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Not doing too good lchf

WackyJacky64

Well-Known Member
Messages
439
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
Other
Been doing this since last November and i lost two stone, i've put half a stone on since March, I am bored with the food and get really bad sugar cravings, I cheat and eat sweet stuff to cheer myself up not a lot just a few days a week maybe .
I just don't feel well to be honest , i feel weak and often shaky , lowest blood sugar reading was 4.7 in the past month around 3 oc lock in the afternoon, morning readings are averaging 7 to 8.2 . Can't check before and after as i can't afford the testing strips as on a low income and cannot get them on prescription .

Having my six monthly blood test in August and i am fretting that its going to be higher than Feb when it dropped to 59.
Had some stressful events going on recently and the death of a close friend just two years older than me mum poorly I am her carer . Just don't feel energetic as i used to and buying the low carb food is so expensive for me and hubby as he does this diet too as he is type 2 the same as me , he is bored too but don't know what to do .
Don't know why I am even posting this as there doesn't seem to be anything other than lchf to keep numbers low .

Sorry for the depressing post
 
Having carbs little and often will keep the cravings going, and keep your blood sugar levels swinging from high to low, producing those horrid shaky ill feelings.

You are coping with an awful lot just now, you are doing your best, be gentle with yourself. Stress also increases blood sugar levels.

I am also on a low income, so I test myself before and 2 hours after my evening meal, and first thing in the morning if I have enough strips. That way I can at least see how my evening meal choices affect me. All the best. We are here to give each other emotional as well as diabetic support.
 
Have you looked through various low carb webpages for new ideas? Made a meal plan for a few days and shopped specifically for that? What do you like to eat? What are you struggling with price wise, maybe we can come up with alternatives

I often just have some cheap meat (varies what I find but anything from bacon/sausage/chicken/mince/sometimes some cheaper steaks) frozen cabbage, butter, garlic and any fridge leftovers stir fried up together and love it. Frozen veg are cheaper and have less waste. Own brands and places like Lidl and ALDI are great too.

Are your electrolytes ok? Maybe you need more salts. That can leave you really drained.
 

Hi thanks, funny you should mention the salt because I have been craving salty foods and bacon is one of them , I do shop at ALdi and Lidl and do look for the cheaper ranges, i always feel hungry after eating and it confuses me and i wonder if it is cos i am bored ?
I do buy frozen veg i buy fresh cabbage as i hardly waste any of that and eat kale too . I just don't know because I won't touch artificial sweetener so can't make any keto puddings as they only use artificial sweetener or that other sugar substitute .

I'm not keen on cheese , i love eggs but have gone off them right now .
I always have a full cooked breakfast and that is the highlight of the day for me and hubby .
 

Sounds like you need to make sure you’re getting salts (potassium and magnesium not just table salt) especially from foods/salts ideally or supplements otherwise. It might make a lot of difference.

Also do a good hunt round some websites for new ideas. Or google an old favourite with keto added to the search term, you’ll get loads of low carb sites that way too.

Do you include some fat to keep you full? Boredom messes with my hunger signals massively. I either don’t eat at all (which caused stalls when trying to lose weight) or crave rubbish.

I won’t use artificial sweeteners but I do use a couple of sugar alcohols namely erythritol for baking and xylitol for cups of tea. I would happily use stevia but hate the taste of it, same with monkfruit.

Try double cream and cream cheese (proportions to suit yourself) a bit of safe sweetener if you need it and maybe some essence like peppermint, vanilla or even lemon or strawberry. Whisk it til it’s thick and eat. A few berries or shaved dark choc might finish it off.
 
i did make some coconut flour bread last week and then i defrosted some strawberries and crushed them and had it on the bread with butter and it was delicious , i might make it again as it is really satisfying and is a different texture .
 
Don’t get depressed - no need too! How about a treat like strawberries and cream or raspberries and cream. If on a budget short dated fruit is usually reduced in price. I’m lucky not needing to budget too much but I often have tinned mackerell in tomato sauce with salad, corned beef and any of the cheaper cuts of meat. It’s a long hard road but I am now used to it in my third year and brought my levels down. At your next testing day ask for full bloods and anything else your nurse can offer.
 
I will do thank you , i do like strawberries and blueberries with double cream and have dark chocolate, its still not milk chocolate though but i do keep away from it .
 
@WackyJacky64 - I won't say any more about your diet, as others have given helpful hints, but I would suggest that when you have your bloods done, next month (if not before), you ask for a wide blood panel, including vitaminss and hormones; particularly thyroid.

Either of those things going out of whack can cause havoc in our bodies and with our mood too.
 
I had thyroid in February and a full blood test which came back all normal . But i think i will ask .
 
WackyJacky64 said:
I had thyroid in February and a full blood test which came back all normal . But i think i will ask .
Click to expand...

February is a long time ago, in terms of our health, and in some things, just being "in range" isn't enough. For example, the NHS normal range for thyroid is wider than in many countries, and often discounts people, even with symptoms.

Personally, I'd still want a retest, but of course, it's your call.
 
Try grating dark chocolate into really thick cream - or chopping it small, as a topping for real custard - cream and eggs, or a jelly made with gelatine, yoghurt and fruit puree or flavours from the cookery aisle. It can last several days as it makes a large dish even with second helpings.
Try adding small amounts of herbs to your food, or spices. If you buy the refills they can be a lot cheaper than the jars, I put the bag back in the box and the box in a ziplock bag to keep them fresh - in the fridge as that will preserve them. They last longest in the freezer, but they don't tend to get used, out of sight out of mind.
 
WackyJacky64 said:
I had thyroid in February and a full blood test which came back all normal . But i think i will ask .
Click to expand...
Also don’t accept “normal” as a answers from your doctor. Normal is just a range and you could be at the high end or low end of normal for your blood tests and it might not be good for you.
 
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