I kinda lost control this Xmas

Oldvatr · Jan 3, 2023

Not a surprise really. I re-visited an experiment I did the same time last year, only this time, instead of just altering my diet (actually throwing it down the can) This year my pharmacy did not deliver my medications in time so I was truly pushing the [Remission - wot remission] button. and I had ordered my prescription an extra week early after a DISCUSSION with my HCP that Xmas was coming, and I really felt it necessary to break the practice rules on pre ordering before I actually physically needed them.

We had 6 guests for the week of Xmas and the NYE festivities. On went the heating, on went all the lights and kettles and ovens. 4 of the group needed daily showers, and two needed twice daily showers, so my hacks to save energy costs also went up the chimney. The oven was used to warm up pasties and croissants, and the coffee thingy was in almost constant use. We got through two bumper packs of coffee pods, and 19 loo rolls in the 10 days.

We had the usual traditional carbfest of meat and three veg, which was interesting considering 5 of the 7 were vegetarians. So we had non dairy cream , and vegan brandy butter, and most of the pastries and snax were veggie. So I ate a lot of carbs and drank a lot of whisky to control the sugar spikes. No idea what they got up to, since I also suspended SMBG monitoring until NYE. I was on Holiday after all.

I have had a couple of days since to turn off the heating and recover, and my fbg seems to have risen by about 1 mmol/l, and my normal LCHF meals are also rising above the warning line. So I am not yet back in control. but not as badly off as had expected. My omlette tonight raised me by 2 mmo;l/l at the 2hr, and it did not drop back to baseline like it used to, so there is some residual effect still happening. I hope I haven't broken it. Meds restarted on NYE when they delivered the missing meds.

Now I am back into my hermitage, with solitude descending. Happy Xmas - without the humbugs

Oldvatr · Jan 3, 2023

My reason for posting this is to try to answer the perennial question we get asked in the forum, which goes like this
" I have used ??? diet for some time now, and my sugar levels iare in the non diabetic range. Can I start (a) eating Eatwell .. (b) start eating like I used to, or (c) Go to the office party / pub or relax while on holiday?

In my (n=1) case, I seem to tolerate short term deviancy, but it proves to me that my 'remission' is a mirage and that I remain stubbonly diabetic. My WOE is what I need to return to if I want to keep my digits intact and attached.

So, how was your Christmas, and are you recovering ?

Lamont D · Jan 3, 2023

I was a good boy!
lots of meat and pigs in blankets. Eggs and gammon, mushrooms and tomato with cucumber and onion in vinegar (not malted)
Steak tonight!

filly · Jan 3, 2023

Well, for years I have had trouble, especially with Christmas. Even before Prediabetic/Diabetic/Prediabetic. For many many years I never been able to eat what other eat over Christmas. Even this Christmas I decided to have a few fresh figs and B/S still not back to where they were, going down!
Oh to not be a complete party pooper. My mum was type 2. She was 95 when she passed. She was always able to eat things I haven't been able to touch. She was heading towards being underweight. Never needed medication. I have certainly learned that Type 2 especially seems to be very individual.
I still tell myself a bit of fruit will be ok......... but oh no not at all. Frustrating isn't it. I just try telling myself this is now it will be, like it or not.

Resurgam · Jan 3, 2023

filly said:
Well, for years I have had trouble, especially with Christmas. Even before Prediabetic/Diabetic/Prediabetic. For many many years I never been able to eat what other eat over Christmas. Even this Christmas I decided to have a few fresh figs and B/S still not back to where they were, going down!
Oh to not be a complete party pooper. My mum was type 2. She was 95 when she passed. She was always able to eat things I haven't been able to touch. She was heading towards being underweight. Never needed medication. I have certainly learned that Type 2 especially seems to be very individual.
I still tell myself a bit of fruit will be ok......... but oh no not at all. Frustrating isn't it. I just try telling myself this is now it will be, like it or not.

A bit of fruit will be fine - it is the lot more than a bit which would be a problem.
I used to use just sugar free jelly, but it is too sweet for me these days so I buy pure gelatine and make a strong jelly, add in some sugar free squash if I don't have a jelly, when it has cooled I might add in some cream or full fat yoghurt and froth it up, then add frozen berries. For high days and holidays I might make an almond flour sponge and cut it into strips to add into the jelly - I let the fruit defrost on it so the juice soaks in and there might possibly be a splash of something alcoholic too. Once set there can be some real custard put on top and a bit of fancy work with whipped cream. All very low carb but extremely festive.

