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Weird results

Annie.t

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I've been on diet control for 3 years but lately have let things slip. On top of all that things have been quite stressful in work, and we've had a family bereavement. I've finally given myself a kick up the behind and started monitoring again. Although I'm reading less than 8 before a meal it is taking much longer to come down.

Tonight, I made a chicken and pasta dish and after 3 hours my reading was 9.4. At 4 hours it was 10.1 and I've just tested again at 5 hours and it's 11! I've also drunk a pint of water to try and flush things out a bit.

I was wondering if my body thinks I'm starving it and so I've just eaten 1 biscuit before I go to bed. I also usually see a big reading in the morning due to the dawn effect so it will be interesting to see what happens. Or could it be the slow release of carbs by the pasta?

This steady increase has never happened to me before. Any ideas?
 
The pasta is not a good option IMO. Sorry to hear about the associated issues :)
 
I'm sure it is :) Some people get away with it but most don't
 
Hello and welcome.
I can eat a bit of rice,and small potato,and a slice of bread,but cant touch pasta.
 
Thanks both. Had a good day today and was less than 8 before lunch and dinner.

I had porridge with cinnamon for breakfast, soup (<5% sugar) and dinner was chicken en croute, sautéed leeks, spinach and peas, broccoli and French beans. I did have some ciabatta though and perhaps I shouldn't have had the en croute bit of the chicken!

Pre dinner 7.7
3 hours post 10.8
4 hours post 12.8
5 hours post 8.9

No carb day planned for tomorrow!

The other spanner in the ŵorks is that I have a horrible cold at the moment and I suppose that doesn't help!
 
Thanks both. Had a good day today and was less than 8 before lunch and dinner.

I had porridge with cinnamon for breakfast, soup (<5% sugar) and dinner was chicken en croute, sautéed leeks, spinach and peas, broccoli and French beans. I did have some ciabatta though and perhaps I shouldn't have had the en croute bit of the chicken!

Pre dinner 7.7
3 hours post 10.8
4 hours post 12.8
5 hours post 8.9

No carb day planned for tomorrow!

The other spanner in the ŵorks is that I have a horrible cold at the moment and I suppose that doesn't help!

I think you need to consider the porridge and the little bit of ciabatta as well as the encroute....many people cannot tolerate these and really are best avoided...as proved by all your blood readings being too high...

I know you don't take medication but lower carb meals will help otherwise it does look like you need some meds to assist your lowering your levels....
 
Just had baked eggs and ham for breakfast (Slimming World tip) and have booked a GP appointment for Tuesday incase no improvement after the weekend.
 
Just had baked eggs and ham for breakfast (Slimming World tip) and have booked a GP appointment for Tuesday incase no improvement after the weekend.

Just to add my 2p worth, here.

Personally, I found pasta gave me some very odd results. I could eat it and have perfectly acceptable numbers after 2 hours, but then, it would just sit there for an age, and my averages would even remain elevated for a day or so. As pasta would never have featured in my Top 10 feeds, I just gave it up. I should try it again some time though.

Going back to the bigger picture though; you suggest you have allowed things to slip of late. I appreciate that your bereavement, work stress, festive period are all likely to have taken their toll on things, but the pasta and other carbs you are eating will definitely be playing their part. I don't know if you keep a food diary at all? I know when I have been re-trying carby foods, after a period of absinence, I can fairly quickly ramp up my longer term (looking over several days, not by isolated meal) carb consumption without realising by how much.

Provided you are feeling otherwise well, I would suggest you try to go for a period of days, or a week, where you are really controlling your carbs tightly. I couldn't suggest what level that would be at, as I don't know what you routinely eat or do, but it surely has to be back to the levels when your control was satisfactory before. Personal experience, and that of many on here, suggests that will give you an insight into whether your issues are diet related or anything else.

During this period, I suggests you keep an accurate diary of everything you eat and drink, along wih your blood scores; then you can easily review - whether your results are good or bad.

Whilst your diet isn't in a great place, I'm not sure what you expect your doctor to do - aside from maybe an HbA1c test and consider meds. If you are keen to stay off meds, I might be inclined to really reel in on diet first.

