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Not going that well

IanBish

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,200
Location
Cardiff
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello,

I've been mainly low carb for a few months, with the odd blip here and there. But over the last few weeks I've been feeling a bit lethargic, and the only thing which seems to improve things is to eat a bread sandwich. I've been taking electrolyte drops, and mentally I feel clear, but I'd like to continue along the low carb path.

Maybe I'm not eating enough, and I don't always sleep that well. I eat a lot of eggs, steak, salmon and bacon, but not all that much veg.

It used to be that I could go from dinner the evening before until well after noon the next day without feeling remotely hungry, but that doesn't seem to be happening lately.

I just wondered if anyone has any ideas or advice.
 
Hi @IanBish

That sounds really frustrating. How are your levels going?

My suggestion is to get your doctor to arrange for some blood tests in the first instance. Some time ago my blood tests showed I was very salt deficient and increasing my salt intake helped me significantly.

I think it is always worth getting tests as it may be something unrelated to diabetes.

Good luck.
 
Following this Ian, my hubby is the same although I'm stuffing green veg into him as well as meat.
 
It's not always the diabetes, so I'd suggest you eliminate that possibility first. That probably means your GP.

Assuming it's noyt anything else and that it is your T2, I'd suggest that you are getting fairly usual carb cravings. Could be caused by your liver taking time to adjust to new lower BG levels, for example, or raised carb consumption. Every time you deal with that craving by eating carb, you reinforce the effect, so it won't (well, it wouldn't for me) improve while you're feeding the beast.

Personally, I'd associate the lethargy with increased carb consumption. Is it possible that you've upped your carb intake generally without appreciating it? Could you consider doing a week of extreme low carb just to break the cycle?
 
Sounds like you're on a merry-go-round, you feel hungry so you have carbs (bread), the high carbs in the bread causes a release of insulin, the insulin makes you feel hungry, and so on.... it's 'carb addiction', but it can be quite easy to combat.

Just wondering if you are having enough fat? You'll need to be replacing carbs with either fats or protein. Next time you're feeling hungry try and eat a boiled egg, chunk of cheese, a coffee with double cream whipped in, a low carb high protein bar. I often have a slither of butter when I feel a hunger pang coming on.
 
Are you testing your BG when you feel like this? Do you test before and after your sandwich?

The idea of low carb is to eat when your hungry so if your hungry between your dinner and lunch then eat! As long as it’s within the carbs you allow yourself and your BG is fine that’s not a problem.

I don’t do long fasts I have 3 meals a day, never fasted and I rarely snack, but if I am hungry now and then in between my meals then I have a no carb snack like an egg or some cheese.

This is a lifestyle change not a diet so it has to be doable for YOU not what everyone else does.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'll look into the salt thing and I'll definitely eat more above-ground veggies. I don't have carb cravings any more, but a single sarnie doesn't seem to affect my levels too much. I like fat - plenty of butter in my omelettes or scrambled eggs.

The act of having a sandwich wasn't because I felt hungry, I just thought it would make me feel a bit better. And I didn't fast deliberately, it was just because I didn't feel remotely hungry.

Anyway, COVID has paid me a visit, so once they've gone I'll look into your comments, and start all over again.
 
IanBish said:
The act of having a sandwich wasn't because I felt hungry, I just thought it would make me feel a bit better
Click to expand...
Any eating when not hungry is an emotional or habitual or psychological response, it's just tricky to figure what or why...!
Sorry you have covid, see how you are when that's over. Hope you feel better soon
 
MrsA2 said:
Any eating when not hungry is an emotional or habitual or psychological response, it's just tricky to figure what or why...!
Sorry you have covid, see how you are when that's over. Hope you feel better soon
Click to expand...
Sorry, I mistakenly implied that. I was hungry, I used to eat KitKats or Mars bars when bored, but no longer. Thanks for the good wishes, I'll get back on the wagon when I'm better.
 
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