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A Month Into Low Carbing


Thank you x I can honestly say that I haven't had a single cheat (where's my halo?) not even one chip off the other half's plate. If I've had anything naughty it has been accidentally (as in I wasn't sure about the Rice Cake but that was a one off).
 

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement - it is appreciated and I did think that those with a lot to lose would lose it faster but still expected a wee bit more for all that self-denial.

I'm just off to the doctor's for a print out of my last diabetic blood test, so that I too can have some idea of the HBA1C thingy that everyone talks about
 
Let us know how you get on with your results!
 
Well I'm back with print outs of my old blood tests but I need a bit of help to understand them please.
It seems I've only had 2 print outs, one in July 2014 which says:

The WHO suggests HBA1c>=6.5% (48mmol/mol) is consistent with diabetes

HBA1c - Above range 7.3% [2.0-6.5] Above high reference limit

Haemoglobin A1c - Above Range 56 mmol/mol [11.0-48.0] Above high reference limit

And the one for July 2015 just shows a .1 increase to 7.4% and 57 mmol/mol

Bearing in mind this was before I started any meds or the LC/HF diet

I'm not sure what happened between July 2014 and December 2014. Maybe it was when I was supposed to do diet and exercise and I thought I'd had another blood test about December (when I was supposed to started the Metformin but gave up) but these were the only 2 they had on record.

So I guess I have to get the 57 mmol/mol down to well under 48 and the 7.4% to well under 6.5 ?

I really need to go through all the posts and see what other people started off at to get an idea of how bad my figures were prior to doing the low carbing.

I'm not due to go back til November so hopefully there will be an improvement by then.
 

Your 7.3% and 56 mmol/mol are the same. The percentage figure is the old units. The mmol/mol measurement replaced the percentage in 2011, but some labs record both figures. Same with your 7.4% and 57. There is a conversion chart here.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-units-converter.html

You will also see that your current 57 (7.4%) is equivalent to an average of 9.2mmol/l which is the measurement unit our meters use. The HbA1c is a sort of average of the previous 2 to 3 months blood glucose level, so you have been averaging over 9mmol/l for the past 2 to 3 months. It isn't good, but it could be a lot worse. Many people on here started much, much higher than that.
Personally, I wasn't too bad. My diagnostic HbA1c was 53. There is every chance of you getting that right down by November.
 
Hi @copey399 do you test? If not, get a BG meter and do so. The Code Free seems both popular and reliably and the test strips are far less expensive than other makes. You can buy it on-line and get a discount it you buy 5 or 10 boxes of test strips. Search the forums, there are lots of threads about buying codefree meters and test strips.

As to fats, the idea is to keep protein intake normal as too much protein turns into glucose too. So on low carb and normal protein the LCHF way is to fill up on fat. You don't have to stuff your face with it, just get enough to satisfy. I eat a lot of it but then I only eat twice a day usually.

The other thing with LCHF, at least as the Dietdoctor sees it, is to eat when hungry until satisfied, then stop. Repeat when needed. I rarely eat before ten am, sometimes not until midday but I am up early six days a week, like six o´clock.
 

Aaah thank you for that - makes it a lot clearer and the average of 9+ was a bit of a shock as I was reading it as 7.4. Carry on low carbing and I'm reducing the amount of fat too until the weight starts to shift.
 

Yes, they gave me a meter with the Gliclazide that I never took. Problem is it's a Verio One Touch and they only give me 50 strips a month and they're expensive to buy so I may have to get the Code Free one.

I'm quite happy on 2 meals a day too so definitely not going to keep forcing stuff down that I don't really fancy early in the morning.
 
Yeeeha! Down 2lbs this morning to 11st 12lbs so out of the dreaded 12s. Been a long time since I've seen 11 anything on my scales so I'm well pleased. And my average BS readings for the last 2 weeks have been 6.4 so I think I'm making progress, thanks to all your advice and support xxx
 
Hi there, lots of on the spot comments.

