[SerotoninSurfer]

I'm down to 10-12g carb per meal, taking 500x2 metformin. This has brought my average between-meal BG down from 120's to around 100 but I never goes below 90-95 before I get hypo symptoms and it starts to creep up. I think by doc will be happy with those numbers but it is still 20pts higher than I see for most folks in the forums.

Would more metformin help?
R

 

[MCS]

Not sure about the MET. Your body got accustomed to being at a higher level of BG so when it senses its falling it reacts with a adrenalin surge to kick you back up. One thing you can try is eating something right before you think this is going to happen (non carby). It will send a signal to your liver not to release glucose. When I come home from work in the evening I am usually at my lowest BG level, anywhere from high 60's to low 80's. What I do is immediately eat a piece of cheese or something so my body doesn't over react to the low BG level and open the flood gates of glucose from my liver.

 

[jwags]

I also eat around 10 carbs per meal and always keep my bgs in the 90-110 range. I rarely go below mid 90's. I am on 2550 mg of metformin. I think there are some of us who just have higher bg set points. Usually those you see with lower bgs may have some type of Insulin Resistance which is sending bgs crashing or they are on a particular med that stimulates insulin. Metformin doesn't stimulate insulin instead it works in the liver, instead.

 

[Donella]

My husband is also now on Metformin 500x2. He was on Glyburide for about 10 days but was going in the low 70's. He had some left over Metformin so just takes that. He has the same problem with the high FBS it was 130 yesterday and 113 today. Last night he had some popcorn just before bed. Sometimes I will make him a fresh veggy drink before bed and that helps with the morning readings. You do need to eat something right before bed the problem is finding out what helps most. I know Graham crackers and peanut butter aren't the best that's when he has the 130 in the am. Bloodsugar101.com has some info on this problem but I have also found a lot on this forum. Good luck to you keep us posted on how it's going

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[Shalynne]

It can take time -- maybe a few weeks -- for normal blood sugars to feel normal.

High FBG is also a common plague. What works for me is, if my nighttime BGL is lowish, say 85 or so, I'll have a stick or two of string cheese just before bed. It seems to keep me level throughout the night, so my liver doesn't panic and bless me with a spike. (Like all else diabetes, this doesn't work for everybody. On the other hand it never seems to hurt. If you try it, I hope it works for you.)

 

[jwags]

The before bed snack helps some but not everyone. You just have to try and see what happens. Usually you want a protein or fat, nothing more than 5 carbs, so be careful with popcorn or crackers. If I eat at night I can't eat much after 8 pm or so. The one snack or dessert that works for me is Carb Smart ice cream bars, which are 5 net carbs and usually give me a bg in the 90's the next day.

 

[Daytona]

I was eating low carb but due to how I was getting most of my protein at dinner (mmm steak!), it was causing my FBG to be higher. Now that I split my protein evenly across 3 meals, I'm about 10pts lower in the morning.

 

[Donella]

Wow so protein can also raise your BG? That is going to be the problem for us. We are red meat people. I can throw in some pork or fish once in awhile but not too often maybe twice a week that's when hubby has had enough.

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[SerotoninSurfer]

I've been low-carbing for about 2 months, keeping my intake slow and steady throughout the days. I wake up now about 100 or so, and test about 6x per day before bed on weekdays. The pain is it makes my tightrope even narrower; I don't have much room for it to go up before I get into the iffy zone. An extra 10-20 points would be nice.

On the bright side, at least I don't have to worry much about crashing dangerously low...

 

[MCS]

Wow so protein can also raise your BG? That is going to be the problem for us. We are red meat people. I can throw in some pork or fish once in awhile but not too often maybe twice a week that's when hubby has had enough.

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Your body converts all excess profein into glucose, storing it as glycogen or fat. For me eating a lot of protein for dinner seems to make difference in weight gain or weight loss.

 

[moon]

Wow so protein can also raise your BG? That is going to be the problem for us. We are red meat people. I can throw in some pork or fish once in awhile but not too often maybe twice a week that's when hubby has had enough.

You're confusing protein and fat. Pork and fish tend to be leaner than beef, but they're roughly equivalent in protein. High fat isn't a problem - that's a good thing. When we severely cut carbs, and limit protein, then fat is what's left So fattier meat is indeed better for us, such as dark meat in foul rather than white.

 

[Daytona]

You're confusing protein and fat. Pork and fish tend to be leaner than beef, but they're roughly equivalent in protein. High fat isn't a problem - that's a good thing. When we severely cut carbs, and limit protein, then fat is what's left So fattier meat is indeed better for us, such as dark meat in foul rather than white.

