Numbers - what to look for?

[Mark T]

Hi Mark, so do you test 5 times a day - is that every day or occassional days? Amanda

Randomly once per day. So one day I might choose to do lunch, the next I might do bedtime.

As a general rule, if I do bedtime one day I always to a morning check the next day. Right now, if I'm doing lunchtime or dinner that I'll test the post meal too.

I do occasionally decide to take a day off from testing.

 

[Andy HB]

Just tested 7.2. I tested at 11.45am 6; had lunch at 12.30pm - medium sized pitta bread with mackeral in tomoto sauce (I don't tend to eat any additional food or snack because I'm trying to lose weight); I have brought a banana to go in my oats tomorrow.... I know I went for a 15min walk before lunch to buy lunch but is this still ok. Amanda 🙂

Good numbers again there. The walk would have taken a little edge off the 6. As an example early on when I got a 10.2 after my main meal I went for a 30min brisk walk and tested again ...... 5.3!

But the 7.2 is at the lower end of the guidelines I was given for 2hrs post eating (7-9mmol/L), so at an hour and a half that is very encouraging.

It'll be interesting to see what the porridge and banana does to you tomorrow (small not too ripe bananas are best by the way! A pity I like large very ripe ones!! 🙄)

Andy 🙂

 

[Newtothis]

Good numbers again there. The walk would have taken a little edge off the 6. As an example early on when I got a 10.2 after my main meal I went for a 30min brisk walk and tested again ...... 5.3!

But the 7.2 is at the lower end of the guidelines I was given for 2hrs post eating (7-9mmol/L), so at an hour and a half that is very encouraging.

It'll be interesting to see what the porridge and banana does to you tomorrow (small not too ripe bananas are best by the way! A pity I like large very ripe ones!! 🙄)

Andy 🙂

I'll make sure the banana is small 🙄. Do you have snacks during the day; I don't tend to but I feel I might not be eating enough between lunch and dinner time. I just tend to stick to 3 meals? :Amanda 😱

 

[Mark T]

...The walk would have taken a little edge off the 6. As an example early on when I got a 10.2 after my main meal I went for a 30min brisk walk and tested again ...... 5.3!

Although as ever, different people get different responses.

I can remember being much miffed when I tested early on and walking made absolutely no difference to my levels. I remember going out before lunch one day, testing before I left and testing when I got back in and finding a difference of 0.2 mmol/L only.

I've always opted for multiple small snacks during the day, that way my main meals are lower in calories and carbs (because I've spread it through the day).

 

[Andy HB]

I often have a slice of home-baked bread (be it seeded granary or spicy fruit loaf) with my elevenses because I often find I'm getting a bit low by then.

But I didn't today because I don't have any! 🙄

Something which at this very moment my bread maker is fixing.

Andy 🙂

 

[Newtothis]

I took advice and tested immediately before my dinner; salad (plenty of it) with turkey (griddled); prior to eating reading was 5.2; 2hrs after eating my reading is 5.5 - is this too low and should I have something to eat before I go to bed. My readings today have all been under 7.

Amanda 🙂

 

[Northerner]

I took advice and tested immediately before my dinner; salad (plenty of it) with turkey (griddled); prior to eating reading was 5.2; 2hrs after eating my reading is 5.5 - is this too low and should I have something to eat before I go to bed. My readings today have all been under 7.

Amanda 🙂

Not too low Amanda - excellent 🙂

 

[Newtothis]

I took advice and tested immediately before my dinner; salad (plenty of it) with turkey (griddled); prior to eating reading was 5.2; 2hrs after eating my reading is 5.5 - is this too low and should I have something to eat before I go to bed. My readings today have all been under 7.

Amanda 🙂

Sorry I meant under 7.6.

 

[Robster65]

The salad and turkey meal will have been zero or negligable carbs, so your pancreas won't have needed to do anything more than it is between meals. ie. covering the glucose trickle from the liver.

