Struggling

[sandie2101]

So here I am again 3.5 weeks in, food is still an issue, however, bs is going down but always high first thing in the morning. I can eat the same thing 3 days in a row and my readings are always different..is this normal? One major issue is that having totally changed my diet, no sugar at all I have managed to put on 5 lbs!!! not a happy bunny...any kind people with advice please.....

 

[hankjam]

Hi @sandie2101 dropping sugar never easy and putting on weight will be a downer. When you say you've totally changed your diet, can you say how? Could you give some BG numbers, so we can see where you are at the moment. How often to you test in a day? What time in the evening do you eat and do you have anything before you go to bed?
Wish you well
Hj

 

[sandie2101]

Hi @sandie2101 dropping sugar never easy and putting on weight will be a downer. When you say you've totally changed your diet, can you say how? Could you give some BG numbers, so we can see where you are at the moment. How often to you test in a day? What time in the evening do you eat and do you have anything before you go to bed?
Wish you well
Hj

Good Morning Hankjam, thank you so much for your reply...here goes I have to test 3 times a day before meals...so for the last week 8.6 6.2 5.2
10.5 8.9 6.5
6.5 7.2 6.7
9.1 6.7 7.0
7.9 5.6 9.6
8.6 4.9 4.6
9.4 7.9 8.5
8.5 7.9 11.7
9.7
Diet now consists of bacon, chicken beef eggs, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, vegetables....porridge for breakfast and oatcakes, occasionally I have a couple of slices of seeded bread but I think its not good...I also have a nut allergy...(not a lot going for me at the min lol)

 

[hankjam]

I would agree with the bread thing. Porridge can be fairly carbie, even though it is low GI.. and it is rarely eaten by itself...
In general those are quite high before meal numbers, do you ever test 2 hours after, to see what effect the items you eat have on your BG's? It is one way to reduce the things that cause you to have high BGs.
Dropping the sugar can have an initial negative effect, the body needs to adjust, some call it carb flu and they feel not so good with it. Have you found you are hungry more often and so, maybe, eating more than you normally did?
I try to not to eat anything after 20:00 and when in doubt drink some water instead of cheese/nuts... I'm okay with nuts, which is just as well as I horse them down.

 

[PenfoldAPD]

@sandie2101 you are only 3.5 weeks in, Rome wasn't built in day. I'm a newbie too and I remember that stage - you want results, but it feels like there is so much to learn. Have you read www.dietdoctor.com to understand the LCHF, if that is what you are choosing to follow. It works for many here - I've lost 7 kgs since diagnosis in January. You might actually find you will enjoy new foods - my breakfast is now spinach, poached eggs and Greek yoghurt. Remember to stick to veg from above the ground.

If you need help watching what you eat look at My Fitness Pal app, it's great for understand what is in your food.

Keep going, once you start to get good results (I know you will) everything starts to seem a little bit better

 

[Hiitsme]

Hi @sandie2101
I found what I could eat by testing before a meal and testing again 2 hours after. This showed me how what I had eaten had impacted on my blood sugars. I used this information to cut out the carbs that my body couldn't cope with. Weetabix, rice, pasta etc. It took me several months but my HbA1c is now within normal range.
Do you need to lose weight? I found weight loss really helped as well. Maybe look at portion size?
The other thing I found was exercise helped. I only walk. Started my trying to walk for half an hour a day and gradually built that up over several months.

 

[sandie2101]

I would agree with the bread thing. Porridge can be fairly carbie, even though it is low GI.. and it is rarely eaten by itself...
In general those are quite high before meal numbers, do you ever test 2 hours after, to see what effect the items you eat have on your BG's? It is one way to reduce the things that cause you to have high BGs.
Dropping the sugar can have an initial negative effect, the body needs to adjust, some call it carb flu and they feel not so good with it. Have you found you are hungry more often and so, maybe, eating more than you normally did?
I try to not to eat anything after 20:00 and when in doubt drink some water instead of cheese/nuts... I'm okay with nuts, which is just as well as I horse them down.

