Type 2 How often and when to test and evening snack

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

So my meter should arrive today and just wondering how often I should test? I've been 'lurking' and reading and I'm assuming I should test before a meal and bout 90 mins after? But is that every meal i.e. 6 times a day? Also, I've always been an evening snacker, yup, I know it's something I'll have to try and overcome but I've completely stopped all bad things, not had a crisp, sweet, chocolate or anything in ten days which, for me, is a dang miracle! I've just started the low carbing and yesterday by evening hadn't had much at all, carbs that is, so I had two ryvita n butter and small pack of popcorn - thoughts on that? Ok or not and what are some of your favorite snacky things? I'm afraid I don't eat cheese as I know some do chopped up cheese as a snack on low carb but I've never been able to eat it.

bulkbiker · Dec 6, 2016

Hi Ava
If you are getting hungry in the evening then it sounds like you aren't having enough fat in your meal. I'm afraid Ryvita and popcorn aren't that good on a low carb diet. Depending on your will power some macadamia nuts or other tree nut could be good but only if you don't eat the whole bag once open like I do! If I snack , I try not to, then pork scratchings are my favourites. Not sure how many carbs you are aiming for but I try to be less than 20g per day. Mine will come from green veg or salad and some milk/cream. Butter on or in the veg and a nice full fat dressing on the salad. Full fat yoghurt can be good but again watch out for portion size and carbs. Double cream on a few frozen raspberries is about the only dessert I have as I do like cheese so prefer to have that. Pate on celery may be an option.
Hope that helps a bit.

To put it into context ryvita are 66% carb full fat yoghurt about 4% so your 2 crackers are about 13g of carbs. 2/3 of my daily allowance.

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

bulkbiker said:
Hi Ava
If you are getting hungry in the evening then it sounds like you aren't having enough fat in your meal. I'm afraid Ryvita and popcorn aren't that good on a low carb diet. Depending on your will power some macadamia nuts or other tree nut could be good but only if you don't eat the whole bag once open like I do! If I snack , I try not to, then pork scratchings are my favourites. Not sure how many carbs you are aiming for but I try to be less than 20g per day. Mine will come from green veg or salad and some milk/cream. Butter on or in the veg and a nice full fat dressing on the salad. Full fat yoghurt can be good but again watch out for portion size and carbs. Double cream on a few frozen raspberries is about the only dessert I have as I do like cheese so prefer to have that. Pate on celery may be an option.
Hope that helps a bit.

To put it into context ryvita are 66% carb full fat yoghurt about 4% so your 2 crackers are about 13g of carbs. 2/3 of my daily allowance.

Shoot, lol, ok, so ryvita is another thing going in the bin. Are low fat jelly pots ok? I've never tried pork scratchings but will certainly give them a go. I just got frozen rasps and some cream so may try a wee bit of those ton. I guess it's trying to break the habit of snacking at night altogether that's going to be difficult. I'm having eggs bacon n mushrooms for lunch, with steak for dinner with veg, probably cabbage or brussels. I've got both pecans and macadamia nuts and am pretty good at putting a set amount in a wee dish and only eating that, so bout 100g of pecans is roughly 4g of carbs right? Me and hubs just went through cupboards and all the stuff I had for me, like my hoard of crackers etc and stuff in freezer that he wouldn't eat went in binbag to take the temptation away!

bigjim19 · Dec 6, 2016

your meter will tell you what food spikes you or not and take it from there it's trial and error
keep testing till you settle out the food you can take and the food you have to stay away from
test 20 minutes before you eat then 1.5 to 2 hours later if your going to snack again try 2 hours
later !!! eat to your meter !!!

Inchindown · Dec 6, 2016

I've only just been diagnosed, so still learning what I can cope with.

I usually do a fasting test about an hour after getting out of bed. Then I do a before dinner test and another test about 2 hours after finishing dinner.

I'm not trying to minimise carbs at the moment. I'm trying to find a level of carbs which will still allow me to manage the condition. I also like to keep my total calories significantly under 2000.

At the moment things are going well, and my BG is almost half what it was before diagnosis. I try to target around 130 to 150 g of carbs a day spread over 3 meals and 3 snacks.

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

bigjim19 said:
your meter will tell you what food spikes you or not and take it from there it's trial and error
keep testing till you settle out the food you can take and the food you have to stay away from
test 20 minutes before you eat then 1.5 to 2 hours later if your going to snack again try 2 hours
later !!! eat to your meter !!!

Thank you, this Diabetes thing is a tad scary to begin with and I'm soooooooo grateful I found this site as I was literally blundering around in the dark. I'm still in the tunnel but I'm sure I can see the glimmer of light up ahead and that's due to this site and everyone here!