Diablo T2 · Jan 3, 2023

Oldvatr said:
My reason for posting this is to try to answer the perennial question we get asked in the forum, which goes like this
" I have used ??? diet for some time now, and my sugar levels iare in the non diabetic range. Can I start (a) eating Eatwell .. (b) start eating like I used to, or (c) Go to the office party / pub or relax while on holiday?

In my (n=1) case, I seem to tolerate short term deviancy, but it proves to me that my 'remission' is a mirage and that I remain stubbonly diabetic. My WOE is what I need to return to if I want to keep my digits intact and attached.

So, how was your Christmas, and are you recovering ?

Add me and n=2. I was away from home recently and in a holiday situation where there was group catering. It was non sugar but there were complex carbs. For the first time since diagnosis I relaxed a tiny bit and my experience was the same as yours. If it was a one off with a small amount I'd tolerate it and not experience significantly higher BG readings, but full size portions or repeating small portions did result in significantly higher BG readings and then a few days to return back to my normal levels.

Stephen Bond · Jan 3, 2023

Oldvatr said:
My reason for posting this is to try to answer the perennial question we get asked in the forum, which goes like this
" I have used ??? diet for some time now, and my sugar levels iare in the non diabetic range. Can I start (a) eating Eatwell .. (b) start eating like I used to, or (c) Go to the office party / pub or relax while on holiday?

In my (n=1) case, I seem to tolerate short term deviancy, but it proves to me that my 'remission' is a mirage and that I remain stubbonly diabetic. My WOE is what I need to return to if I want to keep my digits intact and attached.

So, how was your Christmas, and are you recovering ?

Thanks for your experiences! ..... I overdid things as expected, but not as much as I thought I would... I genuinely have gone off a lot of the Christmas fare i used to love, and also my appetite has shrunk... Levels were all higher, but came down the day after, during the breaks. Today was the last of the parties, so back on the wagon again. Happy New Year all!

Stephen Bond · Jan 3, 2023

Resurgam said:
A bit of fruit will be fine - it is the lot more than a bit which would be a problem.
I used to use just sugar free jelly, but it is too sweet for me these days so I buy pure gelatine and make a strong jelly, add in some sugar free squash if I don't have a jelly, when it has cooled I might add in some cream or full fat yoghurt and froth it up, then add frozen berries. For high days and holidays I might make an almond flour sponge and cut it into strips to add into the jelly - I let the fruit defrost on it so the juice soaks in and there might possibly be a splash of something alcoholic too. Once set there can be some real custard put on top and a bit of fancy work with whipped cream. All very low carb but extremely festive.

I tried to make an LC trifle, and apart from the chemically tasting "LC soft cookies" all was really good. LC custard was excellent, as was the sugar free jelly.. I am new to all this so still finding my way with the recipes. Have to find a good sponge and biscuit recipe. Goonergal's crackers were a revelation!

Oldvatr · Jan 3, 2023

I did the Full Monty barefaced greedy piglet Xmas. Plum pudding with brandy butter and cream, Christmas cake, mince pies with aforesaid condiments, cheese and crackers, fig chutney (Ouch! That one hurt when the pips got under my dental fixtures) loads of Ferro rocher and after eight mints. and amaretto and amerula and irish cream booze. I rowed the boat out but had to be towed back in. all is well now, back on the Grouse and gripe water.

VashtiB · Jan 3, 2023

Oldvatr said:
I did the Full Monty barefaced greedy piglet Xmas. Plum pudding with brandy butter and cream, Christmas cake, mince pies with aforesaid condiments, cheese and crackers, fig chutney (Ouch! That one hurt when the pips got under my dental fixtures) loads of Ferro rocher and after eight mints. and amaretto and amerula and irish cream booze. I rowed the boat out but had to be towed back in. all is well now, back on the Grouse and gripe water.

At least it sounds like you really enjoyed your short deviation from your usual WOE. I think that there is a trick to doing it so it is enjoyable, short term and you then don't waste too much time in regrets.

For me I did eat more carbs than usual and am still doing so- I'm probably averaging between 15 and 20 grams at the moment. I plan to return to lower soon once foods have been eaten up.

Oldvatr · Jan 3, 2023

I did do some spot checks on Xmas day. My goodnight reading on Xmas eve (last official record) was 4.4 mmol/l. My starting line on Xmas day was 6.9 after morning nibbles. My 2hr PP after Xmas dinner was 13.3, and my 2hr after the Xmas pudding etc was 12.9 which considering I was no longer on medication was truly amazing, but also truly diabetic.

