Newly diagnosed and wanting some advice

[Mersey_Mol]

Hello
I was diagnosed with T2 just over a week ago and have started taking metformin.
As I'm a bit of a numbers and data nerd I like to see my progress and I've invested in a glucose testing device, but I'm a bit clueless as to what time of day I should be doing them? I've done 1 pre-breakfast this morning and another 2 hours after dinner tonight based on info in an app I downloaded, but I've no idea if this is right? Should they be more frequent? Is twice a day too much?
Also does anyone have any recommendations as to the best blood sugar app?
Thanks in advance and I'm really glad I found this forum - I've got a feeling I'll be asking a lot of questions so hopefully I'm in the right place

 

[KK123]

Hello
I was diagnosed with T2 just over a week ago and have started taking metformin.
As I'm a bit of a numbers and data nerd I like to see my progress and I've invested in a glucose testing device, but I'm a bit clueless as to what time of day I should be doing them? I've done 1 pre-breakfast this morning and another 2 hours after dinner tonight based on info in an app I downloaded, but I've no idea if this is right? Should they be more frequent? Is twice a day too much?
Also does anyone have any recommendations as to the best blood sugar app?
Thanks in advance and I'm really glad I found this forum - I've got a feeling I'll be asking a lot of questions so hopefully I'm in the right place

Hi there. The reason for doing the testing basically is to see how what you eat is affecting you glucose wise. So, many people do the first one when they get up (which shows you your fasting level after sleeping). Then test before you eat and 2 hours after eating to see how that particular meal affected you, the general rule is that if the post meal reading is within 2mmol of the pre meal reading, the food you ate was ok for you. For example, if before breakfast you were at 7 and 2 hours later 9 or below, your food was ok. If you were at 10 before eating and 12 after then again, that meal may have been ok but the 10 you started at (as a fasting reading) would be high so that info is very useful too.

Also, it's useful to see what your levels are without eating, so the first one in the morning can tell you whether you are in range or not. Put them altogether over a period of time and you can gain a lot of useful data.

 

[Mersey_Mol]

That's great thank you for replying.
So should I be testing before and after every meal or would twice a day as I've done today be enough to build up an overall picture? I'm following a low carb low sugar diet and my readings were 6.9 first thing then 8.3 2 hrs after dinner so hopefully that means I'm doing something right!

 

[MrsA2]

While you learn what different foods do to you, testing before and after every meal is important. If you like numbers then additioanlly testing an hour after meals will tell you even more.
Over time, the number of tests can reduce once you know, for example that you re ok with cheese.
Remember too, its not just food that affects bg, exercise, sleep, stress and medications and illness can all play a part too.
Best of all, but costing £50 every 2 weeks would be a cgm, a continuous blood glucose monitor, a little gadget that sticks on your arm and transmits data to you phone

 

[KK123]

That's great thank you for replying.
So should I be testing before and after every meal or would twice a day as I've done today be enough to build up an overall picture? I'm following a low carb low sugar diet and my readings were 6.9 first thing then 8.3 2 hrs after dinner so hopefully that means I'm doing something right!

Hi there, once you know how things affect you, many people reduce the testing because they know what a certain meal is going to do to them. At your stage though, the two tests (whilst better than none) may not be enough to show you a clear picture. For example, 2 hours after your dinner you were 8.3 but if before dinner you were 4 or 5, then the rise would have been 3 or 4 mmol, which would have shown that you didn't cope well with your meal. Can you tell us a typical days meals (with tests if you don't mind) as it really helps us to help you see a possible picture. I know it sounds very nosy but....we are nosy! x

 

[LaoDan]

As MrsA2 mentioned CGMs , I use a libre sensor every so often, It gives 14 days of 24/7 data. A wonderful tool to see how your body responds to.. well… life.

IMHO, test your meals, cut the meals/ingredients that make you spike. Build your own custom meal plan. It’s usually the carbs that need to go.

