Testing blood sugar levels

[Kimblewoman]

It's been a while since I have been on here but hope you are all well and would like some advice on blood testing , here it goes should you be too concerned if an hour after eating you test and your blood sugar sometimes is 10 then at 2 hours it's in the normal range ? Any advice welcomed as this year has been a roller coaster off a year for all of us and for me I haven't been so good but for the last 13 weeks I began more carb aware again , and just started doing lots off testing as hbalc in October was 52 but did have a steroid injection my shoulder so could off been that but trying hard .

 

[Annette&Bert]

Generally speaking, can someone tell me at what point [and reason] is it determined that a type 2 patient is put on insulin?

 

[Sally71]

Generally speaking, can someone tell me at what point [and reason] is it determined that a type 2 patient is put on insulin?

Probably when you’ve tried all other options and still can’t get your blood sugars down. It doesn’t mean that you are a failure if this happens to you, everyone’s diabetes is different!

 

[grovesy]

Probably when you’ve tried all other options and still can’t get your blood sugars down. It doesn’t mean that you are a failure if this happens to you, everyone’s diabetes is different!

I agree.
Also these days there are some newer drugs that are injectable once a week they are not insulin. They seem to be more commonly used over the last few months we seem to be getting more people asking about other experience on them, but for some reason many don't seem to either hand around or feedback. I belive the name is Ozempic seems to be the common one. Others are Victoza, Byetta, and Trulicity.

 

[Annette&Bert]

Thanks because I have been really worried. I know all the time what I should be doing and why, sometimes It all gets me down. But I recall being told by the nurse at my last practice that she was hoping I never ended up on insulin because it “causes weight gain”, it has worried me ever s8nce.

Also, last year towards the end/start of this year my GP said he was waiting to hear when this weekly drug would be at his practice, so that I could have it, because some of the drugs have given me side effects I can’t live with. Because of Covid it seems to have disappeared into the ether!

 

[rebrascora]

I have been on insulin for nearly 2 years and still slowly losing weight (I want to get down to my 18yr old self and not got much further to go) but that is because I use as little insulin as possible, follow a low carb diet and get plenty of exercise. The insulin does not cause weight gain in itself, it is using too much of it because you eat too many carbs which causes weight gain, same as a normal person producing enough of their own insulin and eating too many carbs.

 

[Eddy Edson]

It's been a while since I have been on here but hope you are all well and would like some advice on blood testing , here it goes should you be too concerned if an hour after eating you test and your blood sugar sometimes is 10 then at 2 hours it's in the normal range ? Any advice welcomed as this year has been a roller coaster off a year for all of us and for me I haven't been so good but for the last 13 weeks I began more carb aware again , and just started doing lots off testing as hbalc in October was 52 but did have a steroid injection my shoulder so could off been that but trying hard .

Short answer: By itself, it's probably not something to be very concerned about if you're down to "normal" levels after a couple of hours. Eg: Non-diabetics sometimes go above 10 at 30min - 60min after eating.

(More nerdy answer: in the most detailed study I've seen, 13% of a non-diabetic population spent a bit of time above 10 after eating.)

It's probably more a case of noticing whether things are changing. If eg you notice yourself starting to go higher or staying high for longer, then maybe a reason to think about what action to take.

 

[Sally71]

Insulin does not cause weight gain, if that were so my mum, who has been type 1 for 53 years, would be the size of a house, and she isn’t! What it does do is allow your body to use carbohydrates properly for energy again, if you don’t have enough insulin in your body you are likely to lose weight as your food isn’t getting to where it is needed in the body. Once you have insulin again your food can do what it needs to again, so you might put back what you have lost, but as long as you are eating sensible portions then you are no more likely to be overweight than anyone else.

 

[Kimblewoman]

Post-prandial testing is usually done at the 2 hour mark, ie 2 hours after starting a meal. To be back into normal range after 2 hours is good. As a T2 my target is to be under 8.5 after 2 hours and these days it's rare for me not to be. I've never tested after an hour, always after two.

Martin

Thanks for that

 

[Annette&Bert]

It just shows how loose the information is when given the initial diagnoses. I can do nothing about exercise unfortunately, I have gone from walking 4 miles a day with my dogs, going to a gymn 4 days a week, to being hardly able to walk from my front door to my car in my driveway less than 10ft. Away, sadly!

one of the big things that get me down more than any other single thing is that I have to pay someone to walk my 3 dogs for me. I don’t think even people who know me realize the effect not walking anywhere affects me mentally.

I keep seeing comments, not just here, about the need for exercise. I agree wholeheartedly, but please think about those who cannot, and who are thus powerless to change the situation!

 

[Kimblewoman]

Short answer: By itself, it's probably not something to be very concerned about if you're down to "normal" levels after a couple of hours. Eg: Non-diabetics sometimes go above 10 at 30min - 60min after eating.

(More nerdy answer: in the most detailed study I've seen, 13% of a non-diabetic population spent a bit of time above 10 after eating.)

