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Understanding BS tests results....

B

Bella365

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Dear All

I'm sure you've answered a similar query a million times so apologies if I'm asking you to repeat yourselves. I've just come off metformin after four years and am now testing, as well as starting to follow a low-carb diet. As I'm new to testing, could I ask whether my results are ok, not ok, etc, as I've no idea!

My fasting/waking BS ranges between 6.5-6.9mmol, I'm also testing 2 hrs after meals and those numbers range between 5.4-6.8mmol. I have a lot of weight to lose, but want to be sure I've got to grips with keeping my BS stable before I concentrate on weight loss.

I find it odd that my highest reading is often the first one of the day, when I've been fasting for a good ten hours or so, does that always happen? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks as ever for your support.
 
Hi Bella.

Yes...I have answered many times before but no matter. :twisted:

As a T2 your Bg levels should be within the following guideline figures.
Fasting(waking)................between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals...............no more than 8.5 mmol/l.

As your numbers are all well within the above I think you can safely assume you are doing it right ?

The elevated morning numbers may well be down to what is known as the Dawn Phenomenon.
Here is a link to an explanation. I have answered that one many times before too. :D

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=9478&p=89193&hilit=dawn+phenomenon#p89193

Ken.
 
Ken has given the recommended targets from NICE and DUK
I prefer to aim at a non-diabetic level, (which is 4.7in Bernstein) or about 5.
I've been VERY good this last few days( reaction to the popcorn fiasco) and been in the 4s almost all the time. 4.3 fasting and up to 4.7 by evening.
I've decided to answer Ambemedical's qustion and run myself a trial, being Good and leaving out the Metformin. to see what it actually does.
 
Thanks Ken and Hana

I've cut out all sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and grains to get these numbers. So in order to get my BS number lower, it's probably a question of weight loss as much as anything, would you say? Plus more exercise (groans). Or maybe I shouldn't be eating 10 steaks a night....(just kidding).

Actually, I feel SO much better without eating chocolate and all its little friends, so it's not that much of a deprivation. Sob.
 
Hi Bella and welcome to a brand new world!!

As you can see from my signature - I am relative new to Diabetes and not been on any medication.

Firstly I think you are doing quite well, so well done so far. For the rest of the "programme" you will need to look at your diet, carbs and especially portion sizes!!

When I arrived here 3 months ago I started with around 150 carbs/day (no bread, potatos, rice, pasta etc) and over the first couple of weeks naturally got it reduced to 30-50 carbs a day and even lower some days down to 20-30 carbs days. HOWEVER, it did find that I did not function very well on that low carbs, especially since I am walking 10km/day and I managed (via trial and error) to find a level aroun 60 carbs/day where I am functioning very well. I know several people here do just as well on less than 40 carbs/day, others are on 80+ carbs a day. It is a matter of trial and error and how YOU feel. The other half of the equation is portion sizes!! That took me a little longer to get to grips with, mainly because I am a compulsory over eater and if it is in the house I will eat it, hungry or not!!

However, the last 6 weeks or so I have had things under control and do very well - check my response in the thread:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=9459

I have now lost almost 2 st (12kg) since diagnoses - the weigh have stood still for a couple of weeks at some point. I put on 1kg in one week when I went completely gaga for 5 days, I didn't even dare test for days!! heheheheh These things DOES happen, we are but human after all!! I got it out of my system, and got back on "the programme" and still doing well.

So my advice would be to start with the diet and portion control, don't think you have to do it all overnight, but adjust things so your body and leave "the exercise" out for the first few days or just go for some nice brisk walks. I have managed well on this, but you need to find YOUR ideal combination.

I will say that many that does do less than 50 carbs/day, seem to be able to lose weight without doing much exercise (lucky them!), but again you need to find out for yourself - so it is down to trial and error!!

Ask any question you like, there are so many knowlege and supportive people here.

Good luck
Alice
 
Hi Alice

Thank you, that's a very helpful post, particularly about the tweaking of carb levels. I'm a terrible one for wanting things to work 'NOW' and I'm realising that I will have to be patient and see what works for me. Books are all very well, but they are a 'one-size-fits-all' opinion which doesn't necessarily translate in the real world. So I'll stop reading and start tweaking!

Thanks again
 
Welcome. It is a daunting task to get your BS down, especially in the face of a system that tells you diabetes is inevitably progressive and you will get worse, whatever you do.

I also have high readings in the morning due to liver dumps, there is some usefuladvice on the thread I started the other day as it is something I am experiencing.

Since my diagnosis in February I have made several stepwise changes.
1. Cut out all added sugar and junk, by which I mean sweet and fatty treats, except I still had regular lapses :roll: :oops: and still have lapses now, although the nature of my sins has changed :lol: 8)
2. Added fresh and raw most of the time, and made sure I ate breakfast, I started with porridge with oat bran and now mostly eat a greek yoghurt based breakfast, yum, except at weekends when I have someting cooked.
3. I did that for a few weeks while I was looking for a diet I could stick to and looked like normal food - I'm a fairly strict vegetarian (eating eggs and cheese) and wanted to be able to eat the same food as my 12-year-old.
4. I explored low GI diets and adopted more of the principles of that regime, which is really useful.
5. After a few weeks reading on here I went lower carb - by that I mean I stopped eating bread, pasta, rice and potato and any flour products.
6. After a couple of months of that I started to weigh stuff to restrict the number of carbs I was a eating, I have been doing this for the last couple of weeks.

Every time I have made a change I have seen a positive change in my blood test results and the excess weight is falling away with very little effort on my part (I have to be half the woman I was at diagnosis). Initially the blood work was being done at the surgery. I have been testing several times a day for about 2 months with my own meter.

Make a plan. Set yourself smaller and realistic targets and review them regularly, I don't think massive changes all at once are sustainable in the long term, and you won't actually know what is working for you. This is hard work, don't make it harder on yourself than you need to be. My focus has always been the next blood test with the doctor. I'm asking for an HbA1c at the end of August and I hope to be much closer to 6%.

My ultimate aim is for normal blood sugar readings and to keep them there long term. I also want to have enough confidence to eat "off plan" every once in a while and then get myself back on track before it shows in the longer term readings.
 
Thanks Spiral

That's a great help. I think I need to adjust portion sizes still as I'm not losing weight despite having carbs only in fruit and veg.
 
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