I do log my blood sugars and try to write them down once a week and sometimes more often.I think I will try out the more detailed logging for a few days. I just am not sure about the straight jacket approch to eating; it seems so dull and boring maybe it is just me. thanks for all the awesome comment it helps to see what other people think.
I use a free software called Glucose Facts by Soundtell. It is free for download at download.com
It is handy when you keep switching meters often, or if you have a meter that doesn't come with its own software, like the Contour USB.
I found one site called sugar stats. I really like and try to be consistent but a pain sometimes too.
Yeah I find that one a bit weird cause people can be your friend and see your BGs? A little too personal for me. I'd rather store my BGs in my computer, thank you very much. It sounds like it would turn into a game of competitive blood sugars, haha.
I think you have gotten a lot of really good advice. I agree with what Maurie said about eating the same things. Right now, you need to get back to basics. If you eat the same things for awhile, it will help you see what is working and what isn’t working. If you are eating variable things every meal and every day, it is going to take you a lot longer to come up with patterns. Although we might think it is very antiquated to do that, it really does help you to figure out some patterns. Think about it this way – what you are doing is not working so you need to try something else. Sometimes, we have to start at the beginning again. It might be boring but once you get back on the right track, you will have new knowledge that will allow you to eat different things again.
I agree with both Zoe and Terry on the carb factors. Like Zoe said, we are all different and I certainly know I don’t fit into nice neat little packages. But using the formulas will give you a starting place and you can work from there to get where you need to go. Keep in mind what Zoe said about having very different factors between night & day – that works for carb ratios also. I have 3 different carb ratios for meals.
I would also suggest doing some basal testing – that is covered in both Think Like a Pancreas and Using Insulin. If your basals are not set correctly, nothing else is going to work. You would be surprised how much of a difference just a small change in basals can make.
I don’t really understand why they started on the carb factor first – maybe they want to see what happens eating the same things before changing the carb ratios. Your basals have to be set right first, then carb ratio and correction factor last. I am hoping your doctor and dietician are looking at that as a temporary fix.
Diabetes is a self management disease. It is up to you to manage it and look to your doctor for advice how to do that if you can’t come up with answers on your own. You should be working with your doctor to find what works for you. If you don’t like their suggestions, do what Stuart said and ask why – maybe they do have a good reason that you will understand once you know the reasoning behind it.
When you say eat the samething everyday what would be a basic guidelines to follow, meaning foods to aviod ect... If it work I am willing to try but I don't know about the whole idea. Thought's anyone?
This is just a temporary thing, Sam to get your numbers worked out. If you eat the same exact thing each day then it makes it easier to figure out your ratios without other variables. It isn't just about avoiding foods, it's about being consistent to make it easier (and quicker) to figure things out. It doesn't matter that much what you eat (though I would avoid unpredictable foods like sugar, pasta, rice, and cereal) just that it's the same.
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Once you have your rates set correctly, then you can make your choices about which foods to have in your diet and which to avoid. We are all different on here from people that eat low carb to folks that don't watch them that closely. You will have to see what works for you. there are no "rules" because it's not one size fits all. But many of us find we can't eat the foods above either at all or only in small servings. Some people also restrict high carb/high fat foods like pizza, and other things like potatoes and bread. Some people eat whatever they want but I think that puts us at the risk of weight gain, and using a lot of insulin which leads to insulin resistance.
I don't really watch the carbs I eat what I want and bolus accordingly, I have put a little bit of wieght on, maybe this is why and I take a lot of insulin (I:C is 1:5)
Just a suggestion, Sam, but since your A1C is so high (and you probably don't want to gain more weigh, and already seem to have some insulin resistance - you might want to make some changes in your carbs as well. Many people feel it is as important as having the right I:C ratios, basal and ISF. I agree.
Like Zoe said, doing it that way is the quickest way to figure it out. If you don't want to do all three meals the same, you could try doing one meal at a time. I would avoid the hard foods that Zoe listed. Just remember, you might have different carb ratios for different times of the day.