So I'm new at this...

[PDR]

It is often aspartame, which is hugely not good for anyone.

Whilst I'm aware there are lots of people who express this view as far as I can see the actual research (and there has been a heck of a lot of it) doesn't provide any evidence to support it. I'm afraid it's one of those things that has just been overtaken by populist fervour - there is certainly nowhere near sufficient evidence to describe it as "hugely not good for anyone".

PDR

 

[xfieldok]

I don't touch aspartame because I think it tastes terrible.

 

[AllieRainbow]

On the curry front, I am now weaned off rice altogether, and it is possible to really enjoy adding more veg to food if you wish to take that route and if you can do it. Some people may find this causes problems with digestion if they eat too much fibre.

I was inadvertently following a Middling carb, Moderate fat diet with normal protein around four years ago to lose weight and successfully lost around 5 stone. Unfortunately I found myself buffeted by life events and lost my course, but along the way I found some great substitutions for rice and carby foods.

When I go for a curry now I enjoy it far more than when I was loading up with bread and rice. I order a huge salad and have that instead of rice, and I find it much tastier and I never get that stuffed feeling when I go for a curry that I used to have. Every time I go out with friends and they see my plate piled up with salad, with lots of different veg, they try and steal some.

Rather than pasta I have a huge salad or some spirallised veg, which again enhance the flavours of the whole dish. I had not realised just how bland rice and pasta were until I made these changes.

Now I have been recently diagnosed with T2 these changes have come in really handy.

 

[DCUKMod]

@PDR - Does your hotel room have a mini bar in it? If it does, you could store snacks in there, replacing your grapes?

I once did over 9 months in an hotel for work, working on a secret squirrel project, about 100 miles south of home, but commuting twice within that week to a location 100 miles north of home. After a time, the hotel really started looking after us (there was a small group "living there" weekdays).

That was a challenging time, in terms of effort, but actually it was also quite fun. It was well before my diagnosis.

 

[PDR]

Unfortunately no minibar these days, although even when they had them they were pretty rubbish (barely got down to 10degC).

PDR

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Suggestion about the "If it's on my plate, I'll eat it" thing. Just make sure it's not on your plate when it arrives! Seriously. If I ask the staff to replace potatoes/pasta/rice/bread with an extra/double serving of veggies or salad, they always do. No problem. For someone like me, with extreme anxiety, it was hard at first, but I kinda got used to it. (Becoming known for leaving more-than-decent tips helps too. ). Good luck!

 

[PDR]

Now there's a thing. We took the dogs for a walk, and then my pre-dinner test was 4.7 mmol/l (probably my lowest value since I started measuring three weeks ago). Dinner was chicken salad (chicken, lettuce, red pepper, sweetcorn, olives, Caesar dressing) washed down with a pint of cherry coke zero, metformin and gliclazade. Ten minutes shy of two hours later my test figure was 4.6 - a new low, and the first time I've ever had the post-meal number lower than the pre-meal one.

Does that mean I may be able to dump the gliclazade?

PDR

 

[MrsGruffy]

I would feel uncomfortable giving or getting advice about meds on a forum, even this forum, with it's very well informed and educated members. However, I will say that I had an appointment yesterday with my diabetes educator, and showed her my impressive graph which shows how far down my average BGs have gone in less than a month of eating LCHF. She suggested I could cut my meds a little but also said I should check with the doctor first. She also was very disapproving of LCHF in general, but agreed that it was definitely working for me by looking at my numbers. I actually got to spend nearly 2 hours with her, sucking her brains dry of all the standard diabetes advice - there is always some truth in everything, after all! I think I have her professional curiousity piqued, because she wants to see me again in a month and my scheduled visits are done. I've lost 3kg since I saw her a month ago and the last week or so have shown all my BGs within normal healthy limits. When I started metformin, I was not getting any side effects from them, but since my BG has been stable and normal, my belly gurgles continuously and I've had a few rather spectacular toilet episodes late at night (sorry, TMI - but I'm sure that others will be able to relate!). When I started LCHF I was feeling so angry and resentful - all of these insults which creep in as we age, slow insidious changes with plenty of time to get used to them so that they each become our new normal. However, I don't feel a bit deprived right now, as I slurp down my morning coffee with cream. I don't feel insatiable hunger that I've been battling for such a long time with dreadful consequences to my waistline. Seriously, what's not to love!?

 

[DCUKMod]

Now there's a thing. We took the dogs for a walk, and then my pre-dinner test was 4.7 mmol/l (probably my lowest value since I started measuring three weeks ago). Dinner was chicken salad (chicken, lettuce, red pepper, sweetcorn, olives, Caesar dressing) washed down with a pint of cherry coke zero, metformin and gliclazade. Ten minutes shy of two hours later my test figure was 4.6 - a new low, and the first time I've ever had the post-meal number lower than the pre-meal one.

