FBS and eating

Type 2
1

I learn something everyday, and this is what I am going to learn today.

I am a type II; take meds; watch my lo carbs; and exercise. My blood sugars are finally back down to normal for me, in the 100’s and 90’s. In the last month, because of a sinus infection, I wake up with pillow mouth, like I swallowed my pillow, and my stomach is very queasy…so I try to eat as soon as I can stomach food. BUT, in the urgency to eat, I sometimes am 1/2 done with a bowl of cereal or whatever, and remember, OMG! I forgot to test. Now what?

So here’s my question, if it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to digest the food (if not longer) how long could you go after having eaten something to get an accurate FBS? Or would it just be better to call it a reading, and not an FBS, as long as I had a number to start the day off with? I hate to get technical on these things…but there is a need for accuracy, I guess.

Would like to know your thoughts.

2

It takes longer than 20 minutes for the stomach to digest food so if you are looking for FBS readings in the middle of that bowl of cereal then you should be fine.
You gotta remember however that you have some of the additions like milk in liquid form and those will get absorbed faster than the carbs in the cereal.

3

Well aware of those liquids, that’s why I am not drinking my OJ first. AFter consulting diabetic friends they though that any reading that I could get my CDE and marking the time, and circumstances would be better than none. I would tend to agree.

4

Within ten minutes of taking your first bite. It takes about 10 minutes for the BS to start to rise… This is what I learned at the Blood Sugar 101 site, http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/index.php, and at the Mendosa site, http://www.mendosa.com/.

5

Better to call it a reading & not FBS for accuarcy. A pain, but keeping it straight will help when your doc reviews your logs. A few boo-boos here & there aren’t anything to stress over.

Glad to hear your numbers are back in line!

6

I have suffered from sinus infections and they can be a bugger to get rid of. You might have to give that attention if you suspect it is really infected and it is not going away on its own. Infections can raise your BG as i am sure you know.

As to a fasting BG I will wait at least 5 hours before I take it. I hope your cereal and milk are not your regular breakfast, you probably could even get your numbers lower with eliminating more carbs and give your pancreas even more rest.

My own schedule as a T-2 I check fasting morning, fasting prior to lunch, and just before I go to bed, 3 times a day now. I will at times also check one of my meals during some weeks to make sure I am not spiking too high (below 130) so I am eating right. That is just as important as the A1C. I dont get upset anymore if I forget to test but find once you get in a set habit you will find it just like you brush your teeth. Good Luck

7

Sorry to diappoint you Pauly, but oatmeal and milk, with OJ are my normal breakfast. They are healthy, they are quick and they are recommended. I swim in the AM and need something quick, something that will metabolize quickly so I can get that swim and biking in before work. I’ve discussed it with my doc, my cde and my nutritionist and they all agreed it was better than the liquid protein drink that I would have been having in the AM. I eat 45 g of carb for the three main meals, and then 15 g for snacks, that too was by the recommendations of my team. I am working on losing another 50 lbs for a total of 100+,…so it’s two big numbers events at the same time, not always a great combination either. You check schedule is much like mine. I check in the AM FBS; then mid afternoon; and before bedtime. It works for me, and thankfully has been for the last 4 months…not an easy schedule, when you get called out during the night for ER calls for clients. thanks for writing me back.

8

Hello Cathy,

Cannot help but note that oatmeal, milk, and OJ are sugars and carbs, and would like to ask, or point out, or bring to light, or however is the best way to put it, that you might want to test and see if they are giving you high numbers, by eating something else and comparing the results.

I realize you didn’t post specifics about the type of oatmeal, milk, and OJ you eat, so I don’t want to be misunderstood and jump to any conclusions. Perhaps you could tell us the brands, and the quantities of each part of your breakfast?

My gut reaction is that OJ is a bad idea, and the oatmeal type matters. In addition, neither your doctor or your nutritionist can know if this is a good breakfast for you, or not, without numbers to compare, and analyze. Many nutritionists don’t seem to make things individualized after testing, they just use a template for a diet, and go with that. Everyone of us is different in how we react to foods, and a doc, cde, or nutritionist who doesn’t use your actual numbers to develop your diet is not doing it right. They are just reciting from the “book” which is the wrong approach, imo.

First, I hope I haven’t offended, and second, I highly recommend, unsolicited I know :slight_smile: that you do some testing on your regular breakfast, before and one and two hours after, and then eat a zero, or very low carb breakfast, and do the same tests. Do this a few times before you draw a conclusion, as many things can affect the results in the morning.

