What is "High"

[spyderveloce]

So my doctor said he wants to see me between 90 and 140 (150) at the highest. Now, the one thing I may have misunderstood is, is that before eating or overall? The nurse further confused me when I called to ask some other questions. Is it okay for my BG to spike a little over 200 2 hours after my meal as long as it comes down soon after. Today I ate lunch early (and splurged a little because I hit a BG of 65). 3 hours later I was at 265 but by the time I got home and checked at 6:00 I was back down to 90. Is this a normal rise and fall, or should I strive to keep it under the 150 max that my doctor mentioned?

[Sneezer]

You should probably check with your endocrinologist. However, usually you want to be 80 to 100 before meals and 140, 2 to 3 hours after meals. I rarely get those numbers, but that is the goal

[Granny Shanny]

No, it is not normal rise and fall.

Your spikes are too high and your drops are too low. Your doc gave you good advice. Between 90 and 140 isn't a bad place to be. (not sure why you wrote that as "between 90 and 140 (150) at the highest" . . . Which did he say - 140 or 150? I strive to stay under 140 myself, since I'm not in insulin.

[spyderveloce]

Well, the doc said 140 at the highest but he wouldn't be too concerned if I hit 150 on occasion. The nurse confused me when she mentioned that my "normal" should be in that range but to expect spikes to be higher after meals.

The doc did say that the 90-140 is a little higher than some doctors suggest but that those people that strive to do the low of 70 tend to have further health complications much earlier on than those that maintain a slightly higher "normal" range.

So I should be trying to keep it in that 90 to 140 range both before and after meals? I'm rather new to this but so far I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping it in that range. Because I went down to the 60's I went ahead and got that Steak Hoagie special that the sandwich shop in my office building had. It came with chips and I indulged in 2 of those but felt that the hoagie bun (which I picked apart and ate as little of as possible) was more than enough carbs to make up for my already low BG.

This now begs the question that I'm sure is asked by EVERY new diabetic that comes here. How does one contend with all of the fast food and sandwich shops out there? I had a chicken sandwich and onion petals from Arby's yesterday and I hit 290 2 hours after lunch. I was totally surprised, though I guess I shouldn't have been. I gotta say... salads are my absolute last choice when eating out. I don't like salad at all and can't seem to force myself to like it either, so what's left? Any suggestions?

[flowerbabe68]

I was out and about today, come lunch time, I stopped at McDonald's and got a chicken club sandwich and bottled water. Sat in the parking lot ,removed the bun and ate the chicken,bacon,lettuce & tomato with my fingers. Washed up before and after with the washkins I carry in the car.Went back to shopping.

[jer.lawrence]

You should check out some of the nutritional information -- if you HAVE to eat fast food, some of the choices are better than others. I tend to find (as a general rule of thumb) that the sandwiches off of the dollar menu have fewer carbs than the normal sandwiches, because they use the little dinky buns.

Wendy's double bacon cheeseburger is one of my go-to's. It's only got about 30g carbs which is doable for a meal for me. I usually get the side-salad with it though, because MORE than 30g is a bit high (for me).

As for sugar, I strive for the 80-120 range, personally. I'd like to be in the 70-110 range, but I've only been at this for a few months and haven't gotten down that low yet.

I don't know why your doc would have suggested that HIGHER is healthier. Most sources that I've seen any info on suggest that we should strive to stay under 140 at all times (including after meals). Pre-meal, my numbers are usually around the 90-100ish area.

Hope that helps.

[Tribbles]

My goto fast food is a Chipotle chicken fajita burrito bowl with no beans. The only carbs is from the rice and there isn't a lot of that.

[DannyK]

High for me was 581, and then a month of "trying" janumet, with daily #'s not falling below 300, usually around 350 to 400.... Insulin was prescribed and within 1 day, I saw the light....

[jillybean]

For fast food, I get any kind of burger or grilled chicken sandwich and toss the bun. I like McD's double cheeseburgers and Wendy's Baconators.

Or KFC grilled chicken.