Edit to add: my avatar shows how I felt later on, but this avatar will be updated later so is only valid for a short time spell.

Outlier · Jan 4, 2023

I stayed keto except for an extra glass of brandy. Not because I'm angelic, not because I had no alternative (house was full of festive food) nor because I'm ineffably smug, but because I know my own personality and I didn't want to undo all my hard work this far. And with a super roast beef rib with lots of keto-friendly veg, it wasn't hard at all. Christmas is just a different style these days.

andromache · Jan 4, 2023

Oldvatr said:
Not a surprise really. I re-visited an experiment I did the same time last year, only this time, instead of just altering my diet (actually throwing it down the can) This year my pharmacy did not deliver my medications in time so I was truly pushing the [Remission - wot remission] button. and I had ordered my prescription an extra week early after a DISCUSSION with my HCP that Xmas was coming, and I really felt it necessary to break the practice rules on pre ordering before I actually physically needed them.

We had 6 guests for the week of Xmas and the NYE festivities. On went the heating, on went all the lights and kettles and ovens. 4 of the group needed daily showers, and two needed twice daily showers, so my hacks to save energy costs also went up the chimney. The oven was used to warm up pasties and croissants, and the coffee thingy was in almost constant use. We got through two bumper packs of coffee pods, and 19 loo rolls in the 10 days.

We had the usual traditional carbfest of meat and three veg, which was interesting considering 5 of the 7 were vegetarians. So we had non dairy cream , and vegan brandy butter, and most of the pastries and snax were veggie. So I ate a lot of carbs and drank a lot of whisky to control the sugar spikes. No idea what they got up to, since I also suspended SMBG monitoring until NYE. I was on Holiday after all.

I have had a couple of days since to turn off the heating and recover, and my fbg seems to have risen by about 1 mmol/l, and my normal LCHF meals are also rising above the warning line. So I am not yet back in control. but not as badly off as had expected. My omlette tonight raised me by 2 mmo;l/l at the 2hr, and it did not drop back to baseline like it used to, so there is some residual effect still happening. I hope I haven't broken it. Meds restarted on NYE when they delivered the missing meds.

Now I am back into my hermitage, with solitude descending. Happy Xmas - without the humbugs

Isn’t it interesting that we bend over backwards to meet the dietary preferences of our fashionably food-faddist guests, AT THE VERY SAME TIME that we are neglecting our own real health needs? There’s the bones of a case study in that for a student of psychology isn’t there?

Rustytypin · Jan 4, 2023

andromache said:
Isn’t it interesting that we bend over backwards to meet the dietary preferences of our fashionably food-faddist guests, AT THE VERY SAME TIME that we are neglecting our own real health needs? There’s the bones of a case study in that for a student of psychology isn’t there?

On New Years Eve we visited friends for a meal. The host has just been diagnosed as Pre-Diabetic and knows that I have been sucessfully low carbing for over six years. Despite this we were served a very tasty meal, but with pasta as the main "bulking" part, so not much chance to fill up. When the group come to our house to eat we always serve up meals taking into account their eating no-nos. It just seems that the orthodox foods are so ingrained into people that it too difficult to change.
Apart from that I mostly coped with the "Festive" season, max BG a very rare 7.6 (no more mince pies - ever!)

Oldvatr · Jan 4, 2023

andromache said:
Isn’t it interesting that we bend over backwards to meet the dietary preferences of our fashionably food-faddist guests, AT THE VERY SAME TIME that we are neglecting our own real health needs? There’s the bones of a case study in that for a student of psychology isn’t there?

There is a saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". What you say is valid, but not sufficient to attract the funding needed for a thesis. I have learnt from my experience. I survived the episode, I have regained control, but what I learnt was that my "remission" is a myth and so I will continue to carry the label T2D in control. And I will continue to advise that the claims for remission are not as strong as are being claimed sometimes by others. It is wise to remain a skeptik. I often think of the Tarot card of The Fool. who has his head in the clouds while walking towards the abyss.

Pedros11 · Jan 4, 2023

I think, to be honest everyone (diabetic or not) over indulges at Christmas. All the goodies strewn about the house don't help. Tin of chocolates here, Christmas cake there, some nice fancy cheeses and nibbles in the fridge. Joining in with the rest of the family. The thing to do is two things: Firstly, be in control and limit your over-indulgence. In other words, slightly over-indulge if you must. A small piece of Christmas cake and no seconds for example. The second is to limit the time you over-indulge. You don't want to be scoffing everything in sight for the 12 days of Christmas! Give yourself a free pass maybe on Christmas Day and maybe another day, be it New Years Eve or whenever. That way you can roll with the rest of the family but can hopefully get back on track without too much effort. Hopefully.

