After 1 year: HBA1C is 42 mmol/mol

DevGuy

Active Member
Messages
38
Got it done this week. Thanks to everyone on this truly great forum for advice along the way!

77 in Oct 2020
55 in March 2021
42 this week

BP hovers around 115/70

Cholesterol remains a problem, although Chol/HDL ratio isn't bad at 3.5. (LCHF diet may be a factor in still-high LDL of 5.0, and total Chol of 7.4).
Triglycerides down steeply, to 0.8 mmol/L

Strategy employed (made changes along the way, as suggested on this forum and elsewhere, but largely the below):
  • Alternate-Day Fasting (no food at all on fasting days. I had many years of previous experience with this lifestyle, until dropping out because of an unrelated but important reason in 2017-18.)
  • LCHF Diet (adopted only a few weeks ago - made a really big difference in breaking through stalled weight loss. And I'm actually enjoying it).
  • Weight loss of around 20 kilos achieved over 1 year (current weight around 69 kilos. Target 67 kilos). Has made a huge difference to my energy levels for exercise, which is mainly walking & running plus some light resistance workouts.
Meds:
Metformin 500mg only 4 times per week (on feeding days).
Crestor 5mg only only 4 times per week (on feeding days). This may be raising blood sugar slightly, I strongly suspect. And I may need to double this dosage, as LDL is still high.
 

chrisjohnh

Well-Known Member
Messages
285
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Great progress with your HbA1c reduction, well done. What are your thoughts on the possibility of your coming off the Metformin altogether now? With such a weight loss and presumably the elimination of all visceral fat, the Metformin may now not be contributing any benefit at all.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Cholesterol remains a problem, although Chol/HDL ratio isn't bad at 3.5. (LCHF diet may be a factor in still-high LDL of 5.0, and total Chol of 7.4).
Triglycerides down steeply, to 0.8 mmol/L
What's your HDL?
 

DevGuy

Active Member
Messages
38
Great progress with your HbA1c reduction, well done. What are your thoughts on the possibility of your coming off the Metformin altogether now? With such a weight loss and presumably the elimination of all visceral fat, the Metformin may now not be contributing any benefit at all.

There is some evidence that metformin slows down cell turnover. So I might continue with it for that reason, at a low dose.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Chol/HDL ratio 3.5 - right on the border of optimal

I was asking to see what your Trig/HDL ratio was.

This is at the moment thought to be a far better indicator of possible problems than most other ratios.