As you know, you really should be targeting lower than 8 after a meal, rather than before it. If you need the target ranges, they're on the site, but I can post a link if you need it. I think the "next steps" for this are in your hands.

If you aren't feeling well, then a trip to the doc may not be out of order, but that really does need to be in addition to wrangling your diet into shape.

Good luck with it all.
 
Thanks. Yes I am keeping a food diary now and will stick to low carb diet . (Soup again for lunch, pork steaks and broccoli and cauliflower cheese for tea.) When I was taking things more seriously last year and the year before I was able to eat Weetabix and porridge but I was also exercising a lot more as I was in training for the Moonwalk charity walking marathon. I need to start walking again as soon as this cough goes!
 
Hi,

I agree with @AndBreathe and would add that you need to be careful with the soup if it is tinned. It may have <5 sugar, but how many total carbs has it? It is the total carbs amount we need to look at.
 
Hi,

I agree with @AndBreathe and would add that you need to be careful with the soup if it is tinned. It may have <5 sugar, but how many total carbs has it? It is the total carbs amount we need to look at.

Ohh good point! 18.3g in the 1/2 pot I have left - so should be ok with just cauliflower and broccoli as veggies later for dinner?
 
Ohh good point! 18.3g in the 1/2 pot I have left - so should be ok with just cauliflower and broccoli as veggies later for dinner?

I personally would bin the soup. In future, you could consider making your own so you know exactly what is in it. Most tinned soups have potatoes for bulk, and all have flour of some sort for thickening it. Bacon and eggs with mushrooms and toms make a good quick lunch, or eggs cooked any which way.

Cauli and broccoli are good choices.
 
Annie, you're getting some really good advice from AndBreath, Bluetit and all. Get yourself informed about the carbohydrate content in your food - you need to tighten things up a bit! Good luck.
 
Soup left in fridge for someone else! Just had Birds eye inspirations (pollack) which had 1.8g per portion....... Only small so I had the 2 in the pack!
 
I've been on diet control for 3 years but lately have let things slip. On top of all that things have been quite stressful in work, and we've had a family bereavement. I've finally given myself a kick up the behind and started monitoring again. Although I'm reading less than 8 before a meal it is taking much longer to come down.

Tonight, I made a chicken and pasta dish and after 3 hours my reading was 9.4. At 4 hours it was 10.1 and I've just tested again at 5 hours and it's 11! I've also drunk a pint of water to try and flush things out a bit.

I was wondering if my body thinks I'm starving it and so I've just eaten 1 biscuit before I go to bed. I also usually see a big reading in the morning due to the dawn effect so it will be interesting to see what happens. Or could it be the slow release of carbs by the pasta?

This steady increase has never happened to me before. Any ideas?

If it has not happened before it sounds like it could be the stress you have had as sometimes it is not always down to what you eat
You say you have been diet controlled for 3 years but you have just slipped a bit with the diet once back on track you will be fine
 
Thanks both. Had a good day today and was less than 8 before lunch and dinner.

I had porridge with cinnamon for breakfast, soup (<5% sugar) and dinner was chicken en croute, sautéed leeks, spinach and peas, broccoli and French beans. I did have some ciabatta though and perhaps I shouldn't have had the en croute bit of the chicken!

Pre dinner 7.7
3 hours post 10.8
4 hours post 12.8
5 hours post 8.9

No carb day planned for tomorrow!

The other spanner in the ŵorks is that I have a horrible cold at the moment and I suppose that doesn't help!
I find things go all over the place when I have a cold, takes a while to get over it
 
I used to have a problem with pasta but since doing the 'reheating thing' I get away with it once a week, just a small handful cooked, cooled, reheated and bulked out with veggies, one tablespoon of sauce and a little cheese. Manage to stay within a rise of 2 and keeps my craving happy for another week. Wish I could do it with chocolate that's one craving I'm still fighting
 
Thank you all for helping me get back on the wagon. Today's results are much better! Still have a way to go though.

Before dinner tonight 7.7 (cauliflower and broccoli bake)
3 hours post 7.3
4 hours post 6.6

I chickened out of testing after 2 hours! Maybe tomorrow :)
 
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