I constant have jumps between my reading on waking (early 6ish) and my pre breakfast reading (late10-11). The biggest was 6.8 to 11.1. I think this is the liver dumping but is this good or bad? What does it mean for weight loss?

Hi Jane
You are right – it is Dawn Phenomenon where your liver releases sugar at the start of the day. It happens to everybody but if you are insulin resistant your insulin doesn’t work as it should so you will run high blood sugars. Also, if you are T2 your liver is probably stuffed with sugar.

As you continue with low carb this will improve as you won’t have so much stored sugar in your body. The morning blood sugars are usually the last to improve.

I think that it is good to get rid of this stored sugar as it will help the body to become less insulin resistant. I wouldn’t have thought it would have affected weight loss – but losing weight will definitely improve the Dawn Phenomenon.

Have been off insulin for almost 3 years and rarely get Dawn Phenomenon now.

That is massively helpful. All I could find online was how to stop it not WHY you should stop it. You explanation makes total sense and is logical. The liver SHOULD get rid of its stores of sugar. I did manage to find one paper supporting this idea https://idmprogram.com/dawn-phenomenon-t2d-8/.
Thank you so much

That is an absolutely excellent article from Dr Fung. Thank you for posting it – I have bookmarked it as I think it is such a clear explanation of what is going on.

It looks like, from your profile, that you are like me – that coming off the insulin and staying off it is not an easy road as it is harder to keep good numbers if you had T2D for years and years. I also had the scary hypos when coming off insulin.

My hba1c was 125 on diagnosis and my diabetes nurse thinks that I had undiagnosed diabetes for maybe 20+ years.

Gosh that is a long time. I was diagnosed a year after my daughter was born. There was discussing that I might have had diabetes during pregnancy. Undiagnosed, it was just urine strips in those days. My daughter, first child, was 10lb 15ox (4.93 kilos). I wasnt given any dietary advice just told losing weight would be good. I dont think I had an HBaiC for 4 years. I was put on metformin but had such bad side effects I had to come off, they tried other pills for a couple of years then I went on insulin. Basically more and more medication which then needed more and more medication. I was even told to have snacks of digestive biscuits to avoid hypos!!!! I went to Egypt in 2003 on a mixtard and whilst there swapped to basal/bolus. When I came back summer 2018 I was on 40 Lantus and 24-28 Humanlog before each meal and 111 kilos!

I went low carb as it is easy here, almost imposible in Egypt, typical meal and potato tagen with rice and bread. Then my partner who has studied science told me you can reverse diabetes. I poo pood it as a fad but he pointed me at the science. I read and watched articles by Michael Mosely and then got the book. Went and saw my diabetic nurse who was massively supportive and started in Dec. I am now 88 kilos and still losing but slowly. I have mobility problems so cant exercise.

It has been an interesting journey

You have done really well to come off the insulin and it’s so good that you have the support of your partner and your diabetic nurse.

It is a huge achievement to have pulled out of that downward spiral of more and more meds. and you are right – it is totally bonkers to be advised to eat digestive biscuits to avoid hypos when you should have been advised to go low carb and avoid the insulin and the hypos.

Yes I am very lucky with both of them. When I read in the book you should consult with your medical specialist my heart sank. I could just imagine what they would say. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The first thing the nurse said was “Dr Glynn wants all his diabetic patients to go on this diet”. At the beginning I was seeing her every week. She used me in a case study to show other patients what you can achieve. She used all sorts of pills to get my sugars down and get me off insulin. Constantly sending me for blood tests to monitor my kidneys. Really excellent support.

