Finger prick question

[Winifreds child]

Hi this morning I did the finger prick test it was 3.3 I did it again two minutes later in the other hand and it was 4.3 is this normal or too low I am type 2 still getting used to doing the tests and so far the very highest has been 6 wondering if I might be doing something wrong …also my weight has come to a standstill I need to lose 10 lbs in the next 4 weeks to meet my target I can’t eat much less and very strict with myself no potatoes bread pasta or rice any advice welcome x

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi this morning I did the finger prick test it was 3.3 I did it again two minutes later in the other hand and it was 4.3 is this normal or too low I am type 2 still getting used to doing the tests and so far the very highest has been 6 wondering if I might be doing something wrong …also my weight has come to a standstill I need to lose 10 lbs in the next 4 weeks to meet my target I can’t eat much less and very strict with myself no potatoes bread pasta or rice any advice welcome x

3.3 is quite low even for a fasting reading, how did you feel? The two readings are within permitted variation.
If you are not getting higher than 6 even 2 hours after eating that is looking good but the amount you eat is not the whole story it is what you eat that is important.
Initial weight loss when people reduce carbs is usually fluid but that will then stabilise once your body gets used to the lower carb regime.

 

[dannybgoode]

Apologies, I cannot remember from other posts - are you on any medications and if so, which ones?

Also, do you do any exercise - losing weight on diet alone can be tricky, particularly when you hit a plateaux.

 

[Alan44]

Hi @Winifreds child
3.3 is a tad low, 4.3 is fine and using different fingers shouldn't make a difference.

Weight is never linear, you will get ups and downs, NHS guidelines suggest that you should aim to lose 2lb a week as being a safe amount to lose, that said I can lose 3lb one week and only 1lb the next.

As for meeting your target (and I love targets) it's the trend you should be looking at, as we all lose weight at different levels, but as long as it's going in the right direction, that's fine. My weight came to a complete standstill for about 3 weeks, but has now kicked off again.

Don't panic over either, just keep doing what you're doing, but if you still have any concerns, post again and we can dig a little deeper.

 

[Winifreds child]

Hi @Winifreds child
3.3 is a tad low, 4.3 is fine and using different fingers shouldn't make a difference.

Weight is never linear, you will get ups and downs, NHS guidelines suggest that you should aim to lose 2lb a week as being a safe amount to lose, that said I can lose 3lb one week and only 1lb the next.

As for meeting your target (and I love targets) it's the trend you should be looking at, as we all lose weight at different levels, but as long as it's going in the right direction, that's fine. My weight came to a complete standstill for about 3 weeks, but has now kicked off again.

Don't panic over either, just keep doing what you're doing, but if you still have any concerns, post again and we can dig a little deeper.

Thanks for the reassurance…I will keep going it’s just harder to motivate when it seems no progress is being made disappointment grows…as for the low 3.3 result could it mean I haven’t eaten enough the day before …or is that wishful thinking

 

[Alan44]

Thanks for the reassurance…I will keep going it’s just harder to motivate when it seems no progress is being made disappointment grows…as for the low 3.3 result could it mean I haven’t eaten enough the day before …or is that wishful thinking

It could just be the accuracy of the test strips, if I get a reading I don't like, like you, I will do another and get a different result, but never to dissimilar to the first, maybe 5.5 then 5.1

 

[Winifreds child]

3.3 is quite low even for a fasting reading, how did you feel? The two readings are within permitted variation.
If you are not getting higher than 6 even 2 hours after eating that is looking good but the amount you eat is not the whole story it is what you eat that is important.
Initial weight loss when people reduce carbs is usually fluid but that will then stabilise once your body gets used to the lower carb regime.

Hi thanks for your reply I felt ok normal it made me think it may be my technique at the blood test isn’t quite right …I have been eating very low carbs I never seem to be able to keep count half an apple nuts and yogurt for one meal Later avocado and boiled egg last meal French beans edamame beans and prawns I did walk 11000 steps medium pace ..I only have four weeks to go until my next test and keep getting stuck with the weight loss just wondering if I could do better.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks for the reassurance…I will keep going it’s just harder to motivate when it seems no progress is being made disappointment grows…as for the low 3.3 result could it mean I haven’t eaten enough the day before …or is that wishful thinking

Unless you felt unwell I don't think you can make too much conclusion from a single reading, the average of your two reading would be 3.8 or rounded up to 4 which is at the lower end of what you might expect for a fasting reading 4-7 is the range.
A better indication of whether you are eating enough would be to look at a before eating reading and a 2 hour post meal reading to see what the difference is, many would expect 2-3mmol/l increase or no more than 8mmol/l
I'm not quite sure how much impact what you eat the day before has on morning readings as you would expect everything to have been metabolised by then anyway. For some people morning readings can be higher than the rest of the day as the liver tries to be super helpful in releasing glucose to give you energy for the day in the absence of food.

