I woke up this morning and checked blood sugar. Amost collapsed when it registered 6.2 fasting BUT two hours approx after lunch my blood sugar registered 5!!!! What’s going on? Sorry should also have said that I am in week 9 on the fast 800 if that is significant.

Hi orgally – I’m not diabetic or pre-diabetic, but I believe this phenomenon is not unusual, try doing a search on the dawn phenomenon, using the search box at the top of this page, as I pretty sure there has been plenty of discussion on this topic before. Meanwhile, do not panic about these results and I’m sure someone who understands the issue better, will be along to reassure you soon.

Hi orgally, the phenomenon is when you are restricting food intake, especially at night. When we were cavemen (or women) being hungry was common and to compensate the body produces glycogen (sugar) during the night to stop us from starving. When you are on a diet the liver (where the glycogen is stored) registers the lack of sugar in the blood so pumps some out, just in case we really are starving. To fool the body to stop doing this the common thing is to have a snack before bedtime. Make it something BSD friendly like some Greek yoghurt or some chicken or ham. Try to count it as part of your daily calorie allowance and it need only be around 50 calories. You should find your morning fasting glucose levels will go back to being low.

Hi orgally! Im HAPPY if my reading is a 6 in the morning! Not that long ago . . . they were 10-12! Laughing at how different we all are yet on similar pathways 🙂 Thanks to the comments here . . . Ill be having a little something before bedtime to check out what happens! I know what happens with the fasting – (15 hours last night produced a 6 this am) – and only two meals a day which seems quite regular for me these days even though it is winter! Gave up doing 7 finger pricks a day sometime back . . . . . . was way too stressful. I have been on BSD for 8 weeks next Tuesday – discarded over 2 stone and feeling great! With an Endo appointment mid October . . . (and no desire to have any meds while I see my fasting levels changing so drastically, and now hovering between six and 7 with an occasional 5 thrown in) . . . am going to be asking him to give me an Hba1c, and another 3-6 months before deciding if Im now sufficiently in control of things. At 74 with some sensible changes to a menu which had previously been given the tick of approval by SO MANY!!!! 🙁 – no sign of diabetes in feet, eyes, and with BSD WoE firmly in place, BSL’s having levelled out to the degree they have in only 8 short weeks! with no measuring, counting or exercise – (as I have no kitchen scales, no patience and plantar fasciitis – !!!!) . . . I feel Im on the right track . . . FINALLY! Roll on summer and lets see where “we” go! (Thats “me”, “myself” and “I” when I refer to “we!”) 🙂

Thank you sunshine for that very interesting info. Ill be giving that a try to see if MY morning levels go down any further. They have dropped dramatically in the short 8 weeks Ive followed BSD – and while Ive been strict in some areas, I havent bothered with counting calories or weighing things. Dont/didnt have big meals at the best of times so thought Id lessen the stress load and just wing it. Most days its just 2 meals and a VERY light snack of nuts/cheese/feta/dip and/or Bacon Krackle with a cuppa. Maybe I need to eat the two meals and switch the snack . . . would that be an idea do you think . . .?