What is the optimal bg level after eating?

Type 2
1

Hi

I’m still new to this. I just got my first bg tester. And I am trying to test my bg levels to see what food I can eat. I was wondering what the bg level should be after eating? And is there a number before eating that you think it is best not too eat anything? If it is too high, I mean? I know it will come down if I don’t eat…
My bg level rises to 8 or 9 or even higher after eating, shouldn’t it be below 7?
What should it idealy be after 1 hour? And after 2 hours?
My bg level is higher after 2 hours than after 1 hour. Is that normal or should it be lower after 2 hours?
I take metformin with my meals, is it better to take it say 30 min. before or maybe after meals?
Please help. This is just SOOOO confusing!! I try to ask my doctor, but he’s really old (long past the age of retiring) and I don’t think he’s really updated on Diabetes. He get’s a bit confused too, poor thing :slight_smile:

Kind regards

Eydna

2

It’s confusing & overwhelming. Know how you feel. I’d cry from sheer frustration because I was confused & felt that I’d never figure it out.

A great place to start is Jenny’s site & her book of the same name: http://www.bloodsugar101.com.

I’m Type 1, so can’t answer your question about metformin. Others can help you with this part.

People not on insulin (some Type 2s use insulin if they can’t get their numbers down with meds, exercise & diet), often do wait before eating if they’re high. Often a brisk walk will bring numbers down. Drinking water helps a bit, too.

Foods high in carbs will have an immediate effect on BG–starchy vegetables like peas & potatoes, & fruit, juice, beans, grains (rice, bread, flour products, pasta, oatmeal, etc.). Avoid these as much as possible. It helps to stick to protein & lower carb vegetables. Some people find that caffeine raises them. Cheese & cream are good, but milk has enough lactose to raise BG for many people.

Ideally in a perfect world, you want to keep BG under 8 two hours after eating. Over 7.7 is where damage occurs. If you stay close to 7 or below after meals, that would be great. It also depends how soon after the two hours your BG starts to come down to a more normal range. 9 & above isn’t good, of course.

Yes, it’s normal for BG to be higher at two hours after meals than at one hour after meals. Everyone’s digestive rates are different & it also depends on what you ate. Carbs hit fast, protein & fat take longer to digest. If you have a meal with a lot of protein & fat, this slows digestion & you might not see a BG rise for many hours later.

Please get another doctor & preferably an endo. Metformin doses can be changed & there other meds as well. You need a doctor who’s up to date on treatment.

3

Thank you for your reply. Either my bg is all over the place or I digest VERY slowly!! Spikes hiting at 4 hours after meals…?
I think my brand new freestyle lite meter is completely faulty. Taking 3 tests at once gives me 3 different results i.e. 8.3 and 9.3 and somewhere in between. I don’t feel like I can trust the readings at all! What do I do now? buy a new one?

Kind regards

Eydna

4

Hi Eydna,

First thing to do, is relax :slight_smile: Stress makes BG levels rise. I must disagree with the statement that most people’s BG will be higher in two hours, than in one. Perhaps a typo there. You should be getting down close to “normal” after two hours for “most” foods that you eat.

Some information is missing that would help folks with your getting used to this. The first thing to note are your fasting numbers, first thing in the morning. In you post, you mention where you are after you eat, but you didn’t note where you were, before you ate, which is VERY important to know. You have to know where you were when you started, or you won’t really know what the food did to your BG levels. If you are going to test after you eat, you pretty much have to test before as well. At least, for those who still learning and getting used to how their body reacts.

What was your last A1c number? Your doctor cannot know how to help you control your diabetes. Its just not possible for a GP to be aware of what is going on inside of you. You are the doctor. You need to be in charge and gradually learn to change the way you eat and exercise. He can’t help you much. A specialist could, but you still have to do all the legwork and the eating. There is a ton of help on the net as far as what to eat, and what numbers to shoot for. Check out www.bloodsugar101.com for a whole lot of great information.

