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Tight BG control numbers

Sirzy

Sirzy

Well-Known Member
Messages
266
Location
Glasgow
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm still new to all this, just waiting for my diabetic clinic appointment to be officially diagnosed, but I've done a lot of reading and am currently following a low carb diet (about 30-50g a day which seems to be keeping me in good control.

I'd like to have 'tight control' though, and was wondering if anybody could have a look at my numbers and see if these are within acceptable ranges...

I start with a fasting bg of 4.6-4.9 most mornings, but then it doesn't matter what I eat for breakfast (it's always zero carb though), I always end up just above 6 and it takes me around 3-4 hours to come down into the 5's.

After a lunch of tuna salad. prawn salad or quorn salad I'll be high 5's to low 6's after 1 hour and usually mid to low 5's after 2.

Evenings are no problem, and I rarely go above 5.5 after eating my dinner.

I understand that these are well within the acceptable range, but they're not really in the 'tight' range, particulary after breakfast and lunch. Will I be given oral medication with these sorts of numbers or just told to carry on? It's just frustrating that I'm eating a very low carb diet, and no carbs at all for breakfast, small portions too, but I still can't get within the 'tight' control region. I'm not trying for the Bernstein range, as although his book is full of great advice, I really don't think those bg levels are acheivable, particularly without insulin, but I don't think 5.5 is an unrealistic target, or is it? :?

Anybody else low carbing and acheiving 'tight control' numbers, particularly in the mornings?
 
Personally, I think the numbers are great, indicate a likely very low HbA1c, and it's unlikely you'll be put on meds with those numbers - although I don't know the rest of your circumstances (medical, weight, degree of diabetes etc) keep us in touch!
 
Thanks for your replies :)

I'm a slim type 2, 36, and not taking any medication at the mo. I was hoping to get my numbers to 5.5 or under one hour after eating, but this just isn't acheivable after breakfast and lunch. I recently read Blood Sugar 101 after seeing a link posted on this site, (think it might have been in one of your posts Grazer :) ), and the figures she quotes seem much more realistic. I also tested my parter last night after dinner (he's not diabetic), and after a carb heavy meal, he was 7.1 after 1 hour, and 5.9 2 hours after, so I'm thinking maybe I'm aiming for targets that not even non-diabetics get to very often! I read Berstein recently, and as I said, although he's got a lot of great and rigourously tested advice in his book, I don't think those sorts of numbers can be reached by type 2s not on meds.

Think I just need to relax about all this a bit, still in the 'freaking out' stage, I've always been the kind of person who likes to be in control all the time, and I'm coming to realise that diabetes doesn't work that way :?
 
Hi Sirzy!

Your numbers sound perfect to me :clap:

Most people struggle with the after breakfast reading and I would be delighted with your readings! As a slim person who is very-low-carbing, just make sure you're not sacrificing your health in other ways for those numbers. There are many slim members on this forum (myself included) who struggle to keep weight on when restricting carbs that much - that's just a bit of advice from someone who's been there - not a criticism of your approach though! I had to increase my carbs a little because of the weight loss.

Smidge
 
I think your worrying yourself unnecessary over those numbers Sirzy...... in any-one's book that is tight control! :thumbup:
 
Thanks for all the reassuring replies everybody, this is such a great forum :D It's nice to get advice from people who are dealing with this everyday too. There's so much conflicting advice out there about BG numbers, there isn't one definitive number to be aiming for, and I imagine I'll be told something completely different at my clinic appointment to, it makes it quite difficult to know if you're doing the right thing or not!

I have lost a little bit of weight since I started low carbing, I'd be happier a little heavier to be honest, but it seems to have stabilised now, and I haven't lost anymore, plus I have to say, I really enjoy my food nowadays, rather than when I used to just cram in as much carby stodge as I could throughout the day, and still feel hungry afterwards :oops:

Thanks again for the advice, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing then, going to have a few potatoes and a slice of cheesecake at xmas though :wink:
 
If your clinic/doctor/surgery/DSN is anything like the ones I've come across (including on my DESMOND course) you will be told that you are being far too careful (Note that I'm not saying so, everyone is entitled to tackle this the way they want).

In general, the NHS seems to take the view that testing is not needed for T2 patients controlling by diet alone (it only generates worry !!??!!) and that the only measure of control needed is the 3 monthly average HbA1c test. Even then, anything below 7.0 seems to be considered good, and below 6.5 excellent.

I know the low-carbers and the 5% club (which I would like to join) think that these measures are too lax and they may be right but I don't think anyone following NHS doctrine will push you to achieve the numbers you're aiming for.

At the numbers you've quoted above, my guess would be that they will be completely happy with your HbA1c and may even ask you not to come back for a while as you will be low risk in their view.

Please let us know what happens.
 
Hi Dougie, thanks for the reply. I tend to agree that the acceptable levels set by the NHS are much too high and that regular testing is a necessity for all diabetics, relying on the HbA1c test alone is not a good indication of daily control.

When I told my GP I'd bought a BG monitor and had been testing regularly, she seemed quite pleased that I'd done this, and was quite interested in which foods sent my BG up, and the sort of numbers I'd been acheiving, which seems unusual given some of the reactions other people on this board get when they mention testing to their doctor. I think she's showing a bit more interest in my diabetes as there's a possibility that I may be type 1.5 though.

I really think, as a whole, the general advice given to diabetics from the health service seems to be entirely wrong, and even dangerous in some cases. My dad, who was diagnosed type 2 a few years back, was told that eating carbs and BG levels up to 10 are acceptable, and for this reason he still eats bread, potatoes, etc and thinks this is all fine! He now has neuropathic damage to one foot, but still insists that the dieticians/doctors must know best in terms of diet :x

So, I think in general, for me personally, I tend to go along with the 'lower the better' approach to my numbers and diet, with the occasional treat :wink:
 
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