Pre Diabetic question

Wendy53

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Hi
I have recently been diagnosed with pre diabetes. I was wondering how often I should be testing my Blood?
thank you
Wendy
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
People who join web forums to be agressive and cause trouble
This is one of those questions where you can ask 10 people and get 10 different answers.

My own view is that it rather depends on how much control you want to have over your condition. Many people have found that they can delay the onset of diabetes, often for many years, by a simple reduction in the carbohydrates in their diet. If you intend to reduce your carb intake (not necessarily a low carb diet, just a small reduction) then you will want to see what the result of that reduction is, so you will need to test in order to see what is happening. The ideal would be to test before each meal (preprandial), then at 1 hour after eating (postprandial) and again at 2 hours after eating. Before you eat your blood sugar level will be at its lowest point, at food+1 hour it should be near its highest, and at food+2 hours it should have reduced to somewhere near the before-meal level.

If that sounds a bit over the top and you only want to test once a day, or once every few days, then make sure that your test is always done at the same time, for example first thing in the morning when you get up. If you test at different times on different days then you're not comparing like with like so you won't be able to see any pattern emerging.
 

Wendy53

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Hi Dennis
Thank you for your comprehensive answer. It has helped me a great deal. I am doing the very low carb diet with my husband as he is recently diagnosed diabetic. If I can prevent diabetes I intent to do all I can. I am losing weight which I hope will help too. Have a way to go but already made a good start. Feel more positive now than when we were both diagnosed.
Thank you again

Wendy
 

Synonym

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,384
Dislikes
Having no energy as this is so limiting.
Hi Wendy, :)

If you are still sorting out which foods cause the biggest spikes then you really do need to test before and 2 hours after your meals. Once you know how much and what you can eat you can use that knowledge to plan your food and won't need to test so much. When you introduce different or new foods you also need to test so that you know what is going on.
Hopefully you will stop your condition advancing and can also keep your OH well too. :D 8)
 

Wendy53

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Hi Synonym

Thank you for your reply. I will keep a close eye on our blood sugars. At the moment can't test as often as I would like so just sticking to things I know. I am waiting for some test strips to arrive as Drs as usual do not see the need to test.

thank you

Wendy
 

John aka Wallycorker

Well-Known Member
Messages
121
Wendy53 said:
..........I am doing the very low carb diet with my husband as he is recently diagnosed diabetic. If I can prevent diabetes I intent to do all I can. ..................
Hi Wendy,

If you are cutting back on carbohydrate then you should not have very much to worry about blood glucose wise.

Testing occasionally to learn what is happening to your levels will help too. However, in my opinion, changing your diet to eat less starchy carbohydrate foods is the most important thing.

Good luck and best wishes - John
 

Wendy53

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Hi John

Thank you for your reply. It is good to know there are people around that will help with questions.

Wendy