[Snorebaby]

What is your acceptable spike after eating? When trying new foods? How long should I test after eating? I have seen where it is 1hr and 2hr's after eating. Any longer than that?

I am new to the LCHF lifestyle (I don't like the word diet). I am trying to build a database of foods that I should and shouldn't eat. It doesn't mean I can't eat them, just find an acceptable amount to be able to eat if possible. Like if a cup of corn gives me a 40 point spike, then a 1/2 cup should only give me a 20 point spike. Does it correlate like that?

All advice is welcome and thank you!

 

[diabetes86]

For ME Never over 140 so a spike of 40 if I start under 100 is OK. I check at the time that MY BG hits its highest level after eating (spike) 1 hour.

 

[VeeJay]

I did a lot of what you are doing when I first started testing for my diabetes. It took a while of experimenting - sometimes just for curiousity's sake - to build up a list of safe foods and portion size for those with more carbs.

The key for me was knowing the carb count - in grams of what my serving was. To take your example. If you knew the carb grams of that 1 cup of corn, then you could assume that another food choice with the same amount of carb grams would raise your BG about the same.

In the beginning it takes a lot of testing. But you could go at it from another angle. Decide upon a limit of carbs for each time you eat. Measure and count the grams. A good starting point would be no more than 12 grams carbs at a time (from which you would tweak according to what your meter reads). Knowing what your individual carb tolerance per meal/snack allows you to make choices within this range without having to test so much.

Ideally, one should never have BG over 140, even at the highest spike after eating. Many of us, once we got our BG down to this level of control, have lowered the bar. I don't like it if my BG spikes over 120. It does occasionally, but having this upper limit allows for the occasional higher BG without the worry that damage is being done.

 

[div2live]

I use a 120 'spike' top, not 140 due to the possibility that my meter probably is not 100% accurate (some say variances on meter types can be as much as 20%)

 

[smorgan]

115, but I won't freak at 120.

 

[Snorebaby]

Thank You!

So it is really not so much a spike, but the number you don't want to go over. I know I don't want to go over 140 in a spike but right now that is almost impossible as I am still in the getting under control stage. I have been averaging under 140 (lower to mid 130's) in my before meal/wake up testing the last 7 days (testing 3x a day). That is how my Dr wants to test it right now. When I go back to him on 9/22, I can formulate a plan of attack.

I want to be as low as possible, I just don't know what that number is right now. I don't want to have an unrealistic goal and get disappointed. I am not sure how much of a tolerance my meter is reading as I tested with my meter and my MIL's at the same time and her meter reads 15 pts lower than my meter (same manufacturer, different model). I am ordering the test solution to make sure my meter is reading correctly.

I have only been LCHF for a couple weeks and the weight loss is just starting. I know the more weight I drop, the better my numbers will be also. It will be a process of getting my numbers down to a constant level. I am prepared for that and trying to learn things.

So be prepared for some questions that may seem redundant or silly, but I don't know the answer and wanting to learn the answer. I know there is misinformation out there, but the best answers are the tried and proven methods. Experience makes all the difference in the trial and error phase of living the diabetic life of which I am now thrust into.

Sorry for the long winded post, but it is nice to talk to folks who have the experience and live the life rather than someone who "thinks" their information is correct. Thank you for listening.

 

[Bounty]

Like if a cup of corn gives me a 40 point spike, then a 1/2 cup should only give me a 20 point spike. Does it correlate like that?

It's tricky. Sometimes, with some people it will, with others, it won't. It's a special kinda math. A 1/2 cup could spike you 40 points...but for half as long. I use my meter to tell me these things and I usually do it in threes to make sure it's a true value.

Also, some sugars can spike you quick...and then wane off in an hour...so that when you test in an hour...you think nothing happened. Some carbohydrates, like hard pizza crust (for me) won't spike for hours. Eventually you'll get the hang of it if you and your meter become "best buddies".

 

[div2live]

Snorebaby....not such thing as a bad question, we all learn from each other, the more questions the more we all learn.