I agree with the above that Low Carb doesn't need to be too high fat, I focus on lowering the carbs and eat my avocados, my olive oil, and my cheeses, and have mayo if I fancy it, I just don't worry about it.

Also the speed at which people lose weight is related to many many factors, you have started on a really good pace so stalling tends to happen and if you don't have much to lose it tends to be a slower pace that people who has more to lose.

I was wondering if you ever tried slow release metformin, I too, can't tolerate normal metformin and I had to fight a few times to get my prescription changed to slow release but it makes a massive difference in my life. Without metformin my life is simply much harder.

On the other hand, gliclazide was a terrible mistake for me and it doesn't work in the same way as metformin as it is a completely different kind of medicine.
 

Hi mehhh, yes, I've certainly learned a lot from the lovely folks on here.

I did try the slow release metformin but it still made me feel uncomfortable but to be honest I don't think I gave it long enough for my body to adjust. It wasn't til they changed me to Gliclazide and gave me a monitor that I realised this was a different ball game altogether, testing and possible hypos - no thank you. Since joining here I've come to realise that Metformin was probably a better option with less nasty side effects so if the low carbing doesn't work for me I'll be asking to give it another try.

Interested in your comment "Without metformin my life is simply much harder." Could you elaborate please? Do you mean as in not having to restrict everything you like?
xx
 

Sometimes, it's just a patience game, opey, although this condition does mess with our minds sometimes!

Great news, though.
 
Yayyy well done.....pleased for you ...your readings look great and the pounds are disappearing too Keep it up girly...
 

As in metformin makes a difference in my weight loss when combined with healthy eating (for me is very very low carb >30grms) as well as it makes a difference in other aspects of my hormonal profile.

Low carb only, makes me lose weight but not as much and not as fast. And there are other medicines (like antidepresants) that can totally stop me from losing weight while lowcarbing no matter how low I go.

When doing very very low carb as I do right now I lower the metformin dose.

Also take into consideration the time of the day I take them: the worst for me is taking them at night after a meal because it makes me feel sick in the morning. I take them always right before my meal, two or three times a day depending on what dosage I am taking. I never take them after meals (as I have been recommended before and didn't work for me)
 

Brilliant.

I was in the 13 stones for ages and then as soon as 12 appeared on the scales, I was 12st 7 in a couple of weeks.

You'll see a 10 by Christmas
 

I see. Thank you for explaining x
 
britishpub said:
Brilliant.

I was in the 13 stones for ages and then as soon as 12 appeared on the scales, I was 12st 7 in a couple of weeks.

You'll see a 10 by Christmas
Click to expand...

Oh thank you xx Better start saving for that new wardrobe Regretting all the "can't get into" stuff I've kept the Charity Shops going with .. lol
 
Hi. I'm newly diagnosed and though I would recommend an app I use which has helped me immensely. From Google play it's called Carbs and Cals. It's around £3 but has picture portions to help you. You can add your own food in the my food section, add exercise and blood readings. I've brought Code free from Amazon and am very pleased with it. Like the others have said the lancets and strips are cheaper. I tend to test once daily before breakfast and it's helped me motivated myself so much. I'm a wheelchair user and now swim twice weekly using a float jacket. The only problem I'm facing is fatigue, but the kind people on here are helping me xx Hope this helps you xx
 
I'm in a bit of a tizz so haven't read the other replies which isn't like me.
Have you upped the fay as in extra virgin olive oil extra virgin coconut oil full fat yoghurt plain with whatever you want to put in full fat milk butter cream?
It's important.
When I started I budged a few pounds off and each time they came back again almost overnight.
Sometimes more would come back than I lost then it started yoyoing up and down but I was told stick with it this is the body adjusting after a lifetime of something different than what I was now doing.
Three stone gone in I think just over four months.
Raise the fat levels you eat to lose weight.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
 
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