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What am I doing wrong?

R

rabdcd

Active Member
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I wrote in the forum recently that I was struggling to lose any weight now I´m writing to say that despite my very best efforts I managed to GAIN some more weight - over the last week just 200g but it’s still a gain.

I´ve been keeping a very close eye on my glucose and pricking my finger probably about 10 times a day and over the last week I´ve fasted to check my background and cut my Lantus from about 32 units to 22 and I´m taking Apidra only as needed but now I´m noticing something weird – Taking even the smallest amount of carbs seems to send my sugars really high for example today my morning glucose was 4.9 mmol my breakfast consisted of 1 boiled egg and a slice of dry toast to cover the toast (approx 20 grams) I took 2 units of Apidra and walked to work, 3 hours later my glucose was 8.5? By lunch time glucose was 6.9 My lunch consisted of 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes with a small piece of cheese and an apple, to cover the apple I took 2 units of Apidra again after 2 hours I´m reading 9.8?

I don´t understand why on trying to diet my sugars are behaving irrationally and I can´t understand how I am feeding like a bird yet I´m still gaining weight


I would greatly appreciate any ideas on what if anything I´m doing wrong

Robert
 
You'd better not eat like a bird. Most of them need roughly their own bodyweight of food per day :lol:
However, Have you checked your basal insulin is right. there are instructions on how to do that on this forum somewhere.
then if it is,You may have your rapid acting,playing tricks. Doing more fat building than glucose controlling.
200g is such a small amount that a drink of water or a visit to the loo can make that much difference.
Not losing weight is frustrating.I've just gone through months of it.. Half a kilo up and down every few days.
the only thing that has helped is to drop pretty much all carbs and eat more fat. I'm not using insulin, so that isn't in my equation.
Do you have it in your power to cut the carbs even more?I wouldn't have ANY toast for example and how often do you weigh yourself? More than once a week can caiuse all sorts of difficulties, because weight fluctuates.
I hope there's something to help you in my ramble. It's never an easy one to solve if people are weight loss resistant( which you may be) AND on insulin
Hana
 
I had that same problem, beginning this time last year. I cut out a lot of carbohydrate and suddenly became FAR more sensitive to it. Due to adopting that diet for a few months which wouldn't count as 'low carb', I now have to inject more insulin per gram of carbohydrate than I used to.

I also ahve to inject for protein these days.

This is half the reason I think low-carbing is so dangerous. Because it is. At this point, you now just have to live with this result. I'm still injecting more insulin per gram of carb than I was before I tried 'the sensible option' that so many people here rave about.

Maybe it's an ok thing for type 2s, but it's not neccessary for type 1s, and as you've seen, can lead to unfortunate and dangerous complications.

I wouldn't worry too much about 200g, I can fluctuate by about half a stone during the day, depending on what I eat/drink and what I do. So don't worry about that.
I might suggest upping your basal dose by a couple of units. That might make the difference. But I wouldn't hold out hope.
 
UPB
My husband is a lifelong T1 with multiple complications. For most of his life, he followed what the medics told him and things went gradually down hill. since reducing his carbs, he's been a lot better. NO SIGN of ulcers on his legs or feet for months( he had them for years) and kidneys improving too. Retinas not needing any more laser.
The low carb approach is advocated by Dr. Richard Bernstein a T1 from the age of 12( in 1946) who is still practising and who is complication free himself.
So it started with T1,and for T2 there are adaptations needed.
 
hanadr said:
UPB
My husband is a lifelong T1 with multiple complications. For most of his life, he followed what the medics told him and things went gradually down hill. since reducing his carbs, he's been a lot better. NO SIGN of ulcers on his legs or feet for months( he had them for years) and kidneys improving too. Retinas not needing any more laser.
The low carb approach is advocated by Dr. Richard Bernstein a T1 from the age of 12( in 1946) who is still practising and who is complication free himself.
So it started with T1,and for T2 there are adaptations needed.
Click to expand...
Bernstein also operates with a glucose level of 3.5 or something stupidly low like that. Fine for an old doctor who sits all day to do his job and can afford to sit and wait for his liver to produce glucose on its own accord. For anyone who needs actual energy during the day, though, that would end up in a hypoglycaemic attack while walking to the shops for milk.

And I'll say it again, I didn't have a problem with carbs until AFTER I tried low-carbing for a spell. God knows why I did, but I now recognise it was a huge mistake.
 
UPB, just a reminder that this is the low carb forum!

A forum for those that low-carb, and those that wish to learn more about low-carbing. Please do not come into this forum to debate the validity of low-carbing - this forum is for those that wish to learn more and exchange ideas. If you do not low-carb, please use the relevant forum. Use this forum low-carb diets, how low-carbing affects people with diabetes, low-carb diet tips and more.
Click to expand...

You have obviously tried it and not agreed with it , nevertheless this part of the forum is for those who do use low carbing to find answers not negative criticism of their chosen diet.
 
I low carb and aim at about 20-30 grams a day.

I find that on the rare occasions when I do eat starch it sends my blood sugars sky high. Possibly your body has swapped over to a ketogenic metabolic state so that any carb that you eat will immediately boost your blood sugars. I find that it's a good reason to avoid the stuff as much as possible now!

Also, I've been stalled on weight loss for quite a while but it's now coming off nicely; so don't give up!

Dillinger
 
Useless Pretty Boy.
You were warned only yesterday about your conduct regarding your posts. This matter is not up for discussion.

As you do not seem to be able to abide by the rules of conduct in this the Low Carb Diabetes Diet Forum and would seek to argue the point with a Forum Monitor I have decided you should be banned from posting in this area until further notice.

