Trouble with GD fasting number - suggestions?

UsuallyLurking

Hi all!  I was just recently diagnosed with GD and have met with my nutritionist/diabetic counselor and been on the diet since last Thursday.  I'm doing just fine with my post-meal numbers (less than 130 after 90 minutes) but haven't been able to get a hold on my fasting number.  They would like me at 90 or below for fasting, and lowest I've been able to get down to is 102.  The previous mornings were 117, 111, and finally 102 this morning (yes I would like it lower but I'm just glad it's steadily going down!).  Any suggestions?

My first night I had Greek yogurt with 1/2 c fresh strawberries = 117 the next morning.  The next night I tried 1/2 c ice cream with 2 T peanut butter = 111 the next morning.  And last night I had 1/2 a banana with peanut butter and 1/2 glass of 1% milk = 102 this morning.

I'm not sure if it's just my body taking time to get used to the diet and leveling out my numbers, which is why they've improved every morning or if it's what I'm eating/not eating.  Should I just stick with what I'm doing - staying within my carb allotment and balancing carbs and protein - and hope that the downward trend continues throughout the week, eventually putting myself below 90?  Should I try not eating a before-bed snack?  Should I lower the carbs I eat at my before-bed snack?  Eat more carbs before bed?  Maybe I'm fasting too long?

I know that insulin is an option, and that the fasting number is the hardest to control, but I'd prefer to control with diet if at all possible!  Thanks for any help, suggestions, or input you may have - this board has been a great resource  

Neener73

What time are you eating dinner and your nighttime snack?  What time do you take your fasting sample?

Even when I pass my post-dinner glucose number, I have found that if I have eaten dinner and/or nighttime snack too late that my fasting number will be elevated.  My dietician also said to make sure that the nighttime snack contained quite a bit of protein.

JNicole33

Neener73:

What time are you eating dinner and your nighttime snack?  What time do you take your fasting sample?

Even when I pass my post-dinner glucose number, I have found that if I have eaten dinner and/or nighttime snack too late that my fasting number will be elevated.  My dietician also said to make sure that the nighttime snack contained quite a bit of protein.

This. I would do string cheese with peanut butter or almonds. should be a very high protein snack.

Meem510

My dietician suggested no fruit at all at nighttime.  Maybe try that?  Or try to limit to 15 g carbs for your bedtime snack.

 P.s. HUGE DMB fan here, too

junebaby23

My fasting number is always my only high number. I have noticed i have to eat my snack earlier in the night and it has to be either the string cheese or popcorn and my numbers will be lower. But i also still have to take insulin to help.

dsimmons1107

I was having problems with my numbers too, and my dietitian told me to eat whole grains before bed.  I am now eating almost 45 grams in either whole wheat toast or crackers with peanut butter before I go to bed.  It seemed to help me.

shanns81

I tried everything to lower mine - my post-meal #'s are always in the 90's/100's and my fastings were 102-111.  After 2 weeks of trying everything including changing snack time, different # of carbs, etc, they put me on a small dose of glyburide and that's helped me.  Some people's bodies just can't be controlled by diet alone - the doc suspects my body goes into starvation mode and does a "glucose dump" in the middle of the night and that's my issue.  He said no amount of diet change will help.

 

UsuallyLurking

Thank you all! We eat dinner pretty late...8 is early for us (H and I, DS eats much earlier). So maybe I should skip the snack? I will try high, high protein and low on the carb side. My nutritionist didn't do the greatest job of explaining just how much protein is necessary to "counter" the carbs, but I'm realizing myself that more protein definitely results in better numbers, no matter the time of day. This may be a silly question, but can I eat too few carbs at any given meal? I know I can't eliminate them for the whole day or anything, but if I really cut back on them at before-bed snack could that backfire in some way?

JulyMomma2U2

I actually had issues with my fasting number, as well.. Mine would typically be between 95-100, and they wanted it under 95.. in the end, I was put on 2.5mg of Glyburide before bedtime.. it has helped tremendously -- my numbers now are usually in the low 70's when I wake up.

The doctor told me a couple of things.. he said sometimes over night your glucose will drop so low that you're body spikes hormone productions in order to counteract that drop.. told me if that was the case, the glyburide would help make it so that your body would produce that extra glucose.. for me, it's worked wonders.  

