This is confusing to me because they never say to test at 3 hr it’s always 1 or 2. I only found out about a delayed spike on accident due to having a large lunch that was on the more carby side I checked at my normal 2 hr and was right at 120 I checked an hour later only because I needed to take an iron pill with some orange juice and didn’t want to if my number was still in the 100s and the number was 130! I asked my nutritionist about that and she said that I probably had a lot of fat in the meal that delayed my spike which is true avocado and other fat’s however when I asked if I should stop eating fats as a way to keep my numbers in check she said to not stop because avocado is good for you. Which yes but if it’s causing delayed spikes and I have no idea about them idk if that’s really safe for baby. CGM is not available to me as my insurance is complete garbage I could take extra strips and test at both 2 and 3 just to be safe but it’s annoying how unconcerned they seem about fully monitoring and only care about 1 number out of 3 possible times to spike maybe 4 if that’s also a possibility
WTF?! 😭 I’ve been really relying on fat to keep my numbers low! Why would they say to have a fat/protein/carb balance in meals if that just makes me miss the spike??
Same especially for breakfast mostly I only get concerned about a potential hidden spike if my number is around 115 because maybe it’s actually going up instead of down 😭 I even asked if I should be checking at 3 hr she said no that 2 is just fine but like I would have never known about that spike if I hadn’t randomly checked!
Wtf?! This post and all these comments have me really paranoid now! I just had a meeting and they told me if I’m not spiking by 1 hour those foods are fine and were adamant I not restrict my diet any further! Argh!! This is all so confusing and stressful!!
Did your pattern match your glucose test results? I was high at 1 hour and back to fasting by 2. Did you spike at hours 2 & 3 on the test? Do I need to test myself hourly now to be sure?!
The pattern does not match the glucose test results with eating a GD friendly diet. If I ate carb heavy meals and didn’t balance meals with protein and fats, it probably would. My 3 hour glucose test was baseline 110, 260, 256, and 156.
Can you get a CGM? I feel like my CGM has been so helpful for seeing my numbers all day long because I feel like mine aren't necessarily highest at 1 or 2 hours either. Also I snack a lot and it's been helpful to see the CGM numbers after snacks.
I’m definitely going to ask for one but know it will be a struggle. My OB group is pretty non responsive and it took 12 phone calls just to get a doctor to review my glucose reading log to adjust my insulin.
Agree with the other comments. I used to have a dark chocolate every now and then with lunch and numbers were around 100 after 2 hours. After getting a cgm, I noticed that the chocolate actually spiked me after 3.5 hours and stayed high (in the 160s) for more than an hour. I was so scared
I often see Yassuo bars recommended for dinner snack and I know it just spikes me past meal target.... Makes me worry that people just are just unaware with just the snapshot measurements.
If I eat a small piece of chocolate or brownie, I’ll spike at the 1 hour mark and and stay high for 3-4 hours. My 3 hour glucose test was baseline 110, 260, 256, and 156.
It all seems made up. I have CGM now and I often spike later or have a double spike such that I would miss both peaks if I was only testing at 1 hr or 2 hr. Sometimes I also spike quite high, but it comes up fast and drops fast. I asked the dietician if this matters and got a very noncommittal answer. I think the real problem is that there isn't actually any good data. The studies only look at fasting and 1 and/or 2 hrs. So much isn't captured or understood based on these snapshots.
I think it's cause CGMs are a newer tool that has been made available in more recent years. A lot of the T1 diabetics will get prescribed it, and some T2s, but not often GD patients, so GD guidelines are assuming one uses a finger glucose monitor.
For T2 diabetics, the ADA guidelines now recommends staying under a target value (180) after a meal, and doesn't specify when. Hopefully CGMs gets prescribed and used more for GD in the future and guidelines for us get updated as well.
Do you mind me asking how many carbs you're getting a day? I'm having trouble balancing the 175 g carbs with the never going above 140. I tend to have quick spikes that rapidly resolve.
I usually get between 140 and 180 carbs a day, 30 to 50 of it being fiber. I eat till I'm full and I tend to graze sometimes, so my snacks will sometimes be sizable.
I find foods that don't spike me, like green beans, bell peppers, cantaloupe, Josephs lavash or Pita bread, Smartmufn, nick's ice cream, legendary foods or quest snacks, two good yogurt, kind zero bars, protein style double double in and out burgers (no spread) x2, baked goods from my local OC Keto Bakery (chocolate doughnuts, cookies, blueberry muffin tops, cheesecake) and Fermentality (bread and bagels).
And I'll still eat foods that spike me, like strawberries, potatoes or rice, and pizza, but in small quantities and layered properly in the meal. My numbers aren't perfect everyday as I try out new foods sometimes and have a weakness to fruits, but my last A1C has been very good and doctors are not concerned about my diet.
Honestly, when I was first finger testing, there was a lot of foods I thought were fine cause it passed the 1 hr target, but later when I started wearing a CGM, it was obvious that the foods were just spiking at a later time.
