Blood Sugar has gone way up since starting keto diet, is this okay?
MessiGardener
Posts: 37 Member
When I started this diet 13 days ago, my blood sugar was 95. It immediately went up and has gone as high as 167. This is disheartening. I've heard that this sometimes happens and usually will go back down in a couple/3 weeks. I don't want to do damage and cause problems that weren't a problem before. I know I'm not doing it right, but can't seem to find enough info to plan correctly. I believe the science behind this, but I may have to try a different method. Any help will be appreciated!
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BTW, I'm 63 yrs old and am about 100 lbs overweight.0
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Yikes! For inspiration I enjoy this
fast moving vid at YT:
"Eat More Fat? -- Amazing Results"
http://tinyurl.com/kk8njr7
Hint: It's all about the Fat!
Best, tQ
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Thanks tq, I'm kinda discouraged because I've almost used up all the calories allotted for today and I've only eaten a 2 egg, mushroom/cheese omelet with a tbls of sour cream and 4 cups of coffee w/heavy cream. Lots of protein I guess, but not carbs,
and high fat I thought.0 -
Yes, I can understand that feeling.
I guess you are doing a Low Calorie
diet while trying to do Low Carb, too?
One good point about LCHF is to
satisfy appetite first and foremost.
Very low carb, adequate protein
and fat to satisfy appetite may work
better than Low Calorie...
What do you think?0 -
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tq, I'm not really trying to do that but I hate having those red numbers stare at me when I see my results for the day! I should probably try to ignore that one.0
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Indeed, please do, way too discouraging
to see that red..!
May I suggest the keto calculator:
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
Since I don't follow the CICO theory,
I use it to adjust my calories to a point
where I don't get the red anymore...
too high or too low,
yet still be under my MFP calculated
calories.
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MessiGardener wrote: »Thanks tq, I'm kinda discouraged because I've almost used up all the calories allotted for today and I've only eaten a 2 egg, mushroom/cheese omelet with a tbls of sour cream and 4 cups of coffee w/heavy cream. Lots of protein I guess, but not carbs,
and high fat I thought.
How many calories are you allowing yourself???
Also, you say you're not doing it right. Could you maybe provide a little more detail about what exactly you're doing.0 -
MessiGardener wrote: »Thanks tq, I'm kinda discouraged because I've almost used up all the calories allotted for today and I've only eaten a 2 egg, mushroom/cheese omelet with a tbls of sour cream and 4 cups of coffee w/heavy cream. Lots of protein I guess, but not carbs,
and high fat I thought.
This suggests that you're starving yourself. When the body doesn't have sufficient fuel, one of the first things it does, especially if it's not fat-adapted (most people aren't if they're just coming off USDA style eating), is create sugar from the body mass stores that it has. To do this, it converts lean mass through a process called gluconeogenesis (literally, "create new glucose"). I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason your blood sugar has increased despite being low carb.
One egg is about 80 calories, so two is 160. The mushrooms and cheese combined are probably about another 80 calories, being generous on the amount of cheese. Sour cream comes in at about 25 calories per tablespoon, which adds 50 calories if you did, in fact, eat two. So, we're up to 280.
Unless you mean to tell us that you consumed somewhere between 2/3 of a cup and a full cup of cream for every cup of coffee (about 400 calories per cup), you're either not telling us all that you're eating, or you are seriously, vastly undereating. And either way, getting 3/4 of your calories from cream....is a bit much.
It would be a very good idea if you opened your diary so that we can take a look at what you're eating and why you're getting "red numbers," because according to my (our) calculations, you shouldn't be with any sane amount of calorie allotment and what you're consuming.0 -
MessiGardener wrote: »BTW, I'm 63 yrs old and am about 100 lbs overweight.
I agree with Dragon, not enough info. Are you a diabetic? Or why are you checking in the first place? Are you on any Meds for diabetes? When you tested, how long, in hours, was it after your last meal?
