Hba1c 42 to 35

[KennyA]

Thank you once again!!!! You have been so kind with all your answers!!! I do feel better now I was thinking perhaps I do have that much body fat as I still have belly fat. And my waist to hip ratio puts me at risk. I’m just confused with all this as although I lost weight the waist doesn’t seem to shrink!!!

If you look up the weights and heights of (say) Six Nations rugby players and convert them to a BMI figure you'll find that they are all obese, according to BMI. Of course they're not obese, but it shows the limitations of a measurement that was useful up to a point when applied to populations (ie 10,000 or more) but not so good when applied to individuals.

It doesn't work for me at one end of the size/build spectrum and I suspect it won't work for you at the other. The other point is that weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. If you replace fat by muscle (muscle is heavier) you can gain weight while losing fat.

There is a huge industry depending on selling you the latest thing in weight loss and it does that by making things as scary and confusing as it can.

 

[gowest12]

If you look up the weights and heights of (say) Six Nations rugby players and convert them to a BMI figure you'll find that they are all obese, according to BMI. Of course they're not obese, but it shows the limitations of a measurement that was useful up to a point when applied to populations (ie 10,000 or more) but not so good when applied to individuals.

It doesn't work for me at one end of the size/build spectrum and I suspect it won't work for you at the other. The other point is that weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. If you replace fat by muscle (muscle is heavier) you can gain weight while losing fat.

There is a huge industry depending on selling you the latest thing in weight loss and it does that by making things as scary and confusing as it can.

Ok so tonight the situation is my daughters 20th birthday and she wants to go to gourmet burger. I plan to eat low carb for breakfast and lunch and then dinner is at gourmet burger I’m still not sure how to go about this. My doctor says one meal wont hurt but I’m thinking there’s an awful lot of carbs in burgers and chips!! Should I just have a burger??? With a salad is that the better option. Are sweet potato fries any better?? I’m more confused now as what to do for the best. I’m not checking levels now taking a well needed break from that as my doctor suggested. But my fear is since I’ve been quite low carb will this have a huge impact on progress I’ve made.

 

[KennyA]

Ok so tonight the situation is my daughters 20th birthday and she wants to go to gourmet burger. I plan to eat low carb for breakfast and lunch and then dinner is at gourmet burger I’m still not sure how to go about this. My doctor says one meal wont hurt but I’m thinking there’s an awful lot of carbs in burgers and chips!! Should I just have a burger??? With a salad is that the better option. Are sweet potato fries any better?? I’m more confused now as what to do for the best. I’m not checking levels now taking a well needed break from that as my doctor suggested. But my fear is since I’ve been quite low carb will this have a huge impact on progress I’ve made.

I agree with your doctor. One meal won't be a problem on low carb if you return to your current pattern afterwards.

However, if you want to try to stay as low carb as possible regardless here's what I do (and will be doing this weekend) in similar circumstances. There are two considerations - first is the amount of carbs an item contains, and the second is the amount of the item you're going to eat. So you can have a relatively high-carb item if you're only going to have a small amount (eg a splash of tomato ketchup) but need to watch a relatively low-carb item if you're going to have a lot of it.

So - I have the burger and the cheese and the pickle etc, but not in a bun, and I don't have the chips/fries. Zero sugar drink, definitely no milkshake which has a lot of sugars (a medium McD milkshake has 60g carbs, mainly sugar). Fruit smaoothies are often as carb heavy.

Sweet potato fries have iirc 20g carbs per 100g (lower than ordinary potatoes) so you'll need to think about how that fits into your overall intake. They aren't an option for me (but then I usually aim for around 20g carbs/day).

Hope that helps. Main thing is to enjoy being out and not worry overmuch about what you're eating.

 

[gowest12]

I agree with your doctor. One meal won't be a problem on low carb if you return to your current pattern afterwards.

However, if you want to try to stay as low carb as possible regardless here's what I do (and will be doing this weekend) in similar circumstances. There are two considerations - first is the amount of carbs an item contains, and the second is the amount of the item you're going to eat. So you can have a relatively high-carb item if you're only going to have a small amount (eg a splash of tomato ketchup) but need to watch a relatively low-carb item if you're going to have a lot of it.

So - I have the burger and the cheese and the pickle etc, but not in a bun, and I don't have the chips/fries. Zero sugar drink, definitely no milkshake which has a lot of sugars (a medium McD milkshake has 60g carbs, mainly sugar). Fruit smaoothies are often as carb heavy.

Sweet potato fries have iirc 20g carbs per 100g (lower than ordinary potatoes) so you'll need to think about how that fits into your overall intake. They aren't an option for me (but then I usually aim for around 20g carbs/day).

Hope that helps. Main thing is to enjoy being out and not worry overmuch about what you're eating.

