Dont know what om doing wrong

[Amandajayne]

Hi all I'm very insulin resistant and obese as I have pcos I don't know what to do anymore I am on lots of insulin and I eat healthy generally low carb but I can't get my levels down whatever I seem to do so come in here for tips and advice as to anything I could try I'm so desperate as despite earing healthy and swimming and walking everywhere I cannot get near to normal blood levels or lose weight, I so sad and upset and at a loss as I dont know what to do anymore

 

[Josh DUK]

Hi all I'm very insulin resistant and obese as I have pcos I don't know what to do anymore I am on lots of insulin and I eat healthy generally low carb but I can't get my levels down whatever I seem to do so come in here for tips and advice as to anything I could try I'm so desperate as despite earing healthy and swimming and walking everywhere I cannot get near to normal blood levels or lose weight, I so sad and upset and at a loss as I dont know what to do anymore

Hello @Amandajayne ,

Thank you so much for joining our online community forum and I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling with your bloods and trying to lose weight. However, it sounds as though you are trying to take steps to make a positive change in your life. Have you thought about speaking to your health care team about your blood levels? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what types of food are you eating?

 

[Lucyr]

Hi and welcome. It sounds frustrating and I understand as have been struggling with similar things. When you say you eat healthily, that’s good but have you tried counting up or tracking what you eat to see how many calories you’re eating?

Even eating too much of healthier choices can cause weight gain. One thing I’m trying at the moment is to work out the calories in meals I eat regularly, so that I know roughly how many calories I’m eating per day without counting every day. I also asked my diabetes team for a referral to a dietician who I’ll see next month to help with it too, they were happy to arrange that for me.

 

[nonethewiser]

Maybe try joining weight loss group like Slimming World or Weight Watchers, surprising how bit of support can help you keep on track & lose weight, wife lost 5 stone with SW.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Amandajayne

Sorry to hear you are having such a tough time with your diabetes despite trying to hard

No wonder you are feeling so sad and upset by it all.

I think @Lucyr ‘s suggestion of a food diary is a really good one. A week or two of carefully noting down absolutely everything you eat and drink, from the proper meals to the little nibbles in between.

If you can also estimate or calculate the total carbohydrate content and perhaps calories it should give you a great set of data to review and consider. I believe that apps like myfitnesspal can help make this an easier and less daunting process.

Once you can see where your ‘big hitters’ are in terms of carbs and calories you might find it easier to look for some swaps which could really help. Plus you’ll be able to see how any of those little mindless nibbles can add up.

Finding a way of eating that suits you, is sutainable long term, and doesn’t leave you sad or hungry all the time can be a bit of a challenge, but many members here have managed it and might be able to give you some helpful pointers.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

So sorry to read that you are feeling frustrated and down by your lack of progress despite your best efforts. "Healthy eating" can be a confusing term. What is healthy for some people may not be healthy for others. Many of us found using a BG meter has been really helpful to find which foods and drinks our body can cope with and which need to be restricted or dropped from our menu by testing before and then 2 hours after each meal to see how our body responded to it and then finding alternatives for the things which spike our levels badly.

Keeping an honest food diary is a great first step but if you would like to give us an idea of the sort of foods you are currently eating we might be able to spot some potentially problem foods to have a closer look at and perhaps some possible replacements.

You mention that you are on insulin. Would you mind telling us which one(s) and roughly what sort of BG levels you are recording? High BG levels make you feel rubbish both physically and mentally and unfortunately make insulin resistance worse, so it can be a really tough situation to break out of. It sounds like you are trying to do all the right things, but maybe some dietary tweaks might be the final thing to help you turn the corner.

I found this TED talk by an American obesity doctor really interesting and helped me to understand that our concept of what is "healthy" may be hindering us from finding the right solution for our body....

ted talk diabetes - Search Videos

www.bing.com

Have any of your medical professionals suggested/offered you the Oviva 12 week weight loss program which is based on the Newcastle diet. I believe it is only available through some practices, so perhaps yours doesn't subscribe to it but many people here find the Newcastle diet really works to reverse diabetes and can be implemented themselves. I am not sure how it would work with you being on insulin though, but it is another possibility to discuss with your GP or nurse.

