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Meter Readings

F

Falkirk_airs

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I wonder I'd anyone can advise me please.
My fasting levels are usually between 7.2 to 7.7. first thing in the morning. My levels 2 hours after a meal are between 6.0 and 6.5.
I would have thought my levels would have been higher after eating than on waking up.
My night time snack is ar 10pm of unsweetened coffee and 2 biscotti biscuits (10g carbs, and 100 calls.
I am averaging 100 g carbs and 1000 to 1250 calls a day.
I have lost 9lbs in last 6 weeks but can see no change in glucose levels.
 
Hi and welcome,
Please can you tell us which (if any) diabetes medications you are on?
Also a typical days food. It is likely that 100g carbs a day is too much for your body, but that may depend on your medication.

As for your fasting levels, this will be the Dawn Phenomenon when the liver dumps extra glucose to help us start the day but our own insulin doesn't work efficiently enough to bring down these raised glucose levels. It is a natural phenomenon but a normal pancreas will deal with it. These morning levels can be erratic, can be the very last to reduce, and can be caused by many things other than food, such as a disturbed night, stress, and what you do between waking up (not getting up) and testing.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Hi and welcome,
Please can you tell us which (if any) diabetes medications you are on?
Also a typical days food. It is likely that 100g carbs a day is too much for your body, but that may depend on your medication.

As for your fasting levels, this will be the Dawn Phenomenon when the liver dumps extra glucose to help us start the day but our own insulin doesn't work efficiently enough to bring down these raised glucose levels. It is a natural phenomenon but a normal pancreas will deal with it. These morning levels can be erratic, can be the very last to reduce, and can be caused by many things other than food, such as a disturbed night, stress, and what you do between waking up (not getting up) and testing.
Click to expand...
Hi Bluetit1802,
I am on no medication. My breakfast, I alternate porridge (24g carbs) and scrambled eggs. Lunch sandwich on low carb bread with either tuna or cold meat. Dinner varies between chicken and vegetables . I occasionally take a small amount of potato baked crisps . No snacks betweenness meals except 10 pm .
Have cut out all sweets, crisps, chocolate and soft drinks, My potato input is down 3/4. No rice or pasta.
 
Falkirk_airs said:
Hi Bluetit1802,
I am on no medication. My breakfast, I alternate porridge (24g carbs) and scrambled eggs. Lunch sandwich on low carb bread with either tuna or cold meat. Dinner varies between chicken and vegetables . I occasionally take a small amount of potato baked crisps . No snacks betweenness meals except 10 pm .
Have cut out all sweets, crisps, chocolate and soft drinks, My potato input is down 3/4. No rice or pasta.
Click to expand...
Usually take my morning levels after my shower
 
Falkirk_airs said:
Usually take my morning levels after my shower
Click to expand...
To get a completely accurate morning (fasting) level you should do it as soon as you wake up. Showering can raise it. I don’t do anything (except a wee!) til after I’ve checked my level and headed straight downstairs for breakfast. I get showered and dressed after eating. I suffer with liver dump if I don’t eat as soon as possible after waking up.
 
I agree with @Rachox A correct fasting reading should be done after waking, visiting the bathroom, hand wash, then test. This is before showers, getting dressed, or any rushing about. It takes me 2 minutes maximum from getting out of bed to testing. Try it tomorrow and see if there is a difference. Showers are funny things, and people react differently to them, but dashing about will certainly raise levels. I find the same as Rachox. As soon as I have tested I go downstairs and make myself a coffee with cream (which is my only breakfast) and the fat in the cream actually stops the liver dumping. Carbs at breakfast can only add to the problem as your liver's glucose and your breakfast glucose will combine. One reason why porridge isn't the best of ideas. If I were you I would stick to eggs/cheese/cold meats/bacon/mushrooms.
 
I am a bit confused about my readings after a meal. They are usually lower than the fasting reading. So tonight I had roast lamb, leeks and aubergine in tomato sauce followed by Apple in cinnamon with Greek yoghurt. My meter reading after 2 hours was 4.8. I expected it to be raised. My fasting BSL is averaging 5.2. Any thoughts anyone?
 
simsussex_ said:
I am a bit confused about my readings after a meal. They are usually lower than the fasting reading. So tonight I had roast lamb, leeks and aubergine in tomato sauce followed by Apple in cinnamon with Greek yoghurt. My meter reading after 2 hours was 4.8. I expected it to be raised. My fasting BSL is averaging 5.2. Any thoughts anyone?
Click to expand...
First, what a delicious meal! Second, when the two hour reading is lower than expected it may be that the meal is taking longer to digest, so it is worth re-testing at half hour intervals (or one hour if you grudge the strips!) until you do see a rise. Are you testing just before starting your meal? You need to compare that pre-prandial number with the 2 hour (or later) post-prandial number. In my case, a low reading at 2 hours will be due to my problem of delayed stomach emptying. It could also simply be due to a high fat meal taking longer to digest. All the components of your meal except the lamb do contain carbs, so it is not likely that your bg did not rise.
 
simsussex_ said:
I am a bit confused about my readings after a meal. They are usually lower than the fasting reading. So tonight I had roast lamb, leeks and aubergine in tomato sauce followed by Apple in cinnamon with Greek yoghurt. My meter reading after 2 hours was 4.8. I expected it to be raised. My fasting BSL is averaging 5.2. Any thoughts anyone?
Click to expand...

