anyone (non diabetic) using a glucometer to monitor blood sugar effects?

cenright0

I asked this question in the Keto group but didn't receive any responses so I thought I see if any non diabetic low carbers use a glucometer. I'm intrigued by the effects of my food on my blood sugar levels and how this relates to hunger/ satiety and weight loss.

I just purchased a glucometer to just see where I am with blood sugar. It's been kinda interesting taking my levels and paying attention to how foods raise my blood sugars. I'm new to keto and I don't believe I've reached ketosis yet as I'm still experiencing hunger within a couple hours of eating most days.

I've listened to jimmy Moore and a couple others and they strive for blood sugar fasting levels in the 70-80 range. Mine is in the 90's. I hope thru keto I can bring that down.

If anyone has any experience with monitoring their blood sugar as it relates to their diet I would love feedback.

RalfLott

Here are a few stray thoughts. (I'm diabetic - so feel free to keep or toss.)

Assuming you're getting readings in the 90s after a genuine fast (my endocrinologist requires 8 but prefers 12 hours) and after you retest at least once, you might be getting close to what some would classify as impaired glucose tolerance. If you're curious, you might have your hemoglobin A1c tested or get a glucose tolerance test. And there's no harm in testing 1, 2, 3 hours after meals. It's all info that might be useful.

But seriously, congratulations on taking the initiative to keep track of how your body reacts to your diet. (How I wish I'd had the idea before I developed diabetes....) Keep it up and you'll stay on top of any carb sensitivity/glucose tolerance issues you'll ever have!

KarlynKeto

I have one and I measure glucose when I measure ketones (about once per week), but never tried to do it with food. I never thought about it. Would be doubly interesting now that I am intermittent fasting 16:8, and have a large dinner now. I'll have to give it a try! My weekly fasting measure varies but always in a good range 75-90 ish.

cenright0

RalfLott wrote: »

Here are a few stray thoughts. (I'm diabetic - so feel free to keep or toss.)

Assuming you're getting readings in the 90s after a genuine fast (my endocrinologist requires 8 but prefers 12 hours) and after you retest at least once, you might be getting close to what some would classify as impaired glucose tolerance. If you're curious, you might have your hemoglobin A1c tested or get a glucose tolerance test. And there's no harm in testing 1, 2, 3 hours after meals. It's all info that might be useful.

But seriously, congratulations on taking the initiative to keep track of how your body reacts to your diet. (How I wish I'd had the idea before I developed diabetes....) Keep it up and you'll stay on top of any carb sensitivity/glucose tolerance issues you'll ever have!

Thank you for the point about fast testing 8-12 hours after food, possibly that is why mine is on the high side or less accurate? Im testing about 8-9 hours after my last meal and maybe i should try to stretch that (its SO hard to go to bed hungry!!) Ive tested now for about a week and Im seeing high 90's and this morning 104! Im getting a bit concerned and think I will book an appt with my gp to have the tests run that you suggested. Frankly I didn't know what to expect out of my blood sugar readings but in all honesty Im shocked by my fasting is SO high. Im 49 female with10-15 pounds to lose so Im not extremely over weight. I am not an exerciser but plan to start brisk walking now that its warming up a bit in the midwest. I will be curious if brisk walking has an effect on my levels and Im able to lower it thru that.

I began this experiment to see how foods effect my weight loss and satiety but Im now more concerned about my fasting levels and with being pre diabetic.

Thank you SO much for your insight on testing, this is a whole new world to me and I so appreciate your info!

baconslave

I had gestational diabetes with my last child so I still have the meter and a bunch of strips. I test fasting and pps occasionally just to keep my finger on the pulse of things, so to speak.

Twibbly

My fasting blood glucose was over 120, and the doctor felt no need to check anything else. Yeah, not going back to him.

I haven't been eating low carb, but I am using the meter to see what happens as I get back on the wagon. I've been testing first thing in the morning, plus one and 2 hours after each meal. My fasting blood sugar right now is usually in the 110s. I don't know if I'll continue checking THAT often, but I am keeping track.