I hope you are able to find some inspiration and support from all of the suggestions to find the best way forward for you. Sometimes it will be a combination of different approaches so don't be frightened to pick and chose if one particular approach doesn't work. Lots of possible combinations. Good luck and do keep us posted with what you are trying and how you are getting on.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

Hi all I'm very insulin resistant and obese as I have pcos I don't know what to do anymore I am on lots of insulin and I eat healthy generally low carb but I can't get my levels down whatever I seem to do so come in here for tips and advice as to anything I could try I'm so desperate as despite earing healthy and swimming and walking everywhere I cannot get near to normal blood levels or lose weight, I so sad and upset and at a loss as I dont know what to do anymore

I had all the same issues as you but I wasn't on insulin.
I found that getting a good night's sleep and reducing stress made just as much difference to improve things as the diet change. Maybe more.
It turned out that I had something called sleep apnoea and once I got that checked out and a CPAP machine that went a long way to getting me on the path to sorting stuff out. Getting plenty of quality sleep allows the body to recover each night from stress and though it didn't stop me getting diabetes I think it meant it wasn't as bad as it might otherwise have been.
I am a firm believer in giving the body a good chance to rest and heal itself. So I avoid perfumes in washing products and don't use nail varnish or chemicals to clean at home and try and keep my environment and the food I eat - as free from flavourings and additives as possible so that my liver and other systems (especially hormonal - if I have perfumes or air fresheners or anything like that around then I start bleeding) have less to cope with. I found Natural Progesterone was helpful for a while but I don't use that any more now.

 

[Inka]

Hi all I'm very insulin resistant and obese as I have pcos I don't know what to do anymore I am on lots of insulin and I eat healthy generally low carb but I can't get my levels down whatever I seem to do so come in here for tips and advice as to anything I could try I'm so desperate as despite earing healthy and swimming and walking everywhere I cannot get near to normal blood levels or lose weight, I so sad and upset and at a loss as I dont know what to do anymore

Hi @Amandajayne How low carb have you gone (ie how many grams of carbs per day?) What would an average day’s food look like for you? What is your blood glucose like - ie what’s the range over a day?

Are you watching the amount of fat you eat? Some people believe fat - particularly animal fats - can cause and/or worsen insulin resistance.

Do tell us a little more. You’ll get lots of helpful suggestions if you do so and add to this thread.

 

[Amandajayne]

Hello @Amandajayne ,

Thank you so much for joining our online community forum and I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling with your bloods and trying to lose weight. However, it sounds as though you are trying to take steps to make a positive change in your life. Have you thought about speaking to your health care team about your blood levels? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what types of food are you eating?

I'm under a care team and I eat porridge or Greek yoghurt for bfast
Meat and salad for lunch
Meat and vegetables for evening meal and a sugar free jelly

 

[Amandajayne]

Thanks everyone I have been told I have mild sleep apnea but was never given anything like a cpap machine so maybe I need to ask to be rerefferd back qs I do not feel I very restorative sleep ,I will look at someone the other things you have all suggested and get back to you

 

[Amandajayne]

Also I am waking to 14s in a morning it's all infuriating me I'm under a dietician but not much help as she suggests carbs not many but some

 

[rebrascora]

Since you are following a fairly low carb way of eating and using insulin and walking etc and your levels are still high, then this suggests your insulin doses and or insulin regime needs adjusting and I do wonder if perhaps you might be Type 1 rather than Type 2. I think health care professionals tend to see the obvious and not think there are other possibilities. So some of us presented with diabetes symptoms later in life and might have been carrying a bit of extra weight or admit to a poor diet so we are automatically assumed to be Type 2 because we are more mature adults and/or perhaps overweight. There are no specific tests for Type 2 and the tests for Type 1 are more expensive and logistically more difficult to process and take 6 weeks for the results which can be inconclusive.... so not generally undertaken unless they have a genuine believe you may be Type 1 or you push for these tests.... and even then it can be difficult.

I think the thing to start with is to keep a food diary of what you are eating and drinking along with your exercise and BG readings and insulin doses and discuss them with your nurse or GP and explain that you are doing your best but levels are not coming down..... Just our of curiosity, which insulin(s) are you on? Do you test just before eating and 2 hours after or are you just testing at the times the nurse has specified and when is that?

Just want to say that I really sympathise. You are clearly doing everything you can (well apart from the porridge 🙄 ) to manage your diabetes well and you must feel so kicked in the teeth that your readings aren't responding!
Hang in there but I think you may need to be a bit pushy about getting more support or perhaps a change of insulin regime. Do you mind us asking how many units of insulin you are currently taking, the name of the insulin and when you inject it?... Just to give us a better idea of your situation.

 

[Drummer]

Thanks everyone I have been told I have mild sleep apnea but was never given anything like a cpap machine so maybe I need to ask to be rerefferd back qs I do not feel I very restorative sleep ,I will look at someone the other things you have all suggested and get back to you

I had sleep apnoea, untreated, for many years and was always starting awake - I also had dreams of drowning - so was often sitting up in bed, heart pounding for years before diagnosis - the adrenalin cause release of glucose so it is well worth asking if you can do a test to see just how bad things are at the moment. I still use a CPAP machine as I'd need to have my throat reconstructed to stop me snoring after so long.