Personally, I take up to 3 hours to digest to the extent that a reading is worth considering. We are not all the same, as you will know..and the 2 hour thing is not carved in stone. For me, depending on what I eat, a nice low reading at only 2 hours post meal would be misleading...so i test 2.5 - 3 hours post meal. Give it a try.
 
Alexandra100 said:
First, what a delicious meal! Second, when the two hour reading is lower than expected it may be that the meal is taking longer to digest, so it is worth re-testing at half hour intervals (or one hour if you grudge the strips!) until you do see a rise. Are you testing just before starting your meal? You need to compare that pre-prandial number with the 2 hour (or later) post-prandial number. In my case, a low reading at 2 hours will be due to my problem of delayed stomach emptying. It could also simply be due to a high fat meal taking longer to digest. All the components of your meal except the lamb do contain carbs, so it is not likely that your bg did not rise.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that’s really helpful. I will give it a try
 
pleinster said:
Personally, I take up to 3 hours to digest to the extent that a reading is worth considering. We are not all the same, as you will know..and the 2 hour thing is not carved in stone. For me, depending on what I eat, a nice low reading at only 2 hours post meal would be misleading...so i test 2.5 - 3 hours post meal. Give it a try.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that I will try readings a bit later to see what happens
 
I think it best not to be too hung up over individual readings as these vary but I pay attention to averages up to 7, 14, 28, 60 and 90 days and these show much more consistency. Also you could download an app called mysugr and stick your readings in there to give you best guess on your HBAC1 readings. It does have ads but you can pay to remove them.
 
Found I was diabetic recently. Blood sugars of 25 mmol/L
, hba1c of 90.

Changed my diet 3 weeks ago and average 11 mmol/L now on metformin and awaiting appointment for next HBA1C in two months.

The mysugr app is saying my hba1c is now 65 ( great app very useful)

Its been a good exercise for me and my mood has changed so much for the better
 
Jb1965 said:
Found I was diabetic recently. Blood sugars of 25 mmol/L
, hba1c of 90.

Changed my diet 3 weeks ago and average 11 mmol/L now on metformin and awaiting appointment for next HBA1C in two months.

The mysugr app is saying my hba1c is now 65 ( great app very useful)

Its been a good exercise for me and my mood has changed so much for the better
Click to expand...

Good luck @Jb1965. I'm sure you will get your HbA1c level right down if you stick to a diet which you can see is working with help of a meter. By the way...that is some size of engine in that bike !
 
Thanks
Yes it a 2300cc
We like our bikes have a few, all triumphs
 
Rachox said:
To get a completely accurate morning (fasting) level you should do it as soon as you wake up. Showering can raise it. I don’t do anything (except a wee!) til after I’ve checked my level and headed straight downstairs for breakfast. I get showered and dressed after eating. I suffer with liver dump if I don’t eat as soon as possible after waking up.
Click to expand...
Hi Rachox, I get liver dump too. Does eating immediately stop this? I'm trying to fast as long as poss and eating immediately goes against this.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I agree with @Rachox A correct fasting reading should be done after waking, visiting the bathroom, hand wash, then test. This is before showers, getting dressed, or any rushing about. It takes me 2 minutes maximum from getting out of bed to testing. Try it tomorrow and see if there is a difference. Showers are funny things, and people react differently to them, but dashing about will certainly raise levels. I find the same as Rachox. As soon as I have tested I go downstairs and make myself a coffee with cream (which is my only breakfast) and the fat in the cream actually stops the liver dumping. Carbs at breakfast can only add to the problem as your liver's glucose and your breakfast glucose will combine. One reason why porridge isn't the best of ideas. If I were you I would stick to eggs/cheese/cold meats/bacon/mushrooms.
Click to expand...
I've always had black unsweetened coffee, I'm going to give coffee with cream a go, hope it doesn't increase my insulin blobbiness:)
 
SueJB said:
Hi Rachox, I get liver dump too. Does eating immediately stop this? I'm trying to fast as long as poss and eating immediately goes against this.
Click to expand...

My blood sugar is usually mid 5s when I wake up pre breakfast and a similar reading two hours post breakfast. The last time I had a blood test and fasted, my reading on waking was 5.3 and after 3 hours it was 6.1. Ok not a huge rise but higher than with breakfast.
 
Last edited:
Rachox said:
My blood sugar is usually mid 5s when I wake up pre breakfast and a similar reading two hours post breakfast. The last time I had a blood test and fasted, my reading on waking was 5.3 and after 3 hours it was 6.1. Ok not a huge rise but higher than with fasting.
Click to expand...
what's for breakfast?
 
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