Extended fasting

[Wendy14592]

Many thanks to @bushbiker for advice on starting and posting to this forum.
As they say "never too old to learn "
Day 1 of a liquid only fast. I say liquid only as may have some bone broth later in the evening if very hungry.
Did a 5 day fast earlier this month but gave up on day 5 as felt queasy.
Today FBG was 7.5, weight 65kg, BMI 22.5 and body fat 28.7%.
Target reduce FBG to 4.0, weight to 60 kg, BMI to 19 and body fat to 22.0%.
Seems too ambitious but its worth a try.
Anyone else care

 

[Wendy14592]

Is it possible to fast with diabetes? I thought I have to have regular meals so as not to have a hypo

 

[Goonergal]

Is it possible to fast with diabetes? I thought I have to have regular meals so as not to have a hypo

It depends on your medication regime. If unmediated or metformin only, no problems at all. Any blood glucose lowering medication or insulin and it’s more complicated and requires a higher level of monitoring/supervision.

I see these are your first posts. Tagging @daisy1 forma welcome pack - won’t answer questions about fasting, but plenty more helpful information.

 

[Wendy14592]

It depends on your medication regime. If unmediated or metformin only, no problems at all. Any blood glucose lowering medication or insulin and it’s more complicated and requires a higher level of monitoring/supervision.

I see these are your first posts. Tagging @daisy1 forma welcome pack - won’t answer questions about fasting, but plenty more helpful information.

Thank you I'm very new to this . I really want to get my blood sugar stable but it seems all over the place.

 

[eddie07]

Update today Wednesday 31st October.
FBG 3.8 too low? Just retested after a few cups of black coffee and blood sugar was 5.2.
Weight 61.7kg BMI 21.4 Fat 26.4%.
Yesterday walked 5.5 miles and burnt 2182 calories.
Consumed 13 calories consisting of fat 0.3grms carbs 0.5grms and proteins 1.7grms.
Black coffee 6 mugs sea salt 3grms and apple cider vinegar 20g.
Energy levels good and manageable hunger. Maybe a bit more irritable than normal
Very pleased with my progress so far.

 

[zand]

If you feel OK with an FBG of 3.8 then it's not too low.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thank you I'm very new to this . I really want to get my blood sugar stable but it seems all over the place.

Are you fairly recently diagnosed?
You are on a fairly potent combination of medication.
Would you happy to share some HbA1c results with us?

 

[eddie07]

Thanks @zand I feel okay though hunger pangs getting worse.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks @zand I feel okay though hunger pangs getting worse.

Sounds great.. interesting about the hunger I find that day 2-3 is usually the worst. I've been down to 3.5 on an extended fast with no ill effects. Keep strong but don't forget if you start to feel unwell then breaking the fast is always the best idea.

 

[kokhongw]

Thanks @zand I feel okay though hunger pangs getting worse.

When glucose are low and ketones have yet to ramp up, that's where some virgin coconut oil may be most helpful...

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/extended-fasting.1605/

 

[eddie07]

Thanks @bulkbiker. Feelings of hunger come and go I am drinking water and black coffee
Trying to minimise calorie intake as far as possible.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks @bulkbiker. Feelings of hunger come and go I am drinking water and black coffee
Trying to minimise calorie intake as far as possible.

I can see that .... 13 is pretty hard core!
I couldn't manage with just that... each tablespoon of cream in my multiple coffees has 67 cals..I think I average between 200 and 400 per day when fasting..

 

[eddie07]

I think bone broth and butter will be on the menu this evening.

 

[daisy1]

@eddie07

Hello Eddie and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful to you. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

 

[eddie07]

Thanks @daisy1. I have been following this website for a number of years but never got involved.
Just thought it would be interesting to share details of a longer period of fasting.

 

[zand]

Thanks @daisy1. I have been following this website for a number of years but never got involved.
Just thought it would be interesting to share details of a longer period of fasting.

Can you share the 'after fasting' too please? I won't be trying this until the Spring ( if at all) as I don't cope well without food in the colder weather.

 

[eddie07]

Update Thursday 1st November.
FBG 5.1
Weight 61.0kg BMI 21.1 Fat 25.5%
Yesterday Wednesday walked 6.7 miles and burnt 2338 calories

Consumed 302 calories consisting of fat 27.8g carbs 4.1g and proteins 5.5g
Black coffee 6 mugs butter 34g bone broth 357g.
Energy levels better than Tuesday and Wednesday and hunger not too onerous.
But still waiting for the much vaunted increase in energy levels and clarity of thought.

 

[eddie07]

Can you share the 'after fasting' too please? I won't be trying this until the Spring ( if at all) as I don't cope well without food in the colder weather.

Yes @zand. I'll update on post fast data as well. Will be interesting to see how the numbers change once I start eating again.

 

[zand]

Yes @zand. I'll update on post fast data as well. Will be interesting to see how the numbers change once I start eating again.

Not just the numbers, how you feel afterwards would be interesting too please. Sorry to be a pain.

 

[eddie07]

Not just the numbers, how you feel afterwards would be interesting too please. Sorry to be a pain.

Okay sure. To date it has been relatively easy and pain free.
Tomorrow will be day 6 so maybe things will change.