2 hour testing

[Philb69]

Hiya been diagnosed a couple of months now and have a question about the 2 hour test. When you do the 2 hour test should your bs be at there highest at 2 hours or do they go to there highest after an hour then come back down at the 2 hour mark.

Thanks

 

[Pinkorchid]

Every one is different so not really possible to say but at 1 hour it will probably be higher than after 2 hours but sometimes a rise lasts longer

 

[SockFiddler]

(Someone far more informed than I will be along shortly but I'll have a welly at this anyway!)

My BG levels - assuming I've eaten a "normal" (for me) meal - will be back to normal by my 2-hour test. However, a lot of that will depend upon many other factors including:

- How much fat was in the meal, as high-fat will delay a carb spike (so instead of an immediate hit you get a slow, steady hike over time)
- How many carbs were in the meal - if you're having a tuna mayo salad, that's next to no carbs, so nothing to turn into sugar and hit your blood.

- What else has happened to you - stressed? Ill? Eating on the hop? Delerious with joy? These will all impact your overall BG

- What time of day it is. Some people find their BG is highest in the morning and it slowly drops during the day. Others find that it peaks and drops off early in the morning.

If you're testing after eating, you need to bear in mind your overall pattern, and everyone's is different (and often quite changeable). Especially if, for example, you're having a long, slow meal with gaps between courses as your internal clock will still be ticking all that time and not every meal can be guzzled in 15 minutes.

The 2-hour rule is a good one to follow, but it's not set in stone and there will always be factors that you have to take into account.

Hope that helps a little!

 

[Philb69]

(Someone far more informed than I will be along shortly but I'll have a welly at this anyway!)

My BG levels - assuming I've eaten a "normal" (for me) meal - will be back to normal by my 2-hour test. However, a lot of that will depend upon many other factors including:

- How much fat was in the meal, as high-fat will delay a carb spike (so instead of an immediate hit you get a slow, steady hike over time)
- How many carbs were in the meal - if you're having a tuna mayo salad, that's next to no carbs, so nothing to turn into sugar and hit your blood.

- What else has happened to you - stressed? Ill? Eating on the hop? Delerious with joy? These will all impact your overall BG

- What time of day it is. Some people find their BG is highest in the morning and it slowly drops during the day. Others find that it peaks and drops off early in the morning.

If you're testing after eating, you need to bear in mind your overall pattern, and everyone's is different (and often quite changeable). Especially if, for example, you're having a long, slow meal with gaps between courses as your internal clock will still be ticking all that time and not every meal can be guzzled in 15 minutes.

The 2-hour rule is a good one to follow, but it's not set in stone and there will always be factors that you have to take into account.

Hope that helps a little!

Yes that helps a little. I was only asking as i have just had a chinese chicken curry with 5 chips 2 prawn crackers and a few bean sprouts for the first time since being diagnosed and was wondering if when i test in 2 hours the worst will be over.

 

[SockFiddler]

Aaw, no, you sound so down! And, look, everyone has food splurge days from time to time - none of us are approaching sainthood. Give yourself a break, eh?

Look at it this way, it's taken a long, long time for your body to develop T2D, and you've only been diagnosed for a couple of months. You're right at the start of learning about food, blood sugar, what affects it, your daily "cycle" and all kinds of other stuff. Don't worry too much about each specific reading - try to see each particular reading as a piece in a huge jigsaw, whose picture you can't even fully see yet.

You're doing great - moving at your own pace, testing, eating mindfully and asking questions. Keeping a food diary might help you to track your eating patterns over time (my food diary is the only way I know that my last packet of crisps was 23rd June!).

You've got this, promise.

 

[Philb69]

Aaw, no, you sound so down! And, look, everyone has food splurge days from time to time - none of us are approaching sainthood. Give yourself a break, eh?

Look at it this way, it's taken a long, long time for your body to develop T2D, and you've only been diagnosed for a couple of months. You're right at the start of learning about food, blood sugar, what affects it, your daily "cycle" and all kinds of other stuff. Don't worry too much about each specific reading - try to see each particular reading as a piece in a huge jigsaw, whose picture you can't even fully see yet.

You're doing great - moving at your own pace, testing, eating mindfully and asking questions. Keeping a food diary might help you to track your eating patterns over time (my food diary is the only way I know that my last packet of crisps was 23rd June!).

You've got this, promise.

Cheers sockfiddler

I do feel bad for eating it but in my eyes if you can't have a treat now and again what's the point of living.

Thanks again

 

[Winnie53]

I'm still thinking about this. On the one hand, I want to know my pre-meal and post-meal peak glucose level - (so I know if I need to "walk it off") - also how long it takes to return to the pre-meal level. My glucose level typically peaks between 60 to 75 minutes, so I often make the decision whether or not to walk by testing at 90 minutes.

To answer your question, I eat 40 to 60 carbs a day and it can take three hours or more for my glucose level to return to it's pre-meal level. I have severe insulin resistance and manage with diet and walking only, no medication or insulin. Someone with mild insulin resistance likely would return to their pre-meal level sooner.

You can determine the arc of your glucose level by testing pre-meal, 90 minutes post meal, and every 30 minutes following that until your level returns to baseline.

 

[SockFiddler]

You have FIVE chips. You counted them. I'm guessing a lot of people here would consider that a greater feat than having no chips at all: if we don't buy them we don't have to decide to stop eating them.

Also: meat. Tesco are currently doing pre-marinated pork chops - Chinese, piri piri and so on - and they're just brilliant. When I'm feeling like I need some food love, I'll throw a pack in the oven and cheerfully munch the lot while watching a movie.