If you could remain at 4 mmols/l, your pancreas would be under no strain whatsoever. At 5.x it's doing very little and in the 6s, it's clearly not struggling. Once you get to the 7s and 8s for any prolonged period, it's starting to show the strain of keeping up with glucose from eating.

So, as Alan says, 5s are good. If youre on no meds, and you're not going higher than the 7s or 8s, then you won't suffer from hypos overnight. Thus, you shouldn't need to eat at bedtime unless you feel hungry or to try and suppress high readings in the morning.

A low reading would be one below 4.🙂

Rob

 

[Newtothis]

I took advice and tested immediately before my dinner; salad (plenty of it) with turkey (griddled); prior to eating reading was 5.2; 2hrs after eating my reading is 5.5 - is this too low and should I have something to eat before I go to bed. My readings today have all been under 7.

Amanda 🙂

The salad and turkey meal will have been zero or negligable carbs, so your pancreas won't have needed to do anything more than it is between meals. ie. covering the glucose trickle from the liver.

If you could remain at 4 mmols/l, your pancreas would be under no strain whatsoever. At 5.x it's doing very little and in the 6s, it's clearly not struggling. Once you get to the 7s and 8s for any prolonged period, it's starting to show the strain of keeping up with glucose from eating.

So, as Alan says, 5s are good. If youre on no meds, and you're not going higher than the 7s or 8s, then you won't suffer from hypos overnight. Thus, you shouldn't need to eat at bedtime unless you feel hungry or to try and suppress high readings in the morning.

A low reading would be one below 4.🙂

Rob

Thanks Rob, this is all new to me and I have been told not to test by nurse but I'm not a very good listener. Do you think its a good idea to have carbs with each meal? I'm not on any medication just losing weight and increasing physical exercise. If I don't have carbs with each meal is that bad for me.
🙂

 

[Robster65]

Tbh, that's one I don't know the answer to. I know many on here go for low-carbing, which can about 50g of carb per day but whether it affects you to have no carbs I don't know. I would imagine not, especially for one meal.

As for weight loss, I would think it's merely a case of low calorie in whatever form, avoiding saturated fats. I hope someone with T2 can answer this for you.🙂

Rob

 

[Mark T]

Tbh, that's one I don't know the answer to. I know many on here go for low-carbing, which can about 50g of carb per day but whether it affects you to have no carbs I don't know. I would imagine not, especially for one meal.

As for weight loss, I would think it's merely a case of low calorie in whatever form, avoiding saturated fats. I hope someone with T2 can answer this for you.🙂

Rob

I believe that a zero carb meal is OK, but going completely zero carb is dangerous. There is lots of discussion (nee arguements) about it, but generally it seems to be recommended that you don't drop below an average of 50g Carb per day. I'm averaging 130g+ carb per day now, but when I was loosing weight I was under 100g.

Incidentally, when I've been trying to stabilise my weight (I hit BMI 23) I've found that I put weight on more easily when I eat more carbs, then if I eat the same calories, but low carb. So it seems that not all calories are equal!

 

[Robster65]

I believe that a zero carb meal is OK, but going completely zero carb is dangerous. There is lots of discussion (nee arguements) about it, but generally it seems to be recommended that you don't drop below an average of 50g Carb per day. I'm averaging 130g+ carb per day now, but when I was loosing weight I was under 100g.

Incidentally, when I've been trying to stabilise my weight (I hit BMI 23) I've found that I put weight on more easily when I eat more carbs, then if I eat the same calories, but low carb. So it seems that not all calories are equal!

That's a very interesting observation. Presumably because they are more readily converted to fat than protein is. Or something. 🙄

Rob

 

[Katieb]

As a prediabetic I was advised to just eat regularly and include low GI carbs, the aim being to keep my BG levels stable (avoiding swings from higher to lower numbers). I therefore aim to eat carbs for 2 meals of the day (usually morning and evening) but keep portion size modest. I eat fish or meat plus veg or salad and fruit for the other. Only when I have eaten things like a Chinese for a (rare!) treat have I seen my BG rise above my normal range. I've found this works for me so far, although I could do with lowering my morning BG and am not sure how to do this! Katiex

 

[Andy HB]

Personally I try to include carbs in most of my meals. Purely because carbs are most readily converted to glucose and this is a ready energy supply when I am exercising etc.

