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Effect of weight loss on BG

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CraigyB

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Has anyone who has gone on a low carb diet experienced an increase in BG due to fat being burned off? I had a strange rise in my BG from 7.8 to 8.9 without actually eating anything, and the only thing I can think of is that my body thinks I'm starving and is converting fat into glucose.

I'm only just over a week after diagnosis, and at least until a week on Thursday am trying to control things by diet, but it is a bit all over the place, though never had better than 7.8 before a meal, and have been as high as 15.1 today after an apple for breakfast, and some small scoth eggs, salad and home made sugar free apple crumble for lunch (reading at 2.5hrs after lunch, and from 12.3, 1st thing this morning).

Just wondering if the fact that I'm losing a lot of weight could be making understanding my bg harder?
 
Hi,
A lot depends on what you call a low carb diet. How many carbs have you decided to eat daily? Have you added up the carbs that you are eating during the day? Some of the foods that you have listed may have been higher in carb content than you imagined.
If the increase in blood sugars that you refer to was a fasting level, that could be explained by the Dawn Phenomenon when most diabetics will see a rise in blood sugars first thing in the morning.
http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/A ... henomenon/

If you can give us a bit more information then someone will be able to help you.
Don't despair, it is very much trial and error to begin with.
 
Thanks for the replies.
I would say, I've only reduced my carbs, rather than gone to a formal 'low carb' diet.

When my BG gets around 7.5, I feel so hungry and dizzy. i imagine, it's my body getting used to low BG, as it's probably been 15 for the last couple of years, I'm guessing.

I guess I was trying to understand if anyone else has seen BG increase, even many hours after food, due to fat being burnt?
 
IMHO you need to look at the advice for newly diagnosed diabetics in the Greetings and Introduction thread and buy yourself a Carbs and Cals book.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17088

You say that your partner cooks for diabetics in a care home. This may seem like an ideal situation but most diabetics have found that there is some discrepancy between what most people have been taught is a good diabetic diet and what actually works for a diabetic.

Depending what you eat, your blood sugars can rise even 3-4hrs. after food. If your fasting blood sugars are high then this is known as the Dawn Phenomenon when our bodies produce hormones to get us ready for the day ahead.
Keep asking questions as often as you like, it is quite a puzzle in the beginning and we have all been there.
 
I'd definitely check what you are eating if you are trying for a low carb diet. Apple crumble, even without added sugar, is not going to be low carb.
 
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