Blood Glucose of 163 is not that high. When my diabetes was not under control, my glucose was as high as 400+ and if I didn't test, I wouldn't have know that, because you don't "feel" any different when you are high. You pee a lot, though.
I have been diabetic for over 14 years and I am just now getting my numbers (on a regular basis) under 200. I jump up and down in celebration when my numbers are under 175.
I am 57 years old, started keto diet @ 314, have lost 47ish lbs. I have a long way to go.
I wrote about diabetes and keto on my MFP blog:
Blog #8 Rx Drug Report Since I Started Keto
Blog #9 Fasting, Diabetic ~ Glucose/Sugar Levels
Blog #12 Update (I'm Long Over due)
All blog pages are short and an easy read.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
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Dragonwolf wrote: »MessiGardener wrote: »Thanks tq, I'm kinda discouraged because I've almost used up all the calories allotted for today and I've only eaten a 2 egg, mushroom/cheese omelet with a tbls of sour cream and 4 cups of coffee w/heavy cream. Lots of protein I guess, but not carbs,
and high fat I thought.
This suggests that you're starving yourself. When the body doesn't have sufficient fuel, one of the first things it does, especially if it's not fat-adapted (most people aren't if they're just coming off USDA style eating), is create sugar from the body mass stores that it has. To do this, it converts lean mass through a process called gluconeogenesis (literally, "create new glucose"). I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason your blood sugar has increased despite being low carb.
One egg is about 80 calories, so two is 160. The mushrooms and cheese combined are probably about another 80 calories, being generous on the amount of cheese. Sour cream comes in at about 25 calories per tablespoon, which adds 50 calories if you did, in fact, eat two. So, we're up to 280.
Unless you mean to tell us that you consumed somewhere between 2/3 of a cup and a full cup of cream for every cup of coffee (about 400 calories per cup), you're either not telling us all that you're eating, or you are seriously, vastly undereating. And either way, getting 3/4 of your calories from cream....is a bit much.
It would be a very good idea if you opened your diary so that we can take a look at what you're eating and why you're getting "red numbers," because according to my (our) calculations, you shouldn't be with any sane amount of calorie allotment and what you're consuming.
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I think you should be able to see my food diary now. I've set it to "friends". I'm not starving myself for sure! LOL but I'm doing something wrong, either in the food measurements or using the wrong selections. I don't know. I think maybe I might have mislead. That was only breakfast. Sorry. Also, I have been on the diet since Dec 20, 2014, but only started on MFP on Jan 1, 2015. I've been writing down my BP, Pulse, BS, Weight, and Ketones since the Dec date, but wasn't counting calories or food amounts.0
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MessiGardener wrote: »BTW, I'm 63 yrs old and am about 100 lbs overweight.
I agree with Dragon, not enough info. Are you a diabetic? Or why are you checking in the first place? Are you on any Meds for diabetes? When you tested, how long, in hours, was it after your last meal?
Blood Glucose of 163 is not that high. When my diabetes was not under control, my glucose was as high as 400+ and if I didn't test, I wouldn't have know that, because you don't "feel" any different when you are high. You pee a lot, though.
I have been diabetic for over 14 years and I am just now getting my numbers (on a regular basis) under 200. I jump up and down in celebration when my numbers are under 175.
I am 57 years old, started keto diet @ 314, have lost 47ish lbs. I have a long way to go.
