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Hi everyone, I’m struggling. I’m type two and having consistently higher numbers especially in the morning.
I need to lose weight but struggle to find something that works. I must admit I struggle with the mefirmin sometimes especially when I’m working due to the toilet issues. Any advice on everything really would be appreciated. Thanks.
Do you check your levels after eating and adjust your carbohydrate intake to keep in normal range?
I gave up on the tablets as I was in such a state - I thought the next stop would be a care home. Thankfully by eating low carb I got back to normal.
Hi everyone, I’m struggling. I’m type two and having consistently higher numbers especially in the morning.
I need to lose weight but struggle to find something that works. I must admit I struggle with the mefirmin sometimes especially when I’m working due to the toilet issues. Any advice on everything really would be appreciated. Thanks.
Welcome to the forum, if you are willing to share a bit more about yourself, how long have you been diagnosed, what is you HbA1C and an example of the sort of meals you currently have, it will help people give appropriate advise. Meformin does often cause stomach issues but taking it with food helps and it does settle down, however some people find they cannot tolerate it and there is a slow release version which is better for them so ask if it does not settle.
Most people find that a low carbohydrate dietary regime is successful in both reducing blood glucose levels and in helping people to lose weight.
Have a look at the learning zone (orange tab at the top) where you will find lots of helpful information which you can work through at your own pace and there are some links to look at as well.
The main thing is looking at the carbohydrates you are having and reduce your intake of high carb foods like potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, cereals, starchy veg and some fruits. Cutting out the obvious things like cakes, biscuits, pastry and sugary drinks is priority. Basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, dairy, salads and veg is a good start. Increasing exercise will also help even if it is only a daily walk, it doesn't need to be a full gym workout unless that is what you normally do.
Please ask any questions you have as you take the first steps.
Thankyou. My numbers when testing in the morning are roughly 13. I must admit it is perhaps carbs that are doing it as I am a lover of pasta potatoes etc. I do cook from scratch don’t use kits or jars anymore. As for counting carbs which probably would help I’m at a loss in where to start as in how many I should be having etc.
I don’t eat a lot of pastry. I love veg. Fruit wise I like bananas which I know can increase your carbs. Grapes which I learnt from my dads diabetes are not brill in large quantities. I’m not an apple lover but like pears, plums, apricots, peaches etc. I drink mainly coffee or sugar free juice or pop. Black coffee.
Thankyou. My numbers when testing in the morning are roughly 13. I must admit it is perhaps carbs that are doing it as I am a lover of pasta potatoes etc. I do cook from scratch don’t use kits or jars anymore. As for counting carbs which probably would help I’m at a loss in where to start as in how many I should be having etc.
'Counting Carbs' as such is something Type 1 folk need to do accurately to work out their insulin dose but for Type 2 folk then being aware of the carb content of the foods they are having in terms of portion size and restricting how much they would have per meal or per day. So people following a low carb regime would not want to be having more than 130g total carb per day and many will have much less but that is a good starting point.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is a good guide for carb content of many foods and meals.
Looking at food packaging you want to look at the total carb not the sugar content as many things purport to be low sugar but are still high carb.
You fasting level is quite high at 13 but that is usually the last number to come down, The HbA1C that would have been the test which gave you the diagnosis is a better guide to know where your starting point is.
You obviously have a blood glucose monitor so to establish a testing regime to inform you of what foods and portion size you can tolerate would be a good plan. So test before your meal and after 2 hours, the difference ideally should be no more than 3mmol/l if so your meal was too carb heavy for your body to cope with.
Your aim should be to get those numbers down to single figures.
The potatoes an pasta are clearly not being kind to you.
'Counting Carbs' as such is something Type 1 folk need to do accurately to work out their insulin dose but for Type 2 folk then being aware of the carb content of the foods they are having in terms of portion size and restricting how much they would have per meal or per day. So people following a low carb regime would not want to be having more than 130g total carb per day and many will have much less but that is a good starting point.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is a good guide for carb content of many foods and meals.
Looking at food packaging you want to look at the total carb not the sugar content as many things purport to be low sugar but are still high carb.
You fasting level is quite high at 13 but that is usually the last number to come down, The HbA1C that would have been the test which gave you the diagnosis is a better guide to know where your starting point is.
You obviously have a blood glucose monitor so to establish a testing regime to inform you of what foods and portion size you can tolerate would be a good plan. So test before your meal and after 2 hours, the difference ideally should be no more than 3mmol/l if so your meal was too carb heavy for your body to cope with.
Your aim should be to get those numbers down to single figures.
The potatoes an pasta are clearly not being kind to you.
mefirmin are you on slow release sometimes helps. also make sure you eat first before taking it.If I don’t eat and take it can have problems I get the runs If I don’t eat first.
