Blood glucose monitoring

[MargJ]

Hi, sorry to be a pest. Bought a meter and tested pre and post a lunch time snack. Level jumped from 5.8 to 11.4. Back to 6.2 first thing today. What am I doing wrong? Ate some low sugar baked beans with brown toast.

 

[Barry Holt]

Hi, sorry to be a pest. Bought a meter and tested pre and post a lunch time snack. Level jumped from 5.8 to 11.4. Back to 6.2 first thing today. What am I doing wrong? Ate some low sugar baked beans with brown toast.

Toast and baked beans

 

[MargJ]

Don't understand this diet thing. Told just to cut out cakes, biscuits and sweets. Did that and lost loads of weight. Doc really pleased with me but I know my levels spike, so obviously have to make other changes!

 

[Daphne917]

Hi, sorry to be a pest. Bought a meter and tested pre and post a lunch time snack. Level jumped from 5.8 to 11.4. Back to 6.2 first thing today. What am I doing wrong? Ate some low sugar baked beans with brown toast.

Hi @MargJ unfortunately both bread and baked beans have a lot of carbs which is probably your answer. When looking at the nutritional info on the packaging look at the total carbs instead of only the sugar value and that will tell you how many carbs there are. Bread also differs in the number of carbs each one has - I am ok with a couple of slices of seeded bread and have been ok with baked beans but I've not had them together so not sure how that will affect me! Your meter is one of your most valuable tools in lowering your sugar levels - persevere and you will soon find out what you can/cannot eat or can eat in moderation!

 

[MargJ]

Hi @MargJ unfortunately both bread and baked beans have a lot of carbs which is probably your answer. When looking at the nutritional info on the packaging look at the total carbs instead of only the sugar value and that will tell you how many carbs there are. Bread also differs in the number of carbs each one has - I am ok with a couple of slices of seeded bread and have been ok with baked beans but I've not had them together so not sure how that will affect me! Your meter is one of your most valuable tools in lowering your sugar levels - persevere and you will soon find out what you can/cannot eat or can eat in moderation!

Thanks for that. The doc told me it wasn't necessary but I want to keep medicine free as long as possible and I feel monitoring is the way to do that. I was also told to follow the 'eat well' plate but I gather that's not the best advice. So confusing!

 

[Daphne917]

My DN asked me why I wanted to make my fingers sore by testing - my fsponse so that I can control my sugar levels! The eat well plate includes a lot of carbs which turn to sugar and causes blood sugar levels to rise. In the early days it is very much a case of test, test, test to see what affect foods have on you althohgh there are some naturally low carb ones such as cheese, meat, eggs, some vegs and, if you like fruit, berries should be ok however we are all different and need to find our own tolerances. You'll get there - keep asking the questions if you're unsure and somebody will be along to answer it!!

 

[ann34+]

Don't understand this diet thing. Told just to cut out cakes, biscuits and sweets. Did that and lost loads of weight. Doc really pleased with me but I know my levels spike, so obviously have to make other changes!

Hi, MargJ, apart from a lower carb diet and more oils, and veg, etc, not much i can recommend, as i am a Type one, except my own experience - i wondered , when you mentioned weight loss, whether you still have any weight you could lose, especially round the waist area? My recent experience is that even 5 or 6lb in the wrong place might be having more of an effect than is realised. Even though my weight was in the lower half of BMI normal range, the few lbs appeared to have been having a toxic effect on me for the last few years . i am about your age and have been surprised how losing just a few pounds round my waist has had an effect on insulin sensitivity, (in my case injected insulin), lipid profile , and a whole lot more. the loss of these few pounds has had such a big effect , i am wondering whether docs realise that what might be ok for one person may not be ok for another. Dr RD Lawrence, a Type one, who set up the first diabetes organisation with HG Wells, a Type 2, (i don't think the distinction was fully understood way back then) felt that diabetics were best at about 10% wt less than what was seen as ok for non diabetics, and my experience over the last year suggest this might be true for some. Best wishes, Ann

 

[MargJ]

Hi, MargJ, apart from a lower carb diet and more oils, and veg, etc, not much i can recommend, as i am a Type one, except my own experience - i wondered , when you mentioned weight loss, whether you still have any weight you could lose, especially round the waist area? My recent experience is that even 5 or 6lb in the wrong place might be having more of an effect than is realised. Even though my weight was in the lower half of BMI normal range, the few lbs appeared to have been having a toxic effect on me for the last few years . i am about your age and have been surprised how losing just a few pounds round my waist has had an effect on insulin sensitivity, (in my case injected insulin), lipid profile , and a whole lot more. the loss of these few pounds has had such a big effect , i am wondering whether docs realise that what might be ok for one person may not be ok for another. Dr RD Lawrence, a Type one, who set up the first diabetes organisation with HG Wells, a Type 2, (i don't think the distinction was fully understood way back then) felt that diabetics were best at about 10% wt less than what was seen as ok for non diabetics, and my experience over the last year suggest this might be true for some. Best wishes, Ann

My BMI is at the upper end of normal and a lot of it is round my waist. Apparently that can cause insulin resistance. Hopefully I can get it down more when I figure out what I should be eating!

