Finally in the 6% club!!

[SamJB]

Latest HbA1c is 6.5%! I'm so, so pleased with that. Joining this forum has by far been the best decision I made. The two bits of advice that I've had that have made the difference is to buy Gary Scheiner's Think Like a Pancreas and to go low-carb. The biggest thing I learned in Scheiner's book is to be dynamic with my insulin. I change my lantus on an almost daily basis, based on when I last did exercise.

The most important thing I've learned from this forum is to go low-carb. It has made control so easy. My NovoRapid levels are small and consistent and eating fewer carbs leads to smaller mistakes. I went three weeks without a single high level, which is unprecedented for me. I had an HbA1c in the 6s shortly after diagnosis, but that was down to luck rather than understanding. I truly believe that this is sustainable now, because it's so easy!

I'd like to thank Dillinger, xyzzy (for recommending low-carb) and noblehead (for recommending Scheiner'r book). No doubt your advice has added a few years onto my life, so thanks very much!

 

[robert72]

Well done :clap:

 

[noblehead]

Great news Sam, pleased you found the book extremely useful and keep up the good work :thumbup:

 

[Superchip]

Takes a while Sam , I expect that with your attitude and perseverence you will eventually get into the 5% group ! Not necessary in my book !
Absolutely well done Sam !

This is a great place to be Sam, Lots of good advice, some arguments, yes, but what would you expect witha cross section of people ?

Keep going buddy !

Superchip

 

[VickiT11979]

Well done - I've recently joined after lurking for a while & have seen your earlier posts & I'm in a similar situation - have reduced my carbs a lot & am seeing better results. Glad to see it's worked for you. I've been eating like this since 26th Oct, last HbA1c (7.2%) was 12th Nov & I'm going to get one in another 6-7 weeks - hope I can join you then!

 

[AntLockyer]

Congrats, feels good doesn't it?

 

[jopar]

Well done..

I've got John Walsh's books, Using Insulin and Pumping Insulin similar to Gary's...

Thankfully I've no need to go low carbing, I obtain excellent control without having to avoid a whole food group... But I think it's important that understanding carbs and how they react individual an in combination with other food groups, and how they react with you as an individual is the key to good control...

 

[Geri]

Well done.

 

[MYY]

Latest HbA1c is 6.5%! I'm so, so pleased with that. Joining this forum has by far been the best decision I made. The two bits of advice that I've had that have made the difference is to buy Gary Scheiner's Think Like a Pancreas and to go low-carb. The biggest thing I learned in Scheiner's book is to be dynamic with my insulin. I change my lantus on an almost daily basis, based on when I last did exercise.

The most important thing I've learned from this forum is to go low-carb. It has made control so easy. My NovoRapid levels are small and consistent and eating fewer carbs leads to smaller mistakes. I went three weeks without a single high level, which is unprecedented for me. I had an HbA1c in the 6s shortly after diagnosis, but that was down to luck rather than understanding. I truly believe that this is sustainable now, because it's so easy!

I'd like to thank Dillinger, xyzzy (for recommending low-carb) and noblehead (for recommending Scheiner'r book). No doubt your advice has added a few years onto my life, so thanks very much!

Sam I am new on the forum. Just learning the importance of the HBA1c test.

I am going to enjoy this forum and learn many new things about diabetes just by reading your posts.

Good to know your diabetes levels are in check :clap:

 

[SamJB]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I tried my best with carbs, but I was just experiencing too much variability from day-to-day. For example, I'd eat the same things one day and be 5/6, the next I'd eat the same and do everything else the same and be 13/14/15. Since I've knocked carbs on the head I've not experienced that. So for me, it works, but I appreciate it's not for everyone and others may not have had that variability in sugar levels that I suffered with.

It is difficult, but if it adds 10 years onto my life, stops me going blind etc, then I think it's worth the bother to go low carb.

 

[bethan90]

Can I ask how many grams of carbs you eat on an average day? I didn't think low carbing applied to us type 1s. If you have a hypo what do you treat it with? Just curious as to how low carb you can go as a type 1.

Thanks

 

[SamJB]

Hi Bethan,
I'm not sure of an exact figure probably around 30g. I don't eat the food you associate with carbs such as potato, wheat, cereals, rice, pasta etc. There are carbs in veg and nuts, just not very much. Curiously, I've had far fewer hypos than I did when I was on carbs. In fact, I can't remember the last one. I do still have carbs if I'm hypo though, normally a few dextro tablets.

Here's what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: Mackerel on almond flour bread (I make this myself). Eggs are a good low-carb alternative.
Mid-Morning snack: 50g mixed nuts
Lunch: Garden salad with chicken tikka strips and mayo
Tea: Beef and butternut squash curry with spiced broccoli and cauliflower.

My insulin levels are very regular, much more so than when I was on carbs. I think this is because my liver produces glucose, but this production is much more regulated than if I ate a massive bowl of pasta. In this case my body would have no choice but to have loads of glucose (from the pasta), but I imagine my liver would only produce the glucose that my body needs. This, of course, might be complete rubbish, but I'm on a very regular 4/4/4 (breakfast/lunch.dinner) split for my Novorapid no matter what non-carb thing I eat and that's how I'm rationalizing it!

This makes it easy if I'm out, I'll just have something without carbs in it, give myself 4 units and boom, my levels are fine.

If you are thinking of switching to low-carb then make sure your long acting is correct first. As mine wasn't when I first tried it and I thought that low-carbing was a load of rubbish. Any other questions then please ask.