[sedeinco]

Hi,

New to all this. There's a lot I want to discuss - apologies at the wide ranging topics I cover in one post - ...but I'll start with my most urgent question.

This morning I woke up (to screaming children) and at 6:09am my fasting blood sugar was 6.4 (115), which is the highest fasting level I've had since I started keeping track 2.5 weeks ago. I did not eat or take medication. Went back to bed but couldn't sleep (mind whirring) and tested again at 7:07 when I was at 5.0 (90), which is the lowest fasting reading I've ever had. Tested again still fasting at 7:32 and was at 5.7 (102). At this point, still no food, no meds, not even water.

How can this be? Is my meter faulty? I had bought a cheap second meter and just bought strips for it today. I will be using both meters together to get a reading for my morning fasting tests (I am thinking multiple fasting tests are in order now). Assuming it's not faulty meter or poor technique (as far as I know I've coded the meter correctly, washed hands etc), what on earth does this mean? I did not think fasting blood sugar could fluctuate so wildly in the space of an hour. Of course false comfort from low readings is a problem but I am worried that this may indicate something very very wrong with me beyond "just" diabetes?

Has anyone else experienced this. I've tried a couple of quick Google searches but found nothing.

Previous day's food:
07:04 1 tomato, 1 cumcumber lettuce, tiny bit of feta cheese (probably 30-40g), and 6 olives
10:20 1 pear, 1 cucumber
12:20 4 water crackers, 2 slices swiss cheese, 1 cucumber, handful of unsalted cashews
13:40 Glass of diet softdrink (pink lemonade/creaming soda)
16:00 Handful of unsalted cashews, 1 mandarine
19:30 6 crackers ("salada" salted crackers), 230g plain tuna in spring water, 2 slices swiss cheese. Small piece (<10g) white chocolate
22:10 2 slices of lite cheese, 4 eggs, 100g ham, 1 tomato (scrambled eggs)

Not my best day. Certainly not my worst.

Not sure if the rest belongs in an intro thread or not, but the background is relevant so I'm putting it here..

37, BMI approaching but not quite at 50, had terrible eating habits - 2 liters of coke a day wasn't unusual etc. though I had days where I'd go for large salads to fill the hole. (more on that later). A month ago confirmed a diagnosis of type 2 and immediately went on 500g metaformin twice daily.

For now I have managed to really cut down the garbage to small amounts a couple of times a week. Not sticking to the diabetic ideal though right now - I still can't ever imagine switching to brown bread/rice/crackers etc. even if it literally kills me (though I may consider going without altogether to avoid that). Brown stuff all literally tastes like cardboard mixed with dirt to me. I am testing regularly (only twice daily to begin with I was told). I also started keeping a food diary which is why I can tell you exactly what I ate. (I'm finding that stressful too)

Really struggling with food - I am constantly hungry, even to the point of salivating when around it and heightened sense of smell if anyone has food anywhere near me. This is making social events and even watching cooking shows extremely unpleasant. I have always considered my hunger drive broken. I had been diagnosed with IBS and can be in the middle of a debilitating bout sitting on the toilet and still feel hungry, however some illnesses do put me off food (like this chest infection, at least for a few days. I almost wish I was still really sick the hunger is that distracting and miserable). Doctors all want to refer me to a pychologist but I believe subsiding hunger during certain illness does not make psych issues a strong possibility for this hunger. I believe it is physical. I do not believe it is normal, and it is turning my quality of life to dung.

Exercise is non-existent. I use to like walking in the with a camera and did that 2-3 times a week getting off the train a couple of stops early on the way to work. But I have a bad ankle (I was told to fuse it immediately by a surgeon 2 years ago. Looked into it. Not a good option at my age based on the only long term study I found).

To complicate matters I am still trying to get over a chest infection (suspected pnemonia, x-ray was clear but doc said it could not be ruled out). I've been going 7 weeks and just finished my 8th course of anti-biotics earlier this week - I still have a cough. Cold and flu season is awful this year.

I fully realize I will have to do something about exercise but feel I need to wait until this chest infection is truly gone before taking it on.