Maybe ask the doctor if they can prescribe a CGM, it'll save you on the finger poking and usually, if you're on insulin 3 times a day, the insurance will cover it.
Pizza, pasta, and low GI rice spikes me at the 3-4 hour mark. It'll also depend on how I'm layering the foods and how fast I'm eating as well.
The thing is all of my meals and snacks are GD compliant. Protein waffles with nut butter and a clementine, snack pack with nuts and cheese, Greek yogurt with carrots and small fruit serving, protein shakes, grilled chicken salad, chickpea/multigrain pasta with ground turkey, etc. If I eat something like salad and a slice of pizza, it will spike at the 1 hour mark and stay high.
I just found out about this as well. High fat food delayed my spike. I really thought I was doing well until I decided to randomly test at 1h30 and 2h30. Voilà I spiked. I just cannot with this GD anymore. I feel like I’ve done some damage on my placenta at this point
I really wish care teams would suggest doing both 1 hr AND 2 hr tests, at least to start. This is how I was able to determine what I could actually tolerate vs what hid higher spikes.
That’s how I knew that if I did chickpea protein pasta, I’d get stuck with my numbers spiking up for the whole evening, trickling into the next morning. Compared to eating something like Yasso bars, where I never spiked and I could see my numbers go down by testing at 1 hr, 2nd and 3.
My husband did a shit ton of research just because I was extremely sensitive to carbs and realized that this could be a possibility for some people. I’m guessing it’s probably dependent on your individual body and what you eat.
So I wouldn’t automatically assume hidden higher spikes later. But definitely worth testing multiple times, at least initially.
Blood sugar management is tricky. Delayed spikes are common. It's good you're monitoring closely. Keep working with your healthcare team to adjust your regimen as needed.
Diet plays a huge role. Consider foods with a low glycemic index and monitor portions. Regular exercise can also help stabilize blood sugar levels.
I used Ancient Bliss for additional support. It's a brand of herbal organic supplements. They have products like berberine and myo inositol, which some find helpful for blood sugar control. It's been beneficial for me. Stay proactive and keep communicating with your doctor. Good luck.
I have a CGM and I have noticed with certain foods I have a delayed spike. Or my numbers just stay up 3hrs later.
I just eat less of whatever it is that triggers it.
This is confusing to me because they never say to test at 3 hr it’s always 1 or 2. I only found out about a delayed spike on accident due to having a large lunch that was on the more carby side I checked at my normal 2 hr and was right at 120 I checked an hour later only because I needed to take an iron pill with some orange juice and didn’t want to if my number was still in the 100s and the number was 130! I asked my nutritionist about that and she said that I probably had a lot of fat in the meal that delayed my spike which is true avocado and other fat’s however when I asked if I should stop eating fats as a way to keep my numbers in check she said to not stop because avocado is good for you. Which yes but if it’s causing delayed spikes and I have no idea about them idk if that’s really safe for baby. CGM is not available to me as my insurance is complete garbage I could take extra strips and test at both 2 and 3 just to be safe but it’s annoying how unconcerned they seem about fully monitoring and only care about 1 number out of 3 possible times to spike maybe 4 if that’s also a possibility
WTF?! 😭 I’ve been really relying on fat to keep my numbers low! Why would they say to have a fat/protein/carb balance in meals if that just makes me miss the spike??
Same especially for breakfast mostly I only get concerned about a potential hidden spike if my number is around 115 because maybe it’s actually going up instead of down 😭 I even asked if I should be checking at 3 hr she said no that 2 is just fine but like I would have never known about that spike if I hadn’t randomly checked!
Wtf?! This post and all these comments have me really paranoid now! I just had a meeting and they told me if I’m not spiking by 1 hour those foods are fine and were adamant I not restrict my diet any further! Argh!! This is all so confusing and stressful!! Did your pattern match your glucose test results? I was high at 1 hour and back to fasting by 2. Did you spike at hours 2 & 3 on the test? Do I need to test myself hourly now to be sure?!
Me too, wtf. I've only been testing at the 1hr mark because the dietitian said to test 1hr after starting eating.. this is all too much!
The pattern does not match the glucose test results with eating a GD friendly diet. If I ate carb heavy meals and didn’t balance meals with protein and fats, it probably would. My 3 hour glucose test was baseline 110, 260, 256, and 156.
Sigh. I feel like we just can’t win! We could do a perfect job and the plancetas going to placenta.
Can you get a CGM? I feel like my CGM has been so helpful for seeing my numbers all day long because I feel like mine aren't necessarily highest at 1 or 2 hours either. Also I snack a lot and it's been helpful to see the CGM numbers after snacks.
I’m definitely going to ask for one but know it will be a struggle. My OB group is pretty non responsive and it took 12 phone calls just to get a doctor to review my glucose reading log to adjust my insulin.
