No Carbers/ low Carbers

[Munjeeta]

Haha... The age old egg question! I have no idea, there are so many different ideas, I get thoroughly confused!

I had a whole day in range yesterday 🙂 (Apart from the slightly high waking reading of 8.5) I went to bed on 7.1 but woke up with an 11.9 However, I did do my levemir injection last night but I have a feeling I only gave myself 14 units (my morning dose) instead of the 18 unit evening dose... I had a feeling at the time, but hey ho!

Hope your levels are setting down, Anne-Marie?

And how are you doing Katie?

 

[katie]

Hi Munjeeta and Twinny , you girlies ok today ?? Hows it going with the Low Carbing? Ive not had a good start to the day grrrr I was 14's first thing ( i did take my levemir late tho and then Hypo at lunchtime !! so alas im carbed up now and waiting for a big zooooooommmmm 😡 b****y Hypo munchies!!

I hope you two are having a better day than me !!! hehehehe , hey Twin did you get any sleep in the end this morning ? I am of course assuming the bike ride has'nt put you out of action lol , did you say it was a 4 mile ride first thing ?

Hey AM, yeah I got 4 hours. I didnt end up doing the cycling because the chain came off and got stuck! I got my mum to take me because she hadnt left to go on holiday. I had to walk the 4 miles home though It would be fine but it was sooo hot and I had a huge bag and the country road goes on forever and feels more like 10 miles lol. I have to cycle tomorrow because she has gone now nooo.

Sushi's definitely an acquired taste I reckon! I'm a bit funny about the whole raw fish malarky, but I really like the vegetarian stuff. And it's nice and healthy too.

I really wanted to like it but I couldnt lol, even the vegetarian ones weren't nice enough to make me want to have it for lunch

I did indeed manage to hold off till before lunch and then I was 3.9. 4.3 after school so had a couple of digestives then 5.5 before dinner. A good day, but running a little low for my liking, I think it's the heat. Shows what a differnece being ill makes to your levels though, mine have been completely haywire the last couple of weeks, only just seem to be settling doen. I say settling down... It's not like my levels have ever been 'settled'!! Saw my DSN tonight though, she said to keep plodding on as I am, she was pleased with my levels even though I still think they're not good and, when they are, it's quite often more luck than judgement...

Well done, pretty good levels! I went hypo after work too, before my 4 mile walk! grr. Not very low though so it didnt completely drain me

Maybe it's the weather making your levels rise? How have they been this afternoon?

I think the weather has been lowering them. My breakfast insulin seems to work some days and not others, it's probably about exercise, I hadnt done any in the 24 hours before breakfast!

The low carbing's still going ok! I'm not radically lowering them really but definitely eating a lot less and filling up more on healthy stuff! How've the levels been for the rest of the day?

And what's this crazy talk of a 4 mile bike ride?! 😛
see above lol

Ok so I cant tell you how the levels were last night and this morning, otherwise Northerner will worry and probably tell me off. PM me if you want details haha.

PS. thought i'd join in with the coloured font!

 

[Munjeeta]

Hey AM, yeah I got 4 hours. I didnt end up doing the cycling because the chain came off and got stuck! I got my mum to take me because she hadnt left to go on holiday. I had to walk the 4 miles home though It would be fine but it was sooo hot and I had a huge bag and the country road goes on forever and feels more like 10 miles lol. I have to cycle tomorrow because she has gone now nooo.

Ok so I cant tell you how the levels were last night and this morning, otherwise Northerner will worry and probably tell me off. PM me if you want details haha.

PS. thought i'd join in with the coloured font!

Wow - impressive on the exercise front, you're making me feel very lazy! Although have a netball match tonight. Am quite nervous (from a netball and diabetes point of view!) as I've not played (or done any exercise!) for so long 😱 I've cut my dinner time short acting by 3 units and have stocked up on jelly babies, lucozade and digestives to take with me. Eeek! Been good today though, after the initial 11.9 blip: 6.7 before lunch; 9.3 after lunch and 7.4 before dinner. I feel like I'm getting somewhere after so long so I want to say a HUGE thank you to you guys for all your advice, support and encouragement 🙂

How have yours been? Will Northerner tell you off for bad levels? 😛

 

[katie]

Wow - impressive on the exercise front, you're making me feel very lazy! Although have a netball match tonight. Am quite nervous (from a netball and diabetes point of view!) as I've not played (or done any exercise!) for so long 😱 I've cut my dinner time short acting by 3 units and have stocked up on jelly babies, lucozade and digestives to take with me. Eeek! Been good today though, after the initial 11.9 blip: 6.7 before lunch; 9.3 after lunch and 7.4 before dinner. I feel like I'm getting somewhere after so long so I want to say a HUGE thank you to you guys for all your advice, support and encouragement

How have yours been? Will Northerner tell you off for bad levels?