As for your meter, test yourself every morning just once. Observe the numbers and see if they show you to be fairly consistent. That can help you feel better about your meter. I can tell you from experience that you can get all kinds of different numbers when you test apparently at the same time. If you really have a problem about it, then try a different meter that hopefully your insurance covers. If no insurance, Relion is said to be pretty reliable, and inexpensive for strips. If you have insurance or medicare/medicaid, you can call any of the major meter manufacturers and they will send you a free meter, with ten or fifteen strips so you can try them out.

Try not to think of your meter as telling you your exact BG numbers, but instead, get used to it, and use it to mark trends in how you are doing. If you are off by ten, you are off by ten, but you can still learn what foods you can eat and when you need to back off a bit on the carbs.

The government maintains certain standards, ie: you can find the exact measurement of one foot, the exact distance to the moon, the precise speed of light and sound, as measured against perfect standards, but BG levels cannot be so tracked. Lab equipment is not dead on accurate either. Use the meter, to guide you, but don’t be thinking its perfect. It doesn’t have to be.

If you are concerned about it, take it to a lab and have them test you, and then use your meter. Remember to test consistently the same. Wash your hands with hot soapy water before you test, always. Just do it the same way every time, and eliminate variables so you can focus on the readings and what to do next.

Above all else, simplify, and don’t get all twisted up when some days your numbers go awry. :slight_smile: Since you are on metformin, you have to deal with how it works in your body, based on when you take it, and frankly, that is probably going to contribute to some of your odd numbers for a time.

Diabetes control is a journey, not a destination. We are all different, and we all change over time, so test, test, test, and keep a good journal. Things will settle down once you get your diet adjusted and your exercise into a good routine.

John

5

Thank you John. I think I will have my doctor test me and I will test my meter at the same time. I just don’t see the point in testing with a meter that is inconsistant in numbers. The readings don’t make sence to me, so I can’t use the numbers at all. I mean I test, first number I get is perhaps 5.6 I test immedatly again and my number might me 6.9, I test a 3rd time immidiatly and agian I get a different number like 6.2.
I have the same problem when testing my fasting bg.
I do wash my hands before testing and also use sanitary wipes. So my hands should be clean.
I just don’t get it. I try not to stress about it, but must admit I fail misserably! I just can’t help stressing when I can’t find out what my bg is! I wan’t to be my own doctor but how when this BLEEEEPING* meter acts like this?? It must be faulty right? AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!
(please ignore the grown woman on the floor with a major temper tandrum!! "I HATE THIS STUPID THING!!!", “why can’t I figure out this BLEEPING meter”??*)

Kind regards

Eydna

6

Oh dear, Eydna, I so understand how you are feeling. I won’t bother with the story of my mis-diagnosis as Type 2 and subsequent quest to figure out why I couldn’t stabilize on insulin. One scary low (and several smaller ones), a re-diagnosis (self) and arrival on these boards and I started the process we all go through whatever our Type and however long we have been diagnosed. (Many of us slide through for years or go unmanaged for years with bad doctor advice before we get here). We all have a story, but we all end up in the same place…OVERWHELMED! with what seems like a ton of information, some of it contradictory, that we feel the need to absorb and act on YESTERDAY!!

I remember when I started on insulin and thought I understood dosing and it wasn’t working out how I thought and I posted on here. Gerri responded as she often does with a very clear practical step-by-step explanation… But it wasn’t the answer I wanted! I didn’t want steps, I didn’t want more knowledge, I wanted it to be easy! I not only didn’t want more information I felt like there was no room in my head for it! I was like a gas tank that was filled to the brim and now is spilling over the side of the car…and someone is lighting a match nearby! I found myself totally unable to understand a word of Gerri’s post, like it was in a foreign language. Because of my profession I recognized the symptoms of major cognitive and stress overload. I just burst into tears and purposely went downstairs away from the computer for awhile to relax and watch mindless TV. When I returned I read the post and was able to proceed from point A to point B very well. That was about six months ago and now it’s routine.