 

[Winifreds child]

It could just be the accuracy of the test strips, if I get a reading I don't like, like you, I will do another and get a different result, but never to dissimilar to the first, maybe 5.5 then 5.1

That’s interesting to know I have had a few that said low and maybe I need to do a slightly deeper prick and get a bit more blood .

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi thanks for your reply I felt ok normal it made me think it may be my technique at the blood test isn’t quite right …I have been eating very low carbs I never seem to be able to keep count half an apple nuts and yogurt for one meal Later avocado and boiled egg last meal French beans edamame beans and prawns I did walk 11000 steps medium pace ..I only have four weeks to go until my next test and keep getting stuck with the weight loss just wondering if I could do better.

Looking at what you are eating it does seem to be virtually no carbs but you are not having much protein or healthy fats. Low carb is not no carbs. What you do need to be sustainable and to me that doesn't look to be so.

 

[Leadinglights]

That’s interesting to know I have had a few that said low and maybe I need to do a slightly deeper prick and get a bit more blood .

Your monitor would show an error if you didn't have enough blood applied to the strip, it will take up what it needs and if there is too much then that can muck up the reading as it will overflow.

 

[Winifreds child]

Apologies, I cannot remember from other posts - are you on any medications and if so, which ones?

Also, do you do any exercise - losing weight on diet alone can be tricky, particularly when you hit a plateaux.

Hi I am not on medication yet my diabetes was 49 and my doctor put me on metformin but the nurse agreed I should first try to do with diet and not begin metformin so I’m trying maybe too hard to reduce another 10 lb by march .

 

[Winifreds child]

Your monitor would show an error if you didn't have enough blood applied to the strip, it will take up what it needs and if there is too much then that can muck up the reading as it will overflow.

Oh i didn’t know that I won’t change that then I’m not that used to taking the readings yet I’m sure it will get easier…could I have gone just too low on the carbs or isn’t that possible.

 

[helli]

Your monitor would show an error if you didn't have enough blood applied to the strip, it will take up what it needs and if there is too much then that can muck up the reading as it will overflow.

There are some meters which report LO when there is insufficient blood.
This has been mentioned a few times on the forum.

 

[Alan44]

Hi I am not on medication yet my diabetes was 49 and my doctor put me on metformin but the nurse agreed I should first try to do with diet and not begin metformin so I’m trying maybe too hard to reduce another 10 lb by march .

May I ask how much weight have you lost already ?

 

[Winifreds child]

There are some meters which report LO when there is insufficient blood.
This has been mentioned a few times on the forum.

Thanks that’s useful to know I hadn’t seen that I feel it’s probably something I may have just not got quite right.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi I am not on medication yet my diabetes was 49 and my doctor put me on metformin but the nurse agreed I should first try to do with diet and not begin metformin so I’m trying maybe too hard to reduce another 10 lb by march .

I suspect it may have just been a dodgy strip @Winifreds child

This is from the Useful Links thread and shows the allowable variation from a single drop of blood…

BG meter accuracy
It can be quite disconcerting for members new to self monitoring of blood glucose to get different results from BG readings taken close together, even when carefully following manufacturers guidance (washing hands etc). All meters for sale in the UK should comply with the following ISO standards 95% of the time, which allows a degree of variation (and 5% of results can read anything at all). If in any doubt, or if a reading doesn’t match how you are feeling, you should check again with a fresh strip.

 

[Winifreds child]

May I ask how much weight have you lost already ?

I’ve lost a stone and 5 lbs so far and need to go a bought 10 lbs more

 

[Winifreds child]

I suspect it may have just been a dodgy strip @Winifreds child

This is from the Useful Links thread and shows the allowable variation from a single drop of blood…

BG meter accuracy
It can be quite disconcerting for members new to self monitoring of blood glucose to get different results from BG readings taken close together, even when carefully following manufacturers guidance (washing hands etc). All meters for sale in the UK should comply with the following ISO standards 95% of the time, which allows a degree of variation (and 5% of results can read anything at all). If in any doubt, or if a reading doesn’t match how you are feeling, you should check again with a fresh strip.

Thanks for this …it was a bit of a shock to be in the 3.3 mostly I have been between 5.1 to 5.5 and 6 the highest I have felt perfectly ok and was sure if type 2 could drop too low or is that just type 1 …I still have lots to learn.

 

[Alan44]

I’ve lost a stone and 5 lbs so far and need to go a bought 10 lbs more

I guess your last test was two months ago and you will have your next test in a months time and you have lost 1 1/2 stone to date. Your last HBA1C was 49 and all your finger pricks test are now under 6

IMHO you have done incredibly well and I don't think you have anything to worry about and I sure your 49 will be a lot less and more acceptable to both doctor and DN