I'm type 2 diabetic for those that don't know me, diagnosed May this year. My readings are really making no sense. Some days a small infraction causes a relative spike. Other days my numbers read like I'm not diabetic. Generally there's no rhyme nor reason to it.
For example day before yesterday I had a bit too much of a very delicious pasta bake my wife made. My fasting readings the next morning (yesterday) were 6.2 (2 readings) which is high. (I hadn't had a fasting reading of 6 or more in over 2 weeks). Okay makes sense, numbers went up slightly. I usually avoid pasta.
Today, I started at 5.7 treated myself with a couple of mangoes for breakfast as well as a white jasmine rice satay chicken meal. The rice meal is now my usual breakfast unless I've had a high fasting reading (in which case I go for tuna or chicken with limited carb). If I don't have some carb in the morning I find my readings are generally high (low to mid 6s) right through the day - not always but most times - even that little discovery makes no sense to me. But usually the satay option seems to be the worst. Today, 2 hours later, no spike. I ended up having 2 white bread sandwiches for lunch. I did this with trepadation. I like to follow a day of spiking with a day of minimal carbs. I did also have exactly 2 mouthfuls of coca cola. stupidly I had trapped myself - it was that or skip lunch, so I ate. Well, 2 hours later, I'm reading 4.6 and 4.8. WHAT THE???? Nothing unsual today either. No aerobic excercise etc. If anything a little more stress. I did help move some wood delivered to repair balconies but I didn't really break a sweat.
So to recap - 2 mangoes, rice, satay chicken, 2 chicken and mayo sandwiches on white bread and 2 mouthfuls of coke before 1pm give me a reading of 4.6 or 4.8 at 3pm. Anyone want to calculate the carbs?
I've even been to an all you can eat restaurant once or twice, avoided the very sugary stuff but had plenty of carb and some sweet stuff and walked away with readings less than 6.5. It doesn't make sense.
When I was diagnosed I had fasting readings of 7.8, and I have 2 parents type 2, so I'm not pretending I'm not diabetic. I probably could have pushed it back for a couple of decades had I lived better, but the reality is I was probably going to end up diabetic if I lived long enough). There is also no question overall I'm eating better, stressing my body less and for the most part my readings are good if not great. My only HbA1C is 5.2. But on the micromangement part, I have no clue what the heck to do when I have a day with high readings. I don't understand how it could be that a diabetic really should be eating carbs as I do. (I tried low carb - it made me feel weak and life literally wasn't worth living).
Now I write this and come to think of it if I have a high fasting reading, I generally know my readings stay high through the day. perhaps skipping the carb in the morning if I have a high reading isn't the best thing to do. I could certainly experiment, though I'm having less days with high readings lately. perhaps one every couple of weeks.
I've been at this since the start of June. At first I thought my meter was broken, or my technique was flawed. Then I discovered how inaccurate the meters can be, but none of this accounts for what I'm seeing. I've graphed my readings, tried recording sleep and stress levels (at best a very weak correlation long term). I really think this disease is going to drive me mad early. I'd like to be less stressed about this but it's so draining monitoring something that on paper looks like you have brilliant control while all the while feeling you just hold the map and your body is the one in the driver's seat.
For example day before yesterday I had a bit too much of a very delicious pasta bake my wife made. My fasting readings the next morning (yesterday) were 6.2 (2 readings) which is high. (I hadn't had a fasting reading of 6 or more in over 2 weeks). Okay makes sense, numbers went up slightly. I usually avoid pasta.
Today, I started at 5.7 treated myself with a couple of mangoes for breakfast as well as a white jasmine rice satay chicken meal. The rice meal is now my usual breakfast unless I've had a high fasting reading (in which case I go for tuna or chicken with limited carb). If I don't have some carb in the morning I find my readings are generally high (low to mid 6s) right through the day - not always but most times - even that little discovery makes no sense to me. But usually the satay option seems to be the worst. Today, 2 hours later, no spike. I ended up having 2 white bread sandwiches for lunch. I did this with trepadation. I like to follow a day of spiking with a day of minimal carbs. I did also have exactly 2 mouthfuls of coca cola. stupidly I had trapped myself - it was that or skip lunch, so I ate. Well, 2 hours later, I'm reading 4.6 and 4.8. WHAT THE???? Nothing unsual today either. No aerobic excercise etc. If anything a little more stress. I did help move some wood delivered to repair balconies but I didn't really break a sweat.
So to recap - 2 mangoes, rice, satay chicken, 2 chicken and mayo sandwiches on white bread and 2 mouthfuls of coke before 1pm give me a reading of 4.6 or 4.8 at 3pm. Anyone want to calculate the carbs?
I've even been to an all you can eat restaurant once or twice, avoided the very sugary stuff but had plenty of carb and some sweet stuff and walked away with readings less than 6.5. It doesn't make sense.
When I was diagnosed I had fasting readings of 7.8, and I have 2 parents type 2, so I'm not pretending I'm not diabetic. I probably could have pushed it back for a couple of decades had I lived better, but the reality is I was probably going to end up diabetic if I lived long enough). There is also no question overall I'm eating better, stressing my body less and for the most part my readings are good if not great. My only HbA1C is 5.2. But on the micromangement part, I have no clue what the heck to do when I have a day with high readings. I don't understand how it could be that a diabetic really should be eating carbs as I do. (I tried low carb - it made me feel weak and life literally wasn't worth living).
Now I write this and come to think of it if I have a high fasting reading, I generally know my readings stay high through the day. perhaps skipping the carb in the morning if I have a high reading isn't the best thing to do. I could certainly experiment, though I'm having less days with high readings lately. perhaps one every couple of weeks.
I've been at this since the start of June. At first I thought my meter was broken, or my technique was flawed. Then I discovered how inaccurate the meters can be, but none of this accounts for what I'm seeing. I've graphed my readings, tried recording sleep and stress levels (at best a very weak correlation long term). I really think this disease is going to drive me mad early. I'd like to be less stressed about this but it's so draining monitoring something that on paper looks like you have brilliant control while all the while feeling you just hold the map and your body is the one in the driver's seat.