Low carb diet & Testing

[Stacey79]

Hi all, I am in the first few weeks of being diagnosed. I'm still waiting to see a DN so learning everything from here (thank you!) I went and bought myself a blood glucose tester but unsure when to test. I've been testing as soon as I wake up (a little difficult as I am having trouble sleeping as I am in recovery from Covid. I was hospitalised for 4 weeks with it, one week of that in ICU and been told I have a long recovery ahead) I've read its recommended to test before meals and then 2 hours after but I've always been a little and often eater rather than three set meals a day. So normally 2 hours after eating I'm already grazing on something else (fruit,yogurts,ryvita and cheese etc) since coming home from hospital I've tried to eat just healthy balanced diet but I want to try the low carb high fat diet. Should I try to start eating three set meals or when should I test if I stick to little and often?

 

[TeddyTottie]

If possible you should try to avoid snacking. T2s are insulin resistant and produce too much of the stuff, and every time you eat you will produce yet more. If you restrict your eating windows then your body gets a break from producing all that insulin sloshing about and hopefully starts to relearn how to process it properly.

Many T2s practise intermittent fasting by eating only at ‘mealtimes’ (whenever people choose to take them) and often only one or two meals a day, and quite a few like to incorporate longer fast periods as well. But providing you try and avoid snacking too much, when and how long you fast is a personal thing. If you are eating enough of the good stuff you really won’t be hungry between meals, I would guess that it’s mostly habit that drives you, plus the dreaded carb cravings. But once you adjust to a lower carb way of eating the cravings really do go away.

 

[Deleted member 543160]

You should really try NOT to constantly eat, as this will be causing your poor pancreas to work overtime producing insulin to handle the continuous flow of glucose those snacks will be generating.

When you eat a low carb high(er) fat diet, you are replacing most of the quick short term energy you get from carbs with a steady more constant source from the fats, and as a result you should stop feeling hungry all the time.

With pre and post meal testing the idea is to see 2 hours after your meal what increase in glucose there has been from you pre meal level, and this should help you to determine your reaction to different types and quantities of carbohydrates, so you can adjust your diet accordingly. Quite honestly I don't know how often or when you should test if constantly snacking, or what useful information you might gain from doing so. But if you must, it may be better to use a continuous Libre sensor which will record your levels 24/7.