• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

For those who with success in reducing A1C, feedback please

Mine is currently moderately low carb. It was this that eventually reversed my diabetic symptoms along with my HbA1c down to non diabetic levels. I first hit T2 diabetic levels in 2014 but could not get my HbA1c down below low 40’s using the Eatwell type plan, until going low carb. Going low carb took me clear of diabetic blood sugar levels and reversed the various symptoms I had. An Eatwell diet wasn’t enough.

On exercise, I currently do some manual work which has been quite energetic to say the least. However this was only really after success with the change in diet.

I hasten to add that even with an HbA1c of 41 my diabetic symptoms were entrenched.
 
Last edited:
I started low carb at diagnosis, June 2018. HbA1c was 53, now 33.
Most BS tests before and after meals down into normal range at 2 weeks, final reduction from dawn phenomenon into consistent normal range by 2 months.
Followup full tests up at 3 months into normal range HbA1c.
This morning fasting was 4.9 - a little higher than usual but I was out yesterday and slept badly.

I started on 100g carbs a day then 85g.
I am low carb - not keto, not paleo.
I don't eat red meat except a little pork/bacon a couple of times a month. I eat chicken and fish, with loads of eggs and veg.

No exercise, I can only walk very short distances with a walking stick and very slowly - I use a mobility scooter to go out, and spend a lot of time in bed.
 
I went from hbac1 of 54 to 32 in three months , losing 4 stone in the process, and to be honest isn’t that hard when you get used to it.
Believe me if I can do it anyone can!
 
JayAmerican said:
With normal BMI calcs I am 24.5, when calculated for sex/age SBMI is 36/70. Waist is ~47% of my height.
Click to expand...

With respect, that is marginally healthy.
It depends very much on your particular sub-set of diabetes but you may see an improvement if you get your weight down towards the mid range of healthy BMI.
No guarantee, of course, but I think the expression is "if it does you no good it will do you no harm.".

Just for fun, if you were 6' and 13 stone/182 lbs then losing 10% of your body weight would be losing 18.2 lbs which would take you down to 11 stone 10 lbs/163.8 lbs. That is, down from BMI 24.6 down to BMI 22.2 which is still above the mid-point.
Full disclosure, I am 6' tall and currently 11 stone 10 lbs but keep trying to get below 11 stone 7 lbs/161 lbs.
Allegedly I am not a skeleton.
 
Hi there, a bit late to this thread, but here goes:

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

About 3 years
* Where did you start at & where are you now? (A1C as % and avg tested blood as mg/DL, maybe even your morning fasting check)

Starting A1C - 108 (12%); most recent (March 2019) A1C - 30 (4.9%)

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

7 months to non-diabetic levels (38); dropped gradually from there to 30.

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

Diet, and exercise. Keto and intermittent fasting.

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

Carnivore/keto. Tending towards eating animal products only, with a few odds and ends thrown in (onions, nuts, 85% chocolate).

* 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 - long distance and also for cardio some shorter, faster walks. Mixed with some weights (occasional theses days but want to get back on it), swimming and walking football.
 
Also a bit late to the party but here goes.

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

2,5 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)

Had A1C 10% at diagnosis, along with two fasting readings above 130mg/DL.

1,5 months after diagnosis I had A1C of 5.6% with an after meal glucose reading of 99

Now fasting glucose readings are uniformly below 90, mostly around 80mg/DL. After meal readings (2h) are below 108mg/DL unless I go absolutely crazy on fast carbs or sugar.


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

2.5 months. I read the science (mostly some of the bigger meta studies) and threw the kitchen sink at the problem, thus it's hard to identify what made the biggest difference.

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

Diet and exercise mostly, quite drastically. Also cut tobacco usage in half and fixed broken sleeping habits. Doing daily breathing exercises that I half consider woo woo ******** but makes me feel good, and it can't hurt, right?

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

Moderate low carb (<130g/day) with calorie restrictions, 1600-2000kcals/day (mostly in the higher range of that). Also trying to get at least 100g of protein every day due to exercise.