Whatever rings your bell!

 

[Winnie53]

@Philb69 my ability to manage my glucose levels varies week to week. Summer (when local, in season fruits and berries are abundant) and holidays (with their many social gatherings) are the most challenging for me. Remember, type 1's have insulin, and type 2's have walking to knock a high glucose level back down. It took a while, but I can now knock a high glucose level down with a 20 minute brisk walk. You can too. And my friends understand now when I excuse myself for a brief 20 minute walk.

 

[Winnie53]

The most important thing to do is to keep testing regularly even if it's only one weekday and one weekend day each week so you know how your numbers are trending. That said, I still test at least 4 times a day more than 30 months post re-diagnosis with type 2. I love eating so doing so keeps me on track and out of trouble.

 

[badcat]

Yes that helps a little. I was only asking as i have just had a chinese chicken curry with 5 chips 2 prawn crackers and a few bean sprouts for the first time since being diagnosed and was wondering if when i test in 2 hours the worst will be over.

I woulnt think that meal would produce a massive spike so not a disasterous choice - there are much much worse choices to make from a chinese menu -a portion of sweet and sour chicken with fried rice would send my sugars stratospheric (along with those of most most type 2's I suspect)!

 

[Philb69]

I have been testing very regularly probably too much at least 15 times a day or more on the weekend on 3 different readers i know its obsessive but thats me. I was 6.2 before curry and waiting another 20 mins for my 2 hours after result.

 

[Philb69]

Results are in. From 6.2 to 14.1. Massive disappointment.

 

[chalup]

Bean sprouts are very low carb. I use them instead of noodles in stir fry.

 

[Scott-C]

Delerious with joy? These will all impact your overall BG

Aargh, Sock!! I've figured out cunning T1 tricks for stress, and now I've got to do it again for delerious joy as well? They never told me that at T1 school!

 

[Winnie53]

Results are in. From 6.2 to 14.1. Massive disappointment.

Yes, 6.2 mmol/L (112 mg/dL) to 14.1 mmol/L (255 mg/dL) is an impressive spike! I'm assuming the chicken curry was served with rice. It happens. I've been eating low carb for two and a half years. I believe it's important to eat "off plan" occasionally, and to enjoy doing so! If I didn't, not sure I could manage my glucose levels as well as I do.

Last week I had my usual bunless burger with six French fries (chips) and a side salad with a vinaigrette dressing at a favorite restaurant, but threw caution to the wind and ate that burger with the bun for the first time in years. I got a similar spike. It's shocks me every time it happens. And at the same time horrifies me that I was unknowingly experiencing spikes like this daily prior to beginning re-diagnosed with type 2 in early 2015.

It's really great that you're testing. It's the only thing that works for me (and I was equally obsessive with testing that first year). If I didn't test regularly today I'd have glucose levels in the 200's daily. Informed is empowered. 6.1 mmol/L is a good level having just recently been diagnosed. Keep doing what you're doing!

 

[Philb69]

Morning winnie
No it was a takeaway and as i said earlier i had 5 chips and a few beansprouts. So I will have to research Chinese food for next time the family want a takeaway. Went to bed bit peed off but got up to 7.5 mmol which isn't too bad for me.

 

[Pinkorchid]

Results are in. From 6.2 to 14.1. Massive disappointment.

Yes that is quite high but don't stress about it you are new to it all and will learn as you go along what not to eat as we all had to take it a day at a time. We can't tell you what you can or can't eat as we are all very different. Yes you are testing to often don't become obsessive about it that will stress you and put your levels up. Just do it before meals and two hours after but remember even the same meal can have different results at different times so just take the testing as a guide meters are not 100% accurate

 

[Pinkorchid]

Yes that helps a little. I was only asking as i have just had a chinese chicken curry with 5 chips 2 prawn crackers and a few bean sprouts for the first time since being diagnosed and was wondering if when i test in 2 hours the worst will be over.

You have more will power than me..5 chips...I could never stop at 5 on the rare occasion I do allow myself some chips

 

[Winnie53]

Morning winnie
No it was a takeaway and as i said earlier i had 5 chips and a few beansprouts. So I will have to research Chinese food for next time the family want a takeaway. Went to bed bit peed off but got up to 7.5 mmol which isn't too bad for me.

Glad you're doing well this morning. When I began the low carb lifestyle, so many foods resulted in unwanted glucose spikes: beans, carrot, apple, pear, higher protein vegetables such as broccoli or brussel sprouts. I didn't eat any fruit or berries the first 6 weeks. It was frustrating. Happily, over the first year the glucose spikes lessoned gradually. Today I eat a whole, raw carrot with my lunch most days. It can and will get better, but it takes a while for the body to adjust to this new way of eating.

I would be interested in learning what they're putting in that chicken curry.

Despite the glucose spikes I continued to eat a variety of leafy greens and/or vegetables with all meals. I believe doing so provided the plant fiber needed to improve my gut flora (and glucose levels) over time. These days I'll often add a tablespoon of potato or yam to my vegetables, a mix of fresh vegetables sliced and sauted.

@Pinkorchid I don't think I could eat just 5 chips either if I had them on my plate. I generally wait until I've finished my meal then snag a few from whoever I'm with that's eating them. One trick I learned decades ago from a customer was to order only 6 French fries (chips). If the cook isn't able to do it, the server can throw away the extras. I do the same with desserts. I instruct the server to only bring a small portion of the dessert, if I order a dessert, and to give or throw away the rest. I'm not bothered at all paying full price for the dessert because I do this so rarely. One creative server samples out the remaining dessert to other guests, so it's a win/win.