New and no clue

[JoKalsbeek]

I tested at lt least once daily from the start of doing low carb, I never got into ketosis, i lost 2lb in 3 months. This was about 10 years ago and was for weight loss not diabetes

I dont eat a whole bowl of them often, im just saying i can as they are my favourite food.
When i was doing low carb i was only having a small portion of them a couple of times a week, when I failed to get into ketosis after 1 month of this i dropped them totally for 2 months. I was then on meat, eggs, fish, fats and diet tonic water/bitter lemon. black unsweetened decaff coffee, no milk, No carbs. And still failed to get into ketosis or lose weight

Im not really monitoring my food much right now, im concentrating on getting my iron up first. I'll deal with the carbs later, I cant be doing very low carb with the initial no energy and foggy head when i have zero to start with due to the anaemia. When i start then i will be trying for ketosis to kick start it but it wont be my main goal this time.

I cant drink caffeine drinks as really sensitive to the stuff, i have largely given up carbonated drinks even though they were sugar free but i cant stand plain water so am drinking sugar free flavoured water or sugar free squash/cordial



Strangely, while feeling a bit overwhelmed last night i thought "blow it!" and had 2/3rds of a dairy milk bar, today i feel better than i have in a few weeks, maybe deprivation was making me feel worse! yeah yeah i know not the way to go but im human

I have my moments too, especially this time of year. My husband works in an industry where both clients and manufacturers seem to think giving him loads of chocolates for the holidays is a good idea. We have enough to feed an orphanage, and I can't resist the stuff at the moment. Like I said, just figure out what works for you. Keep in mind that high blood sugars will cause fatigue too, so you could well have multiple reasons for it. Take it easy, one day at a time. And remember, if you want to up your iron through diet as well, (red) meat and fatty fish are good for your blood sugars too. Two birds, one stone.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome

You do seem to have faced a lot of hurdles. As JoKalsbeek says there are a lot on this site that have faced a number of health hurdles so you are definitely not alone.

You seem to have had a rough time with the finger pricking but hopefully the advice here will help. The testing is the only way to tell what effect the food you are eating and what you are drinking has on your body. If you are having artificial sweeteners it's worth testing to see their effect. I had a 'low carb bar' less than 1 carb but it really spiked my blood sugars- the rest went into the bin. A different type- no effect. We are all so different. However the good news is that once you've tested regularly for a while you know the effect of lots of your regular foods so no need to keep testing (unless like me you're a tad obsessive about everything.)

Good luck.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

I had a 'low carb bar' less than 1 carb but it really spiked my blood sugars- the rest went into the bin..

I can get obsessive that is why im holding back for now...i need to deal with blood issues first i think.
Also a bit worried that my body will respond to artificial sweeteners as if theyre sugar...then what? I hate water, i can't drink it. Gotta drink something...

I'll see how i go on the metformin and limiting straight sugars and starchy carbs, try and strike a balance that works but i'm refusing to fret over anything else, got enough on my plate

 

[Mike d]

what do you drink?

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

what do you drink?

Flavoured still water, (sugar free, artificial sweeteners) sugar free squash (artificial sweeteners) very occasional black decaf coffee, no sugar or sweetener

 

[HSSS]

Where you can - the easily available sweeteners least likely to cause blood sugar issues and digestive issues generally are stevia, monkfruit, erythritol and xylitol (the last is toxic for dogs). Check the labels for ingredients as some brands advertise these but are chock full of dodgy bulking agents.

Of the sugar alcohols maltitol is most likely to give a reaction this is often in low carb bars and sugar free sweets.

The artificial powdered/granulated ones are often mixed with maltodextrin or similar which gives a reaction to many.
Can’t comment much on the other artificial ones bgl wise other than to say drops might be safer than granulated to avoid the dodgy bulking agents.

There’s exceptions to all the generalities above so testing is the only way to know for sure for you. Then there’s the taste aspect and the prolonging the sweet tooth aspect.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

Seems to be acesulfame k on most. Probably won't bother with granulated ones... I've had the same 2 lb bag of sugar going for about 18 months so probably won't bother switching when it's such a rarity.
I also keep away from sugar alcohols after an unpleasant reaction after just 4 tiny boiled sweets.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

So...my sister popped by with her t2 husbands meter and tested my blood...nearly 7 hours after last food and i was at 11, tested again and was at 10.4 so tested my son 4.5. her own 4.7 and so stabbed me fresh and no squeezing and got 9.8.