The learning curve to diabetes management is sometimes like a mountain we have to climb and we think we are going to fall/ run out of oxygen/disappear down a hundred foot crevice. We’ve all been there. Hang in there. It WILL get easier.

To respond to your specifics. Meters do, unfortunately have a variation. For awhile I had two but I never compared them because I figured it would drive me nuts. I just used one and accepted it. Yours does sound highly variable though so I agree with others you might want to change it for another one and then just trust what that one says. As for the goals, we are all different. Being under 7 (126) two hours after a meal is ideal. I aim to stay under 140, which I almost always achieve and frequently am under 120 which is even better. There are too many vaiables: how we eat, our Type, our treatment regimen etc for us all to have the same goals. But that’s mine ande under 100 fasting which is not a problem for me (no DF).

Anyway, I want to repeat what I said above, "hang in there, it WILL get easier!"
Zoe

7

Eydna,

No stress showing at all in that last post! lol! (with you, not at you)

I feel your pain, even if that is a trite phrase, its still sent in all seriousness.

Did you get a chance to do the control fluid test. There is a vial that comes with the meter which you use to verify that your strips are within range. Its not the greatest test in the world, but it can identify a bad set of strips. This test does NOT calibrate your meter. You just use the fluid instead of your blood, and check the result against the number on the canister that the strips came in. The range of acceptance is very broad, but it could still point you to bad strips.

Its just my opinion, but meters are not usually the problem when readings are inconsistent like you are seeing.

The meter is a solid state device, not many things can change within its functions, and may well be off by X number of points, but it will tend to be off by that many points, every time, across most of the numbers you should see. I don’t believe the meter is the cause of the inconsistencies, but always leave room for the one bad meter that got through quality control somehow.

Often people note different readings when taken at the same time. Not many get into details about how far off, but they do see it. I have, but not often as strips are too costly to play with for me :slight_smile:

The variable is the strips. Expired, exposed to air for too long due to a bad seal on the container, contaminated by dirty hands (nothing personal ) stored at temperatures outside the proper range, or other variables. Call the meter manufacturer, tell them what is going on, and I will bet they send you another one, with fresh strips you can try. They are very eager to keep you on their system, for obvious $$$ reasons, and are friendly to talk with and willing to help.

It does sound like your strips are an issue, and an unsolicited comment would be not to use anything but soap and clean water on your hands. Sanitary wipes may leave a residue that affects the readings. Alcohol will just make your fingers into prunes over time. Just wash with soap and water, and let the warm/hot water get your finger tips flowing with blood so you can get the blood you need, with as small a poke as you can.

Overwhelmed is a good word to describe where you likely are.Plus, stuff always goes awry on the weekend when the doc ain’t around Time will smooth that out. Meanwhile, cut back the carbs, turn up or start the exercise, and your BGs will start to come down as you work out the crazy meter issue. You aren’t gonna die from diabetic complications this week, or even this month, so it will get worked out, but I can understand your angst.

The problem I see when reading about metformin users is knowing when is the best time for you to take it. The doctor doesn’t know. Only you and, ooops, your meter can figure that one out, so take it when he says till the meter issue clears up, and then remember that everyone reacts to meds differently, so make it your disease, not the doctor’s responsibility to know when to take it.

I hope you get this straightened out real quick. What are the numbers you got from the lab when you were diagnosed? Fasting, and A1c? Curious to know how far into this you are.

We are on your side :slight_smile:

John

8

Thank you John and Zoe for the encourishment (sorry about my spelling, english is my third language, I’m from the Faroe Islands).

When I was diagnosed 6½ weeks ago, my fasting bg was 15.0 last time my doctor checked my fasting bg it was 6.5. What is A1c? Is it the test that shows what you avarage bg has been over the last 6 weeks? If it is, mine was 9.7. This is bad isn’t it?

