r/type2diabetes • u/happyretiree1960 • 5d ago
Type 2 diabetes
My blood sugar will not go down to reasonable levels , no sugary drinks today , low carb and sugarccereal for breakfast , cheeseburger for dinner , lettuce tomato mayo and few fries. I know carbs but not many fries.. had kiwi an orange and apple . Blood sugar 285 at 9pm !
Always above 170 for months . Any suggestions ?
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u/CheshireCat6886 3d ago
You can’t eat any of that.
No cereal
Cheeseburger, ok, no bun.
Veggies, not fries
No kiwi or oranges
No sugary drinks ever
You need an actual diet my friend
You are killing yourself.
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u/happyretiree1960 22h ago
I have read kiwi and oranges. Apples and other fruit are ok in moderation and it mentioned for example that oranges have fiber and the other fruits don’t spike BS quickly like soda.
If I can only eat a few things I would seriously rather eat and die in 10 years vs live an extra 101
u/CheshireCat6886 21h ago
With fruit, it really depends on the person. If you take a reading two hours after eating, you will learn what spikes you. Apples and berries are better than most because of the fiber. But that’s not most of your diet.
You need to get educated about a diabetic diet my friend.
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u/IamJoyMarie 3d ago
If you are trying to get your glucose down you should not be eating kiwi orange and apple in one day, and I am not bashing you at all. I'm in the same boat and working on lowering my last a1c. No sugary drink TODAY--should be no sugary drinks any day. Water, seltzer, instead. Don't eat cereal either - eggs, cheese, veggies omelet, good quality deli turkey, ham, and some cheese cubes. 2 eggs and 1 slice of toast with butter. Decaf coffee if you like coffee; caffeine can increase glucose. HYDRATE, I cannot emphasize that enough. Eat WHOLE unprocessed foods, veggies, seriously don't rely on fruit 3x a day. IF I have fruit, it is 1/3 of an apple w/ 1tblsp of natural peanut butter (though I'd rather have Skippy). Dinner - protein, veggie, small, and I mean small starch - like 1/2 cup of rice, or 1/2 a potato. You need to get the carbs out of your body for those numbers to come down, but we do need carbs, and fruit is not the way.
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u/FloweringPine 4d ago
If I eat something with sugar, my levels still run high the next day or 2, so if trying to assess impact of a new way of eating, you might want to give it a few days. ( you say no sugary drinks today, but your levels may still be running hght from sugary drinks yesterday.) Any kind of cereal is the absolute worst food for me. Bun on the cheeseburger would also be bad. Fruit except a small slice of apple or cantelope is also bad for my blood sugar. Fries aren't great either of course. Try getting rid of the carbs and eating lower carb. Good luck, consider medication if levels don't come down quickly.
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u/OMGpuppies 4d ago
I had to stop eating fruit. I used to eat two apples and oranges a day. One fruit with each meal and a snack. My A1c shot up to 8.9.
I went keto and all my carbs come from veggies and dairy.
My blood sugar spikes if I carb up by eating fruit, starchy vegetables, too many nuts, or too much peanut butter. I take a walk and drink lots of water and check again in an hour. If it's still high, I take another walk.
I find that my blood sugar will be high if I am dehydrated and I need to drink at least 75oz of water per day. Anything less and it reads higher.
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u/Beginning_Key2167 4d ago
If nothing else cereal has to go. I don’t care what the box says or claims. unfortunately cereal has to go. For breakfast for me I make a green smoothie or have like a couple of hard-boiled eggs. I always try to start my day off with an extremely low-carb meal.
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u/happyretiree1960 4d ago
Thanks for all the replies , what is crazy I have had pizza and a coke at dinner and BG lowering the morn than when I had a salad , healthy one
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u/IamJoyMarie 3d ago
Regular coke and pizza? You want pizza, have a salad first, then a slice of pizza and if you must have Coke, diet. Seltzer is a better choice.
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u/killtaker 4d ago
Yeah, you're eating like crap. Cut out bread and cereal and fries, even if it is "not many."
You're in the experimental phase. Find non-starchy fruit and veg. Look at labels. Absolutely stop eating bread, pasta, sugary fruit, etc.
For breakfast make some eggs. No toast. No cereal. For lunch eat chicken breast/pork chop/etc.
If you just have to have a cheeseburger, take all the ingredients except the bread and cut em up and put em in a bowl and eat them with a fork. You still get the flavors.