My meal at 3pm (and only food of the day so far) was boiled eggs, bacon, black pudding and sausage with 1 tablespoon bbq sauce and I've drank about 700ml of volvic touch of fruit sugar free mango passion still water. Surely none of that should not be enough to have such a high reading nearly 7 hours after eating it?

Meds- Ventolin, spiriva, fostair, cetirizine, ibuprofen 400mg and co-codamol 15/500mg, folic acid 5mg, spatone

 

[ianf0ster]

Unfortunately when something says thing like 'zero sugar' or 'sugar free' they actually mean no added sugar, not that there are zero cabohydrates in it. It is the carbohydrates which should concern you because all starches break down into sugar within seconds of eating/drinking!
Things like sauces can contain more cabs than you would expect, as can lower percentage meat sausages and of course any naturally fruit flavoured drink. Far from being healthy, fruit juice is as bad for Type 2s as sugary carbonated drinks.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

'zero sugar' or 'sugar free' they actually mean no added sugar, not that there are zero cabohydrates in it. It is the carbohydrates which should concern you because all starches break down into sugar within seconds of eating/drinking!

I'm aware, I calorie counted, low carbed and helped run a diet and fitness website for a few years

volvic states per 250ml 0.5g

the sauce i had was 9.7g per 100ml, i had a tablespoon (the black pudding is very meh but my blood needs it!)

the sausages were 85% pork and came in at 1.4g each and i had 2

the black pudding is 13g per 100g i had about 70g

Still think that is a high reading for nearly 7 hours after eating?

 

[ianf0ster]

If that is all you had then I agree - that is a high reading (even a very high assuming your HBA1c of 52) so long after eating.
I have no idea what could be causing it.

Of course it isn't just food which affects Blood Glucose.
Other things that can raise it are:
Illness, Infection, Medication, Stress, Lack of Sleep, Vigorous Exercise or Lack of Exercise.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

Illness, Infection, Medication, Stress, Lack of Sleep, Vigorous Exercise or Lack of Exercise.

6 of those are ticked, getting over a cold and chest/sinus infection, daily meds listed on my post 2 above, stress...by the bucket load, this isn't helping either, i think i'd prefer not to know the numbers but now i do....argh!. I sleep in max 2 hour bursts before my chest or bladder wake me and then i cant get back off and find it hard to exercise due to my naf lungs, slipped disc and exhaustion from anaemia and lack of sleep...id go for a walk but i have agoraphobia/social phobias to boot.

Metformin came today, start it tomorrow

 

[ianf0ster]

OK so there are plenty of reasons why your fasting/background BG may be high, meaning that it was probably high before the meal and the level the test showed wasn't caused by the meal.

It may not seem like it, but this is good news. Because your cold will end, and hopefully your chest /sinus problems will at least improve. Knowing this should reduce your stress levels and you can get into a 'virtuous circle' instead of a vicious circle'.

I can se that getting exercise is a problem for you, but exercise for BG control is over-rated. Some of the best exercise for diabetics are moderate muscle building ones - what are known as resistance exercise rather than aerobic ones. Though you probably need some aerobic exercise for your lungs if you can manage it.

I know several members lift weights - they don't have to be huge weights.Personally I do a few slow motion press-ups and leg raises - just enough to 'feel it' in the muscles, however I don't have agoraphobia, so I also go for a brisk 30min walk nearly every day. I started that for my heart after my 3x bypass, so long before my T2D diagnosis.

 

[ianf0ster]

I'm not sure if the video meets the criteria of supporting evidence that a moderator has asked me to provide to back up all my posts where a make an un-qualified statement, but it is the best I can do at short notice:

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

I'm not sure if the video meets the criteria of supporting evidence that a moderator has asked me to provide to back up all my posts where a make an un-qualified statement, but it is the best I can do at short notice:

Interesting...might have answered my "why didnt i get into ketosis" question better than "it was the artificial sweeteners/not enough fat" i was proffered by low carb groups. I'm an insomniac, im lucky if i get 4 hours a day in broken naps, I got 1 hour last night and have had a 2 hour nap today where i woke and checked the time 3 times, also being awake all that time leads to a lot of grazing so body never without a food source even if it only totals 1200 kcal. (probably more but not logged in a while)

Still plan on concentrating on getting my anaemia sorted first as i know that can impact BG levels but will be more mindful of the grazing (do feel hungry all the time but weight has remained steady for nearly 9 years so thats in my favour BMR rate wise)

Thanks for posting