Testing too soon after eating???

[MikeZ]

I've only been testing for a short time, (5 weeks or so), and I've never had a super high number regardless of 2 hours after meals or fasting or whatever. The highest was 7.0 and I was only anywhere near that figure once.

Today I was trying to figure out how to manipulate the settings on my OneTouch Ultra 2 and I ended up needing to do a test in order to bring up a menu that I was interested in. Lo and behold I was 8.9! However, it was only 1 1/4 hours after drinking a fruit smoothie and maybe 30 minutes after eating an apple. I've never tried to test that soon after eating so I didn't know if it was normal to sort of spike like that so soon after eating.

I guess I've been under the assumption that the 2 hour wait period was to allow the sugars to get into your system. Now I am wondering if its more to allow your system to stabilize a bit.

For the record, I was trying to figure out how to get my meter to differentiate between fasting and 2 hours after meals. I am still stumped on that as it is not an option in my settings.

 

[Spiker]

Unfortunately most meters don't differentiate between the type of reading. You have to put that in your log book. Yes the two hour delay is as much to give all the food time to enter your system as it is time for your system to settle down. But you will probably see the highest spikes around the one hour mark. Some people test at 1 hr post meal just to see what foods have the worst effect on them. Others actively try to minimise even the 1 hr peak, but I would say this is an 'advanced topic'. You are doing well just testing before each meal and two hours after - good job!

 

[MikeZ]

Thanks for the insight Spiker!

However, on the meter settings subject: My meter does seem to allow for it because when I go to look for the averages, it asks me if I want them separated by fasting and 2 hours after.... or totalled together. I just can't seem to find where to turn the option ON that will allow for that. Knowing me, it's going to be something obvious... like a big RED button that says, "TURN ON FASTING VS. 2 HOURS AFTER"

 

[donnellysdogs]

Don't know what meter you are using but nirmally there is a choice of options to press directly after you have done the blood test.
If you don't hit a fasting button after the test it will just add your results in to the total average...
Most meters nowadays (dont think the codefree one thiugh- but stand to be corrected on that) allow you to put in pre food, post food, sleep, fasting or other.

 

[MikeZ]

Don't know what meter you are using but nirmally there is a choice of options to press directly after you have done the blood test.
If you don't hit a fasting button after the test it will just add your results in to the total average...
Most meters nowadays (dont think the codefree one thiugh- but stand to be corrected on that) allow you to put in pre food, post food, sleep, fasting or other.

Exactly! Which is why I tested at an odd time in the first place. I brought up the menu and it gave me every sort of option under the sky such as: Too Much Food, Heavy Exercise, Light Exercise, No Comment etc... But nothing about Fasting or 2 hours after. However, NONE of those options are offered when trying to see my averages. I even tried the "nuclear option" and read the **** directions. See, now I've done it! My blood pressure is probably going to harm me before diabetes has a chance.

 

[IanD]

That one-hour-after reading is an eye-opener !
This thread shows the danger of trusting the 2-hour BG reading.
The results for oat porridge come later in the thread.

The danger is that high BG does the damage, so the "normal" 2-hour readings and the HbA1c reading the doctors rely on give no indication at all of the dangerous high readings which occur within every hour of a high starchy carb meal.

My HbA1c dropped a little on adopting a LCHF diet, but my health improved radically.

Don't trust the 2-hour reading - it doesn't tell the whole truth.

 

[MikeZ]

That one-hour-after reading is an eye-opener !
This thread shows the danger of trusting the 2-hour BG reading.
The results for oat porridge come later in the thread.

The danger is that high BG does the damage, so the "normal" 2-hour readings and the HbA1c reading the doctors rely on give no indication at all of the dangerous high readings which occur within every hour of a high starchy carb meal.

My HbA1c dropped a little on adopting a LCHF diet, but my health improved radically.

Don't trust the 2-hour reading - it doesn't tell the whole truth.

Very interesting indeed. I just popped on to show my 2 hour reading... which was 4.0, no exercise, (checked twice to be sure!) Now I'm worried that the radical swing is dangerous.

I've been advised that my overall numbers are low enough to just test 3 or 4 times a week. But this thread has me rethinking the amount of fruit I've been eating in the mornings. In any event, thanks for all the insight! Very confusing. I can only imagine how disturbing this sort of stuff can be for those that have more severe cases than mine.

 

[Fi2000]

The codefree does do before and after eating readings

Insert your test strip, wait for beep,

then press right arrow once, (u will get an apple icon on the bottom of the screen) that's before eating, then test blood

Or press right arrow twice,( u will get an apple wi a bite out of it icon on the bottom of the screen) that's after eating, then test blood

You can also set alarms on it, but have not done that yet.

 

[MikeZ]

The codefree does do before and after eating readings

Insert your test strip, wait for beep,

then press right arrow once, (u will get an apple icon on the bottom of the screen) that's before eating, then test blood

Or press right arrow twice,( u will get an apple wi a bite out of it icon on the bottom of the screen) that's after eating, then test blood

You can also set alarms on it, but have not done that yet.

Thanks so much!