You are still able to post elsewhere providing you comply with the forum rules. If you have a problem with this contact the Administrator.

In the meantime any further posts you make in here will be deleted. I hope I make myself clear.

Edit. 18/02/2010. 1146 Hrs.
Further to this UPB has now been banned permanently from the whole Forum for sending abusive pm's to a Forum Monitor. This will not be tolerated from anybody. His conduct after a clear warning here and via pm was such that he is not welcome on this Forum.

3.
 
UPB
Where do you get the information that Bernstein has a bg of 3.5 or something And sits all day?
I've heard this quoted before and having checked it, I know it's untrue and probably libellous,
He achieves a consistent 4.5% Hb A1c and does a considerable amount of weight lifting daily.[at his age 8) ]. About an hour of weights per day, I think. I won't state that as a definite, because I'm not sure.
AND of course, he may be an old doctor now, but he certainly wasn't always. In fact he originally qualified as an engineer and only went to medical school in his 40s.
You seem to have picked up on the desire of someone to rubbish a man's success. Would they do it to an Olympic Athlete?
Since non-diabetics frequently function at a bg of about 4 for most of the time, why should it be harmful?
It's the doctrine of small numbers which makes tight control work, combined with commitment to doing so.
I often encounter people who say they can't get their Bg down and when questioned, they admit they are not prepared to make that committment and restrain their eating.
My Sports therapist is running a Healthy Living class. She gets people coming who say they'll do ANYTHING to improve their health. EXCEPT come to exercise classes at 9.00am or lunchtime, or cut back on desserts.
Bernstein IS.
 
Hana.
UPB has been banned from this area of the forum. He cannot answer you here.

Edited: 18/02/2010 at 1153 hrs.
Further to this, UPB has now been banned from the whole Forum, see previous post by Mod 3.
 
Ok cugila
I'm quite happy that people know not to commit libel
Hana
 
Your Basal or your carb ratio is out!

To check your Basal insulin you will have to carry out a proper fasting test... which is basically, cutting the day into 3 portions, over-night, morning to afternoon, afternoon to evening.. You check your BG at the start, then every hour until the end of the period, if you basal is correct then you BG shouldn't differ from the start point +/- 2-3mmol/ml, when doing the test ensure that you have plenty of your hypo fix, and if at any point you get low or high stop the testing and take appropiate action...

If your basal is fine, then you will be looking at the carb-insulin ratio and to a certain extent your protien.. If I remeber rightly 56% of protien turns into glucose, but at a lot slower rate than the slowest carb does..

Other factors you might have to consider as well, is your job stressfull or your journey to work stressfull this can effect your BG as well..

As to Bernstien, what hanna isn't telling you, is that Berstien uses 3 types of insulins, long acting background, an mid anulog insulin (which needs to be injected 1/2 hour before you eat) and a fast acting insulin for correcting and for eating certain types of foods..

As to your lack of weight lose, this could be the Lantus itself playing a part in it all, Lantus has a bad reputation of weight gain in it's users... I would have a word with your health care team, and see if you can change to Levimer which doesn't seem to have this problem...

P.S

If you followed the low carb method that Bernstien flogs, you would find it a lot different than the low carb diet that most follow on this forum... It is very restrictive to what foods are and aren't allowed this also includes limits of foods that low carbers here see has a freebee eat as much as you want food... items off food that are off limits and discouraged by Bernstien, onions and tomatoes are just too that low carbers here don''t restrict...
 
Again I´d like to thank everyone for their advise most of which I´ve taken onboard and tried with some level of success as I´ve now managed to lose 1Kg in the last 3 weeks and I think that’s only come about by me severely restricting carbs to no more that 20 per day with my daily calories at no more than 1000 give or take a little. My diet consists mainly of proteins, fish eggs cheese chicken meat and fresh leafy vegetables with max 1 slice of bread per day. I´m checking for ketones using test strips several times a day which show I have some present but not at dangerous levels and as far as I read this is to be expected when you limit your food to protein

I am constantly adjusting my basal insulin, everything seems to be fine for a couple of days then for no apparent reason (same diet) my sugar is high especially during the day. I have been taking 2 Lantus injections morning\night now I´m trying to see if I can get by on just one in the morning early results don´t seem great but I´ll persevere and keep increasing the dose until I have decent morning sugars if I don´t I´ll go back to the 2 shots the trouble there was I found I had to eat before bedtime something (which is not helpful when you’re trying to lose weight) or go hypo during the night

What does intrigue me is the way my sugar is behaving without carbs for example I woke this morning with sugar at 8.0 I had breakfast consisting of 1 boiled egg a couple of slices of cheddar cheese and a couple of slices of ham for this I didn´t take any fast acting Apidra and watched my levels peak after around 4 hours to 13.5 now I know my liver is producing glucose but I didn´t expect so much and I don´t know how to counter it bar injecting Apidra. Its also interesting to read that 58% of the protein is being transformed into glucose all be it slower so how to you counter this action without injecting fast insulin once you’re up there?

One other thing puzzles me at the weekend I woke with decent sugar and decided to eat a yogurt the yogurt had 8 grams of carb I decided not to inject 1 unit anyway I´d be eating breakfast soon and I´d inject them however that 8 grams sent my sugar from 6 to 12 in less than 1 hour Scary!! but maybe it’s just a one off result I don´t know all I do know is no matter how much you know about being a diabetic there’s always another puzzle and no two days are the same

My work is not stressful and I walk into work every day I´ve even stopped using the lift

All advice is helpful and appreciated

Robert
 
Robert,

Can't answer your question about injecting fast acting insulin with a protein meal, as I don't do the strict low carb myself. I would get in touch with Fergus by private message, he will tell you the best approach.

Nigel
 
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