Low Carb, how Low?

[JoKalsbeek]

I had a chicken salad for dinner, 6.3g of carbs. Total carbs for the day was 15.2. Tonight was the first 6 reading I've had in weeks. Maybe ditch the salads and stick to red and white meats.

Depends... What was in the salad? Dressing can contain a lot of sugar. (I stick with mayo, olive oil and/or vinegar). Still... Meat's pretty good.

 

[HSSS]

The diabetic nurse rang me on Tuesday afternoon to confirm the appointment for Wednesday. 10 minutes later she rang back to say she had to cancel. She tried to set up a new appointment but I politely refused.

The reason I refused to make a new appointment with the nurse is I saw my doctor Tuesday morning. He was so happy with my weight loss and I showed him my meter readings. He took me off Metformin just 5 weeks after being diagnosed. He told me to take my B/G reading once a day at different times. He told me never to take a reading after a meal. He also said my sugars could possible go up without Metformin. If they are constantly 6.5 I should start taking Metformin again.

So today I am getting a little paranoid that my sugars with go up. I'm taking my readings 3 times a day, not once a day as he suggested. This morning about 12 hours after stopping medication my reading was 5.4, before lunch it was 4.9. Tonight, 24 hours after stopping Metformin my reading was 6.

Can anyone tell me if their readings went up after Metformin was stopped.

Kerry

Good that the dr acknowledged your success. Sad that he doesn’t know how to test. Before eating and 2 hrs after rising no more than 2mmol less even better. (Immediately after will likely be higher but if it comes quickly back down that’s ok it is the overall picture that’s matters). These mealtime readings guides your eating. Random readings will tell you nothing useful. Trends are what a type 2 looks for in terms of overall success once safe foods are identified and foods that spike are ditched.

Metformin works mostly by preventing your liver dumping glucose when it senses you are lower than it expects you to be. It’s overall effect is minimal and can not be judged by individual readings. it will mostly show in morning fasting readings as this is when most dumping takes place, and maybe after a period of fasting for some.

 

[Resurgam]

A reading of 6 is just fine - the time to check is two hours after starting to eat your main meal, if you are going to test once a day - that is, of course exactly when you are told not to test by your GP, so the numbers he suggests you record are the ones which are of no use and no concern to you, really.
I never noticed much difference with different meats or fish.
Most of the time I see numbers under 7, and that results in Hba1c just at the top of normal - but I think all the carbs I was eating broke something, but I can't see any reason to worry about it as it seems just fine day to day.

 

[DCUKMod]

The diabetic nurse rang me on Tuesday afternoon to confirm the appointment for Wednesday. 10 minutes later she rang back to say she had to cancel. She tried to set up a new appointment but I politely refused.

The reason I refused to make a new appointment with the nurse is I saw my doctor Tuesday morning. He was so happy with my weight loss and I showed him my meter readings. He took me off Metformin just 5 weeks after being diagnosed. He told me to take my B/G reading once a day at different times. He told me never to take a reading after a meal. He also said my sugars could possible go up without Metformin. If they are constantly 6.5 I should start taking Metformin again.

So today I am getting a little paranoid that my sugars with go up. I'm taking my readings 3 times a day, not once a day as he suggested. This morning about 12 hours after stopping medication my reading was 5.4, before lunch it was 4.9. Tonight, 24 hours after stopping Metformin my reading was 6.

Can anyone tell me if their readings went up after Metformin was stopped.

Kerry

OldAussie - Metformin works on what is known as a therapeutic dose basis. What that means is the Metformin builds up in your system over an inexact number of days, so at the outset it can feel like it's not working, and similarly on stopping it, it can take a while to work its way out of the system.

If the Tuesday you refer to is just yesterday, give things time to settle, but whichever is the case, if you are stressing about your numbers going up, the stress can nudge them up on its own.

Take it steady. It's easy for me to say, stay calm and be patient, but I know how challenging patience is at times!

 

[Lil_Miss_Cuddly]

I have just started and set mine to 50-100 but that was my choice, I thought I might see how I go and reduce gradually

 

[Lil_Miss_Cuddly]

Another possibility is that she has heard, and believes, the myth that 'we all need 130g carbs a day, because the brain needs 130g glucose a day, or our brain dribbles out of our ears, and we all turn into zombies'.

I love this!

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I eat around 75 grams of carbs with my moderate lchf food plan, which includes plenty of meat, dairy products over three meals a day.

Not into salad dressings such as mayo, but mix kimchi through a mixed salad for a bit of a kickalong.

 

[Old Aussie]

OldAussie - Metformin works on what is known as a therapeutic dose basis. What that means is the Metformin builds up in your system over an inexact number of days, so at the outset it can feel like it's not working, and similarly on stopping it, it can take a while to work its way out of the system.

If the Tuesday you refer to is just yesterday, give things time to settle, but whichever is the case, if you are stressing about your numbers going up, the stress can nudge them up on its own.

Take it steady. It's easy for me to say, stay calm and be patient, but I know how challenging patience is at times!

Thanks DCUKMod. Yes it's now been 4 days and so far my numbers are still in the mid 5's. I'm happy with that,

 

[Old Aussie]

Good that the dr acknowledged your success. Sad that he doesn’t know how to test. Before eating and 2 hrs after rising no more than 2mmol less even better. (Immediately after will likely be higher but if it comes quickly back down that’s ok it is the overall picture that’s matters). These mealtime readings guides your eating. Random readings will tell you nothing useful. Trends are what a type 2 looks for in terms of overall success once safe foods are identified and foods that spike are ditched.

Metformin works mostly by preventing your liver dumping glucose when it senses you are lower than it expects you to be. It’s overall effect is minimal and can not be judged by individual readings. it will mostly show in morning fasting readings as this is when most dumping takes place, and maybe after a period of fasting for some.

Thank you. The advice I get here helps to stop me stressing.