I’ve been diagnosed for 2 months now, Type 2, on Metformin. Up until now I’ve been eating very strictly low carb, and I have lost 14 pounds so far, very proud of that! But here’s what I don’t understand. I’ve been staying away from all the “bad” foods religiously, no white bread (very little of any kind of bread), no potatoes, no potato chips, and of course nothing with sugar in it. This week I’ve decided to try adding in some foods, and checking to see what they do to my bg numbers. One day I ate 5 french fries from Rally’s along with eating the meat and cheese only from my burger. Tested one hour after, my bg was 101!! After french fries, I had a 101. Then one day I had a bowl of Cheerios, Tested one hour later, my bg was 155…bad. Then today I took the ultimate challenge and ate some potato chips. One hour later by bg was 119. (I should mention that my average bg over the past two months is around 117.) This is so confusing to me because it seems like the foods that I expect to send me higher actually don’t. And the foods that I feel are relatively safe, make me go higher. I thought I could eat grapes, one hour later I was at 142. Seems there’s no rhyme or reason to this disease! So confusing to try to figure out.
Patricia,
You are doing well. Keep up your taste and testing program as that’s the best way to figure out what your body can handle. There is no single guideline for everyone except test, test, and test some more. Good luck!
Well, I think partly, we always thought of such things as cereal and fruit as healthy. And they may be, to most people. But for us, not so much because they are high carbs. Apparently potato products are not so bad for you, or maybe it’s that you only had a few of them.
But I agree with you, trying to control this stuff is crazy-making. Last night my husband and I went out for our anniversary and I did not eat low-carb, but when I came home was amazed to find my sugar not bad. I think all we can do is the best we can, as it’s crazy-making to try to totally stay in control of something we can only partly control. Ya know?
Everything you guys say is so true! Seems I can go along for a week or so and have very good numbers every day, sometimes even around 99, then all of a sudden, boom, I’m getting in the 130’s, and haven’t changed a thing. Sometimes I feel a little envious of Type I people who can eat a lot of things I can’t, then they just cover it with insulin. But ya know, Mama never said life was going to be fair!
It’s frustrating isn’t it? When I was testing different foods to see whether I could handle them, I found that small quantities were okay, but normal servings caused bg spikes. So I can eat 1 or 2 grapes, but not a handful. Or 5 nacho chips but not half a basket like I really wanted. There’s something funky about Cheerios. Even as a teenager, Cheerios caused a blood sugar spike and then about 1 1/2 hours later, I would start shaking, perspiring, - they caused me to go low. I remember getting sick to my stomach and feeling the crazy urge to eat spoonfuls of sugar to counteract the Cheerios.
Dear Patricia.
One thing I have found out that having the BG in the normal range really decreases my insulin resitance. I have cut my insulin dose by 30% and get better BG go figure? What you have done by controlling your BG is to make your situation a lot better. So now you are able to eat stuff without the spike that you had before.
Not sure if you should temp the Gods by eating Cheerios. Your pancreas may still be under strain so keeping up the low carbs may be better but again if the meter says the fod is ok it may be so.
Sometimes eating carbs with protein or fat will slow down your bg spike. So even though you were 101 after one hour, did you check it at 2 hours or 4 hours after your meal? So if you have a few grapes, maybe add a piece of string cheese for some protein and see what happens to your bgs.
So not true! 
This makes me laugh - even we Diabetics don’t understand each other. (And that’s no way to get any empathy, either!! )
Believe me, T1’s go through the same crazy-making events you do - one food makes you smaller and one food makes you tall. Unless it’s Tuesday in a month with an ‘r’ in it. Add to that the fact that the insulin doesn’t cover it unless you calculate it correctly - which is never a sure thing. Guess wrong one way and your BG is through the roof, guess wrong the other way and you’re on the floor babbling like a baby.
So, don’t be envious of T1s. We don’t have it easier, we just have it different.
BTW, you’re doing a find job. Just keep paying attention.
Terry
"Seems there’s no rhyme or reason to this disease! " You are right Patty, it is very confusing and frustrating. I, also, live by the idea that it’s not rocket science, but pretty close. there are many things that could have contributed to your higher numbers…the food definitely, a change in stress levels, infections that you don’t know about, maybe just the horomones in your body being surprised to see that kind of food after so long. I’d discuss it with your doc, see if he/she thinks that’s so uncommon to have to change or reorganize things…probably not. When is your next A1C? That will give you a better idea of what is going on long term. Keep doing what you have been doing, I applaude your 14 lb weight loss, yipee for you! You’re on the right track, keep doing what you have been doing…and know that you are taking good care of yourself.
Congratulations!
You’ll have a better idea of how foods effect you if you test 2 hours after eating, especially if the food has a lot of fat like French fries. Fat slows down the digestion of the food & then there was the additional protein & fat from the burger & cheese. You might not have been at 101 three hours later.
Cereal & fruit are instant sugar.
Really is so not easy taking insulin to cover food. Imagine your variation of readings & trying to cover with insulin what MAY happen without going high or low. Someone started a discussion about how long Type 1s went with almost perfect numbers (no highs or lows). One or two days in a row was the most common answer for people who’ve been Type 1 for years.
Couple of days ago I ate my usual breakfast (eggs & cheese) with the usual insulin dose. I was 176 two hours later. This never happened before.
Terry,
I love your analogy comparing diabetes management to “Go Ask Alice”. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I was a child of the 70’s and actually drugs were easier! LOL. Seriously, it is an out of control roller coaster ride with no rhyme or reason! Best wishes-MG
I just had an A1C done in May and it was at 6.6, I was very proud of that too! I try to brag about it to my family but non-diabetics just don’t get it… How hard it is to bring your A1C down like that. All they know is to grab the dinner roll off my plate when we eat out at a restaurant! And I, like so many other diabetics, feel like I know more about my body and my diabetes sometimes than my doctor does. I chart all my numbers and take a copy to her, but it doesn’t seem to concern her that sometimes I go up into the 140’s and 150’s, because most of the time I stay around 117 average. But I don’t like the high numbers, I never want to see them, because from my research, I gather that the high times are when damage is being done to my body. I wish I could find a doctor who is as concerned about it all as I am, but that’s hard to do. Thank you for the encouragement!
No, I didn’t check at 2 hours or 4 hours after. And I know the little trick about eating some protein or fat along with the carbs. Usually I’ll eat 1/2 of an apple and eat some cheese or peanut butter with it, or even some deli-sliced chicken. You are right, that does keep my numbers from going too high.
Thanks Terry, I didn’t mean to give the impression that T1’s have it easier, because I know you don’t. But it seems I’ve read comments on here made by T1’s that they eat chocolate and stuff like that, then just give insulin to cover it. Anyway you look at it, it’s a crap shoot isn’t it! I have a nephew who is T2 like me, and when we have family dinners I watch him eat hamburger buns, potato salad and all that. He takes Metformin and seems to think he can take the medicine and eat what he wants. He also told me he hardly ever tests unless he “feels funny”. I find it hard to do things half way like that. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of person.
Thank you for your words of encouragement!
Terry, I appreciate this post. With so much squabbling about the two types on here, I like your attitude. Each type has some things the same but some different struggles…but we both struggle. I appreciate your supportiveness. Back atcha!