How do I avoid hypoglycemia on keto diet?
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edurham79
Posts: 21
I am a long time sufferer of PCOS, recently my Dr explained that I was pre-diabetic,insulin resistant and suffering from metabolic syndrome. He said that the only way I would lose weight is to cut carbs. I started a ketogenic diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
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Replies
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I am a long time sufferer of PCOS, recently my Dr explained that I was pre-diabetic,insulin resistant and suffering from metabolic syndrome. He said that the only way I would lose weight is to cut carbs. I started a ketogenic diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
Find a new DR then. While you may have to be carful with carbs, cutting them is NOT the only way4 -
The only way to lose weight is to cut CALORIES. Some people find that since carbs are typically loaded with calories and aren't always good for satiety, they lose weight by cutting back on them. However, if it's putting your health at risk, you need to find an alternative.0
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Are you balancing your few carbs that you are eating? Are you spacing out your eating to correspond with your workouts? How long in between meals or snacks?
The hypoglycemic bouts may be due to your weening off of carbs in the first two weeks. Your body has to adjust to the low carb diet and working out.
Also, workouts need some carbs for fuel, but DON'T go strictly carb (i.e. bread or pure carb, a protein bar or shake is better than that to give you fuel).
Keeping your BG even is key to helping you lose weight as well as keeping your hunger sated.2 -
You probably need to give your body time to adjust. You didn't become insulin resistant overnight, nor will the issue go away overnight. If you want to learn more about KETO/LCHF, go to those specific forums. Good luck, I hope you are able to get these issues under control and feel good while doing it.0
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I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and cutting carbs is my biggest nightmare as I love them! However.....I think you are being too strict, cutting bad carbs such as bread and pasta is good, but you get carbs from veg which are different, I would up your intake of carbs to more like 100 grams but only getting it from healthy sources like fruit and veg, you will lose weight still, cutting carbs altogether is too strict as your body still needs these to function properly, do some research and see where to find healthy sources of carbs, it will make it way easier
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I will add that you aren't diabetic yet, so you don't need to go to such extremes in lowering your carbs. You just need to balance your diet, and stay away from simple sugars. Concentrate on getting your allotted calories and your protein goals. You can go more evenly at 35% protein, 35% carbs, and 30% fats. Going straight to the keto diet will be hard to stick to from normal eating.
I'm prediabetic and started losing weight by going with the above ratios. As my body stopped or lessened the cravings for carbs, I went to 35%P/30%C/and 35% fats.
I hope to get my ratios down further one day, but I'm not rushing it.0 -
Okay again with medical issues such as the OP describes just telling her "cut calories" is not going to benefit her. Low carb diets are often recommended for people who have PCOS, or are diabetic/prediabetic.
I would see if your doctor can recommend someone to talk to about the new way of eating for your medical conditions. Are you eating enough fats? Are you eating too much protein?
I would also be careful about what fruits you eat as someone had recommened and what you eat it with. Just because its a more nutrious source of sugar than say a cookie, it still can have an affect on you.
I would also see if their are groups for those diagnosed with PCOS and/or prediabetic.
I eat low carb, but do not have the medical reasons that you do. I'm guessing popping glucose tablets are not the best solution, however.
ETA: looks like glucose tablets could be a short term solution, however, you need to look at long term solutions. Are you eating often enough?5 -
I was upset that I had to pop the glucose tablets but my sugar was dangerously low, it was a last resort, I had rid my home of simple sugars so I had no other options. I am trying the keto diet but it is very hard. I have to cook for three children and a husband. My husband is supporting me completely so that is helpful. He eats what I do, so we are both starving! My snacks consist of almonds or cheese sticks, or homemade frozen fat bombs. I have eliminated ALL pastas, breads, etc. and am trying to get my carbs from vegetables mostly, but getting no sugar has been detrimental to my levels, will my body eventually adjust? How can you reverse prediabetes without suffering these low levels?0
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I was upset that I had to pop the glucose tablets but my sugar was dangerously low, it was a last resort, I had rid my home of simple sugars so I had no other options. I am trying the keto diet but it is very hard. I have to cook for three children and a husband. My husband is supporting me completely so that is helpful. He eats what I do, so we are both starving! My snacks consist of almonds or cheese sticks, or homemade frozen fat bombs. I have eliminated ALL pastas, breads, etc. and am trying to get my carbs from vegetables mostly, but getting no sugar has been detrimental to my levels, will my body eventually adjust? How can you reverse prediabetes without suffering these low levels?
Try the Keto group here on mfp http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
or the PCOS/IR group here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis or even the LC group here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
All of them have better information and diet help for your specific health needs than the general forums. Many here on the general forum and even here in this thread have NO idea what is going on when you have PCOS/IR/Metabolic syndrome so please do yourself a favor and head to the groups i mentioned and read thru the info there. Many of us dealing with the same exact issues as you and are able to lose the weight only by low carb or very low carb and are able to manage hypoglycemia also.0 -
I am a long time sufferer of PCOS, recently my Dr explained that I was pre-diabetic,insulin resistant and suffering from metabolic syndrome. He said that the only way I would lose weight is to cut carbs. I started a ketogenic diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
I think you ned to consult a specialist and not a bunch of people you don't know on the internet. This could be serious and you should not rely on us.