Also further restrictions to the diet include not being able to eat garlic, onion, capcicum, and various spices. I am not allergic but my wife has severe anaphylaxis and if I eat these things and kiss her even a trace amount potentially could stop her breathing. (Hasn't happened in almost 8 years of being together but that is because we are very careful).

Other medical issues. Sleep apnea (8 years). High blood pressure (treated for about 2 years, just changed meds as my old one stopped working), irritable bowel syndrome, arthitic ankles (one with necrosis due to injury as a teenager), and apparently my kidneys had just started leaking proteins before this change of diet so hoping that whatever damage is reversible or won't progress after getting blood pressure under control. (I will not call my sugars controlled). If you think those issues are bad you should hear about my poor wife's. At least I'm still working, and she has to raise 2 beautiful but demanding children while I'm at work.

I do know this: Things need to change in some way because I honestly don't want 5 years of living the way I have for the last 2 weeks, let alone 30. Trouble is I have 2 infant children and am the only breadwinner for the family so I need 20-25 years just to get them on their own feet financially. However it is a very hard thing to live miserably and for others, even those you love.

Will be seeing a diabetic educator in 2 weeks so hope for more answers/ideas then.

In a whole other thread I will discuss the language of guilt and pride that the medical community and even diabetics use to describe their condition, the volumes of misinformation out there and the fact that even good sources of information don't agree on anything.

Thanks to anyone who read this far, and thanks in advance if you respond.

 

[sedeinco]

How accurate are the meters suppose to be?

Okay, just how accurate are the meters suppose to be anyway??

I just tested with 2 meters. Same brand, different meter. Both code chips correctly installed. Here are the results:

All readings from blood from the same lancing within 2 mins of each other.
Meter 1 - Reading 1 - 5.8 (104)
Meter 1 - Reading 2 - 6.0 (108)
Meter 2 - Reading 1 - 6.2 (112)
Meter 2 - Reading 2 - 6.8 (122)

What in blazes is going on??? I'm getting very frustrated! Is this sort of variation normal.

I have been stressing for the last 2 weeks over a total variation of 4.9 (88) to 7.4 (133) - both these readings within 7 hours of each other by the way - the high one 2 hrs after food, the low one about 40 mins after food (and 10 mins after eating a strawberry).

When I was being taught how to use the things, the nurse all but scolded me for a reading of 6.2 at 2 hours after food! "That's okay, but not good. You should be back under 5.5" she said.

For pity sake I was miserable and I ate next to nothing at my daughter's first birthday party because I started off with a reading of 5.5 and had a reading of 6.8 2 hrs after food. I feel like a complete idiot!

I need very badly to get a handle on this before I either lose my mind or throw my meters away, eat as healthy as I can, and just accept that my life's been shortened.

I just found this:
answers dot yahoo dot com/question/index?qid=20090927071856AADLnCe
(Sorry I can't post an actual link till I've made 5 posts)

I thought they were suppose to be accurate to within 0.1 or 0.2?

I'm sorry but if the meters are so inaccurate, people who live their lives by them are living a lie. All they'll give is ball park. Anything else is wishful thinking and fiction. Getting stressed, depressed, irritated or upset at even a 2 (36) point variation is counter-productive since stress raises your blood sugar. But doubly so if the things are this far off.

I think I'm going to be testing a hell of a lot less. The numbers don't change what I'm putting in my mouth, and certainly based on this for variations of under 2 "good" numbers shouldn't be a reason to slacken off or indulge, and "bad" numbers shouldn't be a reason to cut back. I'd be better off carrying a magic 8 ball.

I can't wait to see what my first A1C result is. I trust that's not a made up random number.

 

[LarryT]

Welcome Sedeinco! and yes the meters DO vary, I've read up to 20% difference in readings, but in my case that has been ~5%. YMMV
There are many variables that affect each of us differently and I for one feel your doing fairly well, esp. the after meal readings.
Hang in there and find foods that work best for you. To find those foods you'll need to use your meter and at times the readings will go higher than we would like.
So far as the Nurse saying your after meal reading should be under 5.5, well :blabla:

Okay, just how accurate are the meters suppose to be anyway??

