Newly Diagnosed and Confused

[Caeseji]

So this morning I stuck to steroids post breakfast reading.

I was 4.7 on waking and had 3 tablespoons full fat Greek yoghurt (onken) with 5 blueberries and 4 chopped strawberries. I took my reading two hours post and 5.3 - wooooo!!!!

Took my steroid post reading and will test once I’m home before lunch

Heading in the right direction! I am seriously impressed there and I do hope that you enjoyed your brekkie too.

 

[IBEX82]

Heading in the right direction! I am seriously impressed there and I do hope that you enjoyed your brekkie too.

I am so happy with myself and my breakfast was gorgeous. According to MFP it’s still 4.8g of carbs so not carb free but in keeping with a low carb day

Edit: 2 hours post steroid and pre lunch: 7.7 - no other food besides water since breakfast.. so the steroid is pushing it up.. hmm .. see what post lunch says

 

[ianf0ster]

So this morning I stuck to steroids post breakfast reading.

I was 4.7 on waking and had 3 tablespoons full fat Greek yoghurt (onken) with 5 blueberries and 4 chopped strawberries. I took my reading two hours post and 5.3 - wooooo!!!!

Took my steroid post reading and will test once I’m home before lunch

Fantastic BG results, especially since the numbers were so bad when you were in hospital.
Seems like at least you now have breakfast sorted.

 

[IBEX82]

Fantastic BG results, especially since the numbers were so bad when you were in hospital.
Seems like at lest you now have breakfast sorted.

Definitely! Looks like my bacon and eggs or full fat yogurt and berries will be my go to

7.7 two hour post steroid and pre lunch... time to see what post lunch holds

 

[IBEX82]

I’m making a Keto veg soup recipe today for lunch.. 8g carbs from the veg per serving so not too horrific. And it’s got onions, bell pepper, garlic, cauliflower, green beans and diced tomatoes - it smells amazing and will take carbs so far today to 12.8g. I’m not sure what my carbs limit will be in future but I’m trying below 50g for now which I know isn’t super low but I don’t want to risk hypos either being on the gliclazide.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I'm fasting today, and that soup sounds like heaven, haha. Hope you enjoy it! Just so you know... You're doing an amazing job with all this. Be proud of yourself!

I’m making a Keto veg soup recipe today for lunch.. 8g carbs from the veg per serving so not too horrific. And it’s got onions, bell pepper, garlic, cauliflower, green beans and diced tomatoes - it smells amazing and will take carbs so far today to 12.8g. I’m not sure what my carbs limit will be in future but I’m trying below 50g for now which I know isn’t super low but I don’t want to risk hypos either being on the gliclazide.

 

[IBEX82]

I'm fasting today, and that soup sounds like heaven, haha. Hope you enjoy it! Just so you know... You're doing an amazing job with all this. Be proud of yourself!

Ahhh you’re so kind! I’m still learning and trying to navigate everything but at least I’m making a start

The soup was too die for! There are so many resources out there to help get started and I love cooking so I’m enjoying trying new things. Now we await the BG readings

A fast day sounds so hard... I think I’d be chewing my arm off!! Out of interest.. I’d read low carb is usually below 20g?! I’m not sure I’ll get there

 

[ianf0ster]

20gm of carbs per day is in the Keto range, well below ordinary Low Carbs. Some 'Low carb' studies were done with as much as 120gm of carbs per day! - And they still showed benefits.

It is important to distinguish between low carb and carbs low enough to put you in Keto. Until you know how your BG reacts to various types of carbs and to your medication I would suggest you just do Low Carb High Fat. That is what I am doing since I am not overweight and my HbA1c was not too bad.
The great thing about LCHF is that you will loose weight and reduce BG even if, on a Calorie count, you are not actually dieting!
So no feeling of deprivation.

How low in carbs you go is a personal preference thing. Some doing LCHF just keep it below 50 to 60gm, others go into the below 40 to 30gm range.

Once you are OK with your knowledge of how your body reacts and if you want to speed things up, you might want to try going full Keto (under 20 to 30 grams of carbs per day). But if you do that your body will need to react well to all the new additional protein it will be getting which can be a strain on the kidneys.

However you do it, even if you do a 800 calorie diet at first, ultimately this has to be a sustainable lifestyle. So it is for life! It isn't a quick fix - you don't fix diabetes, you control it!

