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Fasting BS and the rest of the day.

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FairyElephant

Member
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9
Location
Leicestershire
Hi
I am presently low carbing between 30 to 80g per day. I am testing my blood sugars before and 2 hours after meals.
My problem is dawn phenomenon my first blood reading is about 12 to 15. It now slowly lowers over the day so by evening meal it will be about 9 and either the same reading of 9 or it may drop a little. I am not eating many things that raise the level much above the pre meal reading. Sometimes before bed it drops to 8, but is still high again in the morning.
I have read advice on the forum that to try and keep the after meal reading as low as 7.8 (ideally) but my levels never seem to drop that low at anytime no matter what I eat ( or even if I dont eat).
I am on 2 x 500g metformin per day.
Is there any point testing what effect food has until I can get my levels below 7.8 or even 8.5?
Any tips or advice welcome.
 
This is a case of a bit at a time, FairyElephant ! :D

Where you are at the moment, it's important to try to get your 2-hours-after-meal readings down to about the same level as your pre-meal readings. Below 8 would be nice, but the main thing at first is to get them steady. Testing is still important; you need to know which foods send you too high and which foods don't affect you too much. That's why test strips are so important at the beginning - if you're eating right (which it sounds as if you are) then you'll make progress and see a difference. Slowly but surely they'll creep down - persevere! :D

Are you trying to lose weight as well? Again, as the weight comes off, your insulin resistance will lessen, and the BGs will come down.

It's important to eat regularly - without food your liver will eventually dump glucose into your system to keep you going. Not eating and skipping a meal can lead to higher BGs :shock: . Not fair, is it? :D

Keep on as you are, and aim for slow and steady. Low-carbing will work, but it can be quite slow - and always much slower than we want :roll: :lol: .

Viv 8)
 
Thank you for your reply. I will try to wait it out!, I think like numerous others I am a little impatient, I remember in a previous life (pre-diabetes!!!) that I could start on the Atkins diet, be good for 3 days, pee on a stick and confirm its working and I'm in ketosis. I naively was thinking that lowering the sugar levels would be quicker, as I am eating very little carbs to make the blood sugar levels increase, never dreamed of the DP (or even heard of it before).

In continuation of the Atkins theme, I started on 20g per day but thought that this would not be sustainable long term so upped to about 80g on average. I still feel like I am cheating as it is higher than Atkins induction and was worried my BS levels wouldn't fall.

I will continue to take my levels religiously and try for only foods that keep it level or raise it slightly.

Do you think 80g is ok? I know everyone is different and I have just read xyzzy's post re eating by the meter (very interesting and informative) so feel it should be ok. But questioning everything at present. Sorry for the ramble.
 
Keep testing and keep the diet going. But if you keep getting readings up to 15, you need to see the doc again. Could be you need different meds.
 
Hi FairyElephant Grazer is right (as always). If you continue waking up at around or above 15 after dropping your carbs really low you need to go back to the gp and say they are remaining high even though you have drastically cut carbs as in that event you may need some different meds to help.

When I started out just after diagnosis I use to wake up in double figures for a couple of weeks but did see a gradual drop, not necessarily day by day but kind of overall if you get my meaning. In the early days I aimed for about 40 to 50g a day. I would say look to make sure you can see that steady improvement. In some people it just happens and in others it can take weeks but the steady improvement even if it is slow is the thing to look out for. Honestly, if you don't see that improvement don't kid yourself its there and go back to the doc. It took me around 6 weeks of constant 40 to 50g carbing to get to a point where I was consistently under 7.8 for all meals.

In the meantime try not to worry! I must have wondered around the world with levels constantly in the teens for months and I'm still all here!
 
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