Hi, I have been diagnosed with Type 2 in March this year. I have changed my diet, food intake and medication. Yes I am overweight, but no weight is being lost. I exercise, walk about 7000 steps a day. Not very fast 1.5 mph. I am not very mobile. My Question is Why am I permanently tired, exhausted….
I could fall asleep on a fence. I sleep the deepest sleep ever. Any ideas?..
Hi there,
If the tiredness is related to your Type 2 diabetes it could be down to either or both of the following:
1. High blood glucose (sugar) levels. Normal blood glucose is between 3.5 and 7.8 mmol/l. If your diabetes is not controlled and your blood glucose levels are high, this means that you are unable to convert the glucose into energy and this results in tiredness (and other symptoms of diabetes such as thirst, excessive urination and poor healing).
2. High insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that is made in your pancreas. In Type 2 diabetes, due to the insulin not working properly (insulin resistance), people start to make more insulin to try and clear the glucose. The downside of this is that insulin puts your body into energy storage mode. This means that your body is constantly storing energy rather than using it, result in the person feeling tired all the time and unable to lose weight.
The quickest way to reduce blood glucose levels and insulin levels is to restrict carbohydrate in your diet – more information can be found here: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
More information about diet, activity and diabetes can be found in our X-PERT Diabetes Handbook: https://www.xperthealth.org.uk/product/x-pert-diabetes-prevention-management-handbook/
It is possible that the tiredness may not be related to your diabetes, so consulting your GP would also be a good idea.
I hope this helps?
Best wishes,
Trudi