 

[Amandajayne]

Since you are following a fairly low carb way of eating and using insulin and walking etc and your levels are still high, then this suggests your insulin doses and or insulin regime needs adjusting and I do wonder if perhaps you might be Type 1 rather than Type 2. I think health care professionals tend to see the obvious and not think there are other possibilities. So some of us presented with diabetes symptoms later in life and might have been carrying a bit of extra weight or admit to a poor diet so we are automatically assumed to be Type 2 because we are more mature adults and/or perhaps overweight. There are no specific tests for Type 2 and the tests for Type 1 are more expensive and logistically more difficult to process and take 6 weeks for the results which can be inconclusive.... so not generally undertaken unless they have a genuine believe you may be Type 1 or you push for these tests.... and even then it can be difficult.

I think the thing to start with is to keep a food diary of what you are eating and drinking along with your exercise and BG readings and insulin doses and discuss them with your nurse or GP and explain that you are doing your best but levels are not coming down..... Just our of curiosity, which insulin(s) are you on? Do you test just before eating and 2 hours after or are you just testing at the times the nurse has specified and when is that?

Just want to say that I really sympathise. You are clearly doing everything you can (well apart from the porridge 🙄 ) to manage your diabetes well and you must feel so kicked in the teeth that your readings aren't responding!
Hang in there but I think you may need to be a bit pushy about getting more support or perhaps a change of insulin regime. Do you mind us asking how many units of insulin you are currently taking, the name of the insulin and when you inject it?... Just to give us a better idea of your situation.

 

[Amandajayne]

Hi I am on Fiasp 30 units 3xday
Also on tresiba 80 units in a evening
I've been tested for type 1 quite a while ago i can't get levels below 15 atm

 

[rebrascora]

Do you wait until your levels come down into range with the Fiasp before eating?

What I find with Fiasp is that it has no fight in it (almost like it turns to water) if my levels are above 10 (higher BG levels also increase insulin resistance, so it needs to work harder not less hard so I need even more insulin to bring it down so if I can keep it below 10 I have a much better chance of keeping on top of things and I need less insulin. Once I get above 10 I end up needing more and more insulin to bring it down and if I eat whilst it is high, it just stays high, so I have a rule that I never eat when my levels are above 8.
What I do is, when my levels are above 10 and being stubborn, I inject my Fiasp and then wait and I check my levels regularly until it starts to come down. It is much easier with Freestyle Libre as you can scan every few minutes to see what is happening. You might want to try Abbott Laboratories free 2 week trial of it if you haven't already. I did do it with finger pricking before I got Libre but you need to set aside time when you are free to monitor closely and have plenty of test strips. The idea is that you don't put any more carbs into your system until that insulin is working and has brought your levels down. I sometimes have to wait 2 hours or more. I have also found that gentle exercise like walking helps Fiasp to be more effective, so once my levels come down into range (below 8.... Ideally I will usually wait until I hit a BG of 5 - 6 mmols and then I eat my food. I should stress that I have a pretty quick digestive system so it might not be safe for you to wait till you hit 5 or 6 but 8 should give you plenty of wriggle room. Sometimes I will do a bit of exercise like walking up and down stairs a good few times to help the Fiasp along if it is being particularly sluggish. I always have my food ready to eat so that there is no delay once my levels come down, so best done with a cold meal like a breakfast yoghurt or salad that wont spoil by going cold. Then after the meal, I would go out for a walk (with plenty of hypo treatment in by backpack or pocket) to help my levels stay down and use up the glucose in the food.

Not sure if that makes sense but if it doesn't, ask me to explain it again.
Basically I see Fiasp like a bit of a school playground bully/wimp. It will be happy to take on and control smaller kids (low BG levels) but if a bigger angry kid (high BG levels) comes along it doesn't want to get involved in a fight and just hides and pretends it isn't there Then if you wait long enough and the big kid calms down and doesn't want to fight anymore and perhaps falls asleep it will take advantage and gain control. You have to give it a fighting chance by getting your levels down to a size that it is prepared to have a go at before eating and putting more carbs into your system.

It may also be that your Tresiba dose isn't high enough but I would try what I have suggested first if you haven't already tried something like that. It really is important to do this when you have plenty of time because it is very easy to get distracted, especially when you are waiting over an hour and then end up hypo because you got engrossed in doing something and forgot. I have to wait 45 mins every morning before I eat breakfast but I have a ritual of injecting in bed then getting up and getting washed and dressed, making my breakfast and then drinking my coffee ad catching up with posts on the forum here whilst I watch for the Fiasp to start working and my levels to be dropping and then I eat. If my levels are above 10 on a morning I will need to wait a lot longer than 45 mins and inject a correction (extra few units) for the high level.

 

[rebrascora]

Another thing which might help is splitting your Tresiba dose into 2 and putting them into different sites.
So for example, I am currently using 24 units of Levemir and split it into 2 doses of 12 and inject 12 units into each buttock on a morning. I feel that I get better absorption that way and it is less insulin going into one place which I believe can cause pockets that don't absorb so well. I believe @Lucyr split her basal dose recently and felt that it made her insulin more effective.