What is you daily max carbs you are eating? How much weight loss have you experienced?

When I started losing weight after about 2-3 weeks I started feeling real weak in the afternoons, even dizzy sometimes. I found out from folks here that I either needed more fat in my food or more salt (early weight loss is primarily water weight so electrolytes get messed up)

Weight loss was never one of my initial primary goals, just to get control of my blood sugars. I never considered LCHF a diet, because I never limited how much I ate. I ate till I was full, and still lost 50lbs in 6 months. None of that weight has come back, in fact I am down another 5 now. I started on LCHF on 5/1/15! My blood pressure dropped right away to normal 120/75 when I lost the weight.

That's enough for now, but it sounds like you are off to a good start, What I try to do is to just stay away from high carb foods....no sugar or foods with sugars or syrups, no grains (wheat, rice, corn meal, etc.), no fruits except some can eat a few blue berries or strawberries (test to your meter), watch out for root crops, potatoes all kinds, beets, turnips, etc. No corn or peas they are high carb....Eat low carb and eat well with lots of fat included.... If you cannot find foods you like, let us know, we have a ton of ideas depending on what you like.....

Good Luck

 

[Wink]

From testing, I learned that I usually spike at 45 min so if I eat something that might be a problem that's when I test, I might test again at one hour or so to make sure it isn't still going up, then again at an hour and a half to make sure it's going back down. My personal limit is 140 but I usually stay under 120 after meals, I don't like to push the limit often, maybe once a week into the 130's. Pretty much my carb limit is 6 grams (net) at one time. My daily limit is 20 grams (net) per day - mostly for weight loss reasons. I can eat almost 1/4 cup of corn if I eat no other carbs that meal. I can eat a frozen grape or 2 a couple times a day with no problem at all. It's all about figuring out what works for you.

 

[Snorebaby]

Thanks!

I am not sure of what my daily intake of carbs is right now as we are trying new recipes and learning what is and isn't good for my BG. I know it is low, but not sure what it is.

I had about 8g to 10g carbs today for brunch, tuna fish with 2tbsp. of sweet salad cubes and 1tbsp mayo. Dinner was boston butt with homemade <2g carb BBQ sauce, Au Gratin califlower (with a small potato diced in it) and cole slaw. So I guess it would be about 20g max today.

I have lost approx. 10lbs since starting the LCHF lifestyle about 2 weeks ago. Snorebabe just ordered me another meter and with that one I will do my food testing. I will use the original meter to test as prescribed by the Dr. That way I can back up my spreadsheet. It's like a truck driver with 2 log books, one that is correct and one that you show DOT. :laugh2:

I really haven't missed many foods that I used to eat except maybe potato chips. Cooked hamburgers last night and wrapped mine in lettuce. I did have some potato chips but that was the suggested serving @ 15g carbs. No cheating and eating more. So I maybe had 17g for dinner (Ketchup had 2g's).

Snorebabe and I appreciate all the support and suggestions.

 

[Wink]

If you are interested http://www.myfitnesspal.com is free and allows you to track your nutrients - you set your own goals, log your foods from a huge database, add any foods not listed, enter your personal recipes. I'm sure there are other systems but this works great for me. I even entered a "food" called Vicky's BS(blood sugar).. the only nutrient is one gram of trans fat (which I never eat) and enter the meter reading
as the number of servings so the trans fat column only shows my readings right there with what I ate! You can track your weight, body measurements and exercise too! Print reports, transfer info to a spreadsheet. I love it!

 

[Snorebaby]

Thanks Wink! I will check it out.

 

[Bunjee]

Your spike amount also depends on how you pair your food. For instance, if you have a glass of milk by itself (whole or otherwise), it will typically spike you much more than if you have it paired with a protein or fat. I can eat a few raisins with peanut butter and celery (ants on a log), but otherwise, dried fruit is just a problem. I always eat apples with peanut butter as well since the spike is much less without.

