• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

What was your fasting blood glucose? (with some chat)

@Jenny3108
Hello Jenny and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and interesting.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
Good morning all
4.9 bg - stuck to just lc birthday cake at party and clearly worked better than nibbles!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday- stay warm
@DJC3 sorry to hear about your aching muscles hope they improve over the day - annoying too for you when you’ve worked so hard to not get results expecting. Hugs x
 
Morning All. 6.6 at 08.30 so not as bad as has been. Back pain eased up, drank litres of water and tea yesterday and spent the afternoon under a rug on sofa with Bobs and Daisy. Animals always know when you’re not quite well.
Hello to @Jenny3108 and welcome. @SB.25 good improvement,pleased for you.
@DJC3 dont worry you are always in the zone, sometimes FBG is just not fair.
Have a great Saturday everyone. Stay well, stsy safe (snow)
 
dunelm said:
What is a CCG?
Click to expand...
Its the clinical commissioning group...a committee usually made up of health care professionals who will set the budgets for our local GP surgeries & tell them how to spend them...they wield a great deal of power for a non-statutory body.
 
Charis1213 said:
what does CCG mean please ?
Click to expand...
Its the clinical commissioning group...a committee usually made up of health care professionals who will set the budgets for our local GP surgeries & tell them how to spend them...they wield a great deal of power for a non-statutory body.
 
Ziggy2017 said:
Morning all sorry I haven’t been on a lot this week but I haven’t been very well with my chest today’s blood sugar is 4.8 along with a headache
Click to expand...
No need to apologise to us and posting here should be the least of your worries. Take care, get well and consider your posts a rich gift to us, which we don't deserve, and a source of inspiration and humility.
 
Ziggy2017 said:
Morning all sorry I haven’t been on a lot this week but I haven’t been very well with my chest today’s blood sugar is 4.8 along with a headache
Click to expand...
Dear Ziggy sorry you havent been good this week, its very cold so keep wrapped up warm. Hope the headache goes soon. Take care. X
 
Good morning I'm doing a happy dance with a 5.5
1st one in the 5's for me since I started on 1st Jan.
Quite proud as so much temptation in my way yesterday with hubbys Nans wake, and I took 36 chocolate and vanilla cupcakes that I made...I just watched everyone enjoy the loveliness of all that sugar haha...I just ate 2 sausages and some peanuts in the whole day.
Happy Saturday to you all.
 
Enjoy your happy dance, you have earned it. In the nicest possible way, let us hope the novelty wears off. Reading about all your hard work, I am sure that will be the case very soon.
 

That is brilliant! Rolling your first five in the morning is a real milestone for folks like us. Congratulations and enjoy the weekend with your new found confidence
 
Jim Lahey said:
That is brilliant! Rolling your first five in the morning is a real milestone for folks like us. Congratulations and enjoy the weekend with your new found confidence
Click to expand...
Thank you Jim
 
Bubbsie said:
Its the clinical commissioning group...a committee usually made up of health care professionals who will set the budgets for our local GP surgeries & tell them how to spend them...they wield a great deal of power for a non-statutory body.
Click to expand...
Thank you, both me and my husband are type 2 and so buying lancets and strips is expensive , the nurse at the doctors said we don't need to test so are not entitled to them on prescription but it it would be cheaper for us to get them as we just got an exemption certificate through so peeved we have to pay right now when could be getting them free .
 
good morning all

4.9 today

I'm a bit late posting today, I woke with a sore throat at 05.30am and just went back to bed for a while

we're taking dinner across to mum's today since she still has her visitors, I may get a walk with the small doggo later but it's still below freezing and icy here and will be worse at mum's because of the clay soil in her area.

A nice stew with veggies and a tiramisu for pudding (mum's request),so I hope the visitors like coffee and rum.

Hope your day is treating you kindly
 
Charis1213 said:
the nurse at the doctors said we don't need to test so are not entitled to them on prescription
Click to expand...
I no longer see the DSN at my practice Charis after she labelled me obsessive for testing my own BG...now I have reviews with my GP...I funded my own strips for a year then as said on a point of principle I asked my GP to prescribe them...he said he would but the CCG would likely prevent him...so we agreed I would write to the CCG...it took a lot of work...I read the NICE guidelines re: testing strips...studied the minutes of my local CCG meeting where they discussed this...I wrote to them & justified my need...using the progress as evidenced by review records & pointing out they had misinterpreted the NICE guidelines...they conceded very ungraciously that since my GP had agreed to prescribe they would not stop him...I think any diabetic that wants to test & finds a benefit from it should be entitled to them on prescription...that's what the NICE guidelines say...at my next review if I have reached non-diabetic range ( I should be able to do that finger crossed) I have no doubt my GP will want to stop the script...then round two begins.
 


Thank you for this I will have a go see what happens . Are they free for you or just cheaper on prescription ?
 
Charis1213 said:
when could be getting them free .
Click to expand...
I should have pointed out we get nothing for free Charis...only at source...we all pay for own treatments & medication...whether in work...on benefits...we are all taxed to the hilt...food...fuel...alcohol...anything & everything...if testing enables T2's to monitor their BG levels...achieve reasonable control of their diabetes...delay/avoid complications then it is worth the investment...it's a small price to pay & since as T2's are regularly cited as the likely cause of the impending bankruptcy of the NHS...it makes economic sense to provide strips & a meter for those that will use them effectively.
 
Charis1213 said:
Thank you for this I will have a go see what happens . Are they free for you or just cheaper on prescription ?
Click to expand...
I don't pay for my prescription Charis...since it would be for your diabetes providing your GP did prescribe there should be no charge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…