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Unexpected HBA1C check

Barba_Rossa

Well-Known Member
Messages
97
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Had the first appointment with the diabetes nurse at the hospital earlier. Was referred at diagnosis (Type2) at the end of July but it took ages for the appointment to come through.

Wasn’t expecting them to check HBA1C as a routine part of the procedure.

Pleased they did because it showed a drop from 114 on July 31 to 63 today. That’s on a low carb diet and exercise with the exception of one week at the beginning where I was on Metformin.

Still at the beginning of this journey, but happy to be on the right path. Low carb works.
 
Well done @Barba_Rossa !
It would be a bit step forward if on Type 2 diagnosis it was suggested that patients give low carb a try for 3 months before another Hba1c test. Nothing extreme, no mention of high fat, just a leaflet explaining that carbohydrates turn to blood sugar and a list of high carb and low carb foods. Having seen their Hba1c come down most would agree that low carb works as @Barba_Rossa has done and continue with the diet.
 
Stunning achievement, @Barba_Rossa. I bet you will be in the 40s next time they'll do your HbA1c. Worth all the hard work, isn't it?
 
Thanks folks, I'm grateful that I found my way to this forum in the hours after my diagnosis. You all pointed me in the right direction from the outset which I'm conscious is not an experience many fellow diabetics are lucky to have!

ziggy_w said:
Stunning achievement, @Barba_Rossa. I bet you will be in the 40s next time they'll do your HbA1c. Worth all the hard work, isn't it?
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I am hoping that will be the case too. As for hard work, if I'm honest I have found this easier to stick to than any other diet (goodness knows I've tried more than a few!). I found the incentive of avoiding the complications of diabetes to me a very effective way of focusing the mind. I also find that keeping a track of my fbg each morning really helps motivate me for the day ahead. None of this is to diminish the efforts of others who might find the diet a real struggle, but for me it has become a lifestyle change where the rewards definitely outweigh the sacrifices.
 
well done
 
That's exactly the kind of mindset that should lead to significant success in future. Well done.
 
Great job there! Keep it up.
 
FANTASTIC! Bet they were surprised
 
Very well done! Keep up the good work and you’ll soon be in the non diabetic range.
 
Am I allowed to be radical and say there is no need to choose between Metformin and Lowcarb as both can be used to get quicker results.
 
ringi said:
Am I allowed to be radical and say there is no need to choose between Metformin and Lowcarb as both can be used to get quicker results.
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Of course. Whatever works for you is absolutely what you should do. We’re all different after all!

I stopped the Metformin because I was taking antibiotics and the combination played havoc with my stomach. I didn’t notice any change in my sugars having stopped so I didn’t start again, even when the other antibiotics had finished.
 
The rewards are significant, especially from such a high diagnosis. If you had a ticket which said cash this and you should get, improved liver and kidney function, improved eye sight, improved bladder control, decreased risks for all sorts of nasties and perhaps years of qualitative life back, why would you not take it - that's effectively what you are doing.
 

Hi, I would just like to add my congratulations.
You say you did it on Low Carb, was that only Low Carb - or Low Carb with an increase in Fat i.e. LCHF? The reason I ask is because imho LCHF is a lot easier to handle (at least for people who eat meat, fish or dairy) than Low Carb alone.
 
Well done @Barba_Rossa! That's a great reduction!

Caeseji said:
FANTASTIC! Bet they were surprised
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Barba_Rossa said:
They were, discharged from the hospital team back to the GP. It was a brief but pleasant relationship and one I hope not to rekindle for a while yet.
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Did you tell the hospital HCPs how you achieved the reduction? If so did they say anything about it?
 
That's a huge improvement.... something that is not seen with conventional approaches from the medical world imo.

Congrats on the outstanding progress. Now I suggest you go party like a rock star!
 
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