No I was told to just test before a meal, not sure my fingers would cope with 6 times a day ( it hurts!!) does this mean that once my body adjusts to no sugar my no's may improve as I'm guessing they are not so good at the moment? You know what I think about food all the time and I am not sure if I am hungry or its just because I know I can't have something.....but no I think I am eating much better with no sugar and not a lot of carbs either at least I don't think so. Dinner is usually between 5..7 and I try not to snack after that.

 

[sandie2101]

@sandie2101 you are only 3.5 weeks in, Rome wasn't built in day. I'm a newbie too and I remember that stage - you want results, but it feels like there is so much to learn. Have you read www.dietdoctor.com to understand the LCHF, if that is what you are choosing to follow. It works for many here - I've lost 7 kgs since diagnosis in January. You might actually find you will enjoy new foods - my breakfast is now spinach, poached eggs and Greek yoghurt. Remember to stick to veg from above the ground.

If you need help watching what you eat look at My Fitness Pal app, it's great for understand what is in your food.

Keep going, once you start to get good results (I know you will) everything starts to seem a little bit better

Thank you Penfold you are right I want it sorted now but food is most definately an issue, reading labels then just going back to eating what I feel is safe......Im not very good with youghurt and am slowly going off eggs as well...not a lot left!!

 

[sandie2101]

Hi @sandie2101
I found what I could eat by testing before a meal and testing again 2 hours after. This showed me how what I had eaten had impacted on my blood sugars. I used this information to cut out the carbs that my body couldn't cope with. Weetabix, rice, pasta etc. It took me several months but my HbA1c is now within normal range.
Do you need to lose weight? I found weight loss really helped as well. Maybe look at portion size?
The other thing I found was exercise helped. I only walk. Started my trying to walk for half an hour a day and gradually built that up over several months.

Maybe I am going to have to do that and yes I do need to loose weight, I really thought that not having sugar I would loose loads but its not happening!!!

 

[Brunneria]

Definitely test those oatcakes, porridge and the bread to see what those are doing to your blood glucose.

Test before eating, then 2 hours after. If your bg has risen by more than 2mmol/l then the portion size, or the food does not agree with you.

Re the weight gain:
Lots of people manage to lose weight easily on LCHF. Some dont. I am one of the ones who don't.

But doing LCHF means that we need to reduce the amount of carbs we eat down to below our own personal carb tolerance level. Only then will we see the real benefits. And each of us has a different tolerance level.

Being female, middle aged and with assorted hormone issues, plus any history of weight gain and/or yoyo dieting seems to make the LCHF weight loss more challenging.

Personally, to lose weight I need to have the perfect balance of several things (which is rather rare)
- drinking enough water
- being active enough
- being under my carb tolerance (which is about 20g carbs a day)
- enough sleep
- not too stressed
- avoiding foods made with grains
(notice how I haven't mentioned calorie intake, or fat intake? lol)

Your 'perfect formula' may be quite different, but you should be able to find it, with trial and error.

Also, any chance you might be constipated? That often happens until we fine tune our veg intake on LCHF and is a surprisingly 'weighty' issue

 

[sandie2101]

Definitely test those oatcakes, porridge and the bread to see what those are doing to your blood glucose.

Test before eating, then 2 hours after. If your bg has risen by more than 2mmol/l then the portion size, or the food does not agree with you.

Re the weight gain:
Lots of people manage to lose weight easily on LCHF. Some dont. I am one of the ones who don't.

But doing LCHF means that we need to reduce the amount of carbs we eat down to below our own personal carb tolerance level. Only then will we see the real benefits. And each of us has a different tolerance level.

Being female, middle aged and with assorted hormone issues, plus any history of weight gain and/or yoyo dieting seems to make the LCHF weight loss more challenging.

Personally, to lose weight I need to have the perfect balance of several things (which is rather rare)
- drinking enough water
- being active enough
- being under my carb tolerance (which is about 20g carbs a day)
- enough sleep
- not too stressed
- avoiding foods made with grains
(notice how I haven't mentioned calorie intake, or fat intake? lol)

Your 'perfect formula' may be quite different, but you should be able to find it, with trial and error.