 

[Member496333]

I’d read low carb is usually below 20g?! I’m not sure I’ll get there

You might be surprised where all this takes you. I currently thrive on less than 5g carbohydrate and I’d be perfectly happy if it were zero or less. You will likely find that your perspective shifts as time goes by and you hone your lifestyle.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Ahhh you’re so kind! I’m still learning and trying to navigate everything but at least I’m making a start

The soup was too die for! There are so many resources out there to help get started and I love cooking so I’m enjoying trying new things. Now we await the BG readings

A fast day sounds so hard... I think I’d be chewing my arm off!! Out of interest.. I’d read low carb is usually below 20g?! I’m not sure I’ll get there

Oh, I just fast until dinner, or if my body protests sooner, around 3-ish I might have something. Oh, it's 15:30 already here. Gosh. See? It just goes by like that. Hunger comes in waves, if it comes, so if you can ride them out with some hot tea or something, that helps. As for low carb, there's a few distinctions. There's LCHF, which is usually somewhere between 150 and 100 grams a day. For some people, that can be enough. For me it wasn't, so I went lower. But I kept botching the math, so I opted for keto: that's the 20 grams or less one, where your body enters ketosis, and starts burning fat for fuel, rather than carbs. (And that is where the ketones come from in one's bloodstream, hence the name of the diet). That means a lot less mistakes for me, as I just go for the fewest possible carbs at all times, and still have room for my extra dark chocolate at the end of the day. Plus, my "incurable" fatty liver disease is, according to my blood tests, solved. It probably still shows up a little if they'd do an ultrasound, but in effect, it's gone. Yay keto. And it's easy, with eggs, bacon, pork scratchings, salads, meat, fish, cheese, pickles, cauliflower rice and broccoli rice, spinach, and a LOT of herbs for variety...Sometimes I stay under 10 grams a day that way! And I only go hungry when I choose to, which isn't often. Some people here can go a week without eating, just doing a water fast, or even longer... I only ever made it to two days before getting wobbly, haha. So now I usually just skip breakfast and see how far I make it in the day, but today I wanted to stretch it a little farther than I normally do. You could get under 20 grams easily if you go carnivore, (all meat, all the time), as that's entirely carb free, but me, I'd miss my veggies. Oh man, don't let my mom hear that, hahaha! Seriously, you'll find what works for you... Or, maybe you already have, by the sound of it. Just make sure you enjoy your food, like the soup. Following any diet is easy when you have a party on your plate rather than a pile of dust.

 

[IBEX82]

20gm of carbs per day is in the Keto range, well below ordinary Low Carbs. Some 'Low carb' studies were done with as much as 120gm of carbs per day! - And they still showed benefits.

It is important to distinguish between low carb and carbs low enough to put you in Keto. Until you know how your BG reacts to various types of carbs and to your medication I would suggest you just do Low Carb High Fat. That is what I am doing since I am not overweight and my HbA1c was not too bad.
The great thing about LCHF is that you will loose weight and reduce BG even if, on a Calorie count, you are not actually dieting!
So no feeling of deprivation.

How low in carbs you go is a personal preference thing. Some doing LCHF just keep it below 50 to 60gm, others go into the below 40 to 30gm range.

Once you are OK with your knowledge of how your body reacts and if you want to speed things up, you might want to try going full Keto (under 20 to 30 grams of carbs per day). But if you do that your body will need to react well to all the new additional protein it will be getting which can be a strain on the kidneys.

However you do it, even if you do a 800 calorie diet at first, ultimately this has to be a sustainable lifestyle. So it is for life! It isn't a quick fix - you don't fix diabetes, you control it!

Great info! Thank you! I think 50g is doable and sustainable for now so I’ll keep that as a rough target.

My Hba1c was 55 and I am considered obese so weight loss is definitely a target with lowering the blood sugars. I have heard about testing if you’re in Keto with urine strips - are these regular urinalysis strips? I have those as I monitor protein levels with having kidney issues due to vasculitis. I was warned that too high protein wasn’t suitable but did discuss my new diet with my consultant today and she so happy for me to trial it as my function is stable and still in a good range. She will do bloods monthly for kidney function to keep an eye on any changes.

I intend to weigh myself on Wednesday as this will be two weeks of trying to stay low carb.. so I’m hoping there will be some movement

 

[IBEX82]

You might be surprised where all this takes you. I currently thrive on less than 5g carbohydrate and I’d be perfectly happy if it were zero or less. You will likely find that your perspective shifts as time goes by and you hone your lifestyle.

