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Why 2 hours
- Thread starter OhJoy
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D
Deleted member 21371
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Two hours is the standard time it takes a none diabetic to bring their glucose down to below 8.5.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I did a few more frequent tests early on and noted that the 2 hour one seemed to give the best indication of both the suitability of the meal and my response to it.
Once I began to see after meal numbers under 8mmol/l I kept eating the same meals and saw how the numbers at the 2 hour point were falling week by week.
D
Deleted member 21371
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Two hours after finishing eating, so after the desert.
42istheanswer
Well-Known Member
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- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
2 hours after first mouthful I thought?
In the early days I tested immediately before eating and at 1 2 and 3 hours..
Gives you data more to see what happen to your bloods when you eat and a better understand of how much insulin resistance you have.
D
Deleted member 21371
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The official guidance on this site is
"If you have type 2 diabetes
- before meals: 4 to 7mmol/l
- two hours after meals: less than 8.5mmol/l"
I've always read "after meals" as after it's finished so that means after I've stopped eating to me.
I've had meals out that take two hours or more, so I'd still be eating if I timed it from the starter arriving.
D
Deleted member 21371
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Is there actually any definitive statement anywhere, as this does come up often, and it seems to be a personal regime?
As you say though, it's purely for guidance, but in this case, starting the clock with the first bite, then having a pudding maybe 30 minutes plus later is going to skew the result.
I know mine would have been unreliable if I tested while still eating a meal for certain.
Although I suppose if you are looking for an insulin response, that should have taken effect.
But then that would equally kick off from the pre dinner drinks?
So there could be a double or triple dip in there.
Presumably if you use a continuous glucose monitor then you can see from graph how blood glucose levels correlate with eating. One might have to impose an activity/non-activitity (eg gym sessions or whatever!) correlation as well to give a more accurate picture? (plus log the type of exercise, eg cardio or resistance training etc etc)
Might also have to impose eg adrenaline etc levels as well, to see if that has an impact on blood glucose?
Maybe what we need is one of those boards that Dr McCoy had in the Enterprise sick bay over the heads of the patients on the highly uncomfortable looking couches, with little red lights going up and down all the time presumably monitoring all their levels of everything!!! 🙂
Might also have to impose eg adrenaline etc levels as well, to see if that has an impact on blood glucose?
Maybe what we need is one of those boards that Dr McCoy had in the Enterprise sick bay over the heads of the patients on the highly uncomfortable looking couches, with little red lights going up and down all the time presumably monitoring all their levels of everything!!! 🙂
D
Deleted member 21371
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harbottle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
When I used CGMs I sometimes saw two rises when I had a pudding (Due to the low carb nature of both it was a gentle ascent up into the 6s and then down again and then back up again a short time later.). I have seen a blog where a non-diabetic ate a MacDonalds and one of those atrocities they call 'apple pies' and saw two peaks up over 10. I think the guy was a doctor. It quite surprised him. (What was noticeable was how quickly it dropped from the peaks down to a normal level.)
I also used to see mine fall when I started eating as well (Which might the cephalic phase, a small burst of insulin you get when you eat - there's also a first phase which is triggered by a 'square wave' of glucose in the blood, i.e., a sudden rise, and consists of stored insulin being released. An oral glucose test to check if this response is working - I'm not sure a low carb meal that just sees a small rise will trigger.)
The CGMs were interesting, as I found that stress affected me far more than food, and also that I don't seem to get any of the common problems with morning sugars being high. Going to work and having stressful meetings, however, was another story... cortisol/adrenaline cause insulin resistance and increased glucose release.
Exercise was interesting, as I never saw it go up at all, always down, and quite dramatically so, sometimes down into the 3s. After a short rest it would slowly rise back up to the 5s. After a meal I found that a short walk could bring it down very quickly.
When you do an oral glucose test, they make you sit for two hours and do nothing.
Just goes to show, yet again, however complex our body's metabolism is, and how individual as well.
The interaction of adrenaline/cortisol etc not just with 'stress' (a mentally caused condition with physical concomittants) but with exercise (the good old flight-or-fight reaction!), would be another complication I guessl.