Oh, I've read through Blood Sugar 101 twice in the 2 weeks or so since I got it. Highly, highly recommended. By the same lady who runs http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/index.php.

KenSmith108

Walmart sells a glucometer for $16 & 50 test strips for $9.
It's the cheapest way to get in on this bloody fun that I know of.
Hint: Testing on the side of your finger doesn't hurt as much as
sticking the pad.

or

Twibbly

KenSmith108 wrote: »

Walmart sells a glucometer for $16 & 50 test strips for $9.
It's the cheapest way to get in on this bloody fun that I know of.
Hint: Testing on the side of your finger doesn't hurt as much as
sticking the pad.

or

That's the one I use. ReliOn Prime. I calibrate every so often against a One Touch Ultra 2, and they're always pretty close.

baconslave

KenSmith108 wrote: »

Walmart sells a glucometer for $16 & 50 test strips for $9.
It's the cheapest way to get in on this bloody fun that I know of.
Hint: Testing on the side of your finger doesn't hurt as much as
sticking the pad.

or

Right. And start with your non-dominant hand.
The lancets are a lot less ouchie than they used to be. Start with the lowest setting that will achieve a good blood drop. If you aren't very calloused, 1 or 1.5 is perfect. I think all stickers are different, but that most have multiple depth settings now. If you cycle fingers well you shouldn't get any soreness. Using first one side of each finger and then restart the cycling with the other side of the fingers. It spaces it out quite well. I had to do this fasting and 2hr after every meal every day for months during my last pregnancy.

LowCarbInScotland

KenSmith108 wrote: »

Walmart sells a glucometer for $16 & 50 test strips for $9.
It's the cheapest way to get in on this bloody fun that I know of.
Hint: Testing on the side of your finger doesn't hurt as much as
sticking the pad.

or

Apparently finger sensitivity varies by person, the side of my finger is a last resort spot, it bleeds like a waterfall but hurts like hell. I stab the pads of my fingers 6-7 times a day pain free, and no, I don't have callouses built up to blunt the pain

baconslave

I use the side of the pad, not the center, which helps. The actual side of the finger is too bony for me. Even when I had fat preg-lady fingers.

cenright0

I've gotta say one really positive result of checking my blood sugar levels post meal is that it forces me to not snack between meals so I get accurate readings!

cenright0

Here's a question I'm hoping someone can help with. I'm tracking my blood glucose levels with a new app called Sugar Sense. I want to do this for at least a month and see my patterns with meals, hunger, satiety and sugar (again, I'm not diabetic) My question is how do I do a post meal test when you supposed to post one hour after ingestion and/or 2 hours after injection to get a post meal reading. How do you do this if your breakfast meal is always bullet proof coffee? I sip on my bpc all morning so I'm not sure when to take a post meal reading??? Help!!

RalfLott

cenright0 wrote: »

Here's a question I'm hoping someone can help with. I'm tracking my blood glucose levels with a new app called Sugar Sense. I want to do this for at least a month and see my patterns with meals, hunger, satiety and sugar (again, I'm not diabetic) My question is how do I do a post meal test when you supposed to post one hour after ingestion and/or 2 hours after injection to get a post meal reading. How do you do this if your breakfast meal is always bullet proof coffee? I sip on my bpc all morning so I'm not sure when to take a post meal reading??? Help!!

Great question!

YMMV, but I might start 1 hour after I'd drunk enough for it to be a "good gulp", then again 1 hour and 2 hours after your last sip. Then do this for a week or two until you can identify your peaks, then test at that time going forward. ??

It might also be interesting to compare those results to what happens when you chug your BPC all at once.

Again, my compliments on your n=1 experiments and the knowledge and health that will surely be your reward!