As for remission, I think that "suppression" might be a better word. Change your lifestyle and eating habits so that the symptoms of diabetes are suppressed is good (if hard to do). But I would thing there's never a time you'll be able to eat anything and stay symptom free. Going back to regularly polishing off those boxes of Jaffa Cakes in one go with no repercussions isn't an option. Anyhow (without any research it has to be said) that's probably the case I feel.

Happy New Year everyone!

chrisjohnh · Jan 4, 2023

I think it will be interesting to see the eventual outcome of the NHS pilot low-cal diet programme based on the shakes. This is certainly targeted on gaining remission-proper (i.e. normalisation of the metabolism) rather than just good control or “suppression”. I am not optimistic, as I think the programme is much too severe for most people, I think there’ll be a lot of compliance failure. And I don’t think such a radical method for the requisite weight loss is necessary anyway. Well, we will see. But I also think that a fair proportion of those who do stay the course will achieve remission-proper, so be able to enjoy all those mince pies and xmas pud without significant bg problems. But again, we will see. I would wish to see newcomers here at least made aware of the possibility of remission-proper through serious overt weigh loss, but they rarely are, being immediately steered instead only towards low-carb suppression. I fear this could cause opportunities to be lost. Still …

JohnEGreen · Jan 4, 2023

Well on Christmas day fell off the wagon ending up in a heap in the middle of the road was about to pick my self up and clamber back on the wagon when I got nocked back off by a passing celebratory second Christmas type meal when my son arrived home from Ireland on the 27th and then there was new years day so I find my self trying now to catch up with that wagon which has moved to some where far distant from here but is still just in sight.

lovinglife · Jan 4, 2023

chrisjohnh said:
I think it will be interesting to see the eventual outcome of the NHS pilot low-cal diet programme based on the shakes. This is certainly targeted on gaining remission-proper (i.e. normalisation of the metabolism) rather than just good control or “suppression”. I am not optimistic, as I think the programme is much too severe for most people, I think there’ll be a lot of compliance failure. And I don’t think such a radical method for the requisite weight loss is necessary anyway. Well, we will see. But I also think that a fair proportion of those who do stay the course will achieve remission-proper, so be able to enjoy all those mince pies and xmas pud without significant bg problems. But again, we will see. I would wish to see newcomers here at least made aware of the possibility of remission-proper through serious overt weigh loss, but they rarely are, being immediately steered instead only towards low-carb suppression. I fear this could cause opportunities to be lost. Still …

Weight loss doesn’t always equal remission - to date I’ve now lost over 11st, keeping most of that off for 12 years- no remission for me I’m afraid. The ONLY thing that keeps my numbers acceptable without meds is keto with minimal dairy and calorie counting to keep my weight down. I don’t agree that weight loss equals remission and I think to simplify it like that gives false hope to the newly diagnosed

ravensmitten · Jan 4, 2023

Oldvatr said:
My reason for posting this is to try to answer the perennial question we get asked in the forum, which goes like this
" I have used ??? diet for some time now, and my sugar levels iare in the non diabetic range. Can I start (a) eating Eatwell .. (b) start eating like I used to, or (c) Go to the office party / pub or relax while on holiday?

In my (n=1) case, I seem to tolerate short term deviancy, but it proves to me that my 'remission' is a mirage and that I remain stubbonly diabetic. My WOE is what I need to return to if I want to keep my digits intact and attached.

So, how was your Christmas, and are you recovering ?

Oh that's pertinent for me right now

I reckon cause I easily lost a ton of weight I got a little cocky and started slowly thinking its not so bad if I do this a little (like some balding people end up with a combover) putting it back on again.

My thinking is if I am aware of this fact it will be easier to go "No actually, No, this won't be helpful in the longer term"

While not living too much in the future (or past)

Worst is now I'm fatter my hb1ac levels are better?!

what sort of signal does this sand a non rational haman brain

p.s your story was quite evocative - 19 loo rolls though!

I kinda lost control this Xmas

Expert

Expert

Oracle

Well-Known Member

Master

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Expert

Well-Known Member

Expert

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Expert

Member

Well-Known Member

Master

Moderator

Well-Known Member

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency