Can't reduce my HbA1c

[joshandjess]

So I have been cutting down on carbs, sweets and alcohol as my level was 69, had a blood test yesterday and its still 69! I feel so down that it's not reduced at all.

I'm eating porridge for breakfast, have rivettas for lunch with low fat cheese spread and cook a evening meal either fish or chicken.

I'm also drinking more water.

So where am I going wrong?

 

[Ronancastled]

I'm eating porridge for breakfast

Oh dear

have rivettas for lunch

Ahem

So where am I going wrong

You've been given terrible dietary advice.
It's about carbs, not sugars, learn how to read nutritional labels, school up on low carb.
If anyone ever mentions brown rice or healthy wholegrains to you professionally cut them out of your life.

 

[AndBreathe]

So I have been cutting down on carbs, sweets and alcohol as my level was 69, had a blood test yesterday and its still 69! I feel so down that it's not reduced at all.

I'm eating porridge for breakfast, have rivettas for lunch with low fat cheese spread and cook a evening meal either fish or chicken.

I'm also drinking more water.

So where am I going wrong?

Josh and Jess, can I ask who has been guiding you in relation to your diabetes and way of eating?

Often the advice to those with T2 is to have the sorts of things you have been, but a goodly proportion of those find they don't quite achieve their objectives.

Many of us find if we can test our blood sugars at home - by finger prick before and after we eat, we find quite a few of those carby foods don't do us any favours.

Personally, I found if I cut out the carb heavy foods, like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice, and focused my meals on protein (meats) and vegetables I did very well. My HbA1c was 73 at diagnosis in October 2013, and by February 2014 it was 37 - well into the non-diabetic range, and it has stayed under 37 since.

I didn't carry a lot of weight when diagnosed, but my love handles also melted away.

If you don't have blood testing kit, it could be very worthwhile buying one, because your GP is unlikely to provide it for you.

People are here to help you. We were helped when we arrived, so we like to pass on some of what we learned along the way.

 

[joshandjess]

Josh and Jess, can I ask who has been guiding you in relation to your diabetes and way of eating?

Often the advice to those with T2 is to have the sorts of things you have been, but a goodly proportion of those find they don't quite achieve their objectives.

Many of us find if we can test our blood sugars at home - by finger prick before and after we eat, we find quite a few of those carby foods don't do us any favours.

Personally, I found if I cut out the carb heavy foods, like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice, and focused my meals on protein (meats) and vegetables I did very well. My HbA1c was 73 at diagnosis in October 2013, and by February 2014 it was 37 - well into the non-diabetic range, and it has stayed under 37 since.

I didn't carry a lot of weight when diagnosed, but my love handles also melted away.

If you don't have blood testing kit, it could be very worthwhile buying one, because your GP is unlikely to provide it for you.

People are here to help you. We were helped when we arrived, so we like to pass on some of what we learned along the way.

Many thanks for the reply

I don't eat bread, have very little (once a week) rice & pasta. I eat chicken, red meat and fish in home made dishes using lots of veg and no shop bought sauces.

As for guidance, I've been told to cut out carbs and always look at the saturated fat and sugar content in tin or packet products.

Yes I like a drink of red wine at the weekends and the odd pint of bitter, but have cut down to just two days of alcohol

I don't eat fruit as I'm not a fan and have taken up fitness again after an abstance of 8 months.

So I'm really miffed by what else I can do apart from becoming tea total.

 

[EllieM]

So I'm really miffed by what else I can do apart from becoming tea total.

Maybe check that some carbs haven't crept in unbeknownst. (Keep a food diary and do a careful count). If you are truly as low carb as you think you are then it may be worth checking that you are a vanilla T2 eg do GAD and cpeptide tests to rule out T1/LADA.

Having said that, a lot of T2s can't cope with porridge, particularly at the beginning of the day when your liver oh so helpfully decides to pump out sugar, so I might look at that first...

So I have been cutting down on carbs, sweets and alcohol as my level was 69, had a blood test yesterday and its still 69! I feel so down that it's not reduced at all.

How long have you been cutting down for? Your hba1c is affected by blood sugars for the last 3 months....

