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Feeling defeated

L

lisa5466

Active Member
Messages
37
Location
North West England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Feeling exhausted all the time
Apologies for the negative post but I’m feeling defeated today and I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong.
Was diagnosed with HB1ac of 80 3 weeks ago today. Started metformin 500mg x 2 twice a day, so 2000mg per day a few days later (delayed due to work commitments)
I’d started eating low carb before diagnosis, so approx 4 was ago and I feel I’ve been really good.
I haven’t lost a single pound in weight since eating lchf....not one

Also testing bg daily, managed to get this down from average 23mmol, dropping last week to even below 10mmol one day

Now this week I’m back up in the low teens and can’t work out why?? I’m feeling generally exhausted, have blurred vision, and starting to feel so fed up.
I did the Newcastle diet five years ago, and kept this in remission for five years, so I’m thinking if maybe trying that again. It’s tough, and I’d feel worse if it didn’t work, but I’m not seeing great results from what I’m doing.
Can anyone enlighten me please?
Thanks
 
Just to add, I’m also beating myself up with taking some off work at the moment
which I hate as I don’t think I ‘should’ be ill with this!
 
Your not on your own, my Bs have been hitting mid teens for the last month 1 x Pioglitazone 30 mg 2 x Gllclazide 40 mg
2 x Metformin x 1000 mg don't understand what's happening. so decided to start taking NovaRapd not sure what's going to happen now.....
 
No need to be sorry for anything @lisa5466 !
You have a proven track record of success which leads me to think you have the right attitude to succeed again. I'd like a few more details to be able to offer you anything more than a virtual arm-round-the-shoulder.
Be patient. Christmas blip to be expected and allowed for.
 

Hi ballabob I’ve only been taking metformin so far. Think I’d expected it to be a wonder drug that combined with lchf would have shown better results. Are you eating differently? Not sure what your other meds are?
 

Thanks nomoredonuts and yes I did do it last time although my HBa1c was only 50 to begin with then. It was five years ago & the Newcastle diet was fairly new to the scene. I stuck to it, took up running and beat the diabetes. Changed job in 2016 to far more stressful and time consuming position, so way of life took a hit....and I’m paying for it now!!
I stayed on the radar at my surgery hence the continued testing, and was shocked to have HB1ac of 80 three weeks ago

I’ve done everything I’ve read on here & done lchf but not seeing much for it.
My last resort is back to Newcastle 8wk plan as that worked before, it’s just really tough and may not pay off

I guess everyone hits the ‘fed up’ point....just need to get past this ‍
 
lisa5466 said:
Hi ballabob I’ve only been taking metformin so far. Think I’d expected it to be a wonder drug that combined with lchf would have shown better results. Are you eating differently? Not sure what your other meds are?
Click to expand...
Hi Lisa, I try to eat low carb high protein, Bs been running high for the past 2 months.....getting fed up now
 

Hi Lisa

Sorry to hear you are feeling defeated at the moment. You have made amazing progress with your blood glucose levels and most of that is down to you rather than the meds. If you're like me, the weight loss happens with good blood glucose levels and this should be the priority for so many reasons.

A low carb diet is so varied, we might be able to help if you tell use more about what you are eating and carb levels etc although it is clearly working but not in the extreme way of ND.

I'm tagging @Pipp as I think she has done ND more than once and may have some thoughts for you.
 
Hi.

It’s completely normal to feel down in your position, so don’t feel down about feeling down. Recovering from diabetes is playing the long game. It likely took decades to develop and won’t be fixed overnight. It took me nearly two years to fully get a handle on things. The reason you’re not losing weight is almost certainly because you still have a permanently elevated blood insulin concentration. Depending on the level of your progression it may take quite some time for glucose levels to drop low enough such that insulin production levels off. Remember it is literally not possible to reliably oxidise stored body fat in the presence of elevated insulin.