Also, any chance you might be constipated? That often happens until we fine tune our veg intake on LCHF and is a surprisingly 'weighty' issue

 

[sandie2101]

This is all sounding familiar....I actually have an underactive thyroid and a nut allergy as well....no one said it was going to be like this!!! What does more than 2mmol/l mean is that in the blood sugar reading? Ok I will do readings twice today and see what happens...I have noticed if I eat veg and proteins it seems to be lower but it is a real challenge to change what you have been doing all your lift...the weight is a real issue and so disappointing

 

[Brunneria]

If you are only going to test twice a day, then I should test just before you start eating, then two hours after. You can pick a different meal every day, if you like.

the mmol/l number is the blood glucose meter reading. we use mmol/l in the UK. In America they use a different unit.

Let's say you test before lunch, and your reading is 8.2mmol/l and you have 3 oat cakes, a salad, some cheese and a blob of mayo. Unless there is sugar in the mayo, the only food in there that will significantly affect your blood glucose is the oatcakes.

2 hrs later you test again. This time your bg is 11.7mmol/l

Yikes! That means your bg has risen by 3.5mmol/l from 3 oatcakes stuck in the middle of a meal.

Next time try 2 oatcakes, and see if that raises you less.If that doesn't help, try 1. Or try some potato salad. Just keep testing til you find an enjoyable food combo that works for your body.

Me? I can usually tolerate a couple of oat cakes, but I tend not to bother. Grains tend to make me feel grotty, thirsty and I get water retention. So I fill up on extra cheese, mayo and salad instead, and my bg hardly rises at all.

Hope that helps.

 

[sandie2101]

If you are only going to test twice a day, then I should test just before you start eating, then two hours after. You can pick a different meal every day, if you like.

the mmol/l number is the blood glucose meter reading. we use mmol/l in the UK. In America they use a different unit.

Let's say you test before lunch, and your reading is 8.2mmol/l and you have 3 oat cakes, a salad, some cheese and a blob of mayo. Unless there is sugar in the mayo, the only food in there that will significantly affect your blood glucose is the oatcakes.

2 hrs later you test again. This time your bg is 11.7mmol/l

Yikes! That means your bg has risen by 3.5mmol/l from 3 oatcakes stuck in the middle of a meal.

Next time try 2 oatcakes, and see if that raises you less.If that doesn't help, try 1. Or try some potato salad. Just keep testing til you find an enjoyable food combo that works for your body.

Me? I can usually tolerate a couple of oat cakes, but I tend not to bother. Grains tend to make me feel grotty, thirsty and I get water retention. So I fill up on extra cheese, mayo and salad instead, and my bg hardly rises at all.

Hope that helps.

Ha I meant that I would check all meals to see what happens...I can relate to so many of your symptoms...I feel tired, water retention or needing to go ( as in immediately) and thirsty...oh and hungry although not sure if that is in my head!!! So just now for breakfast its eggs, cheese and tomatoes lets see how that goes..ps thank you so much you have no idea how much this is helping I will make sure to keep using this site from now on you guys are amazing x

 

[TooManyCrisps]

Hi @sandie2101, it will take a bit of time to work it out. I am 12 weeks post diagnosis an still trying to work out what sends my levels up. I test before and after every meal, and i know now that portion sizes as well as meal content makes a huge difference. My levels are higher in the morning, they rise for the first 4 hours I'm up no matter what i do or dont eat.

I've been following a low carb diet and its worked for me in terms of weightloss, I've lost 20lbs so far (and I'm a middle aged hormonal woman!).

I'm sure you'll soon start getting things under control. This forum has been really useful for me, it will be for you too

 

[sandie2101]

Hi @sandie2101, it will take a bit of time to work it out. I am 12 weeks post diagnosis an still trying to work out what sends my levels up. I test before and after every meal, and i know now that portion sizes as well as meal content makes a huge difference. My levels are higher in the morning, they rise for the first 4 hours I'm up no matter what i do or dont eat.

I've been following a low carb diet and its worked for me in terms of weightloss, I've lost 20lbs so far (and I'm a middle aged hormonal woman!).