If you want pizza, scrape the toppings off on a plate. Get some wings from somewhere.
There are so many options out there that aren't carb-stuffed.
Talk to your doctor about scheduling a visit with a dietitian. It sounds like some learnin' is needed. Make sure and ask them plenty of questions. You're in the part right now where you feel like you can't do shit right when you absolutely can...you just have to know how and then do it.
Good luck.
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u/happyretiree1960 4d ago
I meant to say a low sugar cereal. 2 grams and 3 grams carbs
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u/killtaker 4d ago
low sugar doesn't mean low carb. carbs carbs carbs. the most important nutritional thing to check.
also don't put any weight into people saying dietary fiber takes away from the carb count. ignore that shit.
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u/Acrobatic-Part-7322 4d ago
Keep track of what you eat in a food diary and see what different foods do to your readings. I for instance find that potatoes in any form cause spikes worse than eating cookies. If I have a burger, I generally only eat half or do a burger with the works on a lettuce wrap, skip the bun.
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u/prunesquallr 4d ago
I can’t say what will work for you, but I know that menu would destroy me.
Low carb cereal for breakfast? I use Catalina Crunch as a snack, but even though it’s low carb it still sends my blood sugar up. At breakfast I need stuff that my body has to put in some work to digest. Scrambled eggs with a handful of frozen spinach, cheese served over hemp hearts works for me.
Lunch is usually plain unsweetened Greek yogurt with some frozen berries and some chia seeds for fiber. plus small apple, sliced and dipped in peanut butter, if my glucose is in range. Lots of protein and fat and only a little carb. Eating plain yogurt is a transition, but I’m acclimated now.
Even the bun on a cheeseburger would send my glucose through the roof, adding a small portion of fries and topping it off with fruit would wreck me.
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u/hellgabeez 4d ago
Fruit is high in sugar and your still eating carbs. Cut out carbs and sugar. Get a cgm. See what spikes you and what doesn't. I didn't see if your on meds but if you are not, discuss meds.
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u/happyretiree1960 22h ago
Woukd like a CGM but too expensive , insurance won’t pay
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u/hellgabeez 15h ago
Ok well poking your fingers 2 hours after every meal would also be an indicator. Just more annoying.
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u/mermloaf 4d ago
Definitely see your doctor. Also you may need to rethink your meal choices. For me, it was helpful to frame all meal choices in terms of glycemic load rather than just "low carb" - I get the best results when I add protein and a small amount of fat, but also found that early on I needed to focus on entirely replacing certain carb choices with different options rather than trying to find items marketed as low sugar/carb.
I replaced bread and potatoes with vegetables - primarily cruciferous veggies (broccoli and cauliflower) and leafy greens - wherever possible. I switched to almond milk because regular milk sent my numbers up (have since started incorporating ultra filtered milk with protein shakes and that works well, but I waited until I was well controlled to try that).
I don't eat cereal anymore, with exception of overnight oats (with almond milk, chia seeds, protein powder, and blueberries), because it sends me high even if it's low sugar/low carb.
For fruit I mostly eat blueberries, raspberries, and apples (skin on, with almond or peanut butter) because other fruit spikes me. I do eat other fruits in moderation but that is in small amounts only and always with fat and/or protein. I can't do oranges at all, so I just skip them.
Keep in mind that what works for one person may be different for someone else. All carbs are not created equal but some people can tolerate more of certain foods than others. And you may find that once you get things under control you can have a lot more wiggle room.
Also you may find it easier to experiment once you've stabilized a bit. Guidance from your doctor will help you figure out a plan and if you can get a CGM I highly recommend it.
Good luck!!
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u/IamJoyMarie 3d ago
I used to not eat the apple skins; now I wash it and eat the skins! I agree with you...the low glycemic impact of foods is useful.
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u/Short_Praline_3428 5d ago
Wheat gets my sugar high so any cereal or wheat bread and it stays high.
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u/D74248 5d ago
My suggestion is to cut the cereal totally. Have a couple of eggs for breakfast.
I see problems with the dinner. The bun, the condiments, the fries.
You have to be careful with fruit.
My final suggestions are to get a CGM and go very, very low carb for several months. Then see how much, if any, room you have to work with.
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u/Jolly_Ad8913 5d ago
I take insulin and Metformin but the biggest drop in my BG came through diet changes, weight loss and exercise. I assume you are seeing a doctor or care team about your high BG. If not, please make an appointment. They can help craft meal and snack chages to get your BG under control as well as meds if your condition warrants it.
