I was newly diagnosed back in November with a reading of 140. Three days later, I had a meter and a simple change in diet lowered my fasting levels into the 80s. Luckly my post prandials are mostly below 110. The highest I ever had was a 122 and that took two large pieces of cheese cake at Christmas. The doctors are at a loss at how I could lower it so fast but say keep it up. I don't need medication and only have to check once a week but for now I'm obsessed and will check twice a day every other week. But what really concerns me is how come my breakfeast post prandials are always lower than my morning blood glucose levels. Usually I'm between 84-89 in the morning (fasting) and then two hours after a 105 carb breakfeast I'll be anywhere from 76 to 89 usually the same or lower. A couple of times I ways 68 but didn't feel shakey or anything. Once I checked it an hour and a half after the 68 and I was 76. Is that normal being lower than your morning fasting reading after breakfeast.

You are lucky, you have had a wakeup call and now know to make corrections in your diet and lifestyle. It is possible to prevent the onset of diabetes via diet/exercise and if you already have diabetes to control via diet/exercise for as long as possible.

When you were tested and it was 140, most likely you ate foods the day before that remained in your system. This happened to my husband, grapejuice was his downfall. He has not tested high since then. Our daughter claims you should avoid such things as grapejuice and other high sugar items for 3 days before a fasting blood test.

This one test did tell you your body is not able to handle that many carbs.

In the morning the body's cells are hungry and will use more of the glucose than at other times of the day. Eating foods high in fiber also helps. Most of the time after eating oatmeal mixture plus cottage cheese and yogurt my BS will drop below the fasting number. This only happens after breakfast. I can eat the same thing I did for breakfast for lunch or dinner and it will raise the BS.

Eating like a king for breakfast, queen for lunch, and pauper for dinner will go a long ways in controlling glucose levels. Exercise every day or after each meal will lower BS. I can walk treadmill for 1 mile and lower BS 20 points. You will benefit from a book called live like you have no diabetes by jayne boykin and bonny damocles found at amazon.
Marie

Were you diagnosed on the basis of 1 reading of 140?

I believe the current standard is that if a fasting BG is >126, then a second fasting BG > 126 is required for a diagnosis of diabetes. I believe that a diagnosis of diabetes is also made if a single fasting BG level is >200 (mine was ~300).

Yes just one reading of 140, I always thought it was strange because my cholesterol in that same bloodwork was 286, then two weeks later I went to a different doctor and my cholesterol was now 150 and my BG 91. I had lost 7 pounds between bloodworks and that doctor said the only way to really know if I was diabetic was to gain the weight back and take the test again. I think because I ate a large pizza on an empty stomach the night before the bloodwork it elevated everything, how much I'll never know but I'm trying my best to keep my bg as low as possible.

Thanks Marie, I'm going check out that book. Funny you mention oatmeal, that's one of the things I eat at breakfeast. I've been doing 40 minute power walks seven days a week but my bg levels have remained unchanged, usually 84-89 in the morning. On a side note, I heard that cinnamon lowers BG so one night I took a half spoon full before bed and the next morning I was at 77. I won't try it again until I do some research. Scary!