Thank you for telling me I’m not going to die from complications this week, it’s always good to know. What I’m really worrying about is the complications and how long I have to get this under control before serious damage accurs to my eyes and so on…? I am quite fond of my vision, you see.
If badly managed how long does it take before complications start? Do I have weeks, months or years to get this under my control?

My meter didn’t come with any control fluid. I see directions for using the control fluid in my manual, but there is no fluid in the box.

Got to go, my 5 year old is whining my ears off. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9…10. Give me patience!!

Kind regards

Eydna

9

Good morning Eydna,

Hope the little one is treating you a bit better this AM :slight_smile:

First thing you should do is call your meter manufacturer and ask them to send you some control fluid. They will be happy to do that.

6.5 weeks ago, your BG was way up there, and since an A1c test is your average BG levels for the last three months, your recent 9.7 A1c is indicative of all that time spent way up there. Toss that one. It doesn’t tell you much, other than you were really high for that 3 month period.

If you fasting BG is now 6.5, you are doing very well, so pat yourself on the back. Its impossible to forecast, but if you stay around there, your A1c can be around 6.0, but that is just an average, based on the 6.5 daily numbers. Still its a very good number considering where you were. Your present A1c reading should not discourage you, as your better information will come in three months, after you started paying attention, reducing your carbs, and exercising, plus the meds.

According to most folks in the know, damage begins when your BG exceeds 7.8 so ideally, you don’t want to eat meals that will spike you above that number. However, that is a lot to ask right out of the box, so make it your goal, and work on it, don’t freak if you go past it, just note what caused it, and avoid it.

I am surely no doctor, (that should be obvious) and only know what I read when it comes to meds, as I am not on any, but the metformin should allow your morning numbers to be in the 5.5 range or lower, once you get things under control and have a system working for you. That gives you enough headroom to eat, and not go past 7.8

I hope I am translating these numbers correctly, as I use mg/dl with my meter :slight_smile: Go to http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/A1Ccalc.php for an online calculator that will let you see both methods and convert them back and forth to be able to use the number system that a lot of folks use here. When it comes to mg/dl, a good fasting range is 90 to 105, and try not to exceed 140 an hour after you eat.

You seem to have some issues with when your spikes occur, being two hours later, when most hit it after about an hour, so see what your doctor says about that. Maybe its when you take the metformin that is part of it. I don’t know the answer to that, and don’t want to speculate and mess up your head

How long before damage? I don’t think anyone can answer that. Diabetes is unique to each person. How much damage was done before you caught it? Who can tell. What you need to work towards is getting the good fasting numbers, not spiking past 7.8, and controlling your intake so that your levels stay within that range. Once you do that, you will arrest most of the damage that may have been done, and will greatly reduce any future problems, although you are a diabetic, so things will still go wrong. Lots and lots of people live long, normal lives as diabetics if they control their BG levels, and have no complications. The human body is amazingly resilient if you give it a chance, it can do wonders with its self.

I am sorry if I was too sarcastic about you not dying this week from it. Far as I know, the damage takes a long time to accumulate in most people. Your age, and your exercise/diet will reveal how you will overcome this. All I meant to imply was, if you eat something that really loads up you BG number, don’t think its the end of the world. Usually, exercise can bring the high number down rather quickly, and just stay away from whatever you ate that caused the spike.

The diet part, is a whole nuther ball game. I suggest you read a lot here and other sources, about who eats what, and then ask a lot of questions. That is how everyone else learned. There is no “diabetic diet” We are all different, and react differently. Most rules are general, and should be followed until proven good or bad using your meter, but some people can eat an apple, others cannot. Some can eat a slice of pizza now and then, and others cannot.

Also, watch what you are reading because T1 folks can eat foods that T2’s should avoid, since they can use their insulin to compensate. Doesn’t mean they can eat anything, anytime, so you T1’s don’t get after me, okay? :slight_smile: It just means that when you read about diets, make sure you are looking at T2 methods for the most part.

