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For those who with success in reducing A1C, feedback please

J

JayAmerican

Well-Known Member
Messages
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I have a few questions. I know each person's will be specific to them, I'm just trying to gather the types of experiences people have had.

* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)
* How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?
* Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.
* How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)
* How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?
 
JayAmerican said:
* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
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Diagnosed a little over 4 years ago October 2015
JayAmerican said:
* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)
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HbA1c 10.1% at diagnosis
Last 5 have been 4.8%l or lower (since July 2016) This years avg FB 88 mg/dl
JayAmerican said:
* How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?
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HbA1c went from 10.1% to 5.4% in 3 months with a weight loss of 30 pounds have since lost a further 90 pounds.
JayAmerican said:
* Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.
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Diet and Intermittent Fasting were the strongest contributors for me. Both changed dramatically. Ultra low carb and not eating in the morning.
JayAmerican said:
* How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)
Click to expand...
From original Keto to more recent mainly Carnivore (prob since July 2018)
JayAmerican said:
* How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?
Click to expand...
Walking the dog is my main (and only) form of exercise.. this hasn't really changed at all in duration or distance but it's far easier now.
 
I forgot to add where I am now: 9.8% A1C (only test so far), average prick tests is still swinging ~160-220, FB ~185. I have so far gone very low carb and learning better fats, better food options. Not quite 0 carb but very keto-like diet. No change yet on exercise plans. Got prescribed metformin and a statin but have not filled either prescription yet. I plan to further refine my diet and get into an excercise program. I have been taking added vitamins and supplements but keep getting distracted by work to keep a consistent eating schedule & remembering the supplements, and especially the work keeps me in front of a computer too much.
 
* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?

4 months
* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)


87 HBA1C Aug 2019

33 HBA1C November 2019


* How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?

3 months
* Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.

Diet, and Exercise ( I have taken Metformin but i dont think its had the largest impact)


* How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)

Moderation? Basically, I eat less then I did in terms of calories for weight loss and i have cut out “simple” carbs like Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes.

I still eat lentils, beans, some very small portions of the above as a treat, fruit, lower Gi root veg.

Im not following any “plan” im just avoiding meals I have seen pike my bloods via testing, or reducing portion sizes of those things and adding things that don’t spike to my meals to balance it out.


* How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?

Minimum of 3 60min high intensity interval type exercise sessions (Like circuit training type activities) in addition (or combined) with weight training during or after these sessions.


The thing you haven’mentioned is weight loss which comes into both I suppose– 55lbs, BMI from 35 to 26.5
 
Dx November 2017 hba1c 122mmol, went keto 4 months later 35mmol.

Full disclosure, currently on insulin to control steroids for another condition dx in May this year. Despite the steroids, managed get my hba1c down to 44mmol so very pleased.

Currently unable to exercise. If I hadn't kept to keto my hba1c would be really high and I have piled on a whole lot more weight.

Statins would likely raise your blood glucose. Most of us would probably say don't take them unless you have had a cardiac event.
 

Power lifting - 10% status according to online calculators. Do some cardio and Karate blocks / kicks
 

Hi,
I think it is important to note that I am a TOFI, and was on a High Carb Very Low Fat 'way of eating' on medical advice for over 10yrs before both 3x Caoronary Artery Bypass and then T2D diagnosis. I had been stupidly suborn in sticking to that even after my bypass, since it obviously was not working for me. The T2D was the last straw - yes the GP suggested more of the same plus continually increasing medication Which he said could prevent me from dying in a diabetic Coma. Cheerful - right!

* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
Since May 2019

* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)
HbA1C was 7.0%. Averages and Fasting BG levels are meaningless at this early stage, what matters is keeping spikes from meals and overall after meal highs within range. My latest HbA1C was in late August and was 6.2% - so down into the pre-diabetic range. As my body gets more used to lower BG levels I expect my Liver to stop dumping so much and thus lower my averages down into the 'normal range' without need for any additional measures.

* How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?
Reduction in spikes and reduction in highest readings of the day was in just a few days as I learned what I could eat and how much.

* Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.
Just my 'Way Of Eating' i.e no conscious Calorie restiction. I had already been doing a 30min brisk walk each day for several years and I get no pleasure from exercise (no endorphins). I also cut my daily Statin dose in half- told my GP I was more scared of blindness, amputations than I was of plaque in arteries.

