Hi, T2 for a month, and trying to improve by reducing carbs and exercise. Over the last fortnight of testing I can see a pattern emerging that if I have any more than 50 g of carbs in a meal my bs at 2 hours is 3.5 to 4 higher than starting reading (5.5 to 6). If it’s around 25 g then the reading is within 0.5. Presumably this is my natural level at the moment, and that’s what I need to stay at. Is the idea to keep the bs level as smooth as I can, and how tight a range should I be trying to reach?
You're obviously doing well, and understand the idea of using your meter to work out how many carbs you can handle. 3 to 4 higher at +2 hours is too much; 0.5 is great. So those 25 grams of carbs is about your level it seems, although the type of carbs can effect this - low Glycaemic index (low GI) carbs raise your blood sugar levels more slowly and give our tired pancreas time to deal with them.
As a refinement, try testing for the peak levels you reach. This isn't at +2 hours; that's the time at which we should be back to normal. Peak levels occur at about 45mins to 1 hour after eating according to the type of food. Ideally, it's good to restrict this to 7.8mmols, the max level any non-diabetic would ever get to. If you're not there yet, and you are recently on your diet I note, don't worry; levels will continue to improve with time if you keep eating the right things.
By controlling the peaks, as well as ensuring we're back to normal after 2 hours, gives us a great shot at really good HbA1c levels when the surgery tests us.