Time of day can affect how your body reacts to carbs. For me, morning is a bad time to ingest a lot of carbs. I can take in more, as the day goes on, and in the evening is best for me if I intend to have a big full meal. I learned that by testing, testing, testing. You get to do the same thing. Diabetes is a rather personal disease, and only you can ultimately decide what works and what doesn’t. Read, and try what others do, but remember you body is unique, and what works for me, may be just awful for you.

No white bread, no pasta, no sugary drinks. I suggest just water. Its been five months since I drank anything but water. Diet soda is just bad for everyone, not just diabetics and most juices send my numbers rocketing. Test, test, test. Know your number before you eat, so you can tell how much the food raises you levels.

So, if your fasting numbers are 6.5, that is good, as they are coming down. As you tighten your control, they will come down even more. That will reduce your A1c number, and make your doctor happy :slight_smile:

I talk too much. I know. So that is enough for now. you can do this. Its just a matter of taking the time and allowing for mistakes, and working towards the goals. You cannot fix it overnight. most of us got smacked with high A1c and fasting numbers when first diagnosed, but cutting out the major junk food and working towards lowering the carbs brings those numbers way down pretty quick, at least gets them down to where you don’t have to think your kidneys are going to fail and your eyesight is going to go away.

To be honest, I think most of those horror stories are based on the past ‘generation’ that did not have an method of monitoring their own BGs, and doctors ignorant of how to deal with it since all they had were the urine tests, and a whole lot of people who didn’t toe the line. Those people ended up with horrible problems. We have the advantage of the meters, the easy A1c tests, simply better choices for food, the experience of all those who have gone before, and the support of so many in places like this that its not the horrific fate that once awaited so many. T1’s can have it a lot worse because of all their insulin balancing, but there are so many who have lived 50 years with it, that there is really nothing to fear if you get things under control and simply alter your lifestyle forever, not just for a little while.

I dunno if that helps or not. I sure hope so. Its scary, its aggravating, its inconvenient, and its enough to make you crazy if you dwell on it too long. It causes emotions of “why me?” and creates havoc if you let it. Just work on it, ask a billion questions, and you will be around way long enough to see your 5 year old’s children grow up.

Nuff said for now :slight_smile: Be happy.

John

10

Thanks for you reply John,
It will take me some time to alter my lifestyle. It is difficult to change from a sugar junkie couchpotato, to a healthy, fit person. To reach my goals I have read I should take it one step at a time.
These are my goals:

  1. Stop being a sugarjunkie and eliminate sugar from my diet.
    So far so good, I have quit the sugar that I thought I couldn’t live without. No more soda, chocolate, cocoa, bon-bons and sweets.

  2. Eat only healthy food.
    This is a work in progress. My poor stomach has not had an easy time these last 6 weeks. I just can’t seem to digest all this healthy food, wholegrain and veggies.

  3. Learn what I can eat by testing, testing testing.
    Well I need to get back to this one when I figure out my meter.

  4. Loose weight.
    Also a work in progress. Have lost 11 kilo so far.

  5. Exercise.
    This is a difficult one. I HATE exercise! I am also very overweight, wich ofcourse makes it even more important, but also makes it hurt! Astma doesn’t make it easier either. So all in all not there yet at all!

  6. Quit smoking.
    Not ready for that yet either. Quitting the sugar is difficult enough for now.

These are my goals for now. This will keep me busy for a looooooong time! Does it look like I’m on the right track? Or any suggestions?

I also have to learn to like water, right now it makes me gag! And we have some of the best water in the world here in the Faroe Islands. Still it makes me gag, teary eyed and all! I tried with ice cubes and lemon slice, even berries, doesn’t help I still gag. For now I drink skimmed milk.

What do I do if my numbers are high even before a meal? Should I starve myself, or…?

Kind regards

Eydna

ps. I didn’t think you were being sarkastic. Just helpful.

