Heatherkins
Newbie
- Messages
- 4
Hello! I'm Heather, and I was diagnosed with Type 2 March 2021.
My A1C was 13.1. I was stunned... So, in response, I cut out anything sweetened, anything with flour, no breads, no cereal, no potato, no white rice, no corn, no alcohol, all gone for 3 months.
And then -- my doctor read me the riot act for losing weight too quickly. It did have an effect on my blood pressure; I've learned from that experience that low blood pressure is a horrible condition; never felt worse in my life! But -- that lasted only a few weeks & I'm well past it.
At the end of those initial 3 months, I was 35 lbs lighter, and my A1C was down to 6.5. From July 2021 to today (early Sept 2022, about 14 months) I've lost an additional 12 lbs or so and am still on a shallow downward trend. My exercise regime has gone from "couch potato" to a brisk 5-7km walk daily plus functional strength training workouts (not nearly frequent enough but I'm trying to improve).
At the start of this adventure I resolved to make the best of a bad situation... to learn to appreciate the foods I CAN enjoy; and to (gulp) try to make diabetes the best thing that ever happened to me. There's been some good news. Because I've been so diligent about those starches, my dietician has given me free rein on consuming fresh fruit. Plus I've discovered nuts as a great "munchie," and learned that unsweetened cocoa has almost no carbs! Hello unsweetened mochas! (Made at home where I can control them.)
I can attest that I'm in better shape than I've been in for years. I feel great, and I look great! I'm down 3 clothing sizes and (bonus!) my libido is way up. Isn't THAT fun!!
My best A1C result was 5.4, for the quarter ended March 2022. At that point, my doctor decided I needed less frequent blood tests. (Hurray!) She's also reduced my meds; I'm now on 500mg daily of Metformin and 50mg daily of Januvia (Sitagliptin). Although I'm doing very well controlling my blood sugar through diet & exercise, the word from my doctor is that she's keeping me on the pills at low dosages because my A1C had been so high at the start. Frankly, the pills are not a big imposition and I'm happy to have a little chemical support!
I've re-added corn in modest amounts to my diet, as well as modest amounts of alcohol. And I've decided that birthday cake, Christmas cookies (in moderation), plum duff (on Christmas Day) and the odd extra treat probably aren't poisonous... although I'm also super-aware that treats must be infrequent, and are not exempt from creating glycated hemoglobin.
My most recent A1C result was 5.6. I would say that I'm in a phase of playing a bit with my diet & exercise, to see what works to keep my A1C low, while still letting me feel like I'm enjoying life & am not deprived.
Totally recommend the low carb approach. It helped me turn my life around. I'm so proud of myself!
My A1C was 13.1. I was stunned... So, in response, I cut out anything sweetened, anything with flour, no breads, no cereal, no potato, no white rice, no corn, no alcohol, all gone for 3 months.
And then -- my doctor read me the riot act for losing weight too quickly. It did have an effect on my blood pressure; I've learned from that experience that low blood pressure is a horrible condition; never felt worse in my life! But -- that lasted only a few weeks & I'm well past it.
At the end of those initial 3 months, I was 35 lbs lighter, and my A1C was down to 6.5. From July 2021 to today (early Sept 2022, about 14 months) I've lost an additional 12 lbs or so and am still on a shallow downward trend. My exercise regime has gone from "couch potato" to a brisk 5-7km walk daily plus functional strength training workouts (not nearly frequent enough but I'm trying to improve).
At the start of this adventure I resolved to make the best of a bad situation... to learn to appreciate the foods I CAN enjoy; and to (gulp) try to make diabetes the best thing that ever happened to me. There's been some good news. Because I've been so diligent about those starches, my dietician has given me free rein on consuming fresh fruit. Plus I've discovered nuts as a great "munchie," and learned that unsweetened cocoa has almost no carbs! Hello unsweetened mochas! (Made at home where I can control them.)
I can attest that I'm in better shape than I've been in for years. I feel great, and I look great! I'm down 3 clothing sizes and (bonus!) my libido is way up. Isn't THAT fun!!
My best A1C result was 5.4, for the quarter ended March 2022. At that point, my doctor decided I needed less frequent blood tests. (Hurray!) She's also reduced my meds; I'm now on 500mg daily of Metformin and 50mg daily of Januvia (Sitagliptin). Although I'm doing very well controlling my blood sugar through diet & exercise, the word from my doctor is that she's keeping me on the pills at low dosages because my A1C had been so high at the start. Frankly, the pills are not a big imposition and I'm happy to have a little chemical support!
I've re-added corn in modest amounts to my diet, as well as modest amounts of alcohol. And I've decided that birthday cake, Christmas cookies (in moderation), plum duff (on Christmas Day) and the odd extra treat probably aren't poisonous... although I'm also super-aware that treats must be infrequent, and are not exempt from creating glycated hemoglobin.
My most recent A1C result was 5.6. I would say that I'm in a phase of playing a bit with my diet & exercise, to see what works to keep my A1C low, while still letting me feel like I'm enjoying life & am not deprived.
Totally recommend the low carb approach. It helped me turn my life around. I'm so proud of myself!
