1st Meter Reading Today

[FranOnTheEdge]

Hi folks, had my first meter reading today. I got my husband to do it for me, while I looked away and tried to pretend nothing was happening. Lol!
Yes I know I've got to do it myself, but one step at a time. I need to segue into these things gently.
Okay so 1st reading was:
8.7mmol/L, before eating or drinking anything but water.

and the 2nd after coffee and 1 crumpet, (and the Metformin) was:
9.9 mmol/L no exercise. (I find exercise very difficult unless it's swimming, due to arthritis.)

All of that seems quite high to me. I'd like to test again tomorrow without having carbs, like with having a grilled breakfast with lots of veg and a couple of eggs instead... just to see the difference.

Now for today, do I test before and after lunch as well?
Or just wait for the reading to go down again before eating anything - i.e. do I wait until dinner tonight?

I am awfully hungry though...

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

Hi Fran. Was your post-crumpet reading taken 2 hours after eating?

If you are hungry, eat something. Test just before you eat lunch and again 2 hours later. Good luck.

 

[Robbity]

The best way to find out what your glucose levels are doing is definitely to check when you wake up (fasting level) and then as @Avocado Sevenfold says, immediately before and again 2 hours after eating. These pre and post meal tests will help you work out which food cause your glucose levels to rise, and if they regularly cause a big spike they probably ought be reduced or avoided.

I either eat when I'm hungry, or for my evening meal (usually cooked by husband) whenever that happens to be ready.

I think you'll find that you're not alone in your finger pricking fears - have a search on the forum to see! I used to shut my eyes, grit my teeth, and "think of England". But getting the right kind of pricking device can be a great help - I did a fair bit of research before i got the one that I hoped I could manage with best - an Accu Chek Fastclix, which holds a little revolving drum containing 6 lancets so you never need to see any nasty pricky bits at all. Most can be adjusted for sensitivity. You don't need this device to be the same brand as your meter, as getting the drop of blood is not related in any way to the actual means of testing it - it's just the test strips that must match your meter.

Robbity

 

[Scimama]

Hi Fran
I find washing my hands in warm water, drying then giving them a good shake to get the blood flowing really helps, i prick the sides of the tip of mu finger (if that makes sense). I use the lowest setting on my lancet (number 1) if I test my husband he needs it on the max setting. A fresh sharp lancet each time will also help it be less painful.

I keep a record (I use a diary) of how foods affect my BG levels. In the beginning I would test before meals, 1 hour and 2 hours after eating. I noted the increase (or lack of) in my BG level and the amount/portion I had eaten.

Its a slow process but you will get there.

 

[JohnEGreen]

The first meter I bought was an Accu-check Mobile by the time I worked up enough courage to use it the cartridge was out of date.

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

The first meter I bought was an Accu-check Mobile by the time I worked up enough courage to use it the cartridge was out of date.

That sounds so like me! Awww, I like you already, John.

 

[JohnEGreen]

Oh shucks thats so nice FranOnTheEdge

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Hi Fran. Was your post-crumpet reading taken 2 hours after eating?

If you are hungry, eat something. Test just before you eat lunch and again 2 hours later. Good luck.

Yes, post-crumpet was 2 hours after - the meter has a little bleep alarm.
Unfortunately I missed lunch, (went to Asda, so it turned into Lun-inner - more like actual dinner by the time it was cooked) I keep meaning to cook a Mexican chicken dinner thing (from a recipe book), but today I found an oven cook meal with just chicken, veg and gravy and all very low in fat, as well as low carbs, so I had my first cauliflower rice with it, so I can test a low fat/low carb meal with the meter.

Yes, I know everyone else around here is doing Hi Fat/Low Carb, but I need desperately to loose a lot more weight, I have to keep at it. I don't feel I can give in and eat high fat things, much though I'd like to.

I seem to be hungry all the time these days, except 2 weeks ago when I had tonsilitis and didn't want anything most of the time. Now I spend the whole time trying to think of something slimming that I can stand to eat - so I just feel hungry all the time.

