Personal Glucose Monitors

[mts]

Does anyone wear a personal glucose monitor, the kind that sticks on the back of your arm and you read your bgl on a small electronic monitor? Is it helpful in keeping you on track with your blood levels or do you find an obsessive behavior happening with checking it constantly? Your opinions count!

[Thimes]

I don’t wear one - but ironically my SO literally just started wearing one today (just helped him put it on and get it connected to an app on his phone). He will be obsessive with it, no doubt.

I have done a lot of research (literal research, not googling LOL) with type 2 patients and their monitoring behaviors/habits/etc.

Can I ask (no need to share if you don’t want) if you’re asking because you’re considering using one? Diagnosed with type2? Pre-diabetes? some other reason? Thinking about long term monitoring or more of a short term insights/behavior modification type of thing?

[shrinkrap]

I don’t wear one, but my husband ( who doesn’t wear one either) is a FP doc, and he thinks they are wonderful at helping people modify their behavior with regard to food choices. More important these days than monitoring blood sugar to avoid hypo- or hyper- glycemic episodes in IDDM ( Type 1 DM), which I think may have been one of the original purposes.

[ML8000 (M)]

I have diabetes but it’s in remission after losing weight several years ago . I recently gained some weight and saw a dietian and they want me to wear the glucose monitor for a couple of weeks. At first I was hesitant but the explanation made sense…to see when and why my blood sugar spikes with the monitor and a food diary. I’m suppose to try it in the fall. I wouldn’t want to use one all the time but I can see the value. It’s a tool that gives information.

It does seem like the monitors are suddenly being pushed (and have little doubt) but if they help, seems smart.

[Phoenikia]

I do. I have lost 7 lbs since I started. I love it .

There’s some chat about it in these threads.

Healthier (however you define it) meals you've been making lately

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The Mediterranean Diet is a Whitewashed Fantasy

Study after study show that there is not one best diet except the best diet is the one that helps you lose weight. The statement that diet only affects health is thru weight loss is pretty close to accurate. Diabetes risk/harm and heart risk will plummet if you lose 20% of your body weight, weather from a keto diet, or a whole grain, veggie/fruit centric with 40% or more fat, or the same with 30% fat. By the way, the latter two are variants of the so-called Mediterranean diet. I prefer to descri…

Anyone else attempting to stick to a regimen right now?

Our dotter wears one to keep an eye on her glucose levels as a pre-diabetic. She does not eat any carbs of the grain or fruit variety, sticking to just proteins and vegetables. Her ‘normal’ line is almost flat at below 100. Last night’s dinner, tomato beef curry, causing a spike to 140. She was very upset (with me) with that spike, something she’s not experienced since starting the monitor almost 5 months ago. The dish was beef, green bell pep, tomatoes, rehydrated shitake mushrooms and yellow …

[maxcatsilver]

I am currently participating in a nutrition research study where I am required to eat three types of prepared diets for two weeks each, which are randomly assigned. The diets are a Mediterranean diet, a processed food diet and something in between During each study period, I wear a glucose monitor and an actigraph to track my activity. I also receive a report of my body composition using InBody. I should mention that I am a healthy volunteer so I’m not concerned with monitoring my glucose levels on a daily basis. I am content to wait until the end of each study period to receive my printout of my average glucose levels. My monitor was applied to the back of my arm and I barely knew it was there. My first assigned diet was the Mediterranean diet, and what I found out after two weeks of this was my body fat percentage reduced from 22% to 21%, my mean glucose levels reduced from 121 (High normal) to 113 and my blood pressure went down from 120/20 to 110/70. The great thing about the glucose read outs is if you keep track of our dietary intake in real time, you can see clearly how different foods affect your levels. If anyone has questions about my experience that seems unclear you, please feel free to reach out. My participation in this study has been revelatory for my future personal health.

[honkman]

@maxcatsilver

processed food diet

Just curious - you will have to eat UHP food for two weeks ?

[maxcatsilver]

Yeah, that’s part of the protocol. Sadly, my self-determined diet leans toward UHP more than I’d like to admit, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this will affect these particular outcomes. It’s a challenge to only eat what is provided during these study periods; However, I’m finding so far that I’m thinking more seriously about incorporating healthier options into my daily diet. After just 2 weeks on a Mediterranean diet, I was feeling considerably better. Plus, it’s a huge relief not having to worry about meal planning during these intervals (and how much money I’m saving by not having to buy groceries).

[shrinkrap]

What is UHP?

[maxcatsilver]

Ultra processed foods.

[honkman]

[honkman]

Do they provide you in all three diets with three meals a day ?

[shrinkrap]

Thank you! I figured that was the idea. It’s just that none of those have the initials UHP. I see the H is for ultra high processed.

[honkman]

I have seen UHP or UPF as abbreviations

[maxcatsilver]

Yes. And snacks.