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

30 min brisk walk EVERY evening after dinner. Alternating walking/terrain skiing with high intensity gym training 40-60 mins before lunch 6 days/week. 1 rest day.

Edited by moderator for language
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have just got my latest hba1c blood test back this morning, 5.3% or 34.4 mmol/mol a slight decrease on the last test three months ago.

 
Do you think someone could have fatty liver even if there liver enzymes look great? I'm at a very healthy weight and can't seem to get my liver to stop pumping out sugar.
 
I've been pondering this question myself recently. When I first became prediabetic, I weighed 147lbs. Since then, using low carb, I've lost 30 pounds but my A1C has gone slightly UP. So I've been wondering if even though I feel like I'm amazingly thin now (haha), perhaps my healthy weight is actually another 10 pounds lower. My grandmother was a tiny wisp of a woman. Maybe that's what I should be like in a non-processed food world. I'm only 5'2'' and my current BMI is about 22.5. Maybe I should be BMI 18 or 19 before my insulin resistance lets up.
 
I hear you on the symptoms at a prediabetic level of A1C. I even now have the tingling in my feet and hands. Omg I'm experiencing neuropathy? At an A1C of 42? And maybe gastroparesis? And kidney disease? This is crazy.
 
Auto E said:
I hear you on the symptoms at a prediabetic level of A1C. I even now have the tingling in my feet and hands. Omg I'm experiencing neuropathy? At an A1C of 42? And maybe gastroparesis? And kidney disease? This is crazy.
Click to expand...
However, having lowered my HbA1c further using moderate low carb and higher fat dietary control, these symptoms have been reversed.
 
Paulm80 said:
I went from hbac1 of 54 to 32 in three months , losing 4 stone in the process, and to be honest isn’t that hard when you get used to it.
Believe me if I can do it anyone can!
Click to expand...

Four stone in three months. Holy moly. Stuff of my dreams!!
 
Listlad said:
However, having lowered my HbA1c further using moderate low carb and higher fat dietary control, these symptoms have been reversed.
Click to expand...
That is so great! I just don't know how much lower carb I can go. I'm already at only 50 g a day (if that) and have been here for 18 months. It doesn't seem to be fixing me, although I certainly lost weight. I was so discouraged yesterday, but trying to find my motivation and energy feet to keep going. I am trying to be ultra-grateful for the energy and mobility and otherwise FANTASTIC health I have. I need to stop obsessing about these less-than-perfect issues, although I don't want to stop working the problem.
 
It is indeed different for all of us. It takes some longer than others.
 
JayAmerican said:
How long have you been battling T2 and blood sugars with a dedicated plan?
Click to expand...
I don't battle with diabetes & glucose but I've had and controlled T2 for just over six years now. However I do sometimes have battles with other issues which may impact on my diabetes e.g. pain or severe stress. For me diabetes is a real doddle compared to a lifetime of chronic migraines - happily also "fixed" by low carbing!

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)
Click to expand...
Started with diagnostic HbA1Cs of 61-62 and after quickly coming down to 47, since then HbA1Cs have remained between 40-43 with a couple of blips to 45 when illness, pain or stress have had an impact. (Main diabetes.co.uk site has units converters)

I don't actually take particular note of waking/fasting levels, and I'm content to let my liver dump if it feels necessary. But I have seen little or no dawn phenomenon rise at all on occasion when I've used a Freestyle Libre sensor.

JayAmerican said:
How long did it take you to accomplish this? Where have you seen the best improvements?
Click to expand...
Reduced HbA1C down to just on pre-diabetic level (47) within 2 months and over the Christmas/New Year period simply by cutting out stuff obviously high in sugars/starchy carbs, and before I actually was aware of the benefits of using a meter to monitor levels. Reduced to low end of pre-diabetic levels before next checkup.

JayAmerican said:
Which of the following and how drastically did you change: diet, exercise, meds, stress, supplements, etc.
Click to expand...
Main change was to reduce carbs right back down and up nomal fats slightly. However before high carbs crept up/were thrust upon me, my previous diet was similar to the way I eat now. I've never been a great breakfast eater since I was a child, so don't have any problems with skipping meals if i don't want to eat, and I've also done a few longer up to 24 hour fasts. But it's definitely the initial carbohydrate reduction which had the greatest effect, and everything since has been refinement and maintenance.