It's probably more a case of noticing whether things are changing. If eg you notice yourself starting to go higher or staying high for longer, then maybe a reason to think about what action to take.

Thanks for that

 

[Kimblewoman]

It just shows how loose the information is when given the initial diagnoses. I can do nothing about exercise unfortunately, I have gone from walking 4 miles a day with my dogs, going to a gymn 4 days a week, to being hardly able to walk from my front door to my car in my driveway less than 10ft. Away, sadly!

one of the big things that get me down more than any other single thing is that I have to pay someone to walk my 3 dogs for me. I don’t think even people who know me realize the effect not walking anywhere affects me mentally.

I keep seeing comments, not just here, about the need for exercise. I agree wholeheartedly, but please think about those who cannot, and who are thus powerless to change the situation!

I feel for you , as you said we are all different x

 

[trophywench]

Many years ago when Adam was a lad and people like me, Pumper_Sue and Amanda were diagnosed T1, the animal insulins which were then at the world's disposal required us to eat X amount of carbs at X exact intervals every single day of our lives and constantly strictly 'eat to the insulin' rather than being able to adjust very much at all, if we didn't want to suffer. We really did need to have pretty rigid lifestyles. Don't be ridiculous telling me you can't eat this that or the other - if you want to stay alive you'll have to! 'Want' or 'like' does not come into this equation.

Things absolutely HAVE changed for the better more recently!

But if the medical training people had, happened when they were in their youths, then that wasn't very 'recent', was it?

 

[Kimblewoman]

Post-prandial testing is usually done at the 2 hour mark, ie 2 hours after starting a meal. To be back into normal range after 2 hours is good. As a T2 my target is to be under 8.5 after 2 hours and these days it's rare for me not to be. I've never tested after an hour, always after two.

Martin

Hi Martin, just wondering if you could share some tips on what you eat regarding low carb and any excise you do to off management to get into remission, well done you

 

[grovesy]

It just shows how loose the information is when given the initial diagnoses. I can do nothing about exercise unfortunately, I have gone from walking 4 miles a day with my dogs, going to a gymn 4 days a week, to being hardly able to walk from my front door to my car in my driveway less than 10ft. Away, sadly!

one of the big things that get me down more than any other single thing is that I have to pay someone to walk my 3 dogs for me. I don’t think even people who know me realize the effect not walking anywhere affects me mentally.

I keep seeing comments, not just here, about the need for exercise. I agree wholeheartedly, but please think about those who cannot, and who are thus powerless to change the situation!

Sorry to hear you are unable to walk your dogs. Dog walking is such a good form of exercise.

 

[rebrascora]

@Annette&Bertie
It must be awful not being able to walk your dogs and having to pay someone else to do it for you. I am sorry if my comment about exercise was upsetting. I was purely speaking about my own experience but when you can't get out and you would love to, it must be like rubbing salt in the wound. Are there any exercises you can do in your home.... seated exercises perhaps, even just dancing with your arms to some good music or tapping your feet.... any sort of movement helps and dancing always lifts my spirits.... especially to 70s and 80's music....I must do this tonight because I need an emotional boost at the moment..... party for one at my place tonight!

 

[Annette&Bert]

@Annette&Bertie
It must be awful not being able to walk your dogs and having to pay someone else to do it for you. I am sorry if my comment about exercise was upsetting. I was purely speaking about my own experience but when you can't get out and you would love to, it must be like rubbing salt in the wound. Are there any exercises you can do in your home.... seated exercises perhaps, even just dancing with your arms to some good music or tapping your feet.... any sort of movement helps and dancing always lifts my spirits.... especially to 70s and 80's music....I must do this tonight because I need an emotional boost at the moment..... party for one at my place tonight!

Hi, no your comments didn’t upset me. It is just a general perception, even with GPS that everyone can do physical exercise. I can tell you tge best form of exercise is walking and breathing in nice coastal air, I so miss it. It costs me £60 a week to have my dogs walked twice a week, otherwise loving dogs as much as I do, the guilt would have been awful, a shame for my dogs. I have discovered over the years, none of us knows what lies ahead, even when you think you are fit and healthy, then in a whiff you discover otherwise.

Also, where diabetes typ 2 is concerned, it depends where you live, and what kind of GP practice you have

 

[Annemarie]

@Annette&Bertie I am so with you in spirit! I did 3 dog walks a day, walked to the shops, enjoyed walking around the countryside in The Cotswolds whenever I could. Since January I have progressed from a wheelchair to hobbling round the house on crutches. My weight has gone up by c26lb and I hate it. I think I’m struggling with acceptance of my new life style and food needs but I need to just get on with it. I know there are many, many people much worse off particularly this year, but that doesn’t always help does it?

 

[Kimblewoman]

Of course, but recognising that diet is a very individual thing and what I do won't necessarily suit anyone else.