Always a pleasure jeeta

Well done on the good levels today. I'll tell you today's then... uh oh lol. I woke to 21.6 (scary i know) and before dinner was 4.2.

Goodluck with the netball match! I'd love to do netball or basketball, it is so fun 🙂 I'm affraid the exercise i'm doing isnt optional, I dont drive and hae to get to work hehe.

 

[vince13]

Can I come in on this thread please ? I am not yet on insulin although my consultant seems to think I shall be before the end of this year - however, I am trying to convince him to hold off if I can keep my levels down with metformin and gliclazide and diet control.

I only test as a fasting morning test unless I feel unwell during the day. Having seen Dodger's posts I started trying lowish carbing a couple of months ago and my levels came right down to 5.3 (or a point or two above). Recently I went away for 2 weeks hols and ate quite low carbs but some indulgences and my levels were mostly in the 6.4s (with one 9.2 when I was really bad at the evening meal!). I'm now back on track and my levels have come back down to 5.3 this morning - if I carry on like this do you think I'll be able to convince my consultant I'm doing OK as I am ? The longer I can hold off insulin the better I shall like it (I know I'm a wimp but I also know insulin is for life not just for when I feel like it). Any comments please ?

 

[insulinaddict09]

Can I come in on this thread please ? I am not yet on insulin although my consultant seems to think I shall be before the end of this year - however, I am trying to convince him to hold off if I can keep my levels down with metformin and gliclazide and diet control.

I only test as a fasting morning test unless I feel unwell during the day. Having seen Dodger's posts I started trying lowish carbing a couple of months ago and my levels came right down to 5.3 (or a point or two above). Recently I went away for 2 weeks hols and ate quite low carbs but some indulgences and my levels were mostly in the 6.4s (with one 9.2 when I was really bad at the evening meal!). I'm now back on track and my levels have come back down to 5.3 this morning - if I carry on like this do you think I'll be able to convince my consultant I'm doing OK as I am ? The longer I can hold off insulin the better I shall like it (I know I'm a wimp but I also know insulin is for life not just for when I feel like it). Any comments please ?

Hi Faith, everyone is always welcome in this thread !! i agree totally, if you can stay off insulin and do it with diet good on you !!! if you need any help or advice we'll always help, there are a few of us who are doing various degrees of low carbing / no carbing . WELCOME 🙂🙂

 

[Northerner]

Can I come in on this thread please ? I am not yet on insulin although my consultant seems to think I shall be before the end of this year - however, I am trying to convince him to hold off if I can keep my levels down with metformin and gliclazide and diet control.

I only test as a fasting morning test unless I feel unwell during the day. Having seen Dodger's posts I started trying lowish carbing a couple of months ago and my levels came right down to 5.3 (or a point or two above). Recently I went away for 2 weeks hols and ate quite low carbs but some indulgences and my levels were mostly in the 6.4s (with one 9.2 when I was really bad at the evening meal!). I'm now back on track and my levels have come back down to 5.3 this morning - if I carry on like this do you think I'll be able to convince my consultant I'm doing OK as I am ? The longer I can hold off insulin the better I shall like it (I know I'm a wimp but I also know insulin is for life not just for when I feel like it). Any comments please ?

Hi Faith,

Hope you had a lovely holiday! Those numbers are excellent - well done you! Whatever you are doing, you are doing it right, and I would think it unlikely that you would be put onto insulin whilst you were maintaining levels like that. What about your HbA1c? When is your next one due? That will help to confirm that your levels are good.

 

[vince13]

It seems breakfast is my main downfall with carb watching. I can take bacon and scrambled eggs sometimes but have few other ideas of something tempting early in the morning so I go back to sultana bran with natural yogurt followed by one slice of toast (brown usually) and a little home-made marmalade. The rest of the day I can (almost) lowish-carb without too much trouble now - although I'm not as strict with myself as your regular contributors seem to be.

Northerner, yep the hol was just what we needed. We went the whole hog and moved house 2 days before we went away for a fortnight so we came home to boxes everywhere and are still sorting through things. From memory my lst HbA1c was 8.1 and my next test is due later this month when I'm hoping for mid-6s. My 14 day memory on the meter says 6.9, my 30-day memory says 6.1 which perhaps is an indication of what it might be with a full blood test ?

