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How to lower blood glucose without losing weight

H

HpprKM

Well-Known Member
I have written another post re coming off Metformin and trying the reverse diabetes technique, but trouble is that I am not overweight and do not need to lose any, having lost a few pounds after starting metformin and weight going down a bit too much. :?

I am seeing GP on Tues and I wish to discuss this with her, not happy being on Metformin, my sugars tested at 5.6 last review and she increased to two a day because she said my sugars were slowly rising, but they make me feel nauseous at times, and do not wish to be drug dependent, on top of all this I really want to put diabetes progress into abeyance. If anyone knows the best solution please let me know, as I say I want to discuss with GP and am currently thinking along the lines of the 600 cal diet, but worried about too much weight loss.

Thanks in advance buddies :)
 
Hiya HpprKM,

What do you mean by "my sugars tested at 5.6". Do you mean your "on-the-spot" Blood Glucose level was 5.6 mmol/l or that your (3 month average) HbA1c was 5.6%. Either way, those are very good scores, and are indicative of good blood control - although HbA1C is much more conclusive than a single BG reading.

Try to find out exactly what your Doctor means by "you sugars are slowly rising", because it's difficult to see how this could be true from what you have written.

I've written on the other thread too, but I think that you would be very unwise to be considering extreme measures like the 800cal diet. It seems to me that, if anything at all, you should be fine tuning what you are doing rather than attempting something radical, that might damage your control, or put your health at risk.
 
Metformin is a safe and widely used medicine. If it works for you and you are getting good BGs it would not make any sense to try to "get off it". You need to discuss this with your doc. he/she will no doubt point out the other protective effects of Metformin.

My experience is that HCP s do not lightly prescribe medication and will tailor treatment for the individual.
You are not overweight so cannot lose weight to affect your BGs, no doubt you eat a sensible diet not to high in carbs, and if you do some moderate excercise then I would expect that Metformin would be an excellent way to reduce your BGs.

I can tell you that my DSN insisted on a low dose of Metformin for me even though my HbA1c was 5.3%. It was due to my A1c having slowly risen over some years and the fact that I had brought it down by a more strict diet and excercise did not influence her decision. I was told (and accepted) that my BGs could and probably would continue to rise and that Metformin was much more effective if started in the "early days". In low doses started early it can stop the steady rise in BGs that some of us experience.

So, Metformin is not something to fight against at all costs, it might even be doing you some good?

H
 
HpprKM said:
If anyone knows the best solution please let me know, as I say I want to discuss with GP and am currently thinking along the lines of the 600 cal diet, but worried about too much weight loss.

Thanks in advance buddies :)
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Aaaw HpprKM, you can't be considering this 600cal diet :(
(or as some mention it's actually 800cal as it includes veg).

I'm not over weight and T2 and 34yrs old (so older than you :wink: ) - but when I got diagnosed I decided to lose a stone anyway to see if it made a diff...did it heck! I'm 5ft 4in now 9st 6lbs, BMI 22.5 (going to get to 8.5 Stones through exercise and healthy eating, as I miss being a size 10 lol)

I'm not on any meds yet - but Metformin has been mentioned, no doubt I'll be coming back here when I get the side affects etc :lol: will find out on 24th of this month.

I did contemplate this diet but only for a little while and read up on it a bit further, it's still a very new research, and they only tested 11 people - I always understood it was a measure for people that had room to lose weight and/or had fat around their organs that disrupted their natural insulin usage. Saying that, my ave cal intake can be between 900 - 1500 (dependant if I've got exercise on), ok so not starvation but it just shows it's not very high generally.

So don't do anything drastic, I hate having this illness, it's so frustrating but it just goes to show there's a lot going on inside us that we don't know and this illness is pretty complex.

I just recently had an op (on Friday) as they discovered much to my surprise I have Endometriosis and my left ovary was a mess - I'm dealing with that way better than this Diabetes :evil:

Feel free to PM anytime :D

x
 
Hi. Although keeping the carbs down is one way of keeping BS down there is no reason why you can't have a sensible level of fat & protein to keep your weight up. I am underweight and tend to follow this approach. Metformin is a well proven and normally harmless drug although it can cause some weight loss. If it gives you bowel problems, the SR (slow release) version can help. The NICE diabetes guidelines indicate that the sulphonyureas such as gliclazide are an alternative choice to metformin for underweight Type 2s but I suspect your GP may not appreciate being guided on this! Also I agree with the other contributors that your measurements indicate you are doing well even if BS is increasing slowly
 
borofergie said:
Hiya HpprKM,

What do you mean by "my sugars tested at 5.6". Do you mean your "on-the-spot" Blood Glucose level was 5.6 mmol/l or that your (3 month average) HbA1c was 5.6%. Either way, those are very good scores, and are indicative of good blood control - although HbA1C is much more conclusive than a single BG reading.
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Thanks borofergie, and all others who replied on this, I made this second post because I thought it typified the question I wanted answered more than my other. In answer to the above question - this was a 3 month average, and she said that my previous reading was 5.3 and I guess this is what she meant by slowly rising. I have my next test due after my holiday in September, always a worrying time in case the numbers have risen dramatically. When first diagnosed I was checking in at 12.6, and did not even know I was diabetic, nor had even considered it :( - how many of us do!

