8 weeks of low-carb + metformin halved my HbA1c

[fuinneamh]

My HbA1c was 148 (not a typo) 8 weeks ago and my LDL was 4.5. My fasting blood glucose was 28. The GP was surprised that I looked healthy (albeit overweight) with results like that.

I stopped eating grains, starchy things like potatoes, and sugar; I haven't started counting carbs yet because I just didn't have the headspace, but I do check my blood glucose before meals and 2 hours after. I was prescribed 500mg Metformin 3 times a day.

Yesterday, my HbA1c was 70 and my LDL was 3.5.
My fasting glucose hovers around 8 if I've been swimming regularly and around 9.2 if I had to skip a couple of days or if I slept badly. Blood glucose is under 7 for the rest of the day.

So it's a step in the right direction at least.
I've lost hardly any weight, though. Hopefully that will start to happen soon.


UPDATE February 2024:
My HbA1c is 45 after a further 8 weeks (ie 16 weeks since my initial HbA1c of 148).
I have lost 15kg. It seems to decrease in jumps. I had no discernable weight loss for the first 6 weeks, then a tiny bit for the next few weeks, then a big loss.

 

[Rachox]

Welcome to the forum @fuinneamh . Very well done! As you’ve had the repeat test after only 8 weeks you still have approx 4 weeks of sugar loaded red blood cells (they live for approx 12 weeks). So if you continue with the diet and exercise you have been doing, I would expect your next HbA1c to be lower still.

 

[fuinneamh]

Thank you for the welcome, @Rachox
I'm not expecting a drop quite as big as 50% the next time I have my HbA1c tested
The GP has increased my Metformin dose to 850mg, so that will help too.

I posted the progress in case someone else with a very high HbA1c was wondering whether low-carb was worth a try.
I kind of went cold-turkey on the carbs, so I had a rumbling headache for the first 10 days.
My vision was also bit off for a couple of weeks (I found out on the forums afterwards that sudden changes in carb intake can cause blurred vision). My vision wasn't quite blurred: it was more like my eyes weren't quite happy with any of my glasses.

 

[Rachox]

Yes I agree the next drop probably won’t be quite so dramatic but I’m sure it’ll still be an improvement. This forum is a gold mine of info and support. I came here 6 and a half years ago and following advice here, on low carb and Metformin I achieved non diabetic HbA1cs quite quickly and have maintained them ever since.
Stick around and ask all the questions you like, read all the advice and yes encourage other members with your inspiring story so far.

 

[Guilty]

Well done @fuinneamh that's a huge difference in just 8 weeks!

Keep doing what you're doing

 

[Ashybang]

@fuinneamh Brilliant reduction from terrifyingly high numbers. Well done. That's amazing. You have shown, just what can be achieved.

Reduced my Hba1c from 80 down to 62 since joining Diabetes.co.uk and taking advice from members about low Carbs.
I only had results a couple of days ago.
I still have blips, where I stray, but my BG readings are down from being regularly teens and 20s mmol, to single fingers predominantly and fasting, between 5 - 7 mmol mostly, most recently.
I aim to bring numbers down more, as I learn more about diet etc.
Members on this site, helped me far more than the ' negligent' medical folk I've dealt with, whose advice has been minimal, to non existent. Thank you Members ......

 

[fuinneamh]

Unlike many people here, I'm lucky enough to have a GP who seems to have done some research.
She told me to increase my protein intake and gave specific examples from the local supermarket, which was really useful. She also said not to be afraid of eating fat.
She said to reduce starch + sugar, and to use a meter to figure out what food worked for me.

I hadn't appreciated how unusual it was to get advice like this from a GP until I started reading the forums here.

 

[HairySmurf]

Unlike many people here, I'm lucky enough to have a GP who seems to have done some research.
She told me to increase my protein intake and gave specific examples from the local supermarket, which was really useful. She also said not to be afraid of eating fat.
She said to reduce starch + sugar, and to use a meter to figure out what food worked for me.

I hadn't appreciated how unusual it was to get advice like this from a GP until I started reading the forums here.

Can I ask, what did your GP say as regards fat, particularly saturated fat, and cholesterol?

I've been reading so much good news on this forum as regards a low carb diet and T2 improvement but some of it, specifically the advice around eating cheese and butter, seems too good to be true. What did your GP say to underline the 'don't be afraid of fat' part?

 

[fuinneamh]

I didn't ask the GP about fat; I have an appointment in a couple of weeks and I'll ask her then.
Edited to add that by "don't worry about fat", I took it that she meant that I should just concentrate on increasing my protein intake and decreasing the carbs at the beginning, and we could adjust dietary fat if necessary once I'd got used to the new way of eating.

Metformin seems to help to reduce my appetite. Before, my mind was clamouring for more food all the time.
I do eat cheese (not to excess, though), and I eat high protein yoghurt with seeds and berries for breakfast. I also eat butter, but probably less than I used to before I went low-carb, as I am no longer eating bread or cake.

It took over 6 weeks before I saw any weight reduction, which was a little discouraging in the beginning. I've lost about 14kg now.

