How am I supposed to eat?

[MySillyEagle]

I can't get my sugar levels under control.

I'm type 2, I have recently bought a cgm as I constantly feel crap. Now I know why.

On a typical day, on waking I'll be 12. After breakfast and getting to work I'll be 15. By lunch I'll be 9. Mid afternoon 13. By dinner I'll be 6. Bed I'll be 5.

8am ish Breakfast would normally be toast or banana.
Midday ish Lunch chicken salad with fruit
8pm ish Dinner veg, meat, potato.

No dessert. No snacking. I drink black tea and lots of water. I'm on metformin, and I'm just so worn out with it all.

Please help me.

Eat when you are hungry. If it is before 11 then eat before 11. Don’t wait until you’re absolutely starving. Don’t have a basic lunch, have a salad with protein and fats and some low carb. Eg roast chicken breasts with salad drizzled in olive oil on the side, a small side of beans or brown rice or quinoa (if you eat quinoa). Just something to keep you full with slow glucose release. You may need to eat a combination of protein. You sound like you’re doing things right, hopefully a few tweaks might help it work better for you ❤️

Low carb. High protein/fat. Swear by it. My son is t1d and this is his diet (apart from the odd cheat day) and his numbers are in range 90 percent of the time.
He also has a walking treadmill so we see a rise he gets walking and soon back in range.

Porridge is quite marmitey for blood glucose. Some people find that it's slow release and keeps them full, for me it spikes like bread does. Which is a great shame as I love porridge.

Also agree that CGMs are very useful for type 2. Before using a CGM I had no idea that I went very low in my sleep because when I wake up I instantly shoot up and so my first finger prick of the day was always high. Plus constant finger prick testing is a literal pain, because I use a slow release insulin I would need to do a finger prick test before I drive every time if I didn't have a CGM.

OP have you dumped all of this into ChatGPT yet? If you give it your bio stats age bmi etc and a breakdown of diet and the readings it may suggest something you haven’t considered.

Highly recommend doing this, we recently did it for a family member with MS and the suggestions were transformative, essentially overhauled their diet, medication, exercise regimen and blood work.

I did the Zoe thing where you wear a CGM and test how foods are processed by your nody. Porridge spiked my blood sugar, but you could counter it by eating protein at the same time (slice of cheese or ham for example). I don’t actually eat porridge as it gives me heartburn but the tests were very revealing. Could you look into that? I think the price has come down a lot @MySillyEagle

Rolled oats spike my BG badly. Even the best plain oats.

But pinhead (aka stonecut) oats are fine for me. You can't substitute them for all rolled oats recipes but they make good porridge.

My overnight oats:
40g pinhead oatmeal
75g each of full fat Greek yogurt and kefir
50-60g frozen berries
Mix together, leave overnight.
Before eating add 25g more kefir, plus 5g chia seeds and 10-15g nut butter.

This is quite high calorie (though nowhere near as high as the average pub meal for example!) and a big portion, but has protein, good fats, plenty of fibre, no added sugar. I used to be starving again 3 hours after breakfast (when I had ordinary cereal or toast) but the above keeps me going for 6 hours.

AnnaMagnani · Today 08:47
Are there particular side effects worrying you? My DM is on it and thinks it's wonderful.

Gangrene of the urethra.

Don't fancy that!

Yes it's a very small risk, but with my luck...

Realistically, gangrene of the extremities due to poorly controlled diabetes is probably a bigger risk that that!

Try doing some squats after you eat, if you can - 3 sets of 10 and do it slowly. Research has shown that physical activity after eating can reduce glucose and insulin spikes after meals. Also drinking diluted lemon juice (no sugar) with a meal can slow the release of sugar from carbohydrates. Also intermittent eating, like fasting for as long as possible 14-18 hours and eating in the 6-8 hour window.

I would akip breakfast and go straight to lunch, let it dip down to 5-7 before starting meals. Sounds hormonal

Toast is carb heavy, wholemeal better than white if you want it. What are you putting on it? Protein rich is better, could you try plain yoghurt? Banana is a fruit best avoided. Fruit should be a portion (handful) and not citrus.
Minimal potato( likewise rice, pasta) and more fresh veg for dinner.
Are your portions too big, try a smaller plate if so.
Your meds might need adjusting.