As far as trying to lower your fasting number without considering medication (I did try this for a while -- trust me, it was a huge "defeat" to take the glyburide -- but, I was assured (and researched it well) that it was such a low dose it wouldn't cross the placenta).. anyway, before doing that, the tricks I used to keep it under 100 were string cheese.. a couple tablespoons of peanut butter by itself.. or, I'd put some peanut butter of the carb smart ice cream..

I have to be VERY careful about my placement with fruit.. what I've found works for me is to have a banana as my mid-morning snack, and then I do about 1 cup of mixed fruit (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries or strawvberries) with 3/4 cup of Dannon Oikos Plain Greek Yogurt and 1 packet of splenda for my afternoon snack.. I avoid fruit at lunch, and I stay away from it anytime after 3:30.. this has been the biggest adjustment.. for me, fruit was what was helping me satisfy my newly discovered sweet tooth without indulging in chocolate and other sweets..  so having to be very careful with it has been tough!

Howeverrrrr.. I will say, just this past week i've found that I can do a kiwi in the morning with my breakfast, as long as the rest of my breakfast is very low in carbs.. (usually scrambled eggs with diced ham and a piece of cheese).. I can either have the kiwi and a small glass of Hood chocolate milk (best thing EVER for low carb dieters who need that dairy fix!! 6g carbs/8oz!) with the eggs or a piece of toast, milk and eggs and I seem to get the same numbesr..

Anyway.. all in all, it's a toss up.. you just have to keep playing wtih it to find what works for you.. I've had many many meltdowns over these past 6 weeks because of my numbers!! Days when I think I'm being so good, and my numbers are off.. or days when I've splurged on something and I just about give up expecting to have a super sky rocketed number, and then it's fine!! So stressful

One more tid-bit of advice.. the more you stress about it.. the harder it is to control! I had a good friend of mine who delivered her daughter back in March give me this piece of advice.. stress is hormone related.. if you stress, you increase hormones.. you mess with your glucose.. such a viscious cycle!!

But, hang in there -- you're not alone   Use the board to vent -- it definitely helps!!

pupluv0410

I am in exactly the same boat as you.  I was just diagnosed with GD and started my stuff Friday.  My fasting numbers, and consequently my breakfast numbers, tend to be high.  I met with my nutritionist today and she said talked about the hormones spiking at night (just like the other poster mentioned).  I was not eating a snack after dinner, and she suggested to make sure that I ate that snack (as well as the others throughout the day).  And to make sure that the evening snack had plenty of protein.  What they told me was that snacks should be around 15g of carbs and 7 grams of proteins.  However, I do not think extra protein would hurt.  I am starting this tonight, so I can't tell you yet if it has worked or not.  Good luck!

UsuallyLurking

pupluv0410:

I am in exactly the same boat as you.  I was just diagnosed with GD and started my stuff Friday.  My fasting numbers, and consequently my breakfast numbers, tend to be high.  I met with my nutritionist today and she said talked about the hormones spiking at night (just like the other poster mentioned).  I was not eating a snack after dinner, and she suggested to make sure that I ate that snack (as well as the others throughout the day).  And to make sure that the evening snack had plenty of protein.  What they told me was that snacks should be around 15g of carbs and 7 grams of proteins.  However, I do not think extra protein would hurt.  I am starting this tonight, so I can't tell you yet if it has worked or not.  Good luck!

Thanks!  I'm going to try packing the protein in tonight, too and see how that helps my number in the morning.  Good luck  

UsuallyLurking

Meem510:

 P.s. HUGE DMB fan here, too

LOVE.  I haven't seen him in 3 years.  Makes me sad, lol. 

LadyNikon

fasting numbers for me sucked even with insulin.  I am just never hungry to eat a snack.  I started drinking glucerna snack shakes as my snack.  It didn't work so I included more protein.  So I had a glucerna snack shake, a cheese stick, and some sugar free chocolate pudding.  Woke up this morning and my levels were 88.  

If you try the shakes please make sure to pay attention to the name.  its glucerna snack. The normal ones have too many carbs to be considered a snack.