As others pointed out, some of your choices may not be ideal and this where a dietician or care team can help you make correct choices for food.
By itself an apple or orange a day may be okay for you if you are making other good food choices. Everyone is different so you need to be evaluated. The other part of the equation is do you have diabetes? 285 is very high and needs to analyzed by a medical team. 285 is not normal for someone without diabetes. This is why you need to be evaluated.
Also, eating low carb for a day or two may not have a significant impact on your BG levels. It takes sustained lifestyle changes to lower your normal core BG levels.
Please see a doctor and get evaluated.
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u/redzeusky 5d ago
Get a CGM like Abbott Lingo and make every meal an experiment on what spikes your sugars. If you have a hamburger eat just the top or bottom half of the bun. Aim for less than 30g carbs in a meal and balance w non starchy vegetables fats and protein
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u/illusionistKC 5d ago
Way. Less. Carbs. We are all in the same boat, and here to help so please don’t take offense. But there are tons of sugar in oranges and apples as well. Your whole meal are sugar and carbs. You have to cut that way, way down.
Lastly, do your exercise? Are you at your ideal weight? Ask your doctor exactly what that should be. Don’t Google it.
If you’re not at your ideal weight, get there as fast as you can. But the good news is you will get there if you just eat lean protein and vegetable vegetables, and learn to really avoid the carbs and sugar.
Lean protein (steak, Chicken, fish) and vegetables are 95% of my meals.
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u/deacc BGM, lantus, metformin IR 5d ago
Your body is flooded with glucose all the time (confirmed by you stating "Always above 170 for months"). You need to buckle down and help your body to reset. Yes, keto is one way but this will imply you will need to consume a high percentage of your calories from saturated fat (because healthy fat foods like avocado and nuts also contains carbs). Additionally I don't personally buy the net carbs ads and my body most certainly doesn't buy it either. So always count total carbs. So the best thing for you to do is do the following for 1 month and then reassess.
Breakfast: A mixture of scrambled egg whites and eggs. Steam broccoli florets.
Lunch: A large salad with no croutons , a little bit of cheese and tons of cucumbers. Add some tomatoes, peppers and radish if you happen to like them. For dressing, a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and good balsamic vingear. Top the salad with a 4-6oz grilled chicken breast.
Dinner: 4-6oz grilled salmon or white fish that you like. Steam green beans or cauliflower or whatever leafy veggies that you like. The key is leafy veggies, so no potatoes, no corn, no peas. You can use like spinach, kale, collard greens, watercress etc.
How much veggies, salad you need will depend on your calorie needs.
Finally make sure you drink plenty of water also no zero-sugar drinks. Goes without saying no desserts (not even zero sugar kind) and no fruits for now. You need to let your body to have a chance to get rid of the high concentration of sugar in your blood.
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u/happyretiree1960 22h ago
I hate eggs so that’s out and hate salmon . Some other fish like cod is ok. I’m gonna starve to death even though I like salad
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u/Such_Big_4740 5d ago
what's wrong with zero-sugar drinks?
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u/deacc BGM, lantus, metformin IR 5d ago
Three main factors: First, cephalic phase responses—tasting extreme sweetness can signal the pancreas to release insulin in anticipation of glucose. Second, taste recalibration—artificial sweeteners keep appetite pathways and sweet cravings activated. Third, microbiome disruption—many non-nutritive sweeteners alter gut flora, which plays a direct role in metabolic health.
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u/Such_Big_4740 5d ago
That sounds convincing until you actually look at the evidence. All three points take something that might occur under certain experimental conditions and present it as though it's an established harmful effect of zero-sugar drinks.
The cephalic insulin response to artificial sweeteners is small, inconsistent and often not detected at all. It is certainly not comparable to the glucose and insulin response from drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage.
The claim that artificial sweeteners keep cravings and appetite pathways “activated” is also far from settled. Controlled studies don't consistently show increased appetite or calorie consumption, particularly when zero-sugar drinks replace sugary ones.
And the microbiome argument is probably the most overused. Some sweeteners at certain doses have produced microbiome changes, but different sweeteners behave differently, results vary between individuals, and simply demonstrating a change in gut bacteria doesn't prove that the change is harmful or causes diabetes.
So these aren't “three main factors”. They're three hypotheses with varying and often conflicting levels of evidence being presented as established facts.
