Let’s talk KETO!

Tell me where you are in your Way of Eating? What results are you seeing physical and mental?
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Replies

  • deepwoodslady
    deepwoodslady Posts: 12,139 Member
    Quick Question to nvmomketo (or anyone that may have an answer): When I first started keto in Jan, 2018 I saw a tremendous and wonderful change in my blood sugar levels. So much so that my primary care dr. took me off of my 4 glyburide pills and am watching my metformin. However, this past 30 days my sugar has went back up to the mid 200's on fasting, and around 275 before meals in the evening (4 or more hours after my lunch). I do have a cheat meal or a cheat day about every 7-10 days, but I have done that since the beginning, ( I feel it helps me keep the metabolism up). So nothing is new in my diet. Any ideas why my glucose has went back up after such success in that area? I'm worried and stumped. Most diets will work if you stick to your guns, but I chose keto to lose weight AND help control my blood sugar. Any help is greatly appreciated.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Quick Question to nvmomketo (or anyone that may have an answer): When I first started keto in Jan, 2018 I saw a tremendous and wonderful change in my blood sugar levels. So much so that my primary care dr. took me off of my 4 glyburide pills and am watching my metformin. However, this past 30 days my sugar has went back up to the mid 200's on fasting, and around 275 before meals in the evening (4 or more hours after my lunch). I do have a cheat meal or a cheat day about every 7-10 days, but I have done that since the beginning, ( I feel it helps me keep the metabolism up). So nothing is new in my diet. Any ideas why my glucose has went back up after such success in that area? I'm worried and stumped. Most diets will work if you stick to your guns, but I chose keto to lose weight AND help control my blood sugar. Any help is greatly appreciated.

    I find that calories make a difference to sugar levels, even with the same carb intake. Are you eating more even though you are sticking to keto guidelines?

    How long has it been since you changed your medications?

    Have any other changes happened in your life?
  • deepwoodslady
    deepwoodslady Posts: 12,139 Member
    At first I had a very hard time reaching my 1200 calories so I was more in a calorie deficit. Now I usually can hit about 1100 daily. My medication was removed by early Feb. I still take the Metformin. No other changes in my life. I love the keto diet. I find the fat keeps me full.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    Oh is this that Keto flu I have heard about? Why doesn't the instruction manual suggest transitioning over time to avoid it?
  • huelsmanjl
    huelsmanjl Posts: 8 Member
    My husband and I are trying the keto diet again!! We tried to ease into it last fall but stopped it due to excuses. We are doing the cold turkey approach this time, fasting started today :)
    Bring it on :)
    Would love to hear any advice, progress, results, recipes for future use, etc! :)
  • RogerR83
    RogerR83 Posts: 2 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    lissetmba wrote: »
    I'm a newbie. 3 days in and I feel terrible... nauseous, dizzy, lethargic. I'm trying to get passed it, but this feels horrible right now.

    You are low on electrolytes - drink a suger-free electrolyte drink and you will be amazed at the difference that makes in how you feel.
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    lissetmba wrote: »
    I'm a newbie. 3 days in and I feel terrible... nauseous, dizzy, lethargic. I'm trying to get passed it, but this feels horrible right now.

    You are low on electrolytes - drink a suger-free electrolyte drink and you will be amazed at the difference that makes in how you feel.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    lissetmba wrote: »
    I'm a newbie. 3 days in and I feel terrible... nauseous, dizzy, lethargic. I'm trying to get passed it, but this feels horrible right now.

    I agree with the early post - that's low electrolytes. You NEED 3000-500 or more mg of sodium a day. There is 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of salt for reference. Take a spoonful or drink a few cups of salty broth, It will help.
    RogerR83 wrote: »
    Mio makes Electrolytes in squeeze bottle to add to your water. Also adding pink himalaya salt helps with retaining water and adding minerals. If your muscles are cramping up your low on potassium, a tsp of cream of tartar in your water will help.

    Potassium gets low because it is leeched out to make up for low sodium. Often correcting sodium will help turn around low potassium.
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Oh is this that Keto flu I have heard about? Why doesn't the instruction manual suggest transitioning over time to avoid it?

