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LCHF - Benefits and Drawbacks

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Thanks @Docb

I am not trying to discourage anyone from using a meter. I was just wondering if it was always necessary.

I recall a T1 lady I know saying she always knew when she needed sugar ( she carry’s a biscuit around with her) as she could read her warning signs but she had been a Type 1 all her life so was presumably well tuned into her body responses.
 
No problems Willy, everybody has to find their own way through.

On your basic point, doubt if everybody needs a meter. For the at risk group, who can mostly get by with a few changes in lifestyle, watching the weight, doing some excercise and then having an annual HBA1C check is more than enough to keep tabs on things.

For the T1 group, glucose monitoring is essential, period.

For the T2 group, it seems to me that most would benefit by using a meter, something that comes over clearly from members of this community. My own feeling is that in early days, paricularly if you have been found to have unhealthy blood glucose levels and are working with pills or diet or both to control them, then it is an incredibly useful tool to to get a grip on your own version of diabetes. If used well, it can provide the medics with the data needed to work out the best treatment for the individual rather than just keeping on trying stuff until you hit on something that seems to work.

I expect to be testing forever but I expect the frequency of testing to decline as I get more comfortable with translating feelings into BG level and I would imagine many others would also be the same. I suspect there is a group for which a meter is a bit of a waste of time because there are some, maybe not many, who could not cope with the process of testing and making sense of the data.
 
Okay, that seems like an excellent summary and makes a lot of sense to me. Cheers.
 
To be honest, I have my doubts about testing, even though I did test when I was diagnosed with T2.

Initially I tested to see what effect food had on my BG, and to record my fasting levels.

Personally, I very quickly realised "all carbs are the same" was nonsense.
I could have completely different reactions to them all.
Or even the same ones.
"all carbs turn to sugar", well they might, but I could still cope with ones those that digested slowly, and see a very low rise.
So again, nonsense when related to BG for me.
I produced insulin, I was insulin resistant, but obviously, if it was a slow release of carbs, even my trickle of a response could keep up.

I also realised the less carbs I ate, the higher my fasting level could become.
My liver dump just wasn't producing the same insulin response. Which is a recognised phenomenon, apparently.
But worrying if you don't know about it.

I realised mainly how much exercise helped, and how the effects lasted for days after.
Also I realised just how much weight loss did for me.

I'm not denying I did modify my diet during the testing, but to be honest, the spikes didn't scare me.
Even none diabetics spike.
I have no idea where the"rise of no more than 2" came from. It's certainly not normal.
So I had no problems with rises, as I was chasing the high numbers, and deliberately tested at the times when I would expect to see them.
I just ate, healthily, a classic low fat diet, supported by the NHS

So basically, every piece of advice the NHS had been giving me was correct.

Could I have done it without a meter?
Certainly, and for many I suspect it's probably the best way for them, as for a T2, so many natural things affect our own release of insulin, and our insulin resistance, it's a lot more complicated than simply adjusting the amount of carbs.
And if you worry about the number you see when you test, it's easy to let diabetes take control of your response to that number.
The internet certainly doesn't help to be honest.
I've realised testing was just a broad brush guide, Hba1c, and being free of diabetic complications is my measure.
And so long as my diabetes stays reversed, I can't see anything bad happening.
 
Thanks @travellor
Interesting post. Yes, I can see the point of testing and would never advise against it but I have arrived at the conclusion that it isn’t the only way forward and I haven’t tested once since I first registered a 49 for HbA1c a few years ago. My approach has been to get a good handle of what would be likely to spike me from various sources including what’s on the back of the food packet etc and either eradicate or minimise those components in my diet. Like I say, I am down to a 36 now.

It worked. I was going to buy a meter (under duress from another source) but tryed to avoid the burden of testing all the time and so never did get my hands on one.

You make an interesting point about the exercise.
 
HOBIE said:
More that 52 years I have been LEARNING T1 &T2 are very different 🙂
Click to expand...

We are.

@Docb - be careful cutting carbs on gliclazide.

Your body will keep producing insulin, it's what gliclazide does.
You can't reduce your insulin to compensate.
So it's possible to go too low.

You need to get into a BG range you are happy with, then reduce your meds, see a rise maybe, and work back down if you want to cut your carbs further.
I always say change one thing at a time, and always give it two weeks to settle down before taking any other actions.
 
T2 can & do produce there OWN insulin where as T1 do not. Big difference T1 is an Auto immune problem 🙂
 
HOBIE said:
T2 can & do produce there OWN insulin where as T1 do not. Big difference T1 is an Auto immune problem 🙂
Click to expand...

Exactly, that's why it's not advised to simply cut down on the carbs without considering the medications first, particularly as @Docb is hovering around 4 to 5 on the existing amount of carbs and gliclazide.
 
Take your point travellor. Have been running on 80mg gliclazide and around 80 g carbohydrate a day and seemed to be in some sort of stable pattern for the last two weeks with a mean daily BG of around 7.5 and a range of 5-10. Yesterday total carb intake was the same in the day but had the 4.3 after a really rather nice low carb tea. Today have had a 4.8 and a 4.1 with the same sort of meals as I have had over the last two weeks. Its almost as if my insulin production has kicked up a notch or two. The diabetes fairy is a mischievous so and so. Had some JB's, because of the 4.1 so give it an hour and see what they have done.

Anyway, recommend that anybody on gliclazide and experimenting with carbs take heed of travellor's warning.
 
As a T1 since the 60s I do not think I have ever had the exact same bg regularly o_O
 
WillyWonka said:
Thanks @travellor
Interesting post. Yes, I can see the point of testing and would never advise against it but I have arrived at the conclusion that it isn’t the only way forward and I haven’t tested once since I first registered a 49 for HbA1c a few years ago. My approach has been to get a good handle of what would be likely to spike me from various sources including what’s on the back of the food packet etc and either eradicate or minimise those components in my diet. Like I say, I am down to a 36 now.

It worked. I was going to buy a meter (under duress from another source) but tryed to avoid the burden of testing all the time and so never did get my hands on one.

You make an interesting point about the exercise.
Click to expand...
Interesting! I’m in a similar situation to you and have been wondering about buying a meter. Cutting out ‘white carbs’ and reducing consumption of other carbs should do the trick I hope. Also more exercise. #note to self - put the iPad away, get out of bed, and get to the gym. Due another HbA1c test in May
 
Do you actually need gym membership Janey? What about housework? (doesn't have to be obvious things like hoovering or sweeping vigorously - I've had several friends who regularly hypoed whilst ironing all the shirts for two teenage sons and her husband every week even though not all at once) Gardening? Walking a bit more? Going up and down stairs more times/quicker?
 
trophywench said:
Do you actually need gym membership Janey? What about housework? (doesn't have to be obvious things like hoovering or sweeping vigorously - I've had several friends who regularly hypoed whilst ironing all the shirts for two teenage sons and her husband every week even though not all at once) Gardening? Walking a bit more? Going up and down stairs more times/quicker?
Click to expand...
Housework?!? I’d rather go to the gym, which I enjoy once I get there. My husband wears the shirts and irons his own. I walk, swim, do Pilates class and spin class, gym workouts. I’ve had a lay off because of injury but am getting back slowly. Can’t exercise every day as my leg needs to recover.
 
I normally use public transportation to go to work, so normally happens I have to do long walk due to missing buses. If I get lucky the bus catches fire ....
Seriuously, I try to walk a lot and from spring to autumn it's also a relaxing activity when one has to make errands.


Bus-koxH-U30902316154856uNF-656x492@Corriere-Web-Torino.jpg
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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