very much at lunchtime as I really was not hungry for another meal so breakfast plus dinner as my 'main meals' seems to be where I'll settle.
I need to go in search of salad today. Will try in the next town when I take No 2 to Gym Monkeys.
Insulin is one of my big fears. I really don't want to go there so I really hope that just digging in will do the trick and so far so good.

 

[Chook]

We seem to have plenty of salad stuff locally so long as you want it in bags but no whole lettuces and no courgettes or aubergines - and some other imported veg and fruit are missing from the shelves. I must admit, I'm quite surprised at how much I miss all these imported fruits and veggies.

@maglil55. I'm quite enjoying having my avocado at lunchtime. Today I had it with a small amount of gravadlax on the last of my romaine leaves (to make a sort of wrap) Very satisfying.

@Brunneria. I don't know much about Dr Bernstein except what it says on Wikipedia - but why do you think he'd let you have insulin. I am actually still prescribed insulin and keep some of both sorts in the fridge 'just in case' even though it's been 19 months since I used any.

 

[Brunneria]

@Brunneria. I don't know much about Dr Bernstein except what it says on Wikipedia - but why do you think he'd let you have insulin. I am actually still prescribed insulin and keep some of both sorts in the fridge 'just in case' even though it's been 19 months since I used any.

Well, my comment was mainly a joke.
But having read Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, he aims for his patients to have a very low HbA1c and serious control. I believe he wants then to have an HbA1c of 4.6 (old money) and 27 (new money) which equates to an average score of 4.6mmol/l on our home meters.
- and he is happy to prescribe insulin to T2s in order to reach that target.

I am comfortable with my bg control at the moment, and wouldn't take the insulin even if he offered it to me in a free consultation, but I respect his belief that we can minimise our odds of developing diabetic complications by exerting such tight control.

 

[Chook]

@Brunneria

4.6! That is low and seems extreme to expect that all the time. The only time I regularly got down to those kinds of numbers was when I was fasting several times a week. (Which a little bit of me misses.)

Your BG is great at the moment and how great to get rid of those little liver dumps at night. Eating all that crack slaw and butter is paying off.

 

[maglil55]

I managed to get little gems. Not my favourite but it will do. I just fancy a salad tonight so it will be M&S big prawns, lettuce, tomato, walnuts, cheese, red pepper , boiled egg , avocado and of course Helmanns.

 

[Chook]

@maglil55

That sounds lovely - much nicer than my DD frittata. I'm just not in the mood for eggs.

 

[maglil55]

@maglil55

That sounds lovely - much nicer than my DD frittata. I'm just not in the mood for eggs.

I loved the frittata - had it again yesterday.

 

[Brunneria]

Oh wow!
Of all the recipes in week 1 the one i was looking forward to least, was the jerk chicken - but it was delicious!
- i did substitute ground flaxseed rather than pork rinds, which worked much better than expected.

 

[maglil55]

I managed to get little gems. Not my favourite but it will do. I just fancy a salad tonight so it will be M&S big prawns, lettuce, tomato, walnuts, cheese, red pepper , boiled egg , avocado and of course Helmanns.

And the salad was indeed lovely and I still feel full. Carbs for today were a mere 5g - can't believe it.

 

[Chook]

Oh wow!
Of all the recipes in week 1 the one i was looking forward to least, was the jerk chicken - but it was delicious!
- i did substitute ground flaxseed rather than pork rinds, which worked much better than expected.

That's a good idea! I liked the flavour of the jerk chicken but all the crushed pork scratchings slid off.

I loved the frittata - had it again yesterday.

We both agreed the frittata was okay but probably won't make that particular recipe again. I prefer my frittata to be lighter so I think the Hellmans was the problem. I don't make them often but when I do I usually make mine with soured cream (and cheese and eggs) not mayo.

And the salad was indeed lovely and I still feel full. Carbs for today were a mere 5g - can't believe it.

Just the thought of your salad mademy mount water - I'm going to have to include salad in next week's menu.

 

[Chook]

My BG was 6.4 this morning and I'm quite disappointed that it hasn't started going down a bit - it does make me wonder just how much longer my liver can keep annoying me this way.

In an effort to reduce or stop this All Morning Phenomenon (AMP) - can't call it DP - I have eaten mackerel for breakfast because there definitely seems to be a relationship between a big brekkie with protein and low lunchtime BG numbers for me.

Unfortunately the breakfast wasn't quite as big as planned - I only had two fillets of mackerel instead of three because the new dog swiped one off my plate while I'd walked just to the other side of the kitchen to get the lemon I'd cut up. He didn't get to keep it.

 

[Brunneria]

Ok ladies. Sorry if this comes over as gloating. I am afraid it is.

My FBG was 5.2 this morning, rising to 5.8 now, before my first drink of the day (according to Libre sensor, and its an accurate one) These are the best figs I have seen since I started testing 4 years ago.
As mentioned yesterday, I am normally 6.2 and 7 respectively, despite 4 years of consistently very low carbing, and endless little experiments attempting to get these morning readings down. Readings later in the day are lower.

Clearly, I should have bitten the bullet and moved to significantly less than 20g of carbs a day long ago.
I am trying not to kick myself. lol.

Hopefully you will find similar benefits, as time goes on...

 

[Chook]

That's WONDERFUL @Brunneria - you should be very proud of yourself to have achieved those results. I hope the same happens to me but reading your post gives me hope.