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How to get my high levels down?
- Thread starter pinkjude
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Are you getting 12s on waking and before you've eaten anything? It does sound a bit high. Does it match with your HbA1c?
Low carb should produce a drop in BG fairly quickly. How many carbs are you aiming for each day, and what would you eat in a typical day?
Low carb should produce a drop in BG fairly quickly. How many carbs are you aiming for each day, and what would you eat in a typical day?
My last HBA1C was 49. Yes 12 on waking. I went from 84-49 in 3 months on low carb and lost 1 stone 7 1bs but now it doesnt seem to be working. My HBA1C is due in a month and I know it will be high again if things don't change.
I eat eggs for breakfast usually 2 boiled and sometimes I add mushrooms or smoked salmon. Lunch is salad with mixed leaves, cucumber, celery, peppers, olives, tomatoes and protein either avocado/ chicken/ tuna/ hummus. Dinner last night was homemade dal made with split red lentils, served with roasted spiced cauliflower and 1 tbs cooked brown basmati rice. Sometimes its chicken and veg, home made veg soups. I aim for under 100g of carbs. I wonder if I need more soluble fibre? I drink tea with milk x 3 a day, water, herbal teas and sometimes I have a gin and soda
- Messages
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That's a good drop in a short time. The other thing is that the higher waking BG is very often the last to come down. It's still usually my highest. As it's caused mainly by what your liver does and less by what you've eaten, it seems that it takes time for the liver to adjust - my liver still thinks I'm going to be chased by a sabre-toothed tiger every morning.
Are you testing before and two hours after eating? that would show you if something you eat is having a disproportionate impact. For example (taking your daily food above) I find peppers and hummus to be carb-rich, and lentils definitely are. Milk has lactose. I'm not saying don't have these things, just to be aware of what you're having.
I would struggle to manage 100g carb intake a day. I find going for 20g much easier - it's comparatively easier for me to cut pretty much all carbs rather than try to adjust quantities, which runs the risk of getting it wrong and allowing a bit of carb creep.
In your position - given the next HbA1c is only a month away - I'd wait for that and see what it says. If it's stalled, or gone up, then you know you've been eating too many carbs for your system to handle. Some people have said that a couple of 16 hour fasts can bump start body systems that have adjusted to current carb levels - I have no personal experience of that but there are options you could try if you need to.
Are you testing before and two hours after eating? that would show you if something you eat is having a disproportionate impact. For example (taking your daily food above) I find peppers and hummus to be carb-rich, and lentils definitely are. Milk has lactose. I'm not saying don't have these things, just to be aware of what you're having.
I would struggle to manage 100g carb intake a day. I find going for 20g much easier - it's comparatively easier for me to cut pretty much all carbs rather than try to adjust quantities, which runs the risk of getting it wrong and allowing a bit of carb creep.
In your position - given the next HbA1c is only a month away - I'd wait for that and see what it says. If it's stalled, or gone up, then you know you've been eating too many carbs for your system to handle. Some people have said that a couple of 16 hour fasts can bump start body systems that have adjusted to current carb levels - I have no personal experience of that but there are options you could try if you need to.
catinahat
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Your weight loss and hba1c reduction is fantastic but your fasting levels show that you still have some work to do.
When you eat more carbs than your body can manage, the excess glucose gets stored away to hopefully be used later.
Your overnight fast gives your liver an ideal opportunity to get rid of some of that stored glucose.
Imagine yourself as a overflowing sugar bowl, every time you eat carbs their sugars spill over into your blood.
The solution is to stop filling your bowl and to use up the sugar that's already in there.
No one can say what level of carbs is right for you, you have to figure that out for yourself. As @KennyA said the best way is to test around your meals, if your levels are still elevated 2hrs after your meal, you know you have filled your sugar bowl back up
When you eat more carbs than your body can manage, the excess glucose gets stored away to hopefully be used later.
Your overnight fast gives your liver an ideal opportunity to get rid of some of that stored glucose.
Imagine yourself as a overflowing sugar bowl, every time you eat carbs their sugars spill over into your blood.
The solution is to stop filling your bowl and to use up the sugar that's already in there.
No one can say what level of carbs is right for you, you have to figure that out for yourself. As @KennyA said the best way is to test around your meals, if your levels are still elevated 2hrs after your meal, you know you have filled your sugar bowl back up
