good BG numbers T2D
2t9nty
Posts: 1,712 Member
I am just really pleased with the LCHF diet and my slowly dropping BG numbers. I have had a few good days this week.
Today
Morning fasting (11 hrs): 99
Before lunch: 95
1 hr pp supper: 116
2 hr pp supper: 110
Before bed: 94
I have been encouraged by some slow but steady weight loss. I don't get another blood draw with the panel and A1C until July, but the 14 day average on the meter is 107 right now, and the 30 day average is 109. I may have skewed the numbers a little with only 2 pp readings today, but still...
The recent change I have made is almost completely eliminating snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. My meals have (thus) been slightly higher in calories, and I have been more careful to hit my protein numbers.
I just wanted to share my happiness with all this.
Today
Morning fasting (11 hrs): 99
Before lunch: 95
1 hr pp supper: 116
2 hr pp supper: 110
Before bed: 94
I have been encouraged by some slow but steady weight loss. I don't get another blood draw with the panel and A1C until July, but the 14 day average on the meter is 107 right now, and the 30 day average is 109. I may have skewed the numbers a little with only 2 pp readings today, but still...
The recent change I have made is almost completely eliminating snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. My meals have (thus) been slightly higher in calories, and I have been more careful to hit my protein numbers.
I just wanted to share my happiness with all this.
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Replies
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@2t9nty, you are pretty much there!
What's the lowest BG you ever see? How about before dinner?
Dr. Bernstein insists that diabetics are able - and entilted - to achieve non-diabetic BG levels, which he puts in the mid-80s, FBG.
Not much further to go, though it hardly seems necessary.
Congrats on your discipline and success - and the example you're setting for everyone who's seen your progress.
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I I have seen 78 one time. I have been in the mid 80's a couple of times. So this is just a small handful of times I have been under 90 since I started checking. Those have all been before the evening meal. I still get smacked by the dawn phenomenon sometimes and it does not seem to be predictable. Maybe it is related to dreams?
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I I have seen 78 one time. I have been in the mid 80's a couple of times. So this is just a small handful of times I have been under 90 since I started checking. Those have all been before the evening meal. I still get smacked by the dawn phenomenon sometimes and it does not seem to be predictable. Maybe it is related to dreams?
I wonder about dreams. Seems one might have slightly higher cortisol levels from dreams about being chased by a fire-breathing dragon or ex-spouse, as opposed to the serenity of an LC meal.
I don't know if dreams are to thank, but I blew a neat 83 this morning. That was on 5 hours' sleep after 1000g of metformin, 5000g of melatonin, an extra glass of wine, and a lot of laughs with my 90-yo FIL, who just got hooked up with a new lady. Usually it's a bit higher.....
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I I have seen 78 one time. I have been in the mid 80's a couple of times. So this is just a small handful of times I have been under 90 since I started checking. Those have all been before the evening meal. I still get smacked by the dawn phenomenon sometimes and it does not seem to be predictable. Maybe it is related to dreams?
I wonder about dreams. Seems one might have slightly higher cortisol levels from dreams about being chased by a fire-breathing dragon or ex-spouse, as opposed to the serenity of an LC meal.
I don't know if dreams are to thank, but I blew a neat 83 this morning. That was on 5 hours' sleep after 1000g of metformin, 5000g of melatonin, an extra glass of wine, and a lot of laughs with my 90-yo FIL, who just got hooked up with a new lady. Usually it's a bit higher.....
Laughter is excellent medicine!0 -
I blew a neat 83 this morning.
Sweet! I am not there yet, but someday soon perhaps...
The LCHF has taken the "peaks" out of my readings, and so the average is way down. Overall everything is slowly coming down, and that may be related to weight loss or just getting better at doing all this. As a priest I also have the grace option. It could be just unearned and undeserved. I am grateful for it whatever the reason, and I am trying to focus on good works.
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It does take a while for BG / A1c to settle down. (Lipids tend to be moving targets, too, until your weight has stabilized.)
You're obviously on the right track; I'll bet being grace- rather than sin-oriented is a primary ingredient!1 -
You're doing fantastic! So happy to know you're in your groove!0
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Thanks all - I know it is bad form to end zone dance (especially when you are not in the end zone yet). I was pleased though, and it never hurts to remember a good week if you have a bad one down the road.1
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Those numbers are looking really, really good! It's great that you shared this. It is motivating for me, and others I'm sure, to keep going because LCHF does work!
