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I'm finding my levels peak at the 3 hour mark...

Starfish18

Starfish18

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,080
Location
Sutton-in-Ashfield
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Not the 2 hour mark! I know 2 hours is just a guideline
At my evening meal, which usually has more carbs Ive now started testing 2 hours after first bite then at 3 hours after first bite to see when my levels peak, and more often than not its at 3 hours. Not sure why this is, I mostly have a SF Jelly with double cream after my evening meal could the fat in the cream be the reason for the delay? I'm only 3 months into my journey so still have a lot to learn
Tia.
 
Certainly the more fat you eat with a meal will have a bearing, but this normally keeps the peaks lower and longer. Also whether any carbs are slow release ones, which also keeps the peaks longer. Also how bad your insulin resistance is. Also whether you have a slow digestive tract. There are so many factors involved.
 
Unfortunately, two tests, one at 2hrs and one at 3 won’t tell you when your peak is. They are just two dots on a wiggly graph line that you can’t see, so you’ve no idea what happens inbetween, or whether the number is rising or falling.

In reality you could be getting a double peak, one (before 2 hrs) from the carbs, then a second peak from protein, and the second peak could be rising or falling at 3 hrs...

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
When I got the Libre and actually saw, with my own eyes, the amount of ups, downs, wiggles and molehills my bg achieves in a given day, I was stunned. Exercise, stress, snacks, etc. etc.

I lost faith in prick testing for a while, but then the Libre showed me a whole new, more flexible way to view things. Trends, and the teeter totter play of sleep (deprivation), meal times, different cabs (grains v root veg), fat and fibre impact...

I would recommend people try a single Libre sensor when they are getting to grips with their testing regime. It is a brilliant learning curve, and the 2 weeks it runs for is enough to answer many questions.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
They are very useful. If you can put one on your birthday list you will find it worth it. You only need one or two to see what happens.
Click to expand...
Im definitely going to consider getting one . In the mean time Should I keep testing at 3 hours or should I save strips and just test at 2 hours?
 
Starfish18 said:
Im definitely going to consider getting one . In the mean time Should I keep testing at 3 hours or should I save strips and just test at 2 hours?
Click to expand...

Until you find some consistency with your peak times, I would suggest you test your main meals at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours to determine if you are still on the rise at 2 hours and when you start to reach base line again. You don't need to do this for long, just until you find a pattern.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Until you find some consistency with your peak times, I would suggest you test your main meals at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours to determine if you are still on the rise at 2 hours and when you start to reach base line again. You don't need to do this for long, just until you find a pattern.
Click to expand...
OK I will do. Thank you I do mostly test at 4 hours to see if it's coming down
 
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