 

[KennyA]

Hello
I was diagnosed with T2 just over a week ago and have started taking metformin.
As I'm a bit of a numbers and data nerd I like to see my progress and I've invested in a glucose testing device, but I'm a bit clueless as to what time of day I should be doing them? I've done 1 pre-breakfast this morning and another 2 hours after dinner tonight based on info in an app I downloaded, but I've no idea if this is right? Should they be more frequent? Is twice a day too much?
Also does anyone have any recommendations as to the best blood sugar app?
Thanks in advance and I'm really glad I found this forum - I've got a feeling I'll be asking a lot of questions so hopefully I'm in the right place

Welcome to the forum. The data you gather is data on the impact of various foods (and other things) on your blood glucose levels. The other things include stress and illness, for example - having a sniffle usually elevates my BG by about 25%. So... you take a baseline reading immediately before eating, and then another two hours after finishing, by which time the carb in the meal will have reached the bloodstream. I have also taken readings at 30 mins and an hour after eating, because some foods cause a rapid rise and fall, so levels are already falling by the two hour mark. You're trying to build up a picture of your system responding to food by taking snapshots, and of course a single one won't tell you what the trend is - up, down or stable. I always tested for new foods and combinations, and still do 18 months on if trying anything new or unfamiliar, or in particular different circumstances. I do intermittent fasting as well - generally for 12-18 hours - and tested to see what happened during and after that.

These days if I'm eating familiar low carb food - meat/cheese/olives, steak and salad, that sort of thing, I don't bother testing - I know those foods don't affect my BG much, if at all.

The early morning reading is worth doing on occasion as usually (for most people) it's the highest you'll be without eating, as one's liver in an effort to be helpful dumps glucose into the bloodstream on waking - the dawn phenomenon. It is also (for most people) the last to start to fall, so it can be a source of unnecessary anxiety.

I haven't used an app as I prefer a physical diary in which I record both readings and meals, and any other relevant info. It lives with my testing kit. Best of luck. Testing is the way you monitor your progress, in my opinion.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

At the beginning I tested obsessively. At least 7 times a day. I still test regularly at least 3 times a day. My reasons for testing so frequently are that it keeps me on the straight and narrow, it shows me when I am coming down with something or stressed, Three times is the minimum for the my sugr app which I use to predict my HbA1c. In Australia the strips are discounted for people diagnosed with diabetes so the cost of the strips is low so that doesn't factor into my calculations. I am aware that I am fortunate to be in that position.

 

[Mersey_Mol]

Hi there, once you know how things affect you, many people reduce the testing because they know what a certain meal is going to do to them. At your stage though, the two tests (whilst better than none) may not be enough to show you a clear picture. For example, 2 hours after your dinner you were 8.3 but if before dinner you were 4 or 5, then the rise would have been 3 or 4 mmol, which would have shown that you didn't cope well with your meal. Can you tell us a typical days meals (with tests if you don't mind) as it really helps us to help you see a possible picture. I know it sounds very nosy but....we are nosy! x

Hi and thanks for your reply.
As I've got a lot of weight to lose I'm keeping my max no. of daily carbs at 130g but they're generally below 100g.
So a typical day would be porridge with skimmed milk, blueberries and chia seeds, a cheese & ham omelette for lunch (made from 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites) with salad then meat or fish with veg for tea. I'm trying to avoid snacking but if I did it would be fruit or fat free Greek yoghurt.
I've also reduced my cups of tea (with skim milk) to 2 a day and switched to black coffee to reduce my milk intake.
And being nosey myself I certainly wouldn't be one to criticise others for it! I appreciate the help x

 

[Mersey_Mol]

Hello and welcome,

At the beginning I tested obsessively. At least 7 times a day. I still test regularly at least 3 times a day. My reasons for testing so frequently are that it keeps me on the straight and narrow, it shows me when I am coming down with something or stressed, Three times is the minimum for the my sugr app which I use to predict my HbA1c. In Australia the strips are discounted for people diagnosed with diabetes so the cost of the strips is low so that doesn't factor into my calculations. I am aware that I am fortunate to be in that position.