11

1. Stop being a sugarjunkie and eliminate sugar from my diet.
So far so good, I have quit the sugar that I thought I couldn’t live without. No more soda, chocolate, cocoa, bon-bons and sweets.

Hi Eydna,

This alone will make your A1c number come crashing down. How do I know? Well, I can only speak for myself, :slight_smile: but that was my first step. I live alone, and have a lot of emotional issues wrapped around no job, no money, and no,… oh well, that doesn’t matter. I ate a lot of that kind of food. Never really got very overweight. I am 6 foot, and was 239 lbs (sorry I can’t speak your numbers ) I knew I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I didn’t really care, and was basically that size for years. I called it my maintenance zone :slight_smile:

My second A1c number was waaay down from the initial one because of that, and my fasting numbers showed a huge difference right away as well.

2. Eat only healthy food.
This is a work in progress. My poor stomach has not had an easy time these last 6 weeks. I just can’t seem to digest all this healthy food, wholegrain and veggies.

Yea, to a point. You still need to find foods you enjoy, and you will. Watch the grains. Me, I do eggs, bacon sausage, most meats like skinless chicken, steaks, bratwurst, pork, and hamburgers without the bun… Deli meats, like turkey and ham get me by for lunches. Bread and I don’t get along. I sneak one or two slices maybe once a week, but grains can be a problem. I would go easy on them till you have a comfort zone with your meter. Salads with lots of carrots and tomatoes, and I toss in a hard boiled egg, along with low fat dressing.

I recently broke down and tried spaghetti squash. Believe me, I never ate squash in my life :slight_smile: It was rather bland tasting, but I put some spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese on it, and it was not bad. The sauce is a bit ‘carby’ but I just kept it to a minimum and was okay. It really did fill me up.

I found that non-fat, no sugar instant pudding helps with my chocolate craving. I use non-fat milk, and nonfat whipped topping. It helps because I crave chocolate after a big meal. Very few carbs. hardly bumps my numbers at all with one serving.

3. Learn what I can eat by testing, testing testing.
Well I need to get back to this one when I figure out my meter.

This one sounds like you have some legwork to do to get there, but yes, this is the one that will get you where you need to be. Meanwhile, simply using your good sense and leaving the true junk food behind will do wonders towards lowering your numbers. Don’t stress not being comfortable with the meter testing yet. Just do what you can with your diet and you will be okay. Then the meter can help you fine tune things.

4. Loose weight.
Also a work in progress. Have lost 11 kilo so far.

11 kilo is 24 pounds, isn’t it? That is tremendous, terrific, and fantastic. Nice going. I won’t ask you how much you weigh(ed) but that is a significant amount of body mass which will go a long way towards lowering your BG levels.

Way to go, Eydna!

5. Exercise.
This is a difficult one. I HATE exercise! I am also very overweight, wich ofcourse makes it even more important, but also makes it hurt! Astma doesn’t make it easier either. So all in all not there yet at all!

Yep, this one is a bummer, but it really, really matters. Exercise burns off the carbs, and lightens the load on your system as it tries to keep enough insulin flowing, and/or it helps with your insulin resistance. The weight loss is obvious what it does. Sometimes, if you overdo the eating, and your reading is higher than you like, exercise will bring them down a bit quicker.

Okay, its trite, but the longest journey starts with the first step. Take the first exercise steps, and work up from there. My doctor looked at me and told me I needed to spend one hour in an aerobic zone every day if I wanted to keep my health. That meant a heart rate of 145 bps, for 60 minutes! He is nuts. I walk a total of between a mile and two miles a day. No running. Lift some weights, and hit the old heavy bag for a while. That will have to do. My body is not ever going to let me be in the olympics, and so I do what I can and I don’t feel badly about it. I have lost about 24 pounds since July. He wants me to lose another 35 pounds. He is nuts. I know what my body can take, and what will hurt me. Do what you can, and just remember what all the HS teachers always say when they figure you are not doing your best. “you are only hurting yourself” No one knows your best, but you. Give it, and call it good.