Good luck.

 

[Resurgam]

Many thanks for the reply

I don't eat bread, have very little (once a week) rice & pasta. I eat chicken, red meat and fish in home made dishes using lots of veg and no shop bought sauces.

As for guidance, I've been told to cut out carbs and always look at the saturated fat and sugar content in tin or packet products.

Yes I like a drink of red wine at the weekends and the odd pint of bitter, but have cut down to just two days of alcohol

I don't eat fruit as I'm not a fan and have taken up fitness again after an abstance of 8 months.

So I'm really miffed by what else I can do apart from becoming tea total.

Bread, rice, pasta, porridge and Rivitas - all high carb and they do add up, particularly if beer is added into the mix.
Perhaps you are eating other 'healthy' high carb foods as well - not realising that starch as well as sugars all contribute to high blood glucose levels.
I am really sensitive to carbs and eat under 40 gm of them maximum each day to get normal numbers.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. In general you are doing the right thing by keeping the carbs down. What sort of weight are you? If slim then you could be late onset T1 and need meds. Even as a T2 Metformin tablets will help a little. If you are slim and the BS doesn't go down then you may want to ask the GP for the two tests for T1 i.e. GAD and C-Peptide.

 

[ianf0ster]

@joshandjess I have to say that I agree that you are still eating high carb foods (porridge etc) event though you are thinking that you have cut down on carbs.
And who told you to eat low fat products - they tend to have more carbs and make you hungry again faster than the full fat ones.
There are only 3 macro nutrients and only 2 of those are essential (meaning the body can't produce them from other things you eat.
The non-essential macro-nutrient is Carbohydrates! Most of us became diabetic in part because of being suspicious of Fat and encouraged to fill up on carbs instead. We need Fat and even Saturated Fat (saturated just means it is stable and so doesn't easily change into something harmful).
Personally I'm much more suspicious of so called vegetable oils (which are actually highly processed seed oils and were impossible to produce before that late 1800's) than I am of ghee, butter, lard, tallow or any other traditional fats. Why do people eat these seed oils knowing that they were originally manufactured for industrial purposes rather than for consumption?

Try to replace (most of) the calories lost through cutting carbs by adding more protein and more fat to your diet.
For me Low Carb means higher Protein and higher traditional fats so that I don't get hungry (which makes it sustainable). That way I keep my weight low and stable without ever having to count calories (even when in the weight loss phase). It also keeps me in remission from Type 2 diabetes.

 

[Goonergal]

So I'm really miffed by what else I can do apart from becoming tea total.

I’d suggest giving the porridge and ryvita a miss. At least test before and after eating them to see the impact they have.

 

[sallymac65]

Hi @joshandjess - a good thing to post, a great first step.
I don't have Type 2 but can advise on the carb thing, in the hope it helps you. As you and someone else commented on, having porridge which is very carb heavy and Ryvita's, boy ..., that's a lot of carbs in two meals.
Would you be willing to change your routine? If so, your HBA1C results will improve dramatically.
For instance, would you consider having some fresh or stewed rhubarb as I did today for breakfast? Yes, there is sugar in the fruit and depends on what you pick obviously, strawberries and raspberries are better than bananas or dried fruits certainly. Add it in with some low-fat natural yoghurt. A perfect breakfast.
As for lunch, miss out on all of the carbs completely. Have your salad then, eg., Tuna Nicoise (tuna, lettuce and other salad ingredients) and egg hard boiled if cooking for one. If you have any leftover boiled potatoes, then 2 maximum the size of an egg sliced up. A bit of low-fat dressing over it and it's perfect.
You will probably need some carbs for dinner at this stage I am guessing. Don't overdo it. FYI, in case you don't know, 2 tablespoons of rice are 20g carbs, make a low-fat curry or something but don't just pile on the rice or pasta.
That's not how type 2 or actually Type 1 works. Be careful.
Best of luck

 

[Goonergal]

You will probably need some carbs for dinner at this stage

Why?

