Knew and Know Nothing

[xfieldok]

OK body feels a bit old. Mind still feels like I'm in my 30's

I found an ABA1c calculator online. Do you think it will be any good? Link below.
hba1cnet.com/hba1c-calculator/

Not sure what you want the calculator to do?

 

[Old Aussie]

I can really relate to this, I cried when I was diagnosed! First off congratulations on the weight loss, the walking, the blood testing, the joining a forum and posting (yes you're doing it right), the reading and education blitz........wow how much you've done despite the shock and the, frankly, not very helpful dr. Yay you!

You might find it odd but now I'm really pleased I was diagnosed with diabetes because I made some changes to my life (low carb and fasting mostly) and I feel better than I have in years. Really transformational. Also what I've learnt for diabetes has made me question the current healthy eating advice and how I've been taking care of myself. As a result of the changes it looks like my blood pressure is improving too. Some underlying issues also turned up when I stopped feeling so generally ghastly, for example identified a severe vitamin D deficiency which was exacerbating my anxiety.

Not only will you hopefully not be on pills for the rest of your life but you might also actually start feeling healthier. Not all dieticians are on board with low carb (yet) but some are, it's a bit pot luck really. The eye and foot testing is useful just to see where you are, hopefully it will come back all clear as mine did, but even if not diet can help with that too.

The weight loss is good but I should have done it sooner. I retired a year ago. I wasn't overweight but I got lazy and didn't do enough. If I had made myself do some exercise and got back to my normal weight I might not have developed T2.

Already I understand what you mean about pleased you was diagnosed with diabetes. I know it will make me a much healthier because of the low carb diet and the exercise I am doing.

 

[Old Aussie]

I was diagnosed back in 2016, burnt the diet sheets to light the barbecue next day - ate a low carb diet which I knew was the way to feel a lot better, and my GP hasn't spoken to me since - I think he's sulking.
I did try to take the medication prescribed, but it made me so ill I threw it in the bin. I could see that my BG numbers were a lot closer to normal - and thought good enough - but then they got even better and I was no longer diabetic at the 3 month check.
I have thought of getting a tee shirt with 'Dr Atkins was right' printed on it - because he was.

Wow 3 months, then remission. Gee I'd like to progress as fast as you but I am hoping to make it to remission in a years time. I still have about 12 kgs about 26 pounds.

 

[Old Aussie]

Not sure what you want the calculator to do?

I just want a rough idea of what my HBA1c is. I input my B/G and the calculator tells me what my HBA1c is. I though myabe you could tell if it looked accurate to you.

 

[xfieldok]

Your hba1c is the average for the previous 3 months. A single reading won't tell you anything. Thats why we suggest the phone apps.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you so much Jo! You speak so much sense and I agree with everything you say.

I had a 'oops' last night. I was working and forgot to take my metformin last night. I didn't remember until I woke up this morning. I thought my B/G would be as high as... but today I've been in the low to mid 5's.

After forgetting to take the tablet last night, I have now set a reminder on my fitbit. I hope I never forget again. I want to get off metformin but not until I am given the all clear.

Kerry

We all get "oops" moments. I'm supposed to take my thyroid medication every morning. But when the cats are howling at me for kibble and I have a hard time waking my husband up, it just falls by the wayside sometimes. Good news being, your blood sugars were perfectly fine. So yay, you!

You do realise that with your numbers remaining in the fives all day, you have had non diabetic blood sugars the entire time? It's not going to take you a year. You're almost there already, whether you realise it or not. Mind you, most of us don't call it remission until we've kept it up for a certain span of time, but... Just keep it up, and the metformin'll be redundant. We talk about remission when we discuss blood sugars. Weight doesn't factor into the equation, at least, not directly (less weight = less insulin resistance). I lost the most weight in that first year, going low carb, but it was slow going. Maybe half a kilo every 2 weeks? Then I stalled. But considering I started at well over 102 kilo's, (I quit weighing myself after I saw that number, and didn't face the scales again until my pants were falling off of me) I'm sort of okay with the low eighties I'm at now. I have a couple of conditions that make weightloss slow going though, with the hypothyroidism and PCOS in the mix. You should be seeing results, and see them fast.

