What do my numbers mean?

[Loukay1]

After some much welcomed advice on this site I have bought a blood glucose monitor.
I have just done my first test and it read 16.06 mmo/l? Isn't that really high and what does this mean? I took this reading 2 & a half hours after eating a sandwich & taking 2 metformin 500g tablets.
What should the numbers be and when should I test?
Sorry if this has already been covered, I'm just really confused,
Thanks in advance, Louise

 

[novorapidboi26]

If it read 16mmol/l then yes it is high.....you are really looking to test before eating and looking to be between 4 and 7, then a test at the 1.5 - 2 hour mark to see what that particular meal done to your glucose levels, you should be looking to see a rise in level no more than 2mmol above your pre meal test.....

trying to follow the above strictly is unrealistic but try and aim for that kind of glucose fluctuation...

would have been good to see what reading you got before the sandwich....

ultimately you may still be settling in to the meds if newly diagnosed or the sandwich and its contents wasn't really agreeing with you, in which case you will need to look at trying something different and cutting out that particular bread/filling...

 

[SockFiddler]

Here's the interesting thing to do, now you have a meter.

Spend a week eating completely normally - don't change a thing. Instead, write down everything you eat, when, and what was in it, and take your BG before your first bite.

Then wait 2 hours and take your BG again. Note your readings in your diary.

After a week, you'll have a fairly clear picture of what you eat, when you eat it and what that does to your BG.

And then, just for curiosity's sake, try to eat no more than 150g - 200 carbs a day (that's potatoes, flour, rice, cereals and sugar, including fruit) for 48 hours, following the same process.

If you think a reading of 16 was shocking after you've eaten, you'll faint when you see what you get after 2 days of low carbing

 

[Loukay1]

Thank you, will make a food diary & record the readings.
I had gestational diabetes 14+15 years ago and never had a reading over 8.5 but I wasn't sure if the readings where different being type 2.
The reason I got the monitor was because I've generally just been feeling ill all the time!
Hopefully testing will give me a better idea of what's going on & maybe see if it's certain foods that are causing it?

 

[Fleegle]

Thank you, will make a food diary & record the readings.
I had gestational diabetes 14+15 years ago and never had a reading over 8.5 but I wasn't sure if the readings where different being type 2.
The reason I got the monitor was because I've generally just been feeling ill all the time!
Hopefully testing will give me a better idea of what's going on & maybe see if it's certain foods that are causing it?

Whilst I agree with @SockFiddler entirely I might add that you should consider whether to continue earing they way you do if you are getting 16 at every +2 hours. Perhaps cut out the obvious bread, pasta and rice maybe - free sugars - for example sugar in tea and soft drinks and try to get it below 10 and ideally 8 as soon as possible. You might find potatoes and other under ground veg do not hit you so hard you might find they need to go to.

I have read on this site and forum that a reading above 7.8 for two hours starts the process of complications and the more you do now to reduce that the better.

It is a very fine balance between information gathering which is essential and getting your BG down as fast as possible and then perhaps adding things in to see what impact they have.

 

[Loukay1]

Whilst I agree with @SockFiddler entirely I might add that you should consider whether to continue earing they way you do if you are getting 16 at every +2 hours. Perhaps cut out the obvious bread, pasta and rice maybe - free sugars - for example sugar in tea and soft drinks and try to get it below 10 and ideally 8 as soon as possible. You might find potatoes and other under ground veg do not hit you so hard you might find they need to go to.

I have read on this site and forum that a reading above 7.8 for two hours starts the process of complications and the more you do now to reduce that the better.

It is a very fine balance between information gathering which is essential and getting your BG down as fast as possible and then perhaps adding things in to see what impact they have.