Before I was diagnosed, I ate 2 crumpets for breakfast - or 2 slices of toast, very very rarely like once every 2 or 3 months would I have a cooked breakfast, then nothing for lunch and curry and rice for dinner - didn't need to think about it at all. Now I have to think about it all the time, I have no life left, no time left for anything else - it's a real drag.

I have no little things I can eat to stave off hunger - that used to be toast, now this place is saying no carbs - and anyway I need to test that. Since I don't want to spoil the readings I am taking today. Gawd, life is so confusing sometimes, isn't it?

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

The best way to find out what your glucose levels are doing is definitely to check when you wake up (fasting level) and then as @Avocado Sevenfold says, immediately before and again 2 hours after eating. These pre and post meal tests will help you work out which food cause your glucose levels to rise, and if they regularly cause a big spike they probably ought be reduced or avoided.

I either eat when I'm hungry, or for my evening meal (usually cooked by husband) whenever that happens to be ready.

I think you'll find that you're not alone in your finger pricking fears - have a search on the forum to see! I used to shut my eyes, grit my teeth, and "think of England". But getting the right kind of pricking device can be a great help - I did a fair bit of research before i got the one that I hoped I could manage with best - an Accu Chek Fastclix, which holds a little revolving drum containing 6 lancets so you never need to see any nasty pricky bits at all. Most can be adjusted for sensitivity. You don't need this device to be the same brand as your meter, as getting the drop of blood is not related in any way to the actual means of testing it - it's just the test strips that must match your meter.

Robbity

Just after the fasting check - was immediately before eating, since as soon as Ian had stabbed me I went and toasted the crumpets - funny that my just before another meal check was a lot lower than my fasting reading, fasting was 8.7, and 2 hours later it was 9.9 but before the next meal it was down to 6.9 - I had imagined that the fasting one would have been the lowest. Odd.
I think I'll manage to do the pricking part - eventually. It's probably like when I had my eye surgery, and couldn't face putting drops into my eyes - especially as some of the drops stung... but I did eventually manage to do it myself, it's being allowed to ease into these things that helps.
I don't think the lancing device is all that bad - it just doesn't help that I have some sort of muscular injury to my back at the moment, and involuntary flinching hurts there as well... sigh.

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Hi Fran
I find washing my hands in warm water, drying then giving them a good shake to get the blood flowing really helps, i prick the sides of the tip of mu finger (if that makes sense). I use the lowest setting on my lancet (number 1) if I test my husband he needs it on the max setting. A fresh sharp lancet each time will also help it be less painful.

I keep a record (I use a diary) of how foods affect my BG levels. In the beginning I would test before meals, 1 hour and 2 hours after eating. I noted the increase (or lack of) in my BG level and the amount/portion I had eaten.

Its a slow process but you will get there.

I was already keeping a food diary, it's no extra bother to add a reading here and there - the bother is in having to wait 2 hours before I can have a nice yoghurt - a 2 hour delay for a pudding? - Argggghhhh!
But I want to test the meal alone without the complications of a yoghurt
Oops, time for that test now. Gotta go commit hari-kiri.

 

[david1968]

Before I was diagnosed, I ate 2 crumpets for breakfast - or 2 slices of toast, very very rarely like once every 2 or 3 months would I have a cooked breakfast, then nothing for lunch and curry and rice for dinner - didn't need to think about it at all. Now I have to think about it all the time, I have no life left, no time left for anything else - it's a real drag.

I remember that feeling - like all you did was eat and test your blood sugar! It will pass though, I promise.

Good luck with everything!

 

[Robbity]

Fran, Regarding fasting levels, your body will frequently do a "liver dump" first thing (but sometimes at other times during the day) to give you an energy boost to prepare you for the day. So it's not unusual to see higher levels on waking, and these levels are often the last to come down, and also the ones you have least control over as your liver is actually programmed to do this. Look on our main UK diabetes.co.uk site, or do a Google search for "liver dump" or "dawn phenomenon" to learn more.

