Morning Fasting Reading Is Always High

Hi Jase

I am in the same boat (or similar). My blood sugars always seem high in the mornings as well. I am happy if they are below 10 at the moment. Every now and again they will be below 8 but it is not very often. I had a keebab last night, grilled meat and salad, no bread. Bloods this morning are 9.7.

I am impressed with your 2 hour reading. I am just about to start looking into mine. And your weight loss is truly spectacular, well done. Sorry I have no answers for you.

Well done on your weight loss!
The higher fasting readings are known as the dawn phenomenon. To cut a long, scientific story short. Our liver is where our body stores emergency supplies of glucose. It's there in case a woolly mammoth chases us, and we haven't had a meal in the last 8 hours... it gives the body that push it needs in an emergency. Or if the body thinks it might be starving.
During the night and in the early hours of the morning our body plays around with various hormones, getting us ready for the day and sorting us out. Some of these hormones cause the release of all that glucose.
In a "normal" person, the pancreas would then release some insulin to counteract the spike in blood sugar. But alas, we are not normal. We have insulin resistance and/or impaired pancreatic cells... so instead we wake on a nice little high.

I usually wake to around 11mmols, and have never woken up to anything less than 9mmols... but my normal daytime readings are much lower. I've tried everything to reduce the morning reading, but haven't yet found anything that works.

I know that this isn't helpful in terms of counteracting the phenomenon... but I thought it might help to know that many of us are fighting the same fight!

I found Dr Jason Fung's explanation to be helpful. And for me skipping a couple of dinner over a couple of weeks in addition to lchf did the trick.

Think about it this way. The Dawn Phenomenon is simply moving sugar from body stores (liver) into the blood. That’s it. If your body stores are filled to bursting, then you will expel as much of that sugar as possible. By itself it is neither good nor bad. It is simply a marker that your body has too much sugar. Solution? Simple. Either don’t put any sugar in (LCHF) or burn it off (Fasting). Even better? LCHF + IF.

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https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/dawn-phenomenon-t2d-8/

My fasting glucose today ~ 4.6 mmol after a light dinner yesterady.

Thank you luceeloo for the explanation. Very interesting.

Plus thank you kokhongw for the link. I'm wondering if there is a book etc to purchase regarding this, it sounds very interesting and I think if we understand what happens, it does make it easier to cope with it all.

My readings as a new tester yesterday was 9.2 and today (after my Toby carvery last night....eeek), 11.6.
Had weetabix for breakfast which I think is probably wrong but I love cereal and don't know what to gave otherwise. Had shredded wheat bite size and half a small banana yesterday morning, 2 hrs later my bg was 16+, then 5.8 before my lunch which I had 2 aldi piri piri mackerel and salad, 2 hrs later it was 7, is this good?
Thank you.

Quirkybee said:

Thank you luceeloo for the explanation. Very interesting.

Plus thank you kokhongw for the link. I'm wondering if there is a book etc to purchase regarding this, it sounds very interesting and I think if we understand what happens, it does make it easier to cope with it all.

My readings as a new tester yesterday was 9.2 and today (after my Toby carvery last night....eeek), 11.6.
Had weetabix for breakfast which I think is probably wrong but I love cereal and don't know what to gave otherwise. Had shredded wheat bite size and half a small banana yesterday morning, 2 hrs later my bg was 16+, then 5.8 before my lunch which I had 2 aldi piri piri mackerel and salad, 2 hrs later it was 7, is this good?
Thank you.

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Hi and welcome, I copied this from the home page. & here's a few links that may help http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds http://www.weightlossforall.com/carbohydrates-fruit.htm

Quirkybee said:

Thank you luceeloo for the explanation. Very interesting.

Plus thank you kokhongw for the link. I'm wondering if there is a book etc to purchase regarding this, it sounds very interesting and I think if we understand what happens, it does make it easier to cope with it all.

My readings as a new tester yesterday was 9.2 and today (after my Toby carvery last night....eeek), 11.6.
Had weetabix for breakfast which I think is probably wrong but I love cereal and don't know what to gave otherwise. Had shredded wheat bite size and half a small banana yesterday morning, 2 hrs later my bg was 16+, then 5.8 before my lunch which I had 2 aldi piri piri mackerel and salad, 2 hrs later it was 7, is this good?
Thank you.

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I think your Lunch is fine. Perhaps you want to consider other breakfast options.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/breakfasts

Then have light or early dinner. By keeping dinner/breakfast 12-16 hrs apart, our body have adequate time to work thru any excess glucose. Over time out fasting glucose level improves and normalize.

Thank you, I've saved that link and had a quick look before I go to work. I just don't have time to prepare in the morning, so a quick cereal is so much quicker. Just unsure about the LCHF way as my dietitian said I would certainly gain weight eating full fat versions of different food groups and that's what I don't want. I've lost my 3.5 stone by following slimming world, but realise I've consumed too much fruit throughout the day, so only having couple of satsumas and a pear now through out the day. Even told by others that apples are high in carbs because they're solid!!

Surprisingly after about a year of eating Roast pork belly for lunch or dinner almost daily without any exercise...my weight has remain fairly constant fluctuating between 72-74 kg. But my glucose level has practically normalized...

So I don't think dietary fats really puts on the weight.

My bg after my weetabix was 14.5, with before reading 11.6

Will be checking the low carb cereals that another member kindly advised on another post. Thank you.

kokhongw said:

My fasting glucose today ~ 4.6 mmol after a light dinner yesterady.

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Brilliant!

Thus morning mine is 9.2 which I consider is still up

Quirkybee said:

Thus morning mine is 9.2 which I consider is still up

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Just focus on maintaining good postmeal numbers first. The fasting numbers are typically the last to come down...and it may take quite a while for some, even with low carbs.

Sorry to say there are no "low carb cereals" with grain derived foods some burn slower than others but you are likely to find there is a freshold amount in any meal and also in any 24hr period above which your body simply cannot cope. Use up your body's insulin resesrve faster than it can be topped up and you are likely to get a long lasting rise in the background level of blood glucose that could last a week or more.

Quirkybee said:

Thus morning mine is 9.2 which I consider is still up

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You should consider a different approach this morning I started out with a 7 which is very high for me as normally I wake up with about 6 to 6.1. 30 minutes after brealfast I was reading 7.1, 1 hour after breakfast 6.2. My breakfast was a very small tin of Tuna in Olive Oil , 3 or 4 Baby Plum Tomatoes with M&S Mayo and Balsamic Vinegar followed by a little Cheddar Cheese. Simples! LCHF works and won't make you fat.

Hi Sirmione and thank you for replying.
To be honest, this whole revelation of diabetes diagnosis has frightened me somewhat. I've been borderline for 10+ years with my HbA1c of 40, controlled by duet and losing weight. Currently 12.10, was near 17st 10 years ago and 14st in 2014. Then the last two months it shot up to 70+ and 113.

Back to topic though as I have digressed on here before and warned about it, which is fair enough, my fault. But I can't face anything savoury in the morning, I think I'd feel sick if I had what you had. Lynch time yes, but not breakfast.
I'm a cereal girl through and through, so I need to find alternatives.

Thank you for your advice, appreciative and your choice sounds very tasty too.

I have a few berries and full fat Greek yoghurt. Quick and easy to do, tasty and few carbs. Much better than the weetabix I used to have.

My 5 star breakfast is Uvo Toscana -- eggs poached in the Tuscan style
There are a few variations that can be done on it when cooking at home I often use use fried eggs but usually use a skillet in the oven. A little Balsmict helps it along and you can vary the vegetables used to give flavour.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/tuscan-poached-eggs.aspx