I’d also question the low-fat advice. Very often low-fat = more added sugar. If carbs are being severely restricted then energy is required from somewhere and that is fat.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi @joshandjess - a good thing to post, a great first step.
I don't have Type 2 but can advise on the carb thing, in the hope it helps you. As you and someone else commented on, having porridge which is very carb heavy and Ryvita's, boy ..., that's a lot of carbs in two meals.
Would you be willing to change your routine? If so, your HBA1C results will improve dramatically.
For instance, would you consider having some fresh or stewed rhubarb as I did today for breakfast? Yes, there is sugar in the fruit and depends on what you pick obviously, strawberries and raspberries are better than bananas or dried fruits certainly. Add it in with some low-fat natural yoghurt. A perfect breakfast.
As for lunch, miss out on all of the carbs completely. Have your salad then, eg., Tuna Nicoise (tuna, lettuce and other salad ingredients) and egg hard boiled if cooking for one. If you have any leftover boiled potatoes, then 2 maximum the size of an egg sliced up. A bit of low-fat dressing over it and it's perfect.
You will probably need some carbs for dinner at this stage I am guessing. Don't overdo it. FYI, in case you don't know, 2 tablespoons of rice are 20g carbs, make a low-fat curry or something but don't just pile on the rice or pasta.
That's not how type 2 or actually Type 1 works. Be careful.
Best of luck

With respect, there are carbs in salad. Not many, but there are carbs, and then the leftover potatoes?

Personally, I like to go heavy on the tasty stuff, like the meat/chicken/fish or eggs, then add some fats which help with satiation.

Thankfully, the days of the low fat mantra seem to be on the way out. I have semi-skimmed milk because I actually prefer it, but other than that, I have full fat all the way. If I were low carb + low fat I'd be more likely to end up hungry and bored.

 

[MaviesDavies2]

I am with everyone else on this… you are likely to be having too many carbs with foods like ryvita and porridge.

Can I recommend the Carbs and Cals book so you can start to get to grips with what low carb looks like. I’m really early on my low carb journey (1 and a bit months), and despite eating like an idiot for the 2 months before, have reduced my 3 month score from 80-odd to 66.

Fill up with lots of yummy veg and low-carb protein, enjoy yourself with some butter, cheese and full-fat yog.

I’m not keeping a daily score of carb eaten, but at the moment if it’s more than 10g of carb per 100g, I am avoiding it like the plague. For example, Ryvita is 66g of carb per 100g! Eeek!

Think low carb, not low cal or low fat. Think ‘I am carb-intolerant’.

Good luck! And keep asking the questions on here, you’ll get proper advice on how to get those pesky scores down.

 

[Deleted member 475901]

Hi @joshandjess - a good thing to post, a great first step.
I don't have Type 2 but can advise on the carb thing, in the hope it helps you. As you and someone else commented on, having porridge which is very carb heavy and Ryvita's, boy ..., that's a lot of carbs in two meals.
Would you be willing to change your routine? If so, your HBA1C results will improve dramatically.
For instance, would you consider having some fresh or stewed rhubarb as I did today for breakfast? Yes, there is sugar in the fruit and depends on what you pick obviously, strawberries and raspberries are better than bananas or dried fruits certainly. Add it in with some low-fat natural yoghurt. A perfect breakfast.
As for lunch, miss out on all of the carbs completely. Have your salad then, eg., Tuna Nicoise (tuna, lettuce and other salad ingredients) and egg hard boiled if cooking for one. If you have any leftover boiled potatoes, then 2 maximum the size of an egg sliced up. A bit of low-fat dressing over it and it's perfect.
You will probably need some carbs for dinner at this stage I am guessing. Don't overdo it. FYI, in case you don't know, 2 tablespoons of rice are 20g carbs, make a low-fat curry or something but don't just pile on the rice or pasta.
That's not how type 2 or actually Type 1 works. Be careful.
Best of luck

Just to point out that some salad ingredients are highish carb, none are completely carb free.
T2 can't process carb well - so while some of us can cope with more than others cutting down or omitting helps any T2. None of us T2s need carbs unless we are on meds other than metformin.