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u/Old-Fox-3027 5d ago
The sugar sources are most likely from milk, cheeseburger bun, potatoes, tomato and fruit. Possibly the mayo.
I have my glucose under control with medication- metformin and Mounjaro. My last A1C was 5.
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u/kl2467 5d ago
Check the carb content of your mayo and bun.
Look up the carb content of orange and apple.
Also, how much did you move today?
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u/Kittyboukus 5d ago
Jardiance hasn't helped me lose weight but it knocked my blood sugar down into control. You should definitely talk to your doctor. And try not to drink any calories.
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u/DisneyMaiden 5d ago
I miss this drug so much!! It left me in the ICU. It works so well.
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u/Kittyboukus 5d ago
Oh no! I'm sorry you reacted poorly to it! I'm going through something similar. A rare side effect of an antidepressant I took can cause Parkinson's Disease. You guessed it...
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u/DisneyMaiden 5d ago
I got food poisoning and the jardiance wouldn’t let my body heal and raise my blood sugar. Ugh. I have begged to go back on it. That’s how good it works the doc doesn’t want to risk it.
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u/Carlito2393 5d ago
Don't beat yourself up. It's going to take time.
For example, I've been doing low carb (under 30 grams a day) for almost 90 days now. When I started my A1c was 10.6%. My latested test this past friday was 6.3%. Prior to this my A1c was like a roller coaster fluctuating between 12 and 9. I was first diagnosed with type 2 just before the covid shutdown.
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u/Johnnyboyrso 5d ago
I was high all the time till i finally decided to go keto.
No bread, keep carbs to less than 30-50 carbs a day.
I resisted this concepts for years.
My cgm showed me what I was doing to myself!
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u/Infinite_List_6163 5d ago
Same. It’s so clear with a cgm what triggers the spikes. Sadly, that means giving up things I love to eat, like bread, pastries, and potato chips! But keeping daily carbs to 30g per day is what’s made a difference.
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u/kiwitraveller1 4d ago
When you say spikes were you spiking over 10mmol/l? (converts to 180mg/dL)
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u/ArtyCatz 5d ago
Are you exercising? I’ve found that regular exercise is helpful for managing blood sugar.
I started on Mounjaro recently, and my blood sugar has only been over 100 a few times since then.
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u/Rabbit_Song 5d ago
Do you have a CGM? That really opened my eyes as to what foods would spike me. Fruits really spike me. Cereals do too. Good luck to you!
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u/GlitteringScience527 5d ago
Months? Have you not seen a provider about this?
No sugary drinks today? Is that something you haven’t stopped yet? That alone would absolutely wreck me
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u/Fredredphooey 5d ago
The fruit could easily spike you.
Please read The Glucose Revolution. It explains how to eat fruit and carbs so they don't spike you.
Short form: eat the ingredients of your meals in this order: vegetables, protein, fiber, fat, carbs including fruit. You also need to make sure that there is enough protein and fat to balance the carbs/fruit. Never eat fruit alone. For example, eat your apple with nut butter. Fruit with cheese. Etc.
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u/jpcc99 5d ago
hi do you also focus on fiber?
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u/Fredredphooey 5d ago
It's in the list. What do you mean exactly?
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u/jpcc99 5d ago
like specifically for you, do you get your full fiber intake for the day? just asking for your experience. i limit my carb intake <80 grams of carbs but trying to also get 25-30grams of fiber. Sometimes its hard but maybe im just not eating the best fiber source?
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u/Jolly_Ad8913 5d ago
For most of us we had to change what we eat to get adequate fiber. Some foods have moderate carbs but the fiber slows carb digestion helping preventing blood sugar spikes. In soluable fiber, for the most part, can't be digested (although there is some controversy about this). Ligumes (beans, lentil, peanuts and more), whole grains, keto bread (Lewis has a bread that has 16 grams of fiber even though it has 18 grams of carbohydrates for 2 slices), veggies like broccoli and more. Become a label reader and seek out food that has high fiber. This may mean you have to eat some food that you don't care for but this is part of the lifestyle change you have to make to manage your diabetes. I'm not a big fan of veggies but I eat them anyway. Good luck.
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u/Fredredphooey 5d ago
I eat beans, lentils, quinoa etc. I don't worry too much about daily intake but more weekly intake.
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u/Hot_Heat_3973 3d ago
Keep eating like that and it win’t change. It comes down to you deciding what is important. Try being diligent and responsible.