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I'm beginning to wonder ...

L

LaserMum

Well-Known Member
Messages
72
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Is all this worth it?
I've been low-carbing (<80/day) for about 3 weeks and testing FBG and before and 2 hours after meals (when I remember, I'm not good at that :oops: ).
There doesn't seem to be any correlation between what I eat and what my BG is.
This lunchtime is typical.
Before eating my BG was 7.4. I ate 150g cold Tandoori Chicken (186 cals/6.6 carbs), 80g spinach, frozen, microwaved (17 cals/0.4 carbs) 250ml flavoured carbonated water (5 cals/0.5 carbs). So in total 208 calories and 7.5 carbs. I thought I would have a low BG 2 hours later but no - it was 9.0! This seems to happen quite a lot. If I fall off the low-carb wagon and have, say, a chocolate bar (normal milk chocolate) or a packet of crisps, it sometimes has no effect on my BS but then I eat a low-carb meal and might get a high reading. It never seems to tie up.
I used to suffer from severe depression and this is the worst time of year for me. I'm feeling so unhappy and useless. Why can't I control this? Why are my BS readngs not responding to a low-carb diet?
I've lost 6kg since January so am pleased with the weight loss and will continue low-carbing for that. I am currently 115.8kg (5'8" tall).
I'm on 500 metformin (and 75 Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism). No idea what my HBa1c is. I suppose really I should go to the surgery and get it checked. My doctor never sends out any reminders and I haven't had a done for quite a while now.
However, I am wondering whether anyone knows of any other way I can control the BS.
 
I dont know what your HbA1c is but..

starting from 7.4 and only going up to 9 is not bad at all. Its only a 1.6 increase after eating.

I have recently learned to look at my starting point (before meals test) and then see how high I go. Not just looking at the 2 hours after test result.

PS The tandori chicken. I86 cals. are you sure it was 6.6 carbs and not 6.6 sugars? the carbs value is the one to look at, not the sugars value. The sugars are only part of the total carbs.
 
Hi Lucy,
Asda Tandoori Chicken Mini Fillets 150g - the website actually says nil carbs but the packet says 4.4g per 100g so yes, definitely 6.6g carbs.
I wouldn't be surprised at an 8 after a meal but a 9 was a bit of a shock!
That was just an example too. Sometimes, i can eat a higher carb meal and get a reading 2 hours later that's lower than the before meal reading.
That's what's getting me down. The fact that there seems to be no correlation between what I eat and what my BG readings are.
 
I find there are 2 other factors which affect my carb absorption

1) how much fat is in the meal. More fat = slower absorption for me and

2) whether it is wholemeal and/or slow release carbs. Rice makes me spike straight away. A small slice of wholemeal home-made bread doesn't spike me.

Portion size matters too.

also, hormonal fluctuations, illness, stress, tiredness.

Unfortunately its not an exact science of carbs in=blood sugar levels out.

Keep trying. It took me about 3 months of testing to find a diet I am comfortable with, which keeps my sugars low.

and once your starting point pre-meals comes down (which it will) then it becomes easier to stay under the magic 7.8 reading 2 hours after meals.
 
Thanks Lucy,
As I said, I'll keep low-carbing from a weight point of view anyway but I think I'm going to stop monitoring my BS. It's not doing any good. I was doing it to try to find out what raises my BS and it just seems to be totally arbitrary. Hopefully, just losing the weight will bring my HBa1c down.
I appreciate your help. :thumbup:
 
what is your HbA1c at diagnosis?

3 weeks is a very short time to be getting low blood sugars yet. Are you on any meds?
 
I don't have a clue. I've never been told my HbA1c either at diagnosis (about 2 years ago) or since. I think I'm due to have it done again soon (the surgery never let me know) but I haven't seen the point when the nurse doesn't explain the result to me or tell me if it's come down or gone up. I sometimes sneak a look at the screen and last time I think it had come down - no idea why, I hadn't been dieting or anything and had actually put on weight. The nurse just asks if my feet are OK (How do I know? I haven't seen them for years! :lol: ) and checks that I've had a retinopathy test in the last 12 months and then says, "That's OK, I'll see you again in 6 months/a year/whatever".

That's why I've given up with the surgery.

