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Keto Diet

C

Conrad74

Well-Known Member
Messages
51
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I started the keto diet 8 days ago. I used to take 2x 1000 mg metformin and was up to 35 units of levemir plus 2 units of novorapid per 15g of carbs. As of 6 days ago, I stopped taking all insulin and reduced the metformin to 1000 mg at dinner time. My blood sugars have been between 6.4 the lowest and 9 the highest over the last week. How do I get my blood sugars lower without insulin? I eat next to no carbs anymore, other than what is in broccoli, spinach, asparagus etc. I’m type 2.
 
Patience is the name of the game. It won't happen overnight, and as your pancreas may have become lazy because of the injected insulin, it needs to wake up a bit. On the other hand, maybe you withdrew your insulin a little bit too early? Was this your decision, or did the nurse suggest it?
 
That was completely my decision. I haven’t told my doctor yet. I must say though, my fasting bg readings are almost better now. They have been at 7 for 3 days in a row. I’m just wondering if my body forgot what normal blood sugars are supposed to be. I was diagnosed last July, but my doctor thinks I have had diabetes for at least 10 years because I do have several complications like eye damage, some kidney damage, very high blood pressure.
 
Hopefully some of your complications will improve a bit on a keto diet. Your blood pressure should come down.

I wish you luck with it all, and hope you can stay off the insulin.
 
8 days is quite a short time but have you tried fasting ? Skipping some meals may help with bringing your bloods down quicker. Maybe skip bfast to extend your overnight fast? Helped me no end.
 
I work odd hours, 3:30pm until 2 Am. I usually only have a light snack around noon and dinner at 8:30pm and that’s it. At noon I’ll have an avocado and coffee with 35% cream in it, and for dinner I’ll have a piece of meat with either spinach, broccoli, asparagus cooked in butter and a coffee with 35% cream. That’s all I’ve been eating every day for the past 8 days
 
Ok that sounds pretty good then... just carry on with that and the sugars will come down. You reckon they have been elevated for 10 years so it may take some weeks before they get back to normal. KCKO ( keep calm and keto on).
 
Conrad74 said:
Just an update. 10 days into the keto diet now. Stopped taking metformin 2 days ago. The last 24 hours, all my blood sugar readings have been between 5.2 and 5.8. Am so happy about that. Hope it stays this way.
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They should do.. mine have for the most part.. odd blips sometimes but nothing to worry about. You’re doing great. Well done!
 
That was all very interesting because I am now injection free after almost 20 years. I was on 41 units before evening meal and 37 units before breakfast. I started Keto at the end of last January and after a few weeks I started lowering units of insulin injections probably 3 to four units over the weeks and I am now down to 0. I've not had an injection since the 6th of June and I too have noticed my bg levels are not as I would really like.I did have a 9 reading at one point but they are usually 6'sand 7's of recent days. I long to see bg 5. I take2 metformin a day 1,000mg. My HB a1C was 4.7 6th June.

I love it that we can share ... well done on your readings, lucky, lucky you!!
 
Yes it feels nice not to have to do insulin injections to live. Yesterday I had my first reading below 5. It was 4.9. It’s been 2 weeks now since on this diet, or should I say lifestyle change. I haven’t lost any weight at all, well I did, but it was from dehydration. I was feeling very nauseous and light headed and it took 2 days of drinking a lot of fluids to get back to feeling normal, and now I’m back to the same weight as when I started. But that’s ok, as I’m not in this for the weight loss. I’m not really overweight, except maybe internally. I’m doing this so I don’t have to rely on medication. I did notice though my blood pressure has gone up. I am still taking my blood pressure medications.
 
It's the mistake I make, keep calling Keto a diet. Also people say, "what diet are you on?" Then that's when I remember to say .. it's a lifestyle change. I just need to correct something in my last post...I am having ONE metformin 1,000gr SR a day, not 2!
 
Metformin has never done anything for me other than give me extreme stomach upset and diarrhea. I originally was supposed to take 1000mg in morning and 1000mg at night. I only took it at night though. I don’t think I was or am insulin resistant as all my c- peptide tests came back slightly low. The endocrinologist still said I was type 2. Also my family doctor said I required very little insulin compared to most type 2 diabetics. So I figured I’m still producing insulin, probably not as much as I should, so instead of masking the problem with a band aid (medication), I would fix the problem with eating what is best for my situation. I mean if your allergic to seafood, your not going to take Benadryl to cover up the obvious and keep on eating seafood.
 
My keto diet hasn’t been going so great the past 3 days, especially today. Was very busy and out all day and hungry as I hadn’t eaten anything so went to the store and thought I would just get a coleslaw. It didn’t have any ingredients etc on it but thought it would just be a vinegary dressing. Felt awful after and checked my blood sugars and it was 14. Did some research and it turns out the coleslaw I had, had almost 60 carbs in it almost all from sugar.
 
Conrad74 said:
Also my family doctor said I required very little insulin compared to most type 2 diabetics. So I figured I’m still producing insulin, probably not as much as I should,
Click to expand...

That is the common misunderstanding about Type 2 diabetes...that we are not produce enough insulin.

The more accurate sentence is that we are no longer producing enough insulin to handle the amount of carbs we take. So a low insulin-load diet takes the pressure off our remaining beta cells. Enable the system to switch to fats clearance.

This charts gives a better picture.



Great job on discovering Keto!
 
We don't know what the Hell we're eating half the time.
 
My blood pressure has come way down though. Weird how when my blood sugars go up, my blood pressure comes down.
 
Conrad74 said:
My blood pressure has come way down though. Weird how when my blood sugars go up, my blood pressure comes down.
Click to expand...

Is it because when we are warm our blood vessels expand, and therefore less pressure is needed to get the blood round the body?
 
Not sure. I don’t think I had adapted to being in ketosis. My heart rate even at rest was near 100 bpm and didn’t have a blood pressure reading under 159/90. Now that my blood sugars are high and I don’t think I’m in ketosis anymore my blood pressure is 121/70 and my heart rate is down to 68. Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped taking metformin. Am wondering if that had something to do with my increased blood sugars
 
Most my problems started about 6 days after I stopped metformin. Not sure how long it takes to completely leave your body
 
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