Self Diagnosed as on the borderline, confused about BG levels.

[Muddling Through]

Hi Everyone, I found this forum last week and since then I've been doing a lot of lurking and reading.

I've got my own meter and have been doing a bit of reading into BG test times and levels, which leads to me looking for a bit of clarification.

I'm currently IF on OMAD, I've been doing this comfortably for around a month, last week I found my meter and started taking a few tests again. I am currently taking a test when I come downstairs and just 'gathering the data' so to speak as I believe have some insulin resistance going on. One of my parents is a T2 diabetic as well so I think I'm genetically disposed too.

Currently I'm averaging (details are being taken from MySugr App) a morning test of 6.3, before a meal the average is 6.1 and 2 hours after it varies between 6.7 - 8 (those days I have had an ice cream, Tesco version of a Magnum).

Do these readings fit with a high level? Should it vary this much? Is there a targeted range I should be aiming for? I'm hoping eventually my morning tests will be in the 5 range, but I'm thinking this could take months as I have yo yo dieted for most of my 20's and 30's - my 30's saw me gain the most amount of weight and elegible for weight loss surgery . With my 40's appearing in the next year I'm seizing the opportunity now to make some lifestyle changes.

Thanks for any help.

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi and welcome.

For me those readings look slightly elevated.

What have you changed your diet to for your OMAD?

I'd suggest that the Tesco Magnums won't be of the highest quality so maybe look for a low carb ice cream like Oppo or make your own pseudo ice cream with frozen berries (rasp or straw) and double cream?

 

[Juicyj]

Hello and welcome to the forum @Muddling Through :0

As you can appreciate we cannot diagnose your results here on the forum, it's best to see your GP to put your mind at rest, as a guide here's our blood level range information:

Target Levels
by Type Upon waking Before meals
(pre prandial) At least 90 minutes after meals
(post prandial)
Non-diabetic* 4.0 to 5.9 mmol/L under 7.8 mmol/L
Type 2 diabetes 4 to 7 mmol/L under 8.5 mmol/L

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi Everyone, I found this forum last week and since then I've been doing a lot of lurking and reading.

I've got my own meter and have been doing a bit of reading into BG test times and levels, which leads to me looking for a bit of clarification.

I'm currently IF on OMAD, I've been doing this comfortably for around a month, last week I found my meter and started taking a few tests again. I am currently taking a test when I come downstairs and just 'gathering the data' so to speak as I believe have some insulin resistance going on. One of my parents is a T2 diabetic as well so I think I'm genetically disposed too.

Currently I'm averaging (details are being taken from MySugr App) a morning test of 6.3, before a meal the average is 6.1 and 2 hours after it varies between 6.7 - 8 (those days I have had an ice cream, Tesco version of a Magnum).

Do these readings fit with a high level? Should it vary this much? Is there a targeted range I should be aiming for? I'm hoping eventually my morning tests will be in the 5 range, but I'm thinking this could take months as I have yo yo dieted for most of my 20's and 30's - my 30's saw me gain the most amount of weight and elegible for weight loss surgery . With my 40's appearing in the next year I'm seizing the opportunity now to make some lifestyle changes.

Thanks for any help.

You don't mention what you do eat, just the IF and OMAD.... And the not-quite-Magnum. Your levels are slightly elevated, which seems to clash a little with the IF/OMAD, but makes sense if magnums are still on the menu. So... You know what you're going to be told eh? Get thee to a GP and ask for a HbA1c.

Good luck!
Jo

 

[Muddling Through]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I shall be following the advice and off to the GP, got the appointment for Friday.

Interestingly since I have ditched the fake Magnums, I've seen a difference. Today it's been around 5.7 and 5.9. Which makes sense! My diet has been all fairly low carb, totalling no more than 100g of carbs and slowly phasing in Fast800 as I need to get some weight off.

But will head to the docs and see what they say

 

[bulkbiker]

totalling no more than 100g of carbs and slowly phasing in Fast800 as I need to get some weight off.

Personally I'd lower the carbs and eat enough rather than stay with the 100g and starve.. but hey that's just me.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I shall be following the advice and off to the GP, got the appointment for Friday.

Interestingly since I have ditched the fake Magnums, I've seen a difference. Today it's been around 5.7 and 5.9. Which makes sense! My diet has been all fairly low carb, totalling no more than 100g of carbs and slowly phasing in Fast800 as I need to get some weight off.

