When I started my food diary for my endocrinologist.
I was unaware of how to go about testing and how would things like insulin resistance or dawn phenomenon effect my testing, I was still eating porridge for my breakfast, water, no sugar, because I liked porridge and it was supposed to be a super food and of course recommended by all my medical team.
My endo told me to do my fasting test, 30 minutes after I get out of bed and before breakfast. I could eat then and tested two hours after.
This seemed to work, I didn't have dawn phenomenon, but because I was overweight, my insulin resistance was a factor
My endo referred me to a dietician and recommended that I view this site. Best medical advice ever.
So over the next few weeks, I got a bit obsessive about my testing and experimentation, I wanted to know.
I did notice that my fasting was in normal levels and after breakfast the numbers were lower but because what I was still eating porridge for breakfast by the time two hours after, my readings were in the mid teens.
So at my next appointment between the diagnostic tests to find what was going on, a fasting test and getting my blood glucose levels tested every couple of hours, it was apparent that if I didn't eat, I never went out of normal levels. And I could fast for days, and because of the fasting, the symptoms I was experiencing went away.
I was told to stay away from porridge and more hospital tests.
Because I was learning about control of my condition, and had started low carb and being totally ignorant of what was going on. But because I was told that the bad carbs I was still eating, was giving me spikes. It was all confused.
I asked a question on here and what posters were telling me was to eat to my glucometer, in other words lower the carbs enough, so I don't get the spikes, if I didn't get the spikes, I wouldn't get the symptoms, which included hypos, not false ones, the reason was I am carb intolerant, totally. Healthy carbs are not healthy for me. So after diagnosis and what I learned from testing and my food diary, was the only treatment for my condition was avoiding carbs as much as possible.
So instead of being healthy eating healthy foods, my body would be ill, on a so called healthy carbs diet. I began to become really healthy and gain some great energy levels, loose weight and the symptoms went away.
The crux of testing is to find out how intolerant you are, and the amount of carbs you can safely cope with.
My experience has shown me that reducing carbs enough to stop unnecessary spikes, walk as much as possible, reducing your portion size. Keep a food diary, monitor any changes, be easy to yourself and your journey through this phase will be easier. In time, if you can fast , the amount of food you need will drop. Be determined but don't eat at specific times. Eat when you feel hungry and look after your health.
I fast every morning/afternoon, and I have a small window to eat. I have found this method of intermittent fasting so beneficial.
I don't count calories, I don't count carbs, I do record my fasting, my pre food and two hours after, put it in my food diary, scan the results, see if there is an improvement, see if there is a pattern of improvement and if necessary adjust the components of this meal and test again and adjust again if you need to. See if there is a trend that your symptoms are improving, your insulin resistance and your weight.
Be patient, keep asking, keep safe.