I had my first green day yesterday and I was so proud! Although, I’m still not quite sure what I did - it’s really hard to eat three meals a day surprisingly. The lowest blood sugar reading of 6.6 which was amazing, but I woke up today and it was 13.5 then 14.5 - could it be the heat? I hadn’t eaten by these points and had only drank zero coke. Bit of a dampener
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Factors to increase BS.
- Thread starter Ceeque
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Yes one of the challenges of diabetes management is that it’s a big complicated machine with all sorts of whirring cogs, dials, levers and switches… but we only have access to a handful of controls on the front (carbs, insulin, activity) and the dials we can see are a bit fogged up!
There’s a post here which suggests 42 factors that can affect BG levels
forum.diabetes.org.uk
One of the frequent ones to confuse people is the ‘dawn phenomenon’ or ‘feet on the floor’, where the liver fires up the burners for the day by releasing stored glucose either in the early hours of the morning, or as soon ay you get out of bed.
This can mean that your levels rise overnight, even though you’ve not eaten anything!
There’s a post here which suggests 42 factors that can affect BG levels
42 Factors that affect BG
A useful list for when you're making that 'piece of cake' calculation :) ETA: Article about the table: https://diatribe.org/42factors
forum.diabetes.org.uk
One of the frequent ones to confuse people is the ‘dawn phenomenon’ or ‘feet on the floor’, where the liver fires up the burners for the day by releasing stored glucose either in the early hours of the morning, or as soon ay you get out of bed.
This can mean that your levels rise overnight, even though you’ve not eaten anything!
Hi @Ceeque I can't add any more than those 42 factors to answer your question about what causes our levels to rise.
However, I notice you say that it is really hard to eat three meals a day.
In a previous post you mentioned that you are taking NovoRapid and Lantus. Are you aware that the purpose of the NovoRapid is to break down the carbs in the food you eat. Therefore, if you don't eat a meal, you don't need to take the NovoRapid.
If there are other reasons for needing to eat three meals a day, I would definitely continue eating them. However, if it is only because you "need" to take your insulin, the great thing about the basal/bolus regime (one long acting basal dose a day and fast acting bolus doses when needed) is that you have the flexibility to eat when you want rather than at fixed times.
However, I notice you say that it is really hard to eat three meals a day.
In a previous post you mentioned that you are taking NovoRapid and Lantus. Are you aware that the purpose of the NovoRapid is to break down the carbs in the food you eat. Therefore, if you don't eat a meal, you don't need to take the NovoRapid.
If there are other reasons for needing to eat three meals a day, I would definitely continue eating them. However, if it is only because you "need" to take your insulin, the great thing about the basal/bolus regime (one long acting basal dose a day and fast acting bolus doses when needed) is that you have the flexibility to eat when you want rather than at fixed times.
Hiya!
Thank you for the response! A doctor just really had a go at me a week or so ago for sometimes not eating breakfast (said that my Lantus won’t work properly because it needs to have a balanced and similar routine every day or your insulin will be working to bring down your blood sugars and you HAVE to have three meals a day and my ‘food intake should be no different to him’ have porridge at breakfast a sandwich for lunch and an evening meal.).
I know not to take Novorapid if I don’t eat carbs with whichever meal, but does that mean I CAN sometimes skip breakfast? Lol.
Thank you again xx
This is really helpful! There are so many different factors it’s a whirlwind.Yes one of the challenges of diabetes management is that it’s a big complicated machine with all sorts of whirring cogs, dials, levers and switches… but we only have access to a handful of controls on the front (carbs, insulin, activity) and the dials we can see are a bit fogged up!
There’s a post here which suggests 42 factors that can affect BG levels
42 Factors that affect BG
A useful list for when you're making that 'piece of cake' calculation :) ETA: Article about the table: https://diatribe.org/42factors
One of the frequent ones to confuse people is the ‘dawn phenomenon’ or ‘feet on the floor’, where the liver fires up the burners for the day by releasing stored glucose either in the early hours of the morning, or as soon ay you get out of bed.
This can mean that your levels rise overnight, even though you’ve not eaten anything!
Is it just the case that sometimes we just cannot control it? Because I thought it was all down to me counting my carbs, and trying not to become to overwhelmed with stuff - which I have been doing which is why I’m super annoyed at my sugars this morning lol. It’s a minefield and I guess I’m just touching the surface but I’m learning so much from this forum. It truly is a god send.