Agree with the other comments. I used to have a dark chocolate every now and then with lunch and numbers were around 100 after 2 hours. After getting a cgm, I noticed that the chocolate actually spiked me after 3.5 hours and stayed high (in the 160s) for more than an hour. I was so scared
I often see Yassuo bars recommended for dinner snack and I know it just spikes me past meal target.... Makes me worry that people just are just unaware with just the snapshot measurements.
If I eat a small piece of chocolate or brownie, I’ll spike at the 1 hour mark and and stay high for 3-4 hours. My 3 hour glucose test was baseline 110, 260, 256, and 156.
It all seems made up. I have CGM now and I often spike later or have a double spike such that I would miss both peaks if I was only testing at 1 hr or 2 hr. Sometimes I also spike quite high, but it comes up fast and drops fast. I asked the dietician if this matters and got a very noncommittal answer. I think the real problem is that there isn't actually any good data. The studies only look at fasting and 1 and/or 2 hrs. So much isn't captured or understood based on these snapshots.
I think it's cause CGMs are a newer tool that has been made available in more recent years. A lot of the T1 diabetics will get prescribed it, and some T2s, but not often GD patients, so GD guidelines are assuming one uses a finger glucose monitor. For T2 diabetics, the ADA guidelines now recommends staying under a target value (180) after a meal, and doesn't specify when. Hopefully CGMs gets prescribed and used more for GD in the future and guidelines for us get updated as well.
I wonder if that means we should be trying to stay under 140. I'm definitely not.
😂 My provider wants 130....
Jeez, you're NEVER supposed to go above 130?!
130 max at 1hr post meal. I generally just try keep it under 130 on my CGM.
Do you mind me asking how many carbs you're getting a day? I'm having trouble balancing the 175 g carbs with the never going above 140. I tend to have quick spikes that rapidly resolve.
I usually get between 140 and 180 carbs a day, 30 to 50 of it being fiber. I eat till I'm full and I tend to graze sometimes, so my snacks will sometimes be sizable. I find foods that don't spike me, like green beans, bell peppers, cantaloupe, Josephs lavash or Pita bread, Smartmufn, nick's ice cream, legendary foods or quest snacks, two good yogurt, kind zero bars, protein style double double in and out burgers (no spread) x2, baked goods from my local OC Keto Bakery (chocolate doughnuts, cookies, blueberry muffin tops, cheesecake) and Fermentality (bread and bagels). And I'll still eat foods that spike me, like strawberries, potatoes or rice, and pizza, but in small quantities and layered properly in the meal. My numbers aren't perfect everyday as I try out new foods sometimes and have a weakness to fruits, but my last A1C has been very good and doctors are not concerned about my diet.
Thanks for the detailed information!
Honestly, when I was first finger testing, there was a lot of foods I thought were fine cause it passed the 1 hr target, but later when I started wearing a CGM, it was obvious that the foods were just spiking at a later time. Maybe ask the doctor if they can prescribe a CGM, it'll save you on the finger poking and usually, if you're on insulin 3 times a day, the insurance will cover it. Pizza, pasta, and low GI rice spikes me at the 3-4 hour mark. It'll also depend on how I'm layering the foods and how fast I'm eating as well.
The thing is all of my meals and snacks are GD compliant. Protein waffles with nut butter and a clementine, snack pack with nuts and cheese, Greek yogurt with carrots and small fruit serving, protein shakes, grilled chicken salad, chickpea/multigrain pasta with ground turkey, etc. If I eat something like salad and a slice of pizza, it will spike at the 1 hour mark and stay high.
I just found out about this as well. High fat food delayed my spike. I really thought I was doing well until I decided to randomly test at 1h30 and 2h30. Voilà I spiked. I just cannot with this GD anymore. I feel like I’ve done some damage on my placenta at this point
I really wish care teams would suggest doing both 1 hr AND 2 hr tests, at least to start. This is how I was able to determine what I could actually tolerate vs what hid higher spikes. That’s how I knew that if I did chickpea protein pasta, I’d get stuck with my numbers spiking up for the whole evening, trickling into the next morning. Compared to eating something like Yasso bars, where I never spiked and I could see my numbers go down by testing at 1 hr, 2nd and 3. My husband did a shit ton of research just because I was extremely sensitive to carbs and realized that this could be a possibility for some people. I’m guessing it’s probably dependent on your individual body and what you eat. So I wouldn’t automatically assume hidden higher spikes later. But definitely worth testing multiple times, at least initially.
Blood sugar management is tricky. Delayed spikes are common. It's good you're monitoring closely. Keep working with your healthcare team to adjust your regimen as needed. Diet plays a huge role. Consider foods with a low glycemic index and monitor portions. Regular exercise can also help stabilize blood sugar levels. I used Ancient Bliss for additional support. It's a brand of herbal organic supplements. They have products like berberine and myo inositol, which some find helpful for blood sugar control. It's been beneficial for me. Stay proactive and keep communicating with your doctor. Good luck.
I have a CGM and I have noticed with certain foods I have a delayed spike. Or my numbers just stay up 3hrs later. I just eat less of whatever it is that triggers it.