Keep plugging away at low carbohydrate. Keep protein levels good but not super high. Eat plenty of dietary fat to keep you satiated. From time to time try intermittent fasting. Do not bother with a low calorie diet, it will only make you feel hungry, stall your basal metabolic rate, and mean your body switches off many less essential services such as cell repair and keeping you warm etc. You’ll feel lousy.

Stick with the LCHF/IF and plenty of exercise. Lift weights. In time, your sugar levels will drop low enough that you can start burning body fat. Patience is key. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

And good luck! We’ve all been there so don’t be shy to ask questions
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ballabob said:
Hi Lisa, I try to eat low carb high protein, Bs been running high for the past 2 months.....getting fed up now
Click to expand...

Try cutting the protein down to around 60-90g per day, spread equally across your meals. Displace the missing protein with fat. It may or may not work but for many people with severe insulin resistance it does.
 

Hi Alison, thanks for this. I’m using my carb manager app and aiming for under 50g carbs per day. I’m not managing under 50g every day, going as high as 100g occasionally but usually somewhere in between. Trying to get my head around eating fat but think I’m getting there now. BG is priority and I could ignore the weight loss issue if I was seeing progressive results in bg, but that seems to have stalled, I’m just frustrated now when I read of everyone’s great progress....thinking I’m doing something wrong
 

Hi Jim, thanks, this goes some way to explain things and the slow progress. I am impatient by nature I’m afraid. So I shouldn’t be counting calories and stick to counting carbs & filling up with coffee & cream
I was starting to think I should be counting calories as well as carbs. I haven’t had the energy to exercise, having run for the last five years this goes against the grain so adds to my frustration. I’ve got my running friends planning baby steps back into it so that will come
Thanks.
 
ballabob said:
Hi Lisa, I try to eat low carb high protein, Bs been running high for the past 2 months.....getting fed up now
Click to expand...

Hey ballabob, you and me both

I haven’t been so high protein as I was vegetarian before this. I’m slowly trying to bring chicken & fish back into my diet. Did you see the comment about reducing protein? I’ve read that somewhere else too...maybe give that a try?
 

If you’re unable to exercise effectively try doing mild resistance training with a set of dumbbells. Muscle tissue sucks up glucose like a sponge and does so irrespective of insulin resistance. It’s possibly the very most effective activity for stabilising blood glucose.
 
Hi @lisa5466 I can understand your frustration when you’ve managed previously to make such a remarkable difference to your HbA1c.
I found the high fat aspect of lchf difficult to accept at first too and was carb counting and trying to count calories, then trying to figure out macros. It got very confusing. I found the Diet Doctor website very helpful (dietdoctor.com) and used their recipes and meal plans for a few weeks to get into the swing of it. It took all the hassle out of wondering if I was ‘doing it right’
I agree with @Jim Lahey that resistance type exercise seems really good for bg control - whenever I do it, I see positive results.

Good luck I hope you turn the corner soon.
 
Hello, @lisa5466 and thank you for tagging me @Alison Campbell . Sorry for late response.
@lisa5466 I understand your dilemma. I have been there, still wearing out the T shirt. It can be frustrating, can't it. Well done at having had some success with the ND initially.
I don't think I have much to add, although I think the situation of not maintaining the lower HbA1c results and regaining weight does illustrate the need to consider that ND is not just a short 8 week very low calorie diet, but the need to have a long term strategy after the calorie restricted phase.

Having seen increased BG after 7 years, and having had several courses of steroid meds just prior to the increase, I did need to look at my strategy. I had found that I maintained weight quite well with low carbing, but when I included unlimited cream in coffee, I felt a bit sick, and did see some weight gain. Of course, lots of factors have an influence. For me some of those are being post menopause, having other health conditions, and medication for those other conditions. Also I am limited in the sort of exercise I can do, but make regular use of swimming pool for swim and aquafit sessions, and an adapted gym for disabled people. I use hand weights too at home. Trying to make sure I don't lose too much muscle mass as I get older.