My DH had this issue and the solution was protein.

Breakfast swap for eggs on toast, or yogurt, even a couple of cheese strings.

No more bananas -especially if the are over ripe.

Lunch sounds perfect but keep an eye on what fruit you choose.

Dinner keep the protein high and the the carbs down. Lots of veg.

Don’t be afraid of snacks, but keep them high protein.

When it comes to fruit some are better - apple, pear, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, oranges, peaches, plums, cherries, kiwi fruit, grapefruit, apricots, nectarines, satsumas, clementines, tangerines.

Avoid or limit these - watermelon, pineapple, mango, overripe bananas, lychees, dried dates, raisins, sultanas, dried apricots, fruit juice, smoothies.

With carbs keep them brown / wholemeal if you can, whiter have more easily broken down carbs.

I'm not actually diabetic so take what I say with a pinch of salt.
I've worn a cgm for most of this year to try and figure out why I get the sensation of crashing blood sugars regularly (news flash, gp has no idea either and rather concerningly I semi-regularly fall off the bottom of the chart when I'm sleeping).

I find the week before my period my levels are in the higher end of the range no matter what I eat or do. Nothing brings them down. They then crash when period starts and I struggle to keep them stable above the "your low" line for about 5-10 days. Then for the next week or two I can control my levels pretty easily, untill the cycle starts again 😆

I find whole grains (pasta/rice/bread) is less of a spike and more stable levels than white alternatives.
Berries like raspberries, blueberries and cranberries are pretty much "free" and I snack on these as well as throwing them into breakfast or a desert after dinner.
Small bits of cheese are a great "free" snack as well.
Apples and bananas cause spikes.

As others have said, focus on high protein and low carbs, not definitely not no carbs.

I was diagnosed a couple of years ago. I did use a cgm for a few weeks and noted what worked or didn't for me.

I went low carb but not no carb.

Strangely for me bananas spike my sugar

Breakfast have a sort of continental, as in German or Dutch breakfast.

So for breakfast ham, cheese, hard boiled egg, yoghurt,

Lunch - swap out the fruit for vegi sticks, monitor your glucose if you make carrot sticks they can be high in glucose.

Dinner - cut out the potatoes for now until you get things under control.

While you have the cgm try single foods so you can see the effect on individual foods.

Although we are all given the same advice our bodies are individual and you need to find what works for you.

@Squirrel437 'proper' porridge still acts as pure carbs for me too - spikes the blood sugar to above 10.

You're different, and that is fine. But not everyone is the same.

I can't eat apples/pears as they also spike my sugars.

I have plain greek yoghurt with either walnuts or almonds for breakfast. Or 2 eggs done however.

Any type of bread - sourdough or homemade or wholegrain also acts to spike my sugars.

Bless you OP, you sound worn down. I'd second an earlier suggestionn to plug in your challenges, preferences, what's achievable etc into ChatGBT and see if you can get something that works for you.

A few ideas for actual meals.

Your toast at breakfast definitely is not good. If you can't face more eggs, have you tried something like a snack bread with a bit of cream cheees and avocado? Smoked salmon can be nice too - but expensive. Or even cheese and bacon. Ryvita Crispbread are lowish carb and a good method to get the other food in you.

When I had Gestational diabetes - lunch was the one I seemed to struggle with the most. Didn't matter what I ate, my sugar spiked. I did find that a short walk immediately after lunch helped. What about trying soup - possibly with some kind of pulse or, at most, one slice of bread? I have been known to add small amounts of rice or noodles to soup - keeps the carbs down but gives me a few which I need to feel satisfied. Also, I often wondered if it was because I was often starving by lunch and bolted my food. A snack earlier, and a slower lunch did tend to help a bit.

Potatoes are, unfortunately, almost always a problem. Yould be better off with a single slice of bread or a bit of rice, and then protein and veg. Don't neglect the fat - it's really important to help you feel full and to absorb everything you need. Can you experiement with cheaper cuts of meat to up your protein? eg pork steaks are often a lot cheaper than a lamb chop or a beef steak and can be cooked really nicely. Or eat mince based dishes or slow cooked meats with lots of veg and chickpeas/beans etc?

tomatoes. I had to cut them out completely, in all forms, when I had GD. The moment I ate them, sugar spiked. So weird.