The interaction of adrenaline/cortisol etc not just with 'stress' (a mentally caused condition with physical concomittants) but with exercise (the good old flight-or-fight reaction!), would be another complication I guessl.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I test at two hours after the first test, which is done just before starting to eat.
Think of it as starting the process of digestion and testing the interaction between food and metabolism.
SomethingElse
Member
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- Type 2
Just to ask as another newbie.
I’ve got a Libre 2 and I’m testing things at the moment. I had a Greek salad and a whole meal pitta for lunch. Started at 6.3 and 45 mins later I’m at 11.2.
If my level comes back under 8.5 two hours after eating, regardless of the spike level, is that seen as reasonable? Is the height of the spike not relevant if it’s back below 8.5 two hours after the first bite?
I thought the spike itself wasn’t supposed to go over 8.5 (seen 7.8 used too) at all, even if it comes down quickly?
I’m still trying to figure out how spikes matter for me. I’m under 40 with type 2 if it makes a difference.
I’ve got a Libre 2 and I’m testing things at the moment. I had a Greek salad and a whole meal pitta for lunch. Started at 6.3 and 45 mins later I’m at 11.2.
If my level comes back under 8.5 two hours after eating, regardless of the spike level, is that seen as reasonable? Is the height of the spike not relevant if it’s back below 8.5 two hours after the first bite?
I thought the spike itself wasn’t supposed to go over 8.5 (seen 7.8 used too) at all, even if it comes down quickly?
I’m still trying to figure out how spikes matter for me. I’m under 40 with type 2 if it makes a difference.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
It would be perfectly reasonable for me. I range between 7 and 12. The 7 is around my base level and I get a 12 if I test and catch what is a short lived peak after eating a moderate carb meal. I would expect to get back to 7 or 8 before my next meal.
I'm personally happy with these figures. They will give me a HbA1c close to the diagnosis level which I am content to live with. Were I younger then maybe I would try and get lower but at my age more exercise is out, I am at a decent weight and reducing carb intake would mean more faffing around than I am prepared to put up with. I could do it by taking more medication but I don't see what I would be guarding against by doing so.
Others might not agree with my approach but I will not argue the point with them because I respect the fact that there are many different ways of going about achieving an end and each has merits. You have just got to sort out what suits you and your way of doing things.
I'm personally happy with these figures. They will give me a HbA1c close to the diagnosis level which I am content to live with. Were I younger then maybe I would try and get lower but at my age more exercise is out, I am at a decent weight and reducing carb intake would mean more faffing around than I am prepared to put up with. I could do it by taking more medication but I don't see what I would be guarding against by doing so.
Others might not agree with my approach but I will not argue the point with them because I respect the fact that there are many different ways of going about achieving an end and each has merits. You have just got to sort out what suits you and your way of doing things.
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Non diabetics can go over 8.5 after meals but will come down quickly.
I always thought the two hours things was an average.
Different food is digested at different rates so assuming all peaks come down to 8.5 after 2 hours assumes all food is digested within that time.
As someone treating my diabetes with insulin, I am very aware of fast acting carbs (to treat a hypo) which can affect my levels in 10 minutes or less and slow acting carbs (such as pizza) which can be affecting my levels 4 or 5 hours after eating.
Different food is digested at different rates so assuming all peaks come down to 8.5 after 2 hours assumes all food is digested within that time.
As someone treating my diabetes with insulin, I am very aware of fast acting carbs (to treat a hypo) which can affect my levels in 10 minutes or less and slow acting carbs (such as pizza) which can be affecting my levels 4 or 5 hours after eating.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think that's on of those "this is never really finished" ponderings for me.
Initially aiming to get a small rise of 2-3mmol/L above the starting point can show progress even if the numbers themselves are above 8.5. So 9 before eating and 11 at 2 hours may be seen as a pretty decent result in some contexts even though both numbers are higher than recommended.
Then once things have started to get a bit more 'in range', aiming for a rise of 2-3 between before and after readings should keep you below 8.5 at 2hrs most of the time.
Then if you discover you are having 1hr readings that you'd prefer not to have then you might fine-tune still further.
It's a balance between keeping your way of eating flexible, enjoyable, and workable for you - while also aiming for the sorts of BG results that you feel effectively reduce your risks of diabetes complications over the long term.
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