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How often & when to test?

Travelling Man

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm an ex pat Brit living in Portugal (so sometimes encounter language barriers) & 10 days ago was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic with a BG level of 650 mg/dl which according to the Doc was 6 times the safe maximum limit.

I was given good support by the NHS here in that I was given a bit of a lecture on the do's & don'ts plus a tester & prescriptions for (more or less) free testing strips & lancets etc but other than that, I've rather been left to sort things out for myself......... that is just an observation & isn't a complaint.

I've since managed to get those BG levels down to around 300 & have lost about 5 kgs but can anyone tell me how often & when I should test please?

I started testing first thing in the morning plus 3 hours after eating plus just before I hit the sack but am beginning to think the only tests that prove anything are the first and last test of the day?
 
I test first thing in the morning, before lunch, 2 hours after, before dinner 2 hours later and before bed. It's the only way I can see what foods spike me, which means I get readings of 8.5 and over. I keep a diary of what I eat (myfitnesspal) and a diary of my bg's. I marry them up sometimes to see if there are certain foods that are good for me or bad for me. I'm on a LCHF diet as I have lots of weight to lose - 2st 3lbs to date. It is hard, but it's worth testing.
 
2 hours.

We're off to Portugal in three weeks! Hope the weather is still good by then
 
OK thanks.

We're in the central zone near Figueiro Dos Vinhos & had clear blue skies & about 27C here today.

What part will you be in?
 
Staying in a fishing village just outside of Faro. We were in Albufiera in April for a week. Loved it.
 
It's a lovely country but we prefer the central zone where there are fewer people.
 
Shame I can't eat those lovely oranges however I can eat the olives,sardines and piri piri chicken
 
Have they given you a target blood sugar?

If so, one thing to know is that as well as controlling your diet, to burn off your blood glucose the most effective thing is exercise. Walking, biking, swimming. Try an hour a day.

I love Portugal. I've been a couple of times to Lisbon and Ericeira - but about 20 years ago.
 
They use the American system of mg/dl here and they told me I need to be below 110 mg/dl (which is the safe maximum) at the very most and preferably below 100 and I was at 650 when diagnosed 12 days ago. - I've got it down to around 300 or slightly less on my morning test (before eating) and highest spikes are around 400 so although I'm seeing some improvement, I still have a way to go.

Exercise is a bit difficult for me as I need a new pair of hips but I'm managing 2 or 3 half hour slowish walks or potters around the fields every day.

As for Portugal, we enjoy it very much here but the central zone is very different to the coastal areas. - We have magnificent scenery, lots of history and architecture, endless river beaches, rivers and lakes but relatively few tourists.
 
Oh, you're doing really well on the exercise, then. And it is actually better to bring your blood sugars down step by step like that. Dramatic improvements can lead to retinal bleeds, so slow steady improvement is better. Are you on any medication?
 
If you can access a swimming pool deep enough to not touch the bottom, aquajogging is a good form of exercise because there is no pressure on the joints but the resistance of the water gives a good workout. All you need is a cheap aquajogging belt - my local pool provides these for free. Not sure if it's appropriate for people with hip problems. If not, there may be arm exercises you can do sitting or lying down. I hope you get your surgeries soon!
 
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