Thank you, since my diagnosis 8 months ago, I've cut out all juices and now only drink water & milk, I try to limit chocolate but substitute it with fruit which I know isn't ideal.
Unfortunately I love bread & only white bread but only have 2 slices a day.
I'm struggling to lose weight so hopefully testing will help me have structured meals, I'm really a grazer
Thanks for your advice

 

[Fleegle]

Thank you, since my diagnosis 8 months ago, I've cut out all juices and now only drink water & milk, I try to limit chocolate but substitute it with fruit which I know isn't ideal.
Unfortunately I love bread & only white bread but only have 2 slices a day.
I'm struggling to lose weight so hopefully testing will help me have structured meals, I'm really a grazer
Thanks for your advice

Very best of luck to you. If you are going to graze - nuts are good - fatty, protein low carbs and do try to get rid of the bread and I know it is tough but not too much milk. Milk in a latte sends my BG up 2mmol before I can blink

 

[SockFiddler]

I'm only suggesting you try it for 2 days, that's all. After that, your numbers will galvanise your determination. Small steps lead to big changes in this marathon.

You'll be fine <3

P.S. And as @Fleegle says, graze on things like nuts. My son and I have fallen wildly in love with pepperami and pork scratchings, but (to be somewhat healthier) we also give cucumber sticks dipped in yoghurt (or a dip of your choice, but some are surprisingly high-carb) rolled in ham a good going over, too. Basically, surround yourself with food you can eat freely, get your levels down and then see what you can manage.

Now you have a meter, you can start to really understand how your body responds to particular foods.

 

[Loukay1]

Very best of luck to you. If you are going to graze - nuts are good - fatty, protein low carbs and do try to get rid of the bread and I know it is tough but not too much milk. Milk in a latte sends my BG up 2mmol before I can blink

Very best of luck to you. If you are going to graze - nuts are good - fatty, protein low carbs and do try to get rid of the bread and I know it is tough but not too much milk. Milk in a latte sends my BG up 2mmol before I can blink

I love milk, I had no idea it affected BG, the bread will be a struggle but I will attempt it & I'm allergic to nuts but will try & find something else, thanks

 

[Loukay1]

I'm only suggesting you try it for 2 days, that's all. After that, your numbers will galvanise your determination. Small steps lead to big changes in this marathon.

You'll be fine <3

P.S. And as @Fleegle says, graze on things like nuts. My son and I have fallen wildly in love with pepperami and pork scratchings, but (to be somewhat healthier) we also give cucumber sticks dipped in yoghurt (or a dip of your choice, but some are surprisingly high-carb) rolled in ham a good going over, too. Basically, surround yourself with food you can eat freely, get your levels down and then see what you can manage.

Now you have a meter, you can start to really understand how your body responds to particular foods.

Thank you, it's all a minefield of information

 

[AM1874]

Hi @Loukay1 ..
I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program and you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful, together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will tell you what's good and not good to eat...
Low Carb Intro and Information
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Hope this helps

 

[DCUKMod]

Thank you, it's all a minefield of information

Loukay - If you're finding things bewildering, the site does a 10 week programme, called the Low Carb Programm. I takes you through things gradually, with weekly "lessons".

There have been some outstanding results from it. There's a link to the programm in my signature. As you are a member of the site you just have to log in, rather than try to join up again.

Good luck with whatever you try.

 

[Loukay1]

Hi @Loukay1 ..
I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program and you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful, together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will tell you what's good and not good to eat...
Low Carb Intro and Information
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Hope this helps

Thank you for the links, I'll give them a look!

 

[Loukay1]

Loukay - If you're finding things bewildering, the site does a 10 week programme, called the Low Carb Programm. I takes you through things gradually, with weekly "lessons".

There have been some outstanding results from it. There's a link to the programm in my signature. As you are a member of the site you just have to log in, rather than try to join up again.

Good luck with whatever you try.

Thanks very much, I'll have a look

 

[DCUKMod]

Thanks very much, I'll have a look

Here's the link: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb

 

[Loukay1]

Here's the link: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb

Thanks but it says I don't have an account? Should I just set a new one up?

 

[DCUKMod]

Thanks but it says I don't have an account? Should I just set a new one up?

Are you using the orange Login option at the top right hand side of the screen?

 

[Loukay1]

Are you using the orange Login option at the top right hand side of the screen?

Yes? I'll just sign up again, thank you

 

[Loukay1]

Yes? I'll just sign up again, thank you

Ah it's working now! Thanks

 

[DCUKMod]

Ah it's working now! Thanks

Fab!

Just take it steady. Don't panic. You'll get there.