At a regular restaurant, I'll order any kind of protein (chicken, steak, fish, etc.) or a burger and toss the bun with a veggie and/or side salad, no pasta, no rice, no bread, no potato products.

[fgummett]

I don't go in them much except for when travelling for my work but I have found fast food outlets quite obliging when I ask for a burger without the bun or condiments.

I guess I was brought up not to waste food :cool: plus I suspect that if enough folks make the same request it may have an impact on the fast food chain's future menu offerings... which is after all, driven by what we purchase there.

[NewdestinyX]

So my doctor said he wants to see me between 90 and 140 (150) at the highest. Now, the one thing I may have misunderstood is, is that before eating or overall? The nurse further confused me when I called to ask some other questions. Is it okay for my BG to spike a little over 200 2 hours after my meal as long as it comes down soon after. Today I ate lunch early (and splurged a little because I hit a BG of 65). 3 hours later I was at 265 but by the time I got home and checked at 6:00 I was back down to 90. Is this a normal rise and fall, or should I strive to keep it under the 150 max that my doctor mentioned?Hi Spyderveloce! Welcome to the forum. Can you give us a little more info? Are you on any oral meds like Metformin? And has your doctor diagnosed you a Type 2? Type 1.5? Type 1?

As others have suggested, the 'very safest' scenario is to stay between 70-110 the whole time which is the most 'conservative' range I see in medical articles. But a range of up to about 90-140 is what the American Diabetes foundation and their educators say. For some here that is too 'giving' a range to assure your best health but I subscribe to it. If the educators of the ADA say it I pretty much know I can live by it since they avail themselves of the newest science out there and follow the progress of thousands of diabetics over decades now. But I personally like to hedge my bets and be even lower.

There is nothing I've read that suggest 200 or over is 'ever' okay. I mean a 'spike' of 200 or over in your early attempts to control your Blood sugar isn't 'life threatening' but consistent spikes that high are to be avoided at all costs. Try not to consider a low fasting/premeal number, like that 65 you had, as a 'license' to sorta 'go nuts' at your next meal. '65' IS low and you DO need to get that up at the next meal but I've found that I sometimes overreact when I start that low (because I'm really hungry and jonesin' for something sugary/carby) that I overcompensate on the carbs at my next meal and then get a big spike.

Suffice it to say 65 - 265 is not a pattern you want to repeat often. Have you already made some diet changes and added some exercise to your regimen since your diagnosis? Even a 'little bit' of change goes a LONG way I've found. I don't eat as low carb as many here but my numbers have stabilized within a range with lowering my carb intake from when I started, a lot of exercise and now with the help of some basal insulin.

[davef]

My targets are to be below 105 in the morning and before meals, I strive to be around 90 before meals. Then to stay below 140 two hours after first bite of a meal. This is pretty much inline with your Doctors targets of 90-140.

Sometimes I will spike above 140, but this generally only happens if I treat myself to food that I normally avoid or if I'm ill. But the key thing is, to go above 140 occasionally is ok, the operative word being occasionally - for me that does not mean once a day or even once a week.

[kgm0612]

No two diabetics are alike, which simply means, your target range will differ from someone elses.

I prefer to be between 80-110 prior to eating and under 150 two hours after. I follow a low carb diet and very rarely eat fast foods.

My suggestion, pack your own lunch and bring it to work with you. Lean deli meats (turkey or chicken breast) on either whole wheat or light wheat bread has under 30g of carbs. Fruit & veggies are good sides or snacks.

Karen

[spyderveloce]

Hi Spyderveloce! Welcome to the forum. Can you give us a little more info? Are you on any oral meds like Metformin? And has your doctor diagnosed you a Type 2? Type 1.5? Type 1?

As others have suggested, the 'very safest' scenario is to stay between 70-110 the whole time which is the most 'conservative' range I see in medical articles. But a range of up to about 90-140 is what the American Diabetes foundation and their educators say. For some here that is too 'giving' a range to assure your best health but I subscribe to it. If the educators of the ADA say it I pretty much know I can live by it since they avail themselves of the newest science out there and follow the progress of thousands of diabetics over decades now. But I personally like to hedge my bets and be even lower.

