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Cholesterol

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OhJoy

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
So… recently diagnosed and tying to work out my diet. Have started counting carbs, less than 50g a day, and calories, approximately 900 per day. Weight and BG both coming down. My diet largely consists of meat and veg or salad but I am worrying that I may push up my cholesterol, which was fine. Should I eat less meat?
 
Are you using an app to count the carbs and calories? That should tell you how much saturated fat if you are. Presumably your portions are small given the low calories so I’d be surprised if you were eating over the daily reccomendations but you could check to be sure?
 
Welcome to the forum
You are going fairly low carb so do be careful as sometimes a sudden reduction in carbs can cause eye and nerve issues. You need to replace the carbs you are no longer having with protein and healthy fats to give you the energy to function. So you do need to eat meat and fish, eggs, cheese as well as veg and salads.
Many find their cholesterol doesn't increase when following a low carb regime even though they may be having more fats.
 
Thank you both. I hadn’t heard about risks to nerves or eyes of a low carb diet. I am finding this very frightenin, everything I do seems to lead to more problem.
Now I had better start learning about fats,
thanks for your help
 
Just be aware that quite often rapid weight loss leads to a temporary rise in cholesterol on a low carb diet. It happened to me even though I was not eating much saturated fat (HDL and Triglycerides improved, which I was far more concerned about). The GP wanted me to go on statins, but I refused and it corrected by the next blood tests.

The only meat I eat is fish and chicken, not because I don’t like other meat, but no one else in the house eats red meat! I don’t eat much cheese either.
 
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I hadn’t heard about risks to nerves or eyes of a low carb diet.

It‘s not specifically connected to a low carb, it can be any intervention (including insulin) which rapidly reduces average glucose levels over a short period which may have been gradually increasing over months or years.

The changes are usually shortlived, but can be alarming and uncomfortable.

 
Thank you both. I hadn’t heard about risks to nerves or eyes of a low carb diet. I am finding this very frightenin, everything I do seems to lead to more problem.
Now I had better start learning about fats,
thanks for your help
Sorry I didn't explain myself very well, it is more that if you reduce your carbs very quickly and /or start medication that lowers blood glucose quickly that the issues can occur.
It is suggested that reducing carbs from what you were having by a third for a couple of weeks, then another third etc that is gentler on your system.
I reduced carbs to 70g per day in one go and had issues with my eyes, I didn't realise that it could happen until I read on here. It didn't happen immediately but after about a month.
 
Oh dear, I thought this was the way to go to get this thing under control.
My initial HbA1C was high, 118. I am overweight but not in the obese range. I am determined to get into remission!
Everything I have read suggested rapid weight loss and low carb was the way to go but now I am wondering if I should have done things more slowly? Despite the diet and increased exercise my BG remains very varied; yesterday it ranged between 11.1 and 4.6.
It also raises the question of what I do now, should I persevere as I am or slow things down?
I started this journey upbeat, determined to take charge and not let it get me down now I just feel like crying.
 
When did you get the 11.1 and the 4.6? What medications are you on?
 
BG was 8.2, had a light breakfast and some exercise and after two hours it went up to 11.1, back to 8.6 before lunch and then 6.1 two hours and a dog walk later. 4.6 before dinner. Dinner was some home made bbq pork and a green salad, only 2g carbs according to the app I am using, but even so up to 6.8 two hour later. I did not understand why that was.
 
BG was 8.2, had a light breakfast and some exercise and after two hours it went up to 11.1, back to 8.6 before lunch and then 6.1 two hours and a dog walk later. 4.6 before dinner. Dinner was some home made bbq pork and a green salad, only 2g carbs according to the app I am using, but even so up to 6.8 two hour later. I did not understand why that was.
Your 'light breakfast' was probably a bit too high in carbs, what did you have?
Your dinner increase was still within the amount that is considered OK 2-3mmol/l increase after 2 hours.
As you are newly diagnosed your body is most likely adjusting to a changed dietary regime and the effect of the metformin so I would be looking for trends rather than absolute values. You may be attributing greater accuracy of reading from your monitor than it actually has.
If you get a reading which is unexpectedly high then make sure you have washed your hands and retest.
 
Breakfast was actually very light, I am not good at eating in the morning, I had a coffee made with almond milk and 6 grams (weighed) of pistachios. I see what you are saying about trends and I think generally I am seeing those lower readings late afternoon.
Thanks for all the advice
 
Your 'light breakfast' was probably a bit too high in carbs, what did you have?
Your dinner increase was still within the amount that is considered OK 2-3mmol/l increase after 2 hours.
As you are newly diagnosed your body is most likely adjusting to a changed dietary regime and the effect of the metformin so I would be looking for trends rather than absolute values. You may be attributing greater accuracy of reading from your monitor than it actually has.
If you get a reading which is unexpectedly high then make sure you have washed your hands and retest.

8.2 to 11.1?
A rise of 2.9, and you are saying that's bad??

That's a great result, breakfast was fine.
And on 900 calories, and 50g of carbs a day, @OhJoy is well on the right path.
 
BG was 8.2, had a light breakfast and some exercise and after two hours it went up to 11.1, back to 8.6 before lunch and then 6.1 two hours and a dog walk later. 4.6 before dinner. Dinner was some home made bbq pork and a green salad, only 2g carbs according to the app I am using, but even so up to 6.8 two hour later. I did not understand why that was.

It looks good.
Your liver dumps glycogen to keep your BG up, in the same way your pancreas releases insulin to keep BG down.
Your normal range will be more than happy at 6.8
 
8.2 to 11.1?
A rise of 2.9, and you are saying that's bad??

That's a great result, breakfast was fine.
And on 900 calories, and 50g of carbs a day, @OhJoy is well on the right path.
It was at the upper end of the suggested max increase and certainly well about the suggested no more than 8.5mmol/l but then that is inevitable as the starting level was quite high.
But yes, they are on the right track.
 
It was at the upper end of the suggested max increase and certainly well about the suggested no more than 8.5mmol/l but then that is inevitable as the starting level was quite high.
But yes, they are on the right track.

Nah, recently diagnosed, massive lifestyle change, those are great numbers.
Plus, any major change is a complete shock to the body, personally I always gave it at least two weeks before there would be any meaningful BG, cholesterol, BP reading.
 
Nah, recently diagnosed, massive lifestyle change, those are great numbers.
Plus, any major change is a complete shock to the body, personally I always gave it at least two weeks before there would be any meaningful BG, cholesterol, BP reading.
I believe I did say that: As you are newly diagnosed your body is most likely adjusting to a changed dietary regime and the effect of the metformin so I would be looking for trends rather than absolute values.
 
Thank you both that’s really encouraging. It is all so confusing, it’s great to know I’m on the right track and fantastic that there are people who will listen and advise.
Thanks again I will persevere.
 
Thank you both that’s really encouraging. It is all so confusing, it’s great to know I’m on the right track and fantastic that there are people who will listen and advise.
Thanks again I will persevere.

Hang on in there.
Personally I ignored everything and everyone for at least two weeks.
You certainly are in the right track, all you need to do is let your body catch up with you.
 
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