Agreed. Fattier meats are better because they keep you full, and provide less protein than a similar sized lean meat.

In the end, eat your protein of choice and just tweak as necessary to hit the ratios you are looking for. So if you like red meat, then have at it. If you prefer stuff like chicken breasts, then just add a sauce, cook it in oil, etc to get the amount of fat you need.

So I am still happily eating my steaks, I'm just portioning them differently so that instead of 14oz at dinner, I get 3oz in the morning, 5oz for lunch and 6oz for dinner.

 

[Donella]

Well I am confusing because I am confused I guess lol. I guess I have read in so many different places I am getting confused on the diet. I have ordered the new Atkins Diet book is that a good thing? Somewhere I read very lean meats so that must of been on a diabetic web site is that correct? So a ribeye steak is better for husband than a sirloin is that correct?

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[Daytona]

I haven't read the New Atkins but I did read the original book and do like the authors, so I think it should be perfectly good. Some other books I have found to be helpful are The Diabetes Solution, The Paleo Solution and Slow Burn Fitness. For each new book I read, I incorporate some of the advice if it seems like it will work for me and end up with my own personalized diet.

You will get conflicting information from each person you talk to. I have tried low-fat, high-carb, restricted protein, super high fat, etc. Each time I would keep track of how I was feeling, my weight, blood pressure and blood sugar. I have had the best success with < 50g carbs, 100g of protein and the rest fat. But each person is different so you may have to just test things out a bit.

Ribeye is fattier than sirloin but I wouldn't worry too much about different cuts, just pick your favorite and if you want more fat, then you can always add it in. For example, when I have filet mignon, I will cook it in butter. But when I have my ribeye, then I let it cook in it's own fat.

 

[Donella]

Thanks Daytona I think what happened is when hubby DX I jumped in head first from day one and I got too much information with too many differences. So I have things so mixed up in my brain lol. Hubby is doing good so I am doing something right. I just hope it keeps up.

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[MCS]

Try asking the butcher in the grocery for a chuck eye steak you will not be sorry. There is only a couple of pounds of chuckeye steak on ever chuck so you have to ask for it. I use to grill, soups, stews, it rocks in chili. Really good flavor and lots of marbled fat.

 

[Donella]

I don't think I I have ever tried chuck eye steak. I will check it out. I have a friend that retired from a meat packing plant. I can probably get him to order me some. I get tenderloin 60 lbs of it cheaper than hamburger meat. I will make another order in February.

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[Daytona]

I don't blame you. It is definitely a case of information overload at the beginning! You are doing great and your husband is lucky to have such a caring, motivated wife.

 

[naynay]

I have been rather messed up lately, and don't feel bad Donella, I still get confused myself. Sometimes I just think I'm winging it rather than eating correctly. Unfortunately because of the holiday's and a bit of indulgence, I am paying the piper now. I know it is going to take a good week or perhaps two to get back to where I need to be with my bg's. But for now I guess I just need to bite the bullet and accept what I did to myself and work to get back to a good place. I believe I need to increase my good fat by a lot, and reduce the protein alot. I think I'm probably eating too much protein. I think I'm doing okay on low carbing, but the protein is probably the problem. I struggle to keep weight from going up because of the insulin, however I've noticed I've probably gained a few lbs lately and I'm not real happy about that. I think I'm overcompensating with the protein, so I need to cut back on that now. I do like to eat nuts, and I do incorporate them into my diet almost daily, but I tend to overeat them. I guess I should probably make snack size bags with a reasonable amount in it rather than eat from the bag. Duh.
I've got really bad heartburn lately too... wonder why? I'm living on Tums at night time. I'm sure it will pass. Just probably my digestion angry with me.
I hope I get this all figured out. Sometimes I really don't know if I'm doing this right or not.

 

[moon]

I believe I need to increase my good fat by a lot, and reduce the protein alot. I think I'm probably eating too much protein.

I'm in the same boat, and it's stalling my weight loss.

I do like to eat nuts, and I do incorporate them into my diet almost daily, but I tend to overeat them. I guess I should probably make snack size bags with a reasonable amount in it rather than eat from the bag. Duh.

Same! The protein and nuts are my two biggest weaknesses. I've been on a macadamia nut kick the last several months and it's a tribute to this new way of eating that although I've not lost weight, I've not ballooned either! I started out with CVS's little jars of macadamias, then progressed to Costco Containers (the size of freight cars). They are vicious good.