Low Carb stopped working for me

[Cricket_Balls]

Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere but couldn't find it

For approx 8 years have eaten low carb & exercised @ a fairly high level. Due factors outside my control had to stop exercising approx 18 months ago. Restarted 4 months ago & once again am exercising hard (including 3 or 4 x 45 minute spin classes per week where I am exercising @ 70-80% of my max heart rate)
Meanwhile my blood sugar is too often high
Do the benefits of eating low carb diminish after a few years? Tho I can improve my fitness a little I would struggle to eat lower carb

I'm baffled!

 

[Oldvatr]

Our bodies are remarkably adaptive. If we do not feed on carbs, then it gets glucose from other places. Protein is the usual go-to and maybe you are eating more now. Are you losing weight, because the body will scavenge your own muscle tissue from you if it needs to.

The body also adjusts metabolic rate to compensate and conserve if it thinks it is being denied, I have seen it advised that either doing intermeiitent fasts or the occasional carb splurge can shock it into action again. But it must be a surprise otherwise it will learn to compensate for the new routine.

I don't know if LC diet stops working. I am 8 years into mine, and it still works reasonably well, but then again I have relaxed my goals since I started. I aim for an average daily result around 6.5 mmol/l which keeps me out of hypoland, and also avoids De Nile. I am eating more carbs now and my Insulin resistance and pancreas output is well tamed now.


what are your typical pre and 2hr readings doing? Are you being too strict with your goals? This is a marathon, not a sprint, so it is acceptable IMO to have more relaxed targets as one progresses. Try testing at 4hr after the meal to see if protein and fat is contributing.

 

[lucylocket61]

Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere but couldn't find it

For approx 8 years have eaten low carb & exercised @ a fairly high level. Due factors outside my control had to stop exercising approx 18 months ago. Restarted 4 months ago & once again am exercising hard (including 3 or 4 x 45 minute spin classes per week where I am exercising @ 70-80% of my max heart rate)
Meanwhile my blood sugar is too often high
Do the benefits of eating low carb diminish after a few years? Tho I can improve my fitness a little I would struggle to eat lower carb

I'm baffled!

Can you give an idea of how many carbs you eat daily please? And your general typical eating plan?

Do you take any meds for your diabetes and has anything changed or have you recently been ill?

Hopefully we can come up with some ideas to help.

 

[Hiitsme]

I'm almost 8 years into this. For the firt few years LC seemed to work well but with a very high stress situation HbA1c increased though kept to same diet but still considered good control by medics. Stress can raise blood sugar. Now I think I'm eating slightly higher carb than I was. Have situations changed for you? Higher levels of stress? Eating a few more carbs?

 

[Cricket_Balls]

Our bodies are remarkably adaptive. If we do not feed on carbs, then it gets glucose from other places. Protein is the usual go-to and maybe you are eating more now. Are you losing weight, because the body will scavenge your own muscle tissue from you if it needs to.

The body also adjusts metabolic rate to compensate and conserve if it thinks it is being denied, I have seen it advised that either doing intermeiitent fasts or the occasional carb splurge can shock it into action again. But it must be a surprise otherwise it will learn to compensate for the new routine.

I don't know if LC diet stops working. I am 8 years into mine, and it still works reasonably well, but then again I have relaxed my goals since I started. I aim for an average daily result around 6.5 mmol/l which keeps me out of hypoland, and also avoids De Nile. I am eating more carbs now and my Insulin resistance and pancreas output is well tamed now.


what are your typical pre and 2hr readings doing? Are you being too strict with your goals? This is a marathon, not a sprint, so it is acceptable IMO to have more relaxed targets as one progresses. Try testing at 4hr after the meal to see if protein and fat is contributing.

Thanks Oldvatr. Have only just started testing but device I've got often doesn't work. Am fairly sure I eat less carbs now. Have never fasted in my life & am not keen to start now: I've no weight to lose - & I 'use' a lot of calories when exercising
I guess there's no easy answers to this little conundrum. Cricket_Balls

 

[Cricket_Balls]

I'm almost 8 years into this. For the firt few years LC seemed to work well but with a very high stress situation HbA1c increased though kept to same diet but still considered good control by medics. Stress can raise blood sugar. Now I think I'm eating slightly higher carb than I was. Have situations changed for you? Higher levels of stress? Eating a few more carbs?

Thanks Hiitsme. Tough question. The last 18 months has been a nightmare but like Elton John: I'm Still Standing. I don't feel stressed but am unsure how stress levels can be monitored objectively

 

[HSSS]

Have only just started testing but device I've got often doesn't work. Am fairly sure I eat less carbs now. Have never fasted in my life & am not keen to start now: I've no weight to lose - & I 'use' a lot of calories when exercising
I guess there's no easy answers to this little conundrum. Cricket_Balls

So have your levels actually got worse? If so what were they before and now? I‘m wondering if you’re comparing a drs reported “doing ok” with actual numbers now?

Then if your meter is dodgy you can’t really trust the results. What sort of problems are you having with it?

Fasting (or better called time restricted eating ) normally comes fairly naturally on lower carb so long as you’re eating enough fat. Which also prevents unwanted weight loss. If you’re low enough carb you’ll become fat adapted and be able to utilise ketones which is great for endurance exercise (see the art and science of low carbohydrate performance by volek and phinney)

Finally lots of people report higher levels for a while after cardio exercise (glucose is dumped to supply energy). The pay off is that for a substantial period afterwards they are lower than without the exercise. So the question here is when are you testing?