Robbity

 

[bulkbiker]

Yes, post-crumpet was 2 hours after - the meter has a little bleep alarm.
Unfortunately I missed lunch, (went to Asda, so it turned into Lun-inner - more like actual dinner by the time it was cooked) I keep meaning to cook a Mexican chicken dinner thing (from a recipe book), but today I found an oven cook meal with just chicken, veg and gravy and all very low in fat, as well as low carbs, so I had my first cauliflower rice with it, so I can test a low fat/low carb meal with the meter.

Yes, I know everyone else around here is doing Hi Fat/Low Carb, but I need desperately to loose a lot more weight, I have to keep at it. I don't feel I can give in and eat high fat things, much though I'd like to.

I seem to be hungry all the time these days, except 2 weeks ago when I had tonsilitis and didn't want anything most of the time. Now I spend the whole time trying to think of something slimming that I can stand to eat - so I just feel hungry all the time.

Before I was diagnosed, I ate 2 crumpets for breakfast - or 2 slices of toast, very very rarely like once every 2 or 3 months would I have a cooked breakfast, then nothing for lunch and curry and rice for dinner - didn't need to think about it at all. Now I have to think about it all the time, I have no life left, no time left for anything else - it's a real drag.

I have no little things I can eat to stave off hunger - that used to be toast, now this place is saying no carbs - and anyway I need to test that. Since I don't want to spoil the readings I am taking today. Gawd, life is so confusing sometimes, isn't it?

Hi Fran
The whole point of Low Carb High Fat is that you eat low carb (i.e. not crumpets) to get your blood sugars down and the high fat keeps you full so stops the hunger pangs you are having. I know it sounds counter intuitive to eat a high fat diet to loose weight but it really does!. I have gone from 22 1/2 stone 4 1/2 months ago to just over 18 1/2 stone by doing this. I also can manage fasting because I'm not hungry all the time. Try cutting out carbs and eating more fat for a couple of weeks and see if you can get stunning results like many of us do. For max effect try getting your carbs as low as possible. Also try doing that while monitoring your blood sugars..

 

[muzza3]

Fran

Congratulations on getting the meter. It now means that you are able to take control of your BG and now that you can see what impact different foods have on your levels you can make informed decisions on your diet. Great to see that 6.9 in there it shows that you can really get your levels down.

Re LCHF diets you can actually lose a lot of weight on these diets as many have done on here. Its all about the carbs

Tremendous first step to control

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

I remember that feeling - like all you did was eat and test your blood sugar! It will pass though, I promise.

Good luck with everything!

Thanks, I really need it! Because it's not just for testing, it's been like this ever since I started slimming - it's the hunt for something edible AND slimming at the same time, that's the hard part. And shop bought meals usually have too much of one thing or another to truly qualify, so I'm left hunting for recipes to make - you have to start all over again with this hunt because all your old recipe books have things in that are lovely, but not slimming, so I'm having to begin at the beginning almost as if I've never cooked before in my life, I mean... when I think about the problems trying to find out how to cook my favourite recipe, how to adjust it for slimming, then how to adjust it for slimming AND diabetes... and there's so much contradictory advice - slimming says one thing, diabetes says something different, and contradicts some of the slimming stuff...
Where's the slimming AND Diabetes group? Hi Fat & Low Carb I already know about, and that's led me to feel even more confusion. I find it very, very hard to believe that High Fat will let you loose weight, and very, very hard to give up the carbs, they were some of the only things left in my diet that actually had flavour and that stopped me feeling hungry. I've tried one meal without carbs in it and I was ravenously hungry just an hour later.
Maybe I need the doctor to give me a "don't be hungry" pill?

Sorry, I've got that awful feeling that I'm moaning too much again. I'll stop now.