I really hope it shows you are okay with it, since its easy and probably a favorite, but I think you may find that the choice is not very good for you.

Respectfully,

John

9

If your A1C right now is doing excellently, by all means, continue what you’re doing… but if you are concerned about the symptoms that you are having: i.e., the cotton mouth, and queasiness, you might want to consider checking some postprandial blood sugars for some of your meals (if you aren’t already doing some of that.) My doc and I decided to alternate days, so I could minimize cost of supplies… Like say, on one day I can test fasting numbers, and the next day, I can test all postprandial numbers, and just alternate. If you are doing a lot of strenuous exercise some time soon after breakfast (like within 75 minutes), 45 g of carbs would be okay, for energy, and for avoiding low hypo episodes. But it’s not so much needed throughout the rest of the day… I wouldn’t be able to handle it without a big spike, myself, but all Diabetics are different, and may be able to tolerate more carbs. It also depends, too, on what your target blood sugar goals are… and if you have some symptoms that don’t make you feel well, perhaps you may need a lower goal (for example, if you are shooting for 180 or less, 2 hours after a meal… You may want to consider 140, or less… etc.) Let us know how it all works out for ya. :))) Congrats on all that weight loss. I got about a 100 more to lose, and I try not to think about it too much. lol

10

Well, I must be in the minority…because my doc, my nutritionist, my CDE are all very much aware of what the things I eat does to my body, with numbers, etc. They have been with me through all of this. We did a week on each meal, trying different items for breakfast, including my protein drink…the oatmeal, stone ground from the health food store, soy milk and natural Oj straight from the orange have all been the best choices for me. After a FSB os 90, yes I have a rise up to about 130,not bad including that this is after 45 minutes of moderate swimming, and water walking. They were there for a protein loaded breakfast and that was a little higher than 130…; an omelet made with egg whites, vegies and cheese was the worst, my sugars went to almost 160. Amazingly, I have a team that is truly a part of my family and cares about what happens to each and every one of their clients. So I do think I am in the minority around here anyway. They have taken this journey with me, through every step of it…and know more about me, than I know about myself sometimes. IN fact, we have a calling network, that starts with them, and they will call and see how you are doing on a daily basis if you want. How much more involved can you get?

So thanks John for the ideas. May I ask what you consider a great breakfast for you…I’ll plug it into my numbers and see what I get…have a great weekend.

11

Lizman, weight loss is my down fall in this whole thing. The meds that I take all cause weight gain, so I do feel as if I am swimming up stream and not getting anywhere half of the time. We’ve tried Actos, Avandia and several others…and all I do is gain weight…no moving of diabetic numbers. So we have found that Amaryl and Metformin do the best for me, and I tolerate no side affects from the Metformin like some do. We have approached the subject of insulin and decided that as long as I can control things without it, that would be the best way to go. With wanting to lose weight and control my diabetes a day filled with lo carbs adding up to 150 is great for me. I can lose the weight, and control numbers. So the plan is to go from between 150 - 175 a day tops. That leaves me a wiggle room if an event where I have no control over the food served comes up. This is not rocket science, it’s learning to listen to our bodies and to how we feel…otherwise, I don’t think I’d listen to anyone. Have a great weekend.

12

I did talk to my doc about time frames for FBS…and she said 10 minutes after eating, especially if I am drinking anything could start the process of not being a FASTING blood sugar. So rather than calling it that, just take the reading and use it as a start point for the day. However, I did think I could “remember” better with a key. So maybe this will work for those who have a memory like mine. !)…set the meter by my bed, and as I am getting ready to bounce out of bed, stop and use the meter immediately. OR 2) since I have two meters, set one in the area I eat breakfast in, maybe on the plate or bowl that I will be eating out of, and use it before filling that vessel. Both of those will work, I’ve done them before, but got out of the habit, when one of my meters broke…now I will be using both. A little more paperwork, but hey the job isn’t done until the paperwork is complete.

13

Yeah, I put the meter on the table, where I will set my plate… so I can’t set it down without picking up my meter. I also use my cell phone to give me alarms of when to take my postprandial measurements. I hear ya on the weight loss struggle… For me, it’s been a struggle with hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and the resulting insulin resistance. The thyroid meds have helped, but it’s still a struggle… Though the lesser carbs have indeed helped me. I consume I think about a little less than you… About 70-90 in a day, depending on the day… Sometimes, a 100. Unfortunately, I just can’t handle much more than that, or my sugars spike… But I don’t want to give up my carbs… lol I love Spaghetti… hehe One cup for lunch is just fine by me. :slight_smile: