Question about morning BG

[Countryside_Yoyo_]

Im prediabetic. I've been following LCHF for nearly a year and have lost 40lbs, now mid-normal BMI and got my hba1c down from 45 to 39. My pre, 1 and 2 hour readings are usually in normal range these days.
I get up around 6.30 in the mornings to go to work and test straightaway, it's normally in the 5's and occasionally the 4's. But on weekends, when I get up around 9, it's in the 6's. Is this Dawn Phenomenon? I always thought that occurred earlier than that, as in dawn time.
Also is there anything I can do to lower it at weekends? Apart from getting up earlier that is.....

 

[Bluetit1802]

It sounds exactly like Dawn Phenomenon to me. I'm always higher if I have a lie-in, which I put down to not being properly asleep for the last hour or so. (Just revelling in the fact I can lie in my cosy warm bed and not get out of it) My liver must recognise this and send me extra glucose. DP isn't restricted to dawn, or to mornings come to that. It can happen at any time, such as times of stress, injury, pain, illness, and also exercise. I don't worry about it. It is natural and is just my liver doing its job.

 

[bigjim19]

I mentioned this in a post earlier it's better to test within the first 30 minutes of getting up the longer it's left to do the lower the reading is at times I test the nearly the same time every day if I can

 

[chalup]

For me the longer I go without eating the higher my bloods go. This is true for fasting in the morning and also for any time I go long periods without eating.

 

[Robbity]

Think of it as a "liver dump" rather than just a dawn phenomenon, as it can (as @Bluetit1802 said) happen at other times that your liver thinks you might need an energy boost.

I'm another one that can also see a higher level the longer I sleep in in the morning. But one thing that I find does help lower the chance of morning "assistance" from my liver is eating a fatty supper. Being on a very low carb diet means that I'm also "fat adapted" - and since our bodies can store more fatty fuel than they can carby fuel, there's not always a need for a morning glucose boost to help fuel me up to start my day.

Robbity

 

[pleinster]

Very probably the liver dumping glucose to prepare you for the day...but with your readings, i would not only not worry about it, I'd be delighted with the 4s and 5s...pretty normal levels (note - I am certain you have worked hard and are still working hard to manage these levels..so well done).

 

[kokhongw]

Whenever I get morning readings in the 6s I would consider not having dinner for that day...

After my 3 day water/coconut oil fast about 2-3 weeks ago, I am regularly seeing fasting bg in the 4s.

 

[pleinster]

Whenever I get morning readings in the 6s I would consider not having dinner for that day...

After my 3 day water/coconut oil fast about 2-3 weeks ago, I am regularly seeing fasting bg in the 4s.

If you are getting these nice low readings, that's great..but many of us are not. I would like lower readings but I'll live with morning readings in the low 6s thank you. Not eating that day will not lower my level next morning. We are all variations on a theme, and for some people who manage with a low carb diet to hit levels under 6 most of the time (unless a stray evil croissant sneaks in) a reading of 6.5 in the morning (after recommended periods of fasting) is not the end of the world.

 

[chalup]

I almost always have morning readings in the low 6's. If I don't eat they will keep rising until I am at 8 or 9. If I get up hours earlier than normal they can be in the 4's but will still keep rising until I eat something. This is DP at its finest. Even at max dose of metformin I still get massive liver dumps. We are not all easily sorted out.

 

[kokhongw]

We are all variations on a theme, and for some people who manage with a low carb diet to hit levels under 6 most of the time (unless a stray evil croissant sneaks in) a reading of 6.5 in the morning (after recommended periods of fasting) is not the end of the world.

Of course it is not the end of the world. The world did not end for me either when my fasting glucose was in the 20s.

But the OP specifically asked

Also is there anything I can do to lower it at weekends? Apart from getting up earlier that is.....

So I share what worked for me. in reaching the 4s ...that is after a year of hovering around 5.5-6.0 mmols on low carb.