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Type 2 Need some help.

LAR

Well-Known Member
Messages
216
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hello everyone
New to this
Type 2, diagnosed in February 2016. Hit and miss trying the low carb method. After 2 days fasting my blood glucose just about enters the normal range! Had a very light day (carb wise) yesterday, my reading this am is 8.3mmol
Down from 9.7 day before, and 10.2 day before that.
Not on medication, trying to sort this through diet, exercise, (cycling, spinning and walking)
Average reading for last 7 days 8.7
Previous week 8.3
Week before that 8.4
Not sure if I'm getting this right, but I don't have a breakfast if my morning reading is higher than the previous weekly average. Just try to move more.
Any help gratefully received
LAR
 
Well done in comming to terms and finding out what is best to control your Type 2 diabetes, through your choice of diet (LCHF) exercise and changed life style.
It takes time for the human body to adjust from what it has until now always become accustomed to, so don't expect rapid changes to occur too quickly after making these changes.
It is sometimes better to eat, spreading the daily food intake throughout the day with the two or three main meals.
As for breakfast, then this is something that you really sould not skip. It's very name 'Break-Fast' is so important, and the right sort of foods at this critical time are really most important. You need foods that have a slow release of glucose to sustain you throughout the start of the working day, and 'Breakfast' should not be missed.
Please don't expect your B/G levels to suddenly drop down to 'normal' Non-Diabetic levels instantly, just use your B/G test meter to measure your starting B/G level before eating and then again 2 hours later.
This way you can work out whatare the best foods that suit you and those to avoid, as we aren't all the same and some foods will be fine with you but maybe not so with someone else.
Any drop in your B/G levels is what your are looking for (Long Term Averages) and even a small steady daily drop in levels is better long term that sudden wild fluctuations. Take each day as it comes and over time you will learn what to eat and drink, what to avoid, and how to control your Type 2 from the readings you obtain from your B/G meter. (Eat to your meter)

All the best for the future - Lazybones
 
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Hi and welcome. I'm type 2 not on medication and the Low carb High fat (LCHF) works really well for me.
You seem to have a meter and testing regularly which is great and you will be able to notice what foods spike you.
My morning reading is always higher than the rest of the day, although not awful.. .6.8 this morning, this is the dawn phenomena (liver dump) and I don't worry to much about that now.
The LCHF diet keeps the rest of my day readings within a normal range.
Exercise on an empty stomach or overexercising (1 hour plus) will raise my BG readings. I've adapted by doing 40 minute bursts of exercise after eating. or if I do a 3 hour dance session I take nuts to snack on.
Keep testing and as they say on here.. eat to your meter.
What sorts of food are you eating ?
 
Reactions: LAR
Welcome, @LAR!

Are those morning fasting readings, or are they high throughout the day?

I'm T2 and diet and exercise only too. My blood glucose has come down steadily since my diagnosis in August from following a LCHF diet.

As Daisyduck says, the effects of the dawn phenomenon do make themselves felt. I find that my fasting reading is usually pretty good but will rise once I'm up and about. Your liver will also dump glucose into your bloodstream if it feels you need the extra energy. I had a phase of going to the gym in the early evening, having not eaten since lunchtime, and after a workout find my glucose had shot up to around 8.5! However, a couple of hours later it would come down to somewhere around 4.5-5.5. To get round this, I started exercising at a lower intensity.

Stress and anxiety can also push up your blood glucose. In recent weeks I had been enjoying near-normal readings and was congratulating myself on nailing the whole thing, until things got stressful both at work and at home and my bloods shot up again. Thankfully they're heading in a downward direction again.

One thing I have found over the past few months is that sometimes I have to ease up and eat a few more carbs from time to time. Yes, I get a spike, but then my blood sugars will level out more.

I have been trying intermittent fasting recently, with some success, although I'm still not quite sure whether it's for me or not.
 
Reactions: LAR
Bless you for answering, it really helps to know I'm not alone.
I'm eating porridge for breakfast, if blood sugar 'lowish' for me, no sugar, semi skimmed milk, blueberries, a tablespoon, a few walnuts again tablespoon, and if a special day I'll have a tbsp of double cream. That doesn't spike blood sugar.
Usually go for walk mid morning. 3-6 miles depending on time available
Lunch is often mixed nuts, 30g. Or eggs, or matchbox of cheese and an orange. Sometimes do the recipes on the LCHF app.
My usual recipe fallback method is the 8 week sugar diet recipes, which I find delicious.
Evening is usually protein of some sort, chicken, mackerel, fish, occasional steak, and veg at least half the plate. Don't do carbs. Do like some Fage Total yoghurt with a little fruit for dessert. That's it usually. Even if I fast for two days the blood sugar just creeps into top end of normal on waking!
Thank you for reading this
LAR
 
Many thanks for this, yes my reading is high on waking, but does come down if I move more. I agree about the stress thing, as I'm REALLY having problems with my daughter. It's really stressing me out. I thought I was sorting it, but a text on Sunday meant I am thinking about an insoluble situation all the time, and stuck in between a rock and hard place. Probably why my blood sugar has gone up.. I will think about it less and move on! Also your point re stress after exercise, I tried a mini triathlon in October 2016, thinking my blood sugar would be right down afterwards, when in fact the opposite was true, it rocketed.
Thank you for your post, it has helped change the way I'm going to try to sort this.
 

Sounds like a good basic low carb diet. I'd up the fat content but you'll have to test to see how it works for you. Personally I would skip the porridge and skimmed milk (it does spike me a bit) and substitute full fat yogurt with the blueberries and walnuts. If porridge is OK for you then don't be afraid of the cream. it's the fat in LCHF which makes it work so well.
 
Hi,

It is worth bearing in mind that if you are testing before and after food, that they are just snapshots, and not representative of your true average figure - and should therefore not be used to calculate an average.

Dawn phenomenon is often the slowest to respond to low carbing, and can take months or longer to start to drop, so if you can, stop worrying about that - especially as it can be affected by sleep (or lack of sleep), stress and other factors.

I would say that checking before and after meals are your most useful numbers. If the food you eat in the meal results in a rise of 2mmol/l or less at 2 hours, then the amount of carbs in that meal is tolerable to your body. Test the meal a few times to make sure, then put it on the approved list. Over time, your approved list will grow.

And, if you keep doing that, then your overall blood glucose readings, and (possibly) your fasting blood glucose, will gently drift downwards.

Some people's bodies respond quickly, with a sharp drop. Others more slowly. Some it goes down smoothly. Others it drops in steps and plateaux. The thing to remember is to not compare yourself with others and their blood glucose achievements. No one else has your precise medical history, life history. They won't have the same length of time as an undiagnosed diabetic, lifestyle or exercise levels, and they certainly won't have your tastes in food and dietary preferences.

Just relax and take it day by day. This is a long game and the kinder you are to yourself while you 'play' it, the better you will feel about it. And believe me, that makes a big difference over time.
 
Thank you, very inspirational and helpful.
 
7 day blood glucose average down to 7.9. When I put this into the HbA1c calculator it's just above normal. If it reduces to 7.8 then HbA1c should be within normal range.
Cannot thank everyone enough for your REALLY helpful input. I've definitely put into place your suggestions
No porridge this am. Yoghurt blueberries (a few) and walnuts tbsp. And definitely going that route rather than missing breakfast.
Been spinning for the first time in weeks, so I've got a new spring in my steps (no pun intended)
Many thanks folks
 
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