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Fran, Regarding fasting levels, your body will frequently do a "liver dump" first thing (but sometimes at other times during the day) to give you an energy boost to prepare you for the day. So it's not unusual to see higher levels on waking, and these levels are often the last to come down, and also the ones you have least control over as your liver is actually programmed to do this. Look on our main UK diabetes.co.uk site, or do a Google search for "liver dump" or "dawn phenomenon" to learn more.

Robbity

Oh really? Thanks for that - explains a lot - and a relief!

 

[Pink_Minx]

I felt exactly the same! I was overwhelmed by the diabetes diagnosis, as well as finally recognising that shifting some weight had to happen. I had no idea what to eat and thought I'd be on lettuce leaves for the rest of my life! I was a total carb addict - oh, my home-made bread is so lovely... I tried low GI and it did nothing for me. I finally found LCHF and it's all changed for the better. I've lost 2.5 stone since August and I can honestly say it's not been difficult. I know the high fat bit goes against everything we knew, but I was the same as you - a no carb meal left me hungry and I'd have crisps to fill me up. Once I included full fat cheese, mayo, yogurt etc it all changed. The fat honestly does fill you up. I don't eat meat, so I've had to look a bit harder for recipes, but have a look at the Diet Doctor and Ditchthecarbs websites - they've got loads of good ideas. There are also some fab ideas in the low carb and recipe forums.

I know this is daunting and it's easy to feel lost, but stick with us - there are some amazingly helpful people here who have given me loads of support and encouragement. They also don't just give platitudes and meaningless encouragement - they've been there and done it themselves so they know how hard it can be so give constructive advice.

So ends the Sunday sermon! Good luck @FranOnTheEdge, you'll get there.

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Hi Fran
The whole point of Low Carb High Fat is that you eat low carb (i.e. not crumpets) to get your blood sugars down and the high fat keeps you full so stops the hunger pangs you are having. I know it sounds counter intuitive to eat a high fat diet to loose weight but it really does!. I have gone from 22 1/2 stone 4 1/2 months ago to just over 18 1/2 stone by doing this. I also can manage fasting because I'm not hungry all the time. Try cutting out carbs and eating more fat for a couple of weeks and see if you can get stunning results like many of us do. For max effect try getting your carbs as low as possible. Also try doing that while monitoring your blood sugars..

Yes is really does sound counter intuitive, but then so did "eat as much veg as you like" for Slimming World, and I managed to loose weight on that, so maybe I could do it on this Hi Fat/Low Carb thing - I'm just concerned that I might not loose as much as quickly and I'm so big that I want to loose a lot as fast as possible... and keep it off of course. I do know that crash diets have you just gaining it all back again, so I mean as fast as is possible without gaining it all again afterwards... not that you stop eating the 'diet plan' once you've lost weight.

 

[catherinecherub]

Yes is really does sound counter intuitive, but then so did "eat as much veg as you like" for Slimming World, and I managed to loose weight on that, so maybe I could do it on this Hi Fat/Low Carb thing - I'm just concerned that I might not loose as much as quickly and I'm so big that I want to loose a lot as fast as possible... and keep it off of course. I do know that crash diets have you just gaining it all back again, so I mean as fast as is possible without gaining it all again afterwards... not that you stop eating the 'diet plan' once you've lost weight.

Hi @FranOnTheEdge,

I wonder if you have considered joining the LowCarb Programme, a 10 week course where everything is explained in great detail and you can ask any questions that you have.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-education-program.87670/

 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Fran

Congratulations on getting the meter. It now means that you are able to take control of your BG and now that you can see what impact different foods have on your levels you can make informed decisions on your diet. Great to see that 6.9 in there it shows that you can really get your levels down.

Re LCHF diets you can actually lose a lot of weight on these diets as many have done on here. Its all about the carbs

Tremendous first step to control

Thanks Muzza3, it did feel like a big step, which is silly, all I was doing was ordering a meter etc.
I think that 6.9 one was just starvation, it was a reading 6 hours after a meal - after all. Think I'll pop over to the Low Carbs HiFat area and look for something I can eat for breakfast, quick before lunchtime comes around again.