But will head to the docs and see what they say

Fast800 isn't a long-term solution... You'd be better off just cutting carbs, upping fats and keeping protein moderate, rather than buying expensive shakes and whatnot. You'd shed weight fast that way as it is, without heading for malnutrition. One's a sustainable diet (which you'll benefit from for decades), the other.... 8 to 12 weeks and then you still have to revert to low carb, high fat eating to maintain decent blood sugars and weight. Up to you of course, but... Crash diets are not exactly something we recommend on here. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[Muddling Through]

Thanks for the imput, but I'm fairly comfortable doing this for 8 weeks, I'm not one to do shakes or meal replacements (been there done that), my aim is to have a fast start with proper food them move to a more sustainable way of life.

For the time being though, I'm just waiting to see what the doctor says and doing more reading and research, I may well end up ditching the Fast800!

Diet aside, I have found this website and forum to be a fantastic resource. I've been a member of Diet Doctor for a little while but a lot of their recipes had me running for the loo as I had my gall bladder out 12 years ago.

 

[Muddling Through]

GP Appt this morning, went well. I'm to have my Hb1ac test and then go from there, doc has advised to continue to low carbing and keep a food diary, then see her in a week.

 

[Muddling Through]

Well the results are back and I am prediabetic as I feared.

Now to give my diet a complete overhaul, I've been fairly low carb the last two week and have been IF for the last month approximately.

Bizarrely I am finding if I have a black coffee this is causing my BG levels to go up as I found over the last week or two, from a fasting taken at 10am (so past the dawn phenomenon?) BG, then a black coffee, no sugar, it will cause a rise of over 2mm! I thought that black coffee was OK.
I had a suspicion after I was having one then 15 minutes later I was getting a rumbling stomach. Testing on other days when I didn't have a black coffee at the same time showed it was steady. I guess it is true that ever body is different!

Should I be testing every day? Or would three times a week be sufficient?

 

[catinahat]

Dawn phenomenon is a strange name for something that can happen anytime day or night and is a perfectly normal bodily function. Personally I have never had a problem with coffee but I have seen others on here mention that it causes a rise, could be something to do with the caffeine ? Or it could be that if you hadn't had anything to eat that morning your liver thought it would help you out by releasing some stored glucose.
Frequency of testing is up to you but the more meals/foods you test the sooner you will learn what you can eat and what you need to cut down on or avoid

 

[Muddling Through]

Dawn phenomenon is a strange name for something that can happen anytime day or night and is a perfectly normal bodily function. Personally I have never had a problem with coffee but I have seen others on here mention that it causes a rise, could be something to do with the caffeine ? Or it could be that if you hadn't had anything to eat that morning your liver thought it would help you out by releasing some stored glucose.
Frequency of testing is up to you but the more meals/foods you test the sooner you will learn what you can eat and what you need to cut down on or avoid

Brilliant, thank you. I'll start a good diary and keep note.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Well the results are back and I am prediabetic as I feared.

Now to give my diet a complete overhaul, I've been fairly low carb the last two week and have been IF for the last month approximately.

Bizarrely I am finding if I have a black coffee this is causing my BG levels to go up as I found over the last week or two, from a fasting taken at 10am (so past the dawn phenomenon?) BG, then a black coffee, no sugar, it will cause a rise of over 2mm! I thought that black coffee was OK.
I had a suspicion after I was having one then 15 minutes later I was getting a rumbling stomach. Testing on other days when I didn't have a black coffee at the same time showed it was steady. I guess it is true that ever body is different!

Should I be testing every day? Or would three times a week be sufficient?

Have you tried it with decaf? Seriously. Caffeine can give us a bit of an adrenaline boost, and adrenaline can trigger a response from the liver. (It is a stress hormone, and usually, stress means there's some sort of danger. The liver dumps glucose so we have energy for a fight or flight response. You can thank the Neanderthals for that one.) So for some people, coffee does up blood sugars. Others have no issue with it whatsoever. Guess you fall into the sensitive category. If you want to stick with your coffee though, decaf might be the answer. I have to be honest, I can't stand coffee anymore, only espresso's, (palette changed with the low carbing), but I don't actually taste a difference between my Volluto decaffeinato Nespresso and the regular caffinated kind. So that might solve that problem. Mind you, the same could happen with tea. Possibly worth checking whether it's chai and rooibos from here on in. Also, you're just starting out and your liver needs to get used to things changing, while it's still full of the stuff that's stored in there and needs to shed.... Could well be that after 3 months, caffeine won't give you so much as a blip. Time and testing will tell.