* How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)
LCHF skirting around Ketosis. Eat only when hungry, so some IF/16:8 eating.

* How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?
Exactly the same as before diagnosis.You can't outrun a poor diet, so if getting reasonable exercise, more won't reduce the BG levels but changing the 'Way Of Eating' will - much more than even safe medication.​
 
DX Aug 2018 57 mmol
LCHF nov 2018
safety HBA1c 40 mmol july 2019

LCHF in region of aiming for 30g rising to 40g max per meal X2
2nd meal possibly more of a snack most days.

weight was 17 st + at DX
now a trimmer 13 st +

daily walking,
daily weights (indoors)
daily exercise
some running

(for those less able to lift etc.
yoga bands resistance types made a difference for me
used on holiday and at work just to add that clarion call from the muscles to the body for MORE Glucose.
apparently weights/resistance makes the best use of the Muscles V Glucose energy model )
 
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I have never needed to battle diabetes.
When diagnosed three years ago I burnt the dietsheets for low fat high carb low calorie eating, used them to start a barbecue next day, and have eaten low carb ever since.
When tested about 80 days later I was no longer in the diabetic range. My Hba1c went from 91 to 47 at that first test, at 6 months it was 41, that was 2 and 1/2 years ago.
I do no formal exercise, keep to less than 40 gm of carbs a day - I started off at 50gm max for the first year or so.
My 'problem' is I can't eat carbs, so I don't. Job done.
 
* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?

glucose dysregulation for 45 years (reactive hypoglycaemia) rising to T2 level blood glucose readings in 2012-13


* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)

never had a T2 level A1c, because I stupidly knuckled down to keto levels before the doc appt. This has left me without a diagnosis, monitoring or checkups, and with a doc who utterly rejects the idea of me being diabetic. So I fund my own private testing and monitoring.
A1cs are usually mid 30s, rising to 40ish if I take my eye off the ball (like last January when I indulged in 2 boxes of Thorntons chocolates over the Xmas period).


* How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?

Blood glucose drops at speeds directly proportional to the carb reductions, but bottom out at the level of my insulin resistance.
Best improvement is living in ketosis. Brain fog gone.


* Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.

diet - went keto, later carnivore keto.
No meds for blood glucose regulation.
Several supplements, not necessarily D related.


* How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)

keto carnivore. It is fab. Best and easiest way of eating I have ever tried.


* How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?

I walk dogs, cycle and use a pilates chair, but none of it is strenuous, or particularly systematic.
The walking is for the dog’s benefit not mine, and the cycling/pilates are for arthritis, not diabetes.
 
Someone else asked similar questions a few day ago, this is what I posted:
I was diagnosed with type 2 in May ‘17, I hit Google and found this forum on the night of my diagnosis. I was showered with advice about cutting carbs, which I did straight away, along with Metformin. I reduced my HbA1c to prediabetic in two months and to non diabetic after a further two months. My HbA1cs have been in the 30s ever since. I currently eat between 30 - 50g carbs per day and continue on Metformin which I tolerate very well. I didn’t exercise much at diagnosis and for quite a while afterwards as I was waiting for surgery on my feet. The surgery was finally completed earlier this year. Since then I have taken up swimming and take part in local health walks. My impetus to keep such strict control is from a 36 year career as a nurse, during which I regularly saw the results of poor control, once you’ve seen gangrene there’s no forgetting that image
 
sno0opy said:
The thing you haven’mentioned is weight loss which comes into both I suppose
Click to expand...

I don't think it occurred to me as I'm already healthy BMI and not overweight. But anyone wanting to share weight changes please do. I have learned that people who are overweight an possibly have T2 specifically because of diet and not necessarily genetic disposition can see much improvement by losing at least 10% in body weight. Unfortunately if I lost 10% of body weight I'd look like a skeleton.
 
ianf0ster said:
As my body gets more used to lower BG levels I expect my Liver to stop dumping so much and thus lower my averages down into the 'normal range' without need for any additional measures.
Click to expand...

This is exactly my target as well because if I can manage that then I can continue my lifestyle to not include medications. It seems to require a lot of patience, even after a month of very low carb diet. My theory (though I have not specifically tested yet) is if someone has a fatty liver but is not especially fat (TOFI) then the liver won't stop doing that until it finishes purging the excess glucose stores.
 