Have a little faith. You're doing better than you think.
Jo

 

[Old Aussie]

Not so fast. Give your body from 8 to 12 weeks and you will be pleasantly surprised how you blood sugars are getting back to normal. The body needs to re-adjust and re-adapt to a low-carb diet.

Thanks. I am starting to realise I have to slow down a bit with the walking because I think I over did it the last week and a half and now I'm starting to feel a bit tired. Slow and steady. I've been the hare

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks. I am starting to realise I have to slow down a bit with the walking because I think I over did it the last week and a half and now I'm starting to feel a bit tired. Slow and steady. I've been the hare

The fatigue could well be your body adjusting to less carbs. It goes through withdrawal, it's called carb flu or keto flu. Keep your electrolytes up with bone broth and such, and you'll feel better at the other end of it. Can take a few days up to two weeks. (If you have sore joints and muscles, headaches, that can be attributed to the same thing. Keep going, it will go away!)

 

[Old Aussie]

We all get "oops" moments. I'm supposed to take my thyroid medication every morning. But when the cats are howling at me for kibble and I have a hard time waking my husband up, it just falls by the wayside sometimes. Good news being, your blood sugars were perfectly fine. So yay, you!

You do realise that with your numbers remaining in the fives all day, you have had non diabetic blood sugars the entire time? It's not going to take you a year. You're almost there already, whether you realise it or not. Mind you, most of us don't call it remission until we've kept it up for a certain span of time, but... Just keep it up, and the metformin'll be redundant. We talk about remission when we discuss blood sugars. Weight doesn't factor into the equation, at least, not directly (less weight = less insulin resistance). I lost the most weight in that first year, going low carb, but it was slow going. Maybe half a kilo every 2 weeks? Then I stalled. But considering I started at well over 102 kilo's, (I quit weighing myself after I saw that number, and didn't face the scales again until my pants were falling off of me) I'm sort of okay with the low eighties I'm at now. I have a couple of conditions that make weightloss slow going though, with the hypothyroidism and PCOS in the mix. You should be seeing results, and see them fast.

Have a little faith. You're doing better than you think.
Jo

Hi Jo, I didn't realise I had a non diabetic day. Yippee! Thank you for telling me

 

[Old Aussie]

Your hba1c is the average for the previous 3 months. A single reading won't tell you anything. Thats why we suggest the phone apps.

I'm not techie at all. I did go to the app shop and I found your app but I don't have an APPle phone. I have the other kind whatever they are called. I was sure if it would work on my phone so I didn't download it.

 

[xfieldok]

If your on android, play store.

 

[xfieldok]

@Old Aussie if you manage to download it, you can turn off the annoying monster sounds in settings.

 

[Crocodile]

I'm not techie at all. I did go to the app shop and I found your app but I don't have an APPle phone. I have the other kind whatever they are called. I was sure if it would work on my phone so I didn't download it.

Hi from another old Aussie. Missing Metformin for a day won't do much.

 

[NéjiSaïdi]

Thanks. I am starting to realise I have to slow down a bit with the walking because I think I over did it the last week and a half and now I'm starting to feel a bit tired. Slow and steady. I've been the hare

Over-exercising is very risky, in particular if one is not taking precautionary measures in terms of rest, breathing and protein intake . You wouldn't overwork your body, just listen to it when it tells you "I'm ready. Let's do it" or "Please, I can't take any more."

 

[Resurgam]

Wow 3 months, then remission. Gee I'd like to progress as fast as you but I am hoping to make it to remission in a years time. I still have about 12 kgs about 26 pounds.

