Carbs too low?

[ddphotography]

I have been doing low carb for about a year now...like about 30 carbs a day. I was just diagnosed on 6/19 as pre-diabetic. I have a very long history of being hypoglycemic.

I was diagnosed by doing a GTT (which is sugar), but I hardly ever eat sugar. The dr. put me on metformin 500mg once a day. They told me to lower my calories and increase my carbs. They said my carbs need to be 20g per meal and around 10 per snack (how do you do that???? Low calorie, high carb???)

I got my glucometer in the mail today after I had already eaten lunch. Here are my readings.
1:30 lunch
2:30 BG of 94
3:30 BG 89
4:30 BG 79
5:00 I decided to drink a protein shake cause I was a little low and had errand to run.
6:00 BG 74 (what in the world is going on! It's like I am fasting! Is this normal?)

7:00 ate 1/2 a banana
7:30 BG 85
7:30 ate PB&J and handful of walnuts
8:30 BG 109

I think I am going to have to learn how to eat. I never eat white breads, pastas, chips, etc. The only sweet I eat is a sq. of 86% dark chocolate a day.
Now I just need to implement exactly what I should be eating. I can't stand tomatoes and am limited on some foods because they affect my migraines (avocados, MSG, etc.)

Any thoughts? Thanks ya'll! ~ Dawn

[NoraWI]

Your numbers are normal. Are you sure you are pre-diabetic?

[jenb]

Hi Dawn. Welcome to the Forums!

Many of us find that blood sugar's easier to control when we minimize carbs. Sometimes you just have to go your own way when it comes to food - many in the medical world are really stuck on the idea that you should eat more carbs and just take more meds to control blood sugar. Doesn't make sense, does it? If you're comfortable on your low carb diet, stick with it.

Jen

[ddphotography]

Your numbers are normal. Are you sure you are pre-diabetic?

Yep, based on a GTT if I consume sugar. I am on Met, plus I never eat sugar and eat the tiniest bit of carbs. Guess I got this under control. Now I just have to figure out how in the world to lose weight, cause mine will not budge.

[jbmacomber]

Your numbers look great to me, and if you can eat what you did and not go up seems weird for you to be diagnosed pre diabetic. Any amount of carb i eat has impact on me. I ate small slice of cantalope without bolusing once and BG jumped 40 points!. That was before LC diet. My dietician recommended diet like yours, and numbers were all over the place and I was taking 3x the insulin. Said you need carbs for energy. Can't figure that out myself. Started LC 4 days ago, and at less than 30 highest I've gone is 115. Am on pump so I get hourly basal doses.

[ddphotography]

yeah, I am a little confused. I have hypoglycemia with pre-diabetes and peripheral neuropathy from the pre-diabetes. How does all this work together?! I am going to Dr. at 3:40 today, so have loads of questions.

I woke with FBG of 85. I ate a slice of whole wheat toast with natural p.nut butter and a 1/2 c. strawberries for breakfast. An hour later my BG was still 85. Either the Met is really working, or I have lots of questions for the dr. Not sure why I am on meds if I am not even getting over 100 throughout the day. Hmmm...inquiring minds.

I do know that when I ride my bike for 45 minutes, I go hypo and almost pass out. Gonna have to get that under control.

[Peggy_TX]

7:00 ate 1/2 a banana
7:30 BG 85
7:30 ate PB&J and handful of walnuts
8:30 BG 109

I'm always fascinated by other people's readings on specific foods.
I can tell you that a 1/2 banana will spike me about 50 points. Probably not that much in 30 minutes, but definitely at an hour. Which make me wonder if the "high" from your banana wasn't actually better reflected in your 8:30 reading than the 7:30.
I am also dying to know what a "PB&J" means in this context. I'm picturing a sandwich... with bread.... and some form of jelly that has sugar? But your glucose readings sure don't look like that... so what was it?

[ddphotography]

yep, you got it...I figured I would test the meter...and my BG...since I'd been low all day...I have 2 slices of low carb whole wheat bread, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of 100% blackberry jam. I mean, why not after such beautiful readings! LOL

[ddphotography]

My two hour after breakfast reading I just did is 89.

[ddphotography]

Just found this while doing some research on pre-diabetics with hypoglycemia:

Individuals with pre-diabetes who have insulin resistance can also have low blood sugars on occasion if their high circulating insulin levels are further challenged by a prolonged period of fasting.

I have been doing major low carb, so that probably explains alot. Unfortunately, I also uncovered that when your OGTT comes back as pre-diabetic and everything else is lower...that is the 1st step closer to type 2. I think I am beginning to dislike my endocrine system.

[Peggy_TX]

yep, you got it...I figured I would test the meter...and my BG...since I'd been low all day...I have 2 slices of low carb whole wheat bread, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of 100% blackberry jam. I mean, why not after such beautiful readings! LOL

With those readings, I agree that there is absolutely no reason to restrict these foods!!
You're certainly on the MILD end of glucose issues................. Since you "failed" the glucose tolerance test, I can certainly see value in monitoring your carb intake and checking your glucose from time to time... But you may be able to manage a MUCH less carb-restricted diet than you've been on recently.
Again, with all things, it depends what your meter says AND how/what you want to eat.

[xMenace]

74 is not hypo; it's perfect.

[jbmacomber]

yep, you got it...I figured I would test the meter...and my BG...since I'd been low all day...I have 2 slices of low carb whole wheat bread, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of 100% blackberry jam. I mean, why not after such beautiful readings! LOL

Oh so jealous My favorite all time is PB Sandwhich, even without Jelly. But really spikes me like 50-60 points with bolus....
Hope you get answers to your questions, and let us know please if you don't mind.
Hard to see how ou are diabetic if you can eat and not show BG rises much higher with what you are eating.

[Vilya]

If you are low-carb, it will throw off the glucose test and show high numbers. You're supposed to "carb up" for a period of time prior to taking that test, if you normally eat low-carb. I forget how many days prior to the test. I think it's something like 150 carbs per day at least. You can find the details by Googling.

I think the Blood Sugar 101 site has a section about this and why it happens.

[ddphotography]

I saw the dr. yesterday. She said I am pre-diabetic with reactive hypoglycemia. This is common in people that are prediabetic before they become type 2. They read low alot because their body isn't responding to everything correctly. I do stay nicely between 70-140 because I am eating barely any carbs at all, but when I do eat, BG will rise and then fall by 20-40 pts within an hour; that's the reactive part....that I am dropping so quickly and not steadying out.

The dr. was shocked that I have not been eating more than 36 carbs a day and wants me to increase that by quite a bit. She said I am in starvation mode and my body will never lose weight if I don't feed it. I have also dropped down to under 1000 calories a day and she wants me at 1200-1300 a day.

She did say (yay) that I am on the lighter side of prediabetic and if I will get my diet right and exercise to drop the excess weight, I will easily reverse this and the neuropathy caused from the BG swings. Good news is I have lost 6 lbs since last tuesday! So, I am on my way!!

Now I kinda feel bad about being part of this forum, but I really do need the support and I really do need to learn how to eat right and get everything under control for life.