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.

Just a idea about eggs. I know people think they take time to cook, pickled eggs are a thing, either home made or shop bought.

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 ?

An interesting thought. There is a gap of 7 /8 hours between meals. I would rather eat earlier, maybe I'm eating too late? Not sure how I can change that though. And my kids can't cope with the smell of fish.

Lots of things to consider here.

8pm is late and allows little time to work it off. Would eating main meal at lunchtime be a possibility?

Not really. I have a physically active job and prefer to eat lighter at lunch. Plus I have a family so have to cook for them anyway.

Also, my levels drop quickly after dinner and only climb high when I'm asleep.

It's such a puzzle.

I’d ask to see the endocrinologist, or do you having an appointment soon. Not all insulin regimes are the same and maybe you need a change.
DH is insulin dependent, he takes injection for each meal but he also take a slow release insulin at night that works for 24 hours and helps keep sugars down overall.

I am prediabetic. At first I went low carb for a few months as advice I read was to lose weight as quickly as possible to lower insulin resistance. Now following more research I am adding in carbs because fibre is very important for blood sugar regulation. It needs to be wholegrain fibre, and you should aim for 10g of fibre per meal. Ideally, you should have a large breakfast and a large dinner and no lunch, don't snack.

My go to breakfasts are chia seed pudding with a greek yoghurt, with a matcha latte (green tea is good for blood sugar regulation and insulin production)
Beans on sourdough or wholemeal toast is a good and quick meal for fibre. Ryvita with peanut butter and blueberries, hard boiled eggs. I seen ok with nairns oat biscuits with greek yoghurt in a rush too.

If you have carbohydrates you need to first have fibre and include fat, which should prevent any glucose spikes.

You shouldn't be having toast, on its own, or a banana on its own. Not enough fat even if with butter to slow down the glucose spike. It is not just food that causes spikes, stress and poor sleep will do it too. Keep up with the CGM to monitor.

Put all of this into ChatGPT -it’s a game changer.

Why are you eating toast or banana? Try full fat yoghurt and berries. Or eggs. I don’t agree granola is also very carby.

Again cut the fruit. And cut the potatoes and starchy carbs from dinner.

in these circs I think a keto diet to get some weight off and the diabetes under control might be a good idea.

I have type 1, so the background I'm coming from is a bit different, but here are a few thoughts:

You really need to talk to an endocrinologist. The next two reasons are why.

1. has it actually been ruled out that you may have Type 1? When you develop diabetes in adulthood, a lot of medical professionals simply assume Type 2, particularly if you're a bit overweight. However around 50% of people with Type 1 actually develop it in adulthood, and there is usually a 'trigger event' not long before that sends the immune system into overdrive. Covid has been the trigger event for a large number of recent Type 1 diagnoses. And given that you said you developed diabetes after Covid, well....

Unlike the onset of Type 1 in young children, in adult onset, for some people, there can be a very drawn out decline before the pancreas gives up the ghost entirely. Which is why the treatment for Type 2 may at first appear to work somewhat, but your blood sugar stays bad no matter how careful with food you're being.

2. whether Type 1 or 2, the high blood sugar you are waking up to in the morning is not telling you that your diet is wrong, it's telling you that your medication is not meeting your needs.

In the morning, before one awakes, the liver dumps sugar into the bloodstream as a preparation for the day. With properly functioning insulin, this is shunted into the cells to provide energy for the new day. Without properly functioning insulin in your body, you end up with high blood sugar instead. So you need some change in your medication or medication schedule that will help deal with that.

3. For breakfast, I know you said you have no time in the morning for preparing food and don't want to eat more eggs. Have you considered stepping fully away from 'traditional' breakfast foods and lightening the food preparing load in the morning as well? For example you could cook a bit extra the night before of non-carbohydrate food and eat that in the morning. Or cook something such as meatballs in advance on the weekend, then shove one or two in a lettuce leaf in the morning and call that breakfast?

Your blood sugars aren’t coming back down after you’re evening meal, so it would suggest that you need to review medication, especially if you’re only eating meat, veg and potatoes for your evening meal. Have you tried going for a walk after your evening meal?

Head over to the low carb boards and join the bootcam0 that started this week.

BIWI, who is freaking amazing can talk you through it.

I was pre-diabetic and BIWI"s low carb reversed it.

Good luck

egg for breakfast

i would watch out for hidden sugars - salad dressing, some carbs

Check the granola packet for carbs--some of them are fine in small amounts, others are higher than I would eat.

It's very unlikely that meat is slowing your digestion and thus spiking your BG. The GLP1's work partly by slowing digestion and they were developed for BG control.

While fibre plays a role, I would not be eating carbs with the idea that fibre controls BG enough. Low carb fibre is the go.

https://diatribe.org/diabetes-management/how-lower-morning-blood-sugar

This article is quite good on explaining why morning bms can be high, and now with cgm you should be able to work out which one it is for you.

With the medication perhaps book in to chat through with your diabetes nurse, the risks of high/low blood sugar are tpugh too, they should be able to talk you through risks and benefits and weighing up different options for your health.

It sounds like you cook lovely meals and avoid junk, but it does sound like you're possibly very low on protein and healthy fats. I think there are lots of people oit there on diabetes groups or charities who help with recipes. I do get its really hard juggling with kids. Im not diabetic but trying to have more protein and ive neen making 5 days of egg muffins in advance they are quick and easy and tasty. You can use any veg you like fried up, feta or cheddar for the fats, and then just pop all in with a beaten egg mixture into portions in a muffin tray. Easy to warm up a couple or just grab cold on busy mornings.

Your health and looking after you matters, easier said than done I know.

Potential side effects of medication can be worrying. However, If I was you I would be more worried about what elevated sugars can cause over time: vision problem, neuropathy, kidney damage, stroke, heart attack. I also value my feet and would hate to have foot ulcers or loose my toes. Speak to your GP, show them your CGM stats.

I am pre diabetic and crept into the diabetic range a year ago. I've just been given no advice at all other than to go on Metaformin. I get yearly checks but that's it. It's a minefield working out what to do.

From my own research, I think take exercise as much as possible. Walk after meals, be as active as you can.

cut out carbs as much as possible , especially white carbs.

Cut out alcohol as much as possible and all sugars. Stop eating bread. Eat a salad or veg before any carbs . Eat good fats like avocados or a few nuts in moderation.

Decrease stress as much as possible and get enough sleep.