DT2 and Intermittent Fasting

(Ernesto Llorente) #1

Hey guys I want to do intermittent fasting while on Keto but I am a T2D. I was wondering if there’s any T2D here that do intermittent fasting and tell me how you handle Hypo’s. Or at least whats the best, way to manage it.

(matt ) #2

I do 18:6 or 20:4 most days with no issues. Never had to deal with a hypo. My BG will start to drop around hour 19 or 20 but it never goes close to too low.

My average BG is non-diabetic these days…just wanted to be clear about that.

(Ernesto Llorente) #3

Thanks, Matt! So in that 4-hour window, you eat all of your calorie requirement and then fast for 20 hours. Do you do that every day or do you alternate? My BG averages around 70 to 90 when I wake up. For me 70 is low, I feel jittery, sometimes, not all the times. One time I woke up with a BG of 64 and I was fine, go figure. But during the day, I find, that when I try to fast, my BG does drop and I feel jittery. Just to add I no longer take any BG medications since I can control my BG on Keto and lost 130 lbs. Last week, I have experimented with sugary carbs and I no longer have highs. But I’m going to stick with Keto. Never going back to eat how I used to.

(matt ) #4

I do it daily but if something comes up like lunch with family I don’t sweat it. Yes I only eat during the window. I don’t eat one meal though.

I think I saw a 68 once. That’s low for me but it didn’t really bother me.

Try different windows and see what works best for you. Just test more often in the later hours of the fast.

Congrats on your amazing transformation!

(Ernesto Llorente) #5

Thanks Matt! Actually, it makes sense for me to eat in the evening windows since we always eat as family dinner. Then I can space out the rest of the meals in that 4 hours before I go to bed. Maybe in that way, I will wake up with BG of 90 or better.

(Ethan) #6

Many T2s here do all kinds of fasting without many issues. How long have you been eating on a ketogenic diet? How bad was your T2?I recommend that you first become keto adapted before pushing a fast–it will make it much easier. Once you are adapter, your glucose levels will generally be in the normal range all the time (except perhaps morning with dawn phenomenon). You will find it easier to just skip a meal. You may feel some hypoglycemic effects, but that will really subside each time you do the fast or extend its duration. I have T2DM. My A1C was 10.4 when I was first diagnosed. I often skip a meal or two a day. I also do 2 5-day fasts or a single 7-day fast EVERY month. My blood sugar will go down to the 60s after 3 or 4 days on an extended fast, but it isn’t a hypoglycemic situation. I make the ketones I need and have no issues.

(bulkbiker) #7

Are you on any meds? Should be the first question.

(Ruthann) #8

Hi, I’m new here - but I’m a type 2. I am only taking metformin so I actually have never experienced a hypo. I actually seem to have more difficulty with my blood pressure and salt (feeling dizzy) than it being a blood sugar issue. I have been able to make it to a 36hr fast and am building my fasting muscles. I routinely do at least an 16:8 or greater per day (not eating breakfast is natural for me). I have just ordered the keto mojo so should have some info on a serum ketone level soon.

(Ernesto Llorente) #9

Hey MarkGossage, when I was newly diagnosed I was on Junamet 50/1000 x2 a day, BP medication one a day. As of now, I’m not taking any medication. I control my sugar on Keto, I get spike on BG only when I stray from the diet. But I wake up every morning with a BG reading of 74 - 90, even if I ate two slices of pizza the night before.

(bulkbiker) #10

Cool just wanted to check you weren’t on blood sugar lowering medication whilst fasting because that could quite easily cause some serious problems. Sounds like you would be fine for fasting then which was the original question. I have skipped breakfast since I was diagnosed and eat only 1or 2 meals each day. That and keto I think helped a lot in lowering my bloods to “normal” levels so you should be fine with it.

(Ernesto Llorente) #11

Awesome thanks! I am actually switching Endo next week. My current one wanted me to stay on my BG meds and not fasting. He wanted me to get off Keto, eat carbs and play with the numbers…Being on Keto has been the best thing I’ve done for my health.

(bulkbiker) #12

Me too… I lost a huge amount of weight and now have low HbA1c readings.

(Ernesto Llorente) #13

Okay so, last night I began my fast. My last meal was 8:30 pm almonds, woke up with a sugar of 64. Did not feel any hypo simptoms, so I skipped my usual breakfast and had coffee. Around 10 am I thought I was having Hypo simptoms and measured my BG only to find that it was 94, so I continued my fast. I have lunch with me just in case, but I will let you guys know how my day finished.

(matt ) #14

30 point rise caused by? Nothing to worry about I am just curious about large movements.

Do you think it was dawn syndrome (late) or the coffee? Were you stressed?

(Ernesto Llorente) #15

Yes I was stressed, I just moved into a new home and pulled two upper back muscle and Xrays shows two herniated disk on the cervical spine. The pain was annoying, even my BP was a little elevated from my usual (110/64 vs. 121/69). I am now on muscle relaxant and Lidocane patches for the discomfort.

(matt ) #16

Oh yeah any injury can ramp the BG and imflammation up as you heal. Best of luck with your injuries. :frowning:

(Ernesto Llorente) #17

Thanks Matt

(Raj Seth) #18

Lotsa T2D here. What you do when you go keto or IF depends a lot on your medications.

(Ernesto Llorente) #19

This is true, but I am no longer on meds for Blood sugar. Keto controls the sugar in my system.

Got those BG under 100 for the past three months

(Raj Seth) #20

If no medications then don’t worry about it. Your liver will do gluconeogenesis on demand. BG may drop lower than 70 but no hypo symptoms. I see 70s-90s when on extended fasts

But I’m not a doctor. Just a dude on an anonymous forum