Another Newbie

[Crispycrystal]

It can help to take the Metformin with a significant amount of food (evening time is probably best in that respect) and take it mid meal, so that the tablet travels through your digestive tract surrounded by food. The side effects sometimes ease after a few days/a week or so, but if not then go back to the GP and ask for the slow release version and/or go very low carb. Good luck with getting your BG levels down.

Thankyou.

 

[Drummer]

That is a great result for you. Did you read the 8 week diet book by Nuchael Mosley - he supports low carb and exercise

No - I read Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution many years ago, and before that was slightly involved in the formulation and presentation of Dr Howard's sachets which became the Cambridge diet - I always knew what sort of diet I needed - it was the doctors and dieticians who pushed the carbs are healthy mantra which caused me so much trouble over the years.

 

[Crispycrystal]

It’s been nearly three weeks now. I’m still in a bit of shock, but have drastically changed what I eat and drink. I have had no sugar in tea and coffee ( was 2 tsp), no pasta, very few potatoes, less rice, no cakes or biscuits, no ice cream, no desserts, very little bread. I have stopped snacking on crisps and peanuts and stopped eating chocolate and sweets ( and I ate a lot). I have had no beer and just one small glass of red wine. My fasting blood sugar is down from 12.1 to around 5 or 6. I test daily first thing in the morning. I started the Metformin (1 tablet) two weeks ago and moved to 2 tablets last Monday. I have lost 4 Kg. I need to lose another 5Kg to get my BMI down to 25.
Several of my friends have had Type 2 for some time, and take 3 Metformin daily. None of them seem to stick to diets though. They drink as much beer as I used to and also eat large quantities including desserts and cakes like I did. Have I been overdoing the diet? Is it OK to keep eating like that? Does the Metformin “neutralise” it?

 

[rebrascora]

Well done on your excellent progress. Those are really great readings.

The problem with continuing to eat a high carb diet and just hoping that the medication will work is that eventually the body will become more and more resistant to the insulin you produce and the medication (Metformin) may become less effective and additional medication needed or perhaps ultimately insulin required to be injected as well as the other medication. Those people are not really tackling the problem but taking the "bury your head in the sand" approach, in my opinion or they have not been given appropriate dietary advice in the first place.
Easing off the carbs and losing weight will give your body a chance to recover a bit and eventually you may be able to control it just by diet.... you may even be at that stage now.... and once you reach a normal BMI you can introduce more fat into your diet which makes it more enjoyable and therefore sustainable long term. You may even find that, after a while, you can increase your carb intake a little and your BG will cope with it but it really is up to you whether you want to eat those unhealthy foods on a regular basis and rely on medication for life or take control yourself

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Several of my friends have had Type 2 for some time, and take 3 Metformin daily. None of them seem to stick to diets though. They drink as much beer as I used to and also eat large quantities including desserts and cakes like I did. Have I been overdoing the diet? Is it OK to keep eating like that? Does the Metformin “neutralise” it?

People are different. You know what your blood sugar readings are (and HbA1c), but presumably you don't know what theirs are. It's quite possible they're not very well controlled (though it's also possible they are, because they're different people, taking different medications, doing different kinds of exercise).

For you, it may be that you could relax your diet a bit and still be OK. That's the kind of thing you could experiment with a bit (testing as you try things) and something you should discuss with your healthcare team. There's not much point in trying to keep to a diet that you really can't sustain.

 

[Drummer]

I know that I can eat more carbs these days and not see such high spikes - that is because I stash it away as fat now, so I stick to the low carbs and eat tow meals a day, no snacks.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Huge congratulations on your progress so far @Crispycrystal

You’ve made a brilliant start. Long may it continue!

I think there is a bit of a mental block in some people who are given tablets that they will ‘take care of it’ but my opinion is that any medication can only really work well in combination with other positive changes to diet and lifestyle.

sounds like you have made changes which are really suiting your body and your diabetes. Well done!

 

[Crispycrystal]

Well done on your excellent progress. Those are really great readings.

The problem with continuing to eat a high carb diet and just hoping that the medication will work is that eventually the body will become more and more resistant to the insulin you produce and the medication (Metformin) may become less effective and additional medication needed or perhaps ultimately insulin required to be injected as well as the other medication. Those people are not really tackling the problem but taking the "bury your head in the sand" approach, in my opinion or they have not been given appropriate dietary advice in the first place.
Easing off the carbs and losing weight will give your body a chance to recover a bit and eventually you may be able to control it just by diet.... you may even be at that stage now.... and once you reach a normal BMI you can introduce more fat into your diet which makes it more enjoyable and therefore sustainable long term. You may even find that, after a while, you can increase your carb intake a little and your BG will cope with it but it really is up to you whether you want to eat those unhealthy foods on a regular basis and rely on medication for life or take control yourself

Thank you, that is very motivating!

 

[Crispycrystal]

People are different. You know what your blood sugar readings are (and HbA1c), but presumably you don't know what theirs are. It's quite possible they're not very well controlled (though it's also possible they are, because they're different people, taking different medications, doing different kinds of exercise).

For you, it may be that you could relax your diet a bit and still be OK. That's the kind of thing you could experiment with a bit (testing as you try things) and something you should discuss with your healthcare team. There's not much point in trying to keep to a diet that you really can't sustain.

Thankyou
You say in your signature that you feel 30 years younger. That’s great. I think it also sums up the little things I have been noticing since changing diet ( still less than 3 weeks) - sleeping better, less tired, even improved libido! I’m not sure it’s 30 years worth yet - not sure my wife could cope with that!

 

[Crispycrystal]

I know that I can eat more carbs these days and not see such high spikes - that is because I stash it away as fat now, so I stick to the low carbs and eat tow meals a day, no snacks.

Thankyou

 

[Crispycrystal]

Huge congratulations on your progress so far @Crispycrystal

You’ve made a brilliant start. Long may it continue!

I think there is a bit of a mental block in some people who are given tablets that they will ‘take care of it’ but my opinion is that any medication can only really work well in combination with other positive changes to diet and lifestyle.

sounds like you have made changes which are really suiting your body and your diabetes. Well done!

Thankyou