Wow! That is amazing! Who knows? I could be a carnivore queen in 6 months

 

[IBEX82]

Oh, I just fast until dinner, or if my body protests sooner, around 3-ish I might have something. Oh, it's 15:30 already here. Gosh. See? It just goes by like that. Hunger comes in waves, if it comes, so if you can ride them out with some hot tea or something, that helps. As for low carb, there's a few distinctions. There's LCHF, which is usually somewhere between 150 and 100 grams a day. For some people, that can be enough. For me it wasn't, so I went lower. But I kept botching the math, so I opted for keto: that's the 20 grams or less one, where your body enters ketosis, and starts burning fat for fuel, rather than carbs. (And that is where the ketones come from in one's bloodstream, hence the name of the diet). That means a lot less mistakes for me, as I just go for the fewest possible carbs at all times, and still have room for my extra dark chocolate at the end of the day. Plus, my "incurable" fatty liver disease is, according to my blood tests, solved. It probably still shows up a little if they'd do an ultrasound, but in effect, it's gone. Yay keto. And it's easy, with eggs, bacon, pork scratchings, salads, meat, fish, cheese, pickles, cauliflower rice and broccoli rice, spinach, and a LOT of herbs for variety...Sometimes I stay under 10 grams a day that way! And I only go hungry when I choose to, which isn't often. Some people here can go a week without eating, just doing a water fast, or even longer... I only ever made it to two days before getting wobbly, haha. So now I usually just skip breakfast and see how far I make it in the day, but today I wanted to stretch it a little farther than I normally do. You could get under 20 grams easily if you go carnivore, (all meat, all the time), as that's entirely carb free, but me, I'd miss my veggies. Oh man, don't let my mom hear that, hahaha! Seriously, you'll find what works for you... Or, maybe you already have, by the sound of it. Just make sure you enjoy your food, like the soup. Following any diet is easy when you have a party on your plate rather than a pile of dust.

Keto sounds amazing and like it’s worked so well for you! It definitely does intrigued me! I guess my 50g is a half way house between LCHF at 100-150g (which appears to be a normal level for me and too many carbs) all the way to 20g full Keto. I am hoping I can stick to this long term but I’m sure I’ll have my wobbles as I actually love carbs - I just know they don’t love me

I think I would miss salad and veg though I’d never say never to full carnivore diet as if my body responded well it would be worth it for the health benefits though understandably with existing kidney issues I do have to be careful.

I’m feeling pretty optimistic thanks to you guys so here’s hoping it continues

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Great info! Thank you! I think 50g is doable and sustainable for now so I’ll keep that as a rough target.

My Hba1c was 55 and I am considered obese so weight loss is definitely a target with lowering the blood sugars. I have heard about testing if you’re in Keto with urine strips - are these regular urinalysis strips? I have those as I monitor protein levels with having kidney issues due to vasculitis. I was warned that too high protein wasn’t suitable but did discuss my new diet with my consultant today and she so happy for me to trial it as my function is stable and still in a good range. She will do bloods monthly for kidney function to keep an eye on any changes.

I intend to weigh myself on Wednesday as this will be two weeks of trying to stay low carb.. so I’m hoping there will be some movement

They're urine strips that turn pink. The shade will let you know how far into ketosis you are, but the thing is, once you're fully fat adapted, you don't have them in your urine anymore... So a few months into it, they won't change colour anymore. (I got a batch of 100 sticks and they were useless in no time. I threw out half the packet.) But they will still show up in a bloodtest. When I just started the stips worked just fine, as long as that lasted, but recently I bought a CareSense Dual to check whether I was still in ketosis (I was). It's a blood glucose meter that also takes keto strips, and they are insanely expensive, which is why it took me so long to buy some, haha. But if you're not ready to go down that route just yet, don't bother with all of that just now. And you don't really need exact numbers to know you're in ketosis, as the bad breath is a dead give away. (If you're in ketosis your breath is acetone-y/fruity).