I was on metformin for four years, but don't feel aware of any obvious benefits from taking it. I've also reduced the number of non-diabetic meds I took having seen various non-diabetic improvements to my health since low carbing. However, I'm very aware that it's not only food than can affect glucose levels, and since I don't have necessarily control over some of these other issues, they sometimes cause me more problems with my actual glucose levels than whatever I tend to eat.

JayAmerican said:
How would you describe your current diet? Keto, Paleo, Moderation (or variations thereof)
Click to expand...
LCHF/ketogenic. I take the high fat in LCHF to mean normal full fat, in slighter qreater quantities than I previously consumed. I try to keep my diet as varied as possible within my carby limits which I aim to keep below 50g carbs a day, though I'm sometimes well below that, or very occasionally higher, but I don't normally count carbs now; just "eat to my meter". I'm fat adapted and go in & out of ketosis all the time depending what fuel(s) I've eaten/burned.

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...
Exercise - what's that?? I've never done anything other than gently cycling & walking (generally with dogs) in my life. My exercise has always been mainly from normal activities - work, housework, gardening, shopping, using my brain, etc. But I do very little now apart from a little "brain work", due to my venerable age and resulting decrepitude.

ETA: I forgot - I lost about 20 kilos early on without actually trying, though this was what my GP had recommended. That weight has stayed off, though I'm still overweight, but I need to keep that extra layer of padding as insulation against the cold...
 
Last edited:

Diagnosed Nov, 2017 and made changed immediately. 11.8% start, 4.9% 6 months later, hovering around 5% since. Changed diet dramatically, as well as exercise levels. No meds, never really been stressed, only supplement is vit D as I was very low on diagnosis - now normal and monitored by doc. Current diet = moderation I guess? I’m a vegetarian, have been for 30 years. I don’t count any macronutrients, I just eat lots of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds - more limited fruit and grains. I exercise regularly (now), equal cardio and lifting - 6x per week for 1 hour each session on average. I also lost a lot of weight and now maintain a BMI of just under 22, down from 37 at my peak weight. I’m now a lean, mean, muscular machine at 52 years old, after couch potato for 25 years
 
Thank you all for the replies so far, I am going to reference this thread for a while to compare my own progress once I get my 2nd A1C and going forward.
 
Auto E said:
Do you think someone could have fatty liver even if there liver enzymes look great? I'm at a very healthy weight and can't seem to get my liver to stop pumping out sugar.
Click to expand...

I finally started seeing results with fasting levels. It took patience being on a strict diet (and by diet I don't mean calorie counting, I mean staying away from bad carbs and keeping it as keto as I can). After 5 straight weeks of patience, and persistence, my morning levels and in-between meal levels are going down. My (unscientific) feeling is that the body needs to: get rid of fat & glucose storage around the liver and be "trained" that it is OK for it to not dump which I think it does because it is being triggered by excess insulin. Once the insulin needs drop, the insulin resistance alleviates and the liver starts learning that it doesn't need to keep dumping glucose to keep you from dying in your sleep or between meals. It won't happen with 1 meal change or even a few days. It will take weeks.

This doesn't mean that carbs wont' spike your levels anymore when you have them, that will still probably happen, but the point is to get to a safe level and stay there. Like someone with allergies - those allergies will never go away on their own (technically, I'm sure some people have managed to somehow "cure" their allergies) so you have to treat diabetes as always-present. Once at normal levels you can probably cheat every now & then, also to "test" your body to see how it reacts (hopefully only partial spike and then quickly back to normal) but you will never be able to get back to the same eating habits as before.

Before I fully succeeded in bringing my fasting levels down, I told my theory to the endocrinologist and she said "that's now how it works [regarding the liver]". Welp, I don't know if it is or isn't, I just know that I think like an engineer and my body is a machine and I am doing what seems to be working.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…