Hi and thanks for the reply.
Yes we're not so lucky here in the UK and I was surprised at the price of the strips, but I think initially while it's all so new regular testing will be a good way for me to understand the condition and my own body better.
I've also found the my sugr app which is much better than the first one I downloaded and is really easy to use.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi and thanks for your reply.
As I've got a lot of weight to lose I'm keeping my max no. of daily carbs at 130g but they're generally below 100g.
So a typical day would be porridge with skimmed milk, blueberries and chia seeds, a cheese & ham omelette for lunch (made from 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites) with salad then meat or fish with veg for tea. I'm trying to avoid snacking but if I did it would be fruit or fat free Greek yoghurt.
I've also reduced my cups of tea (with skim milk) to 2 a day and switched to black coffee to reduce my milk intake.
And being nosey myself I certainly wouldn't be one to criticise others for it! I appreciate the help x

Hello @Mersey_Mol ,

You seem to be mixing up various diets, is there a reason for that? The main thing is to cut the carbs, there's absolutely no need to cut out fats. Ditch the porridge (very carby), and the skimmed milk (relatively carby, but liquid as well, so hits the system harder/faster)... If you're going to go for dairy, go for full fat greek yoghurt, full fat milk and believe it or not, cream. It's more filling and it's something to burn instead of carbs: you have to get energy from somewhere. Have whole eggs, don't toss out the most nutritious bit! Yolks are as nutrient-dense as things can get, just about. Fruits are loaded with fructose, which isn't just sugar but your liver regards and treats as a toxin. Best fruits for a T2 would be berries (blue, straw, black, rasp etc), so... You're on the right track with the low carb and making some excellent choices, but there's a bit of the EatWell doctrice leaching in there, and for a T2, the low fat and fruity things really aren't the best choice. Far from it, even.

It's weird to have to un-learn a lifetime of low fat mantra's, and to grasp the idea that something so very full of vitamins like exotic fruits, or even apples, may be really bad, but... There it is. Anyway, like I said, you're off to a good start, just some tweaking here and there and you're good to go!
Jo

 

[KK123]

Hi and thanks for your reply.
As I've got a lot of weight to lose I'm keeping my max no. of daily carbs at 130g but they're generally below 100g.
So a typical day would be porridge with skimmed milk, blueberries and chia seeds, a cheese & ham omelette for lunch (made from 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites) with salad then meat or fish with veg for tea. I'm trying to avoid snacking but if I did it would be fruit or fat free Greek yoghurt.
I've also reduced my cups of tea (with skim milk) to 2 a day and switched to black coffee to reduce my milk intake.
And being nosey myself I certainly wouldn't be one to criticise others for it! I appreciate the help x

Hi there, thank you for that. Anything under 130g of carbs is a low carb diet but many people find that if they are focusing entirely on getting lower glucose numbers, they go a fair bit lower carb than that. Your typical day as you describe though IS lower than 130/100 carbs, dependent upon portion size. Your porridge is high carb, a 'standard' portion with milk may be around 50carbs or less so eating 50 carbs all at once would be tricky for a type 2, if I was to eat it I know that I would have to use more insulin than usual and even then it would shoot my levels up into the teens.

Your fruit (dependent on what it is, say apples or pears of bananas) are also carby, I sometimes use an apple when I am on the verge of being hypo, it shoots my levels up like 4 teaspoons of sugar...which is what it actually contains, carb wise).

It seems weird I know, seemingly healthy items (porridge/fruit) are 'bad' for you, it's not that you won't get decent nutrition from them unlike a bag of sweets for example, BUT the effect on glucose levels will be the same as that bag of sweets, so many people avoid them.

I don't think it's a question of you mixing your diets as such because you are clearly following a low carb diet and to cut out carbs completely or to below 50 a day would actually be a keto diet.

I think if you are satisfied with what you are eating and to me it sounds very doable at the moment, then keep up that testing. If you are happy with the numbers and you are meeting your goal, then that's great. If you find your numbers are still too high for you then I agree with Jo above, cut out the porridge and fruit. x

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi and thanks for your reply.
As I've got a lot of weight to lose I'm keeping my max no. of daily carbs at 130g but they're generally below 100g.
So a typical day would be porridge with skimmed milk, blueberries and chia seeds, a cheese & ham omelette for lunch (made from 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites) with salad then meat or fish with veg for tea. I'm trying to avoid snacking but if I did it would be fruit or fat free Greek yoghurt.
I've also reduced my cups of tea (with skim milk) to 2 a day and switched to black coffee to reduce my milk intake.
And being nosey myself I certainly wouldn't be one to criticise others for it! I appreciate the help x

Avoiding fat isn't a good idea.. fat helps to keep us feeling full. Also porridge for many causes large blood glucose spikes so that would definitely be worth testing a couple of times.. before eating and at 1 and 2 hours to see if you are spiking.