Hi Jane,
Just popping on to say congratulations on your journey so far. I have Type II diabetes and my morning bgls followed the same pattern as yours with no food. I have got my blood sugars back into the normal range and kept them there for over 3 years now, but I was never on insulin and I know from reading other people’s experiences on here, (including KrysiaD’s) and on other forums, how much harder it is to get off insulin and some of the other meds. What a great achievement xx

It’s also smashing to hear of the support you are getting from your healthcare team. I always feel it’s slightly ironic when people say go to your GP with any questions or issues, because when I’ve done that in relation to diet and my Type II diabetes I still get what is being discovered to be bad advice. So, it’s always cheering to hear of the kind of support you’ve been getting. It’s so good to know things are changing.

I’m a Jason Fung fan, too – I liked the DP article. I’ve always found his explanations of what’s happening with Type II diabetes to be good, whether you are into fasting or not. Benjamin Bikman is also good on insulin resistance, low carb, protein etc. If you haven’t watched it, there is a video of his on the Take A Look at This thread (June 2018), which JGwen posted. It’s an interview he does for the BioHackers lab and is one of my favourites.

Keep in touch and let us know how you go. Oh, and a big shout out to your partner- that is great support.
Jennie xx

nb KrysiaD – it’s great to see you posting. I have read your posts and really admire the way you tackled all the issues you had relating to Type II I hope everything is still going well for you.

Thanks Jennie10

Hi Jennie10 – everything is still going well and I am still off the insulin. I still have to stay around the 20g of carbs to keep BS low and to avoid spikes and it does sort of look as though I will probably need to continue eating this way to avoid going back on insulin.

I’m a Jason Fung fan also and I do think the DP article is exceptionally good .

Am still reading the forum every day but haven’t been posting lately because life is so hectic at the moment. Am doing coursework for a qualification that I need plus have taken on too many new clients.

Hi Jane – if only all T2s were given such good advice and support from their doctors and DNs. I was advised to follow the Eatwell Plate and eat starchy carbs with every meal when I was first diagnosed. Am very lucky now to have a superb DN.

Hi KrysiaD – I’m really pleased to hear it. As I say, yours is one of the stories that inspired me on here. Yes, like you, my diagnosis hba1c numbers were high so I went straight to 20g carbs and have pretty much stayed there. At some point I might try raising them and testing the impact but I’m happy and enjoying my food at 20g so not yet.
Good luck with the coursework – and the number of clients!

Another interesting video, short https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1vvigy5tQ

Thanks Jane – watched it this morning. I like her no-nonsense style!

Thank you Jane. At last have had a chance to watch this. I really love this video and have book marked it to watch again. Actually, it is brilliant and shows just how bonkers the bad advice to base your diet on starchy carbs is.

Hi Jennie10
You have done really well. I am also really enjoying the 20g carbs – we are so lucky to have found a way to eat that is enjoyable and helps us gain better health. Slightly crazy that it isn’t the low fat lots of healthy carbs route that the health professionals have promoted for years and years. Of course – we are not the crazy ones – they are.
I finished the coursework and emailed it off to be marked – what a huge relief to have actually finished it. Hopefully it will pass. If it doesn’t I will only have to re-do the questions I failed on. Fingers crossed that it does pass.

Krysia, – yes, from first being diagnosed to now my overriding feeling remains one of great good fortune (in fact, joy really) at finding BSD, Jason Fung, Roy Taylor etc. Glad to hear you finished your coursework. Got my fingers crossed – bit tricky typing, but I’ll keep them crossed for you.

Jane – hope things are still going well with you.

Jennie xx

Yes they have become my gurus to, my weight loss is dipping 3lbs in 25 days but still going down. Tweeking the diet with even less carbs and more fat. Got the carb manager app on my phone

Hi Jane
Yes, those guys (and women) have definitely led me back to health – don’t think we can go too far wrong with them.

Those plateaus are really frustrating – my longest was in week 3 and seemed to go on forever. I was never very good at shaking them off – I just stuck them out basically – but I know other people have said changing things up a bit helps. I’ve mostly used ‘fatsecret.co.uk’ to track my carbs but I’ve noticed a few people on here go for carb manager. I’m going to check it out.
Have a good week, Jane
Jennie xx