There is nothing I've read that suggest 200 or over is 'ever' okay. I mean a 'spike' of 200 or over in your early attempts to control your Blood sugar isn't 'life threatening' but consistent spikes that high are to be avoided at all costs. Try not to consider a low fasting/premeal number, like that 65 you had, as a 'license' to sorta 'go nuts' at your next meal. '65' IS low and you DO need to get that up at the next meal but I've found that I sometimes overreact when I start that low (because I'm really hungry and jonesin' for something sugary/carby) that I overcompensate on the carbs at my next meal and then get a big spike.

Suffice it to say 65 - 265 is not a pattern you want to repeat often. Have you already made some diet changes and added some exercise to your regimen since your diagnosis? Even a 'little bit' of change goes a LONG way I've found. I don't eat as low carb as many here but my numbers have stabilized within a range with lowering my carb intake from when I started, a lot of exercise and now with the help of some basal insulin.

I started at a 578 and within a week of taking 40mg Avandaryl once a day I was into the 100s. Doc was completely surprised that I bounced back that quickly. I'm still on the same doseage and maintaining but still learning what foods I can handle and what I can't.

[genie86333]

Hi, Welcome to the forum!

Yes, ideally you want to stay *at all times* under 140. That's the level that is believed to be where damage starts occurring to our organs.

Watch white foods especially: rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, anything with flour or sugar (even naturally occuring sugar like in fruits & juices.)

For fast food, if you can't take lunch with you, as others have said, toss the bun, or find a place that will wrap the meat in lettuce - In 'N' Out does that - order "protein style" burgers & they'll wrap it in lettuce instead of a bun.

[jer.lawrence]

My goto fast food is a Chipotle chicken fajita burrito bowl with no beans. The only carbs is from the rice and there isn't a lot of that.

See, now, I would have thought the burrito bowl with no rice, and still WITH beans would have been the way to go.

I've been ITCHING to have some chipotle lately.. That sounds good too.

[jillybean]

See, now, I would have thought the burrito bowl with no rice, and still WITH beans would have been the way to go.

I've been ITCHING to have some chipotle lately.. That sounds good too.
mmm...Chipotle...

I get a burrito bol of just extra chicken, extra cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, and sometimes guacamole. LOVE it.

[crashtestdummy]

So my doctor said he wants to see me between 90 and 140 (150) at the highest. Now, the one thing I may have misunderstood is, is that before eating or overall? The nurse further confused me when I called to ask some other questions. Is it okay for my BG to spike a little over 200 2 hours after my meal as long as it comes down soon after. Today I ate lunch early (and splurged a little because I hit a BG of 65). 3 hours later I was at 265 but by the time I got home and checked at 6:00 I was back down to 90. Is this a normal rise and fall, or should I strive to keep it under the 150 max that my doctor mentioned?

For me I can do Whataburger all the way w/ mustard on WHEAT bun. I am generally around 85 - 90 before that and only get up to about 120 two hours after 1st bite. McAllister's Deli I can pretty much order anything on WHEAT and keep my numbers 120 or lower 2 hrs after first bite.

I have increased my exercise to running 3/4 to 1 mile a day and walking the final 1 1/4 to 1 miles after to cool down. Since I have done this my wake up number is normally 80 -85 and I have not seen a post prandial of higher than 120. I am careful about what I eat but I will BBQ or TexMex from time to time to keep my cravings down. Since implementing the exercise routine stated above I haven't had a reading higher than 125.

I was diagnosed Aug 1st with a BG of 325 and an A1c of 9.3. My doc thinks that we caught it early because the year before on my annual checkup my number were only borderline. I hope that I am one of those that may be able to be "cured" as some believe. I do take Metphormin 500 2x/day.

You just have to try different things and test to see how you react. I do believe that exercise is one of the most important tools to fight this disease.