Egg yolks are far more nutritious than whites so have a 3 full egg omelette.
Fruit can be problematic too especially very sweet fruit so raspberries and strawberries are fairly low carb other sweeter fruits aren't.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/u6#food

That will give you some great info on what is good to eat.

Double cream goes in my coffee and tea!

Whilst 100g of carbs a day can be considered low carb many of us have found we need to cut even more to get the best results.

I try and aim for between 10-20g per day (mainly from double cream and some berries, maybe a bit of dark chocolate).

Edit to add .. what was your HbA1c on diagnosis.. that can be very helpful so we can see where on the T2 "spectrum" you are.. thanks.

 

[Mersey_Mol]

Welcome to the forum. The data you gather is data on the impact of various foods (and other things) on your blood glucose levels. The other things include stress and illness, for example - having a sniffle usually elevates my BG by about 25%. So... you take a baseline reading immediately before eating, and then another two hours after finishing, by which time the carb in the meal will have reached the bloodstream. I have also taken readings at 30 mins and an hour after eating, because some foods cause a rapid rise and fall, so levels are already falling by the two hour mark. You're trying to build up a picture of your system responding to food by taking snapshots, and of course a single one won't tell you what the trend is - up, down or stable. I always tested for new foods and combinations, and still do 18 months on if trying anything new or unfamiliar, or in particular different circumstances. I do intermittent fasting as well - generally for 12-18 hours - and tested to see what happened during and after that.

These days if I'm eating familiar low carb food - meat/cheese/olives, steak and salad, that sort of thing, I don't bother testing - I know those foods don't affect my BG much, if at all.

The early morning reading is worth doing on occasion as usually (for most people) it's the highest you'll be without eating, as one's liver in an effort to be helpful dumps glucose into the bloodstream on waking - the dawn phenomenon. It is also (for most people) the last to start to fall, so it can be a source of unnecessary anxiety.

I haven't used an app as I prefer a physical diary in which I record both readings and meals, and any other relevant info. It lives with my testing kit. Best of luck. Testing is the way you monitor your progress, in my opinion.

Hello @Mersey_Mol ,

You seem to be mixing up various diets, is there a reason for that? The main thing is to cut the carbs, there's absolutely no need to cut out fats. Ditch the porridge (very carby), and the skimmed milk (relatively carby, but liquid as well, so hits the system harder/faster)... If you're going to go for dairy, go for full fat greek yoghurt, full fat milk and believe it or not, cream. It's more filling and it's something to burn instead of carbs: you have to get energy from somewhere. Have whole eggs, don't toss out the most nutritious bit! Yolks are as nutrient-dense as things can get, just about. Fruits are loaded with fructose, which isn't just sugar but your liver regards and treats as a toxin. Best fruits for a T2 would be berries (blue, straw, black, rasp etc), so... You're on the right track with the low carb and making some excellent choices, but there's a bit of the EatWell doctrice leaching in there, and for a T2, the low fat and fruity things really aren't the best choice. Far from it, even.

It's weird to have to un-learn a lifetime of low fat mantra's, and to grasp the idea that something so very full of vitamins like exotic fruits, or even apples, may be really bad, but... There it is. Anyway, like I said, you're off to a good start, just some tweaking here and there and you're good to go!
Jo

Hello @Mersey_Mol ,

You seem to be mixing up various diets, is there a reason for that? The main thing is to cut the carbs, there's absolutely no need to cut out fats. Ditch the porridge (very carby), and the skimmed milk (relatively carby, but liquid as well, so hits the system harder/faster)... If you're going to go for dairy, go for full fat greek yoghurt, full fat milk and believe it or not, cream. It's more filling and it's something to burn instead of carbs: you have to get energy from somewhere. Have whole eggs, don't toss out the most nutritious bit! Yolks are as nutrient-dense as things can get, just about. Fruits are loaded with fructose, which isn't just sugar but your liver regards and treats as a toxin. Best fruits for a T2 would be berries (blue, straw, black, rasp etc), so... You're on the right track with the low carb and making some excellent choices, but there's a bit of the EatWell doctrice leaching in there, and for a T2, the low fat and fruity things really aren't the best choice. Far from it, even.