 

[Snorebaby]

Your spike amount also depends on how you pair your food. For instance, if you have a glass of milk by itself (whole or otherwise), it will typically spike you much more than if you have it paired with a protein or fat. I can eat a few raisins with peanut butter and celery (ants on a log), but otherwise, dried fruit is just a problem. I always eat apples with peanut butter as well since the spike is much less without.

That's interesting, I didn't know that. Thank You. I will try it that way.

 

[Snorebaby]

I learned something last night/today. I had read that to help keep your wake-up BG down, you should eat no more than 30g of carbs before bedtime and it will help. Well I tested that theory last night and it didn't work for me. I have been having real good BG readings the last couple of days (I test 3x a day at wake-up & before meals right now) averaging below 120 mg/dl.

I ate the allotment of a serving of carbs @ 15g of potato chips and french onion dip (~2g) about an hour before going to bed. Tested this morning when I woke up (about 6hrs after eating the snack) and my BG was 135 mg/dl. That was the only change from the past couple of days.

So no more bedtime snacks for me!

I am early in this fight and learning things everyday from the great folks on this board. It is a little difficult to get on a schedule because I have no real schedule being a rotating 12hr shift worker. I really like the LCHF lifestyle as I have always liked the protein/fat aspect, I am a meat and tater's kind a guy....but now without the tater's LOL.

 

[VeeJay]

A bedtime snack of next to no carbs, like cheese or meat, does help some people YMMV. But not a carby snack. I suspect that what you saw the next morning was lower than what happened right after you ate.

When you start testing at 1-hr after a meal, you'll most likely find that you will need to do more tweaking of your diet.

 

[Papa Diva]

Which meter are you using? Also what was the other meter you tested with? What was the actual reading from each meter?

 

[Bunjee]

Doug, eating a snack at night USED to work for me and now it does not, at least not as well as I would like it. It didn't for my sister in the first 10 months of metformin and now it does. So, test in a few months to see what happens. 15 grams isn't too much, IMHO, so if it isn't working for you now, maybe it will in the future. I went to bed at midnight and BG was 110, woke up at 8 a.m. and it's 126. Annoying.

 

[Snorebaby]

Which meter are you using? Also what was the other meter you tested with? What was the actual reading from each meter?

My meter is a One Touch Verio and the second meter is a One Touch Ultra 2

My meter read 132 and the Ultra read 117. Same sample site, one right after the other, mine first. I only did it the one time. I have another Verio on the way with some control solution. Should be here next week. I will update when I get it in and test both.

 

[Bounty]

What I've found over the years in regards to meters, control-solution meter tests and strips:

First, meters and test strips are affected by temperature. A test in January won't be the same as in July unless the meter and test strips are in a home with a controlled environment. I've tested on a January morning with the temperature in the room at around 55ºF (12.7ºC) and gotten a test value of 136mg/dL. I then put the meter and strip bottle against my skin for a half hour and retested. 114mg/dL. Temperature consistency in your equipment, in my opinion, is key here.

Second, control solution and how I use it. Unlike quasi-homogeneous whole blood...the control solution is a constant. If you take 5 tests with the control solution and any of them don't match...it's not the control solution.

Your Owners Manual will instruct you on how to use the control solution and what is acceptable. They'll tell you that if the test falls in between the range set on the test strip bottle...the meter is within spec's. Not good enough for me.

If my test-strip bottle says the "control range" is between 107-143 mg/dL...that means that in their test of those strips...125 mg/dL was the value they came up with...and 107-143 is their 15% error rate they're allowed.

Here's what I do to test the meter and adjust my whole blood test values. Now, like I said...you have to have a constant temperature range for this to be valid. Let's say my test strip bottle control range is 107-143 mg/dL. That means that when I use the control test solution with one of those strips that the value should be 125 mg/dL. If the test comes up 120 mg/dL...that's means I should add 5 points to any blood test. If it comes up 130 mg/dL...I subtract 5 points.

If you're testing around 200 mg/dL...a 10 to 20 point difference on your meter isn't going to matter. If you're testing down around 60 mg/dL...a 10 to 20 point difference could kill you. Jus' sayin'!

My methodology...no one else's.