Just started using a meter.

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NickS

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all,
I was diagnosed in October last year with a scary HBA1c of 115. After significant lifestyle changes, i got it down to 53 by my next test in Jan 2022. I have relaxed a little, but not much. I decided to start using a meter for a week or so to see which foods/meals had a bad effect on me.
I was a little dissapointed with my results.
29/03/22.7.30am. 8.6mmol.
29/03/22. 1.30pm. 11.9. After eating porridge, berries and yoghurt.
2 hours later. 9.2.
This morning 7.7 on waking. 7.6 pre breakfast. 8.2 two hours after bacon and eggs, 7.1 pre-dinner.
That's all I've done so far.
It seems high to me and I'm worried that when I have my blood test in April, my HBA1c will have risen again.
Am I expecting too much too quickly? I am going to increase my exercise levels and concentrate on cutting more carbs out. Though I have already cut out bread, pasta, rice, sugar, cakes, etc, etc. My slight relaxation was to have a bacon sandwich now and then and a mug cake made with almond flour and sweetener.
Any advice or comments would be welcome.
I forgot to say that I am also taking 2 Metformin twice a day.
Thank you.
Cheers
Nick
 
NickS said:
Hi all,
I was diagnosed in October last year with a scary HBA1c of 115. After significant lifestyle changes, i got it down to 53 by my next test in Jan 2022. I have relaxed a little, but not much. I decided to start using a meter for a week or so to see which foods/meals had a bad effect on me.
I was a little dissapointed with my results.
29/03/22.7.30am. 8.6mmol.
29/03/22. 1.30pm. 11.9. After eating porridge, berries and yoghurt.
2 hours later. 9.2.
This morning 7.7 on waking. 7.6 pre breakfast. 8.2 two hours after bacon and eggs, 7.1 pre-dinner.
That's all I've done so far.
It seems high to me and I'm worried that when I have my blood test in April, my HBA1c will have risen again.
Am I expecting too much too quickly? I am going to increase my exercise levels and concentrate on cutting more carbs out. Though I have already cut out bread, pasta, rice, sugar, cakes, etc, etc. My slight relaxation was to have a bacon sandwich now and then and a mug cake made with almond flour and sweetener.
Any advice or comments would be welcome.
I forgot to say that I am also taking 2 Metformin twice a day.
Thank you.
Cheers
Nick
Click to expand...
From those few readings I would suggest porridge is not so good but bacon and egg is pretty good. But your level is still somewhat higher than you should be aiming at 4-7mmol/l before meals or fasting and less than 8.5mmol/l 2 hours post meal so keep working on your diet.
No need to cut carbs completely but if you are having less than 130g per day already then look to cutting to maybe 100g. Increase protein and veg and salad to compensate.
 
Hi Nick, firstly, well done on getting your HbA1c down from 115, and for using a meter to try and find out what particular meals do for your BG.
I also test my BG, in the morning when I wake up, and just before the first bite of a meal, and two hours afterwards. I keep a note of what I've had to eat on a spreadsheet, so I can track what different meals do. The advice on the forum is to try and keep the BG rise to two or less two hours after the meal, so if you got 7.6 pre breakfast, and 8.2 after bacon and eggs, that looks good. I think the porridge, berries and yogurt, you were 11.9 before and 9.2 after? or am I getting it round the wrong way? Could you try walnuts, berries and yogurt instead and see if that gives you a lower reading? I can't eat oats without a BG spike, so usually have omelette for breakfast, with a small bowl yogurt, walnuts/pecans and berries after.

Do you test first thing in the morning whilst you're in bed, or after you've pottered about making tea etc? Some diabetics get a higher reading after they've got out of bed as the liver gives out glucose to get the body powered up for the day ahead, "foot on the floor".

It looks like you're mostly doing the right stuff to me, give or take the odd bacon sarnie, but you should be able to have the odd treat, and the mug cake sounds nice, I think you need to give it a bit of time. Test and find out what each meal does, keep notes, and you can fine tune your meals.
Sarah
 
Windy said:
Hi Nick, firstly, well done on getting your HbA1c down from 115, and for using a meter to try and find out what particular meals do for your BG.
I also test my BG, in the morning when I wake up, and just before the first bite of a meal, and two hours afterwards. I keep a note of what I've had to eat on a spreadsheet, so I can track what different meals do. The advice on the forum is to try and keep the BG rise to two or less two hours after the meal, so if you got 7.6 pre breakfast, and 8.2 after bacon and eggs, that looks good. I think the porridge, berries and yogurt, you were 11.9 before and 9.2 after? or am I getting it round the wrong way? Could you try walnuts, berries and yogurt instead and see if that gives you a lower reading? I can't eat oats without a BG spike, so usually have omelette for breakfast, with a small bowl yogurt, walnuts/pecans and berries after.

Do you test first thing in the morning whilst you're in bed, or after you've pottered about making tea etc? Some diabetics get a higher reading after they've got out of bed as the liver gives out glucose to get the body powered up for the day ahead, "foot on the floor".

It looks like you're mostly doing the right stuff to me, give or take the odd bacon sarnie, but you should be able to have the odd treat, and the mug cake sounds nice, I think you need to give it a bit of time. Test and find out what each meal does, keep notes, and you can fine tune your meals.
Sarah
Click to expand...
Thank you Sarah, That is really reassuring. I have read about foot on the floor, so I will trst in bed. Although how i'm meant to wash my hands in warm, soapy water without getting out of bed, I'm not sure. That is the instruction on my meter. If I eat my last meal of the day at around 7.00pm and test at around 8.00am and the reading is still around 7to 8 I'm not sure what I can do about it! I'm just making a list of very low carb foods and then I'm on a recipe hunt. Thanks again for your reply. Take care.
Cheers
Nick
 
Leadinglights said:
From those few readings I would suggest porridge is not so good but bacon and egg is pretty good. But your level is still somewhat higher than you should be aiming at 4-7mmol/l before meals or fasting and less than 8.5mmol/l 2 hours post meal so keep working on your diet.
No need to cut carbs completely but if you are having less than 130g per day already then look to cutting to maybe 100g. Increase protein and veg and salad to compensate.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Researching better meals as we speak.
 