    If you cut carbs your insulin falls and you will lose water and electrolytes. There is not really a way to transition into that. It is often best just to eat adequate sodium instead.
  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,626 Member
    Quick Question to nvmomketo (or anyone that may have an answer): When I first started keto in Jan, 2018 I saw a tremendous and wonderful change in my blood sugar levels. So much so that my primary care dr. took me off of my 4 glyburide pills and am watching my metformin. However, this past 30 days my sugar has went back up to the mid 200's on fasting, and around 275 before meals in the evening (4 or more hours after my lunch). I do have a cheat meal or a cheat day about every 7-10 days, but I have done that since the beginning, ( I feel it helps me keep the metabolism up). So nothing is new in my diet. Any ideas why my glucose has went back up after such success in that area? I'm worried and stumped. Most diets will work if you stick to your guns, but I chose keto to lose weight AND help control my blood sugar. Any help is greatly appreciated.

    I started keto to bring down the BG levels in October of 2016. I was on metformin, but I was getting fasting readings of 200, and I did not want to be prescribed more meds. The BG levels responded quickly, and after 9 months, my doctor reduced the metformin dose when I had an A1C of 5.4 (5.5 maybe - I am too lazy to look it up). After 15 months, he took me off the diabetes meds when my A1C was 5.3 on the reduced dose. I am just controlling my BG with diet now. I have lost weight too, which has to have been a help in the getting off the meds and keeping the numbers reasonable. My first A1C after three months of no meds was 5.9, and my doctor is very happy. The numbers are staying about the same, although my goal is to bring the A1C down some more.

    I did a check 4 hours after lunch today, and BG was 106. I just checked an hour after supper - 126. FWIW, I am really strict with the keto and am sometimes under 10 net carbs for the day. I don't do the cheat days/meals.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Quick Question to nvmomketo (or anyone that may have an answer): When I first started keto in Jan, 2018 I saw a tremendous and wonderful change in my blood sugar levels. So much so that my primary care dr. took me off of my 4 glyburide pills and am watching my metformin. However, this past 30 days my sugar has went back up to the mid 200's on fasting, and around 275 before meals in the evening (4 or more hours after my lunch). I do have a cheat meal or a cheat day about every 7-10 days, but I have done that since the beginning, ( I feel it helps me keep the metabolism up). So nothing is new in my diet. Any ideas why my glucose has went back up after such success in that area? I'm worried and stumped. Most diets will work if you stick to your guns, but I chose keto to lose weight AND help control my blood sugar. Any help is greatly appreciated.

    @deepwoodslady I'm sorry - I didn't see your post, but I think I responded to a similar one a few days ago.

    Glyburide causes your body to make more insulin. If you cut glyburide then your body may not be making enough insulin to deal with your high BG, either because you are eating too many carbs, your liver is making too much glucose, you are very insulin resistant and need lots of insulin to lower BG, or your pancreas is worn out and making inadequate insulin... or for other reasons. I'm far from an expert. :)

    But my guess is BG went up because of lower insulin from reduced meds. It is likely that your BG will come down as you continue to lose weight. Exercise and intermittent fasting (for example, not eating from 7pm until 10am or later or eating just once or twice a day) will also improve insulin resistance over time. Reducing calories, stress, getting enough sleep, and eating low carb will all help keep BG lower.

    ... I'm afraid a cheat day is doing your BG no favours. :( You'll probably be better off avoiding higher carb days if you are trying to use diet rather than drugs to reverse your T2D. KWIM?
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    is there any science behind keto? i hear a lot of people doing it but i would think its the same as calorie deficit.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I did not adovocate to shock the body. I said to eat enough sodium/salt so that you don't get low electrolytes at all.

    Why "ease into" low electrolytes when you can avoid low electrolytes altogether? Eat salt.

    Now if someone wants to ease into a keto WOE, by slowly lowering carbs, in order to get used to eating that way, that's a whole other situation. But the body does not need dietary carbs and is generally not "shocked" when it carb intake is quickly reduced.

    I misspoke. Sorry. You are not advocating anything you are simply responding to what people are doing. I also only meant reducing carbs over a week or so. There is no way to transition into lower electrolytes.

    However, if the carb level is dropped radically and enough water is evacuated the body is shocked if electrolytes plummet for some people. If not so why is the body sick? Why risk it? Transition everyone that will listen. Where is the harm?
  • vickarye
    vickarye Posts: 13 Member
    Im thinking about doing keto and i have looked around but im not sure i quite get what im supposed to be eating aside from cutting out carbs and eating high fat and protine . i dont understand the macros and how to measure what my amount should be . dose any one have a semi simple answer