Out of desperation, on July 2, I returned to fasting. My glucose was super high and caught in slow swings up and down. At its peak this spring, I was injecting 80 units a day of long-acting insulin, despite following a low-carb diet. My glucose response seemed to be following its own thing independent of what I ate, which mystified and frustrated me. My scales (the doctor’s variety which measures kgs) showed I weighted 83.3 kg, or 183.4 lbs. Over three years, I’d gained 40 lbs because of the insulin. I set an initial goal weight of 68 kgs, or 150 lbs, which I hoped to reach by my birthday of Sept 4. As I write, it’s two days away.
My emotional health suffered as well. A depression deepened as my weight rose. I suffered from a lack of control over my body, and I didn’t know how or if I’d ever get it back. It made me feel desperate, sad and lonely. I had no support. My research skills failed to find an answer as to why my glucose was taking me on this slow roller-coaster.
I’ve returned to quell stress by using tools I learned through somatic experiencing therapy. When I feel or sense anxiety through a sudden lapse of important things like a pin number or tension in my jaw, I orient to my environment. I feel my feet on my floor, cool air coming into my lungs and visual details in my surroundings. It brings me back to reality and, I’ve come to know, settles my cortisol surges which impact glucose.
During the two weeks prior to an Aug. 1 appointment with my endocrinologist, I decided to do a series of 48-hour fasts. I began in mid-July and by the appointmenton Aug 1, I’d lost 5.4 kg (12 lbs). The doctor was impressed by my achievement and approved of fasting, which heartened me greatly. I’ve never had a doctor who liked fasting, but he seemed to appreciate that I knew the risks and managed them appropriately.
One thing that I didn’t understand was, despite eating protein and avoiding carbs, I still got glucose responses that outlasted short-term insulin (5 hrs). The doctor said I was eating too much protein. I was aware that excess protein can be processed by the body as a carbohydrate, but ONE PORK CHOP every 48 hours was too much? Really?
Anyway, I returned home with a plan to amp up the fasts, and to use the meals to figure out what I can eat that doesn’t present a glucose response. I’ve been following a fasting regime of about 72 hours, and breaking each fast with a variety of green salads and proteins (eggs, chicken, beef, seafood, tofu). I don’t have clear answers on what to eat, but I can manage the overnight glucose surges, and that’s good for now.
The bizarre aspect from this round of fasting is the vast drop in my insulin dose. This has NEVER happened previously. My glucose levels have plummeted to pre-diagnosis levels. When I was first diagnosed 20 years ago, I began long-term insulin at 24 units/day. In the spring, I was injecting 80 units of insulin a day (40 in the morning and 40 at night). Over the last few weeks, I’ve injected 10-16 units (5-8 units each morning and night). This kind of drop has never happened during previous fasts, and I’ve lost weight through fasting a few times over the years.
In two days, I’ll celebrate my birthday with lunch with a friend and I’ll fast until then. Yesterday, on my eating day, I amped up the food in hopes I could overcome a stuck place where I was only losing a small amount. It’s common for the body to resist at certain set-points, and I know I need to change things up. I figured I’d increase the healthy food intake on eating days to trick the body into thinking I’m eating again. Then I’d dive back into the fast to jolt myself off that set point. I know it sounds drastic. Like most people, I love to eat. But it’s amazing what one can do when striving to get a grip on good health.
The last day I weighed myself was yesterday morning. I weighed 72.2 kgs, or 159 lbs. I’ve lost 11.1 kgs or 24.5 lbs. I’ve retired the elastic-waisted pants and am back in familiar worn jeans. I’m not going to get to 150 lbs by my birthday two days from now, but maybe I’ll get there by the doctor’s appointment in early October. I’m also due at that time to have a review of comprehensive blood tests, which I hope will address concerns about my cholesterol levels and blood pressure. I don’t want more meds.
My energy has been good and the depression has lifted — I have control back. And while I struggle to find any kind of food I can eat to avoid a strong glycemic response, I know I can work fasting into my everyday life. It may not be safe for many people, but I’ve proven that I can achieve my health goals by using this age-old method of weight control. And it turns out that now it allows me to control my glucose as well. An unexpected but welcome accomplishment.
Leave a Reply