Type 2 Testing or not to Test

OK, I'm sure I won't be the only one saying this, but I found testing invaluable - it's excellent feedback on the effectiveness of your diet on your blood glucose level - especially if you plot the results on a graph - otherwise you have to wait 3 months to find out what your HbA1c tells you. I believe that the health care professionals view on this is that they used to give people meters on prescription, but NO ADVICE to go along with it, then found, naturally enough, that they didn't help.

There are cheaper options to the meter on this site - lots of people give the meters away for free, and rely on a high cost of strips to cover it. I've got the one from this site before I realised this. And I've been testing for nearly 3 months now and initially I used a lot more strips, and imagine my use of them will taper away to maybe using only a few per week as the months roll by.

In the beginning you have to test regularly to see what effect various foods have on you - generally while fasting - 5ish is where you want to be, then 2 hours after meals - no more than 7 is ideal. it's different for different people, and some find that it changes with weight loss, getting fitter and doing LCHF for a while. I've seen that a little bit in 3 months.

As for 40g per day - I tried for that, but don't honestly think I've managed it very often as I eat about that much from veg. I probably am eating up to 100g per day, spread across 3 meals and a snack or two, cups of tea and coffee with milk. As long as my BS levels are acceptable I've not been too concerned.

Yet, still I've got down to below pre-diabetic levels within 3 months, and lost 12.5kg in the process, so it's not necessary to see that 40g as an absolute. It's a good target to start with, I think, but it'll depend on your body and metabolism.

I don't know if this even makes sense, but I sort of like to balance the carbs I eat with exercise calories burnt, so if I do have more, even if it doesn't raise my BS level much, I'll do that many calories on the exercise bike or walking (1g of carb = 4kcal, so if I eat 100g of carb, that's 400kcal, which for me is about half an hour on the bike + 30mins walking or 45mins on the bike)

Test test and test again. Most of us do before eating and 2 hours after the first mouthful until we get to know which foods causes our levels to rise. You probably should aim not to raise your blood sugar level by more than 2 mmol/l so watch out for meals that do. You'll find that avoiding carbs will probably mean that this doesn't happen and you levels will stay in a happy place. Personally I try for a few carbs as possible.. 40g per meal is a lot and adds up to 120g per day (assuming you have 3 meals). If you want to get your sugars down quickly aim for less then you can increase over time. You don't say if you are on any medication for your diabetes but I am assuming you are not if your HCP says you are only just over otherwise you may need to reduce doses if you eat less carbs.
Avoid fruit for the time being and obviously grains, rice, pasta, bread and starchy veg including potatoes. Salads are good as are above ground veg like cauliflower, broccoli all the greens etc.
Take a look at http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb for a quick guide and have a good read around the forum threads on this site. So much useful information.
All the best and please ask questions if anything isn't clear.
Best regards
Mark

Without testing you can't possibly know which foods to eat, which to avoid, and which to have smaller portions of. Keeping a food diary including portion sizes and recording your before and after levels alongside will help enormously as patterns will emerge that you can learn from. It may be you can manage 1 slice of bread but not 2, or 3 tiny new potatoes but not 4. The rule is eat to your meter. There aren't really any other rules!

Many of us on here buy the Codefree meter and strips because the strips are cheap and it's a good little meter. Have a look here.
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
If you tick the box that you are diabetic you will have the VAT deducted.

How many grams of carbs you eat is entirely up to you. Your meter will guide you on this. If you are unhappy with your post meal rises, there are too many carbs in that meal for your body. Personally I started at over 100g a day, and slowly reduced this to my current level of 30g. a day (none at breakfast) 30g seems to be my threshold. Yours may be higher. Some people are even less than 30g. Providing you eat enough protein and fats you shouldn't be hungry at all. It is fats that fill you up.

Have a look at this
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

and this
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/

I use the sd codefree meter and test first thing in the morning, and before each meal and then 2 hours after eating. The meter is my best friend and has helped me identify what I can and can't eat x

If you don't test you won't know what's going on and after that........
I would recommend testing, it's about control, real control that is.

Testing has helped me so much. I still have a long way to go to gaining better control, but I have changed my eating habits and cut back on foods that spike me that I previously unaware of until I began testing and I have also been able to adjust portion sizes as I previously thought my portion sizes were ok but my met told me otherwise.

Hi I think everyone who has answered you has said it all, yes if you do not test you will never know what foods to eat and what not to eat, and the portion sizes are crucial as well. A lot of people can not tolerate some fruits we are all different, some can eat bananas some can eat apples, I can eat a small pear, half a banana, a few red grapes, and melon. Raspberries blackberries blueberries strawberries, no problem. You test and try you will be fine. Everything in moderation is the key as well.

My story is similar to yours.
Diagnosed last Sept. and was advised not to test, just take the Mets .One after breakfast and then one after lunch.
Then I found out about this site. I studied somewhat regarding Diabetes and found that opinions varied enormously.
In November I had a further test as conformation. At this meeting I persuaded the DN to part with a meter but no test strips, and she was following the NHS line. (Do nothing but take the meds and hope)
This site lead me to try out a low carb diet but it would be essental to test to know which food gave a spike. I learnt pretty fast.
Then exercise became a worthwhi;e try out. At 82 years this was limited to brisk walking.(about 2 miles on most days, sometimes up to 4 miles, and the fat flew off. From 13 stone plus I dropped to 10 stone twelve in 6 months.
The food control and the exercise with the Metformin have made a new man of me. Well almost.
At my last test a week ago I showed the DN details of my daily food consumption including all the cals and carbs and the resultant meter test results. I must say she appeared impressed that I had gone to such detail and with very good results.
I have to thank the people on this site. Reading their stories and realising that they had the answers to many of the diabetic problems we suffer from.
I am not cured but I feel that I am in comtrol.
Do have a go. What have you to loose? (Apart from unwanted weight).

Hi yes I agree with you kiwifrank, we must all stick together this site is brilliant, lots of support, advice, and good recipes, I try most of them and now am never stuck as what I can eat. Thanks everyone.