HbA1c and finger prick testing

I think overall the HbA1C is probably the most important BUT I also think the daily readings are very important. One his just your overall averages but if that is good because you are swinging from very high to low that swinging won't be good for you. so I guess on balance both readings are very important- they tell you slightly;y different things.

I think once you have a few meals you know you can cope with then you can relax a bit on the testing but you need to be careful of carb creep and make sure you do still test from time to time. I use testing as a way of not getting too relaxed about what I eat- maybe in 20 years or so I'll stop being worried about it depending on my overall health at the time. My father's family don't generally see very old bones so if one of the myriad of health conditions that may be in my genes takes over then I may rely my testing. Three months averages aren't enough for me.

You are back in the normal range which is something to be congratulated for - Well done.

The aim now is to keep it in the normal range and you seem to have it well sussed out with testing how different foods affect your body.

Keep testing and stay normal.

I would say a great result.

Hba1c is in a good place well done!

That's cirtainly the most important test, you can do 100 finger picks a day that show your good, but if your hba1c is still high something is still not right.

That said, you have mentioned yourself finger pricks are very important. I have found myself reducing them a bit since I got to grips with what I can eat and how things work. But I still test once a day perhaps twice in average.

The morning fasting is often the last to come down from what I read on other posts from people who use the lchf route. So keep doing what your doing

My opinion is that they are both important in that you do not want to let your finger prick results to be above normal if you can avoid it and the Hba1c is a measure of just how much (how long) you were above normal in the last three months. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

I do not wish to give the impression that you can tell what your Hba1c is by looking at your finger prick tests since you won't see a comparison if you take your finger prick tests at the wrong times and not very frequently. The Hba1c doesn't sleep and is a continuous test and is the better test. This does not mean that the finger prick test is less important.

_Pete_ said:

Im just finding the morning test really annoying! There's no rhyme or reason behind the high levels (10.4) this morning so I'm just thinking I won't bother testing until the afternoon. I pretty much eat the same omelette every morning, I know it's got minimal carbs so almost need to ignore this part of the day :0). I'm also not in this for weight loss, I'm 75kg at 6 foot, so skinny type 2, which is even more annoying. I actually want to bulk up a bit and put on some lean muscle, which could be a challenge.

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Welcome @_Pete_

That sounds very much like Dawn Phenomenon where our bodies feed us glucose to kick start the day.

It is very common.

I think many of us experience that.

I am sure someone will come along and offer some good sound advice on bulking on some weight.

_Pete_ said:

I was diagnosed a few years ago, kinda got on the low carb band wagon. Seems to have worked as latest test result from docs is in the normal range. (at least back in november). Fell off the bandwagon over xmas a little.

I'm still waking up to 8+ figures on the finger prick test before food etc. Just wondered which you believe to be the most important overall reading. I suppose with it being a long term issue, perhaps the 3 month docs test to be ideal, with finger prick test for finding nasty foods?

HbA1c levl - IFCC standardised
36 MMOL/MOL
20 - 41
Normal
26 Nov 2019

HbA1c levl - IFCC standardised
53 MMOL/MOL
20 - 41
Abnormal
3 May 2019

HbA1c levl - IFCC standardised
59 MMOL/MOL
20 - 41
Abnormal
15 Nov 2018

(sorry i don't post much, just lurk)

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Stick with the HbA1c and testing around food. Your Dawn Phenomenon is a little severe, but all it tells you right now is that you're high in the morning, which you already know. Back in May you were still in the diabetic range, and as most of us here have experienced, the fasting numbers are the last to come down. I still see sixes on most days if I do test, and I've been at it for a few years now. Rest of the day I'm fours and fives, usually... So if you're all good the rest of the time, ignore the glucose your liver dumps in the morning and just stick with the program. You're making great strides!