Ok so I did go and I had the bunless burgers which included the patty and cheese and lettuce and onions mayo mustard all on a bed of salad and coleslaw. The annoying thing is there was a sweet type of vinegrette on the salad. So all in all I think it was ok still low carb enough. My other question is linked to low carb diets I keep getting told by people it’s really wrong to eat eggs everyday for breakfast and no porridge or healthier carbs as this will make my insulin resistance worse! I know checking our blood sugars we can see what’s happening with blood sugar but how do we know if it’s making insulin resistance worse?? This is really annoying me now there is so much conflicting info. I was even vegan for a long time and am not back to meat and fish! And yes my hba1c dropped to 35 from 42 is there any way to find out how insulin resistant we are??? I’m not going to have another hba1c for a year as advised by my doctor but would love to know this about the insulin resistance!!!

 

[gowest12]

Ok so I did go and I had the bunless burgers which included the patty and cheese and lettuce and onions mayo mustard all on a bed of salad and coleslaw. The annoying thing is there was a sweet type of vinegrette on the salad. So all in all I think it was ok still low carb enough. My other question is linked to low carb diets I keep getting told by people it’s really wrong to eat eggs everyday for breakfast and no porridge or healthier carbs as this will make my insulin resistance worse! I know checking our blood sugars we can see what’s happening with blood sugar but how do we know if it’s making insulin resistance worse?? This is really annoying me now there is so much conflicting info. I was even vegan for a long time and am not back to meat and fish! And yes my hba1c dropped to 35 from 42 is there any way to find out how insulin resistant we are??? I’m not going to have another hba1c for a year as advised by my doctor but would love to know this about the insulin resistance!!!

I meant to say I’m now back to eating meat and fish since the prediabetes diagnosis of 42

 

[HSSS]

Ok so I did go and I had the bunless burgers which included the patty and cheese and lettuce and onions mayo mustard all on a bed of salad and coleslaw. The annoying thing is there was a sweet type of vinegrette on the salad. So all in all I think it was ok still low carb enough. My other question is linked to low carb diets I keep getting told by people it’s really wrong to eat eggs everyday for breakfast and no porridge or healthier carbs as this will make my insulin resistance worse! I know checking our blood sugars we can see what’s happening with blood sugar but how do we know if it’s making insulin resistance worse?? This is really annoying me now there is so much conflicting info. I was even vegan for a long time and am not back to meat and fish! And yes my hba1c dropped to 35 from 42 is there any way to find out how insulin resistant we are??? I’m not going to have another hba1c for a year as advised by my doctor but would love to know this about the insulin resistance!!!

Have they been able to explain WHY eggs are a problem or how eating carbs improves insulin resistance?

 

[ajbod]

NOT eating carbs improves Insulin resistance.
The safe maximum number of eggs to eat each 24 hours is


36 !

 

[Antje77]

The safe maximum number of eggs to eat each 24 hours is


36 !

Yuck!

 

[HSSS]

NOT eating carbs improves Insulin resistance.
The safe maximum number of eggs to eat each 24 hours is


36 !

And I thought the answer was always 42

 

[KennyA]

Ok so I did go and I had the bunless burgers which included the patty and cheese and lettuce and onions mayo mustard all on a bed of salad and coleslaw. The annoying thing is there was a sweet type of vinegrette on the salad. So all in all I think it was ok still low carb enough. My other question is linked to low carb diets I keep getting told by people it’s really wrong to eat eggs everyday for breakfast and no porridge or healthier carbs as this will make my insulin resistance worse! I know checking our blood sugars we can see what’s happening with blood sugar but how do we know if it’s making insulin resistance worse?? This is really annoying me now there is so much conflicting info. I was even vegan for a long time and am not back to meat and fish! And yes my hba1c dropped to 35 from 42 is there any way to find out how insulin resistant we are??? I’m not going to have another hba1c for a year as advised by my doctor but would love to know this about the insulin resistance!!!

I have never had an OGT test to measure insulin resistance - it's not commonly done for run of the mill T2s. In a sense I think it's the other way round - as I had a) diabetic symptoms and b) elevated blood glucose I can assume c) insulin resistance almost as a given. I've never seen the point personally for me to be tested, and particularly not when my BGs are currently under control.

On eggs - I don't know who you're talking to or where they are getting their information from, but I find it hard to understand how a food item with no carbohydate can make things worse. I eat a large number of eggs, and so do many of the low-carb T2 folks on this forum. I have a six-egg omelette at least once a week.

Don't forget that the official NHS Eatwell plate advice, for diabetics and non-diabetics alike, is still to base all meals around starchy carbohydrates. This is echoed in much of the media, which has really abused the word "healthy" to the point where it is almost meaningless. Naturally anyone who still believes this will argue that a low-carb lifestyle must cause problems, because if it doesn't the whole dietary advice over the last 30 years or so would be called into question.

