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One Month In...

C

Chris Power

Newbie
Messages
3
Location
Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi,

I'm one month into my T2 Diabetes treatment, on 500mg Metformin twice a day, and regardless of the diet sheet the clinic gave me - which had nearly as much bad carbs on it as I was eating BEFORE diagnosos - I'm on as low a carb diet as I can manage. I'm also self-testing, since they refused me a blood test kit and I bought my own, and most of the time I'm between 7 and 8 two hours after meals.

So far, so good. BUT.

I have absolutely no energy. A 20 minute walk to town tires me out, add another 20 minutes back home with my shopping and I have trouble putting one foot in front of the other. Can anyone tell me how long this lack of physical energy is likely to last? I'm assuming it's the low/no carbs that's causing it, but I'm loathe to up the carbs because even 6 raspberries spiked me over 10.

Chris
 
Hi Chris

I got the same as you. I put it down to my body having to adjust to a lower sugar levels and the fact that if you are low carbing your body is having to break down fat supplies to give you energy which it's harder for it to do.

After nearly 12 weeks my energy levels are beginning to come back up slowly and I'm beginning to feel functional again.

Other things to watch out for are vitamin deficiencies so maybe try and get your doc to test for some of the common ones.
 
Chris Power said:
I have absolutely no energy. A 20 minute walk to town tires me out, add another 20 minutes back home with my shopping and I have trouble putting one foot in front of the other. Can anyone tell me how long this lack of physical energy is likely to last? I'm assuming it's the low/no carbs that's causing it, but I'm loathe to up the carbs because even 6 raspberries spiked me over 10.
Click to expand...

According to Stephen Phinney, about 3 weeks to a month, although he is talking about non-diabetics, it takes a little while for your body to transition from being a sugar burner to a fat burning mean machine.

There shouldn't be any negative impact on your sub-maximal exercise performance (ie walking), if anything it should improve.

I've been eating <<30g for two weeks now (and <100g for a year). Ran 5 miles yesterday without any adverse effects.
 
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