I'm pretty new at this and I feel like I'm going it alone -- with the help of you guys out there, but without a doctor or professional who is helping me. So -- question of the day:
What BG should I be aiming for? I try to follow Dr. Bernstein's low carb approach and I know he believe in a BG of 83. But whenever I'm near that, I get kind of panicky. Not that I physically don't feel good - I'm just afraid that it will suddenly plop down to a very low number (which happened to me once or twice) - and I eat more than I need to. This is of course especially true at night, but even just now (afternoon, where I am), I measured 76 (with some IOB) and ate 1/2 a roll instead of just a small glucose pill which I could have easily done to bring me up to the 80's.
Now I'm at 96, and probably rising. And I feel so stupid. Anyone?
My only advice, is that we are all stupid compared to Dr. B because so few of us (none of us?) have A1C's in the 4's and like he does (apparently without hypos!)
Don't feel bad about a 96!!! Not ever!!! I know that clueless docs and medical personnel have tried to make me feel bad about 186 (when I was so sick with the flu I was puking every hour) or 146 or 126. But they will never get me to feel bad about a 96!!!!
I think it's the ever present concern about hypos that makes me feel a little antsy about 76. For me there's this uncontrollable urge to "fix it" based on the fear that maybe in a few minutes it'll be 66 or 56 or 46.
It depends. To some degree, if you aren't used to 83 or 76 or those sort of "borderline" numbers, you can feel odd. Another thing that I've noticed is that even if your BG is elevated, if it drops, it can feel odd, even if it's still in an elevated or even a normal range. From that, I've concluded that the change can produce the symptoms, regardless of the number. In those "borderline" situations, it's *VERY* easy to eat "food" instead of "glucose/sugar (also including candy, of course...)" which work faster. I often will have sugar *and* food but will bolus for the food, as if the sugar got my BG where I want it. EG, test at 60, eat 5 jelly beans and bolus as if my BG were 70 for whatever munchies are lying around. This may not be optimal but I find it's a good compromise between eating it and spiking. Don't feel stupid though, it took me like 25 years to figure this stuff out and I have a very hard time articulating it, except to answer specific, tactical questions like yours!
I guess that's why I don't like Dr. Bernstein's sort of peevish tone about food. Yes eating less carbs is useful but I dislike saying that it's the only way. I have had a decent amount of success, although not 4.x success, while eating all sorts of things. It's not how many carbs, it's tht you have your rates and ratios figured correctly.
I found it easy to over correct...getting back in the comfort zone quick makes me feel good and I could forget about Bete's for a few moments...it took me many years before I learned to restrain myself and started correcting with small amounts of glucose.
The old rule was 15g (one exchange) and it was easy for me to panic and double or even triple that amount of carbs. Now I can eat just one Dex4 but there are exceptions, I would eat 3 or 4 if I was walking up and down the isles at the grocery store.
I haven't read any replies yet so excuse me. What is wrong with 96 ? Just keep testing to see how the IOB affects the bg.
Must admit when I was first diagnosed and saw a bg of 83 I would look for the cereal box, was terrified of going low. Och Shawny it takes years, but I dunno if we get any better lol.
The target is 100. It’s easy to do math with it. The closer one stays to one number, the happier the body is. It settles down.
But, wow, I’m 12 years into this, a professional besides, and I still, once in a while, grab food and go high. It’s all part of the inner workings we respond to automatically. Turning off the automatic response and substituting glucose tabs so as not to overcorrect is as tough as it gets because there’s endocrines involved.
But when I’ve grabbed food, I just say, ok, that’s one more episode, I shrug, and go on. That episode is past.
I’ll never have a 4 A1c, and I shrug, too, and go on.
But keeping right around that 100 mark keeps me in the 5.7 range, and that’s good enough. It’s far away enough from dips, too! 
Say to yourself: “So that’s one more episode. I’ll put my fingers around the glucose tabs next time.” Do a shrug and go on! And know there’s a lot of us doing the same thing, every day. You’re not alone. None of us is stupid, tho we may feel it. And neither are you!
I prefer 96. My goal is always 100. I am more comfortable at a slightly higher range....
I agree that it just depends. When I really got serious about control, I had lows of 100 that put me into total weirdness. Now I can function well at 40.
Oh, and an A1C of 4 is CRAZY. Either you do not enjoy life at all or you are really low all the time. With a 4 do you have a life? Can you drive, talk, care for yourself. I am not a Dr. B afficinado...but that a is really scary goal to me.