• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

HbA1c blood test

rolypoly58

rolypoly58

Member
Messages
20
Just had my 3rd blood test results since being diagnosed last September with type 2
It started at 97 then 77 and finally 63 it's going in the right direction and with Christmas festivities I'm pleased with that.
 
I was diagnosed earluer this month with a reading of 95. My GP wants me to try getting it down through diet rather than meds. Can i ask those of you who are managing to get your reading down whether you are doing it by diet alone, and if so what works for you? I am now following a LCHF diet but have no idea if it's working. My next test is due early April and i need to see an improvement by then.
 
TooManyCrisps said:
I was diagnosed earluer this month with a reading of 95. My GP wants me to try getting it down through diet rather than meds. Can i ask those of you who are managing to get your reading down whether you are doing it by diet alone, and if so what works for you? I am now following a LCHF diet but have no idea if it's working. My next test is due early April and i need to see an improvement by then.
Click to expand...

Hi
I manage my T2 by diet (Lchf) and exercise ( daily dog walks). My hba1c is now below pre diabetic.

But I couldn't do it without having a blood glucose meter and testing regularly. It lets me identify precisely which foods send my bg up, so I can avoid them. :). I pay for the meter myself because type 2s usually don't get them on the nhs
 
Hi Brunneria, Thanks for responding. I do a lot of exercise and am trying to eat LCHF. My BMI is 27 so needs to come down. Do you think it's worth getting a meter then? I'd be interested to see how my sugars are affected by certain foods and by exercise. My GP didn't suggest a meter, but I'd be happy to buy one. He did refer me to a DESMOND programme but I haven't got a date through for that yet.
 
I think getting a meter is the single best thing for a T2 to control their bg - providing they actually test, and act on the results, of course ;)!

But dont rush into getting one without shopping around. The price differences are huge between brands. The cheapest i know of is the SD Codefree, available from Homehealth, ebay and Amazon.
 
TooManyCrisps said:
I was diagnosed earluer this month with a reading of 95. My GP wants me to try getting it down through diet rather than meds. Can i ask those of you who are managing to get your reading down whether you are doing it by diet alone, and if so what works for you? I am now following a LCHF diet but have no idea if it's working. My next test is due early April and i need to see an improvement by then.
Click to expand...

Diet and exercise for me. I agree with @Brunneria & @britishpub as it was testing each meal, both before and after that taught me what I could eat and what to avoid. I was so fortunate as I was given and meter and test strips to begin with though now they seen to think I don't need to test so I buy my own strips. My exercise is gentle walking. My HbA1c was 95 which reduced to 50 after 3 months and then 33 after another 3 months.
 
Hi, I was diagnosed around Aug/Sept time last year and I got my results down from 87 to 53 (start of November result) and Bmi from 30 to 22. I do it by diet and exercise as well. My bg meter is the best thing as it allows me to identify what causes me problems. My diet is low carbs but not a strict one, just a case of being careful with how much I eat. I would say a meter is essential for good management. I was lucky and got it on the NHS as the urine strips didn't work for me :-)
 
I was diagnosed 5th Jan his year 2016 with a BG reading of 19.3 [ off the scale ] going on the indicator scale above, now 3 weeks on down to 7 and 8 I do it with diet and walks could do more I suppose but I do keep busy minding my grandchildren while my daughter and son in law work, I eat lots of salads fruit eggs nuts etc
 
This is all very encouraging. I think i need to invest in a meyer and strips. Thanks gor the advice about which meter to get.
 
TooManyCrisps said:
This is all very encouraging. I think i need to invest in a meyer and strips. Thanks gor the advice about which meter to get.
Click to expand...

I tested before a meal and 2 hours after and wrote down everything, readings and what I had eaten and when. After a few days I could start to see what foods were pushing up my readings. For me the first thing was Weetabix (some can eat this) and so changed to eating scrambled eggs and mushrooms. It was slow progress and I am still learning. Do come back with questions and people will try and help.
 
TooManyCrisps said:
I was diagnosed earluer this month with a reading of 95. My GP wants me to try getting it down through diet rather than meds. Can i ask those of you who are managing to get your reading down whether you are doing it by diet alone, and if so what works for you? I am now following a LCHF diet but have no idea if it's working. My next test is due early April and i need to see an improvement by then.
Click to expand...
Hi @TooManyCrisps and welcome to the forum. My GP also told me to try to reduce my HbA1c by diet and exercise rather than medication. My HbA1c was lower than yours at 49, but I did bring it down to 44 at my 3 month retest. I didn't use a meter then, but I did buy some bathroom scales so I could see if I was losing weight, which I did at around 1lb a week.

Since my 3 month retest I have bought a meter to check that I am still making progress as I won't get another HbA1c test until after 12 months.
 
Back
Top