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The 2 hour after food test

Pinkorchid

Pinkorchid

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,927
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Which is better to test your BG from the first bite or test when you have finished the meal. We never really know how long we are going to be eating the meal. For example if you test from the first bite and then take an hour to finish that meal....which it could be if you are eating out or everyone is home for the meal and you are chatting while you eat ..... it will only be another hour after you finish that meal until you test which surely is not really long enough If you test at the end of the meal then it will be the full 2 hours So do you test 2 hours from the first bite or do some of you test 2 hours from when you finish eating.
 
I always test 2 hours from first bite as the digestion of the food begins in your mouth :)
 
I would like to say that I test two hours after the last thing is put in my face. This covers the possibility of variable meal lengths and gives a consistency to the process.

Yes I would like to say that but the truth is that I test (if at all) some time later just to see if I will live.

This sets a bad example to newbies, I appreciate that but I have done so much testing over the last few years that I can now show off and still get an idea of what's going on.
 
I have always tested two hours after finishing my meal as that was what was always advised as the best way to test here when I first joined here in 2009

But I guess the most important thing is just to test especially when newly diagnosed and to get a good idea of how what foods affect you and in what quantities/portion sizes.
 
i test 2 hours after the first bite, but it would be interesting what my level would be like after 2 hours after finishing my meal
 
I wasn't sure which it was either, so when I first bought my meter I tested at 1 hr after starting meal, 1 hr after finishing meal and 2 hrs after starting meal - if that value was 'high' for me I would retest every 30 - 45 mins to see when it came down again.

It did take a while but after a few weeks I knew which foods to avoid or limit. I found that for me the spike was dependent on the fat to carb ratio in the meal.
 
ally1 said:
i test 2 hours after the first bite, but it would be interesting what my level would be like after 2 hours after finishing my meal
Click to expand...

You would seemingly get a different result If you tested 2 hours after you finish eating so wouldn't that be a more accurate result as to how the whole meal has affected your BG
 
I wa told to test two hours after the meal started - ie, if I eat my evening meal at 6pm, I'd test at 8pm.

If it was an extremely long meal, like at a restaurant or wedding, I'd test at intervals of an hour or so. But at home I've never had a problem with testing as I've detailed above. It shows the spikes, and on occasion I've tested again 30 and 60 mins later and those tests haven't revealed any problem.
 
I test two hours after the first bite, so that I have the correct basis for comparing my results with those in the literature.
Sometimes test 15,30,45,60.90 and 120 mins after first bite to catch the peak and find out how long it takes to return to the premeal value. This latter time may be three or more hours. Its a bit like doing a home made GTT.
 
Two hours after starting my meal. When I first started testing I thought the timing was two hours after I'd finished my meal. When I swapped meters to a different brand I noticed that I was getting higher post meal readings, until i realised that I'd also changed the timing a little previously to the two hours after first bite.

Robbity
 
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