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Low Carb not doing the trick

LeftPeg

Well-Known Member
Messages
210
Location
Gateshead
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Conflict
Hi guys,

Long story short. Was diagnosed 2 years ago with an A1C of 103 (UK measurement). Went immediately onto a low carb diet, lost 3+ stone (which I’ve kept off) and got it down to 53 in fairly short order.

Since then I’ve relaxed the diet regime (although nowhere as bad as pre-diagnosis) and got out of the habit of testing. 3 weeks ago, after realising I was waking in the night to urinate, I got some strips and tested and my reading was 16.5mmol/l.

That shocked me out of my complacency and back onto lo-carb, but the trouble is I’m not having the same great results this time round, and have yet to see a reading below 10mmol/l.

Have I allowed my diabetes to become more embedded through 2 years of complacency? Could it be that my lockdown habit of drinking red wine has damaged my liver? Or could it be that I have LADA or something?

I’ve booked a doc’s appointment but just seeking some advice / venting really.

Tl;dr - I got great results on low carb 2 years ago, but it seems ineffective now.
 
How "low" is your current regime?
It might need to be a bit lower second time round.
Weight gone back on?
 
bulkbiker said:
How "low" is your current regime?
It might need to be a bit lower second time round.
Weight gone back on?
Click to expand...

To be honest I don’t know. Just being doing the same as last time avoiding obvious sugars plus pasta, rice, bread, crisps...etc I think you might be right though - a more intensive regime is needed this time.

The weight has stayed off thankfully. But I could lose more.
 

LeftPeg, just checking, are your strips id date? If they were from "the old days", they could be reading problematically.
 
Maybe try a week or two of pure carnivore.. animal products only?
Virtually zero carb.
 
DCUKMod said:
LeftPeg, just checking, are your strips id date? If they were from "the old days", they could be reading problematically.
Click to expand...

I thought that too but bought a new box and the readings seemed accurate.
 
From the sounds of things, not only have you been putting more glucose into your body, you've been creating more liver fat by drinking alcohol. It's cumulative, and the longer it goes on the longer it takes to fix.
 
Jim Lahey said:
From the sounds of things, not only have you been putting more glucose into your body, you've been creating more liver fat by drinking alcohol. It's cumulative, and the longer it goes on the longer it takes to fix.
Click to expand...
I thought red wine was good for type 2 diabetics. What have I missed? DH makes lovely red wine from frit from our garden.
 
lucylocket61 said:
I thought red wine was good for type 2 diabetics. What have I missed? DH makes lovely red wine from frit from our garden.
Click to expand...

It's generally fine from a short term blood glucose perspective, but alcohol promotes the deposition of liver fat and thus insulin resistance. In excess it won't be doing anyone any good, but an already metabolically challenged type 2 should be extra vigilant. In my opinion anyway. Not trying to tell people what to do.
 
lucylocket61 said:
I thought red wine was good for type 2 diabetics. What have I missed? DH makes lovely red wine from frit from our garden.
Click to expand...

Not in the quantities I’ve been drinking it. I think Jim is right that it’ll have done me no favours. However I have been alcohol free for the last week or so.
 
In my opinion if you have been complacent and the damage has been done over the last 2 years - the damage is not going to be repaired/fixed in a week or 2. About 3 years ago, I was around 16.5 at diagnosis - it took me a few months to get to non diabetic levels (have a look at my signature strip) and to be honest I occasionally have the odd treat but most of the time I am quite strict with myself. You may have to go lower carb than before to get the same result this time. Good luck - it's a marathon not a sprint
 

Hi there, I find it's the unobvious ones that are most dangerous when you are low carbing! It's easy to see at a glance those things that are high carb or sugar loaded, but when I was first diagnosed I found that the things I was forgetting to bolus for were the sauces, the pickles, the accompaniments, the higher carb veg and so on. Would you mind giving us a sample of your meals?, we might spot something lurking there. x
 
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