New and after any info

[Badders]

Hi
I have been reading various threads on this forum and found it really helpful, Thanks.
I am looking for opinions and advice from people with some experience.
A little history.
I'm overweight, I have a very physical, active full time job and I'm usually fit and well. I'm not diagnosed with diabetes (awaiting tests).
I work weird shifts and had notices for about 6 months that when working I'm my usual self but when I'm on days or weeks off I am tired, lethargic and have to get up a couple of times in the night to go to the loo. I did a BM a few months ago and found it to be 7.8mmol and thought nothing more. I do tend to drink a little alcohol and indulge a little when I'm off.
On Christmas day I ate a large breakfast off eggs and salmon, huge Christmas lunch and a whole box of liquorice allsorts throughout the day (I did share some).That night I got up every hour to pass water... I felt perfectly well in myself and had plenty of energy.
Boxing day before breakfast I checked my BM and found it to be 14mmol. so I didn't particularly over indulge on boxing day but I did have 1 or 2 sweeties and ate normal meals but no bread or pastry. before bed my BM was 19mmols!!!.
Because of the previous 2 days events I immediately cut carbs to zero and lived on meat, fish pickles etc. (easy to do at Christmas). BM came down in 24hrs to under 9mmol if I behave myself...
I have spoken to GP service and will be having blood tests etc next week.
I'm also well aware that I need to loose about 5 stone and have a healthier diet (although I never did eat a lot of sweet stuff)
Here is the question
since boxing day Ive been eating almost zero carb and defiantly zero sugar and keeping an eye on BM, Aways seems OK but always higher in the morning. have found some strange (or not) things.
for instance I went out for a meal on Wednesday and wanted to see what slightly indulgent eating would do. I had, 1pt beer, 2 glasses wine, 1 whisky, pate no toast, meat and veg no potatoe, 2 portions of apple crumble with ice cream tut!. when I got home BM was 7.3, I was happy with this but then in the morning it was 8mmol, I worked all day and no carbs then 7.3 before bed. when I got up yesterday and before breakfast it 9.1 and 2 hrs after eating a hand full of blueberries with raspberries with creme fraiche at 12:00hrs it was 10.5mmol..
I had another meal out last night but I was carful. mushroom soup no bread, beef n veg (carrots and a few peas), 1 glass wine and port, cheese no crackers. when I got home it was 5.5mmol..... This morning 7.3mmols and then 2 hrs after eating egg, salmon and black pudding it was 8.9?????
I can see that something is amiss but can anyone explain why these lower evening and higher morning readings?? Also are these readings what a diabetic or a none diabetic would expect?
Thanks in advance...

 

[HOBIE]

Welcome ! Well done for keeping carbs lower. Nearly everything has a bag of sugar in it. Diabetes is not an exact science & differs a lot in different people. You are doing the right thing checking. Keep hydrated with water Good luck 🙂

 

[ClaudiaKiwi]

Hi there
I am no way an expert and not long off being a newbie myself as I’m only a couple months post diagnosis of Type 1.
What I have learned is low to zero carbs works well for me. Anything sweetened with sugar doesn’t work well. I have learned some ways to manage this better. I basically am able to eat most things but just sensibly and the thing is not to over eat. Not rocket science I know. My blood glucose levels are often higher in the morning before I take my insulin. Blood glucose seem to peak a couple hours post eating a meal so in the first few weeks I tested tested and tested so as I got an understanding of how I reacted to certain foods and tested just before I ate and then 2 hours post meal (your blood glucose will peak 2 hours post a meal) as this gave me a really good picture and I wrote it all down. I started to see some patterns so was able to figure out what worked well and what didn’t. For instance I can eat most fruit without a worry but oranges for some reason whack my blood glucose straight up. I don’t touch any fruit juice at all. I eat 3 meals a day and have not touched carbs since diagnosed. I have a small snack mid morning and again later afternoon as I work in central London and travel an hour home on the tube so am mindful of low blood glucose and being stuck on a tube ! Meals without carbs has no way been as rubbish as I thought it would be. The bonus is I have lost some weight and seem to be gradually losing some more (I don’t weigh myself as an ex bulimic I get too fixated on numbers so I go by my clothes) and have had to buy new jeans as my others got too big so yay happy days ! It’s great you are testing but suggest the testing immediately pre meal and 2 hours post. Write it ALL down. I’m a wine lover but have cut my alcohol until I feel I’m way more in control etc. I had 2 glasses of bubbles on Xmas day and 2 ciders and no carbs with dinner. My blood glucose went up to 12.6 and am fairly sure the cider had a big impact so I am careful. Anyways I’m probably not helping lots here but just wanted to stress the importance of testing and in those timeframes. Speak to the doctor and I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how you get on ! Take care

 

[Badders]

Thanks for the tips Claudia and Hobie. Much appreciated. I will report back when I have some results.

 

[Mark T]

I remember someone writing once that if you don't have any carbs, your liver could start to process protein and fat into glucose instead. So even with a carb free meal it was still possible for you blood glucose level to go up.

 

[Badders]

Yes I have also picked up on the body using fats if not enough carbs, I don't know enough about the ins and outs and no idea if this is desirable or not. I would be interested to know what studies have been done and what the evidence base has found. I have found the book . The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley informative and also a Ted Talk by a Sarah Hallberg about reversing diabetes interesting. I await my appointment with the diabetic nurse and results from a blood test but in the short term I am managing to keep my glucose between 5 and 8 with minimal carbs until I see the Dr for my blood test results...

 

[Drummer]

By the way - bllueberries are the highest carb of the fruits called berries - you can half the carbs by eating something else.
The BG levels you see are just an indication of how your metabolism is coping at the moment - it is not a case of what you eat being in a direct ratio to your BG all the time. Your liver releases glucose, your muscles absorb it - your lever takes some in - so there's a lot going on.
After my second Christmas dinner as a diabetic my BG level was under 6mmol/l so it is possible to cope with larger meals from time to time, just not all the time.

 

[grovesy]

I regularly eat blueberries without much impact on my levels.

 

[Martin Canty]

Yes I have also picked up on the body using fats if not enough carbs, I don't know enough about the ins and outs and no idea if this is desirable or not

Hi Badders, welcome to the forum

There is a lot of information about low carb diets, if you google Jason Fung, Tim Noakes & Stephen Phinney for a start there are some good lectures on YouTube about low carb lifestyles

 

[Badders]

Thanks all for your input. Its an information finding exercise. and just trying things and seeing what helps.
I was told that the sugars in blueberry's and raspberry's was the type that is metabolised without needing insulin and so OK for me to eat, I have found them to not adversely effect my levels, also plums seem to suite me but to be fair I only have a small amount. Christmas oranges sent my sugar level up, also apple but they are bigger.
I have to say that although my diet since Christmas has been a blind panic cut as much sugar and carb until seen Dr. I have never felt better and also lost about 1 1/2 inch from around my waist. Not feeling humgry all the time like I used to aswell..
Thanks mark I will look these authors up...