 

[carol43]

I am finding that I enjoy my lchf diet more than my old regime. Just remember that you have to increase your fat intake, nothing low fat, it's full of sugar. You can do it, I have and I'm not going back.

 

[ann34+]

My BMI is at the upper end of normal and a lot of it is round my waist. Apparently that can cause insulin resistance. Hopefully I can get it down more when I figure out what I should be eating!

Probably everyone has a bit of a different idea of what to eat - really depends on your preferences. Sadly, if my experience is anything to go by, not nearly as much of anything as i used to have when i was younger! It also depends if you need to alter your lipid profile or get blood pressure down or vit D up .
As a diet controlled Type 2 you may not have the same needs as a type one . My own experience is no cakes or biscuits or fruit juice, no baked beans with sugar in, only very small amounts of carbohydrate in any one meal (eg, half a slice of bread and a tbls or two of sugar free baked beans with a large side salad or other veg might be ok - your meter would let you know. To lose the last bit of waist fat i am now having low cals and have had to lower carbs further recently, and even then weight loss has been very slow - 2kg a year - but lipid profile greatly improved, and trig under 0.5, and vit D up, bone profile fine, total daily insulin under 20 iu, etc.
As an example of what i eat - higher carbs than a number of people on this forum, i think - today a small conference pear, one apple, a small banana, a few grapes, salad with most of an avocado, 2 tsp of organic flax oil, lot of olive oil, lemon juice, grated carrot, watercress, 2 tbls few fresh raw peas, omelette of one small egg, wild forest mushrooms, rocket, olive oil, half a large slice of gluten free bread, 2 oz tinned red salmon, a few salted cashews, 4 or 5 fresh raspberries, soya milk in drinks. Approx 65 - 70 carbs, will have maybe max 15 carbs more when i have some sort of evening snack with the same sort of lower carbs, more oil, some protein.

 

[MargJ]

I will try Carol, but must admit to feeling a bit lost. Dietitian told me low fat, low sugar and low salt! She said ignore total carbs figure at look at sugar figure but everyone on here says the opposite and as they are living with diabetes, they know best how to keep things in control! It's a steep learning curve.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

I will try Carol, but must admit to feeling a bit lost. Dietitian told me low fat, low sugar and low salt! She said ignore total carbs figure at look at sugar figure but everyone on here says the opposite and as they are living with diabetes, they know best how to keep things in control! It's a steep learning curve.

Your dietitian is wrong. Simple.

 

[MargJ]

Thanks for that! That's the conclusion I came too so got to rethink my diet. Will read Blood Sugar 101. A friend has also given me the Carbs and Cals book so I can start the changes. Ridiculous when the NHS send you on the wrong path.

 

[navigator]

Because my brother is hopeless at cooking, he has used frozen meals for years. He is type 2 and has a BMI of 36+
Whilst I have looked at the issues of frozen meals, buying any sensible variations shows that most of these are around 200 to 300g.
Meals on wheels is not a solution. We have looked at Wiltshire farm foods and their average weight is 300g
Should dinner be made up with frozen veg to a larger value to reduce the amount of times he feels hungry and snacks on other stuff. If so how much should the day's main meal weigh in at?
And what is this best time of day, lunchtime or Evening?

 

[Enclave]

The NHS appear to be stuck in the past with outdated information regards eating to control blood sugars. low fat products are full of sugar, carbs are also sugar, so lots of us here (not all) are finding the Low Card High Fat way of eating works. If you test bs just before eating and 2hrs after eating, you are looking for no more than an increase of 2. so if you first test bs and its 5.0 to start with then two hours later be no more than 7.0 ..
Personally I have around 20 to 30g of carbs a day .. with the full fat products like coconut oil, olive oil, full fat cheese and double cream .. in 2 years I have lost 5st and still slowly loosing. The thing to remember ..if your not getting your energy from carbs then you must get your energy from fats.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

Thanks for that! That's the conclusion I came too so got to rethink my diet. Will read Blood Sugar 101. A friend has also given me the Carbs and Cals book so I can start the changes. Ridiculous when the NHS send you on the wrong path.

It sounds like your dietician is advising you to limit your calories. That's not a WRONG approach. It's simply a difference in opinion. In fact, it could be GOOD advice and I'd ask her to explain before deciding to ignore her. She could be advocating a high fiber/low sugar approach which could be very beneficial for a type 2 diabetic. Fiber is a carbohydrate. However, it's indigestible which means it has no effect on your blood sugar (except in rare occasions). 1 gram of fat has 9calories while 1g of carbs or protein has 4 grams. Maintaining a caloric deficit (burning more than you digest) is the ONLY way to lose weight.

Ultimately, it's INCOMPLETE advice just like recommending a LCHF Diet is incomplete. If it was that simple, there wouldn't be thousands of threads about the subject.

Youll find that a large group on this forum prefers a LCHF diet. While its proven to work well for many people, it doesn't work for everyone. Take the time to educate yourself and decide what works best for you. There are plenty of threads that display perfect examples of how a LCHF diet isn't for everyone. Furthermore, understand that a great deal of content on BloodSugar101 is OPINION-based rather than fact-based.