Does that mean I may be able to dump the gliclazade?

PDR

I rarely would make a long term decision, based on one single piece of data, so Id be inclined to watch the data closely for now

 

[Bluetit1802]

Now there's a thing. We took the dogs for a walk, and then my pre-dinner test was 4.7 mmol/l (probably my lowest value since I started measuring three weeks ago). Dinner was chicken salad (chicken, lettuce, red pepper, sweetcorn, olives, Caesar dressing) washed down with a pint of cherry coke zero, metformin and gliclazade. Ten minutes shy of two hours later my test figure was 4.6 - a new low, and the first time I've ever had the post-meal number lower than the pre-meal one.

Does that mean I may be able to dump the gliclazade?

You need much more data for a good case to put before your nurse.

I wonder if the dog walk brought your levels down to 4.7 before dinner, and your Gliclazide brought your levels down to 4.6 after dinner? Gliclazide forces your pancreas to produce extra insulin, and taking it when you did will have helped bring your levels down .

 

[PDR]

Good point. Let's see how the week goes! I have an appointment on friday afternoon - I see a diabetic doctor rather than a diabetic nurse because (for reasons that may be found further up the thread) the only time I can get to medical appointments is friday afternoons, and the DN doesn't work fridays. Current plot looks like this:

The primary reason for the dramatic change from last thursday evening was learning that the website was wrong and I needed to avoid grapes!

PDR

 

[Bluetit1802]

The primary reason for the dramatic change from last thursday evening was learning that the website was wrong and I needed to avoid grapes!

You are clearly improving, and well done on cutting out the grapes. When did you start taking the Gliclazide?

 

[PDR]

When did you start taking the Gliclazide?

See the sharp dip just to the left of the "T" in "Time of Day"? My first Glic pill was with lunch that saturday (I take my glics with lunch and dinner because I don't eat breakfast - just have a coffee).

But also look at the most recent Sunday, and not how it's more or less the same as the day before it and the day after it. This is interesting because I forgot to take my lunchtime glic on Sunday.

PDR

 

[Bluetit1802]

I still think it is the Glic helping you, in addition to your new eating plan. The only way to judge is to stop taking it, but you must not do that without your GP's say so, and I think you are jumping the gun a bit.

 

[PDR]

Tish and pish! Please stop distracting me with this clearly well-founded and sensible advice when there is an exciting-looking knee just begging to jerk. Where's the fun in that??



PDR

 

[PDR]

Pride goeth before two jinks in the braking zone, as they say. My post-lunch number was 8.1 (higher than the whole of yesterday), but I got into the hotel an hour ago feeling hungry and frankly rather bleurgh. Took my pre-dinner reading and got a 4.4 (lowest ever number), had some food and now feel much better. So now I'm wondering if I may have experienced a mild hypo, or perhaps a severe attack of hypochondria brought on by a lifetime of over-thinking smartarseness.

Ho-hum, don camillo...

PDR

 

[Bluetit1802]

Took my pre-dinner reading and got a 4.4 (lowest ever number), had some food and now feel much better. So now I'm wondering if I may have experienced a mild hypo,

4.4 isn't a hypo in strict terms. Under 4 is a hypo. However, your bleugh feeling may have been because you were lower than your body is used to. It is a common occurrence when you first start to lower your numbers, a bit like flu. It's known as a false hypo. However, please test regularly. Your Gliclazide is a difficult drug and will drop you too low (and into proper hypo territory) if you are not very careful. I am being deadly serious here. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin you need. Too much insulin (due to Gliclazide) and your levels will drop. Do be careful.

Edited to include the words false hypo.

 

[PDR]

Bluetit - thank you again for your sound advice. Whilst I post flippantly it's just a writing style - I've been using my meds in strict accordance with the instructions and would never do otherwise without competent medical advice. My doctor did read me the riot act about glic in particular, so I'll be careful - I promise! TBH it was this aspect of glic in particular which drives me to want to do without it, but only if and when the doc says it's OK to try.

FWIW - my level at 20:51 was 5.9 and at 23:45 it was 5.8, so I don't think I'm heading for an accidental hypo.

PDR

 

[Petaluk]

Well, that is a great improvement, which just shows the grapes and cashews were not doing you any good.
The blurry eyes will settle. They happen when blood sugars drop quickly. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to change your specs (if you wear specs) as you may be wasting your money.

When a good time to see optician and change spectacles?

 

[Mike d]

When a good time to see optician and change spectacles?

Only when your BS levels have stabilised. Don't throw away money just yet