 

[jjraak]

Can I ask, what did your GP say as regards fat, particularly saturated fat, and cholesterol?

I've been reading so much good news on this forum as regards a low carb diet and T2 improvement but some of it, specifically the advice around eating cheese and butter, seems too good to be true. What did your GP say to underline the 'don't be afraid of fat' part?

Not sure if I posted this up...?

Had posted at time
Testimonials
Good news


but I had an issue 2010 that required blood tests.
I then backtracked other once dx & began taking note of my blood tests

I tested & recorded data using online calculator (Hugh's calculator)

So results down side are the actual blood tests then the ratio calculations .

Reading across it's my blood tests from various years from 2010, 2018 (DX) all really eating a relaxed version of the Eatwell diet.
then far right 2 columns are Jan 2019 & jun 2019 when I'd been on lchf for 3 months & 9 months respectively.

All on
Fat left on meats
Butter only
Olive oil to fry
Nothing low calorie
Nothing 0% fatfree.

I made a particular note of triclycerides..from 6 2010 down to 1.6 June 2019....result.

 

[HairySmurf]

Not sure if I posted this up...?

Had posted at time
Testimonials
Good news


but I had an issue 2010 that required blood tests.
I then backtracked other once dx & began taking note of my blood tests

I tested & recorded data using online calculator (Hugh's calculator)

So results down side are the actual blood tests then the ratio calculations .

Reading across it's my blood tests from various years from 2010, 2018 (DX) all really eating a relaxed version of the Eatwell diet.
then far right 2 columns are Jan 2019 & jun 2019 when I'd been on lchf for 3 months & 9 months respectively.

All on
Fat left on meats
Butter only
Olive oil to fry
Nothing low calorie
Nothing 0% fatfree.

I made a particular note of triclycerides..from 6 2010 down to 1.6 June 2019....result.

View attachment 65745

Very informative, thank you.

BTW there's a bug in 'Hugh's calculator' in that it uses the Friedewald equation (1972) to calculate LDL, but allows very high triglyceride levels to be input. That equation doesn't work if triglyceride levels are too high. On a standard lipid panel LDL isn't measured directly, it's calculated, as direct LDL measurement is expensive. There's a newer equation (Martin) which is thought to be more accurate at calculating LDL, but that one doesn't work either when triglyceride levels are too high. This may explain why you saw LDL at 'near optimal' while everything else was in the red zone.

Have you had blood tests done since 2019? I would be extremely interested in seeing lipid data from people who've been on a low carb, high saturated fat diet for a good number of years.

 

[jjraak]

Very informative, thank you.

BTW there's a bug in 'Hugh's calculator' in that it uses the Friedewald equation (1972) to calculate LDL, but allows very high triglyceride levels to be input. That equation doesn't work if triglyceride levels are too high. On a standard lipid panel LDL isn't measured directly, it's calculated, as direct LDL measurement is expensive. There's a newer equation (Martin) which is thought to be more accurate at calculating LDL, but that one doesn't work either when triglyceride levels are too high. This may explain why you saw LDL at 'near optimal' while everything else was in the red zone.

Have you had blood tests done since 2019? I would be extremely interested in seeing lipid data from people who've been on a low carb, high saturated fat diet for a good number of years.

Interesting ...mmmhh.

I do, but sadly I've been off* lchf for 2 years, so they won't be of much use to you.

(*Major RTA. Year one unable to look after myself, so left to others to cook & shop for me, grateful enough not to impose dietary needs on them.
Year two, just two many battles to fight, where T2D fell down my priority list )

Year 3 is where I've restarted my lchf journey.

Good luck deciding what yours will look like.

 

[Antje77]

I would be extremely interested in seeing lipid data from people who've been on a low carb, high saturated fat diet for a good number of years.

I think posting my results after 7 years of LCHF here would take this thread off track, so I've posted them in one of your own threads: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...tion-book-recommendations.201616/post-2674018

 

[Pipp]

My HbA1c was 148 (not a typo) 8 weeks ago and my LDL was 4.5. My fasting blood glucose was 28. The GP was surprised that I looked healthy (albeit overweight) with results like that.

I stopped eating grains, starchy things like potatoes, and sugar; I haven't started counting carbs yet because I just didn't have the headspace, but I do check my blood glucose before meals and 2 hours after. I was prescribed 500mg Metformin 3 times a day.

Yesterday, my HbA1c was 70 and my LDL was 3.5.
My fasting glucose hovers around 8 if I've been swimming regularly and around 9.2 if I had to skip a couple of days or if I slept badly. Blood glucose is under 7 for the rest of the day.

So it's a step in the right direction at least.
I've lost hardly any weight, though. Hopefully that will start to happen soon.


UPDATE February 2024:
My HbA1c is 45 after a further 8 weeks (ie 16 weeks since my initial HbA1c of 148).
I have lost 15kg. It seems to decrease in jumps. I had no discernable weight loss for the first 6 weeks, then a tiny bit for the next few weeks, then a big loss.

Great result, thanks for the update. Well done.