High protein is a problem when your kidneys aren't functioning properly, so protein powders and shakes (like the Newcstle Diet, I guess?) are not a good idea, but the LCHF diet and keto are mostly based on high fat, which is fine for kidneys, and moderate protein (as protein can up bloodsugars too), so... I think you'll be okay on LCHF or Keto. Carnivore could be a little problematic, but not sure. Though I have to say, since I got my bloodsugars under control and lost some weight in the process, my kidney function markedly improved. No idea whether that'll happen for you too, but one can hope, right? I'm glad your consultant's with you on this, as it's nice to have tests to fall back on regularly... It's good to know where you're at and whether what you're doing is working. And if something's wrong, you'll find out soon enough. So you've got a good one there! Christmas-card worthy.

Also, you may like carbs now, but you'll not miss them the longer you're on the diet... You get used to not having them, and they fade from memory some.

 

[IBEX82]

They're urine strips that turn pink. The shade will let you know how far into ketosis you are, but the thing is, once you're fully fat adapted, you don't have them in your urine anymore... So a few months into it, they won't change colour anymore. (I got a batch of 100 sticks and they were useless in no time. I threw out half the packet.) But they will still show up in a bloodtest. When I just started the stips worked just fine, as long as that lasted, but recently I bought a CareSense Dual to check whether I was still in ketosis (I was). It's a blood glucose meter that also takes keto strips, and they are insanely expensive, which is why it took me so long to buy some, haha. But if you're not ready to go down that route just yet, don't bother with all of that just now. And you don't really need exact numbers to know you're in ketosis, as the bad breath is a dead give away. (If you're in ketosis your breath is acetone-y/fruity).

High protein is a problem when your kidneys aren't functioning properly, so protein powders and shakes (like the Newcstle Diet, I guess?) are not a good idea, but the LCHF diet and keto are mostly based on high fat, which is fine for kidneys, and moderate protein (as protein can up bloodsugars too), so... I think you'll be okay on LCHF or Keto. Carnivore could be a little problematic, but not sure. Though I have to say, since I got my bloodsugars under control and lost some weight in the process, my kidney function markedly improved. No idea whether that'll happen for you too, but one can hope, right? I'm glad your consultant's with you on this, as it's nice to have tests to fall back on regularly... It's good to know where you're at and whether what you're doing is working. And if something's wrong, you'll find out soon enough. So you've got a good one there! Christmas-card worthy.

Also, you may like carbs now, but you'll not miss them the longer you're on the diet... You get used to not having them, and they fade from memory some.

Oh I definitely hope it results in improvements in the kidney too, and if not to keep the sugar and weight down would be goals achieved for me.

My consultant for my auto immune condition is amazing! She’s so supportive and proactive - always happy to advise and help where she can. I was at my appointment for an hour today with her discussing everything from my recent hospital admission, my diabetes, diet, steroid treatment - she’s remarkable

Ohhh and I’m sure I’ll forget most carbs but the ones from fruit, yogurt, and veg have to stay - I love those... I love cake too but maybe I’ll forget that one

 

[ianf0ster]

While I can eat eggs, bacon. steak. salmon, cheese, cream, berries, cauliflower, broccoli, nuts, very dark chocolate etc. will I miss toast, cake, chips (French fries), bananas etc?.
- Well yes I will!
But when I was wrongly told that Low Fat was healthy, I managed to give up full fat things and red meat for over 10yrs.

It is a pleasure, not a problem, for me to eat tasty food that is good for me and means I have no real diet restrictions as to how much I can eat! As the Americans say 'What's not to like!'

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Oh I definitely hope it results in improvements in the kidney too, and if not to keep the sugar and weight down would be goals achieved for me.

My consultant for my auto immune condition is amazing! She’s so supportive and proactive - always happy to advise and help where she can. I was at my appointment for an hour today with her discussing everything from my recent hospital admission, my diabetes, diet, steroid treatment - she’s remarkable

Ohhh and I’m sure I’ll forget most carbs but the ones from fruit, yogurt, and veg have to stay - I love those... I love cake too but maybe I’ll forget that one

Well, if you can stop yourself from devouring a cake once it's in front of you... Sometimes when I'm out with my husband I'll get to pick a bit of cake (usually chocolate, as he loves that too), brownie or a cupcake, and we'll share it. I'll have a few tiny little bites. They last longer than one relatively big one, so I can savour the flavour longer; it's not about stilling hunger, it's about enjoying the taste, and once I made that switch in my mind it was easy. And I'll still remain in ketosis this way. So find someone who'll sacrifice themselves for you and is willing to eat the rest of the cake/cupcake/brownie/whatever. There's a little shop in Delft called the Ten to Three Bakery, and they make all their cupcakes in miniature versions as well. They'll cut one in half for me, and I'll share it with my husband, who'll also have his giant one all to himself. (Except when he's not looking and I sample a bit of his icing. Ahem.). I have a feeling I enjoy my half of the mini cupcake more. It's all good, but.... You appreciate food more the longer you're into this. A good steak can make me tear up!

