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New to LHCF Help needed!

N

Newyorker

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone,

I have just started the LHCF diet as my H1c is 61 and I really need to lower it! I started this diet on Monday and I found that if I ate too little carbs, I started to feel very shaky. I saw my diabetic nurse this morning and she encouraged me to continue this diet and just watch how I am feeling. My question is: how little is too little carbs? I was on a carbs heavy diet previously so the nurse said that when my bs gets into normal range, I may feel unwell as my body is so used to my bs being high. She did say that in a few weeks after testing my bs, if the numbers were good I could reduce my glicazide to 1 x 80mg a day. She did not specify if I should stop the morning or the evening one! I am also on metformin 500mg 3x a day. Should I slowly be tapering off on the carbs? Also, what does everyone have for lunch as I am struggling. I need some thing that is quick and easy. Thank you for your help!!
 
Welcome

How nice that you have a supportive nurse who believes in LCHF - very unusual!!

I jumped in at the deep end when I started low carbing but I wouldn't recommend it - the best way is to cut down a bit at a time until you find a 'sweet spot' when you get good blood glucose tests with your meter.

Have you got a meter?

As for lunch - I often have bacon and eggs or omelettes - maybe a salad with cheese and/or cold meats - or just the cold meats and cheese. I know quite a few people on this forum make double the amount of dinner and have the leftovers for lunch the next day as recommenced on www.dietdoctor.com
 
Reactions: hca
You seem to have an unusually sensible diabetes nurse! Your body has been used to high sugar levels for some time, so a sudden drop is making you feel a bit odd. One name for it is a "false hypo" and there is also "low carb flu". It's all about getting used to change. As Nursie says, carry on.
There is no such thing as too little carb, but zero carb is really very difficult to do. We have between 20g and 35g each day. Higher levels are usually caused by chick peas, which are a favourite in this household. Find a level that suits you, a level that will keep your blood sugars to a level you find acceptable.
Do watch the gliclizide. This can push blood sugar levels too low and you may need to cut down or drop this as your low carb diet takes affect. Speak to Nursie, she sounds sensible.

Lunch: I make up batches of home made soup (so I know what's in it) and this just goes from freezer to microwave. We also have leftovers, salad (grabbed out of a bag) and cheese or cold cuts or tinned fish. Lunch is just about reaching into the fridge and dumping a few things on a plate.

Sally
 
Hello and welcome

As the others have said its both great for you but unusual to get a supportive dn when attempting Lchf.

Just like @Chook I dove straight in and drastically reduced my carb intake to 30g or less a day, suffered terribly with carb flu but got over it in a couple of weeks.

So many lunch ideas which are quick and easy, I often have a tin of tuna or a boiled egg with salad, pork scratchings and on a Sunday I make a frittata diet doctor recipe let it go cold and slice it up for work during the week. Yesterday for lunch I had 1/2 a lidl protein roll a chunk of mature cheddar and a hard boiled egg.

Occaisionally I skip lunch.

Hope this helps xx
 
Glad you found a good nutritionist. There is no such thing as too little carbs by the way. In fact, if your doctor & medications allow, fasting for a few days would even be beneficial.

Give yoruself some time to get over the false hypos and carb flu. Then you will feel like a million dollars afterwards. Blood sugar will start to normalize and you will be full of energy.
 
Thank you so much! I am going to continue with my low carb and I am lucky to have a wonderful nurse who believes in it. I have 3 months to get my h1c down to an acceptable level. Lunch ideas are great!
 
Don't mean to be rude but calling a nurse 'nursie' is so patronising. Reminds me of the old days of carry on films really hoped things had moved on since then!
 
The glicazide is probably causing hypoglycaemia as it lowers blood glucose.
Eating fewer carbs lowers blood glucose very effectively so I'd have thought that your nurse would have advised a reduction in the dose due to the symptoms you experience - it seems a bit the wrong way round to be eating more carbs to counteract the effects of medication.
 
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