High BG
- Thread starter Fifi240
- Start date
Anitram
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Whilst Metformin reduces the amount of glucose that your liver releases, and improves your body's response to insulin, it's all for nothing if your diet is poor. Have you managed to fully embrace Low Carb?
Martin
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Glad to see you posting again @Fifi240 but sorry that your high BG continues 
As others have said, metformin takes a while to ‘ramp up’ in the system, and doesn’t work directly on the glucose you body is making from carbohydrates you are eating, it acts more gently in the background. So it is an important part of the puzzle to reduce the BG rises you are getting from food by reducing the amount / proportion of carbs in your meals and snacks.
If you give folks here an idea of what you eat at different meals thry may be able to suggest alternatives, swaps and tweaks that could really help?
As others have said, metformin takes a while to ‘ramp up’ in the system, and doesn’t work directly on the glucose you body is making from carbohydrates you are eating, it acts more gently in the background. So it is an important part of the puzzle to reduce the BG rises you are getting from food by reducing the amount / proportion of carbs in your meals and snacks.
If you give folks here an idea of what you eat at different meals thry may be able to suggest alternatives, swaps and tweaks that could really help?
Hi as others have said to start with do go for a low-carb diet if you aren't already doing that. If you are slim and already low-carbing then suspect LADA (T1). A sulfonylurea tablet such as Gliclazide might help for a while but if LADA then insulin would eventually be needed. If you suspect LADA then ask for the two tests for it. Metformin is unlikely to help with a BS level in the high teens.
I am not very good on the diet side I eat microwave meals but these send my sugars high. I don’t cook and have not done so for years my problem is that I feel hungry all the time even after I have eaten a meal and I don’t know how to conquer this has anyone got any suggestions for someone who doesn’t cook. I wake every hour or so to go for A wee and I also have to have a drink
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Do you add low carb veg to your microwave meals? They’re not very substantial - which might be contributing to your hunger. And do you go for lower carb microwave meals?
High blood sugar can make you hungry too so getting that under control should help.
Apologies if you’ve explained this before but why can’t you cook?
Can you buy things like pre-cooked chicken and add microwave green veg? Then you could have something like berries and Greek yoghurt for dessert.
High blood sugar can make you hungry too so getting that under control should help.
Apologies if you’ve explained this before but why can’t you cook?
Can you buy things like pre-cooked chicken and add microwave green veg? Then you could have something like berries and Greek yoghurt for dessert.
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
You’re probably thinking that it all sounds a chore @Fifi240 but just take tiny steps and find meals that work for you. If you need to buy pre-prepared food, you can still choose wisely and eat low carb. Salads, cooked meat and fish, cheese and raw veg, low carb ready meals, etc etc
Once you get going, you should find it easier to sustain. You’ll feel a lot better too.
Rubbishy foods are addictive and make you feel hungry because although you’re eating you’re not getting the proper amount of nutrients so your body cries out for more in an attempt to get those missing nutrients.
I used to think people were exaggerating when they went on about how great they felt after a change of diet, but they’re not. Eat right and you’ll feel so much better physically and emotionally.
That applies to everyone not just those with diabetes. But with diabetes, paying attention to diet is even more important.
If there are other factors making it hard for you to buy or prepare healthy food, then do please say. Nobody here is perfect and whatever you’re eating or feeling, I can guarantee others will have been there too.
Once you get going, you should find it easier to sustain. You’ll feel a lot better too.
Rubbishy foods are addictive and make you feel hungry because although you’re eating you’re not getting the proper amount of nutrients so your body cries out for more in an attempt to get those missing nutrients.
I used to think people were exaggerating when they went on about how great they felt after a change of diet, but they’re not. Eat right and you’ll feel so much better physically and emotionally.
That applies to everyone not just those with diabetes. But with diabetes, paying attention to diet is even more important.