As @Alison Campbell mentioned, I have used very low calorie diet methods more than once. First time was in 2011, before the more recent published papers by the ND team. That resulted in massive weight loss 49 kg. Alas, I didn't know about low carb diets and so returned to low fat after and regained some 20kg. Blood glucose remained below diabetic levels until earlier this year. So if nothing else, I feel I have delayed by 7 years any onset of complications. I still have no obvious complications, retinopathy tests have all been clear, as have feet checks. I did go very low calorie using real food a few months ago. HbA1c levels are dropping again, slowly. Not sure if that can be attributed to very low calorie, longer term low carbing, or not having steroid meds for several months. That is the trouble when you change more than one variable at a time in any experiement.

If you are still reading, well done! I do go on a bit. I really believe we each have to find our own way through our own individual maze. You have used very low calorie diet before, if you feel that would help, then only you can decide if that is the way to go. I wouldn't advocate doing so on a regular basis. That would mean yoyo dieting. Much better to have a forever way of eating after you have completed the calorie restriction phase. Or, as others have said go low carb from the start. Whatever you decide I wish you well, @lisa5466 . Please keep posting to let us know how you get on.
 
I forgot to add that I have also mixed things up with intermittent fasting.
 
lisa5466 said:
Hi Alison, thanks for this. I’m using my carb manager app and aiming for under 50g carbs per day. I’m not managing under 50g every day, going as high as 100g occasionally but usually somewhere in between. T
Click to expand...
I can keep BG levels under control if I stay under 50 gm of carbs a day - but if I was to start eating up to 100 gm per day then not only would I not be losing weight, I'd be gaining it at a great rate.
Is there any way you can stabilize your carb intake at about 50 gm per day as it seems that is about the level at which quite a few type twos begin to see changes.
 
I feel defeated today. My blood sugars are better than they have been since I started on insuline 2,5 years ago.

There are a lot less highs and lows. But I feel so tired and unwell, most of the time. I get disheartened from constant pain, some days. From the vague feelings of not feeling well, but nothing to pinpoint.

Disheartened because of constant pain. Other days I refuse to let it be an issue.

My GP doesn't want to know. The consultant in hospital has this mantra: "yes, that's possible". My diabetic nurse is a darling and is so happy for me my blood sugars are finally levelling, but can't help with anything else.
I don't expect her to.

My cognitive functions are deteriorating and I worry about that.
My dad died of vasculair dementia and his doctor said his children have 75% chance of getting it later in live. That doesn't help. But I discern between fear and reality, but it does play a role, of course it does. I have seen how my dad suffered and his sister, until her awareness went completely

I forget too much. Today I put the potato's on and walked away and did something else. Until my husband came in from the shed and smelled the burned potatoes. I have a keen sense of smell, and I missed it.
I don't trust my memory. I have all kinds of notes/alarms in place to help me not forget.

I panic if I have to do a few things at the time. Simple things. I need to do my bloods and insuline without being disturbed or I forget a stage.

I have been giving a computer course, but I'm going to give that up. Too often I have to say..I don't know (any more). I best thrive on routine.

I will turn 60 in 2019. I feel I am too young for this, but realise it doesn't listen to age.

Sorry for my rant. I do not want to burden my man. I don't want to burden my social circle.
Thank you if you read my rant all the way through.
 

Hi Lisa, I read an article the other day on the 'optimum' amount of carbs to eat on a lchf diet so that your body grabs the fat to use as energy instead of its first preference, carbs. It was between 20 and 50 tops. It said that if you ate more than that, then your body would simply use the carbs first and if given enough of those it didn't bother with the fat. Could that be why you are not losing weight on it?, it sounds as if even if, say a 100 carbs is classed as 'low' generally, for lchf (and weight loss) you have to go lower! Otherwise if the balance between carbs and fat is out (and you are eating a lot of fat as you can on this approach) you're likely to get fatter. Now I am no scientist but it sounded credible to me. x
 
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