I eat a lot of meat - chicken in various guises, gammon steak, beef mince and occasionally lamb. We have fish twice a week, generally salmon and tuna. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, courgette and green beans make up the bulk of my veg. Salads (mixed leaf, to which I add peppers, cucumber, grated carrot and coleslaw) generally twice a week, but more often in summer. Eggs and cheese feature a lot, too. For fruit I eat mostly strawberries, sometimes raspberries or blackberries, and I always have a pack of Summer Fruits Mix in the freezer. There's always a tub of Natural Full Fat Greek Yogurt in the fridge, which goes well with nuts & berries for a quick dessert, although some days I'll nick some of my wife's Natural Fermented Kefir if I'm too far over the RDA for saturated fat. I only snack on nuts, either in the form of a nut bar or a pack of something I discovered recently - Graze Chilli & Lime. I keep my bread intake to 3, occasionally 4, slices a day of Hovis Lower Carb, either as toast or a sandwich of ham or tuna. If we're having pasta I'll have a half portion of wholegrain spelt pasta, and if we're having rice I'll have riced cauliflower. I don't eat sweets, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, crisps, chips, pizza etc nor do I drink alcohol (I was tee total even before my diagnosis).

Low carb ranges from Keto right up to 130g per day and I'm currently averaging 120g, which I suspect is not typical. I know from my time on here that there are members who don't go anywhere near that level. I try to stay under 30g for breakfast, for lunch and for our evening meal so that I have 30g in the bank if I feel like a snack. I started keeping a food diary alongside my BG readings way back and I use a spreadsheet to record the carbs, calories, fat, protein and fibre content of everything I eat (I believe there are Apps for doing this but having worked in data analysis I'm comfortable with a spreadsheet).

My only exercise at the moment is walking, which I do a lot of. I used to swim every Monday but haven't been since March as the Council shut our pool at the start of lockdown and then brought forward its demolition as part of the town regeneration. We get it back in 2022.

I also shed some weight. I was 14st, now 12st and I feel fitter and healthier than I've felt in years.

Martin

Thankyou so much for sharing what you eat , it will really help me .I only eat breakfast and dinner and fast rest off the time but I aim for roughly 130g carbs or slightly lower .I am looking forward to my annual diabetic review to see if what I have been doing by then will be 16 weeks has lowered my hbalc from 52 what it was in October, fingers crossed it has .

 

[Kimblewoman]

Of course, but recognising that diet is a very individual thing and what I do won't necessarily suit anyone else.

I eat a lot of meat - chicken in various guises, gammon steak, beef mince and occasionally lamb. We have fish twice a week, generally salmon and tuna. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, courgette and green beans make up the bulk of my veg. Salads (mixed leaf, to which I add peppers, cucumber, grated carrot and coleslaw) generally twice a week, but more often in summer. Eggs and cheese feature a lot, too. For fruit I eat mostly strawberries, sometimes raspberries or blackberries, and I always have a pack of Summer Fruits Mix in the freezer. There's always a tub of Natural Full Fat Greek Yogurt in the fridge, which goes well with nuts & berries for a quick dessert, although some days I'll nick some of my wife's Natural Fermented Kefir if I'm too far over the RDA for saturated fat. I only snack on nuts, either in the form of a nut bar or a pack of something I discovered recently - Graze Chilli & Lime. I keep my bread intake to 3, occasionally 4, slices a day of Hovis Lower Carb, either as toast or a sandwich of ham or tuna. If we're having pasta I'll have a half portion of wholegrain spelt pasta, and if we're having rice I'll have riced cauliflower. I don't eat sweets, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, crisps, chips, pizza etc nor do I drink alcohol (I was tee total even before my diagnosis).

Low carb ranges from Keto right up to 130g per day and I'm currently averaging 120g, which I suspect is not typical. I know from my time on here that there are members who don't go anywhere near that level. I try to stay under 30g for breakfast, for lunch and for our evening meal so that I have 30g in the bank if I feel like a snack. I started keeping a food diary alongside my BG readings way back and I use a spreadsheet to record the carbs, calories, fat, protein and fibre content of everything I eat (I believe there are Apps for doing this but having worked in data analysis I'm comfortable with a spreadsheet).

My only exercise at the moment is walking, which I do a lot of. I used to swim every Monday but haven't been since March as the Council shut our pool at the start of lockdown and then brought forward its demolition as part of the town regeneration. We get it back in 2022.

I also shed some weight. I was 14st, now 12st and I feel fitter and healthier than I've felt in years.

Martin

Just a couple more questions do you eat potatoes in any form eggs roasted, jacket , boiled and do you drink milk and if you don't mind me asking but what kind , as this information truly helps me especially when I read your determination to get where you are today .I was diagnosed T2 the end off 2016 with a hbalc of 48 so no Meds , it stayed like that till 2019 when I sadly losed my father then with the stress it affected my health which raised it to 59 .I know take metformin 1 at breakfast and 2 at dinner and only this year I in January it fell back to 48 then back up to 52 in October, so reading people's success stories and them sharing information truly helps .