To low carb or not to low carb

The number of number depends on which gizmo you’re using. If it’s a CGM, it’s a couple hundred/ day. If it’s a pump w/o CGM, it’s whenever you tell the pump, or the ones w/ meter-pump telemetry, it’s whatever gets in there. I don’t do any logging and only do math very rarely and it’s easier to me to focus on winning the “strategic” “war”, “tactically”, one test at a time, or maybe with some “linkage”, “if this test is ____, how do I make the next test _____”, with whatever input I’m going to be shoveling in?

Works for my LADA pancreas too ;) Thank goodness! With almonds please.

Thanks for the info, jrtpup. This thread is going off in all kinds of directions! I believe you're talking about the EzManager software when you say "downloaded the ping data" not anything on the pump itself or the remote. I actually never downloaded it. I glanced at it and it seemed like a pita and I haven't gone back...lol. I keep old school records and it works for me.

So I guess the range I described earlier of how much is above, how much in range and how much below can't produce the SD? That's ok, I was just curious how mine compared to other people's but the ranges are useful info as well. Thanks anyway!

I do kind of like AR's approach below of just looking day by day and seeing what to change. I've had my pride at my 5.7 A1C eroded by struggling numbers in the last month so easy come easy go..lol

Wow, so I really didn't expect this thread to go this long or balloon up like it has! There's a lot of good information in here to help people decide what they'd like to do. I'm also happy that it's been able to go without any major conflict arising. I gotta say, for the part of the TuD community I have experienced thus far, I am impressed. There are very few places online one can go and have even a simple discussion without it degrading in short order. Once again I just have to reiterate that I'm glad I found this place.

Diabetes makes us smarter…:wink:

And we are all " different " ( in 2013 : 30 years ...time to celebrate another milestone with supporter Hubby in tow )

Zoe,

Sorry, I don't know about extracting SD info from your Ping. I'm Ping-less & pump-less:) You can use two week's readings to get a pretty good idea. Of course, the more data, the better if you've got 30 days. I only did SD a couple of times because I don't log consistently (hate logging). Once it was 18 & the other was 27. I was curious because I have gastroparesis.

Oh yeah, I know Gerri. Jrtpup told me I need to download software to do it. But I don't even know what it means, so it doesn't seem worth the trouble. You said you got 18 and 27. Are those good numbers?

That percentage within range, percentage over range and percentage under range for before and after meals that I have on my pump (without the need for either software or math) seem like enough useful information enough for me.

I think he's mostly talking endurance athletes who want to maximize efficiency or a person who wants to maxamize weight loss. The correct amount of carbs to consume is that which enable's meet your goals.

Pup I think you are already in a cult, you just don't know it:)

I think the stuff about athletes is fascinating. For me it means I can easily avoid the foods that cause me problems and my body will adapt without hardly missing a beat.

This place does seem to be self regulating to a great degree. any problems tend to get nipped in the bud.

18 is good, 27 isn't. Having the precentages is very useful. I'm not a math person, so I've only done SD twice. Probably won't ever do it again.

Where does it say what’s “good” or “bad”? I’m sort of in the middle (shocker) but would be concerned if I were, in fact, not good, that I should be more proactive in fixing it.

Yeah, smarter :) We are a fantastic community!

I know this might not be statistically correct (please don't flame me)... standard deviation for me is how much you vary from your median. So if your median BG is 100, and your SD is 30, you've been between 70 and 130. The smaller the better.

Gerri, I don't think 27 is 'not good', though I do aim lower.

Without getting into a YMMV discussion, an SD of 20 or less is considered to be good because it indicates a small variance.

Zoe asked if what I listed was good.

I dont think I’d say 27 is ‘not good’ either as I think thats within the range of people without diabetes which, to me, would suggest that the “hardware” is designed to take that sort of up and down without becoming damaged? I’ve also had doctors say “that’s good” when it was 38 too. I don’t always buy what doctors tell me but 70-130 seems to be very comfortable for me and allows me to indulge many of my bestial habits. Then again, I try to conceive of #s as being “beyond good and evil” anyway.

Another thing I like to consider is a typical time period. If a vial of insulin or a pen goes bad or an infusion set goes bad, my numbers are going to be off the charts in both directions for a couple of days. I rather like the averages given by my meter for two "normal" weeks.

I didn't mean to start a judgement thing. I just had no idea at all what the numbers meant, and was curious. Actually jrtpup, your explanation above, even if not exact, made it very clear.I'd be more than delighted to hang out between 70 and 130! Bottom line with numbers is exactly what AR said, they are "beyond good and evil" (good reference.) they are just more data we can use to see if something needs tweaking.

Out of this little sub-thread I decided that the SD was probably too much trouble to assess, but in looking for it on my Pump (where it didn't live) I found the percentage of times within range and that was useful for me!

FYI - John Walsh suggests in Pumping Insulin that if your SD is above 50 you should look at possible changes and he's not one of "those" professionals.

Maurie