Remission is not really about weight, although I was surprised to find that I was down at least 20 percent of my last weighing - I was on a cholesterol lowering diet, high in carbs and low in fat and calories, and had given up weighing as it went up every month.
I returned to the 'dreadful fad diet' which always made me feel so well from the moment of diagnosis - I went to 50 gm of carbs maximum at first, as that is what I ate on Atkins. I dropped to 40 gm when my Hba1c did not go down any further after a couple of years, with no effect. I think decades of being pushed to eat carbs because they are 'so healthy' broke something.
I made no attempt to lose weight, just concentrated on having normal blood glucose levels after eating. I got to 8mmol/l and stuck to the same meals, and saw it drop down to 7 and then even less. When I saw 5.6 after both Christmas dinners (one with each offspring) I knew I'd got it beaten.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Oh thank you! Where do I download the app from.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...m_source=mySugr+Website&utm_campaign=Homepage

 

[VashtiB]

Hello @Old Aussie from another Old Aussie,

You are doing really well. The weight loss is always secondary to the blood sugar levels. I still have a lot of weight to lose but I was in the middle of the normal range with my first review HbA1c. So you can still have weight to lose but keep your blood sugar levels under control.

I can't even dream about being a 'normal' weight- I'm no longer morbidly obese and if I get to just overweight I will be very happy. The thing is for me it its the only time I have lost weight without counting calories and doing huge amount of exercise. The exercise thing is really me changing my mindset. I now have just started to think of exercise seperate from my weight. Before it was usually either 'punishment' for eating something or 'banking points' so I could eat something. Now I don't do nearly as much but am still losing weight. I also eat cheese and have cream without worrying. I know at some stage I will have to consider moderating these but am enjoying the lack of thinking while I can.

Good luck and welcome to another Aussie.

 

[Old Aussie]

Hello @Old Aussie from another Old Aussie,

You are doing really well. The weight loss is always secondary to the blood sugar levels. I still have a lot of weight to lose but I was in the middle of the normal range with my first review HbA1c. So you can still have weight to lose but keep your blood sugar levels under control.

I can't even dream about being a 'normal' weight- I'm no longer morbidly obese and if I get to just overweight I will be very happy. The thing is for me it its the only time I have lost weight without counting calories and doing huge amount of exercise. The exercise thing is really me changing my mindset. I now have just started to think of exercise seperate from my weight. Before it was usually either 'punishment' for eating something or 'banking points' so I could eat something. Now I don't do nearly as much but am still losing weight. I also eat cheese and have cream without worrying. I know at some stage I will have to consider moderating these but am enjoying the lack of thinking while I can.

Good luck and welcome to another Aussie.

Hi VishtiB

I am walking now about 2 hours 45 minutes a day. I do an hour walk mid morning and another in late afternoon. I jump on the treadmill after my snacks. If it's raining and I don't feel like walking with an umbrella (I do love walking in the rain) I put my TV on, go to youtube and walk to a virtual walk along bondi beach. I can walk all over the world with virtual walks. It makes using the treadmill a lot more enjoyable.

Good luck to you and best wishes.

Old Aussie Kerry

 

[Old Aussie]

Remission is not really about weight, although I was surprised to find that I was down at least 20 percent of my last weighing - I was on a cholesterol lowering diet, high in carbs and low in fat and calories, and had given up weighing as it went up every month.
I returned to the 'dreadful fad diet' which always made me feel so well from the moment of diagnosis - I went to 50 gm of carbs maximum at first, as that is what I ate on Atkins. I dropped to 40 gm when my Hba1c did not go down any further after a couple of years, with no effect. I think decades of being pushed to eat carbs because they are 'so healthy' broke something.
I made no attempt to lose weight, just concentrated on having normal blood glucose levels after eating. I got to 8mmol/l and stuck to the same meals, and saw it drop down to 7 and then even less. When I saw 5.6 after both Christmas dinners (one with each offspring) I knew I'd got it beaten.

Well done! The reason I want to get the weight off, is I have a fatty liver and that's not good. My blood glucose levels now just a few weeks in are averaging around 5.3 to 5.7. Won't know what my A1c is until next blood test.

Old Aussie

 

[Old Aussie]

Over-exercising is very risky, in particular if one is not taking precautionary measures in terms of rest, breathing and protein intake . You wouldn't overwork your body, just listen to it when it tells you "I'm ready. Let's do it" or "Please, I can't take any more."

I am listening to my body. I did get tired the first week and I slowed it down. I have built up slowly since then. I don't do power walking, just a nice comfortable pace.