6. Quit smoking.
Not ready for that yet either. Quitting the sugar is difficult enough for now.

Well, I don’t smoke, but a quick search of the net gives you lots of reasons why you should give it up when diabetic, but on the other hand, I can really understand how hard that will be, so please go easy on yourself. Not many of us have the fortitude to just do a complete 180 on our lifestyle in a short time. You pick the ones you can handle, and you attack them as best as you can.

The water thing may be a problem :slight_smile: When you are feeling confident with whatever meter you end up with, use it and watch for the milk to bump your numbers us. As I keep repeating, we are all different, and some react poorly to milk.

I think most of my ‘success’ is because of testing, testing and testing. Its not so much is your meter dead on, but what do the trends show. Once you have some meal menus that you know are okay, you may find yourself testing, and seeing that your numbers are kind of high, and meal “A” would be too much, so you would have to modify it, or change to something else.

As you get things stable, which they may well be right now for all I know, your number will return to something close to fasting a few hours after you eat, so you won’t often find that you are too far up to eat. However, its good to keep an eye out till you have at least fooled yourself into thinking you are an old hand at all of this. lol! Even in the six months I have been working this, things have changed that I could eat, and now ought not, and there are things that used to spike me hard, that don’t anymore. Its a moving target, at least for me.

Baby steps, and no fear or stress about complications that can arise. Your numbers aren’t that bad, and will only get better as you get your arms around what is good, and what is bad.

Some people seem to have started by just subtracting a bit here and there and seeing how it goes. I did it the other way, and went overboard on low carbs and cutting out anything even remotely bad looking on the label. Then I started to add things one at a time to change it up and make eating a bit more rewarding. Whichever way works for you.

My initial A1c was ‘only’ 6.8. Three months later, it was 5.5. I got a free test at a local pharmacy about two weeks ago, and it was 5.0, but that is because I am still way on the side of ‘safe’ wanting to know how low I could get, and if I really could control this. I expect that number to rise a bit, as I get careless, cocky, and simply break down and eat stuff I shouldn’t on occasion. No one is perfect. Be kind to yourself. Its a hard thing to have to deal with in your head, so don’t beat yourself up when things go awry. If you spike high, you spike high. Just note why, and try to avoid it next time.

John

"Life is like an ice cream cone. You gotta eat it when you get it!"
Jim Ignatowski

12

Hi John

Thank you so much for your support and replies. Your advice has really helped me.
I stopped using the sanitary wipes and that has really made a difference with my meter. I just use warm water and soap as you recomended. Also got it tested at the doctor today. It was not far off. So now I feel more confindent using it. Thank you.

Sounds like you have been working hard on loosing the weight yourself. Way to go to you too :0)

I hear you on the emotional issues! I don’t have a job either. It’s not good for your selfasteem. First ting people ask when they meet you is “what do you do for a living?”. I hate that question. I used to try and dodge that question for years. Now I don’t give a rats ■■■ about what people think of me, so I just answer truthfully. “I can’t work due to depression and angst. To be mentally healthy, I have to avoid stress. I also choose not to work to be able to be the best mother I can be for my daughter. If I work I am unable to do that”. That usually results in some dropped jaws and in people suddently remembering they have pressing matters elsewhere. But hey, who needs them anyway? Luckily I have my mother’s support. She also struggles with depression and angst. And she understand that I am trying to break the circle and not pass it on to my daughter.

As for testing what food I can eat, I really like to bake and have started baking my own healthy bread. I seem to do okay with that in the late evening, but not so good earlier in the day. I don’t seem to do well with anything in the morning. I think my body is not use to food in the daytime. I used to only eat one meal a day and that was in the evening. I don’t feel like eating before 4 pm. I find it really hard to get anything down before that and my bg gets really high too. I’m considering not eating before that. But I’m not sure if that is a really stupid idea…? My doc says it is important to eat often, but it feels like my body doesn’t want me to eat. Am I insane thinking it might be better for me to wait? Might be worth mentioning that I’m a real night person. I usually sleep during the day when my daughter is in kindergarden. This helps me to be rested and ready for her when she gets home. After she has gone to bed I have my ME time. I usually don’t fall asleep before 3 or 4 AM. Catch a few hours before getting up to get my daughter ready for her day and then back to bed to catch a few more hours of sleep. It is completly impossible for me to fall asleep when “normal” people do.

