Another newbe question

[Allanmax]

Hi, I've been diagnosed with t2 nearly three weeks. Two days ago I got a meter from the doctors. Not shown how to use it, but a mixture of the instructions and help from a fellow t2 all good. Did my first morning test yesterday and came back 7.0.ok I thought not bad for a newbe. Had meals and stuff yesterday, all good stuff salad, rice, quorn but two slices of low carb bread and bowl of fruit and Greek yogurt. Thought I'd give it two hours and tested again. 7.0??. Got up this morning and did the fasting test again and 7.0. I've now tested the machine twice just in case and it came back in the middle of the 2 guide figures at 7.1 so it must be working. Is it usual to have exactly the same readings at different times after food and fasting? I'm following the instructions exactly. Unfortunately until I get more strips I'm stuck with the amount I can check as only got 10.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I often see the same readings test after test and wonder if my meter is stuck! Of course it isn't. It is just coincidence.

I think you should consider buying your own meter and strips. 10 is grossly insufficient and unlikely to be increased on prescription. You can search round to see how much the strips for your current meter cost, but I bet they are expensive. The Codefree and Tee2 meters have very cheap strips in comparison. I do believe you were given the details in a previous thread.

When you are learning about food choices you need many hundreds of strips!
Are you being organised with your testing, such as before and after every meal, and keeping a food diary?

 

[xfieldok]

We never get enough strips to test properly. I get 100 per month but I need to use at least 200. I bought my own meter before the surgery gave me one. I got the SD CodeFree because the strips were the cheapest I could find.

Don't fret about your numbers at this stage of your journey, it is a steep learning curve.

Keep a food diary along with your glucose readings. Rice is best avoided.

Welcome to the forum by the way. You will get a load of good advice from people who are much more knowledgeable than me.

I am a newbie DX last November and the best advice I can give you is not to stress about your numbers and you will make lots of mistakes in the early days. Don't beat yourself up, treat every experience as part of your education and move on. Ask lots of questions.

 

[Allanmax]

Thanks yes I was given the information and I fully intend to get my own tester, trying one step at a time and seeing the same figure three times I was just wondering as I read so many times on here the figures changing after eating. Hence why I'm asking with not yet being in any form of controlled eating regime until I know what works for me or not.

 

[Allanmax]

Thanks both of you. Think I'll order my own today as going to need lots more strips. Yes I'm starting to take note of my food intake but with having so few strips can't go mad testing as yet only got a couple left. Steep learning curve is so right!

 

[xfieldok]

Yes, sometimes I get the same fasting readings. You could always ask for a family member or friend to test your meter, don't forget to change your pricker.

I got a bottle of control solution when I ordered meter.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Had meals and stuff yesterday, all good stuff salad, rice, quorn but two slices of low carb bread and bowl of fruit and Greek yogurt.

You need to be extremely careful with rice (of any colour), and especially with fruit. Too much of the wrong type of fruit will stop you losing the fat from round your liver, and it is essential in controlling T2 that you lose this fat.

 

[xfieldok]

My low carb bread is just under 4 grams of carbs, very small slice. It barely affects my BG. If I use 2 slices to make a sandwich, my BG goes through the roof.

 

[Allanmax]

You need to be extremely careful with rice (of any colour), and especially with fruit. Too much of the wrong type of fruit will stop you losing the fat from round your liver, and it is essential in controlling T2 that you lose this fat.

The rice I use was brown basmati mixed in with the salad and the fruit was half an orange and a very small banana with half dozen grapes cut in half. The only fruit I had all day

 

[Mike d]

Those are precisely the foods I'd first avoid. Bad stuff

 

[xfieldok]

Out of the foods you have listed, only the salad is ok.

 

[Resurgam]

Rice is a cereal - high carb, no matter what colour it is - grapes contain fructose in some quantity - banana is high carb, and orange is high in fructose - we are urged to eat starches and sugars for our health - but for diabetics it is the wrong sort of food - with salads I have eggs and cheese, or tuna use a vinegar and put on oil dressing, or coleslaw or mayonnaise.
I started off eating no more than 50 gm of carbs each day, and have reduced that to try to lose more body fat now that I am in the normal range for blood glucose readings. I set the carb content of foods at no more than 10 percent, but I am now beginning to restrict the amounts of the higher carb foods

 

[Bluetit1802]

The rice I use was brown basmati mixed in with the salad and the fruit was half an orange and a very small banana with half dozen grapes cut in half. The only fruit I had all day

Have you ever noticed how tennis players munch on a banana between games? This is because they are instant glucose. They convert to sugar almost as soon as they hit your tongue. A banana is just about the worst of the fruits, I'm sorry to say. Can you swap these tropical fruits for some berries - raspberries and strawberries, eaten as a dessert with cream or full fat yogurt?.