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I have bitten the bullet ...

Ultramum

Well-Known Member
Messages
840
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
... and finally decided to go the low carb route.

I've been T2 for the best part of 15 years - great control up until about 2 years ago (Hba1c around 6.0 - 6.3 on 6 monthly checks).

Over the last two years it has gone up to 8.5. The diabetic nurse implied it was my fault and upped the Metformin to 2g followed by adding Sitagliptin. I asked to go on the dietary advice course again where I realised that, apart from a couple of odd things, I was still doing as advised when originally diagnosed.

The nurse on the course said it was likely that it was just the diabetes getting worse the longer I had it. Not good news - especially as I come across people with diabetic complications in my job role - not something to look forward to.

So back to following the dietary advice ... and this week my Hba1c is 69 - which in old money is still 8.5. My early morning fasting blood sugar came in at 10.8!

I had microproteinuria (possibly related to a recent course of anti-inflammatories) so need to have a repeat urine and blood test in four weeks - when the nurse now wants me to go on canagliflozin if my kidneys are then ok.

Having read up about canaglifozin I'm not up for that!

So ... I have started to cut the carbs - going to aim for 80g or less - and have ordered a meter and strips. I plan to demonstrate a lower blood sugar by the time four weeks have passed and earn a stay of execution on a change of meds.
 
One question - I had cheese omelette with bacon for brekkie and a cheese and egg salad at work - had a salmon and cream cheese sandwich this evening and promptly felt really queasy - is this due to having been low carb and my body disliking the two slices of bread? If so the ducks will be getting a treat tomorrow
 
If you have dropped your carbs dramatically you can get what is called "carb flu" which is basically withdrawal symptoms. Drink lots of water and stick at it.
What sort of bread did you have? The Lidl protein rolls have the lowest carb count and are very filling.. they are a dark seeded triangle roll and in the bakery section
 
Lidl multigrain. Usually Soya and Linseed Burgen but we went to Lidl this week.

I've been cutting the carbs since last weekend but today was the lowest up until this evening - no obvious carb flu so far (thankfully as my job requires a lot of concentration and taking in and sifting of information).

Just on my second pint of water and I drink about six plastic beakers of water at work over the course of a day.
 
From long experience with low carb eating I found that it is not only the number of carbs but the source of them which makes a difference. If I was losing weight fast I only had to have a serving of beans to stop it dead, even if it was as substitute for an equivalent amount of carbs from lighter carbed foods. Personally I can't eat grains and lose weight. I can eat the Lidl protein rolls and not spike, but I suspect that they have something to do with my not losing weight for so long - but at least I am changing shape. I have almost nothing to wear.
Every other food from weight loss times, if it stopped weightloss it spiked me - after the first three or four experiments the correlation was so obvious I never even tried beans.
For controlling blood sugars, eating to your meter worked really well for me and dropped my HbA1c 44 points - but be careful to test as going low carb can be quite a shock to the metabolism, plus seeing just how high your numbers can go when you eat a food which affects you can be worrying - but I found it a great incentive to stay on the diet.
 
Try putting some sea salt in your water. Vlc is dehydrating by nature. Adding salt should help.
 
Please don't give the ducks bread, it's as bad for them as it is for us lol.
 
@dawnmc - it was mouldy this morning anyway so went in the bin!

I had a mug of Bovril which seemed to sort me out enough to finish the paperwork.

Cooked tea a bit earlier than planned and actually struggled to eat it all. Now feeling fine.

Tea was leeks stir fried in butter with smoked salmon trimmings, then chucked in some double cream and garlic and herb Philly. Hubby had his on pasta while I had mine on stir fried Spring cabbage
 
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