# Another Newcastle diet question - fasting sugars are great, post-prandials not ideal . . .



## Feathers (Jun 1, 2021)

So I'm into my second week of the Newcastle diet, and my fasting sugars are brilliant - they've been in the 5s the last few days. However, my post-prandial (2hrs after finishing meal) sugars are still sometimes quite high (tonight's, after a shake and a small portion of vedge, was 8.6. They range between 6.x-8.x)

I want to stop my metformin, as my fasting sugars are now good and I don't want them going any lower. But I'm a little concerned I might still need it to handle the meals.

I have to say I'm surprised how high they are. The shakes are 17g of carb, so I'm getting 60-70g a day total (shakes + vedge) This is pretty low carb for me - I've usually aimed around 100g a day and seen ok numbers on it. I seem to be getting the same numbers from a 17g carb milkshake for lunch as I would get for 36g carb in toast. 

Is it maybe down to the protein? Or something else?

Anyone got any suggestions? Is this normal for the Newcastle diet?


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## Drummer (Jun 1, 2021)

I thought that the low calories was supposed to counter the carbs (I have about half that amount per day) but I have never quite taken that on board - though if it is lower than your normal intake, as you say - it ought to be working.
Metformin doesn't work to lower blood glucose once it is high, but restrains the release of it from storage, which is what you are seeing with your reduced first tests.


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## EllsBells (Jun 1, 2021)

Feathers said:


> So I'm into my second week of the Newcastle diet, and my fasting sugars are brilliant - they've been in the 5s the last few days. However, my post-prandial (2hrs after finishing meal) sugars are still sometimes quite high (tonight's, after a shake and a small portion of vedge, was 8.6. They range between 6.x-8.x)
> 
> I want to stop my metformin, as my fasting sugars are now good and I don't want them going any lower. But I'm a little concerned I might still need it to handle the meals.
> 
> ...


Sorry Feathers - are you T1 or T2? If the latter, I'm not sure why you don't want your fasting/pre-prandials to go any lower.


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## Feathers (Jun 2, 2021)

I'm T2. I understood that once your fasting gets to the 5s, it should be possible to be med-free, and you don't want/need it to get lower?
I may be working off a misunderstanding - one person I spoke to said they found metformin actually sent them low on the Newcastle diet. I didn't think Metformin worked like that, but was unsure, and so was going off that advice.


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## EllsBells (Jun 2, 2021)

A normal pre-prandial/fasting range is 4.0-5.5 (5.9 is top end of normal) so if you are going lower,  it's not an issue unless you are on insulin. It will also help with your post-prandial readings as there is more wriggle room at the top. 

You are doing really well with your control.

The lower the figure the better your argument to wean off metformin, I would think!


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## Feathers (Jun 2, 2021)

Ah ok thank you! Then I'll stay on metformin until I start seeing low 4s, and then try coming off it and seeing how I do.


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## pm133 (Jun 2, 2021)

EllsBells said:


> A normal pre-prandial/fasting range is 4.0-5.5 (5.9 is top end of normal)



I'm more than happy to be corrected here but that's for someone without diabetes isn't it?
For a type 2, it'll be a broader range than that.

Those numbers quoted by @Feathers look perfectly decent.

I'm looking at the following link:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html


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## Feathers (Jun 2, 2021)

Yeah sorry I think I've caused some confusion! I'm currently on the Newcastle diet and aiming for best possible numbers, and was getting confused as to when to come off metforming / whether my post-prandials should be as "high" as they are (I know 6.x to 8.x isn't a bad range, but I had a vague memory of reading that ideally it wouldn't go to the top end of that 2hrs after eating?) 
At any rate, I think for now I'll continue the metformin - it seems I have some leeway to go lower safely.


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## travellor (Jun 2, 2021)

They sound very good numbers.
I always allowed at least two weeks for my BG to level out after any change.
At the moment you have a lot of things going on.
Calorie deficient, your body is burning fat, your liver is dumping glucose, you are on a mostly liquid diet, that is a lot of change.
The amount of carbs don't really matter, I didn't test that much when I did the Newcastle diet, maybe the odd fasting check occasionally.


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## Feathers (Jun 2, 2021)

I've been testing and logging a lot, partly out of curiosity to be honest (how cool is it we can science our own bodies!) But perhaps it's time to give it a break and stop obsessing over numbers.


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