I wrote about diabetes and keto on my MFP blog:
Blog #8 Rx Drug Report Since I Started Keto
Blog #9 Fasting, Diabetic ~ Glucose/Sugar Levels
Blog #12 Update (I'm Long Over due)
All blog pages are short and an easy read.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
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Dan, I have not been diagnosed with Diabetes. My husband is and I occasionally would check my sugar level. It usually was around 100, plus or minus 15. The day I started keto it was 95. It hasn't hit that again yet. 167 is the highest I've seen. Usually I allow at least 2 hrs after eating before testing. My highest levels are the first thing in the morning. Mike (my husband) says I'm testing to much and therefore stressing and not helping. Whatdoya bet he's right! I also have arthritis, so movement is not as good as it used to be. I take no prescription meds. I used to take BP and Prilosec, but not now. When I started Keto, my BP went down also, but now it's up again. (stress again? probably).0
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MessiGardener wrote: »Dan, I have not been diagnosed with Diabetes. My husband is and I occasionally would check my sugar level. It usually was around 100, plus or minus 15. The day I started keto it was 95. It hasn't hit that again yet. 167 is the highest I've seen. Usually I allow at least 2 hrs after eating before testing. My highest levels are the first thing in the morning. Mike (my husband) says I'm testing to much and therefore stressing and not helping. Whatdoya bet he's right! I also have arthritis, so movement is not as good as it used to be. I take no prescription meds. I used to take BP and Prilosec, but not now. When I started Keto, my BP went down also, but now it's up again. (stress again? probably).
Stress does make your sugar levels go up, how much...I don't know. A lot of diabetics BG levels go up in the morning (mine goes up as much as 20-30 points from bedtime). Your liver makes sugar at night when you are sleeping. I always take my long acting insulin and Metformin at bed time to counteract this phenomena.
You BG levels may be going up because you are getting more insulin resistant. Keep checking, but check before dinner (after 4 hours of non-eating) and see what your levels are. The Keto diet prevents the "spikes" of high levels of BG, which will be stored as fat through the fat hormone insulin. My BG levels on a graph used to look like the Rocky Mountains pre-Keto, now they look like gentle rolling hills. My diabetic doctor told me to keep doing what I am doing and he was so happy, he shook my hands and the end of my visit (a first).
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
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MessiGardener wrote: »Dan, I have not been diagnosed with Diabetes. My husband is and I occasionally would check my sugar level. It usually was around 100, plus or minus 15. The day I started keto it was 95. It hasn't hit that again yet. 167 is the highest I've seen. Usually I allow at least 2 hrs after eating before testing. My highest levels are the first thing in the morning. Mike (my husband) says I'm testing to much and therefore stressing and not helping. Whatdoya bet he's right! I also have arthritis, so movement is not as good as it used to be. I take no prescription meds. I used to take BP and Prilosec, but not now. When I started Keto, my BP went down also, but now it's up again. (stress again? probably).
Stress does make your sugar levels go up, how much...I don't know. A lot of diabetics BG levels go up in the morning (mine goes up as much as 20-30 points from bedtime). Your liver makes sugar at night when you are sleeping. I always take my long acting insulin and Metformin at bed time to counteract this phenomena.
You BG levels may be going up because you are getting more insulin resistant. Keep checking, but check before dinner (after 4 hours of non-eating) and see what your levels are. The Keto diet prevents the "spikes" of high levels of BG, which will be stored as fat through the fat hormone insulin. My BG levels on a graph used to look like the Rocky Mountains pre-Keto, now they look like gentle rolling hills. My diabetic doctor told me to keep doing what I am doing and he was so happy, he shook my hands and the end of my visit (a first).
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
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Thanks Ditto, I'll check it tonight before dinner. I'm still hoping it will go back down in a few days.
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Hi Messi, I'm a diabetic and I too have a problem with fasting glucose levels, it's usually the highest reading of the day (I measure 3-4 times). BUT, despite that, since I started keto my A1C (average BG for the past few months) has been going down so I think it's going in the good direction, just slower than I'd like. Maybe you could have that test now and again in two or three months to see the global evolution? Best of luck to you. 0
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I think I'll request an A1C the next time I go to the Dr if it isn't better by then. This morning it was 122, so maybe it is just part of the "keto flu". I haven't had much trouble with anything else except blood pressure being up a little more than usual, but it was also down. WooHoo! Thanks, KG830
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