New and perplexed

Shari325

Hello all, My name is Shari. I am morbidly obese and recently diagnosed pre-diabetic.

Some history, in 2005 I had a BMI of 55 and was pre-diabetic. I tried to lose weight and could not, so I chose to have bariatric surgery. I had LapBand surgery in 2006. I lost 70% of my excess weight. I was still over weight, but no longer obese and my blood sugar issue were resolved. In 2011, the LapBand failed and almost killed me. Since then I have gained close to 80#.

In January, I learned my blood sugar was high again (115), so I began watching what I was eating and lost almost 20#. Blood sugar was tested again about a week ago, it was 113. Since learning there was no change, I have been closely watching the amount of carbs I eat and testing my blood sugar every morning. Morning levels have been 111 - 117, until today. I am perplexed by what is happening to my levels.

Yesterday I ate 30g of carbs or less per meal and 15g or less per snack. I ate 111g of carb for the day. Two hours after eating a meal of 27g my blood sugar was 92. This morning (12 hours fasting) it was 135. That makes no sense to me. Does anyone have a clue what is going on with my blood sugar levels? I am perplexed, to say the least.
Shari

Crochetluvr

Hi, Shari! There are some people who seem to have high fasting sugar readings. I am sure someone will chime in about that.

Also, different carbs have different effects on different people. Thats why you have to experiment with the foods you eat...see which ones raise your BS high and which ones dont. For me, protein keeps my BS readings low. I try to keep my carbs under 100 for the day when I don't exercise and adjust accordingly.

Different Dr's tell their patients different things, too. Mine said if I can keep my fasting sugar under 120, thats just fine. I prefer to get it lower, but either way, its not bad. And you will find the more weight you lose, the better you will be able to control your sugar readings.

jsiricos

I don't have the link, but basically around 4 - 4.30 am, your body dumps glucose into your bloodstream to wake you up and get you ready for the day. My Dr told me that going 12 hours is not a good thing.

Some people find a small snack of protein (celery with PB, sliceof turkey/chicken/ham) before bed works, others find exercise before bed works.

Everyones different so it's all trial and error, its what works for you.

Good luck! You'll work it out

BigG59

It is called the "Dawn Phenomenon"

Copy and Paste this URL into your browser

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/dawn-phenomenon.html

This gives an explanation.

djshari

Hi Shari, welcome! I am also a Shari I have issues with higher morning readings due to dawn phenom too. Are you on any medication? Metformin and losing a little weight brought mine down a lot but I'm still in the 105-130 range most morning. I'm hoping if I lose more weight I can get it under 100.

nczuczu

My blood sugars tend to run between 90 - 130. It is usually higher on mornings when I don't exercise the night before. Exercise, even just a 15 minute walk, will help with your numbers. I also agree that you may needf to experiment with different kinds of foods and/or try a snack before bed to lower these in the morning.

Are you seeing a general physician or a diabetes specialist/endocrinologist? It might be useful to go to a specialist or even a class to get more education. Talking to a nutritionist would probably be very beneficial to you.

I find that now that I am dropping weight and regularly exercising, my blood sugars have been lower and my intake of insulin has decreased.

There is a good tool that I have used to track my glucose levels, it is called Glucose Buddy (there is an app too, although the app for android does not sync with the website). You can enter your food, glucose levels, exercise etc and then you can look at the trends when you eat certain foods. No matter what tool you use, it will be very important for you to try different foods and then track how they affect you.

I wish you all the best. Add me as a friend if you'd like. - Nancy

Shari325

djshari, Nice to meet another Shari. This spelling is becoming more common. I never used to see anyone, other than Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop, spelling their name this way.
I am not currently on medication. My fasting BG at the doctor's office was 113. At home I am getting readings between 115 and 135. She agreed to give me 6 months to try and bring it down with diet and exercise alone.

Nancy, Is it exercise at any time, or only at night that helps lower your morning BG? I'm usually so tired at night that I struggle to exercise. But, I have been working to increase my activity during the day. 1 hour in the pool 2-3 times a week.

Shari

jessiekanga

Hi Shari-

Congrats on a good fasting number at the Dr's office, that's terrific! And welcome.

Exercise offers about 24 hours of help keeping BG down, so getting it in there is the most important. Some folks find extra help if they take a ten minute walk after a meal or something comparable, but the first critical step is just working it into your day somewhere; which you're doing. That's awesome. There's a lot of discussion and research about cardio vs. strength, but what it all leads to is that all exercise is beneficial, and some combination of cardio and strength is the most dynamic recipe. There are studies that show that a habit of exercise can help you regain some insulin sensitivity, which is a wonderful added bonus. Personally I swear by it. I exercise almost every day in some capacity, and my A1C is quite grateful. Having a normal A1C after being scared with a diagnosis of T2 just feels like freedom... freedom from angst and worry. I wish you that feeling!

Good luck!

nczuczu

Hi Shari,
I would agree with jessie, that just moving my body is what helps. The only time I can squeeze in the exercise in on weekdays, is at night, but weekends, I try to go during the day. I used to say I am so tired at night too, but now I look forward to it. In fact, last night I didn't leave the house until 8 p.m. and didn't get home until 9. I was tired when I got home, but sure slept like a baby. For the record, I am up every morning at 6 a.m., leave the house by 7:15 to get to work. I don't get home from work until 5:45 and have a family that I cook for, so my first time to get to the gym is usually about 7 or 7:30. I finally sit down and relax about 8:30 - 9 night and then in bed by 10 or 10:30.

It is good you are taking such a proactive look at your BGs. I try too, but am a lot less successful at the analysis piece.

Good luck!!! - Nancy