NickS said:
Thank you Sarah, That is really reassuring. I have read about foot on the floor, so I will trst in bed. Although how i'm meant to wash my hands in warm, soapy water without getting out of bed, I'm not sure. That is the instruction on my meter. If I eat my last meal of the day at around 7.00pm and test at around 8.00am and the reading is still around 7to 8 I'm not sure what I can do about it! I'm just making a list of very low carb foods and then I'm on a recipe hunt. Thanks again for your reply. Take care.
Cheers
Nick
Click to expand...
I'm not sure about the soap bit of it, but you could put a glass of water (or a flask of warm water?) next to the bed and use that to moisten a tissue or flannel to wipe your fingers with before you test.
Are you drinking enough water in the evening? I get a higher morning reading if I don't have a cup of tea or two after my evening meal.
Good luck with your revised meals and working on your BG. I can recommend roasted Mediterranean vegetables (peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms, aubergine, asparagus?) with halloumi (or chicken/ salmon/ Quorn/ cooked chickpeas), served with a couple of spoons of Greek yogurt and a bit of mint sauce as a lowish carb meal.
You take care too, and let us know how you're doing, Sarah
 
NickS said:
Thank you Sarah, That is really reassuring. I have read about foot on the floor, so I will trst in bed. Although how i'm meant to wash my hands in warm, soapy water without getting out of bed, I'm not sure. That is the instruction on my meter. If I eat my last meal of the day at around 7.00pm and test at around 8.00am and the reading is still around 7to 8 I'm not sure what I can do about it! I'm just making a list of very low carb foods and then I'm on a recipe hunt. Thanks again for your reply. Take care.
Cheers
Nick
Click to expand...
Wash your hands before bed and don't touch anything sugary overnight
 
I just wipe the first drop away (usually on the back of my other hand) and test the second drop. That usually ensures no contamination if washing hands isn't practical but as @Lucyr says, it is really only an issue if you might have something sweet on your hands from handling food.... Things which people have found compromised finger prick tests are a little bit of dried juice residue from eating an apple or other fruit, same from chopping onions, handling a jar of chutney which had a tiny spillage down the outside, same with jam or marmalde, even if the person was passing it to a family member and not eating it themselves, contamination is quite easy to pick up from foods.
If you are going to take water to bed to wash your hands in the morning, do ensure that your test finger is dry as a clean wet finger can also compromise your reading.
 
Being a 'wheelchair guy' I sometimes don't get chance to wash my hands before testing when I'm out & about. My results always are reliable enough to go on. I'm terrible, I'll suck my fingertip clean before I test, I suck the rest of the blood off too. I'm disgusting 🙂
Yeah your numbers are a bit high, but obviously a darn sight better than they where before you were diagnosed. It's a process, it takes time to adapt your lifestyle & your medication requirements, contact your diabetic team & they may need to increase your Metformin.
But in all honesty I don't really know much about Metformin or oral diabetes medication as I use insulin injections & carb count.
Regardless, don't beat yourself up about higher numbers, even outside factors like stress or illness (for example a cold) can affect your blood sugars. Look at it this way, you're on the right track.
 
If you are a builder, gardener, zoo keeper, refuse operative or just been eg weeding/cleaning - yes indeed wash your hands. As a 'white collar' worker all my life, there's rarely been a time I've felt I needed to wash my hands before testing, so far.
 
As an outdoor worker with animals and manure I rarely have the opportunity to wash my hands when I need to test. I also take the view that I cut my hands on all sorts of things which are dirty so a lancet is unlikely to introduce anything into my body that it doesn't already deal with on a regular basis and which a healthy (if slightly too keen) immune system can't cope with. I choose the cleanest finger (usually still pretty grimey), prick, wipe away the first drop and test the second.
I wouldn't dream of sucking a dirty finger clean before testing. I know where those hands have been to get dirty and don't fancy that stuff in my mouth.
 
Windy said:
I can recommend the Caldesi diabetes cookbook and the Blood sugar diet ones (and the fast 800 one by the same author), if you're looking for lower carb recipes. Or there's a loads on google (but I'm sure you knew that!)
Click to expand...
I second the Caldesi recommendations - their recipes are quick, easy and delicious. (Which is no surprise, as he's a chef who's been on TV a few times - and he reversed his T2D.)
 
Wheelz said:
Being a 'wheelchair guy' I sometimes don't get chance to wash my hands before testing when I'm out & about. My results always are reliable enough to go on. I'm terrible, I'll suck my fingertip clean before I test, I suck the rest of the blood off too. I'm disgusting 🙂
Yeah your numbers are a bit high, but obviously a darn sight better than they where before you were diagnosed. It's a process, it takes time to adapt your lifestyle & your medication requirements, contact your diabetic team & they may need to increase your Metformin.
But in all honesty I don't really know much about Metformin or oral diabetes medication as I use insulin injections & carb count.
Regardless, don't beat yourself up about higher numbers, even outside factors like stress or illness (for example a cold) can affect your blood sugars. Look at it this way, you're on the right track.
Click to expand...
Cheers Wheelz, really appreciate your words. Love your style too. Take care.
 
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