Good Luck !
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Thank you, I will check out those groups, as far as a specialist goes, I would love that option,however I live in very rural Kansas, 4.5 hours away from any kind of specialist. The gyn travels to my small town once every three months to see patients. I am not seeking medical advice here, just trying to see if anyone else had been affected by this and how they managed it.0
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I am a long time sufferer of PCOS, recently my Dr explained that I was pre-diabetic,insulin resistant and suffering from metabolic syndrome. He said that the only way I would lose weight is to cut carbs. I started a ketogenic diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
If you're in ketosis (8 pounds in 10 days sounds like it), hypoglycemia is moot. The body (and brain) takes its energy almost entirely from ketones, rather than glucose. That said, you also wouldn't necessarily need to stick to induction levels anymore either.
If you feel unwell, you need to look at your electrolytes. Your intake of those being at non-keto levels or lower could mimic the symptoms a person who was not in ketosis would experience if their blood sugar was low.
If you can't get professional guidance, there are a number of books you could read on ketosis.
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What test is your doctor using to say your pre-diabetic? A fasting glucose or a Hemoglobin A1C? What was your glucose reading that you took prior to taking the glucose tabs? What type of doctor (general practitioner, an OB or endocrinologist) told you to cut out carbs? Have you informed the doctor of your dropping sugar levels? What was their reply? How often during the day are you doing a rapid glucose test?
If you taking glucose pills to raise your sugar levels (if they are dangerously low) you need to follow that with protein which will keep you're levels from spiking then dropping drastically. Feel free to friend or message me if you wish. I was diagnosed as severly hypoglycemic as a teen0 -
tested with HA1C, also tracked blood glucose for two weeks by taking 6 times per day. H1AC was 5.9 Most pre and post meal rapid tests were within normal ranges, morning or fasting was always above 115. The Dr is an Ob/Gyn and he said that I had impaired fasting glucose and with the PCOS, my symptoms, and test result that I was pre-diabetic but since my meal readings were normal he did not want to start metformin. He wants me to try to get my morning or fasting levels normal by eating several meals a day, and wants me to lose 15 lbs.0
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Maybe eat more often through the day and spread out the carbs. Nuts are protein fat and some carbs they can help and might keep you from needing glucose tablets. Your body will adjust but it takes time. Call the dr if you are having lots of these. I have lived in rural Kansas so I know how hard it is to get specialist. Good luck0
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A normal Hemoglobin A1C is considered 5.7 or below, a pre-diabetic is 5.7-6.4 and a diabetic is 6.5 or above. (The test accuracy can vary +\-.5, which means someone with a hemoglobin A1C of 7.0 could be 6.5-7.5). A fasting glucose of 115 is high (the range for pre-diabetic is 100-126). However the good news is that your meal numbers are normal). I strongly disagree with the advice that you go no carb, it will make it impossible for you to maintain your glucose levels (spikes and drops in your sugars a very dangerous especially if you don't realize the symptoms of either). Yes you absolutely need to reduce your intake of carbs and higher glycemic index foods, but not eliminate them. My suggestion (take it as you will) is reduce your carb intake to less than 25% of each meal, use complex carbs (as much as possible instead of simple carbs), look for foods that are lower on the glycemic index, exercise (30 minutes a day, even if it's just walking around your house). Keep taking your glucose readings (and LOG them). You can actually use google to get some great ideas for diabetic (and pre-diabetic meals).For right now eliminate sodas, candies, fruit juices (Orange juice is a great way to increase your glucose level if it falls to low, rather than glucose tabs though until your get your levels stabilized keep the tabs on hand). Your Hemoglobin A1C should be retaken in 6 months (since the test gives glucose levels of 3 months earlier testing won't be as accurate). If your next test comes back high (still in pre-diabetic range) or low (under a 4.7) you need to see an endocrinologist.2
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I just read your thread, I know it's old, but I wanted to share. If ur on meds to lower ur sugar, keep momitoring ehile you're on this diet. Once your blood sugar goes low enough, you can lower a pill. I did this over weeks. I went off of 2 pills, in the end. I am still losing weight, and you'll have less dips once ur off the meds.
Hope that helps!
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What is a "homemade frozen fatbom"?0
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With all eating styles, if you are "starving" then you're doing it wrong. Play with your macros to see what works for you. 0
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Try the Keto group here on mfp http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
or the PCOS/IR group here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis or even the LC group here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
All of them have better information and diet help for your specific health needs than the general forums. Many here on the general forum and even here in this thread have NO idea what is going on when you have PCOS/IR/Metabolic syndrome so please do yourself a favor and head to the groups i mentioned and read thru the info there. Many of us dealing with the same exact issues as you and are able to lose the weight only by low carb or very low carb and are able to manage hypoglycemia also.
All of this. Posting here you're just going to get a bunch of CICO nonsense and dangerously simplistic "a calorie is a calorie" dogma, none of which will be helpful with your circumstances.
Edit: whoops, major necro...0
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