As regards the Metformin side effects, you need to ask to try slow release version if they are affecting your work situation and you are reluctant to take them because of that. 2 morning and 2 night is the max dose I believe and it is important to build up to that dose slowly and take them regularly. I get the impression from your initial post that you perhaps don't take them regularly because of their side effects when you are working and taking them in a hit and miss fashion will lead to the side effects possibly not settling down over time. Do explain the situation to your GP or nurse and ask to try the slow release version.
The thing you need to understand is that the most powerful means of managing your BG levels is through your diet and reducing your carb intake. We all know that it is difficult to cut down on the foods we love but many of us have found that it was actually an empty, unrequited and in fact quite toxic love and we feel so much better for breaking up with it. I was a sugar addict pre-diagnosis as well as eating far too much bread and potatoes. It was hard to break that habit but I am an all or nothing person, so I went cold turkey and I used the guilt and embarrassment I felt about my diagnosis to motivate me. Some people find the fear of complications like going blind or losing limbs motivates them. I am not saying any of these thoughts and feelings are right or appropriate but if you have them, use them in a positive way. Ignoring the problem is not an option for your long term health. What I will say is that I have stopped craving those foods and it happened quite quickly. I have found new low carb foods which I enjoy and my diet is very pleasant. I have little low carb treats every day which I really savour, like my coffee with cream on a morning and my occasional glass of wine on an evening with a chunk of a really nice blue cheese or my guilty pleasure, pork scratchings or a square of dark 85% dark chocolate with a spoonful of peanut butter or a tub of olives with feta. These might not appeal to you but find new things to enjoy which won't cause you BG upheaval.
As others have said, using a system of testing which will help you to see which foods your body is struggling to tolerate will make it easier to reduce your consumption of those foods (either reduce portion size or eliminate from your diet altogether depending upon your body's response and how much you "really love them" and if you feel able to limit the portion size. Keeping a food and drink diary including an indication of portion size and noting down your BG readings before and after will help you to see where things are going badly astray and figure out ways to improve those meals so that youe body can cope either by portion reduction of the carb rich elements and bulking out with lower carb foods or substitution for lower carb alternatives. The forum can help you with tips and tricks for substitutes etc.
The fruits you mention are all pretty high carb. Most of us use berries as our daily fruit portion. A small handful of berries like rasps, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries or blackcurrants/redcurrants.... think tart fruits which are nutrient dense, so that a small portion does a long way both flavour and nutrition wise. If you have them with cream or full fat yoghurt they will not taste so tart. Many of us use them as a breakfast option and have them with natural Greek yoghurt and seeds and nuts and maybe a sprinkle of low carb granola or bran flakes etc.
Visiting the forum regularly for support and advice and motivation is also a massive help.
Anyway, those would be my suggestions for how to move forward. Many of us feel so much better for our change of diet that we would not go back even if we were no longer diabetic. I am fitter and healthier and feel younger than I have for 20+ years and at 57 I will happily take that! And best of all I now feel that I have more control over my eating so I really don't want to go back to the way things were. I also find it amazing if a little shocking how much less food I need than I used to eat without feeling hungry.
Anyway, good luck with getting your diabetes management on track and look forward to reading of your progress.
@rebrascora has a point about dosing. As with any medication there’s a point where you reach therapeutic levels in the body and that’s often when side effects ease.
However there are some explosive side effects from metformin which don’t stop unless you’re on the modified release version.
I found that my side effects ceased within two days of switching from standard to modified release.
Don’t ask your GP if you can get them. Tell the GP you need them.
Tell them that you’re not able to take the metformin currently prescribed because of the severity of the side effects.
I guarantee they’ll change the prescription.
And call/email etc tomorrow. Don’t wait. Metformin is too important to screw around with and miss doses of other than rarely.
One way to keep track of your carbs is with an app - it takes away the hard work. There are several available and I use one called NutraCheck. I think it is still offering a 7 day free trial, then it costs £7.99 a month - less that a weekly Costa Coffee. I aim g=for 90gm carbs a day - some go much lower, but it is advised to be under 130gm.
And tell your doctor Metformin is affecting your ability to work, because you have the trots during the day, so you NEED slow release.
It is easy to work out the carbs in a meal by noting down what you are going to eat and then weighing the food as you add it to the plate. After eating you can work out the carbs and maybe check your blood glucose levels at the two hour mark. If you aren't in the right range, then reducing or exchanging foods will help - or you might decide to exclude the highest carb foods if you are seeing really high rises - you can always try them again at a later date, but returning to normal numbers should make the difference.
One way to keep track of your carbs is with an app - it takes away the hard work. There are several available and I use one called NutraCheck. I think it is still offering a 7 day free trial, then it costs £7.99 a month - less that a weekly Costa Coffee. I aim g=for 90gm carbs a day - some go much lower, but it is advised to be under 130gm.
And tell your doctor Metformin is affecting your ability to work, because you have the trots during the day, so you NEED slow release.
