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Starting to test - question about timing

Hooty

Hooty

Well-Known Member
Messages
83
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all,

My blood glucose meter arrived today so I tested just before eating this evening, and I have read that it’s good to test 1 and 2 hours after the start of the meal. Does this still apply if I only finished eating about 10mins before that 1 hour mark? I’m a slow eater!
 
Hooty said:
Hi all,

My blood glucose meter arrived today so I tested just before eating this evening, and I have read that it’s good to test 1 and 2 hours after the start of the meal. Does this still apply if I only finished eating about 10mins before that 1 hour mark? I’m a slow eater!
Click to expand...

Hi, yes it does. The idea is to test at 1 or 2 hours after the first bite. If you’re testing a meal or food that you haven’t tested before, you might want to also test at 3 hours. If you always eat at that pace and always test at the same time intervals from the start of your meal, then you will be comparing like with like.
 
Thank you, in the end I tested at about 1 1/4 hrs and then had to go out so didn’t manage to test again. I will have have to try to work the testing into my schedule on days when I am out and about! This evening’s meal was a bit more drawn out than usual because it was interrupted but at least I know how to work the meter now, so I will consider today a practice. Before eating I got a reading of 4.8 and the one afterwards was 5.6.
 
I wouldn't know how to interpret readings taken 10 mins after you stopped eating particularly if it takes you 50mins to eat a meal. By all means experiment with other timings but as you are starting out I would concentrate on the readings taken 2 hours after starting your meal, when things have settled, otherwise it is likely to be confusing.
 
Hi @Hooty.

I'd say @Mr_Pot pot is most right..the 2 hours window, indeed
and @Goonergal makes good points too.

i would add that it's best to try to get into some sort of a routine of it, so regardless of the individual quirks
we all have, its the consistency of it, thats most helpful in determining the value of the scores.
as @Goonergal says it's comparing like with like.
 
I'd suggest that - once the novelty wears off, you only test when you can do so at your leisure.
If you need to go out before the two hour mark, eat something you are fairly sure will be OK.
When I was testing I soon dropped the after breakfast test as it was always OK and almost the same every time, and as I settled down into more and more normal levels I tested less and less.
 
Thank you for the replies, I need to think about testing times and getting consistency so that I can compare results, and good point about not needing to test so often once I know that meals are “safe”. Lots to learn at the moment!
 
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