GaleHawkins

boards.sethroberts.net/index.php?topic=7511.0

This was a self study I found online that helped me to grasp the power of the meter. The bit about coconut oil impact on BG let me understand why my levels are much lower and hour after breakfast then FBG.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (so I make no insulin - type 1; and I am resistant to insulin - type 2). I've received more training on type 1 than most physicians, and I am constantly learning. I use a CGM and manually dispense insulin, but I see exactly how and when things raise my BG and I adjust manualy as needed in addition to the pre-set pump settings for a basal insulin (because even when fasting, your BG rises, just not from diet). So here are my thoughts:

1. Different macros convert to glucose at different speeds. Fat can convert for 12 hours or more after consumption, so if you want a good fasting number, you really need to fast for 12-14 hours. Give yourself 1 hour after final conversion for your body to react and lower BG properly.
2. I wouldn't worry about 90 mg/dl on a LCHF diet. If it bothers you, though, then test 30 min., 1 hr., 90 min, 2 hrs., etc. after eating and see how high it gets when you eat a typical low carb meal. Keep testing to mark how high it gets and how long it stays there. The most recent research used indicates that prolonged BG over 140 causes risk of complications in diabetics. A typical SAD will spike BG well above this threshhold. The difference between normal people and type 2 diabetics is that normal people will spike when they eat carbs and be back below 140 within 1 hr. So 90 is safe, but you really want to know what you are after eating and for how long.
3. It sounds like part of your purpose (or maybe all of your purpose) to doing this is to better understand the creation of glucose from food and use or storage (as glycogen or fat) of that glucose. In that case, you want to test after eating several times to chart it. Testing when fasting won't help with that.

TexasJohnnyBravo

I don't have diabetes but I test my Blood sugars quite regularly. It's been fascinating to watch how certain foods affect my blood sugars. I know that if I test when I first wake up that I'll be around 76-78. Random tests throughout the day will usually yield results in the 88-95 range. I've had it spike as high as 190 but will drop down. To normal levels within 2-3 hours.

RalfLott

GaleHawkins wrote: »

boards.sethroberts.net/index.php?topic=7511.0

This was a self study I found online that helped me to grasp the power of the meter. The bit about coconut oil impact on BG let me understand why my levels are much lower and hour after breakfast then FBG.

Very interesting - thanks! I'll try the coconut oil experiment tomorrow.

camtosh

interesting ... I need to eat more CO!

RalfLott

Going to give it a try for a week or two, if I can handle a couple slugs of CO on an empty stomach.

It doesn't really make sense to me, frankly. If you tend toward dawn effect (high morning FBG), then I suppose you would expect your BG to drift down as the morning wears on if you avoid carbs and protein. But that's not what was reported by the, er, self-experimenter....

Sunny_Bunny_

I don't agree with the authors assumption in this statement.
"Hunger. I found very little correlation between "hunger" and blood glucose. Actually, the one association I found was that hunger comes BEFORE a drop in blood glucose. If I was every hungry, I would measure my blood glucose and it was the same...but 30 minutes later, it had dropped 10-20 units. So hunger causes a drop in blood sugar, but not the other way around This seems to confirm my hypothesis about pre-prandial insulin and hunger. The thought of hunger...drives insulin up...which drives glucose down."

In my experience with my T1D daughter, it's the presence of insulin and the rate of dropping blood sugar that triggers hunger.
For example, if it was dinner time and she wasn't really hungry but was eating because it was dinner time, she would take insulin to cover the meal she was about to eat and within minutes she would begin to feel very hungry and if there was any delay in the food being ready to eat, she would start to feel hungry in that panicky "gotta eat now" way. Even if her blood sugar was actually high, it was falling in response to the insulin and hunger was triggered.
I believe the authors blood sugar was already falling at the time he felt the hunger and continued falling. When he tested 30 minutes later, he assumes that the thoughts of hunger are responsible for the drop, but it makes more sense that the drop was already occurring and that he was more likely at a higher insulin level when the hunger came on.
I'm kind of surprised that he doesn't realize that because earlier he mentions his insulin resistant friend having hunger when blood sugar was higher in response to her high insulin levels. The same was true for him, but on a lesser scale.