 

[Northerner]

...Northerner, yep the hol was just what we needed. We went the whole hog and moved house 2 days before we went away for a fortnight so we came home to boxes everywhere and are still sorting through things. From memory my lst HbA1c was 8.1 and my next test is due later this month when I'm hoping for mid-6s. My 14 day memory on the meter says 6.9, my 30-day memory says 6.1 which perhaps is an indication of what it might be with a full blood test ?

My goodness! What an upheaval! Does that mean you will no longer have problems with post going astray? Is that why you moved?😉

Yes, your meter readings are an indication of what your HbA1c will be. However, as you only generally take fasting, morning readings it won't show the effects of food through the day, which you would expect to push the averages up. As you're not on insulin yet, though, and your fasting readings are good, it looks as though your body is coping well with the amount of carbs you're putting in so fingers crossed for that next HbA1c test!🙂

Hope you are very happy in your new home!

 

[Munjeeta]

Always a pleasure jeeta

Well done on the good levels today. I'll tell you today's then... uh oh lol. I woke to 21.6 (scary i know) and before dinner was 4.2.

Goodluck with the netball match! I'd love to do netball or basketball, it is so fun I'm affraid the exercise i'm doing isnt optional, I dont drive and hae to get to work hehe.

Ah... Haha... Enforced exercise, I like it! you should find a team near you, there are loads around, just do a google search! I did really enjoy it, it's been about 4 years since I last played but it all came back to me and I had a brilliant time! Only problem was I think I overdid it on jelly babies... Just before I was 9.8 so I ate a few. At half time I was still 9.6 so ate a few more. When I got home I was 14.1 and since I always used to hypo after any exercise i had a banana before bed. But... I woke up to go to the loo in the night, and tested my blood and it was 25 😱 I probably should have corrected then and there but I was sleepy and my injection was downstairs and I was still a bit wary of hypos... Anyhow. I woke up to 19. I feel grotty and am a bit confused!! The netball match was pretty energetic - 40 mins of pretty much non-stop moving and I've NEVER had high levels like this after exercise before...

Your 21 before breakfast was a bit high 😛 DO you know why? At least you brought it down, 4 before dinner's perfect 🙂 How are they this morning?

Can I come in on this thread please ? I am not yet on insulin although my consultant seems to think I shall be before the end of this year - however, I am trying to convince him to hold off if I can keep my levels down with metformin and gliclazide and diet control.

I only test as a fasting morning test unless I feel unwell during the day. Having seen Dodger's posts I started trying lowish carbing a couple of months ago and my levels came right down to 5.3 (or a point or two above). Recently I went away for 2 weeks hols and ate quite low carbs but some indulgences and my levels were mostly in the 6.4s (with one 9.2 when I was really bad at the evening meal!). I'm now back on track and my levels have come back down to 5.3 this morning - if I carry on like this do you think I'll be able to convince my consultant I'm doing OK as I am ? The longer I can hold off insulin the better I shall like it (I know I'm a wimp but I also know insulin is for life not just for when I feel like it). Any comments please ?

As everyone's said, anyone's welcome in the thread - welcome!! I'm very jealous of your levels (and without insulin!!) It sounds like you're doing very well as you are!

Hi Faith, everyone is always welcome in this thread !! i agree totally, if you can stay off insulin and do it with diet good on you !!! if you need any help or advice we'll always help, there are a few of us who are doing various degrees of low carbing / no carbing . WELCOME

... Well or badly 😛

 

[Northerner]

... Only problem was I think I overdid it on jelly babies... Just before I was 9.8 so I ate a few. At half time I was still 9.6 so ate a few more. When I got home I was 14.1 and since I always used to hypo after any exercise i had a banana before bed. But... I woke up to go to the loo in the night, and tested my blood and it was 25 😱 I probably should have corrected then and there but I was sleepy and my injection was downstairs and I was still a bit wary of hypos... Anyhow. I woke up to 19. I feel grotty and am a bit confused!! The netball match was pretty energetic - 40 mins of pretty much non-stop moving and I've NEVER had high levels like this after exercise before...
...

Hi Munjeeta, how long after your meal did you play? My strategy would have been: take less insulin with evening meal, at 9.8 I wouldn't have taken extra carbs until half-time, and probably not then if my levels were 7.5 or above - maybe one or two JBs. I would then have had the banana, or better, something like a slice of toast before bed (slower release), and also reduced my lantus by 10%. The effects of exercise, I find, are usually delayed. What's happening is that your body will use the muscle glycogen first, then glucose from the blood. Excitement and the anaerobic nature of the exercise will probably cause cortisol and adrenaline to be released, stimulating the liver to release more glucose and raise blood levels.

