Fasting BG 2018

[Shanny]

I think I will stay away from onion rings in the future.

Some are really hot, but other onions can be quite sweet & that may be what hit you so hard.

[walkerwally1]

Naw, I do just fine with onions, like a slice or a Tbsp of chopped, as long as I account for the carbs.  These were frozen breaded onion rings and the breading really raised the carbs.  I have grabbed one or two of a different brand before without any problem but these were another story.

[skb]

quick imp question- i am not having any major side effects with metformin- a little bit of nausea and little diarrhea. However, i constantly feel my heart is racing. My resting heartbeat is between 85-95 which is higher than usual but even when i was sleeping i felt my heart racing.

Is this normal? Or should i restart my medication once i am back from travel?

I took Metformin + Glibenclamide combo pill for some time after diagnosis. But never encountered any problems. I guess that at times, ignorance is bliss. This was almost a decade ago and I'm not on any pills since then, so I have little or no first hand experience with met.

Having said that, I haven't heard of faster heart rate as a side effect, ever. Diarrhoea & Nausea are quite well known, and surely would present a problem with business travel. You could restart after your trip. I would suggest to begin on a weekend when you're likely to be at home for a couple of days.

[skb]

Is it terribly important to be keeping track of macro and micro nutrients on LCHF?  It is my desire to lose weight and it just isn't happening.  I must be doing something wrong. 

Macros are important while micros are impossible to measure. Sometimes weight loss just stalls for no apparent reason. My guess would be that your protein intake is higher than it should be. If you could give us your macro ratios for a couple of days, we'd be in a better position to say for sure.

[Tamagno]

98 this morning.

CCD, like SKB, I started wearing a Fitbit last year to help monitor pulse. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but at least is a sort of benchmark. I find my pulse often runs in the 85-105 range with no apparent ill effect.

Wally, I expect you're right about the onion ring brand. If you really want them, why not just make your own so you can control the carbs? It's not terribly hard and they can be oven roasted, not deep fried. I do the same thing with French fries.

Grammabear, I wouldn't be surprised if your weight troubles are related to taking a lot of insulin. I guess about the only things you might try are cutting carbs further to try to cut down on boluses and figuring out some way to get more exercise. You can make yourself nuts trying to deal with the micro-nutrient affair and I doubt it's worth the hassle. I expect SKB has a good point about portion control as well.

In my situation, I eat seemingly continuously throughout the day, but portions are quite small and carbs still well under 25-30 a day. Since it can be tricky to bolus for everything I eat, I mostly manage insulin through basal rates that I adjust several times a day. While I've never bothered counting calories, I suspect I'm consuming quite a few in fats and protein.

[Grammabear]

83 this morning.

I sometimes grow weary of keeping track of everything related to diabetes management.  I also have sleep apnea chores to do everyday also so it seems to mount up sometimes.

[walkerwally1]

79 this morning.  Another very windy day yesterday and expected to be the same today.  But, it is sunny and should start warming up.
Tamagno, no, I don't really desire the onion rings enough to make them.  They were just there because my BIL made them and I grabbed some on impulse.  Just didn't realize how high the carb content was.  I can live without them with no problem.
Grammabear, it does consume time to measure, weigh and record everything you eat, especially in the beginning.  After a while it gets easier as you build a food list and measuring and weighing gets to be second nature.  I started when I first began LCHF and it really made it much easier to see exactly what my meals meant.  I do it now just out of habit and I still want to keep track of what my ratios are. 

[Grammabear]

Is it terribly important to be keeping track of macro and micro nutrients on LCHF?  It is my desire to lose weight and it just isn't happening.  I must be doing something wrong. 

Macros are important while micros are impossible to measure. Sometimes weight loss just stalls for no apparent reason. My guess would be that your protein intake is higher than it should be. If you could give us your macro ratios for a couple of days, we'd be in a better position to say for sure.

skb - I have the 'free' version of MyFitnessPal and with that version I am limited to the special features that it offers.  The only macro numbers that I was able to glean from MFP are few:  calories 1750, carbs 25%, fat 50%, protein 25%.  I am thinking about signing up for the Premium version which gives more details and also allows me to have a 'custom' detail set for the macro. 

[walkerwally1]

Grammabear, those three items, carbs, fat and protein are the macros.  You can keep track of calories but it can be more frustrating.  The idea that X number of calories = x pounds of body weight just does not equate.  However cutting down on the quantity of food intake usually results in weight loss.  I had the premium version of MFP but I think the free version does the job also.

[bigskygal]

92 this partly cloudy morning, 91 at bedtime last night.

Grammabear, I used the MFP free version for doing all my diet records. I set my ratios and stuck to them. After a while you get to know what a serving looks like and if it will be in your target zone. About a year ago I stopped recording everything as I pretty much knew what it was going to do to me.

[Shanny]

I also have sleep apnea chores to do everyday also so it seems to mount up sometimes.

What are these chores exactly? All I do is use my CPAP any time I sit or lie down if there's a possibility I will fall asleep. I have one machine at bedside, and another one next to my recliner/rocking chair.

[Tamagno]

113 this morning.

I'm all for streamlining as many health chores as possible (for that matter, all my chores)! Like Bigskygal and Wally, I used to check everything but now often just guess which seems reasonably accurate. Of course, things change constantly, unfortunately.

As for unpleasant health chores, I'm seeing my neurologist this morning. Among other things I want to talk to him about having my port removed (thereby eliminating another chore of having to get it flushed every couple of months). I also want to see about skipping my Rituxan infusions to get rid of that as well.

[walkerwally1]

95 this morning.  Another windy day yesterday and it looks like the same today and tomorrow.  Starting to warm up Wednesday and winds calming down.
Some of the things we have to do because of health problems can be a chore but, alas, necessary.  It would be nice to eliminate some things.  I don't really need to keep a daily journal of what I eat every day anymore bit it keeps me aware of my diet.  I quit for a while and I found that I did miss it.  I have a large food library gathered over the years so it is pretty easy to enter items and keep track. 
Wednesday I have an appointment for an abdominal ultrasound for my Cardiologist.  He has that done once a year.  The downer is that my appointment isn't until 11:00 AM and I can not eat or drink anything before the appointment.   

[Grammabear]

I also have sleep apnea chores to do everyday also so it seems to mount up sometimes.

What are these chores exactly? All I do is use my CPAP any time I sit or lie down if there's a possibility I will fall asleep. I have one machine at bedside, and another one next to my recliner/rocking chair.

Shanny, I have just one machine, the ResMed Airsense 10 which has a removable humidifier.  I try to remove and wash the humidifier unit each morning to avoid any bacteria that might get a start growing there.  Also have to change and wash the nasal pillow every morning for the same reason.  And once a week I change the long hose and the short hose in addition to the facial straps.  Not a big deal - just another "chore".

[Grammabear]

130 this morning. 

It is a beautiful sunny morning but quite windy.

Thank you for the comments about MFP and keeping track of the macros.  I haven't exactly been successful in losing weight using the calories in/calories out method.  I am going to try harder on watching portion sizes and logging my intake for a while to see what kind of results I get from that.