I'm sure you'll soon start getting things under control. This forum has been really useful for me, it will be for you too

20 lbs..oh my goodness well done you so now I feel disappointed that I am actually putting weight on!!! think I might start testing after meals as well and try to get this sorted, until this morning I actually thought I was doing ok with my blood sugar readings having started out at 22.9 but it would seem not...its not easy when you are trying to sort it out all by yourself...this forum is going to be my lifeline now for sure. thank you so much for your advice...watch this space lol

 

[MAFG666]

So here I am again 3.5 weeks in, food is still an issue, however, bs is going down but always high first thing in the morning. I can eat the same thing 3 days in a row and my readings are always different..is this normal? One major issue is that having totally changed my diet, no sugar at all I have managed to put on 5 lbs!!! not a happy bunny...any kind people with advice please.....

Firstly buy a cupboard full of 'ready oats from one of the supermarkets and make sure its the very first thing you eat 'every' day. You don't need milk, just boil the kettle. It's a little bland until your taste comes back from the seclusion sugar gave it. The oats help 'all' your meals digest slower and so help you control sugars better. Try a flute of shweppes slimline tonic water with a squeeze of real lime in it: This is tart but gets the brain to accept changes in your diet more readily, the tonic and the lime also help with lethargy so aid against becoming depressed as easily. Bread is the killer as it breaks up too easily yet is a hard one to drop. Crackers are a much better alternative.
The 'ONLY' way I have found any control is 'Physical Activity', I go to a gym as I don't take medication (I had a severe allergic reaction) but for yourself it could be as simple as getting involved in a sport or enjoying a bike ride each day to work etc.
Please trial your exercise in different periods i.e. what did your blood sugar drop to after 1hr of exertion compared with half an hour: you'll probably find as i did that half an hour is sufficient as you generally put more effort in during the first 30mins.
I've been a type two for just over a year and was frightened to the point of mental blockage but once I found I enjoyed the changes in diet and the new look of my body- I began to control my diabetes. This is a 'forever' change that can always be altered as you move forwards: Just remember not to step back, I stopped smoking forever not just for a few years or weeks and alcohol has not been used for pleasure purely so I can enjoy life without constantly needing to worry or go to the loo. Some find a small glass of red wine can be medicinal but remeber: alcohol 'WILL' have an effect on your blood sugars.
You have my empathy but this is a choice for you to make: Do you want to get up early and exercise just to have a happy life? Are you the slob that can't set an alarm clock or discipline yourself to not be the grump that we can all be? DO you want to actually 'Live' a life instead of just ageing in distress?
C'mon start with oats in the morning and read lots of information as sometimes even though we are individual we can all benefit from a common remedy: exercise is the most common but just think of your passion to become a karate blackbelt or learn to play tennis- sport is great and WILL help you!
Kind regards.
Gary.

 

[muzza3]

Hi @sandie2101 and welcome to the forum.
Well done on bringing your levels down so far in a short time. I can't add much to the great advice that you have already received but I do appreciate how big a change this is and I congratulate you on taking control of your own destiny by measuring your levels and using that to improve your diet. Just remember that you do not need to retest a meal if it hasn't spiked your levels after two hours you can put that into your OK list and test a different meal
Keep it up and keep letting us know how you are progressing

 

[Catlady19]

Maybe I am going to have to do that and yes I do need to loose weight, I really thought that not having sugar I would loose loads but its not happening!!!

I didn't lose much weight either. You are only 3 weeks in though, so give it a chance.

 

[amgrundy]

20 lbs..oh my goodness well done you so now I feel disappointed that I am actually putting weight on!!! think I might start testing after meals as well and try to get this sorted, until this morning I actually thought I was doing ok with my blood sugar readings having started out at 22.9 but it would seem not...its not easy when you are trying to sort it out all by yourself...this forum is going to be my lifeline now for sure. thank you so much for your advice...watch this space lol

Hi sandie2101, I started out in Jan this year with a BG reading of 19,.3 Weight 12st 5lbs. age 64 retired female. Now through the help of this site and the LCHF diet I am down to 11st. Go to the forum "What Have You Eaten Today" and see what we all have for meals, don't forget we are all different and tolerate foods a bit different sometimes. I am still testing before and after certain new foods I try, it takes time and patience but you will get there. Good luck.