I just tested with 2 meters. Same brand, different meter. Both code chips correctly installed. Here are the results:

All readings from blood from the same lancing within 2 mins of each other.
Meter 1 - Reading 1 - 5.8 (104)
Meter 1 - Reading 2 - 6.0 (108)
Meter 2 - Reading 1 - 6.2 (112)
Meter 2 - Reading 2 - 6.8 (122)

What in blazes is going on??? I'm getting very frustrated! Is this sort of variation normal.

I have been stressing for the last 2 weeks over a total variation of 4.9 (88) to 7.4 (133) - both these readings within 7 hours of each other by the way - the high one 2 hrs after food, the low one about 40 mins after food (and 10 mins after eating a strawberry).

When I was being taught how to use the things, the nurse all but scolded me for a reading of 6.2 at 2 hours after food! "That's okay, but not good. You should be back under 5.5" she said.

For pity sake I was miserable and I ate next to nothing at my daughter's first birthday party because I started off with a reading of 5.5 and had a reading of 6.8 2 hrs after food. I feel like a complete idiot!

I need very badly to get a handle on this before I either lose my mind or throw my meters away, eat as healthy as I can, and just accept that my life's been shortened.

I just found this:
answers dot yahoo dot com/question/index?qid=20090927071856AADLnCe
(Sorry I can't post an actual link till I've made 5 posts)

I thought they were suppose to be accurate to within 0.1 or 0.2?

I'm sorry but if the meters are so inaccurate, people who live their lives by them are living a lie. All they'll give is ball park. Anything else is wishful thinking and fiction. Getting stressed, depressed, irritated or upset at even a 2 (36) point variation is counter-productive since stress raises your blood sugar. But doubly so if the things are this far off.

I think I'm going to be testing a hell of a lot less. The numbers don't change what I'm putting in my mouth, and certainly based on this for variations of under 2 "good" numbers shouldn't be a reason to slacken off or indulge, and "bad" numbers shouldn't be a reason to cut back. I'd be better off carrying a magic 8 ball.

I can't wait to see what my first A1C result is. I trust that's not a made up random number.

 

[sedeinco]

Thanks for the response Larry, and for the words of encouragement. It is very much appreciated.

I just hope my rather extreme frustration does not come across as hostility or abrasiveness.

Now that I've had a couple of hours to cool down I will say that while I don't plan on completely tossing the meter at this stage, i will only continue to test and keep this meticulous a food diary for the next couple of weeks. After which I'll probably test some days on some off.

At this point I really need to know how large a set of error bars to put on my graphs. So thank you very much for your suggestion 20% and your practical experience that it's around 5%. That really does help. Would you happen to have references? One thing I need to do is pull out the manuals for the meters and take a look at what they say.

I am not the sort of person who's ever been able to tolerate or function on Voodoo. I need reality and that means science to be able to adjust my behaviour.

 

[Shanny]

There's nothing wrong with your blood sugar levels and there's nothing wrong with your meters. Your numbers are fine - your meters are within the variance allowed, as Larry has explained. It would prob'ly be good to just pick one & stay with it. If it's consistent with itself, that's enough. Don't try comparing brands - you'll drive yourself crazy.

Sedinco, the voodoo you're getting is in the doctor's office, where they seem to think an adult male raising a family and earning a living should exist on crackers & cucumbers! My god, man - no wonder you're hungry.

Now I'm going to tell you how diabetics REALLY control their disorder: To begin with, throw away all the crackers & other breads - don't switch to "brown" anything, because the carbohydrate in your diet is what raises your blood sugar. So after you've eliminated the breads, you'll be getting rid of the potatoes, rice, pasta & cereals too. Now get ready to eat like a king.

Sit down to a nice plate of ham & eggs for breakfast - no toast/muffins/bagels, no fruit or fruit juice, just all you can eat of ham or bacon or sausage & eggs.

For lunch, have a nice tuna salad made with full fat mayonnaise, maybe some grated cheese and/or diced hard-cooked egg mixed in.

For dinner, have a nice big pork chop, beef steak, chicken or fish with a green tossed salad, and some sugar/free pudding for dessert.

For snacks between meals, use a handful of nuts, beef or cheese sticks, or any other low or zero-carb food.