What happens after exercise is that your cells will now have many more insulin receptors active, and will replenish their stores of glycogen as quickly as they can, so your levels may drop sharply and it is therefore at this time that you want to try and pre-empt this by having a carby snack. I've found also that the effect of exercise in me can last up to 40 hours!

Unfortunately, it is all trial and error, as you know. I can perfectly understand you not wanting to keel over during the match! Hope your levels are good today, and hope I haven't bored you to tears!🙂

 

[vince13]

Thanks for your kind wishes. No, we didn't move JUST because of the post problem (which it seems has more or less been resolved by us having a firm word with the postal delivery people). We moved to Somerset 4 years ago from Norfolk when my daughter, who lives in Somerset got pregnant again after having lost one baby - I couldn't bear to be that far away from her again as I too had a history of the same kind so we moved to fairly nearby. My husband's daughter is in Devon and his son is in London so we are kind of between all 3 for visits etc.

We made the wrong decision in our move - the area is lovely but we moved into an "over 55s" development - very pretty, situated round a garden with pond etc, but all the others were in their mid-70s to early 90s. They were a nice lot individually but wanted to do social things as a group (rather like an old people's home I'm afraid) and everyone was watched from behind net curtains when they went in and out and the discussions were always what the others on the site had been doing. It really got to us - but then Tesco built a giant store on the land right opposite which had formerly been tennis courts, bowling greens and an orchard. See why we moved ??

We are in a little old market town about 11 miles from our former home, and we can see trees, green fields and cows ! We are still near shops and can get buses into Taunton, our nearest big town, if my OH ever stops driving (I don't drive because of an eye problem from very young).

Oh dear - I've given you a long reply, Northerner, but now you know our reasons and - thank you so much for the flowers !

Best wishes, Faith

 

[Northerner]

I hope you will be very happy there. I know what you mean about 'over 55's' - I used to work at Saga Holidays and they are now 'over 50's', but the average age of holidaymaker is over 70! Have you had to change your healthcare team?

 

[vince13]

Don't get me wrong, as a 62 year old I know there are good and bad old 'uns in the same way as other age groups, it's just that they were all on top of you all the time and it felt as if you had no privacy.............
I'll have to change the surgery but, as you may recall, I have sung the praises of Isabel (my DSN) who is at my present practice and am sorry to leave her. I am seeing her on Monday for a full diabetic check and will then have to be honest and tell her I'm now living too far away to be covered by that surgery. The problem is I'm having to have a blood test before seeing my consultant on the 3rd August and I would like it all to be done as if I were still at the old practice so the paperwork etc all ties in but if she says I can't do that I shall have to register with the surgery near us which I hear is very good and they have a Diabetic clinic every Tuesday at which all diagnosed diabetics are encouraged to drop in etc so that sounds promising. It's all slotting into place otherwise.

Regards,

 

[Munjeeta]

Hi Munjeeta, how long after your meal did you play? My strategy would have been: take less insulin with evening meal, at 9.8 I wouldn't have taken extra carbs until half-time, and probably not then if my levels were 7.5 or above - maybe one or two JBs. I would then have had the banana, or better, something like a slice of toast before bed (slower release), and also reduced my lantus by 10%. The effects of exercise, I find, are usually delayed. What's happening is that your body will use the muscle glycogen first, then glucose from the blood. Excitement and the anaerobic nature of the exercise will probably cause cortisol and adrenaline to be released, stimulating the liver to release more glucose and raise blood levels.

What happens after exercise is that your cells will now have many more insulin receptors active, and will replenish their stores of glycogen as quickly as they can, so your levels may drop sharply and it is therefore at this time that you want to try and pre-empt this by having a carby snack. I've found also that the effect of exercise in me can last up to 40 hours!

Unfortunately, it is all trial and error, as you know. I can perfectly understand you not wanting to keel over during the match! Hope your levels are good today, and hope I haven't bored you to tears!🙂

Wow 🙂 Thanks for the amazingly detailed reply, Northerner, not bored at all - v grateful! Right... I did reduce my dinnertime insulin by 3 units, however didn't take into account heat... So basically a mixture of too many jelly babies and the excitement (shock?!) of exercise... So 9 is an ok level to start exercising on? Even for a 20 minute stint of fairly vigorous exercise? I ate at 6 (and did my levemir at 6) and played at 8:15. I have been running lower all day today... Took a couple of correction units with brekkie and was down to 4 before break... Then took usual lunchtime insulin and was back down to 4.1 before end of school (my kids looked on enviously as I munched digestives in lesson time 😛) Still only 7.8 to all good having managed to narrowly avoid hypos with the digestives. So apart from the 25 not TOO bad!!

