Blood sugar spikes from a nearly carb free diet

[Beth2027]

Hi,
My dad is type 2 and has been having trouble when eating. He will eat very few complex carbs, but when he does, his blood sugar spikes. He exercises almost everyday, but is still not losing any weight. He knows about complex vs simple carbs, but even a very small amount of carbs will send his sugars skyrocketing. The endo and gp doctors just tell him, "you have type 2, exercise more". He is not making any progress even with a strict diet and exercise plan. What else could be happening? Should he be checked for a metabolic disorder? I want something to check on so that he can discuss it with his doctors. I hear other type 2s can eat a standard 30-40 carbs per meal and not have a huge spike. He eats 15 carbs and it shoots up to 200. Any thoughts?

[Ken2015 ken2015]

Hi. Regarding your high fasting blood sugar. Your first reading in the morning is considered fasting. Mine was always high. Had a dietitian tell me to try eating a few slices of ham or turkey before bed. That did the trick for me. According to her, if you don't have adequate protien in your system while you sleep, your body will break down muscle to access protein, but in doing so, that also releases stored glucose, causing your blood sugar to be high upon waking.

[Natalie1959]

Hi Brice! Things are going so much better for me! I read diabetes solution by dr Richard Bernstein (& also bought his cookbook) . I have been following the low carb diet. I eat between 50 & 60 carbs a day. At first I thought this low carb woujd be really hard to follow . But it's really not bad. I test my blood sugar and that has been a tremendous help as far as teaching me what I can eat and how food affects my sugar levels . I am managing to stay in a healthy range. The lowest I've been is 84 and rarely go over 140 after meals . I stopped taking invokana back in sept. (On my own ). The dr had changed my meds to something stronger which made me think I need to try harder to help myself so I completely changed my diet. It's well worth it. I have dr appt tomorrow and am looking forward to telling dr what i am doing on my own . I'm considering asking for metforman because sometimes fasting blood sugar is high (always over 100 sometimes 120!) I think it may help. What do you think ? Anyway that's how I'm doing  thanks to all I have learned on here ! Let me know your thoughts . Thanks so much !!!

[brice1967]

So glad to hear that Natalie!  Its rewarding to figure this thing out a bit.  All of us are a little different and different things work for different folks.  So glad it appears if you've found what works for you.  Watching the carbs is not all that difficult.  My doctor once told me, "Its only difficult if you make it difficult."  I think that is true for a lot of things in life.

[brice1967]

Thanks Natalie and I'm glad that the information I've given you has helped!  How are things going for you?

[Natalie1959]

Hi! I am happy to see you on here. Your advice had been so helpful to me!!
From

Natalie1959

[ScaredOfDisease]

There is really no standard answer. Depends on a lot of factors. Is he on pills? If so, he may need insulin.

Please keep in mind, not all type 2 diabetics can handle even complex carbs. It varies person to person. Need to really see what works and what doesn't by testing after. However, when having carbs, he should have some sort of protein and fat with it. This will blunt a spike.

Also, if he has been pretty much carb free, his liver may be dumping glucose into his blood to make up for it. Also, if he's been eating next to no carbs, that will make his body even more insulin resistant. Even a nondiabetic who eats no/low carbs, then suddenly eats carbs will see a more drastic spike than a nondiabetic who hasn't been lowcarbing.

These are just a few things to consider. Has he seen an endo? Or is it just his family Dr telling him to exercise more? He should see a endo, and possibly a nutritionist who specializes in diabetes.

Hope this helps.

[brice1967]

Look into "intermittant fasting".  It's a game changer for a lot of people.

[Super_sally888]

Intermittent fasting can be very helpful at managing blood sugars.  He may also look into HIIT training (or Peak 8).  This type of training is known to help with insulin resistance.

[Super_sally888]

Further, he may need medication.  Is he taking any medications?  Usually metformin/ glucophage is commonly prescribed.  If that is  not enough I would strongly recommend looking at insulin injections.  If his Dr is not prepared to help him treat this properly it may be time for a second opinion.  As far as carbs, stick to the non-starchy vegetables.  Avoid all added sugars and grains, and fruits should be limited (and no sweet tropical fruits).  Hope this helps a bit more.

[diabetes86]

He like me may need insulin his pancreas does not make enough insulin  no amount of exercise is going to fix that.