Congrats!2 -
Thanks all - I know it is bad form to end zone dance (especially when you are not in the end zone yet). I was pleased though, and it never hurts to remember a good week if you have a bad one down the road.
No, that's good form, and >surprise!< - you're already in the end zone anyhow. Working your BG down further into double-digits from where you are is a two-point conversion in a game you've already got sewn up. And those *asparagus* fumbles, sacks & penalties we all experience, unless they're really bad
, don't get in the way of winning records. 1 -
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As far as the dawn phenom goes, try a tablespoon of Peanut butter or something with some protein and fat *right* before you go to bed. It helps the am numbers a lot it seems like. Ymmv.0
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So here's a fasting glucose question... I'm now officially on my chart listed as pre-diabetic, even though my new doc didn't mention it...just noted it...but not diabetic as of yet...
My most recent fasting labs (yesterday) show that my fasting glucose was 79, fasting insulin was 7.8, but A1c was still 5.4%, though calculated mean glucose was 108 instead of 103, which was the number at the last A1c of 5.4%.
6 months ago those same numbers were 91, 11.3, 5.4%, 103.
To me, this says my fasting level is good, but I'm still having glucose chaos during the day. Is that what it seems like to anyone in the know?
My trigs jumped 257% (from 94 to 242 in the last year). During that same time, my HDL dropped 11 points, and my LDL dropped 20 points, likely as a result of me dropping keto and pushing the higher end of low carb numbers (150+ grams carbs some days), but it also seems like the red flag of flaring thyroid issues AGAIN or possible kidney complications (been on the edge of concern for a while) or pancreatic stress (due to glucose flares, perhaps?)... Feel a little in Chaos atm...
@cstehansen @RalfLott - any knowledge to drop here?
EDITED TO ADD: This has scared me a good bit, but I'm not wanting to jump back in the deep end blindly, as that's just set me back before...0 -
@KnitOrMiss -
There's no way to know what's happening with your BG without measuring it - the more the merrier, so that trends clearly appear.
@cstehansen likes Chriskresser.com for A+ recommendations on how to test. (I followed something similar - waking, pre-prandial and 1- & 2-hour post-prandial for each meal, and bedtime for a solid year.) With lots of BG testing, you won't need A1c tests,
Note that the meter recs there are a bit dated. I don't think you can beat the Bayer Contour Next EZ meter for a cheap, accurate, and consistent device. Under $17 at Costco, sometimes around $10 on sale at CVS etc.
Helpful?
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@KnitorMiss - Here's a link to Chris Kresser's guide to testing:
https://chriskresser.com/how-to-prevent-diabetes-and-heart-disease-for-16/
Here's a chart patterned after Dr. Bernstein's method for converting A1c to average BG:
http://rajeun.net/HbA1c_glucose.html3 -
@KnitOrMiss - Dr. Nally seems to think trig numbers are more heavily affected by what you consumed in the 48-72 hours prior to test based on what he has seen in his practice when a keto patient has cheated shortly before the blood draw. If he is correct, that would mean the number is more volatile than the other numbers.
Given it is the most atherogenic (sp?) of the cholesterol components, it makes me think it is even more important to eat consistent in ways to avoid spikes. We know sugar and highly processed carbs (high GI foods) drive up trig numbers. So even if someone is not keto or even low carb, being slow carb consistently should help. Since you have had some problems with keto, perhaps focusing more on the slow carb direction is a good approach.
As for the Chris Kresser link, I do think that or some variation of it, is a good approach to understand your BG. Granted he is paleo and a skeptic of keto. One of the biggest concerns he raises about keto though seems to be more because of the people that go keto where the carbs they do eat are junk. He is clearly in the LC camp thinking 25-30% from carbs which is less than half of the 65% now being pushed in the US dietary guidelines.1 -
I am just really pleased with the LCHF diet and my slowly dropping BG numbers. I have had a few good days this week.
Today
Morning fasting (11 hrs): 99
Before lunch: 95
1 hr pp supper: 116
2 hr pp supper: 110
Before bed: 94
I have been encouraged by some slow but steady weight loss. I don't get another blood draw with the panel and A1C until July, but the 14 day average on the meter is 107 right now, and the 30 day average is 109. I may have skewed the numbers a little with only 2 pp readings today, but still...
The recent change I have made is almost completely eliminating snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. My meals have (thus) been slightly higher in calories, and I have been more careful to hit my protein numbers.
I just wanted to share my happiness with all this.
Those are great numbers!
