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Using a meter to track progress

M

MadMat

Well-Known Member
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After a recent very high HBA1C test, I've embarked on a plan of reducing carbs and increasing exercise.

As I can only have an HBA1C test occasionally I'd like to use a meter to roughly track my progress.

Is the best way to do this to track my fasting level in the mornings? Look for a general downward trend? Any other suggestions.

My DN is talking about insulin if I can't get things under control so I don't really want to fly blind for the next 3 months till the next blood test appointment.

TIA

Mat
 
My advice would be to buy a Glucose Monitor and start testing on a morning, testing before and after each meal, see what your BG is like, see what impacts you and don't eat it again. Exercise more (if possible, I don't know your circumstances). Lo-Carb is the way to go judging by the evidence on here (though some might argue). I suspect that the usual advice from the NHS of moderation is not the answer (and I've chosen to ignore it).

Good luck!
 
Hello @MadMat and welcome aboard. You've landed in a really fantastic forum for help and advice. I've only been here since last August so I'm still a bit hesitant to give advice but I have been helped enormously by the forum and my hba1c dropped from 54 to 44 in the first 3 months and I believe it will be even lower next time.
My personal choice was to go very low carb (helped enormously by the lovely @JoKalsbeek 's blog post) https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html
Someone cleverer than me will come along and explain the whole glucose thing and how it goes up and down but for me I measure on a finger prick monitor before I start eating and again two hours later. If the numbers don't go up by more than 2 points and if the number is less than 7.9 it means that food is okay for me to eat. If after two hours the number has shot up it means that is a food to avoid. After some time lots of numbers that are 5s and 6s should relate to a much lower hba1c
I've read that back and I think it makes sense but please someone jump in and correct me if its nonsense.
There is a lovely member called @Rachox who will give you some great advice on meters.
Basically carbs turn to glucose. Cut down carbs. (in my opinion)
Good luck
 
MadMat said:
After a recent very high HBA1C test, I've embarked on a plan of reducing carbs and increasing exercise.

As I can only have an HBA1C test occasionally I'd like to use a meter to roughly track my progress.

Is the best way to do this to track my fasting level in the mornings? Look for a general downward trend? Any other suggestions.

My DN is talking about insulin if I can't get things under control so I don't really want to fly blind for the next 3 months till the next blood test appointment.

TIA

Mat
Click to expand...
The morning readings are the last to come down, so not the greatest measuring stick. Maybe do those once a week, once every two weeks, as that'd save you strips you can use for moments that are more telling/in flux, mainly around meals. You've already gotten great advice on this, so.... If you want to see a downward trend happening, the best gauge would be what happens around meals. Get that consistently "right", meaning a rise of 2.0mmol/l or less, then your over all numbers will drop too. Also keep in mind that your body might respond different to exercise than you might expect. When you do something strenuous your liver might dump glucose to "help", and that can put your numbers up when you'd think they'd go down! Doing something calm over an extended period of time, like a long walk, would likely bring numbers down though.

Good luck eh,
Jo
 
The postman delivered the meter just after I posted that. And as it was both roughly 2 hours after my omelette for breakfast and I had a new toy to play with I did a quick test and scored 7.4. Which is really encouraging after an HBA1C of 93 just a couple of weeks ago!

I'm not newly diagnosed BTW, 12 years in, and kinda lost it during lockdown etc and now trying to get back on track! (Lockdown really wasn't good for us boredom/comfort eaters)

Mat
 
MadMat said:
I'm not newly diagnosed BTW, 12 years in, and kinda lost it during lockdown etc and now trying to get back on track! (Lockdown really wasn't good for us boredom/comfort eaters)
Click to expand...
I noticed after I replied that you had 90 some previous posts. Sorry (I did tell you I wasn't the brightest) but I'm glad you're getting back on track.
 
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