BS Monitoring how often and when?

[cdspeed]

I have been told to test morning and before evening meal.
Is this right, should I do it after meals as I see some do it 2hrs after foods too.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi,

There are 2 reasons to test.
The first is just to keep an eye on your base levels. When you first get up and before your evening meal will give you the best idea of this.

The second is to test out what your meals do to your levels so you can learn which foods you can or can't cope with, because we all have different metabolisms and all cope with food differently. Test immediately before you eat, then at 2 hours after your first bite, and also at 1 hour if you wish. The difference between the before and 2hrs after should ideally be under 2 mmol/l. If it spikes high then there is something in that meal that disagrees with you. If you are doing this, you need to keep a food diary of everything you eat and drink during the day, including the portions, and record your before and after levels alongside so you can look back and learn from it.

 

[vicky72]

Hi, I am testing all the time at the moment so see what I can eat without my levels getting high. I have 3 meals and test one before I eat, and hour after and two hours after that. I also test first thing in the morning and at night, fingers are now getting sore but needs must. If you do a food diary too it really helps. Everyone is different with what they can and cant eat and its the only way to find out what your body will tolerate. x

 

[Type1Bri]

If you have a smartphone there is an app called fat secret, great for food and carb tracking. Just check the values marry up with what's on nutrition labels!!

 

[Scandichic]

When I was first diagnosed I kept a food diary and tested fasting bs, before food and 2 hours after food. Now I test when i feel funny or if I introduce something new. ThenI test every half hour to see if there's a spike. I usually test at least once in the day after my evening meal. My fasting is always in the 6 range but in the 5s mid morning.

 

[Robert 2170]

Does no one test before they drive as this is a legal requirement from the DVLA

 

[vicky72]

I'm Pre diabetic my doc never mentioned it, I will ask thou

 

[Bluetit1802]

Does no one test before they drive as this is a legal requirement from the DVLA

That only applies to insulin users and certain insulin promoting tablets that can cause hypos.

 

[Scandichic]

When I was first diagnosed I kept a food diary and tested fasting bs, before food and 2 hours after food. Now I test when i feel funny or if I introduce something new. ThenI test every half hour to see if there's a spike. I usually test at least once in the day after my evening meal. My fasting is always in the 6 range but in the 5s mid morning.

 

[Sherly800]

I test twice a day and that's 2 hours before and after my meal. I've had great help with reading materials and one of them was " Don't Mess With Your sugar, Honey" by Dr. Zilber helped a lot in understanding diabetes better. His book helps in understanding different ways to monitor blood glucose effectively.

 

[andcol]

I test twice a day and that's 2 hours before and after my meal. I've had great help with reading materials and one of them was " Don't Mess With Your sugar, Honey" by Dr. Zilber helped a lot in understanding diabetes better. His book helps in understanding different ways to monitor blood glucose effectively.

Why do you test 2 hours before eating or was this a typo?

 

[jon200]

Do people tend to test daily?

I'll be getting my monitor tomorrow, and unsure whether i should be testing daily, weekly etc.

 

[andcol]

Before I eat and two hours after. Also first thing in morning if that doesn't coincide with breakfast

 

[jon200]

Before I eat and two hours after. Also first thing in morning if that doesn't coincide with breakfast

Thanks Andrew - is that daily?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Do people tend to test daily?

I'll be getting my monitor tomorrow, and unsure whether i should be testing daily, weekly etc.

If you have a read back through the posts you will see most of us test daily, and frequently, initially. As your levels improve and you have learnt which foods you can and can't eat, your testing will also reduce.

 

[Mike d]

OK Morning guys.

Courtesy of the VERY able assistance on this board and after some appropriate prompting from some members, I bought a meter this morning.

The chemist took me thru EVERYTHING in loading and using the meter and even thru in a pack of 100 strips !!

He took a reading (and this as an hour after breakfast) and it was 7.4 ... he reckons that's fine.

Is there a chart somewhere you can download / print that shows what's good and what's bad in terms of numbers whether you test first thing in the morning, before you got to be and in between?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Brunneria]

OK Morning guys.

Courtesy of the VERY able assistance on this board and after some appropriate prompting from some members, I bought a meter this morning.

The chemist took me thru EVERYTHING in loading and using the meter and even thru in a pack of 100 strips !!

He took a reading (and this as an hour after breakfast) and it was 7.4 ... he reckons that's fine.

Is there a chart somewhere you can download / print that shows what's good and what's bad in terms of numbers whether you test first thing in the morning, before you got to be and in between?

Thanks

Mike

Hi Mike, and welcome to the forum!

If you follow the bloodsugar101 link in my sig, you will find a website that answers all those questions - in far more detail that you will ever get out of a doc, in a 10 min appt!