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

Inchindown said:
I've only just been diagnosed, so still learning what I can cope with.

I usually do a fasting test about an hour after getting out of bed. Then I do a before dinner test and another test about 2 hours after finishing dinner.

I'm not trying to minimise carbs at the moment. I'm trying to find a level of carbs which will still allow me to manage the condition. I also like to keep my total calories significantly under 2000.

At the moment things are going well, and my BG is almost half what it was before diagnosis. I try to target around 130 to 150 g of carbs a day spread over 3 meals and 3 snacks.

I have to lose weight and I know from past experience carbs are my mortal enemy lol. I've never been able to lose weight before unless I limited them so it seems the sensible way for me to go. I do blinking miss them though! I have no idea what my readings were, neither the doc nor the nurse told me and I was so in shock I forgot to ask, silly me! That's fabulous that yours have come down so much, very well done!

bigjim19 · Dec 6, 2016

Inchindown said:
I've only just been diagnosed, so still learning what I can cope with.

I usually do a fasting test about an hour after getting out of bed. Then I do a before dinner test and another test about 2 hours after finishing dinner.

I'm not trying to minimise carbs at the moment. I'm trying to find a level of carbs which will still allow me to manage the condition. I also like to keep my total calories significantly under 2000.

At the moment things are going well, and my BG is almost half what it was before diagnosis. I try to target around 130 to 150 g of carbs a day spread over 3 meals and 3 snacks.

your doing exactly the same as me apart from the fasting test i do it within 30 minutes of getting up
i found the longer you leave it the lower it is i did one morning and got a 6.6 did it again about 1 hour later and got
a 5.9 so earlier is better after all fasting is when you go to bed then when you rise" well it is to me anyway"

Terryrhino · Dec 6, 2016

Hi @AvaK you're doing the right thing by asking questions I'm relatively new to diabetes I'm in my third month LCHF works for some maybe not others but keep testing I test before the first monthful and then 2 hours after and by trial and error I've learned what spikes my bs I eat lots of eggs and cream and cheese and natural yogurt I was so hungry to start with but the fats really keep you full I've also lost 9kg . Keep reading all the posts here and you'll not go far wrong you're not alone

Inchindown · Dec 6, 2016

bigjim19 said:
your doing exactly the same as me apart from the fasting test i do it within 30 minutes of getting up
i found the longer you leave it the lower it is i did one morning and got a 6.6 did it again about 1 hour later and got
a 5.9 so earlier is better after all fasting is when you go to bed then when you rise" well it is to me anyway"

I do the test about an hour after I get up because it takes me that long to get dressed, wash and shave, take the dog for a walk and then feed him.

A few more household chores and then I'm ready to do to test.

JohnEGreen · Dec 6, 2016

Inchindown said:
I do the test about an hour after I get up because it takes me that long to get dressed, wash and shave, take the dog for a walk and then feed him.

A few more household chores and then I'm ready to do to test.

Although you must remember all those activities take energy energy that will probably be supplied in the form of glucose by your liver.

bulkbiker · Dec 6, 2016

AvaK said:
Shoot, lol, ok, so ryvita is another thing going in the bin. Are low fat jelly pots ok? I've never tried pork scratchings but will certainly give them a go. I just got frozen rasps and some cream so may try a wee bit of those ton. I guess it's trying to break the habit of snacking at night altogether that's going to be difficult. I'm having eggs bacon n mushrooms for lunch, with steak for dinner with veg, probably cabbage or brussels. I've got both pecans and macadamia nuts and am pretty good at putting a set amount in a wee dish and only eating that, so bout 100g of pecans is roughly 4g of carbs right? Me and hubs just went through cupboards and all the stuff I had for me, like my hoard of crackers etc and stuff in freezer that he wouldn't eat went in binbag to take the temptation away!

No worries we all have to learn.
One trick I found early on was to look at the back of the packets. if the product contains more than 5g of carbohydrate per 100g it went straight back on the shelf. Other people limit theirs to 10g of carbs.. you need to test and see which is better for you but to get your sugars down fast then 5g is better.
The exception to this was Oppo ice cream which has about 8 g of carbs per 100ml but that was a special treat which I have now ditched.
All the best Mark

bulkbiker · Dec 6, 2016

By the way if you can find these...
http://www.mrporky.co.uk/product/crackles/
my extensive tasting programme finds them the nicest

Resurgam · Dec 6, 2016

I was diagnosed three weeks ago, but am a long time low carber. I used Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, and suspect that it kept me prediabetec rather than full blown type 2 for decades.
So you have enough food, low density is the key - I avoid grains, starchy vegetables and legumes other than green beans and peas - but even peas taste so sweet. I have a meter and found that forbidden foods really are not good for me. I was seeing my numbers drop day by day, and then they went up and stayed up and I can only confess mia culpa, and go back to being careful. I did buy and make up some sugar free jelly - always a good thing to have on hand for those moments when temptation strikes.

