New with a Few Questions

Hi there and welcome to the Diabetes Forum! I'm glad you're proactive about your health but please don't be too concerned about your blood sugar at this point because it seems to be stable even if it's risen a bit.

People who start off with hypoglycemia sometimes do end up with diabetes later on in life but most can be successful controlling their blood sugar with diet and exercise. Understanding how blood sugar works is important so please read the stickies at the top of this forum and also the link in my signature - that link is to a site which has really complete information about blood sugar and there is a search box so you can look for specific facts, too.

Know that our bodies sometimes work in ways that we don't understand and people like you who deal with hypoglycemia just need to eat more frequently and not overload on carbs at meals. Carbs make our blood sugar spike high and then crash, so avoiding meals with a lot of pasta, rice, potatoes and bread will help with that. Over the years your blood sugar may rise on average as you're seeing with the fasting so you'll have to adjust what you're eating.

Illness, pain and stress (and anxiety) all can cause blood sugar to rise (like our blood pressure) so in general this is why it's important to be aware of what our blood sugar is. Anxiety is hard to deal with and I hope you have found some good coping skills.

The A1c will tell you what your average blood sugar has been for about 90 days but it will not tell you what the highs or what the lows were. Testing before and two hours after eating will give you much more information about what food your body reacts to, so keeping a journal with that info is helpful for you and your doctor.

Sorry you are dealing with this but I think you'll do ok knowing how to handle food and all. What do you normally eat?

I think we all have a food weakness or vice! Cardio exercise uses up carbs in the system so maybe you can eat those chips and then go for a long run or walk (or bike...) You mentioned coffee in your first post. Actually coffee is not the problem but if it's got sugar in it, that is the problem. The problem with all the fancy coffee drinks today is the amount of sugar in them - not the cream. Cream itself does not raise blood sugar. In fact, pure cream (whipping cream or heavy cream) has no carbs but milk does.

In general, any kind of sustained activity like walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, cutting the grass, etc. really helps control blood sugar and it's also supposed to help with anxiety. I like walking because it's probably the only time I have when I can think without distractions (yes, I do watch where I'm walking! :turn, so this helps with blood sugar and mental states. The problem now is the weather!

Good for you! Everything is connected, it seems. Mental, physical....

Great results! Yes, you're doing really well!

I am also a realist. I know if I go back to my old way of eating (lots of carbs) that my blood sugar will be very high and I'll be on more than metformin, probably insulin, to control the blood sugar. I have a much better understanding and knowledge of this than my grandmother or mom but of course that was so many years ago. They didn't even have personal blood sugar meters back then. And now we have so many sources at our fingertips. So, you are wise to keep an eye on any upward trends in your blood sugar.

My last advice (or warning, actually) is not to heed the blood sugar 'goals' we read about from the ADA. Their blood sugar parameters are so high that people who actually follow them may still end up with diabetes complications. This is totally my own opinion backed up by the following two resources. The best sources I've found is Dr. Bernstein's book Diabetes Solution and the online link in my signature below to a blood sugar information site. I am not as tightly controlled as Bernstein but it is because of his advice that I will avoid diabetes complications that killed my grandmother and mom.

Have a great and not too hot summer!