Average Readings or Individual Blood Sugar Level Readings
Which matters most to you or are they equally important? I tend to get freaked out with individual highs and lows. But, my averages don't look that bad. So, should I not sweat the small stuff and just care about the averages?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DonnaMH on -
I'm T2, diagnosed 6 months ago, learning to control w/diet and exercise (though my doc just sent me out of the office w/a scrip and no info the day of diagnosis). I have been reading reading reading and testing testing testing and learned a whole lot from both. The thing I take the most hope from is that I am getting better at knowing and doing what works, it seems easier all the time. And as I stick to the program my numbers seem to be able to bounce back faster and lower after a stressful few days had taken them higher. I learned from all the testing that I can add back in to my diet some of my favorite treats, in small amounts and only at certain times, without spikes --- for me, that treat has to be just one cookie or a 1/2" square of baklava or a whole peach for instance, and eaten no sooner and not much later than an hour after a regular meal. If I make sure to eat a HUGE salad at lunch (I include lots of different veggies, nuts, and often have meat and cheese) and at other meals replace half the carbs w/good fats and protein, I can always keep my 1-hour post meal spike below 140 and 2-hour spike below 120 -- lately, as I am consistently following the plan, the same meals are getting me even better numbers. My A1c at diagnosis was 7.7 and at 4 months was 6.3, and I expect/hope to get into the 5's by the next one in 6 weeks.
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Stamey on -
While I was only diagnosed about a month ago but started my low carb diet about 3 weeks before official diagnosis, my testing has been so good (average for last month 113 and for last week 110) that I know what I am eating is good for me, I am now at the stage where I am testing to see if I too can re-introduce some foods that I viewed as strictly prohibited. I have had one reading over 140 an hour after I ate and that story is told in my acceptance and rebellion post :) So, I have been able to reintroduce some fruit (1/2 granny smith apple, 1/2 banana), one inch square block of 85% dark chocolate and 1 slice of pumpernickel bread with my lunch. After eating any of these along with my normal meals, I almost never go above 120 after 1 hour. This is exciting that I don't have to completely rule out all fruits and all breads though with the pumpernickel bread, I get the biggest spike of the other items I can reintroduce, so I limit myself to maybe once a week with the pumpernickel. Very happy I can have my dark chocolate (have always love it over milk chocolate) and some fruit. My next test will be strawberries.
Since I almost never get readings about 130, I focus more on the average now as I know the food I have chosen to eat isn't going to cause huge spikes. I know that was the original posters question. Someone made a good point that spikes can lose their visibility in the average. I had the one spike to 219 when I ate half of a black and white cookie :) Yet, my average is 113 for the month and 110 for the week, so that one spike did not have a serious impact on my averages (probably due to me testing 6 or 7 times a day). So, they can definitely get lost. But, if you are getting regular spikes, then it will reflect in your averages.
Dan
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Permalink Reply by Hana Rous on
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Dan have you tried berries?
I find I can handle them better than a banana or an apple. Yes I only have half of one too. I share with a grandchild when I can.
I don't test as often as you do, because cost of strips is an issue. I find first test each morning fasting and once more in the day has to be enough.
But the principle of>>if I don't eat it, it can't raise my BG works for me.
Hana
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Stamey on
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I will be trying about half a cup of sliced strawberries tomorrow. I love strawberries and would gladly eat them over even and apple or banana. Part of me is just glad I can reintroduce some foods I thought were no-nos. Hopefully the strawberries work out for me.
I am starting to back off testing so much. A couple of days ago, I tested just twice. When I am eating the same stuff that I know isn't going to impact my blood sugars, I don't need to test. I am testing more now to try some new foods to see if I can add them to my diet. Need to find some variety since I have chosen to be on such a low-carb diet (Dr. B, 30g carbs a day).
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Dan a 30 carb diet gives huge scope for variety. Try some of the Atkins cookbooks.
Hana
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Permalink Reply by Raeco Donalds on -
I explained to my doctor that he cannot get excited about my average because my lows drop my average alot, so that average doesn't mean much when I still have highs but my lows make my average deceiving. I am concerned about each total.
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That is the chieff problem with A1c. It gives an averrage and Not a range. Sometimes the Range is more important.
Hana
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Permalink Reply by Judith on -
Yes. I would underline these last comments. It helped me a lot to understand that a couple years ago......
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Permalink Reply by Dori S on -
I like to use both. Readings help at the time they are taken (you need to eat less, limit carbs, eat more, learn what you can handle, etc.) Being a T2 on oral meds they are a guideline to learning what I can and can not handle, which can change over time. I can not adjust and compensate with insulin so if I go high then I just have to wait it out, exercise, hope it comes down quick, and learn from it. I like the A1C (not meter averages) because it tells what your body has been doing over the past couple of months. We only see the BG at the time we are testing, not all the time.