The trick is to eat just enough carbs to keep your levels in whatever range you are happy with. From what you've said so far it all looks hunky dorey to me. You're doing very well, I think.

Andy 🙂

 

[Mark T]

...although I could do with lowering my morning BG and am not sure how to do this! Katiex

OK, a few measurements needed!

What is your bedtime level immediately before your (next) morning level? I always find that if I am high in the morning, I was high the previous evening. That would point to looking at what you are eating in the evening.

Alternatively, if you are low in the evening and find that you rise in the mornings, and you haven't eaten anything the night before that has a delayed effect (pasta, alcohol) then that's possible dawn effect.

 

[Katieb]

OK, a few measurements needed!

What is your bedtime level immediately before your (next) morning level? I always find that if I am high in the morning, I was high the previous evening. That would point to looking at what you are eating in the evening.

Alternatively, if you are low in the evening and find that you rise in the mornings, and you haven't eaten anything the night before that has a delayed effect (pasta, alcohol) then that's possible dawn effect.

Hi Mark. Take last night for instance - 5.8 before I went to bed (following a dinner of chicken, new potatoes, cauli, cabbage and brocolli) followed by a 6.2 this morning! Looks like dawn phenomenon, but can I combat this in any way? Thanks. Katie.

 

[Newtothis]

OK, a few measurements needed!

What is your bedtime level immediately before your (next) morning level? I always find that if I am high in the morning, I was high the previous evening. That would point to looking at what you are eating in the evening.

Alternatively, if you are low in the evening and find that you rise in the mornings, and you haven't eaten anything the night before that has a delayed effect (pasta, alcohol) then that's possible dawn effect.

Last night after dinner I was 5.5, this was at 9pm. Went to bed at 10pm and when I tested this morning at 7am I was 5.4. tbc I'm not really sure what I'm doing when I test; my meals are normally; porridge for breakfast; pitta bread/mackeral or sardine salad for lunch (with a slice of rye bread); dinner is normally something like pork/chicken/turkey and either plenty of veg and or/a v small number of potatoes. Not tend to snack but been told I may need to increase by having some fruit at 11am and something between lunch and dinnner. Would you say this is right? Amanda 🙂

 

[Mark T]

Hi Mark. Take last night for instance - 5.8 before I went to bed (following a dinner of chicken, new potatoes, cauli, cabbage and brocolli) followed by a 6.2 this morning! Looks like dawn phenomenon, but can I combat this in any way? Thanks. Katie.

Those numbers are close enough to be the same within meter tolerance.

You might want to try reading some of David Mendosas' articles on Dawn Phenomenon where he details a few suggested ideas and how the worked (or didn't) for him.
David Mendoza: Controlling the Dawn Phenomenon

How close are you to ideal weight? I found that as I came down my morning fasting levels started to drop.

By the way, you are in pretty much the same place I am in, I'm generally in the low 6's in the morning (except when I've been naughty) and in the 5's at bedtime.

 

[Katieb]

Those numbers are close enough to be the same within meter tolerance.

You might want to try reading some of David Mendosas' articles on Dawn Phenomenon where he details a few suggested ideas and how the worked (or didn't) for him.
David Mendoza: Controlling the Dawn Phenomenon

How close are you to ideal weight? I found that as I came down my morning fasting levels started to drop.

By the way, you are in pretty much the same place I am in, I'm generally in the low 6's in the morning (except when I've been naughty) and in the 5's at bedtime.

Thanks Mark. More bedtime reading for me! I am some way off my ideal weight - would like to lose another 2 stone (have lost one and half since end of May), so am hoping my numbers will come down as I lose it! My numbers never fluctuate greatly even afte a bad day - have never dropped below 4.5 and never above 7.8 (yet!). Am mostly between 5.8 and 6.8 which is, I think, why prediabetes has been diagnosed rather than full blown D. Katie