If you haven't gotten the picture yet, you need to build your meals around protein & fats . . . ditch the carbohydrates.

(more to come - stay tuned)

and btw - welcome to DF! :wave:

 

[jwags]

First of all you are doing fine, don't over analyze every number. Your numbers go up and down all day long, that is how our bodies work. They don't stay at a stable number. Also meters have a margin of error up to 20%. I like to keep my bgs in a fairly tight range anywhere from 90-110. As long as I am in the range I feel I am doing OK. You say you are hungry all the time, you may need to redo your diet a little. I would definitely take away the fruit and crackers and add some protein, fat and more veggies with fiber. The more carbs you eat the more cravings you will have. I do eat crackers but only bran crackers that are low carb and high fiber. Plus I always eat them with almond butter and Coconut Oil. The added fat helps me stay full. As far as the exercise, you can only do what you can do. But there are plenty of exercise you can do without walking. Try doing light weights from a seated position. You can also do a lot of exercises lying on the floor that work different muscle groups. Building more muscle will help your metabolism and lower BMI.

 

[sedeinco]

Thanks for the reply Shanny.

I'm getting so much mixed information that I don't know what to believe. But I appreciate and will evaluate any and all genuine attempts to help and am very grateful for your response.

What you're recommending sounds a lot like an Atkins style diet. Especially with my Kidneys spilling protein albeit not at hugely elevated levels, I'm very nervous about going for a high fat high protein diet. I need time to think it through, do a little research on what my current levels mean, and I'd also like to see how my body adjusts to the new diet I'm currently on (if you can call it that - it's a little too disorganised to call a strict diet). I'm also not sure if the metaformin is the right medication for me - there seems to be some talk that it is rough on kidneys. I can cope better with the idea of having a heart attack and dying early (except for leaving the kids without financial support!) than I can with losing sight, limbs or ending up on dialysis and dying of renal failure (especially early)

Also very nervous that I now have both IBS and Diabetes. I need to work out if the stomach bloating and cramps are related. They didn't and don't only come when I've been eating lots or eating unhealthy food. So I'm wondering about underlying conditions. (Of course it'll now be difficult to distinguish digestive issues caused by metaformin vs IBS). I haven't found anything definite that fits, but I do worry about either pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer or even kidney stones. (I'm not losing weight and the IBS comes and goes, so I don't think they're likely, but it would be ironic to make such efforts to get healthy then die a drawn out painful death in the next 2 years don't you think?).

I'm trying very hard not to become a hypochondriac here. It's very easy to second guess EVERYTHING - are my blurry eyes from diabetes or from sitting at a computer screen for 12+ hours a day? (I never had good eyesight - near sighted and stigmatism). I'm urinating an awful lot in the last 2-3 days. Is that because I'm drinking a lot more water or is that a sign my blood sugar is spiking....the list goes on.

It doesn't help that the quality of some of the medical professionals I've interacted with is....lacking. Doctors that don't know not to examine an infected ear and look at a good ear without cleaning equpment. One doctor I saw recently (out of hours just to get a script for the end of a course of antibiotics I had lost) tried instead to get me to buy meal replacement shakes before even addressing my chest infection. He literally said "Would you like to lose all your weight and make your diabetes magically disappear". A doctor using the word "magic". MIND BOGGLING. (Not to mention that he decided my cough was an allergic reaction. Funny that I caught this allergic reaction from my wife and kids and that we'd been passing it back and forth for 6 weeks).

Then there's other mind games. To get strips at low cost here in Aust you have to register with a government scheme called NDSS. That is free. You also are encouraged to register (for modest cost) with the "Diabetes Council". I feel like a dog registering himself with the council. (But I'll admit I have dogs on the brain. My pet of nearly 12 years died less than 3 weeks ago).

There's plenty of Voodoo out there and in amongst it is good advice. From medical professionals and unqualified quacks alike. And there's a lot to know. I hadn't even heard of type 1.5 / LADA until today. I don't think standard practices for determining if you're type 2 are very scientific. And a 20% variation in meter readings is a mind blowing shock. I found a thread on another forum where someone had done similar testing with 2 meters and they showed up to 40% variation between readings from 2 different brands of meter. Has the medical profession never heard of error bars for crying out loud?! I feel very stupid for worrying about minor fluctuations. But the target range is only 2-4 points so a 1-2 point fluctuation in readings makes the whole game much harder.

