Help me figure out my blood sugar numbers

ErikaLynn75 · March 2014

I feel like I'm back on TTGP making a "Chart Stalk Please?" thread...

Anyone who knows anything about this diabetes crap, please help me out!

This is my first day doing this whole blood sugar thing. My fasting number in the morning is supposed to be under 90. During the day it's supposed to be under 130. Here's how today went.

Fasting - 92

Ate breakfast, since my # was high, I left out the half apple I was planning to eat (based on the recommended # of carbs from the dietician)

An hour later - 113

Ate a snack - half an apple with peanut butter (again, chosen based on recommended numbers of carbs/protein)

An hour and a half later, I was feeling a little light headed before lunch so I decided to test again. 83. Kinda low.

Ate lunch - PBJ sandwich, veggies & ranch. Seemed like a lot of carbs, but it fit in the dieticians recommendation.

An hour later - 138.

I'm just baffled that my number right before lunch was lower than my fasting number this morning. How does that happen? And is the 83 to 138 jump in one hour something to be concerned about? Starting tomorrow I'll cut back even more on carbs from the recommended 45 per meal. But is there anything I can do about my fasting number? High protein bedtime snack?

CamrynnsMommy · March 2014

My doctor suggested walking after dinner or just getting 30 minutes of some activity.

Unfortunately for me, no matter what I eat before bed, my fasting has been high. I started doing Just Dance with my girls after dinner and my fasting was below normal.

You're more active during the day, that could be the reason your after meal # is lower than your fasting.

ErikaLynn75 · March 2014

HatchetFace said:

I think you're putting too much emphasis on a few numbers. You'll need time to figure out what and when you can eat certain kinds of foods. I don't see any alarming numbers. Just take a deep breath and try not to overwhelm yourself. 138 an hour after a meal is not bad at all and your fasting number is well within my OBs normal range. My fasting numbers are usually in the 110s. I've only got it under 90 one time and I'm on insulin.

ETA- I'll add that I test 2 hours after meals and I'm supposed to be at/under 135.

Thank you. I needed that. I'm getting the urge to test twice as often than they said and make myself an Excel spreadsheet with a daily line graph to analyze the numbers. I need to calm my tits. I will try my best at diet/exercise, and record my numbers for the doctor to see in 2 weeks, and just try not to think about it so much.

I think it's odd that the guidelines they gave you are so different from mine. But I'm not going to think about that either.

mer0504 · March 2014

Lurker here. This is my second go round with GD. I second the exercise and giving yourself some time to get to know how your body reacts. You'll find certain foods will work better for you than others (for instance, whole wheat pasta does better for me than cold cereal, even if it's the exact same number of carbs). Stress is a big factor too...my numbers go nuts when I am stressed out.

Also, I would hesitate to cut your carbs right off the bat. Sometimes I found my numbers were worse with fewer carbs. I would suggest instead upping your protein first.

I know it's horribly frustrating when you first start out and things don't add up neatly, but you'll get the hang of it! And remember, some people just can't control GD with diet alone, and that's ok. It's not a failure of any sort, it's just the way your body works.

Mimaloo · March 2014

My guidelines are 60-95 for fasting and under 125 for everything else. My fasting numbers have all been over 95 (usually between 99-105) and they're talking about putting me on insulin.

I was stressing so badly yesterday that I felt sick after eating. It sucks and it's hard so hang in there.

Sorry I'm new to this too so that's all I've got for you.

chknma · March 2014

I agree with PP. This is also my second pregnancy with GD and I still had a week of adjusting once I started testing. A few high numbers is nothing to be too worried about, it's all about longer-term trends/management.

Fasting numbers tend to be the hardest to control. last pregnancy i ended up on oral meds toward the end. ....so far this pregnancy cottage cheese, plain greek yogurt or WW toast with BP has been good for me.

I also find that my tolerance to certain foods changes fairly regularly. something works for a few weeks then I have to make adjustments.

remember that all carbs are not equal. Carbs from fruit/sugary items are going to process different then carbs from a complex source.

mrspopsicle · March 2014

I would definitely try eating complex, whole wheat carbs and making sure you are getting plenty of protien and fiber to help stabilize your blood sugar. Fruits can be hard for some people. Even 5-10 minutes of exercise after meals can make a huge difference in how your body processes sugar and uses it's insulin.

I wouldn't go too crazy cutting carbs without taking to your dietitian. Too few carbs will cause your body to break down fat and form ketones which is not good.

