what are your bsl and hba1c targets?

[Luca2016]

Hi, am interested to know what people's bsl and hba1c targets are. basically I am wondering wether are am a bit obsessed and need to get a life .
my new targets are basically not going over 7 and being under 6.5 as much as possible. my hba1c goal is 5.4 or less

 

[Oldvatr]

Hi, am interested to know what people's bsl and hba1c targets are. basically I am wondering wether are am a bit obsessed and need to get a life .
my new targets are basically not going over 7 and being under 6.5 as much as possible. my hba1c goal is 5.4 or less

The targets you have set yourself are admirable, and are achievable, but I wonder what you will do if you find yourself not achieving them? This is the real question. Will you beat yourself up if a reading is higher than the day before? How much higher will you tolerate as a 'blip'', or will it play on your mind and keep you awake?

If you treat goals as the B'all and End 'all, then it can cause anxiety or depression, which will in turn lead to denial, and loss of control. It really depends on how you deal with any setbacks, irrespective of any goals.

I make sure that any decisions I take are made from averaged readings. I use a spreadsheet that is programmed to give me a daily . weekly/ monthly average, and I get graphs to show trendings. This helps me control things, and I do not panic over the occasional bad choice or mistake. I also keep a daily log of my food intake, and any other factors that could be relevant, such as test strip batch change, or late meds or late meal etc. These notes help me to work out what may have affected ny bgl so I can avoid it next time.

I am obsessed with my readings to the point of being quite anal about them, but I do not worry myself over a bump or two on the way. I regard those as potholes in the pathway, and take steps to fill them in later. It's all about developing the right mindset, and hopefully you will come out a winner too. Look forward to seeing your posting in the Succcess Stories thread soon.

 

[Totto]

I'm the same as you @Luca2016 and as long as I stay off starch and sugar I rarely go above 6 at any point and am usually down to baseline after two hours. My HbA1c is 32 and I'm very happy with that. No meds.

 

[Robbity]

I believe it's a good idea to set yourself reasonable targets so that you can see how you're managing over time, and have a goal to aim for, and yours should be achievable.

When I first started testing I looked at the recommended levels on our main diabetes.co.uk web site and set my meter's target levels based on those and according to what I felt I could easily achieve. These targets were flexible and got adjusted according to how well I was managing (or not!) to achieve them. This way I had an incentive, but wasn't pressurized into feeling I was ever failing by having set them unrealistically high.

While it's interesting to see how other people are managing, improving our glucose levels is a very personal challenge and we can't really ever compare our targets with anyone else's. Their diabetes isn't our diabetes, and they have different issues to deal with so managing their condition may be much easier or much harder for them, so it would be a bit like comparing apples and pears.

Robbity

 

[4ratbags]

What are your current BS and Hb levels like. Your targets certainly seem achievable but the amount of time it may take to achieve will vary depending on what your levels are now.

 

[SunnyExpat]

'Normal' from the link below
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Always remember, these are an average reading, many 'normal' people see spikes.
(The 'random' reading for normal BG is up to 11.1 in that link)

I find it gives me a Hba1c of mid thirties, (or low 5's, depending on your units), which again, I'm happy with.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @Luca2016 I think if you have been fairly recently diagnosed you are more likely to be obsessed with bs levels and targets, because the diagnosis is scary. I was for the first 6 months after diagnosis. But I have become a bit more relaxed (or is that complacent?) now. My target was to get to non-diabetic level by my next HbA1c test due in September. I think I should achieve that.
At first my daily targets were to get to around 5.5 fbgs. At the moment I am usually in the 6s, but I'm ok with that and don't get worried as long as I don't go over 7 too often.

 

[Snapsy]

I am obsessed with my readings to the point of being quite anal about them, but I do not worry myself over a bump or two on the way. I regard those as potholes in the pathway, and take steps to fill them in later. It's all about developing the right mindset

@Oldvatr your post above has really resonated with me. As someone else obsessed with readings I find that I beat myself up over blips. Thank you for your wise words.

@Luca2016 I hope you find a testing regimen that fits you both in terms of glucose control and having a life. I know there's one out there!