Bluetit1802 · Dec 6, 2016

I do test my fasting level (as soon as I get up after washing hands) but it isn't the most important test of the day because so many factors out of our control come into play, mostly our livers dumping glucose (dawn phenomenon) and we all have different degrees of this. I believe the most important test is the one before your evening meal as this gives you a much better idea of how your insulin is working without the "interference" of your liver. Any insulin resistance improves as the day progresses, and we should therefore find this pre-evening meal level is the lowest of the day. It certainly is for me.

It is entirely up to you when to test and how often. If you are experimenting with different foods then a test before you eat and another 2 hours after first bite is generally recommended as an initial regime, and there are set guideline targets for this. (should be done alongside a food diary) Once you are managing better, then testing at other times post meal is very helpful, such as at an hour, at 90 minutes, at 2.5 hours and at 3 hours. This is because different food combinations will spike at different times. I also test at bedtime in order to have some idea of how my whole day has been, and also to compare with the following morning fasting level.

I don't snack at all, and never have done, but if I do feel an urge my go-to food is a decaf coffee with double cream.

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

Terryrhino said:
Hi @AvaK you're doing the right thing by asking questions I'm relatively new to diabetes I'm in my third month LCHF works for some maybe not others but keep testing I test before the first monthful and then 2 hours after and by trial and error I've learned what spikes my bs I eat lots of eggs and cream and cheese and natural yogurt I was so hungry to start with but the fats really keep you full I've also lost 9kg . Keep reading all the posts here and you'll not go far wrong you're not alone

Thanks, it's kinda scary to begin with so this site is a godsend. Unfortunately I don't like cheese and not overly fond of yogurt but do love eggs, been having a lot of those! I also enjoy all kinds of meat so have stocked up fridge on a good variety of steaks, lamb, chicken (with skin on yay!!).

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

JohnEGreen said:
Although you must remember all those activities take energy energy that will probably be supplied in the form of glucose by your liver.

I have to admit I can't quite face eating first thing, black coffee for me lol, it's usually at least an hour n half before I have anything, is that ok? I saw on the dietdoctor low carb site that they say it's ok to forego breakfast? Is that ok for diabetics?

Terryrhino · Dec 6, 2016

AvaK said:
Thanks, it's kinda scary to begin with so this site is a godsend. Unfortunately I don't like cheese and not overly fond of yogurt but do love eggs, been having a lot of those! I also enjoy all kinds of meat so have stocked up fridge on a good variety of steaks, lamb, chicken (with skin on yay!!).

If you like eggs this is a lovely meal any time of day just leave the cheese out

Don't forget no question is a silly question

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

Bluetit1802 said:
I do test my fasting level (as soon as I get up after washing hands) but it isn't the most important test of the day because so many factors out of our control come into play, mostly our livers dumping glucose (dawn phenomenon) and we all have different degrees of this. I believe the most important test is the one before your evening meal as this gives you a much better idea of how your insulin is working without the "interference" of your liver. Any insulin resistance improves as the day progresses, and we should therefore find this pre-evening meal level is the lowest of the day. It certainly is for me.

It is entirely up to you when to test and how often. If you are experimenting with different foods then a test before you eat and another 2 hours after first bite is generally recommended as an initial regime, and there are set guideline targets for this. (should be done alongside a food diary) Once you are managing better, then testing at other times post meal is very helpful, such as at an hour, at 90 minutes, at 2.5 hours and at 3 hours. This is because different food combinations will spike at different times. I also test at bedtime in order to have some idea of how my whole day has been, and also to compare with the following morning fasting level.

I don't snack at all, and never have done, but if I do feel an urge my go-to food is a decaf coffee with double cream.

Oh I wish I wasn't a snacker! It's always been a downfall of mine and it's doubly so now so it's something I'm working hard to overcome. I was a chocolate addict, yup, addict isn't too strong a word, I'd literally have a panic attack if we'd ran out and send hubs out to 24 hour supermarket of an evening and I'm on day 10 of not having any, and no crisps, which I'd also eat almost daily. It's shocking, I know, but I'd forego a meal for a bar of chocolate before! I'm doing much better last couple of days and not constantly thinking of it lol. Onwards and upwards as they say!

AvaK · Dec 6, 2016

Terryrhino said:
If you like eggs this is a lovely meal any time of day just leave the cheese out

Don't forget no question is a silly question

Nice!! One of my daughter's has been emailing me recipes for fritata thingies which sound yummy!

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