Post meal testing - when to start the clock?

Please help me clarify when to test after a meal. Is it two hours from when I began the meal or ended the meal? I've never been clear about this. And if it is measured from when I began the meal, what if two hours later I'm still eating? I live in France five months a year and it is not uncommon to sit down to a 2-3 hour meal. Thanks

for that long of a meal, Id be testing a lot more than once! seriously.

The numbers anyone gathers about their insulin and eating patterns are mostly to teach the person with diabetes. It is not some fixed protocol that we must comply with.

In that spirit, if it were me eating a 2-3 hour meal and I wanted to learn how to best control blood glucose in the future when eating like this, I would fingerstick at the start of the meal and every hour until at least two hours after the last bite. I would also take notes on what was eaten, the order of the food, and the quantity.

I would probably split up my insulin dosing and administer a series of doses to try and match the rollout and consumption of the food. On the pump this would be relatively easy but you'd have to pay attention to delivering insulin doses ahead of the food boluses. You could use the extended bolusing of a pump to good advantage. If I were on multiple daily injections, I would try some old-fashioned Regular insulin since its onset, peak and duration more closely match this relaxed unhurried European style of eating.

I know the last thing you'd want to do when enjoying such a meal is to log and record the food and insulin delivered. It will probably take several meals like this to be able to calibrate your dosing to this meal. But when you do you'll have the best of both worlds, relaxed dining with friends and family combined with BGs that enhance your health.

Good luck. That's an interesting and nice challenge. Bon appetit!

Traditionally for T2’s it is from when you start eating. Most important that you are consistent if you are gathering information, so In the usa two hour after start is good in France, a consistnt time after your start. But first enjoys the meal , with control and understand the results.