Non-diabetics using glucose meters

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  • cremorna1
    cremorna1 Posts: 133 Member
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    Abbott Laboratories also have something similar and the sensors are less visible imo
    https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/strategy-and-strength/freeStyle-libre-3-worlds-smallest-sensor-is-here.html

    I am not affiliated with them in any way. They were recommended to my father by his doctor and they have worked well for him.
  • wils5150
    wils5150 Posts: 149 Member
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    __TMac__ wrote: »
    If anyone has recommendations for glucose and lipid meters, I’m all ears. Amazon is a black hole of options.

    reli-on at walmart is affordable and accurate. I am diabetic and thats what i use
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    If someone is not diabetic, then I don’t see why anyone would do this.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    SModa61 wrote: »
    MaltedTea wrote: »
    @Nony_Mouse Yes! Actually, it's that site (but a different page that's a REALLY long read) that got me thinking about this topic again. Up until this weekend, I had never heard of them before.

    @SModa61 I read about one person's experience with it. It sounds interesting (and she seemed to love the analytics from hers) but it's dramatically conspicuous.

    5l8vd2alg3dn.gif

    @MaltedTea I wish I could find the actual unit I was looking at but it was likely back in September when I was looking at the idea of P:E ratio diet. And I am assuming that Naiman must have mentioned or recommended the brand I looked at. It was still large but if I recall it had a sticker type thing to wear over it, kind of like people wearing kinesiology tape. There had been a video showing the install and then applying the sticker over. I will continue to look, but not sure I will have any luck.

    As for cost, I know nothing about the cost.

    Just glancing around Nutrisense might be the brand I had seen, or even the freestyle libra. It was definitely round and flatter.

    I think you are talking about Grif Grips (the "sticker" to put over it).
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I've been using CGM's for more than a decade, but I'm a type 1 diabetic. The data is probably interesting, but not sure what you would do with it if not diabetic. Also, is it interesting enough to be worth the cost? As someone pointed out, insurance usually isn't paying for it (which makes it expensive up front for the equipment, and then expensive for the replacement supplies). Also, CGM's still require a prescription... though I'm sure you could find a dr. willing to write a script for that because it isn't exactly going to harm you like medications you don't need.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    nooshi713 wrote: »
    If someone is not diabetic, then I don’t see why anyone would do this.

    @nooshi713 = if you feel like quite a long read: https://optimisingnutrition.com/data-driven-fasting/

    In a nutshell, it's using your blood glucose level as a gauge for when to eat, ensuring you've burnt off any energy from your previous meal (and are therefore pulling energy from fat reserves) before eating again.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    If someone is not diabetic, then I don’t see why anyone would do this.

    @nooshi713 = if you feel like quite a long read: https://optimisingnutrition.com/data-driven-fasting/

    In a nutshell, it's using your blood glucose level as a gauge for when to eat, ensuring you've burnt off any energy from your previous meal (and are therefore pulling energy from fat reserves) before eating again.

    But if you’re in a deficit at the end of the day, you will burn fat regardless of when you eat.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    nooshi713 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    If someone is not diabetic, then I don’t see why anyone would do this.

    @nooshi713 = if you feel like quite a long read: https://optimisingnutrition.com/data-driven-fasting/

    In a nutshell, it's using your blood glucose level as a gauge for when to eat, ensuring you've burnt off any energy from your previous meal (and are therefore pulling energy from fat reserves) before eating again.

    But if you’re in a deficit at the end of the day, you will burn fat regardless of when you eat.

    Not necessarily. It could be that you use glycogen or convert lean tissue to glucose for use. But I'm not sure you would be able to tell these things very well (or how much lean glycogen and lean tissue you used vs. body fat) with a CGM.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    nooshi713 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    If someone is not diabetic, then I don’t see why anyone would do this.

    @nooshi713 = if you feel like quite a long read: https://optimisingnutrition.com/data-driven-fasting/

    In a nutshell, it's using your blood glucose level as a gauge for when to eat, ensuring you've burnt off any energy from your previous meal (and are therefore pulling energy from fat reserves) before eating again.

    But if you’re in a deficit at the end of the day, you will burn fat regardless of when you eat.

    It's an alternative to calorie counting.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    nooshi713 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    If someone is not diabetic, then I don’t see why anyone would do this.

    @nooshi713 = if you feel like quite a long read: https://optimisingnutrition.com/data-driven-fasting/

    In a nutshell, it's using your blood glucose level as a gauge for when to eat, ensuring you've burnt off any energy from your previous meal (and are therefore pulling energy from fat reserves) before eating again.

    But if you’re in a deficit at the end of the day, you will burn fat regardless of when you eat.

    Not necessarily. It could be that you use glycogen or convert lean tissue to glucose for use. But I'm not sure you would be able to tell these things very well (or how much lean glycogen and lean tissue you used vs. body fat) with a CGM.