 

[Northerner]

Wow 🙂 Thanks for the amazingly detailed reply, Northerner, not bored at all - v grateful! Right... I did reduce my dinnertime insulin by 3 units, however didn't take into account heat... So basically a mixture of too many jelly babies and the excitement (shock?!) of exercise... So 9 is an ok level to start exercising on? Even for a 20 minute stint of fairly vigorous exercise? ...

9 is fine (ooh! it rhymes!) for exercising on - certainly for me. Plus, your food AND your insulin would still have been doing their stuff at 2hr 15m. If I go out for a run I test before, and I only have a boost of carbs if I am below 7.5 - then usually just 125ml of OJ. But I'm not you, so you need to do more matches and experiment - and let your fellow competitors know ( hopefully, they won't try to steal an advantage!). I've recorded every run I've done over the past year, including time after last meal/insulin plus starting and ending levels, and whether I had extra carbs or not. Once you have a pattern it's a doddle (-ish!😱)

p.s. seems your levels really took a dip after the exercise - well done for coping with it!

 

[katie]

Ah... Haha... Enforced exercise, I like it! you should find a team near you, there are loads around, just do a google search!

I think youve had enough advice from Northerner about the exercise highs, but i'll just plug my thread from the sport/exercise forum anyway 😉 http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=1874

I cycled home really fast today so I could catch the end of the Murray match, I nearly died lol. I'd be scared to join a netball team because everyone will be better than me!

Your 21 before breakfast was a bit high DO you know why? At least you brought it down, 4 before dinner's perfect How are they this morning?

Umm yes I may know... lol. My brother had a house party and drank ALOT of pimms and nibbled alot. That evening I went as high as 29 😱 took 22 units and then neglected myself again and woke up to 20 (forgot my lantus too, dont tell northerner any of this). bad bad. I woke up to 15 this morning but think I hypoed because I went to bed at a good level. I was 12 at lunchtime, had a hypo this afternoon for going home (again!) but before dinner I was 6.6 yay

Welcome to the thread Faith

 

[katie]

Then took usual lunchtime insulin and was back down to 4.1 before end of school (my kids looked on enviously as I munched digestives in lesson time 😛)

Just wondering... do your kids know you have diabetes and know what it is??

 

[Munjeeta]

9 is fine (ooh! it rhymes!) for exercising on - certainly for me. Plus, your food AND your insulin would still have been doing their stuff at 2hr 15m. If I go out for a run I test before, and I only have a boost of carbs if I am below 7.5 - then usually just 125ml of OJ. But I'm not you, so you need to do more matches and experiment - and let your fellow competitors know ( hopefully, they won't try to steal an advantage!). I've recorded every run I've done over the past year, including time after last meal/insulin plus starting and ending levels, and whether I had extra carbs or not. Once you have a pattern it's a doddle

p.s. seems your levels really took a dip after the exercise - well done for coping with it!

Yes, they did dip, but they seem to be dipping a lot during the day, wigh eating less carbs I've drastically reduced the amount I need during the day and have MUCH better levels! Which is great 🙂 Patterns are something I find difficult to spot... I tend to try and record things so thoroughly that I always think I've found a better way and end up starting a new system before I've had a chance... I need to slow down!! But I'm getting there, slowly slowly... Thanks so much for the help 🙂

Just wondering... do your kids know you have diabetes and know what it is??

Well... This is actually something I've been meaning to start a new thread about for some time... Maybe I will now!

I'll check out your exercise thread... Exercise is something I think I've got a little phobic of, I need to change my outlook: It's not something to lose weight with, it's to make me more healthy. My new mantra!

6.6 is good before dinner 🙂 Beats my 7.8! I hate the fact that anything slightly out of the ordinary sends levels bouncing around... Hey ho, another new day!

Bummer about Murray too... Maybe next year!!

 

[Northerner]

...and then neglected myself again and woke up to 20 (forgot my lantus too, dont tell northerner any of this). bad bad. ...but before dinner I was 6.6 yay

Oooh!!!! Young lady!😱😱😉