If there are other factors making it hard for you to buy or prepare healthy food, then do please say. Nobody here is perfect and whatever you’re eating or feeling, I can guarantee others will have been there too.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
That sounds very difficult for you @Fifi240. Expensive and unsatisfying too
I think many of those highly processed prepared meals suffer from exactly what you describe. They are convenient, but over-treated, slightly addictive, all too easily absorbed and quickly dismissed by the body which cries “NEXT” as soon as you’ve finished eating
Many forum members over the years have been amazed by the way a lower carb, ‘normal‘ fat (not low fat) way of eating allows them to feel full, to not need to snack, and to eat as much as they would like without keeping to a calorie count, while still losing weight.
And you may find that there is far less cooking and prep involved than you might think.
Maybe have a look at the ‘food and carb’ board for some ideas?
What did you eat yesterday?
Yesterday B - porridge with PB and a mug of coffee - 30g carbs D - wholemeal german peppered salami and garlic mayo sandwich, orange club biscuit and pint of water - 45g carb T - smoked basa fillet, baby potatoes, steamed broccoli and bar Moser Roth 85%, pint of blueberry and blackberry diluting...
forum.diabetes.org.uk
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
You could make sugar free jellies I would think - do you have a fridge? It is easy to make real custard in a microwave - it is beaten eggs and cream. Warm it up little by little, mix and then make it a little warmer, mix again, until it thickens.
You can make scrambled eggs in a microwave, good with grated cheese.
I have roasted chicken in a microwave so they are quite versatile - though mine is a big one. I put the chicken into a brown earthenware dish with a cover, added a little water and put oil onto the skin of the chicken, put on the lid and then cooked it at medium heat for half an hour, let it stand for half an hour, so the heat evened out, and then did another half an hour cooking. That was for large chickens so a smaller one would be less time than that, maybe 20 minutes cooking and standing and 10 minutes more for a small bird.
You really don't need to be restricted. I have a single induction hob, which plugs into a normal socket and I can use my normal pans on it, though I think some pans don't work - I could use that for a frying pan or wok and make all sorts of meals for one.
You can make scrambled eggs in a microwave, good with grated cheese.
I have roasted chicken in a microwave so they are quite versatile - though mine is a big one. I put the chicken into a brown earthenware dish with a cover, added a little water and put oil onto the skin of the chicken, put on the lid and then cooked it at medium heat for half an hour, let it stand for half an hour, so the heat evened out, and then did another half an hour cooking. That was for large chickens so a smaller one would be less time than that, maybe 20 minutes cooking and standing and 10 minutes more for a small bird.
You really don't need to be restricted. I have a single induction hob, which plugs into a normal socket and I can use my normal pans on it, though I think some pans don't work - I could use that for a frying pan or wok and make all sorts of meals for one.
Sally71
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
If you need to snack between meals then try things like cheese, hard boiled eggs, meat (you can buy prepacked cooked chicken/ham chunks/peperami easily enough, cheese doesn’t need any preparation, boiling an egg doesn’t take long and you can do a few at a time and then keep them in the fridge). These are protein not carb and will raise your blood sugar by almost nothing.
Then if you can work on getting your main meals a bit lower carb you should find that you will feel fuller and won’t need to snack any more. Do it one step at a time and then it’s easier to stick to and you won’t feel like you’ve been forced to change everything you know all at once
Then if you can work on getting your main meals a bit lower carb you should find that you will feel fuller and won’t need to snack any more. Do it one step at a time and then it’s easier to stick to and you won’t feel like you’ve been forced to change everything you know all at once
A good way to avoid regular cooking is to batch cook. Whenever I do a chilli, casserole or curry I double or treble the amount and freeze the rest. Then just pop one into the microwave and add some tinned or frozen veg which is an easy option on the other days.
The problem with microwave meals is they contain a lot of unseen carbs and sugar. Also they tend to be on the small side and don't fill you up( I could eat two), that's probably why your always hungry. Every time you eat your blood sugars will go even higher. You really do need to start watching what you eat or you will probably end up on insulin and that's a pain believe me. Get back into eating freshly cooked food, it dosnt take much effort to put a pork chop or a chicken breast in the oven and a pan of veg on the hob, if your only cooking for your self then frozen veg is a godsend
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
On the other hand the carb and sugar content is printed right on the label so if you have numbers you're trying to get (like less than 50g for a meal) you can see readily whether that meal is suitable. (It probably isn't if your target is 50g, admittedly.)