Total Newbie Not just to diet but to diabetes

CherryAA said:

Based on my experience I would say buy a ketone meter as well as the blood glucose meter - ON Call do a dual one. for ketones and glucose. I don't use the glucose part because the code free is much cheaper. You then should try a very low calorie and low carb diet for as long as it takes to start getting some readings on the ketone meter. Once you do you should find a couple of things happen- firstly your blood sugars should be lower and easier to see what is happening after meals and also you will stop feeling very hungry . It might take a while depending on where you are starting from - but probably a couple of weeks to a month.

The level you are aiming for is 0.5 + and above about 0.8 you should find that having food (though still limit carbs) doesn't spike your blood glucose meter much. The optimal range for dieting is up to 3.

If you then make sure that you do not get out of ketosis (so if the level starts to go down a lot you need to eat less - until it rises again) you should find you lose weight, you don't feel hungry and your blood sugars improve. You only need to test for ketones once per day when you get up.

good luck

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Resurgam said:

You might try Atkins. I am fairly certain that it stopped me developing full blown diabetes for decades, I should never have stopped it to try to lower cholesterol by eating carbs.
A meter to test BG is a good idea - I decided to see just what effect eating carbs would have and my BG readings are over ten - in other words back to what they were 5 days ago. That was not just after the meal last night but today as well. I had seen 7.2 on the screen, at the lowest, so I am now really certain that I have to stay low carb above anything else if I am to stay healthy.
I have not been restricting calories at all, just the carbs. Nothing I usually eat is over 10 percent carb - just one baked potato and some peas was enough to elevate BG levels.

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