Fasting good post meal not so good

[Maximummick]

I am diagnosed as prediabetic but my fasting levels are always on the low side at 5.2-5.8. I can have a spike after meals if there is more than say 20-30g of carbs up to 7.5 (a couple of 9's I don't understand). Is it possible to become T2 diabetic and still have goodish fasting levels?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I am diagnosed as prediabetic but my fasting levels are always on the low side at 5.2-5.8. I can have a spike after meals if there is more than say 20-30g of carbs up to 7.5 (a couple of 9's I don't understand). Is it possible to become T2 diabetic and still have goodish fasting levels?

Short answer: yes.
If you want to figure out why you're spiking after meals, https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html 'll probably help. I'm guessing you had a lot of carbs when you went up to 9's.

 

[Maximummick]

When I got the 9's it was with a slice of wholemeal bread and some humus, so very surprising to me. Can't be that many carbs in that!

 

[bulkbiker]

When I got the 9's it was with a slice of wholemeal bread and some humus, so very surprising to me. Can't be that many carbs in that!

You'd be surprised.. and the combo of humus and bread is a double carb dose!

 

[Rachox]

When I got the 9's it was with a slice of wholemeal bread and some humus, so very surprising to me. Can't be that many carbs in that!

Depending on the brands of bread and hummus it’s probably between 15 - 25g of carbs. But what your blood sugar tells you is that however much the total is, your body can’t cope with that much all at once.

 

[Member496333]

Bread is like rocket fuel for blood glucose. Worse than table sugar.

 

[Maximummick]

That is interesting. I am learning quickly. I will avoid that combo. I already have BMI of 20 and exercise every day. Therefore my only weapon is diet. I am getting concerned that my modest HBA1C improvement (49 in November to 46 in February) is all I'll be able to achieve and that T2 is inevitable for me at the age of 66 with only diet to control things.

 

[HSSS]

I am diagnosed as prediabetic but my fasting levels are always on the low side at 5.2-5.8. I can have a spike after meals if there is more than say 20-30g of carbs up to 7.5 (a couple of 9's I don't understand). Is it possible to become T2 diabetic and still have goodish fasting levels?

Two types of prediabetes I’ve found. Impaired Fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance (OGTT) . And then there’s the hb1ac. All three can be used to diagnose prediabetes even if the other two are ok. I’d say any one of them is reason to take action and head it off before it progresses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediabetes#Impaired_glucose_tolerance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impaired_fasting_glucose

 

[JoKalsbeek]

When I got the 9's it was with a slice of wholemeal bread and some humus, so very surprising to me. Can't be that many carbs in that!

...Actually... There's a lot of carbs in all kinds of wheat-based bread, and some starches in hummus.

 

[bulkbiker]

That is interesting. I am learning quickly. I will avoid that combo. I already have BMI of 20 and exercise every day. Therefore my only weapon is diet. I am getting concerned that my modest HBA1C improvement (49 in November to 46 in February) is all I'll be able to achieve and that T2 is inevitable for me at the age of 66 with only diet to control things.

Most wholemeal bread will be between 35-40% carbohydrate.
Hummus about 10-15% carb.
Neither would be great for a low carb diet.

 

[Maximummick]

Thanks everyone, I had no idea how bad my impaired glucose tolerance was. I assume that will never improve so I am happy to commit to the change in diet. My concern is that I've probably had pre-diabetes for a couple of years before I did something so I am very worried about the damage I may have done to my body in the meantime. How long does it take to do nerve and blood vessel damage.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks everyone, I had no idea how bad my impaired glucose tolerance was. I assume that will never improve so I am happy to commit to the change in diet. My concern is that I've probably had pre-diabetes for a couple of years before I did something so I am very worried about the damage I may have done to my body in the meantime. How long does it take to do nerve and blood vessel damage.

If you were diagnosed as pre-diabetic (HbA1c sub 48) then any damage is likely to be limited and probably repairable.
My HbA1c on diagnosis was 87 mmol/mol
Luckily I had one from just over a year before that which was 44 mmol/mol so knew I hadn't been T2 for all that long.
I'm hoping that since the last 4 have been sub 28 mmol/mol any damage done has reversed by now.

 

[Maximummick]

Thanks, that is encouraging. I was A1c 46 in September 2018, 49 November 2019 and back to 46 this month. I made such a drastic change in diet I was really disappointed the change wasn't bigger. So I am feeling rather demotivated and despondent after seeing all the dramatic A1c downward changes other on the forum have achieved.

 

[KernowKeith]

By doing three tests a day (first thing in the morning, later afternoon and then three hours after evening meal), I worked out that it was primarily bread, rice, couscous and pasta that increased my BG levels. Since the beginning of December, I've not had bread, pasta, rice, couscous, beer, white wine, fruit or chocolate. In that time, my HbA1c came down from 43 to 41, but I have lost about 8-9lbs in weight (I only weigh 9st 4lbs). I also suffer from constipation! But that's another subject...

 

[Maximummick]

Sounds like your story is similar to mine. A long road ahead but I guess it’s going in the right direction.

 

[Member496333]

By doing three tests a day (first thing in the morning, later afternoon and then three hours after evening meal), I worked out that it was primarily bread, rice, couscous and pasta that increased my BG levels. Since the beginning of December, I've not had bread, pasta, rice, couscous, beer, white wine, fruit or chocolate. In that time, my HbA1c came down from 43 to 41, but I have lost about 8-9lbs in weight (I only weigh 9st 4lbs). I also suffer from constipation! But that's another subject...

Constipation, or just not as regular? If you’re eating lower carb, lower fibre, it’s to be expected that there will be less waste to evacuate. I’m full-carnivore and only have a couple of good bowel movements per week, but I’m not constipated. It’s just that nearly all my food gets digested.

In any case, a little extra dietary fat would help things along, and would also help to prevent any weight loss if desired.

 

[KernowKeith]

I've gone from daily to, in worst case, over five days. Not a good feeling in the gut. Usually end up resorting to using a mild laxative. I try to avoid too much fat as I have had angina/heart problems due to blocked artery in the past.