I am also sick and tired of all the guilt riddled language on the forums and from diabetics. People talk about falling off the wagon etc. I can understand giving in to a craving - I won't pretend I'm so strong that never happens or that I could completely stop it. But I try to make any indulgences planned in advance and controlled. I just don't see how going around whipping oneself improves health. It's just self-defeating nonsense. Wanting to eat is nothing like alcoholism. You can't go without food. You can cut certain foods out, but you can't avoid being around them.

Anyway, time for bed. Will deal with this again tomorrow.

 

[sedeinco]

Thanks for your input jwags. If a lot of experienced people here say low carb high fat is the way to go I'd be a fool not to listen and investigate. I'll do that.

As for excercise I can't think of a seated excercise that I can do that won't drive me insane but I'll have to face that reality very soon. Upper body excercise of some sort is definitely going to be the way to go. (I can't swim. I get bad ear infections even if I try to use plugs).

 

[moon]

Hi - welcome to this great forum.

First - your numbers are not dreadful. Could they come down a little? Sure. But there is nothing to indicate your life will be shortened; your bg is not out of control. I had undiagnosed diabetes for who knows how long, truly high numbers, and now that my diabetes is under control, I expect to have a normal life and live as long as parents did (my mom is 92.)

'm trying very hard not to become a hypochondriac here.

Good! That's important. Keep working on it.

Secondly - I would be a ravenous b**ch if I was eating what you are. I'm glad you're going to look into increasing healthy fats in your diet - they not only will take care of the hunger but be important for your health.

I'm getting so much mixed information that I don't know what to believe.

I was in your position just 4 months ago. My strategy was to go with the consensus of real people having real success, and people who had found success by abandoning the official line of so-called Diabetes Educators and diabetes organizations. You can look at the numbers in my sig to see my results.

You have likely gotten this site already, but if not, this site is incredibly informative and backed up by cited studies: Blood Sugar 101

I can't wait to see what my first A1C result is. I trust that's not a made up random number.

It's an accurate number for what it is, but given it's an average, it says nothing about fluctuations. The best control is when we remain in a narrower range without huge spikes and lows. To see how we're doing in that regard we need to test test test.

People talk about falling off the wagon etc. I can understand giving in to a craving - I won't pretend I'm so strong that never happens or that I could completely stop it. But I try to make any indulgences planned in advance and controlled. I just don't see how going around whipping oneself improves health. It's just self-defeating nonsense.

I hope you will come to have tolerance for diabetics who don't think and act just as you do. Diabetes is a challenge for many of us, and we're not all planners with perfect control. I agree we need not to beat ourselves up about our imperfections, but we're human with human emotions, and calling our responses nonsense isn't terribly helpful. We diabetics are all in this together.

I hope you will indeed reconsider your diet, because relief from your extreme hunger is waiting for you on the other side.

Glad you're here.

 

[Patdart]

Welcome! Reread Shanny's post and heed it and then read Blood Sugar 101 and reread it a couple of times. I found it most helpful in the beginning. Carbs make me crave more carbs...I've known since childhood that if I ate pancakes I was starving in a couple of hours, for example. Bacon/ham and eggs leave me full for several hours in contrast.

I can't tell you what your kidney problem is about, but I'd do a very thorough investigation with my medical advisors about it. I truly don't think eating a healthy diet...low carb/high fat will do much, if any damage.

Breathe deeply and relax as best you can. This is not a sprint, it is a journey and it will take you some time to get comfortable with it.

For what it is worth, I use cheese, sliced, or stick form for snacks and it is good and filling.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your journey...

 

[jwags]

I go to Blood Sugar 101 a few times a week and always am learning something new. I have to attribute that site and Dr Bernstein's book, Diabetes Solutions for getting me on the right track. I just turned 60 last summer and plan on being around for a very long time. We have a member here , Richard who is a Type 1 for over 65 years. He is very healthy. There is no reason your life should be shortened. You will grow old and see those babies graduate and start families of their own.