Don't be too hard on yourself. It definitely takes some trial and error to figure out how your body handles certain foods. Your numbers aren't crazy high. You will get there!

dragossoul84 · March 2014

I'm having the worst time with my sugar they are talking about insulin with me too. I follow the diet they suggest and I am either over or under even if I eat the same meal every day. I am getting super stressed and I'm stress eater so everything I'm not supposed to have is looking super tempting. I have to be under 90 fasting and under 130 one hour after meals

jfletcher3113 · March 2014

I agree with the other PP that it can take some time so be patient. I noticed a few things on your food list that you might be able to change that could help. I'm basing this strictly on the GD class I took and talks with my dietician but I'm no doctor.

As others have said, your numbers are not alarming but you can try these things and see if it helps. It certainly won't hurt you to try these things. I know everyone is different but my levels have been good following these rules.

- No fruit or dairy in the morning. According to my dietician fruit and dairy, for us with GD, can cause a spike in the a.m., although they are both fine later in the day. Eat it only with lunch and dinner to make sure it's paired with protein. They are fine as snacks too if paired with protein but wait until at least lunch to eat them.

- No sugar in the first four ingredients. A LOT of food has sugar in the first four ingredients. Many breads, crackers, yogurt, sauces, etc. A bread I found that does not have sugar in the first four ingredients is cracked wheat sourdough (literally every other loaf at the grocery store I was at had sugar in the first four). Crackers that do not are Triscuits. Stay away from any yogurt unless its plain, Greek yogurt. I saw jelly on your list and that definitely has a lot of sugar so maybe that was why that one was slightly higher?

- A bedtime snack that works for me is a Van's organic multigrain waffle with peanut butter and 8 oz. of 2% milk. My dietician said a popular one (which I have yet to try) is three cups of popcorn with shredded cheese on top.

It gets easier and you'll soon learn what works for you. I actually kind of like the diet because I know I'm eating healthy.

ajsweeton · March 2014

So I'm type 2 and already on insulin, but I'm going to chime in anyway. For me the biggest thing is to make sure I balance carbs with protein and or fat. For instance if I have skim milk it affects my sugar more than 2%. Also, I try to have complex carbs. I can't have Cheerios (plain), but I can have oatmeal if I mix plain Greek yogurt in. And for fruit berries make my sugar go up less than citrus or apples. I eat a yoplait light and fit Greek yogurt every morning. The carb grams are less than the protein which I think really helps. For snacks I usually try to keep the protein higher than my carbs to keep things under control. Also, like pp said try to limit carbs in the morning as they're harder to process. Boiled eggs are really good. Sara Lee has a delightful light wheat bread that's only 19g carbs per two slices. That's really good. And I live on PB. It's really good to help keep things in control as well. Also, eat a snack right before bed as ironically this will help with fasting numbers. Especially if it's a high fat/ high protein snack. The high risk board has lots of ladies with GD too if you're looking for more help.

TaylorHam86 · March 2014

Fats can slow down the breakdown of carbs to lower your number, so the ranch may have been what kept you a little high, but trust me, it is ok. I envy your numbers.

FWIW, I'm at the point where my insulin requirements are increasing due to PG and it's driving me crazy. My numbers have been in the 200-300s for the past few days and I'm terrified because I feel like my endocrinologist isn't in more of a rush to get them back under control.

She's more concerned about increasing my dosage too much and me going low. I'd much rather be low ( =quick fix) than SO high!

starskristen79 · March 2014

This is all good advice, so my only thought is that As a type 2, I would kill for your numbers! When my friends are diagnosed with GD, I always hear about docs freaking them out a bit too much in my opinion. I know it is serious, but I promise you are too close to perfect to be stressing!

ErikaLynn75 · March 2014

Update just in case this thread can help someone else someday:

So much good advice here! Thank you ladies!

After day 2 of testing, (which is still not much, I know) there have only been 2 meals that made my blood sugar go over my 130 limit. One was the PBJ, and the other I had a glass of chocolate milk. So right now I'm operating on the theory that I can deal with starchy carbs better than sugary stuff. My current plan is to eat the recommended number of carbs, (and try not to stress over exact numbers) but avoid sweets, and see how that goes.

And if I [inevitably] can't resist something sweet, my plan is to go for a walk afterward to try and bring my number back down.

Feeling so much better about the whole thing today! I can not thank you all enough!

flawedpottery · March 2014

My guidelines are 90 fasting and under 120 2 hours after meals. My husband is diabetic and these are basically the numbers his endocrinologist gave him too though they are kind of flexible. Complex carbs are your friends. I couldn't get my fastings under 100 no matter what I did so they put me on an oral med at night before bed and it has helped a lot. Walking helps as does making sure I have plenty of protein like others have said. I've learned I can have cookies or sweets occasionally if I have them at the right time and in a small quantity. Good luck!

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