Wow! I have never ever had this speech from a doctor. Sometimes I have breakfast (but never wallpaper paste ... I mean porridge). Sometimes I don't. Some times I have 1 meal a day and sometimes I have 4.
Sure, it helps if we live exactly the same life every day but, in my experience, the amount of exercise I do or stress I experience in a day has a bigger impact on my basal requirements than the food I eat which I take bolus for.
I assume you are currently on fixed doses which is probably why the doctor advised you have the same type of food each day - I sometimes have a cheese toastie lunch and sometimes I have an omelette - the carb content and insulin requirements are very different.
I will add the caveat that I am not a doctor.
Yeah he wasn’t ideal, was just a doctor from the out of hours when my sugars were high - wasn’t my diabetes team or anything - he asked if I drank full sugar drinks, I explained I never do but then he began to ask me what exact drinks I drink as if I’m either lying or unable to read the nutritional info. Lol.
It’s a toughie as I was on a diet and following a low carb/fasting regimen where as that seems to be out of the window at least for now! X
It’s a toughie as I was on a diet and following a low carb/fasting regimen where as that seems to be out of the window at least for now! X
You know what, its probably just me but I cannot drink Diet Coke, I react the same as I would if it was full fat. I tried caffeine free thinking it could be that but I still spike. I know most are perfectly fine with it so it may be something strange with just me but I’m the same with most diet pop. I’m not that bothered because I didn’t really drink much fizzy pop anyway but sometimes I just fancy one. Never-mind my body hates me 🙄
You know, mine hates me too
My diabetes nurse told me to cut my one (sugar free) monster a day because she said it triggers some hormone release in your body that can affect your blood sugars. Okay fine.
She also told me that with some people that the flavour element in Pepsi max raspberry or Pepsi maxi lime spikes some peoples blood sugars, so, cut them out.
At this point I’m going to be on a water diet
I had a raspberry herbal tea zero cals/carbs and was shocked at the spike … so I’m thinking we may as well just eat cake !!
trophywench
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- Type 1
Humph. The thing that is pretty essential for most people - with D or not - is not 'breakfast' actually, but 'to break your fast' - ie. the fast that we all have by going to bed, sleeping and then waking and getting out of bed in a morning.
I used Lantus for a number of years and nobody ever told me it only worked in the first place unless I ate carbs! As I was always told to inject it before bed, that would have been a bit strange ....... Have they changed how it does what it does without publicising that? Seems unlikely ........
They did however tell me to always eat brekkie (and another 2 meals a day) in 1972 when they started me off on porcine Ultralente 80u/ml. I rarely did then either .......
OMG, how am I still alive?
(er, yes, that is a rhetorical question .......)
I used Lantus for a number of years and nobody ever told me it only worked in the first place unless I ate carbs! As I was always told to inject it before bed, that would have been a bit strange ....... Have they changed how it does what it does without publicising that? Seems unlikely ........
They did however tell me to always eat brekkie (and another 2 meals a day) in 1972 when they started me off on porcine Ultralente 80u/ml. I rarely did then either .......
OMG, how am I still alive?
(er, yes, that is a rhetorical question .......)
nonethewiser
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- Type 1
Very rarely go without breakfast, feel so much better for having it & stops bg rising to stupid numbers.
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Well, I know I only have lived experience of diabetes, rather than medical qualifications and all that… but from my perspective that’s hogwash, or at the very least only fractionally true.
Lantus has to be balanced with your basal insulin needs. If you take too much you will need to ‘feed it’ to prevent lows, but if it’s correctly balanced for your current needs (which can change over time) it should hold your BG steady overnight and whenever you are not eating.
Many people with T1 find it slightly easier to keep to a fairly consistent schedule, just because it limits the number of variables, but there’s no reason to have to follow a rigid routine. this is one of the main benefits of flexible insulin therapy.
You can follow whichever diet suits you as long as it is nutritionally complete, suits your tastebuds, your waistline, and your bank balance. There are forum members who have success managing their T1 with a whole range of carb intakes and menu styles.
YES! If your insulin (especially Lantus) is adjusted to suit you properly you should be able to delay, increase, reduce, or skip meals as it suits you.
It might take a bit of careful experimentation, but you can certainly do that if it’s important to you 🙂
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