 

[sedeinco]

Thanks moon for all the advice. I'm certainly not ignoring it, and the more the same ideas are re-enforced by many diabetics who successfully manage the illness, the more likely I am to at least try it.

I'm sorry if I seem to be intolerant of other diabetics. It is not that I am intolerant of them so much as I am disgusted and dumbfounded by the prevalent attitude that diabetics need to live their life feeling guilty. This is buried deep within the language of all the literature, official and otherwise. I truly do not think it is helpful. NO ONE should be made to feel like that. Certainly not a sick person, dealing with a chronic illness. It seems to me like diabetics more than most need to feel empowered and in control, because if you don't feel that way how on earth do you have the strength and self control to keep your blood sugar down every hour of every day?

Also I am well aware that others have it harder than I and that I will head in that direction as the disease progresses. I do not mean to belittle anyone, make light of their situation or exaggerate my own.

However, I am finding this the most difficult thing to deal with in my life so far. I am a parent. I have had sleep apnea for 8 years. I've had bad arthrtic ankle pain for 4-5 years. I've been with a partner for 7.5 years with extreme food allergies (trace amounts cause anaphylaxis, and there is always the potential that I kiss her and she stops breathing). For the first 5 cut out the foods she was allergic to entirely (and when that includes onion and garlic, that's most take out, and about 70% of what sits on store shelves). I have a fairly full on job. NONE of these others challenges comes close to how I'm struggling with trying to get a grip on Diabetes. The contradictory information and simultaneous bombardment with lots of information but not the important stuff is really doing my head in.

I do have a question about the testing. What exactly do you change if you notice spikes in your levels? Do you simply consult again with a doctor, or does it alter your eating habits too? Are you looking for specific triggers that cause spikes? Just how many times a day you long term successful diabetics testing, and is it before or after food (and how soon after). I have been told to begin by testing just twice a day, but am I doing myself a disservice by listening to that doctor's advice? The jabs aren't pleasant but they are certainly not the least pleasant part of my experience so far. I'd jab myself 10 times a day if I could make this hunger subside!

 

[sedeinco]

Thanks for your response Patdart.

Well I do know that ham eggs cheese and tomato don't fill me. (Guess I should be cutting out the tomato and trying again?). Just the other night I had 100-150g of ham, 1 tomato, 2 slices of cheese and 4 eggs, which filled a plate. I was still ravenous.

Was up to 2am last night getting a handle on my test result numbers and what they mean for my kidneys. Perhaps not as bad as I was lead to believe (by another doctor) but they do need monitoring. They're just outside tolerances for Aust but just in tolerance for what I'm reading for other countries. Still need to do some solid research on whether eatings lots of fats and proteins leads to further spilling, and still need to work out if there's anything linking my ailments.

Anyway thanks again to all who've responded so far, and please believe that I intended no offense whatsoever with my remarks about the language of guilt and "falling off the wagon" etc.

 

[Shanny]

I do have a question about the testing. What exactly do you change if you notice spikes in your levels? Do you simply consult again with a doctor, or does it alter your eating habits too? Are you looking for specific triggers that cause spikes?

When I test one hour after a meal and my BG is over 140, I assess the components of that meal - decide what was the most likely culprit, and (usually after one more test run) eliminate that food from my menus. So the primary purpose of testing for me is to compile a foundation of foods that I know are safe for me to eat. I've pretty well established it by now, so I don't test much after meals anymore, unless we eat out where someone besides me is doin' the cookin'.

When I first began this sorting out program though, my doc grumped that I tested too much & went too far low-carb. But I paid him no mind, because the dietary instructions he had given me hadn't worked to get my BG down low enough - soooo . . . After a couple more checkups, he began to realize it WAS working & I wasn't showing any ill effects. THEN, when my husband went in for HIS routine bloodwork (after also eating by my low-carb/high-fat method), and his lipids profile came back about half as high as it had been for years, poor doc capitulated completely & told him to keep eating whatever I'd been fixing!

 

[Shalynne]

Thanks for your response Patdart.