Understand that I'm not suggesting one diet works better than another. Im simply advocating that people do their own research, question everything they read, and then develop their own opinions about what works best. If it were me, I'd prepare a line of questioning for the dietician and develop a better understanding of her advice before deciding to ignore her. In this case, there are plenty of wrong answers, but there's also more than one right answer too.

 

[Enclave]

It sounds like your dietician is advising you to limit your calories. That's not a WRONG approach. It's simply a difference in opinion. In fact, it could be GOOD advice and I'd ask her to explain before deciding to ignore her. She could be advocating a high fiber/low sugar approach which could be very beneficial for a type 2 diabetic. Fiber is a carbohydrate. However, it's indigestible which means it has no effect on your blood sugar (except in rare occasions). 1 gram of fat has 9calories while 1g of carbs or protein has 4 grams. Maintaining a caloric deficit (burning more than you digest) is the ONLY way to lose weight.

Ultimately, it's INCOMPLETE advice just like recommending a LCHF Diet is incomplete. If it was that simple, there wouldn't be thousands of threads about the subject.

Youll find that a large group on this forum prefers a LCHF diet. While its proven to work well for many people, it doesn't work for everyone. Take the time to educate yourself and decide what works best for you. There are plenty of threads that display perfect examples of how a LCHF diet isn't for everyone. Furthermore, understand that a great deal of content on BloodSugar101 is OPINION-based rather than fact-based.

Understand that I'm not suggesting one diet works better than another. Im simply advocating that people do their own research, question everything they read, and then develop their own opinions about what works best. If it were me, I'd prepare a line of questioning for the dietician and develop a better understanding of her advice before deciding to ignore her. In this case, there are plenty of wrong answers, but there's also more than one right answer too.

I think the original poster is T2 .. you are T1 and things do work a little different for T1. T2 will often respond really well with a change of diet

 

[TorqPenderloin]

I think the original poster is T2 .. you are T1 and things do work a little different for T1. T2 will often respond really well with a change of diet

I agree, and yes, I did take note that the OP is a type 2. My post was written with that in mind.

 

[seadragon]

It sounds like your dietician is advising you to limit your calories. That's not a WRONG approach. It's simply a difference in opinion. In fact, it could be GOOD advice and I'd ask her to explain before deciding to ignore her. She could be advocating a high fiber/low sugar approach which could be very beneficial for a type 2 diabetic. Fiber is a carbohydrate. However, it's indigestible which means it has no effect on your blood sugar (except in rare occasions). 1 gram of fat has 9calories while 1g of carbs or protein has 4 grams. Maintaining a caloric deficit (burning more than you digest) is the ONLY way to lose weight.

Ultimately, it's INCOMPLETE advice just like recommending a LCHF Diet is incomplete. If it was that simple, there wouldn't be thousands of threads about the subject.

Youll find that a large group on this forum prefers a LCHF diet. While its proven to work well for many people, it doesn't work for everyone. Take the time to educate yourself and decide what works best for you. There are plenty of threads that display perfect examples of how a LCHF diet isn't for everyone. Furthermore, understand that a great deal of content on BloodSugar101 is OPINION-based rather than fact-based.

Understand that I'm not suggesting one diet works better than another. Im simply advocating that people do their own research, question everything they read, and then develop their own opinions about what works best. If it were me, I'd prepare a line of questioning for the dietician and develop a better understanding of her advice before deciding to ignore her. In this case, there are plenty of wrong answers, but there's also more than one right answer too.

I think if she was advocating high fiber /low sugar she'd have said exactly that. What she was more likely recommending was based on the NHS Eatwell plate which most type 2's find does not help them in any way.

It is true that carbs have less calories per gram than fat BUT it is much harder to eat a large amount of fat than it is of carbs and so for most people they will feel full quickly on a high fat diet and naturally eat fewer calories. Trying to cut calories on a high carb diet is much more difficult as most people can carry on eating carbs for ever (can you binge on sweets? - yes easily but try binging on double cream and you get to feel sick real fast!). Many people who try the Low carb /high fat way of life find they lose weight naturally while never feeling hungry - something that is almost impossible on a diet that doesn't replace carbs with fat. Carbs also have addictive qualities which can make reducing calories very difficult as well as spiking insulin levels which is a fat storage hormone.

 

[Lamont D]

I think if she was advocating high fiber /low sugar she'd have said exactly that. What she was more likely recommending was based on the NHS Eatwell plate which most type 2's find does not help them in any way.

It is true that carbs have less calories per gram than fat BUT it is much harder to eat a large amount of fat than it is of carbs and so for most people they will feel full quickly on a high fat diet and naturally eat fewer calories. Trying to cut calories on a high carb diet is much more difficult as most people can carry on eating carbs for ever (can you binge on sweets? - yes easily but try binging on double cream and you get to feel sick real fast!). Many people who try the Low carb /high fat way of life find they lose weight naturally while never feeling hungry - something that is almost impossible on a diet that doesn't replace carbs with fat. Carbs also have addictive qualities which can make reducing calories very difficult as well as spiking insulin levels which is a fat storage hormone.

Good post!