 

[Binkz]

I was Diagnose type 2 at age 49. I lost 12 kg from 97 to 85 kg in three months via intermittent fasting low-carb almost vegan diet. I was at 52 in Sept 21 by Jan 22 dropped to 46 then by Apr down to 35. Fibre is very important low GI food is key. And regular exercise is a must I do kettlebell HIIT and regular HIIT 2/3 while fasting 3 times a week. Don’t eat before noon and no diary. Anyone can do it with the right support.

 

[EllieM]

I was Diagnose type 2 at age 49. I lost 12 kg from 97 to 85 kg in three months via intermittent fasting low-carb almost vegan diet. I was at 52 in Sept 21 by Jan 22 dropped to 46 then by Apr down to 35. Fibre is very important low GI food is key. And regular exercise is a must I do kettlebell HIIT and regular HIIT 2/3 while fasting 3 times a week. Don’t eat before noon and no diary. Anyone can do it with the right support.

That is a fantastic result and it's really interesting to hear what worked for you. I would point out though that we are all different and different things work for different people. (eg some people have health conditions that make exercise difficult, others find a diary helps them, some people ignore the gi and just concentrate on the total carbs, others are carnivores.)

I'm a big fan of doing whatever works for you, though I'd be fascinated to learn more about your low carb almost vegan diet. (My son is Vegan and as 3 of his 4 grandparents were T2, the other T1, plus a T1 mother, I fear his genetics mean he's going to need to go low carb sooner or later ).

 

[sallymac65]

Just to point out that some salad ingredients are highish carb, none are completely carb free.
T2 can't process carbs well - so while some of us can cope with more than others cutting down or omitting helps any T2. None of us T2s needs carbs unless we are on meds other than metformin.

I'm interested to know which items you feel have carbs in them in a salad? Tomatoes yes a minuscule amount, what else are you including. As far as I know, lettuce, rockets, radishes, cucumber and say tuna or hard-boiled eggs for example do not have any. Please keep me posted, perhaps I have been doing it wrong all these years, quite likely

 

[Zilsniggy]

I'm interested to know which items you feel have carbs in them in a salad? Tomatoes yes a minuscule amount, what else are you including. As far as I know, lettuce, rockets, radishes, cucumber and say tuna or hard-boiled eggs for example do not have any. Please keep me posted, perhaps I have been doing it wrong all these years, quite likely

Everything in a salad has carbs, it might not be much but it does have carbs....plus, we are all different in how we tolerate carbs. Some T2s can't tolerate much at all and others can manage over 100g a day. The only way to check how carbs affect you is to test after eating anything with carbs in. That may be the difference between T1 and T2. Some T1s may have insulin pumps which will supply them with insulin and they can eat pretty much what they like....some T2s can still be producing some insulin too, especially when they are newly diagnosed and in the 'honeymoon phase'. I think the main takeaway from this is that we are all different in our reaction to carbs. What works for you, probably won't for me.

 

[Deleted member 475901]

I'm interested to know which items you feel have carbs in them in a salad? Tomatoes yes a minuscule amount, what else are you including. As far as I know, lettuce, rockets, radishes, cucumber and say tuna or hard-boiled eggs for example do not have any. Please keep me posted, perhaps I have been doing it wrong all these years, quite likely

A few carb counts on here:
https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-...hoice for the,about 1.8 grams of carbohydrate.

I like beetroot but it is one of the salad items I can only cope with in small amounts in an otherwise almost carb free meal.

 

[AndBreathe]

I'm interested to know which items you feel have carbs in them in a salad? Tomatoes yes a minuscule amount, what else are you including. As far as I know, lettuce, rockets, radishes, cucumber and say tuna or hard-boiled eggs for example do not have any. Please keep me posted, perhaps I have been doing it wrong all these years, quite likely

I don't believe there are any truly zero carb salad veg.

Obviously, it matters how much of any given item a person consumes, and what each individual considers to be a salad veg.

It is a very harsh truth that many of those diagnosed with T2 will have insulin resistance, and in the early days this is likely even more extreme.

I have been fortunate to be able to eat salads to my fill, and indeed have a large salad every day at lunchtime, but others have to be a bit careful with tomatoes and peppers.

I have no idea if you also live with insulin resistance, but trust me, it is something that can make some of the norms in nutrition and metabolic heath just chaotic.