 

[gowest12]

So that's 104lbs and 4 foot 11 inches - seems to be BMI 21. Which is a normal BMI, on the low side (point of order - I think BMI is a duff measurement).

I understand that the machine estimates body fat percentage by using biolelectrical impedance - basically it measures how much resistance there is to a small electric current passing through your body. I can think of a number of factors that might affect this, and it seems to give nothing but inaccurate results - two seconds googling will show you that.

From your weight and height you obviously do not have 41% body fat. You cannot be carrying 40lbs of fat. You say you've lost weight, which will be body fat, but then say the machine is telling you that the percentage hasn't changed.

The answer is that the machine is wrong.

Ok so can I just ask another question I’ve been continuing exercising and doing my best with my low carb diet I am including some beans and lentils now and trying to add more fats to feel full but I cannot understand why my waist of 29 inches will not budge! I’ve lost weight everywhere and I did lose a few inches off the belly but it refuses to go down anymore and I still keep seeing I’m at high risk of heart and diabetes with that waist to hip ratio. I’m scared to gain weight as it will go to my belly. I can’t believe that I have 41 present fst in my body but it may be possible if it’s around the belly. I don’t know what to do. My mum had diabetes same body shape and my sister is prediabetic same problem belly. So we are classic apple shapes which is why I’ve gone very low carb trying to melt that body fat!!! Does being in ketosis get rid of that fat?? It really bothers me this is putting me at high risk even though hba1c is 35 I still feel like what should I do now???

 

[ajbod]

Being in ketosis is the MOST effective way of burning body fat. Think of your system as being lazy, it will use the easiest fuel to burn first, ie the carbs. So if you restrict the carbs enough, it is forced to use fat instead which it has evolved to do. Provided you don't eat too many calories, your system tops up the necessary calories from stored fat.
Your genetic body shape may make it harder to reduce the spare tyre, but it will eventually get to that stored fat.
I personally think it is important NOT to stick to a set calorie level for too long, but vary it every few days, so that your body doesn't adjust to the reduced level of calories. But continues to top up from storage.

 

[KennyA]

Ok so can I just ask another question I’ve been continuing exercising and doing my best with my low carb diet I am including some beans and lentils now and trying to add more fats to feel full but I cannot understand why my waist of 29 inches will not budge! I’ve lost weight everywhere and I did lose a few inches off the belly but it refuses to go down anymore and I still keep seeing I’m at high risk of heart and diabetes with that waist to hip ratio. I’m scared to gain weight as it will go to my belly. I can’t believe that I have 41 present fst in my body but it may be possible if it’s around the belly. I don’t know what to do. My mum had diabetes same body shape and my sister is prediabetic same problem belly. So we are classic apple shapes which is why I’ve gone very low carb trying to melt that body fat!!! Does being in ketosis get rid of that fat?? It really bothers me this is putting me at high risk even though hba1c is 35 I still feel like what should I do now???

I'd try to forget that 41% fat thing. It's the dodgy product of a dodgy machine and clearly wrong so it needs to stop being part of your considerations.

Over the last three years while I've been losing weight it has not been a steady progression. I lose much less between April and October than October to April, don't know why, as I can't see anything that I'm doing that would affect this - maybe it's just the weather!

Where are you seeing this "high risk of heart disease and diabetes" with your waist to hip ratio? Is it in the media? Are you sure they know what they're talking about? A lot of stuff in the media is product placement, or press release advertising. It is deliberately designed to frighten rather than inform and make you want to buy something. We are the shapes we are. You can't do much about your bone structure, the size of your pelvis, your height. But a lot of the rubbish one reads doesn't ever take that into consideration.

Ketosis is just the scientific name for the process of metabolising body fat. It doesn't melt, it gets used for fuel. If you are losing body fat you are by definition in ketosis at some level.

 

[gowest12]

I'd try to forget that 41% fat thing. It's the dodgy product of a dodgy machine and clearly wrong so it needs to stop being part of your considerations.

Over the last three years while I've been losing weight it has not been a steady progression. I lose much less between April and October than October to April, don't know why, as I can't see anything that I'm doing that would affect this - maybe it's just the weather!

Where are you seeing this "high risk of heart disease and diabetes" with your waist to hip ratio? Is it in the media? Are you sure they know what they're talking about? A lot of stuff in the media is product placement, or press release advertising. It is deliberately designed to frighten rather than inform and make you want to buy something. We are the shapes we are. You can't do much about your bone structure, the size of your pelvis, your height. But a lot of the rubbish one reads doesn't ever take that into consideration.

Ketosis is just the scientific name for the process of metabolising body fat. It doesn't melt, it gets used for fuel. If you are losing body fat you are by definition in ketosis at some level.

