sugar levels

I was just told to aim for between 4 - 7 before meals and before bed (although I often go to bed less than 2 hours after my evening meal so my last one is often out of range but I try not to worry about it) Personally when I know what I am doing more I am hoping to aim for between 4-6 as I feel that has to be better really.

Siobhan said:

what are everyones aims for sugar levels, I've been told 4-6 before breakfast, 4-8, before lunch, dinner & before bed...

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Sounds good to me!!

Personally I would try and keep the before dinner and lunch sugars down a bit more than that.Mine are generally in the 6's and sometimes lower depending on the amount of exercise I've had before meals.

Well basically,Siobhan,the lower and more normal you can keep your sugars the better.This helps stave of complications in later life.I would be quite unhappy with a figure as high as 8 before any of my meals.

I'm one of the restricted strips type 2s.Since I can't test in a systematic way, I try for below 6 at any time. I'm doing that at the moment. I'm happiest if i get below 5.5 and the average of all the tests I have on my machine at the moment is 5.3, so I'm almost there. Fasting for me HAS to be below 5.5, preferably below 5. I get cross with myself if I do a test and find I'm over 6. Means I've eaten some carbs, which I try not to do.

I think that the Hba1c is far more important than faffing around with daily measurements before and after meals. Get real, relax, eat what you like in moderation, take exercise and keep living. Diabetes isifor life; life is not for diabetes. Never mind the width, feel the quality. We are all dead too soon.

In other words, it can pay to stop gazing at the navel.

What's the hba1c's you have? If they are in the ball park, whats the point of testing so often? I am more than happy having an hba1c below 6. Just means I take it all seriously and eat what I know will keep it low. No cheating, few treats, odd whisky or three, red wine. Cheers

Ideally it should be below 5 - that is in the non-diabetic range, which is something that is worth striving for. I'm usually between about 5 and 5.5 , so I'm getting there slowly. However, if I have eaten very late the previous night or have been experimenting with diet it will sometimes be about 6.5 or even higher (this isn't great, but I view it as useful data).

However, there is some indication that minimizing variability is at least as important in terms of reducing the risk of complications than the average level. It has even been claimed that standard deviation (a statistical measurement of variability) is a better indicator of risks than the sacred HbA1c. David Mendosa has written an interesting article on Glycemic Variability.

Jenny
"Eat drink and be merry! for tomorrow we die" could become the litteral truth if you don't keep a watch on what you're doing. Or get complications to live with that are worse than dieing (sp)

Miles Better said:

What's the hba1c's you have? If they are in the ball park, whats the point of testing so often? I am more than happy having an hba1c below 6. Just means I take it all seriously and eat what I know will keep it low. No cheating, few treats, odd whisky or three, red wine. Cheers

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Siobhan is type 1 and like me has probably been told to test at least 4 times a day as we need to adjust our insulin according to our food and pre meal BG.

I shall continue to eat, drink as I do in the certainty that some tomorrow I shall die; we all consciously start the latter process from the moment we take our first breath.

I tested, not it would appear as obsessively as some, for a considerable period after I was diagnosed (T2). I was pleased when my hba1c broke below the 6 barrier and I stopped regular glucose monitoring when the last 60 days data indicated that I rarely had a reading over 8 and and never had one over 9 (max being 8.6). The full time-series indicated a constant decline and the last 60 days data showed that the trend line was leveling out just above 5. My thinking was that, having achieved what my GP - who is herself diabetic - considered very good control, I had made the necessary 'lifestyle' changes and if I maintained the same regime I should be able to confidently rely on my quarterly hba1c, the last test showing 5.

Apart from sticking to low carbs which helped with weight loss I rarely crave anything that would certainly raise my glucose levels. I readily admit to 'missing' grapes, nectarines, peaches biscuits, jams and any form of pudding. My family say that I am too strict with my regime. Can't have everything, I suppose.

Will diabetes kill me? I doubt it; but then again we all have to die of something.

Yo!

Hi Jenny,
You are in the furtunate position of being a type-2 who is at a sufficiently early stage of diabetes to be able to control BS by diet alone. This you have done very successfully and you have shown great willpower to have changed your diet to enable you to maintain these levels. You are now in the position where you only need an occasional test to ensure that everything is still on track.

However the position for a type-1 is very different to yours. They can never be controlled by diet alone. A low-carb diet such as yours will mean they can inject less insulin, but they will never be in the position that you are in where an occasional test will suffice. They have no choice but to test many times a day (for example were you aware that a type-1 who drives MUST test at least twice a day, and ideally every time they get behind the wheel?).

Please don't confuse type-1 and type-2 requirements and give advice to people that, if followed, could prove fatal to a type-1.

Thanks Dennis. That is the point I was trying to make. It may seem obsessive to some but regular testing is essential for type 1's. I also may trying not to let diabetes stop me doing things but need to keep an eye on my BG's just in case (especially as I am not as experienced at this as others like Siobhan).

Siobhan said:

I always find it annoying you can do one thing one day the exact some the next and have totally different results!

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I thought that was just me! Same breakfast every week day and lunch time always in range so why was I 9.3 today! nothing different except I feel tired (did sleep ok though!) "Aunt Jane isn't visiting" as my mum used to call it, so why ????? :?