Has mounjaro been considered by your doctor?

I would try a higher protein breakfast and go for 75g - 90g protein a day (maybe more or less but depends on weight. I am 72kg and try and stay in this range. You can use ChatGPT to easily track calories and for meal suggestions according to what you have in. Takes me about two minutes a day.

Try something like poached eggs on avocado on wholemeal toast for breakfast or a high fibre granola with high protein yoghurt (Skyr or Greek) and berries (frozen can easily be microwaved).

Then a salad or home made soup for lunch - have two filling elements such as Tuna and chickpeas, chicken and lentils.

Pear for a snack or dessert (good for fibre)

Dinner - have half a plate of veg and always have a green veg like a brassica. Small amount of say boiled new potatoes with butter and a protein- say some grilled sea bass or chicken in an air fryer. Perhaps some plain chocolate after if it doesn't spike your blood sugar too much.

Use smaller plates, obviously portion size is key also. What you are aiming for is nice, satisfying, easy to prepare fresh food, eating a rainbow of colours not beige, stable blood sugar, low but not no carb and the carbs you have providing fibre and satiety.

Another lunch which is very easy, basic and so filling, is omelette made with two eggs and two egg whites, a small portion of cheese and some baked beans on the side. <400 calories 35g protein, 5g fibre, only 21g carbs.

Could he try protein and fat heavy diet.
Cut out as much carbs as he possibly can, if he has some, only small amount with protein and fat (burrito) or straight after meat and fat.
Fruit is not as healthy as some people think, swap for veg like cabbage, mushrooms, different cabbage, more leafy veg.
Cheese is good snack.
Have a glass of water with a tablespoon of vinegar before meal.
Move for a little bit straight after eating.
If possible, gaining muscle, or definitely not loosing while aging, is helpful.
If a desert then whipped cream with little frozen/half frozen berries for texture, creme brulee, fancy cheese, immediately at the end of a meal, as part of a meal.
If everyone in family can eat same, and go together for a 10 mins walk afterwards, that would be awesome.

Mounjaro has helped me with my type 2 diabetes, it curbs the hunger feelings and if I eat more protein I tend to lose more weight with it. I still have porridge twice a week and cereal for a quick breakfast, but then I will have scrambled eggs on other days for a good protein source (easiest and quickest way to eat eggs). When I used to work in the office, I would make them in the morning and pop them in a tub to eat later.
I have skimmed milk (BOB milk has less fat and more protein in the milk) with tea and cereal/porridge, I still have cheese, and I allow myself a little sugar in my coffee every morning. Stops me from binging on it. I don't monitor my blood sugar though, my weight seems to be staying the same at the moment after losing 3 stone in weight. The NHS wouldn't let me have a CG monitor.

I love a Mumsnet Massive Salad® but veggie sticks are a good idea and can be easier to prepare.

I’m a T1D so insulin controlled but just wanted to say it’s not just food that increases your BG levels. Being tired, stressed or ill will also cause it to rise.

So your sugar is spiking after breakfast which is quite carb heavy / especially if white bread

add an egg ( hard boil the night before )

see if you can fit a 20 min walk in- exercise makes a huge difference. Ideally after every meal

In fact switch fruit for vegetables where you possibly can. Carrot sticks and tomatoes

two lots of meat in one day - wonder if that evening meat is keeping digestion slow overnight meaning you wake quite high - keep chicken at lunch and try fish or something veggie in the evening ?

it really is a case of playing around to work out what suits your body

and sometimes it just sucks and won’t behave

More protein, less carb is the answer i’m afraid. You can keep price down by buying meat and veg from the frozen section?

Walker1178 · Today 13:00
I’m a T1D so insulin controlled but just wanted to say it’s not just food that increases your BG levels. Being tired, stressed or ill will also cause it to rise.

Over tired and stressed sums me up. I'm stuffed, aren't i😁