Well I do know that ham eggs cheese and tomato don't fill me. (Guess I should be cutting out the tomato and trying again?). Just the other night I had 100-150g of ham, 1 tomato, 2 slices of cheese and 4 eggs, which filled a plate. I was still ravenous.

Was up to 2am last night getting a handle on my test result numbers and what they mean for my kidneys. Perhaps not as bad as I was lead to believe (by another doctor) but they do need monitoring. They're just outside tolerances for Aust but just in tolerance for what I'm reading for other countries. Still need to do some solid research on whether eatings lots of fats and proteins leads to further spilling, and still need to work out if there's anything linking my ailments.

Anyway thanks again to all who've responded so far, and please believe that I intended no offense whatsoever with my remarks about the language of guilt and "falling off the wagon" etc.

Welcome!

I'm not Pat, but in your shoes I would not cut the tomato -- or anything else from that meal. Rather, I'd add lettuce, fresh spinach or spring mix, maybe toss in some mushrooms, and build a salad around it. Maybe top it off with a non-balsamic vinaigrette. Carrots spike me a bit, but are safer than a lot of things. (My numbers like to go higher than yours.) Avocados are pretty filling, too.

Experimentation and frequent meter testing -- 1 hour after first bite, then 1 hour after that, especially for "new" foods -- should eventually help you build a diet you can live with. The Recipes board on this Forum should help, too.

Spiking can be caused by bunches of stuff: Eating the wrong thing, stress, pain, "liver dumping" (caused by not eating, which makes the liver panic and dump glucose aaaallll over the bloodstream).

For me, bedtime snacking on a stick of string cheese or something like that helps keep my glucose levels in balance through the night. (For others, this doesn't work at all. In everything diabetes, Your Meter May Vary.)

Your numbers don't look bad at all! Good on ya for catching this now.

(Oh, yeah ... the blurry eye thing. You'll want to get a diabetic eye exam, but the blurries are pretty normal as blood sugar levels go down. I still get them whenever levels start fluctuating. Fun, no?)

 

[Shanny]

I agree with Shalynne, and without knowing your size, it seems to me that 100g of ham isn't very much - even 150g isn't overdoing it. The usual estimates for how much meat to buy, suggest allowing 140g to 225g per serving - depending on if it's to serve men, women or children.

I'm just afraid you simply aren't eating enough. Take a larger portion of meat & add all the luscious high-fiber veggies Shalynne mentioned . . . and eat slowly. Also make sure to stay well hydrated.

When I used to wolf down my meals, I'd wind up feeling uncomfortable because I ate too fast & in so doing, ate too much. And here's the weirder thing: when I wolfed down my meals, I took enormous mouthfuls of food. After about a year into this new way of eating (WOE), I realized I was taking small bites. That was a strange realization, since it hadn't occurred to me to TRY taking smaller bites - it just happened.

Don't be fearful that we're taking offense. What many of us have discovered is that BGs drive the train. Once the BGs are low & stabilized, many other ailments clear up - fall into line. Like I said about my husband's lipids dropping so drastically - that was a huge surprise to all of us, but his diet was the only thing it could be - it was the only thing that changed.

You can do this. You're a little young to be having all the ailments you have - I have most of them myself, but I'm twice your age. So I know you can do this once you make up your mind that it's necessary and you recognize that the "official" crackers & cucumber diet is killing you, both emotionally & physically. Just put one foot in front of the other & you'll find the tortoise wins the race!

 

[Guest]

welcome Sedeinco I'm from the other side of the country... just visited your city though. I understand your frustration. You're right too in that we don't all agree on everything... but that's life. What is important though is that you find what works for you. I also do not eat high fat or protein diet. I mix a bit of everything and I stay away from the food I know doesn't work for me. I have other health issues too and one of the main ones is my stomach which is still under investigation... but currently diagnosis is functional dyspepsia. People may try and persuade you with stuff one way or the other... but until you know for yourself through trial and error you don't know what you can tolerate basically. We're all different in what we can or can't tolerate. That's where the meter comes in and it's very important to use that as your guide at least even though it is not 100% correct necessarily. I find here in Aust the Accu-Check Nano is a very good meter and probably one of the more accurate meters on sale. I've had type 2 diabetes for 13 years now and I can tell you that I still get frustrated... nothing ever stays the same. But when you think of it... that's life (as I mentioned already). Keeping the positive attitude no matter what is what counts the most... having the ability to bounce back. You will no doubt have failures and successes... but just keep going and learning as you go about what works for you. This forum is a great place to share your experiences and just generally connect with others in the same boat. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

[moon]

I'm sorry if I seem to be intolerant of other diabetics. It is not that I am intolerant of them so much as I am disgusted and dumbfounded by the prevalent attitude that diabetics need to live their life feeling guilty.

