Tonight is New Year’s Eve, and we’ve just come back from an early party at the senior citizens’ group. I was lucky that there were big bowls of green salad on the buffet table, so I filled my plate. Then I topped the salad with 1/4 c. of potato salad, just to see what would happen. In addition, I had a bite-size cheesecake treat and 2 oz. of red wine at “midnight” (which was actually 9 p.m.). Two hours later, now at home, my blood glucose reads at 107. Of course, I did walk a total of three blocks to get to the party and back, so I’m sure that helped some. Now I will take 5 units of Humulin (insulin) and a 500 mg berberine capsule.
I have decided to continue the berberine (1500 mg a day) through the month of January while I ramp up my walking protocol. We’ll see what happens. This weekend I am beginning reading the book, Walk With Ease, written for people with arthritis. It outlines a 6-week program to establish a lifelong walking routine, beginning with just 10 minutes a day—or once around the block—3 to 5 days a week and working up to 40 minutes. I can do this! When I have reached my time goal, then I can start thinking again about steps.
In 2015 (based on my own records), I reduced my average daily blood glucose from 147 to 118. But, obviously, average daily blood glucose based on the readings I take at various times during the day, does not equate to A1C, which is said to represent average blood sugar over a 3-month period. I figured that because, in reality, I must have had blood sugar spikes at times during the day when I did not take a reading with my blood glucose meter. The biggest disappointment is that my A1C did not go down. Not at all. It has stayed at 7.0, which is an actual average blood glucose of 154.
The best thing that happened was that I lost 22 lbs between January 4 and December 27. I went from 1800 calories a day to 1100, and I dropped from 124 grams of carbohydrates per day (which was well within ADA guideliness) down to an average of 27 grams at the lowest point, with an average of 33 grams. And that—the combination of low calories and low carbs—is the “magic” that causes weight loss, even though it did not seem to lower my blood sugar.
I stopped taking simvastatin and glipizide early last January (for reasons detailed in my earlier blog posts). I temporarily stopped metformin in November and replaced it with berberbine, and the jury is still out on that one. Eliminating metformin has greatly reduced my need for Depends whenever I leave the house.
During the year I have continued with Migrelief (a combination of magnesium, B-2, and feverfew) and added butterbur, in my ongoing attempts to reduce frequency of migraines. I added B-12 in case I’m low due to eating mostly vegetarian, and I added iron so I would still be eligible to give blood at Optiscan (a local research facility that develops instruments for diabetes). In the fall, after reading Dr. Ron Rosedale’s book, The Rosedale Diet, I added alpha lipoic acid, which, interestingly, didn’t seem to affect my blood sugar readings but—whether coincidence or not—I have had fewer instances of migraines since I’ve been taking it!
Another disappointment is that my cholesterol has gone up instead of down. However, I keep reading articles about how the total cholesterol measurement is not as crucial as the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (the “good” kind). And that I should be more concerned about my triglycerides than cholesterol.
One surprising positive last summer, after 6 months of eating low-carb high-fat, was that my thyroid test showed that I now need a lower dosage of thyroid medicine. Both my liver and kidney functions have improved slightly. My calcium, magnesium, and potassium are all in the normal range; so I’m apparently not malnourished on a low-carb high-fat lifestyle!
I’ve been told that cholesterol will remain high while one is losing weight. I’ve also read that there are certain drugs that prevent one from losing weight, such as beta-blockers, which I’m taking for migraine prevention, and antidepressants (so I’ve stopped taking Paxil).
I began 2015 with the full intention of finishing reading Richard K. Bernstein’s Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars, but got bogged down in the material about intense body-building exercise. It didn’t seem as relevant to me as other lifestyle issues. I read Jimmy Moore’s Cholesterol Clarity and Keto Clarity. I have downloaded numerous cookbooks and recipe books (mostly free for my Kindle) and purchased one hard copy of Jimmy Moore’s The Ketogenic Cookbook. I’m now in the middle of reading Dr. Eric Westman’s New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great.
My intention for 2016 is to continue eating the way we have been eating: low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein. I’m pretty confident about that. My added focus (which I fully intended to get serious about after Kampmeeting last summer but didn’t) is exercise. Starting with walking. I have put a new battery in my pedometer and have made a list of upbeat music to load into my iPod for my walks. If last year was the Year Without Carbs, this year will be the Year of Movement!
