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Low carb dieting not working

Hi,

I'll give Menardi a ring for a replacement manual. I think that I've got everything going correctly but still want to check. I've got two testing kits. I haven't used the Menardi one for some time and seem to have lost their literature. I have acquired about 100 new test strips and rather than let them go to waste, thought that I might start using their test meter again. Thank you for trying the web search.

I was a bit surprised to see my pre-dinner test reading at 6.2 which was the highest of the day since this test has always produced my lowest reading. For lunch I had 2 small slices of ham, a small wedge of cheese and some leaves. Just the diet which has dragged my readings down over the last fortnight.

I'll do another test before bed and see what the reading is then. I'm not getting bothered about the 6.2 for I would have bitten your arm off to get such a low reading just days ago.

Steve
 
hi Steve.

One other thing I neglected to mention was what exactly were you doing all afternoon.....working, exercise etc....all have an effect. Lunch wouldn't really have been high carbs at all.
 
Hi Cugila,

I had a quiet afternoon (unusually). This morning I was in Cornwall some 3 and a half hours from home. The drive was uneventful but could nonetheless have increased my stress levels I suppose. Perhaps the journey had an affect? Maybe my lack of exercise today also had an impact.

Steve
 
Hi Steve.

Yes. It could well be. There are also different types of ham and cheeses . Some of the more processed ones could be 'carby' ? Have you checked any labels ?

I do know that my Bg levels are all over the shop when I travel long distances as I do quite often. Even though I don't feel stressed it does have some effect ? That's why I always stop and have breaks and check my Bg levels and react accordingly.

The only other explanation I can think of is that you went lowish and had a 'liver dump ?'

Other than that I shouldn't worry too much about it. Levels will fluctuate for whatever reason !!
 
Great news with the numbers :mrgreen:

And a great way to use the medication. As your numbers fall you may need to regularly review the medication you are taking.

You are also beginning to see the impact of what you do on your readings - before it will have been masked by the higher readings. You are learning to manage your diabetes :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
Hi again,

I've been pursuing a low carb diet and am delighted with the results so far. My daily count of carbs is in the region of 30 - 50. As a result my levels have been as follows for the last week:

7.3
7.5
4.9
6.1
6.6
7.9
5.5

Before starting the diet, the levels were:

10.4
8.5
11.2
9.6
10.1
9.1
10.8
11.7

I've still got a way to go but am really encouraged by the progress so far. I put the results down totally to the help I've been given on this forum.

One thing causes me a problem though regarding which I would appreciate some help. I'm particularly fond of both 'real' coffee and mint sauce but can't take either without sweetener. Can you suggest a suitable low carb variety please?

Steve
 
You could try 'Splenda' 0.5 gm carbs per half gm teaspoon. Try it in the mint sauce as well.
Can be used in baking, drinks, cereals etc.
 
Hello again - more help please.

I've now been on a low carb diet for 4 weeks. Initially for the first few days I didn't see any improvement but afterwards I was delighted with the results. My readings which had previously and consistently been between about 10 and 13 were regularly coming in the target range of 4 - 7.

Over the last week however, the levels have again started to rise especially at lunchtime. For 6 of the last 7 days the levels have ranged between 10 and 12.

I've averaged about 30 carbs a day apart from the first few days of the diet. My food intake and life routine has been identical over the period. Thus I am at a total loss to understand why my levels should rise from say 6 at breakfast to double this at lunchtime. The only food/drink intake I have during the morning is a cup of tea or coffee although I wondered if I was suffering a 'liver dump' so twice had a few walnuts mid way between the two meals. There was no effect either way.

My levels fall again at supper time but I'm getting a quite substantial hike at lunchtime.

Can you think of any possible reason please?

Steve
 
Hi Steve.

I would be inclined to go with your 'liver dump' explanation. If I get up and am around 5-6 mark, have nothing to eat my Bg will shoot up by at least 2 points ! I then enter a 'rollercoaster' where I am up, then down, then back again.

I have to eat something, not just drink so that my Bg levels are stabilised. If you can't face a full brekkie thatn just try little and often, that should do the trick. Doing without is not a good idea.

One 'liver dump begets another and then you are out of control !

I have to eat more carbs a day than you, around 60 - 70g but I am still losing weight and Bg's are good, no peaks and troughs most of the time.
 
Thanks for your reply.

I have been eating a pretty hearty breakfast, usually bacon and scrambled egg plus either a low carb sausage or mushrooms or even both. Perhaps though my metabolism doesn't like me doing without food for any longer than my current new grandaughter, i.e. every two hours!!

Nothing seems to make much sense though inasmuch as today's test taken at 1pm (a good half hour later than usual) returned a figure of 9.3. This is better than I have been doing. At the same time my only intake during the morning was a cup of coffee. I therefore went some 4 hours without food without my level rising to 11 or 12 where it has been at lunchtime for most of the past week.

The logic of today's lunchtime reading is that I should perhaps test later and eat later. This would knock my 'liver dump' theory on the head though.

Baffling!

Steve
 
It's not just what you eat, but when.

I have had to get a lot more orgainsed around food, because as a vegetarian low carbing diabetic my options are quite limited or very expensive if I forget my lunch and snacks. I established that I need something to eat every 3 hours, so small snacks are important.

You also need to be aware of how your body reacts at differnt times of the day. Dawn phenomenon for me lasts until just before lunch. Your numbers may also be affected by your general health, especially if you have some kind of bug, as well as stress and changes in patterns of excercise or any medication you may take. I'm also wondering in sleepping patterns have something to do with this - my sleeping patterns are all over the place :?

I think your body also has to get used to running on this new regime and as your numbers fall lots of systems will be readjusting to it. I have been low carbing since the end of May and I'd say it took a good 6 weeks for things to stabilse and for me to be able to see my underlying patterns.

My high morning numbers were one of the reasons I started taking Metformin, along with their benefit to my continued weight loss.

You are doing great :mrgreen: 8) keep at it!
 

Test to catch the height of your spikes, this is how you will understand how your body works. If you only see the numbers after your levels have fallen again, you are not learning anything useful.
 
As regards coffee - have you tried it with Double Cream and no sweetener? That's the way I have it. Often!!!
 
I've experimented a bit with the coffee. Pre diagnosis I drank coffee as often as it was offered. This always came with full cream milk and 2 heaped teaspoons of sugar (get thee behind me, and all that).

Until about 10 days ago I had coffee with full cream milk plus a Canderel tablet. This I found to push my levels up. I changed to a Splenda tablet and this brought the levels back down. This week however I've had no sweeteners at all. My drink doesn't taste too much like coffee to me but I believe that it's not doing any harm. I think that I will have to go one step back and have a Splenda tablet.

I do like coffee and cream but I still like a bit of sweetness. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I haven't had any fruit at all since I started the low carb diet. I would dearly like a small quantity and will have to experiment to see if my levels remain largely unaffected if I have the odd bit of apple or orange.

Steve
 
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