I thought, if I want to get on top of this then *I* have to do it - noone else will. I keep telling the family I need to lose weight and then my daughter sees that I'm sad and makes cakes to cheer me up! (It's not her fault - she has high functioning autism and has made the connection between cakes and cheering up and I haven't managed to break that connection with her yet!). My husband just ignores the fact that I have diabetes and seems to feel that it's nothing to do with him. I guess it's not, it's my problem.

It's all just so depressing. And when I can't get any idea of what foods to eat to control the BG then I get very down on myself about it.

Thanks for your help anyway. I think I'll ring the surgery and get an appointment to have the blood tests done again. So it'll be at least another week before I know anything.
 
Hi. It must add to your depression to find the lack of correlation. The body doesn't follow any rules very well and we all find strange sugar behaviour and the release of insulin and glucose by the pancreas and liver are complex mechanisms. You figures aren't too bad so keep at it. Yes, fat will slow carb absorption and some carbs are lower-GI then others. Ref you HBa1C, you are entitled to an annual diabetes check-up which includes an Hba1C, urine and cholesterol test. If it's been more than a year since the last one then book an appointment with the GP and ask reception for a suitable blood test form 2 weeks before to get the bloods done. The GP must tell you at least your HBa1C and you can insist reception tell you anyway and I have done this recently so I went into the check-up knowing where I stood. If the GP is unco-operative then ask to be referred to the local clinic or even consider changing GPs. Be aware that for diabetes, strictly speaking your GP should agree a written care plan with you setting objectives such as the HBa1C figure. Very few will actually do this but they are supposed to.
 
Here is a list of the 9 key care processes everyone should have at least once a year.
1. Blood glucose level measurement (ie HbA1c)
2. Blood pressure measurement
3. Cholesterol level measurement
4. Retinal screening
5. Foot and leg check
6. Kidney function testing (urine) (ie for protein/microalbuminuria)
7. Kidney function testing (blood)( ie creatinine levels)
8. Weight check
9. Smoking status check
(leaflet about care essentials including some others that you should have if you require them, this includes the agreed plan mentioned by Daibell. DUK says that If you aren’t getting all the care you need, you should take the checklist to your diabetes healthcare team anddiscuss it with them
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-dia ... checklist/

As to your feet.
The nurse just asks if my feet are OK (How do I know? )
Click to expand...
I think you should say that and ask for a proper foot check. Actually I remember a leaflet when I was first diagnosed suggesting that you take your shoes and socks off when you go in to the room to remind them :lol:
She certainly shouldn't be ticking a box to say that you have had a foot check if she hasn't actually done it.
This is what should be done in a full examination. ( and at the very least the sensation test with a microfilament)
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-dia ... amination/
Meanwhile, there is also a self help checker (actually you need someone to do it for you) and a lot of useful info on foot care.
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-dia ... Toes-test/
 
Thanks Daibell, I'll get through it somehow. Sometimes I am so positive but then the depression kicks in and I just feel so bad. I'll manage - just have to keep looking for the chink of light!
I'll make an appoinment with the phlebotomist to have my blood tests done this week and then make an appointment with the diabetes nurse. I think I'll insist on her formulating some sort of plan even if it's just to set a target HbA1c.
At the moment, I just feel like I'm struggling through alone. It's good to have this forum to come to just to know I'm not alone.
:thumbup:
Thanks Phoenix, I'll certainly make a copy of that list and take it with me when I see the DN.
 
If your results seem a bit illogical then perhaps you could do a few days of increased testing?

Instead of just testing 2 hours after a meal, test 1, 2, then 3 hours.

You should then see if carby meals cause you to peak quickly (1 hour) but then your BG goes down at 2 and 3 hours.
You will also see if low carb meals don't peak you after 1 hour but spike around 2 instead.
In both cases you will see how well you are doing after 3 hours.

This should help you to work out the best time for you to test to check if a meal is good or bad for your BG.

Keep up the good work on your weight loss - this is probably the single most significant thing you can achieve for improving your diabetes control :-)

Cheers

LGC
 
Hello LaserMum.

I'm sorry you're finding things such a struggle at the moment.
I can't offer any advice but, one positive thing....
By posting in your thoughts you've received excellent advice from members which has been of great benefit to me.
You're not only trying to help yourself, you've actually helped me also, and no doubt others.
I wish you well in overcoming your health problems.


Best wishes, and thank you.
weewillie.
 
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