Fasting between meals

[tsouza]

(1) Is there any thumb rule for keeping intervals between meals/snacks? (2) Is it helpful to count BG before eating, 2 hours after eating and 4 hours after eating to check the rate of BG rise? (3) Is it important to keep a food intake diary? Could all that help regulate insulin dosage? I shall be thankful if anyone has experiences to share on these doubts of mine. After 2 months of insulin regime, I feel somewhat frustrated with constant fluctuations of BG, between 6.6 and 13,8 (120 mg-250mg).

 

[Bluetit1802]

I can't comment on insulin dosage as I am medication - free, diet only.

Tagging @Jaylee who may have some help, but he will want to know which insulin regime you are on.

 

[rom35]

I eat 3x a day. I measure before, 1 hour after and 2 hour after - as 1h is my normal spike. 2h after I want to be under 5,7 again. I have no meds and no insulin. Only LCHF diet and excercise.

 

[Jaylee]

(1) Is there any thumb rule for keeping intervals between meals/snacks? (2) Is it helpful to count BG before eating, 2 hours after eating and 4 hours after eating to check the rate of BG rise? (3) Is it important to keep a food intake diary? Could all that help regulate insulin dosage? I shall be thankful if anyone has experiences to share on these doubts of mine. After 2 months of insulin regime, I feel somewhat frustrated with constant fluctuations of BG, between 6.6 and 13,8 (120 mg-250mg).

Hi @tsouza ,

From your profile your insulin is Levemir and Humalog.

Keeping a diary/log of these things certainly help to spot trends in your blood sugar management.
It also makes it easier when dealing with health care professionals using an organised log kept of carbohydrate intake BG numbers & insulin dosage.

Be kind to yourself, 2 months is a short space of time to get totally adjusted to a new medication routine.

 

[david1968]

When I was on insulin, I tested first thing in a morning, last thing at night, before eating and two hours after eating, at least until I knew what certain foods were doing to my blood sugars. Difficult otherwise to know what things are doing to you.

 

[tsouza]

I eat 3x a day. I measure before, 1 hour after and 2 hour after - as 1h is my normal spike. 2h after I want to be under 5,7 again. I have no meds and no insulin. Only LCHF diet and excercise.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[tsouza]

When I was on insulin, I tested first thing in a morning, last thing at night, before eating and two hours after eating, at least until I knew what certain foods were doing to my blood sugars. Difficult otherwise to know what things are doing to you.

Glad to know your experience. How long were you on insulin and why did you stop. Any other oral medication?

 

[tsouza]

Hi @tsouza ,

From your profile your insulin is Levemir and Humalog.

Keeping a diary/log of these things certainly help to spot trends in your blood sugar management.
It also makes it easier when dealing with health care professionals using an organised log kept of carbohydrate intake BG numbers & insulin dosage.

Be kind to yourself, 2 months is a short space of time to get totally adjusted to a new medication routine.

Jaylee
You are right. I am on Levemir with 18u in the morning and 4u at night. At noon before lunch I take Humalog. The dose varies from 2u to 6u depending upon the excess BG byond 120 mg.
I have been tracking BG measurements on waking and before lunch and before dinner. But now it looks as if I need to measure also 2 h and 4 h after each meal. Am I right?

Hi @tsouza ,

From your profile your insulin is Levemir and Humalog.

Keeping a diary/log of these things certainly help to spot trends in your blood sugar management.
It also makes it easier when dealing with health care professionals using an organised log kept of carbohydrate intake BG numbers & insulin dosage.

Be kind to yourself, 2 months is a short space of time to get totally adjusted to a new medication routine.

 

[tsouza]

I can't comment on insulin dosage as I am medication - free, diet only.

Tagging @Jaylee who may have some help, but he will want to know which insulin regime you are on.

 

[david1968]

Glad to know your experience. How long were you on insulin and why did you stop. Any other oral medication?

I was on insulin for about five years - put on it immediately I was diagnosed as type 2 - but came off it about two months ago.

I'd slowly been reducing the amount I was taking (I'd started off on 34 units of Novorapid and 34 units of Levemir a day) and had got to the point where I was hardly taking any - I gone low carb and was getting a lot more exercise than I had been and had lost four stone in weight as a result.

Saw my GP and she agreed that I didn't need to be on it any more, and I'm now on 500mg of slow release metformin a day.

My aim is to come off that at some point and manage things by diet and exercise.

 

[Jaylee]

Jaylee
You are right. I am on Levemir with 18u in the morning and 4u at night. At noon before lunch I take Humalog. The dose varies from 2u to 6u depending upon the excess BG byond 120 mg.
I have been tracking BG measurements on waking and before lunch and before dinner. But now it looks as if I need to measure also 2 h and 4 h after each meal. Am I right?

Indeed sir.

Test on waking, then before each meal & 2hours after.. It is wise to monitor bloods during excercise. Then check before retiring to bed.

 

[tsouza]

I was on insulin for about five years - put on it immediately I was diagnosed as type 2 - but came off it about two months ago.

I'd slowly been reducing the amount I was taking (I'd started off on 34 units of Novorapid and 34 units of Levemir a day) and had got to the point where I was hardly taking any - I gone low carb and was getting a lot more exercise than I had been and had lost four stone in weight as a result.

Saw my GP and she agreed that I didn't need to be on it any more, and I'm now on 500mg of slow release metformin a day.

My aim is to come off that at some point and manage things by diet and exercise.

Cingrstulatuins! What are your routine exercises? I was on Risidon 1000 mg / day for 15 years, and it harmed my liver and kidneys. Shift to insulin was considered urgent.

 

[david1968]

Cingrstulatuins! What are your routine exercises? I was on Risidon 1000 mg / day for 15 years, and it harmed my liver and kidneys. Shift to insulin was considered urgent.

Walking. Do about six miles every day.

 

[tsouza]

Walking. Do about six miles every day.

Ever day without fail? That’s heroic. I wish I can create that sort of routine. I try to make up with fixed bike at home, specially to avoid cold wintry weather and avoid catching cold. I my case a light bronchial congestion leads easily to attacks of fibrillation and cardiac insufficiency.

 

[david1968]

Ever day without fail? That’s heroic. I wish I can create that sort of routine. I try to make up with fixed bike at home, specially to avoid cold wintry weather and avoid catching cold. I my case a light bronchial congestion leads easily to attacks of fibrillation and cardiac insufficiency.

Five days a week at least. I live about twenty five miles from where I work and used to catch the bus for the first part of the journey (about three miles from home to the railway station) but now I walk instead. Then I've got a about a mile walk from the railway station at the other end to the office and then back again in an evening. Throw in the walking I do during the day and it's getting on for six miles.

Walk a bit less on Saturdays and Sundays but usually do three or four miles both days.

 

[VivD]

I found detailed observation of diet bloods etc was helpful to help my control for a while but then just checks and observation when things go out of kilter or you want to lower your insulin if you have embarked on half diet