Any advise on how to get a good fasting blood sugar reading

[Kaha]

Dear experienced forum members , I have to undergo a medical check up and part of it is fasting blood sugar . I need your advice on how to get the best reading of fasting blood sugar. May be I am not fully aware of the process /fasting period, sleeping hours etc those affects blood sugar in the morning . Let me share with you a few numbers and how I achieved these . One night I finished my normal diet ( low carb usual 2 chapatis , chicken curry) and checked BS after 2 hours and the number was 5.8 . But, to my surprise the reading at 8-30 (after eating nothing after dinner at night) was 6.7 . More surprisingly, I did my BS tested in a lab at 9-30 in the same morning and it was 7.2 . I thought the strips numbers are higher than usual numbers in labs. Next night ,I took heavy dinner(more carbs than usual) , 2 glasses of red wines, plenty of fruits, itook late dinner , had less sleep than a typical night . At 7-30 in the morning my BS level was 5.7 (though I thought it would be more than 8.0 ). I really do not understand the phenomenon how the reading is affected . Can any body get me some tips on how could I get a reasonable number of fasting BS in my next medical check up?

 

[Brunneria]

Please do not try to control what your fasting bs level will be.

You should eat a typical meal, at the usual time.
Don't try to falsify the result in any way.

Your test is intended to give your doctor an understanding of how your pancreas is functioning. At the moment. Eating your usual foods.

If you manufacture low or high results it may affect diagnosis or treatment.

One thing I would advise: don't drink alcohol the day before the test. It may affect the result - which is not in your interest.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Maybe cutting down on the carbs for a few years would improve your fasting number.

 

[Kaha]

Hi No Crbs4me , a few years to get control of fasting number !! Can not believe it

 

[CollieBoy]

Hi @Kaha
I think what @NoCrbs4Me is meaning is that the fasting BG is most effecively controlled by longer term control of carb consumption.
I find that fasting BG is reduced by not triggering the "liver dump" i.e. not letting the body think that you are hypo-ing:
1) lower your body's demand for carbs. (I lower carb)
and
2) slow release carbs overnight. (I have an oatcake & cheese for supper).

 

[Bluetit1802]

I agree with @Brunneria Your fasting levels are what they are, and your doctor needs to know what they are so he can treat you accordingly. There is no point in trying to falsify them. Just do as you normally do the previous evening, and make sure your appointment is early morning.

Morning levels are usually outside our own control. Our bodies regulate them.

 

[beatdise]

Dear experienced forum members , I have to undergo a medical check up and part of it is fasting blood sugar . I need your advice on how to get the best reading of fasting blood sugar. May be I am not fully aware of the process /fasting period, sleeping hours etc those affects blood sugar in the morning . Let me share with you a few numbers and how I achieved these . One night I finished my normal diet ( low carb usual 2 chapatis , chicken curry) and checked BS after 2 hours and the number was 5.8 . But, to my surprise the reading at 8-30 (after eating nothing after dinner at night) was 6.7 . More surprisingly, I did my BS tested in a lab at 9-30 in the same morning and it was 7.2 . I thought the strips numbers are higher than usual numbers in labs. Next night ,I took heavy dinner(more carbs than usual) , 2 glasses of red wines, plenty of fruits, itook late dinner , had less sleep than a typical night . At 7-30 in the morning my BS level was 5.7 (though I thought it would be more than 8.0 ). I really do not understand the phenomenon how the reading is affected . Can any body get me some tips on how could I get a reasonable number of fasting BS in my next medical check up?

Hi Kaha. 5.8 after two chapattis is pretty good. Mine have gone over 10.00 even with one chapatti with a 50/50 mix of flour and chick pea flour. But of course we are ALL DIFFERENT My fasting numbers are definitely affected if I have any flour based food the night before with curry or otherwise. Agree with colleagues. We want our numbers to be a fair reflection of what we eat and who we are or indeed who we want to be. So my morning numbers i.e fasting numbers went down after a month of reduced carb intake. They are now steady at below 5. I know if I start eating carbs low or high that give me high readings my averages and my spikes will be damaging for me. I am surprised though you have maxed out on high carbs, bigger dinner, more fruits more wine and very late. I am not sure I would want to use that as my antedote for lower numbers, indeed for me that would be a recipe for disaster. MOST UNCONVENTIONAL. You don'y say which fruits and how much, or what specific carbs in your HEAVY DINNER. So not sure anyone can provide an informed response.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Hi No Crbs4me , a few years to get control of fasting number !! Can not believe it

Ok, maybe a couple of months.

 

[Susikav]

NoCrbs4Me: Wheat really is murder, you are right... I love this site... my life is insane, a series of aeroplanes and different countries, soI hardly ever get to read all your wonderful, enlightening comments... I started low-carbing after joining the forum and I lost 6 kilos in three months... I am thin enough now really and have levelled out I hope... what do you do if you keep losing weight? I cannot eat any more than I do - no-one can believe how much food I eat! I have never really been a carb-eater and will not put carbs in my body ever again so that's not the answer... I have higher readings in the morning than I would like too... I shall try an oatcake and cheese - sounds perfect.... I love the hot chocolate that Brunneria suggested a long time ago - I use cacao, coconut oil and unsalted butter whizzed in the Bullet... just like the Bullet Proof coffee, which is just one of the many delights this forum introduced me to... the travelling is very difficult but I make nut-balls with every seed I can lay hands on, cacoa, dates and a little coconut oil - I can travel with them as they don't need chilling... you need lots of water with them though... Thank you for all your wonderful insights...

 

[Brunneria]

NoCrbs4Me: Wheat really is murder, you are right... I love this site... my life is insane, a series of aeroplanes and different countries, soI hardly ever get to read all your wonderful, enlightening comments... I started low-carbing after joining the forum and I lost 6 kilos in three months... I am thin enough now really and have levelled out I hope... what do you do if you keep losing weight? I cannot eat any more than I do - no-one can believe how much food I eat! I have never really been a carb-eater and will not put carbs in my body ever again so that's not the answer... I have higher readings in the morning than I would like too... I shall try an oatcake and cheese - sounds perfect.... I love the hot chocolate that Brunneria suggested a long time ago - I use cacao, coconut oil and unsalted butter whizzed in the Bullet... just like the Bullet Proof coffee, which is just one of the many delights this forum introduced me to... the travelling is very difficult but I make nut-balls with every seed I can lay hands on, cacoa, dates and a little coconut oil - I can travel with them as they don't need chilling... you need lots of water with them though... Thank you for all your wonderful insights...

Several people have posted about how they have found stopping losing the weight to be a challenge.

I think that carefully reintroducing small amounts of selected carbs works for some - until you reach a point where either you stop losing weight, or your BG starts to rise. At that point you are at your personal upper limit for carb consumption.

After that, it is just eating more fat, I think. Can't say this from personal experience. I won't hit my weight target until 2027

There are people who have now successfully maintained their low carbing for 10 years or so, in ketosis (university professors, whose lecture videos have been posted here and on youtube). From watching those lectures, they always look very lean, with great, glowing skin, plenty of humour (comes from the diet, of course!), and they talk about how more than half of their 'calories' now comes from fat.