JayAmerican said:
* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
Click to expand...
I have been full blown T2 for six years, which I have managed for the last couple of years with lchf eating which includes plenty of meat. I was on Metformin for a couple of years but after discussion with my GP I have stopped taking them for the last
six months.

I posted this in another thread during the last week.

According to my GP and a CDE I spoke to at Diabetes Queensland, that there is no such thing a remission or reversed with T2 diabetes in Queensland.

This why I am saying I have my T2 under very good control, now if I start eating rubbish food again I will revert back to where I was nearly three years ago and not under control.

I am a T2 in recovery mode if you like, the same as a alcoholic that has not had a drink for a year or more.

Here's a chart from start to finish showing my hba1c readings.



Edit: Typo
 
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What is your BMI?
"Healthy" could be right at the top of the OK range.
It can help to be at the mid range or lower.
I doubt that you would look like a skeleton, although those around you might voice concern at first.

Edit: is your waist measurement less than half your height? That is, proper tape measure above the hips around the belly button, not the waist size of your clothes.
 
I dropped 10 percent of my body weight in the first few weeks after diagnosis - I had been on a cholesterol lowering diet full of grains, starches, potatoes beans wholegrain wholemeal brown - solid stodge, tiny amounts of lean meat, lots of low fat foods. I was almost spherical.
I stopped weighing myself about 6 months before diagnosis when I reached 264 lb so what my actual weight was at its height I dread to imagine. I was always telling drs nurses and dieticians that I can't eat carbs - always ignored as they know carbs are really healthy.
 
How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
Diagnosed T2 in August 2017 and immediately made changes

Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)
Diagnostic A1c 12% , A1cs now 5.5%. I've never averaged my bgls but they are generally in 4s and low 5s.

How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?
Four months from diagnostic A1c 12% to first post-diagnostic A1c 5.4%. which was within normal range. In those 4 months I had lost approx. 35lbs. At the point where my hba1c was back in the normal range I still had almost 2 st to lose to reach a healthy BMI.
I tested my bgls throughout and they started to reduce within days of making changes to my diet etc.

Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.
I did a mix of Michael Mosley's Blood Sugar Diet i.e. 800 cals a day and low carb i.e. 20g carbs per day. (Although BSD is not a low carb diet a lot of the BSD forum members advise to go lower carb, and on here I'd seen 20g carb mentioned also).
I started walking 10,000 steps a day and 3 months in I was referred to an exercise programme (this was a mix of gym sessions & exercise classes) and I also did Pilates. I did no exercise previously. I took no meds or supplements. It was a total change of lifestyle for me - still is over 2 years on

How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)
Keto (very low carb?) - I started at 20g carbs and enjoy what I eat so haven't tried increasing them.

How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?
I do a mix of things as described above. This was set for me when I was referred to gym by GP but it is a pretty generic programme. Unlike my food, I've never really tested how exercise impacts my bgls or worked out if my routine is the best one for me - plan to do that in the New Year.

Best improvements
reduced hba1c,improved blood pressure, fatty liver disease disappeared, improved lipids, healthy BMI, loads of energy, brain fog gone, great skin… I could go on.

Edited: waist/height ratio slightly out so may think about losing a bit more weight at some point. I'm 5ft 2ins and currently 9st.
 
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Forgot to say I also did two meals a day, no snacking and 16:8 time restricted eating pretty much from the beginning. Mainly keep to that now.
 
* How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
I was diagnosed in July this year

* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)
started at 49 and first review was 33- morning blood about 5.2 usually

* How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?
saw improvements within a few days and got into mainly the 5's within a month

* Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.
changed diet drastically- did no exercise at all for over a month due to an injury and my levels had already come down

* How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)
Keto- less than 20 grams of carbs a day- usually 1 or 2 meals a day during the week more like 3 on weekends

* How best would you describe your current exercise? Like is it mostly running, mostly weight training, Yoga, some mix of various, what is it?
mostly walking- not even power walking just being generally active.
 

With normal BMI calcs I am 24.5, when calculated for sex/age SBMI is 36/70. Waist is ~47% of my height.
 
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