Hi I found the waist hip ratio calculator here

The waist to hip ratio calculator gives determines the possibility of health risks and is an indication of whether you have an apple or pear shaped figure.

The waist to hip ratio calculator gives determines the possibility of health risks and is an indication of whether you have an apple or pear shaped figure.

www.diabetes.co.uk

 

[Outlier]

As KennyA has said: we are all different body types. Some types can be literally emaciated everywhere else but still hold more "size" than recommended currently by - whom? around the middle. It's hereditary and there is nothing we can do about it unless we starve to the point of risking our health in other ways. The various recommended ratios for height/weight/waist are guidelines not facts. If we are a sensible size overall and not kidding ourselves, then being of different proportions to a theory should not be a cause for concern. Better to be a sensible size than risk osteoporosis, malnutrition and so on, not to mention being bloody miserable. If we look all right and feel all right, chances are we are all right.

 

[gowest12]

As KennyA has said: we are all different body types. Some types can be literally emaciated everywhere else but still hold more "size" than recommended currently by - whom? around the middle. It's hereditary and there is nothing we can do about it unless we starve to the point of risking our health in other ways. The various recommended ratios for height/weight/waist are guidelines not facts. If we are a sensible size overall and not kidding ourselves, then being of different proportions to a theory should not be a cause for concern. Better to be a sensible size than risk osteoporosis, malnutrition and so on, not to mention being bloody miserable. If we look all right and feel all right, chances are we are all right.

Thank you yes I know it’s genetic in my case as mum and sister are the same. I don’t feel great being so slim all over but I don’t really want to gain weight hopefully just stay stable. I’m 4ft 11 and 7 stone 6 pounds so lower end of normal. But I was abit bigger before but I think losing that extra weight did probably bring down my blood sugars because it was very low carb but I struggle with using too many fats to fill up!!! For breakfast I usually have half an avocado smoked salmon and boiled eggs and then lunch is some sort of salad makerel or chicken and in the evening it’s chicken or fish again with lentils or beans and a green vegetable. And then Greek yoghurt and nuts. Do you know if the calories from extra virgin olive oil are of benefit? I notice I end up eating a lot of olive oil at lunch on salads then in the evening on all my veg I wonder if I do get enough calories?? I’m still trying to stick to low carb but I’ve added in lentils and beans and i as a side portion

 

[ajbod]

Proper olive oil, butter, cream and full fat mayo are all excellent ways of upping your fats and calories.
100 calories of fat will fuel you for longer than 100 calories of carbs.

 

[KennyA]

Hi I found the waist hip ratio calculator here

The waist to hip ratio calculator gives determines the possibility of health risks and is an indication of whether you have an apple or pear shaped figure.

The waist to hip ratio calculator gives determines the possibility of health risks and is an indication of whether you have an apple or pear shaped figure.

www.diabetes.co.uk

That's the calculator but where does it say "a high risk of heart disease and diabetes"? What do you mean by "high risk"?

There's a few ways of looking at risk, and the problem is that they are not always made clear. Quite often you'll read something that says "an increased risk of x" and they don't tell you what your original risk was, or what it might increase to, or whether the risk is different for different groups. So you might start off with a population average 0.001% risk of developing Condition X. However, a reliable (and many of them are not) scientific study demonstrates that if you are over 6 feet tall your risk of developing Condition X is 0.002%.

How this is presented is important. You could say that if you're over 6ft tall a very small risk is now slightly bigger, but is still a very small risk. Or you could say the the risk is doubled. Both happen to be true, but the second might suggest to some readers that it is now somehow likely that taller people will develop Condition X - which would be entirely misleading. Of course the second makes a much better scary story and therefore that's what the media will use, 99% of the time.

 

[gowest12]

That's the calculator but where does it say "a high risk of heart disease and diabetes"? What do you mean by "high risk"?

There's a few ways of looking at risk, and the problem is that they are not always made clear. Quite often you'll read something that says "an increased risk of x" and they don't tell you what your original risk was, or what it might increase to, or whether the risk is different for different groups. So you might start off with a population average 0.001% risk of developing Condition X. However, a reliable (and many of them are not) scientific study demonstrates that if you are over 6 feet tall your risk of developing Condition X is 0.002%.

How this is presented is important. You could say that if you're over 6ft tall a very small risk is now slightly bigger, but is still a very small risk. Or you could say the the risk is doubled. Both happen to be true, but the second might suggest to some readers that it is now somehow likely that taller people will develop Condition X - which would be entirely misleading. Of course the second makes a much better scary story and therefore that's what the media will use, 99% of the time.

 

[gowest12]

I don’t know if you can read it but i put in my waist of 29.5 inch and 34 inch hips and it says 0.87 at risk of obesity related problems which confuses me as on the scale I’m 7 stone 6 and not obese but it must be the belly fat they refer to.