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LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
Those are great numbers!
I want them that way every day, and sometimes the meter does not cooperate! Working on it...
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LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »
Those are great numbers!
I want them that way every day, and sometimes the meter does not cooperate! Working on it...
I hear you on that. I've been known to check my sugar again to make sure the meter is still working properly.
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@KnitorMiss - Here's a link to Chris Kresser's guide to testing:
https://chriskresser.com/how-to-prevent-diabetes-and-heart-disease-for-16/
Here's a chart patterned after Dr. Bernstein's method for converting A1c to average BG:
http://rajeun.net/HbA1c_glucose.html
And see, that's the thing. If my average glucose is 108 (test) or 115 (chart), how high does it have to be spiking to average out to that with a fasting of 79-92???? Because when I was testing, I never saw anything over 112-120 as a 1 or 2 hour PP reading...
P.S. Less than 60 total grams of carbs yesterday. I'm trying to buckle down. This MUST stop, as I don't want to live like this.0 -
cstehansen wrote: »@KnitOrMiss - Dr. Nally seems to think trig numbers are more heavily affected by what you consumed in the 48-72 hours prior to test based on what he has seen in his practice when a keto patient has cheated shortly before the blood draw. If he is correct, that would mean the number is more volatile than the other numbers.
Given it is the most atherogenic (sp?) of the cholesterol components, it makes me think it is even more important to eat consistent in ways to avoid spikes. We know sugar and highly processed carbs (high GI foods) drive up trig numbers. So even if someone is not keto or even low carb, being slow carb consistently should help. Since you have had some problems with keto, perhaps focusing more on the slow carb direction is a good approach.
As for the Chris Kresser link, I do think that or some variation of it, is a good approach to understand your BG. Granted he is paleo and a skeptic of keto. One of the biggest concerns he raises about keto though seems to be more because of the people that go keto where the carbs they do eat are junk. He is clearly in the LC camp thinking 25-30% from carbs which is less than half of the 65% now being pushed in the US dietary guidelines.
@cstehansen, that would somewhat make sense, I think...because 3 days, I think we had pizza one night (low carb rest of day, but pizza is a glucose nightmare, I know), ice cream cones one day (still not over 200 grams of carbs, but I know I need to be lower). I didn't really have any crashes with this, but I know I was probably higher carbs than I should have been that whole week. So maybe retest in a bit? 2 weeks is my Endo appointment with OLD Endo trying to decide if firing. Referral to new Endo, not scheduled yet. Revisit with new PCP in 4 months...
Just, with cost being probably the biggest hurdle, thyroid function being the second biggest, etc., staying "level" just is so not in the cards right now. Just stress alone causes crazy eating and I've never really been consistent with calories or carbs to 5-10% differential, ever, with eating to hunger... I'm a chaos magnet, I guess.0 -
@KnitOrMiss
I posted this in a different thread, but I think it is applicable to your situation as well:This is a good study for you:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3402009/#_jmp0_
If you are not the super nerd I am, the short version of it is the type of carbs are far more important than carbs themselves. Clearly LCHF and keto have been shown to be among the most effective weight loss strategies out there, if not the most effective. However, it may not be a fit for everyone long term if they do not have a need to stay on it (i.e. neurological disorder, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, etc.).
What I like about this study is rather than talk about high GI (glycemic index) foods and low GI foods, it makes it much simpler, IMO. It breaks it down into carbs that have cell walls and those that don't.
In other words, if it is directly from a plant in unadulterated form, the carbs are inside a cell wall of that plant and much of it will reach the large intestine undigested which accomplishes 2 things. First, it feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Second, it does not spike your BG.
When you eat carbs without a cell wall (all the carbage that usually comes in a box, bag or can in a center aisle of the store), it gets completely digested before reaching the large intestine which can have negative impacts such as spiking your BG and insulin, causing SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), weight gain, etc.
If you are smart about what you eat and have an otherwise healthy metabolism, having a carb intake above what many of us have in this group or what you have while trying to lose weight can work.1 -
I've been trying to focus on more resistant starch type carbs, as are indicated to help support thyroid function. I've yet to use my green banana flour, but the oat bran, well, not for breakfast at least. Too heavy. I'll have to investigate more on the GI factor... I actually completed my diary yesterday... I know my carbs won't be the same daily, but overall, I don't think any of it was too bad, and I don't remember crashing out beyond the normal thyroid drops at 10-10:30 and 3 pm, when my body is used to the T3 doses.0
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