It sounds really great that non fat instant pudding. I don’t think I can get it here. The Faroe Islands are really in the middle of nowhere, and pretty limited in what we can get here. But I try to take recipies that are low in fat and replace sugar with artificial sugar, and just bake a lot! It is also nice to come home to the smell of freshly baked cake and bread. I seem to be alright with what I have baked so far…

I’m like you in going overboard and cutting everything remotely bad. I think this metod is better for me too :0)
Now that I feel better about my meter, I feel like I’m on my way again. Head held high, steady on my feet and facing my fears. thank you for being there when I stumbled and got scared. Your a real gem! :0)

Kind regards

Eydna

13

Eydna,

I am glad you have got the meter issue coming under control. That will make a huge difference for you, especially in you mindset.

I used to have an automatic bread maker and nothing compares to the smell of fresh bread in the morning, but like so many things I used to have, I got rid of it since it serves no function for me anymore.

I searched out the Faroe Islands,and was astounded at the beauty of them. You may be weary of it after so many years, but it seems a spectacular place to live. It looks so very peaceful and laid back. I have spent my life wondering where such places exist, and I guess now I know of one.

Of course, I have no idea how you survive without a Walmart! :slight_smile:

Don’t really know your numbers over a longer term, and don’t want to give advice that causes problems, but I am a big believer in doing what your body tells you to do. I watch my numbers, they are not too bad right now, and if I don’t feel like eating, I don’t eat. People who seem to have “worse” numbers cannot do that, and T1’s certainly might be in trouble, but this person goes all afternoon without eating, and my numbers stay in the 80’s. Its the lows you have to watch out for if you don’t eat, but again, if your numbers are okay, and you don’t feel like eating, I wouldn’t eat.

As a natural course of things, its probably best for most people to eat three times a day, regardless of their health, but then we are not the same, and some do just fine all their lives with one or two meals. Mess with that, and you could trigger all kinds of interesting changes in your system. Some folks live to 110 and eat nothing but bacon :slight_smile: That’s good for them, maybe not for me.

I listen to the doctor, I read and research, and I decide how to take care of myself. As long as you know the implications of what you are doing, you are a smart person and can choose for yourself. The only thing I would be concerned about is when to take the metformin, since you don’t continually have a full stomach, it might cause side effects that are uncomfortable, so experiment and see when is best for you.

So very glad you sound so upbeat. Keep us informed of your fasting and eating numbers. We are rooting for you to get it under tight control so you can move on and regain some semblance of normal in your life without stressing over BG numbers :slight_smile:

John

“Behind every successful man, is a woman… who didn’t marry me.”

14

John,

Ah, yes the beuty of the Faroe Islands. I love it still. It is the best place in the world to raise kids. Crime is almost non excisting. Murder and kidnapping unheard of. Going to the doctor and hospital is free here, surgery is too. Dentist is not. But yes, places like wallmart doesn’t excist here. Everything is very laid back and peacefull here. Too peacefull for some people, but not for me. If you ever get the chance, you should visit the Faroe Islands. There is not a lot for turists to do here, except to enjoy the peace and quit and the amasing nature.

Yes I must figure out when to take the metformin. I do get side effects, no matter if I take it with a meal or not. My system sure didn’t like me eating the way the doctor said I should be doing. I think I will choose to listen to it for now. Then I will see what my next A1c says. If the numbers aren’t good, I will try eating as the doc says. I’m just sick and tired of spending so much time in the bathroom. Yikes!

Thanks again John.

Eydna