As for how often you'll be testing: Entirely up to you. As you're just starting out, testing before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite would be an education: what do certain foods do, what can you eat and what can't your body deal with? You're looking for a rise of no more than 2.0 mmol/l between the two.

Anyway, I'm sorry about the prediabetes. At the same time though, I'm glad you acted on it before things became serious and damage was done. Diabetes is not something you want to walk around with for years, undiagnosed. You were on the ball and you're acting accordingly, which makes you a very cool person in my book.

Good luck,
Jo

 

[Muddling Through]

Wow thank you for the detailed reply and the encouragment, it's very helpful and makes me think there is light at the end of the tunnel for this.

I'm considerably overweight too, so I wouldn't be suprised if my liver needs a bit detox with the size of my stomach, fortunately though the low carbing is having an immediate impact and already in the space of 4 weeks, my waist has gone done 4inches, not something to be sniffed at. As someone else posted, it's a marathon not a sprint, so I need to be mindful of that. Decaff coffee has also been added to the shopping list. I'm not a tea drinker either, so will give the decaff a go, if the worst comes to the worst though, I can live without the coffee for awhile.

Tonight has been a learning curve, I used 25g of wholemal breadcrumbs in with some soft cheese to make some stuffed mushrooms, my BG before was 6.8, 2 hours later 11.2, . So I know that is something for me to avoid for the moment.

Is there a recommended level we are supposed to be aiming for for carbs each day? I had 30g originally but I think that will be too drastic.

Also, on a selfish note, one of my children has a birthday in the next three days, I suppose a peice of their birthday cake would be out of the question as well wouldn't it?

Again, thank you for the encouragement, this seems a very level place to learn extra facts about the condition and a great resource.

 

[HSSS]

I've been a member of Diet Doctor for a little while but a lot of their recipes had me running for the loo as I had my gall bladder out 12 years ago.

There are many without gallbladders that can do low carb and even keto. First thing is to add fats into the diet gently and across the day. It takes us a little longer to adapt. We can’t do the “shots” of condensed bile so need to ramp up our drip feed bile production gradually as demand increases. Too much fat without corresponding bile to break it down has the “urgent” response you’ve discovered. Doing it slowly allows demand and supply to sync better. Secondly if you want to lose weight you don’t have to eat mega amounts of dietary fat. Enough to keep your metabolism going and prevent hunger. Otherwise you want body fat to be used up. Thirdly some fats might suit you better than others and sadly that’s trial and error.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Wow thank you for the detailed reply and the encouragment, it's very helpful and makes me think there is light at the end of the tunnel for this.

I'm considerably overweight too, so I wouldn't be suprised if my liver needs a bit detox with the size of my stomach, fortunately though the low carbing is having an immediate impact and already in the space of 4 weeks, my waist has gone done 4inches, not something to be sniffed at. As someone else posted, it's a marathon not a sprint, so I need to be mindful of that. Decaff coffee has also been added to the shopping list. I'm not a tea drinker either, so will give the decaff a go, if the worst comes to the worst though, I can live without the coffee for awhile.

Tonight has been a learning curve, I used 25g of wholemal breadcrumbs in with some soft cheese to make some stuffed mushrooms, my BG before was 6.8, 2 hours later 11.2, . So I know that is something for me to avoid for the moment.

Is there a recommended level we are supposed to be aiming for for carbs each day? I had 30g originally but I think that will be too drastic.

Also, on a selfish note, one of my children has a birthday in the next three days, I suppose a peice of their birthday cake would be out of the question as well wouldn't it?

Again, thank you for the encouragement, this seems a very level place to learn extra facts about the condition and a great resource.

The amount of carbs per day varies per person. Depends on insulin resistance/sensitivity/production, and what fits into your life. So we can't give you a specific target. Your meter can tell you though. It's a method called "eat to your meter", meaning basically that you test before a meal and 2 hours after, aiming for a rise of no more than 2.0 mmol/l. In the morning you'd be likely to be more insulin resistant than in the afternoon or evening, so might be best to go for less carbs in the a.m. than you would at noon or dinner. Experiment, and see. For me, keto was the answer (20 grams a day or less, generally speaking), but you could be fine on 50 or 80, 120? Your meter'll tell you.

As for the cake, none of us are going to slap your fingers with a ruler if you have some. Quite a few of us make exceptions for Christmas, birthdays, weddings... Entirely up to you. Me, I might have one small (and I do mean TINY) bite of whatever my husband's having, just for the flavour. But that's my choice. You decide what is yours. At this early stage I'd avoid it, but at the same time... It's early days. Ease yourself into things if that's what you need.