I am not keen on the metformin because of some slight side effects they give me, some bowel related and sometimes a feeling of nausea and a metallic taste in my mouth, which I understand can be some of the side effects. However, I have decided that the low cal diet is not for me, my family also agree with that point, as I am definitely not overweight and do not really want to lose any more, got to the point of having gone from a size 14 to size 12 and even some of these were starting to look loose! Happily it has stabilized now, only trouble is most of my weight is on my tummy (typical diabetic) and skinny butt, legs and arms :D

On that note I am going to ask her about the slow release version and see where I can go with that. Will keep you up to speed with results, also my 3 month average check next month. Thanks again forum buddies - you are a great bunch, there is always somewhere to turn to when diabetes is just getting me down :wink:
 
I meant to say, instead of actually no carbing, I try to go for low carbs, buying low Gi pasta, bread etc and Vivaldi potatoes said to have less carbs than others, and my portions are usually small made up in quantity by fruit and veg! But I do have the occasion lapse, one of which is my new predilection for the limited Cadbury's flake, though I do limit buying these to just occasionally :-(
 
Whatever way you look at it, any HbA1C result that starts with 5 is utterly brilliant for a diabetic.

5.6% is only slightly less brilliant than 5.3%, and probably more indicative of the tolerances of the test that anything you have done. (Noting of course that a 0.3 drop would have been entirely down to your hard work, and nothing to do do with the test ;) ).

Well done. Once you've done your next HbA1C test in a month, I suggest you scoff yourself full of Cadbury flakes in celebration.
 
borofergie said:
Whatever way you look at it, any HbA1C result that starts with 5 is utterly brilliant for a diabetic.

5.6% is only slightly less brilliant than 5.3%, and probably more indicative of the tolerances of the test that anything you have done. (Noting of course that a 0.3 drop would have been entirely down to your hard work, and nothing to do do with the test ;) ).

Well done. Once you've done your next HbA1C test in a month, I suggest you scoff yourself full of Cadbury flakes in celebration.
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Thanks for the boost of confidence, though should point out that my GP said they like diabetics to read less than non diabetics and under 5 would be great.

Also, good news today, my daughter - 3 mths pregnant with second child - has thyroid disease but had been saying she was so thirsty all the time so I told her to make sure to get her blood sugars tested, she has just texted to say they are 3.6!
 
HpprKM said:
Sanober,

m not over weight and T2 and 34yrs old (so older than you )
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I wish, not sure where you got that idea from - but I like it :D
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LOL

I honestly thought I saw you refer to yourself as being 31 somewhere on the forum. I'm spending waaaaay too much time on here and getting mixed up. Well you know what, you ARE 31 from now on to me :lol:

Congrats on your daughter's news re pregnancy and low sugar level.
 
HpprKM said:
Thanks for the boost of confidence, though should point out that my GP said they like diabetics to read less than non diabetics and under 5 would be great.
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Wow. Having that type of GP is a great problem to have.
 
My doc has a rather different approach. Just had a Hba1c result of 6.5 and am still not qualified as diabetic, still on diet only, and amazed that I have dropped from 6.9 despite doing some baddd eating since it was my birthday just before the test. (Well ya gotta eat some of your own birthday cake, though the follow up of trifle may have been a bit ott). :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
 
Sanober said:
HpprKM said:
Sanober,

m not over weight and T2 and 34yrs old (so older than you )
Click to expand...

I wish, not sure where you got that idea from - but I like it :D
Click to expand...
Click to expand...



LOL

I honestly thought I saw you refer to yourself as being 31 somewhere on the forum. I'm spending waaaaay too much time on here and getting mixed up. Well you know what, you ARE 31 from now on to me :lol:

Oh thank you, made my day I will bear this in mind and think of myself as 31 from now on - you have made a friend for life :) :!: :!:
 
Hello, thanks for this forum it's really a big help to me. I also want to share my current sugar free diet. Instead of sugar, I now substitute my sweet intake with Natvia, an all natural sweetener (not artificial type). It has no aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and fructose, but it tastes really great.
 
I have seen that advertised but uncertain as to whether it is ok for diabetics, the advert does not say so and it is still sugar so if anyone can confirm that diabetics can use it I will buying in place of Splenda?
 
You want to reduce blood glucose without losing weight.you need to follow a diet without callories and do a regular exercise.because exercise and good medication is the only way to reduce blood glucose.
 
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