    Just to note, that site doesn't advocate using a CGM. Just normal finger prick and glucose meter.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited December 2020
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    Diabetic here - I use Bayer Contour next, strips plus meter and lancet come in an inexpensive kit on Amazon and replacement strips can be cheap from the right sellers. Contour next was found to be one of the most reliable ones by consumer testing.

    A healthy person’s glucose should stay within a pretty tight range, so I’m not sure how useful the info will be, but if anyone tries this let me know how it goes! Be aware that there’s an accuracy range of about 10-15% either direction, so small fluctuations aren’t reliably an indicator of anything.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    This is what my data looked like btw, for the curious (you only have to do waking glucose and after meal for the first few days, after that it's just before meal):

    o73b76cku59g.png
  • Kait_Dee
    Kait_Dee Posts: 176 Member
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    I test my levels once a week with my regular check in. I’m currently in a mass gaining phase (pretty high levels of carbs) and I want to ensure insulin sensitivity for optimal nutritional partitioning and use.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    Kait_Dee wrote: »
    I test my levels once a week with my regular check in. I’m currently in a mass gaining phase (pretty high levels of carbs) and I want to ensure insulin sensitivity for optimal nutritional partitioning and use.

    I have a diet break scheduled to start late January, which will mean a substantial increase in carbs to drive leptin back up. I am very curious to see what happens with glucose levels!
  • sarah7591
    sarah7591 Posts: 415 Member
    edited January 2021
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    Diabetic here - I use Bayer Contour next, strips plus meter and lancet come in an inexpensive kit on Amazon and replacement strips can be cheap from the right sellers. Contour next was found to be one of the most reliable ones by consumer testing.

    A healthy person’s glucose should stay within a pretty tight range, so I’m not sure how useful the info will be, but if anyone tries this let me know how it goes! Be aware that there’s an accuracy range of about 10-15% either direction, so small fluctuations aren’t reliably an indicator of anything.
    rhead...what is your opinion of a healthy range? I am not diabetic but feel I am heading that way since I eat way too many carbs. Many times when I eat I feel very sleepy and carbs are like a sleeping pill for me. Whatever I eat I try not to let my BS spike more than 140 for the two hour period after I eat. After 2 hours it should go back to 100. What are others goals for their BS and eating window (2 hours)? I use the Relion meter and strips from Walmart. I have had high A1C (5.8) which is prediabetic so that is why I started testing mine. Thanks in advance.

  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
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    @Nony_Mouse thanks for sharing your data and experience with this. When you do get to the gaining phase, it would be interesting to get an update!

    @sarah7591 While I've not yet made the plunge (nor am I pre-diabetic), I hope someone will chime in with how they approach their readings.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    @sarah7591 - this chart shows what is generally considered healthy range:

    gr7wtwdmmjhm.png

    @MaltedTea - maintaining (for two weeks), not gaining! I have a sizeable chunk of lard still to lose :\
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited January 2021
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    sarah7591 wrote: »
    Diabetic here - I use Bayer Contour next, strips plus meter and lancet come in an inexpensive kit on Amazon and replacement strips can be cheap from the right sellers. Contour next was found to be one of the most reliable ones by consumer testing.

    A healthy person’s glucose should stay within a pretty tight range, so I’m not sure how useful the info will be, but if anyone tries this let me know how it goes! Be aware that there’s an accuracy range of about 10-15% either direction, so small fluctuations aren’t reliably an indicator of anything.
    rhead...what is your opinion of a healthy range? I am not diabetic but feel I am heading that way since I eat way too many carbs. Many times when I eat I feel very sleepy and carbs are like a sleeping pill for me. Whatever I eat I try not to let my BS spike more than 140 for the two hour period after I eat. After 2 hours it should go back to 100. What are others goals for their BS and eating window (2 hours)? I use the Relion meter and strips from Walmart. I have had high A1C (5.8) which is prediabetic so that is why I started testing mine. Thanks in advance.

    @Nony_Mouse posted the official numbers. A non-diabetic person should only see numbers as high as 140 after eating a LOT of carbs - like, a pancake breakfast with syrup and a juice. And it should come down very quickly, with a healthy insulin response.

    I try to keep mine within normal range, and mostly succeed due to careful timing of meals to coincide with exercise. I have managed to keep my a1c under 5 since being diagnosed, but I am definitely still diabetic! If I eat the wrong thing at the wrong time (example: as little as half a cup white rice, or 2 small flour tortillas, and get into an argument with someone which raises my cortisol levels) I have seen spikes as high as 160. If it gets high I can usually do about 30 - 60 air squats and quickly drop it to normal levels. The air squats work well, and are portable, I can even do them in a restaurant bathroom if I have to!

    I have found that with most meals my bg is highest at 45 minutes and actually most of the way back to normal by 2 hours. So if I tested at the approved time I would never know how high my spikes were. Play around, see if your tiredness corresponds to any particular reading. I had eaten a ton of carbs after a run the other day and was so sleepy, assumed I had overdone it with the carbs and was high, and found out my actual reading was 76! Oops! That will indeed make you sleepy. Probably since it was a lot of quick carbs it did get high, but just as quickly dropped due to the aftereffects of exercise.