Testing levels on your Glucose machine

[0110]

Initially I improved my glucose levels to pre-diabetic within 3 months of T2 diagnosis (HbA1c down from 60-62 to 47, and also lost around 20 kilos), simply by cutting out all the obvious high carb food from my diet, as I wasn't aware of the existence of glucose meters. I've always eaten normal (full) fat food.

Since then I've used a meter most of the time (and the original Libre sensors for a while) and my Contour meter allows me to set my own target ranges, and it fairly accurately predicts myHbA1c levels. I'm a bit of a data "freak" and I'm interested in what and how issues other than a low carb/ketogenic diet (e.g. health, illness , pain, certain medications, stress, etc ) can impact on my glucose levels. While spot checks for such issues can be useful, I don't believe that simply doing a few random checks otherwise are actually helpful.

@0110 : My liver prefers my dawn phenomenon level to be about 7.0, but it's often lower, and since it's essentially its choice not mine, I tend not to bother too much about it - my glucose levels tend to reduce during the day anyway. Something I first learned when starting to use a meter.

You lost 20kg in 3months? Thats an amazing acheievement. Soley diet or excercise as well? Were you orginally heavy?

 

[HSSS]

Hi Guys, i have a question, so for pre lunch and pre dinner my levels seem to be around 5.5 - 6.0 range. So after food lunch/dinner 2 hours after is a 2 MMol rise acceptable so lets say 7.5 - 8 range? I will be testing that on the long weekend. If it does hit 8, 2hrs after a meal is that pre-diabetic levels or diebetic? In essense what is acceptable after 2hours, how much rise?

The diagnostic and guidance levels are here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Remember the meters are not precise and even non diabetics get the occasional meal outside these ranges.

I‘d say you’re doing brilliantly and try not to stress, just be reassured you are on the right track for an amazing next hba1c and better health all round

 

[0110]

The diagnostic and guidance levels are here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Remember the meters are not precise and even non diabetics get the occasional meal outside these ranges.

I‘d say you’re doing brilliantly and try not to stress, just be reassured you are on the right track for an amazing next hba1c and better health all round

Thank you so much for your kind words, so in 4-5 weeks minimum 10 KG lost. Quit smoking for around 2 weeks, now, and eating lower carbs for sure, no cakes, biscuits or chocs. In 4 weeks HBAc1 gone from 82 to 68. I had a call from my Dr just now and I told him I have not gone down the metaformin and Dapagliflozin route. This guy was around 55 years old and has T2 himself and is ever so nice, the best DR in the medcial centre. He told me i wish you started both and then coem off them when the numbers are down. It made sense as he told me the longer the levls stay high the high the risk of damage.

 

[HSSS]

Thank you so much for your kind words, so in 4-5 weeks minimum 10 KG lost. Quit smoking for around 2 weeks, now, and eating lower carbs for sure, no cakes, biscuits or chocs. In 4 weeks HBAc1 gone from 82 to 68. I had a call from my Dr just now and I told him I have not gone down the metaformin and Dapagliflozin route. This guy was around 55 years old and has T2 himself and is ever so nice, the best DR in the medcial centre. He told me i wish you started both and then coem off them when the numbers are down. It made sense as he told me the longer the levls stay high the high the risk of damage.

Big sigh!

Dapagliflozin (sglt2) is contraindicated in low carb diets due to the increased risk of euglycemic DKA so you can’t or shouldn’t do both. He should know that.

Why risk the side effects of medication when your levels have come down to normal already. And that is the point he’s missing. They are now normal and whatever medication you might have taken can’t do better than that. They don’t look normal yet by that one method of assessment because the hba1c repeated just 4 weeks after diagnosis would still show the effects of your previous diet on the older red blood cells still circulating and thus it will not be fully reflective of the changes made until all of the rbc checked have only been subjected to the new regime, roughly at 3 months post intervention . The same would hold true if you had gone down the medication only route and they worked perfectly - which is questionable. Again he should know this.

 

[Lobsang Tsultim]

You lost 20kg in 3months? Thats an amazing acheievement. Soley diet or excercise as well? Were you orginally heavy?

I lost 15kg in the first 6 months, stalled a little and then lost the other 5kg. I'm still overweight, but I'll get there

 

[0110]

Hi anyone tried Fenugreek? I brought some tablets from Holland and Barrett today