[TriciaS]

So my doctor said he wants to see me between 90 and 140 (150) at the highest. Now, the one thing I may have misunderstood is, is that before eating or overall? The nurse further confused me when I called to ask some other questions. Is it okay for my BG to spike a little over 200 2 hours after my meal as long as it comes down soon after. Today I ate lunch early (and splurged a little because I hit a BG of 65). 3 hours later I was at 265 but by the time I got home and checked at 6:00 I was back down to 90. Is this a normal rise and fall, or should I strive to keep it under the 150 max that my doctor mentioned?

I had some trouble with this at first but I have learned that I can not eat a big meal. Some one told me what I did is considered "grazing" I have a small breakfast and a small supper. I eat 4-6 snacks during the day so I keep my carb count below 60 carbs a day. I can not go lower than 60 carbs a day or I have problems. I have lost 75 pounds since January doing this and when I have lost another 50 pounds I will change the way I eat so that I will no longer lose weight.
Please remember that what works for me may be all wrong for you. You will find your way through this. It just takes some time, effort and sometimes a little frustration. It is worth the trouble to keep your health.
Good Luck
Tricia

[spyderveloce]

See, now, I would have thought the burrito bowl with no rice, and still WITH beans would have been the way to go.

I've been ITCHING to have some chipotle lately.. That sounds good too.

Had chipotle yesterday. Three chicken soft tacos. Xtra chicken and cheese only. Had little effect on my BG.

On another note I found that Brownberry Oatnut bread has no corn syrup in it and 2 pieces of it toasted with a slice of white american cheese only raised my BG about 20 pts after 2 hours when eaten at the same time I take my Avandaryl 40mg in the morning. Had thought I'd have to give up my morning toast or at least cut back to one piece. I love the oatnut too as it has whole sunflower seeds in it. Love my sunflower seeds after being diagnosed.

[CaptainMike]

You might want to do some research on the medication you are taking. Without a more complete medical history it is difficult to say if you are on the right track or not. Most of us here (including me) are not doctors. It is somewhat unusual that an initial presentation case would be prescribed what you have been, since with a sulfonylurea there is a strong possibility of having an episode of hypoglycemia. Personally I would seek a second opinion.

[jwags]

To avoid complications you want to keep your bgs in a fairly narrow range most of the day. As others have said no real highs and no real lows. My morning fasting are higher and are rarely under 100, but I eat fairly low carb so my 2 hour numbers are rarely over 120 usually less. I think the general rule is to be lower than 140 , 90 minutes to 2 hours after you eat, and fasting numbers around 100 or below. So the numbers your doctor gave you are in the ball park. If you are spiking into the 200's, you need to look at what you are eating and change some of the higher carb items.

[MJB]

I try to keep 2hr PP below 140 and usually have no problem doing that.

Fasting I like to see below 120.

Rice will spike me guaranteed, I just don't eat it.

[MattM]

As a general rule, I never want to go above 125. Somewhere between 130-150 is the point where long term damage starts occuring and if I have any control over it, I don't want diabetes to shorten my lifespan.

So, since a typical meal spike for me is at least 20, that means that I want pre-meal numbers to be under 100.

Also, for optimal health, you really want to stay in the 90-100 range.

So, really, what you'd like to see is waking up in the 80's, go through most of the day in the 100's, and don't spike above 125 at any point after meals.

Short acting insulin is great for quickly recovering from spikes. I take it anytime BG is over 120.

[RobW]

I am new to insulin, started lantus three weeks ago, now at 44units a day I also take metformin 1000mg-glyburide 20mg a day. My morning fast is 10.8 or 195 and two hours after breakfast 16.6 or 299, now these numbers are far better than it was a month ago. I don't have a Dr. I go to walkin clinics so after a two hour wait Dr. says add 2 more units of lantis and I should be fine. I don't think so! I think fast acting insulin should be part of my treatment now. Short of starving my self what should I do? Don't feel good at all, sick of being sick, am on a list to see an Endo in April next year that's the fast line.
Any suggestions?

[henmy12588]

My BG runs between 200 and 290 I'm currently on Gluconvance, Januvia and Byetta

[xMenace]

So my doctor said he wants to see me between 90 and 140 (150) at the highest.

Pre-meals and fasting are ideally 70-90 and post-prandial average under 140. 100% of your tests should be under 180!