AfroPope
New member
Hi all,
In continuing to mess around with stuff to try to lose these last 10-15lbs, I've had a few people ask me about my A1C and fasted blood glucose levels. It occurs to me in doing a little bit of reading that this would all be very useful information for me to have, but I am completely overwhelmed with information and I'm hoping someone can break it down for me.
1. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) such as a Freestyle Libre seems to be the best way to go as it provides data once a minute 24/7, but they require a prescription and cost a minimum of $170 a month. The CGMs designed for and marketed to people who are not diabetic, which as far as I know I am not, are all tied to apps with monthly subscription fees and routinely top out at $400 a month. This is not in the budget. So, if someone knows how I can get something like this on the cheap, that's great. Otherwise:
2. There's the old-fashioned way of testing glucose by pricking your finger and putting it into a little machine. This is also cheap and is doable, I'm not scared of needles. For those of you using this method, my question is, when do you do this? Upon waking, before/after meals/workouts, before bed, all of the above?
3. Finally, the big one that I need broken down for me: what do I do with the information gathered? I confess I don't entirely understand the relationships here between glucose, insulin, and fat loss. "Ah, I see that my blood glucose is higher when I eat these foods than when I eat these other foods." Okay, and? "Oh, my blood sugar is very low when I get up in the morning." Yes, and? What do I do with this information, what changes do I make, how do they help me? I realize this is just like, a super beginner question that I can google but there is so much information out there that I'd love if someone could just break it down for me or link me to a good spot.
Cheers!
In continuing to mess around with stuff to try to lose these last 10-15lbs, I've had a few people ask me about my A1C and fasted blood glucose levels. It occurs to me in doing a little bit of reading that this would all be very useful information for me to have, but I am completely overwhelmed with information and I'm hoping someone can break it down for me.
1. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) such as a Freestyle Libre seems to be the best way to go as it provides data once a minute 24/7, but they require a prescription and cost a minimum of $170 a month. The CGMs designed for and marketed to people who are not diabetic, which as far as I know I am not, are all tied to apps with monthly subscription fees and routinely top out at $400 a month. This is not in the budget. So, if someone knows how I can get something like this on the cheap, that's great. Otherwise:
2. There's the old-fashioned way of testing glucose by pricking your finger and putting it into a little machine. This is also cheap and is doable, I'm not scared of needles. For those of you using this method, my question is, when do you do this? Upon waking, before/after meals/workouts, before bed, all of the above?
3. Finally, the big one that I need broken down for me: what do I do with the information gathered? I confess I don't entirely understand the relationships here between glucose, insulin, and fat loss. "Ah, I see that my blood glucose is higher when I eat these foods than when I eat these other foods." Okay, and? "Oh, my blood sugar is very low when I get up in the morning." Yes, and? What do I do with this information, what changes do I make, how do they help me? I realize this is just like, a super beginner question that I can google but there is so much information out there that I'd love if someone could just break it down for me or link me to a good spot.
Cheers!