It's all about how to make this work for you so it's doable in the long run. I just can't do the cake thing when I'm with family, because if I take a single bite, they think I can eat cake, period. They don't get it that it's a quantity thing. So at birthdays I still go without, it's easier than having to explain the exact same thing at every single birthday party. (Plus, big family, it'd be all cake, all the time). Just show me to the cheese and walnuts and I'll be fine, thanks. Oh, and whenever I did something I'm really, really proud of, I buy myself some strawberries with clotted cream. (Try finding clotted cream in a Dutch supermarket. I always have to order the stuff, they still don't stock it here in Baarn.) I'll go over my carb limit, slightly, but it doesn't happen often, and it's not enough to kick me out of ketosis, so... Whatever works. And if you're not going that low, strawberries galore. Enjoy 'em!

 

[Resurgam]

I was told that I was a very bad diabetic with a Hba1c of 91, but was able to get down to normal numbers with a limit of 50 gm of carbs a day - I did lose weight, but my 'normal' metabolism happily puts on weight at the slightest excuse, and that is where I am now, after two years no longer registering as diabetic.
I am down to 40 gm of carbs a day now, and two meals a day, but my normal is not usual.

 

[IBEX82]

While I can eat eggs, bacon. steak. salmon, cheese, cream, berries, cauliflower, broccoli, nuts, very dark chocolate etc. will I miss toast, cake, chips (French fries), bananas etc?.
- Well yes I will!
But when I was wrongly told that Low Fat was healthy, I managed to give up full fat things and red meat for over 10yrs.

It is a pleasure, not a problem, for me to eat tasty food that is good for me and means I have no real diet restrictions as to how much I can eat! As the Americans say 'What's not to like!'

There is definitely a lot to love on that list! And my BG for lunch was okay.. a little high but I have taken my steroids now so I know that increases things.

7.7 to 9.2

 

[IBEX82]

Well, if you can stop yourself from devouring a cake once it's in front of you... Sometimes when I'm out with my husband I'll get to pick a bit of cake (usually chocolate, as he loves that too), brownie or a cupcake, and we'll share it. I'll have a few tiny little bites. They last longer than one relatively big one, so I can savour the flavour longer; it's not about stilling hunger, it's about enjoying the taste, and once I made that switch in my mind it was easy. And I'll still remain in ketosis this way. So find someone who'll sacrifice themselves for you and is willing to eat the rest of the cake/cupcake/brownie/whatever. There's a little shop in Delft called the Ten to Three Bakery, and they make all their cupcakes in miniature versions as well. They'll cut one in half for me, and I'll share it with my husband, who'll also have his giant one all to himself. (Except when he's not looking and I sample a bit of his icing. Ahem.). I have a feeling I enjoy my half of the mini cupcake more. It's all good, but.... You appreciate food more the longer you're into this. A good steak can make me tear up!

It's all about how to make this work for you so it's doable in the long run. I just can't do the cake thing when I'm with family, because if I take a single bite, they think I can eat cake, period. They don't get it that it's a quantity thing. So at birthdays I still go without, it's easier than having to explain the exact same thing at every single birthday party. (Plus, big family, it'd be all cake, all the time). Just show me to the cheese and walnuts and I'll be fine, thanks. Oh, and whenever I did something I'm really, really proud of, I buy myself some strawberries with clotted cream. (Try finding clotted cream in a Dutch supermarket. I always have to order the stuff, they still don't stock it here in Baarn.) I'll go over my carb limit, slightly, but it doesn't happen often, and it's not enough to kick me out of ketosis, so... Whatever works. And if you're not going that low, strawberries galore. Enjoy 'em!

Oh that’s fab! The little bakery sounds amazing and if you can do it in the limits of keeping your BGs under control and weight down - it’s obviously no big thing.

Do you think clotted cream is okay sent by post? I could definitely send you some

Dinner is home made steak burgers, full fat cheddar, onions, full fat mayo and iceberg lettuce for buns