I am currently attempting to wean off one of my meds (with Dr's approval) and was concerned last night because I was 172 1 hr pp, 162 2 hr pp, and 138 3 hrs pp. Then I realized that that was not so bad and I just need to adjust what I had eaten so next time it won't be that high. This morning it was 113. Now just the averages from those is 146 - on the high side but if you add in the earlier portion of the day 115, 95, 83 it drops to 125 which is better but still slightly high, however if I just averaged the morning and afternoon it would be 97 which is good. It is a numbers game and unless you are testing 24/7 (or on a CGM) it provides you with sketchy information because you only know what it is at the time of testing, whereas the A1C gives a better overall picture. Yes, use your testing for information purposes and to make adjustments. I am as concerned with lows as I am with highs. I try to stay within a range. Not as narrow a range as I would like and read that I should be in but at the same time I am going to enjoy life and if that means a 113 fasting is acceptable to me then it is acceptable to me. I have not fallen below 70 in months and the 172 I just got last night is the highest I have gotten in 3 1/2 weeks. Could I have been higher - sure I only know the readings from when I tested. Unless I get a really high number I get concerned but don't freak out. There's nothing you can do if you are already high (and not on insulin) but learn from it and move on. If we worry about every possible complication from every time we see a high number we will go batty and live only for those numbers. Do you worry about dying everytime you get in your car? Use the information but don't obssess over it.
So to sum this rambling thought up - I pay attention to the individual numbers and the A1C, not necessarily to the averages on my meter. Just my thoughts.
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Permalink Reply by JDavid on -
I look at ALL my numbers, a1c, indivual AND meter averages.
A!C gives me a good overall indication, but needs to be taken with a grain of sodium.
Meter averages, well my meter gives 7, 14 and 30 day averages. What I like about those is it shows TRENDS, or is my average going up or down. For me, since I normally test on a schedule, Before meals and bed time the indivual reading are reasonably consistant from day to day so its my control or BS number that vary or show up on the averages.
Indivual readings, well that lets me know where I am at, when I test and I do adjust my insulin accordingly.I DO NOT live for the numbers, they just guide me in my control and alert me of potential problems.
GOMER
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Permalink Reply by Michael Hutch on -
Basically your tissues and organs bath in high glucose if diabetes is out of control.
Sure HbA1c has its place (an indicator of last couple of months: info for the doctors as well as you).
Self monitoring lets you know when levels are 'way out'. Basically, you dont want your tissues and organs bathing in glucose above the normal range, as best possible. Thats the beauty of self monitoring. The longer you can have levels close to normal ranges, the healthier you will be. Remember, diabetes is a chronic disease and the detrimental effects take a while to develop (but dont be fooled by this - time flys by quickly and waits for no one). But the bottom line is not to stress about it too much, otherwise the worry can have negative physiological and psycholigical effects themselves.
The trick is to be brave and try to continually 'improve'.
Michael @
www.Diabetes-Your-Blood-Sugar-USA.com
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Permalink Reply by aurora de indiera on -
Hi-- I'm brand new to this. I was diagnosed in April, but my doc was pretty low key about it, and I had the impression I was "borderline" so I only just got to see the diabetes educator yesterday. (Also, I have many other health issues to manage, including epilepsy, chronic fatigue, Lyme disease and complicated migraine which led to a stroke, so there's a ton to think about!) I've just started testing and am gathering as much information about my levels as I can. My fasting this morning was 147, which scared me. Just before breakfast, 128. 75 minutes later 192! My diabetes counselor said that 10 minutes of exercise within half an hour of eating can drop sugar by up to 30 points. The two meals I did that after, the one hour levels were a lot lower, around 120.
My diet is already very good. I don't eat any sugar or any other sweeteners except for stevia, no fruit, and pretty low carbs. I'm allergic to most grains, so eat very small portions of brown rice every so often, some crackers that are mostly seeds, or a single rice tortilla, and quinoa. Mostly I eat chicken, fish, some eggs and vegetables, and not the sweet ones. So I'm trying to figure out what besides exercise I can do.
I often fall into what feels like a drugged sleep about 75-90 minutes after eating, especially if I waited too long to eat. I can't remember why I'm falling asleep. I wake up 45 minutes later with a headache. Taking chromium has helped a lot with that.
So I guess for now I should be testing a lot, to figure what my daily pattern is like and what foods drive my sugar higher, right?
Glad this site is here.
Aurora
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