No worries. I read what you said earlier as a criticism of the behavior of diabetics - but understand now what you meant.

However, I am finding this the most difficult thing to deal with in my life so far.

You know, it's ironic. There are a lot of things going on in my life, a lot of tragedy swirling, and I've felt because of that diabetes hasn't been as big a deal even though it has affected nearly everything temporarily, if that makes sense. My diabetes is hardly a tragedy. Other issues are mostly out of my control, but diabetes is the opposite. This works out nicely for a control freak like me

Look at it this way: there is contradictory information, opposing approaches, so you test. The world won't end if your numbers go up for a few days because you tried A - and when they go down with trial B then =bingo!= you've hit on something.

I got lucky because what worked for the majority of success stories I read about, happened to work for me too, and I was off to the races. My body responded well and didn't give me undue grief (except to plead for metformin ER over metformin!)

My hope is that your ride won't be any bumpier.

 

[sedeinco]

Thank you all again for the replies. I haven't had a chance to check them through the day. Busy putting together specs for a computer I'm buying. Gotta have something else in my life besides Diabetes swirling through my mind, work and chores. Most times I don't feel ravenous it's because my mind's working on something technical.

I'll answer some questions.

I'm 173cm tall and I'm the heaviest I've ever been - 147kg - as of when I got my glucose meter. I'm not sure how positive I can be that this will change. The only time I've managed to lose significant weight in the last 10 years I was single, took time off work to finish a degree (online course), did 2 hours a day bike riding at my leisure and ate nothing but salad and lean meat. 9 months of hard work and I'd estimate I lost about 15-20kg. (I did not weigh, but it was quite visible). However 3 months of eating normally (not my horrible habits) and moderate exercise and I was bigger than when I started.

Here is why I don't like weighing myself and don't like measuring certain stats. I already know what I should do. That doesn't change if I get a good or bad reading. Again it just leads to useless guilt. It doesn't matter if I've lost a kilo one week or gained one the next, at this size I shouldn't be indulging in snacks or celebrating with food.

The combination of restrictions due to my wife's allergy and the diabetes was something I'd been dreading for some time (No spring mix for me!). My fasting lab test numbers were 5.5 in 2009, 6.1 in 2010, 7.2 in March this year, 7.8 in May. So I have definitely caught this "early" though I could have possibly done more to prevent. Frankly I'm glad I had all those years of eating junk food. I loved it. I won't be seeing them again. Frankly I wish I could have gotten away with it for longer. But clearly the party's over. The goal now for now is just to stay sane and have enough leisure and pleasure not to be miserable while I support my family for the next couple of decades. I've simply lost too many things I care about recently to aim for anything higher....but I'll save you guys the self pity. I have a new PC to look forward to playing the "install lots of software game with", 2 wonderful kids, a wife with a beautiful soul, a decent job and I still have 1 dog left (for a little while at least).

 

[sedeinco]

Some references for anyone else who stumbles upon this thread.

You guys are absolutely right about the 20% variance. I found nothing in the glucose meter manuals I looked at - guess that's their dirty little secrete. I've adjusted the spreadsheet charts and worksheets I've been doing of my own BGL to reflect high and low error bars. (No point in having data if you don't analyse it - especially when collecting the data involves stabbing yourself multiple times a day).

Glucose meter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Blood glucose meters must meet accuracy standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). According to ISO 15197 Blood glucose meters must provide results that are within 20% of a laboratory standard 95% of the time (for concentrations about 75 mg/dL, absolute levels are used for lower concentrations). However, a variety of factors can affect the accuracy of a test."

Excellent thread about meter accuracy:
Accu-Chek Performa?? - everybody Communities