Hi. Just wondering if low carb is meant to work for everyone. Ive been diagnosed a couple of months now and on metformin. Ive been strictly low carb and my sugars are getting higher and higher. Ive stopped eating during the day now and am only eating once a day in the early evening. By the time my meal is due my sugar is around 9-10 after 24 hrs without food. After food my sugars shoot to mid 20s and stay there for hours. I usually have meat cheese and green veg for my meal. I have a drs appt next week and hes already said I need more meds. I kind of dont want to give up on low carb but also cant see it has made much difference. My estimated hba1c according to my My Sugr app is heading for higher than when I was diagnosed.
@Lally123 I've been thinking about your question for much of the afternoon and evening. Yes, the low carb diet does work for everyone - (those with metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, type 2, type 1.5, type 1 diabetes) - in the sense that it significantly reduces and levels out glucose levels, but only if adequate levels of insulin are present. For the diet to work, type 1.5 and type 1 diabetics need to inject insulin.
While waiting to see your physician, there are additional things that you can do...
Continue eating non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens.
Continue eating no sugar, no fruit, no grains, no beans and legumes, no root vegetables, as you've been doing.
Begin including one or more healthy fats with each meal - (remember, fat serve as your primary source of calories on the diet): butter, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, up to six green olives a day, avocado, raw nuts, animal fat.
Learn how many grams of protein are in each ounce of cooked meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and eggs. Determine how much protein you should be eating each day based on your lean body mass and whether you're above, at, or below that upper limit. This is important because excess protein is converted to glucose and will spike your glucose levels.
Document exactly what you're eating each day and the amounts. Determine the grams of protein, calories from fat, and number of carbs you're eating each day. Note that.
Take your glucose level upon awakening, before each meal, two hours after each meal, and before going to sleep. Note that too.
Also note how much weight you've lost or gained if there's been a change, also your symptoms of being thirsty and feeling awful.
Without knowing exactly what you're eating, daily grams of protein, calories from fat, and whether or not you're eating non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens only for carbs, it's hard to know what's going on.
I want you to have type 2 diabetes - (perhaps your glucose meter isn't working properly) - but based on the information you've shared here over the last month or so, it's not looking likely.
It's important that you document what's happening to you so you and your doctor will have the information he needs to justify ordering the lab tests for type 1.5 and type 1 diabetes. The sooner you know, the sooner you'll get treatment you need, and most importantly, the sooner you'll begin to feel a lot better.
I'm sorry you're going though this. I remember how frustrated I felt when my glucose levels didn't come down fast enough - (it took four weeks, then my levels plateaued and gradually improved over the year that followed; two years later, glucose levels are no longer in the diabetic or pre-diabetic range, but I still have severe insulin resistance).
Your doctor needs to find out what's going on with your pancreas. My hope is that he'll be persuaded to do so when you see him (or her) at you upcoming appointment. Whatever your diagnosis, you'll continue to receive support here. Not knowing what's going on is the worst. Again, I'm sorry you're going through this...