It's weird to have to un-learn a lifetime of low fat mantra's, and to grasp the idea that something so very full of vitamins like exotic fruits, or even apples, may be really bad, but... There it is. Anyway, like I said, you're off to a good start, just some tweaking here and there and you're good to go!
Jo

Hi Jo
I've been diagnosed with high cholesterol along with T2 so I suppose I am mixing up diets as I want low fat and low carbs. I guess I've got to find a balance that will work for both conditions?

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi Jo
I've been diagnosed with high cholesterol along with T2 so I suppose I am mixing up diets as I want low fat and low carbs. I guess I've got to find a balance that will work for both conditions?

"high"cholesterol is pretty meaningless.. do you happen to have your full lipid panel results?
The total cholesterol number is not fit for any purpose let alone diagnosis.

 

[Mersey_Mol]

"high"cholesterol is pretty meaningless.. do you happen to have your full lipid panel results?
The total cholesterol number is not fit for any purpose let alone diagnosis.

Hi, no I've no information other than that. It was a 10 minute phone appt with my GP and she prescribed me metformin (which I started taking) and a statin (which I haven't). This was only 10 days ago so I'm still finding my feet!

 

[Mersey_Mol]

Avoiding fat isn't a good idea.. fat helps to keep us feeling full. Also porridge for many causes large blood glucose spikes so that would definitely be worth testing a couple of times.. before eating and at 1 and 2 hours to see if you are spiking.

Egg yolks are far more nutritious than whites so have a 3 full egg omelette.
Fruit can be problematic too especially very sweet fruit so raspberries and strawberries are fairly low carb other sweeter fruits aren't.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/u6#food

That will give you some great info on what is good to eat.

Double cream goes in my coffee and tea!

Whilst 100g of carbs a day can be considered low carb many of us have found we need to cut even more to get the best results.

I try and aim for between 10-20g per day (mainly from double cream and some berries, maybe a bit of dark chocolate).

Edit to add .. what was your HbA1c on diagnosis.. that can be very helpful so we can see where on the T2 "spectrum" you are.. thanks.

Hi last year's test was 43 and classed as prediabetes and this months was 51.
I've also been told I have high cholesterol which is why I was trying to avoid fat as well as carbs!

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi, no I've no information other than that. It was a 10 minute phone appt with my GP and she prescribed me metformin (which I started taking) and a statin (which I haven't). This was only 10 days ago so I'm still finding my feet!

Well as statins have been know to raise blood sugar levels I'd certainly hold off starting them.
First get your blood sugar under control.
You could, if you are in England, try to register to get all our test results online. You can then avoid the doctor as many of us do and take control of your own health. We're here to help and have been where you are now.

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi last year's test was 43 and classed as prediabetes and this months was 51.
I've also been told I have high cholesterol which is why I was trying to avoid fat as well as carbs!

OK well 51 is "only just" into the T2 diagnostic range (anything over 48 mmol/m) so you aren't in that bad a position. Some mild dietary changes should have you back to normal in a few months.
You might have to ignore your doctor though..

Eating fat shouldn't give you cholesterol problems providing its the right kind.
Just avoid nasty seed oils and use good old animal fats like gran used to.

 

[LaoDan]

@mersey_mol

What I’ve been doing is keeping a base protein level, say one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Then adding in fats, and sometimes carbs. You can choose your fats, from animal fats or plant based, I.e avocados, macadamias. My meals are like. Smoked salmon and kimchi, lean chicken breast and avocado salad, a juicy ribeye steak with a truckload of spinach.

Anyway, you definitely need some fats in your diet, they’re essential, but you can try different sources to see how your body responds. I seem to do best mixing it up. Do stay away from processed oils, cold pressed olive or coconut oil are better.

I only eat carbs after exercise. Which is something that usually gets missed. If you’re able to, you should work out an exercise routine, something like 20 minutes walking and 10 minutes pulling on resistance bands. Then you can reward yourself with a hand full of berries or a small mandarin orange.

cheers to good health