What happened when you went on Keto?

Rocinante said:

Hopefully this is the right forum...

What happened to your HBA1Cs when you went on Keto? Did they drop to the low 30s fairly swiftly?

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I dropped from 9.4% to 5.2%. With 90 days between tests. By the time I got a meter, I was measuring normal, so things normalized quick. A1c is an average over 90 days, so that number changes slower

Mine did this

And have been sub 30 ever since.

Yep. HbA1c 87 to 35 in three months. If you test with a meter you can see your BG dropping daily, once you start. Well before significant weight loss really gets going (so suck on that, NHS).

Nope. 55 to 44 in 3 months strictly keto. Hovered in the low 40’s for the next 2 years although slight less strict.

Although I consistently eat low carb and see low numbers in blood glucose terms, my Hba1c doesn't go down. I got 41 eating 50 gm of carbs each day, then 42, lowered my carb intake to 40gm a day to try to go lower, but the needle is stuck I think - after all the bombardment with high carb, low fat low calorie diets over the decades, I think something is broken and I'll have to put up with it unless something does eventually come right, or I take up some really energetic exercise, which I can't really see happening. I do use my trampoline, but it is obviously not strenuous enough.

The main thing that happened for me was a fast 19-20 kilos weight loss, eating around 20-25g carbs (and no fruit!) a day based on an Atkins style induction diet for a short time. I also saw some further reduction in my HbA1c down to 40 over the next three months though not as much as my original drop from 60/61 at diagnosi to 47 in the first three months after I simply cut right down on all obviously high carb foods. I wasn't aware of the benefits of actually testing, so didn't have a meter at that time.

I've continued with a very low carb/ketogenic diet of roughly between 20 and 50g carbs a day including low carb fruit - mainly seasonal and berries, and I've always eaten normal/full fat food, but increased to balance the reduction in carbs since starting LCHF. This has kept my glucose levels pretty stable at the low end of pre-diabetes/just about normal for nearly seven years now, except for a few non-diet related slightly higher figures due to occasional illness, pain, stress, or certain medications (statins, cortico-steroids). Which I consider quite acceptable for a pancreas that's served me well for over three quarters of a century...

As far as I'm concerned I don't worry over going much lower glucose wise: I eat a healthy, varied, and enjoyable diet, I no longer take metformin, and have also been able to stop some other (non-diabetic) medications, no longer suffer from several years of dreadful brain fog pre diagnosis, life-long chronic migraines, or much less debilitating hay fever. And certainly for me these health benefits far outweigh aiming for super low glucose levels.

I went very strict keto quickly- less than 20 grams a day often much less. my HbA1c have been in the low 30s since. I've lost over 30 kg and got rid of my asthma.

I also hope I'm decreasing my insulin residence as well.

Rocinante said:

Hopefully this is the right forum...

What happened to your HBA1Cs when you went on Keto? Did they drop to the low 30s fairly swiftly?

Click to expand...

Yes, from an HbA1c of 100 to an HbA1c of 34 in three months (while also on metformin). Have since seen normal HbA1cs (between 29 and 36) for the last 5 years (with no medication for the last 4 years).

I went keto from the get go, have seen a steady drop over 4 months since diagnosis to 38 on my last Hba1c. It has surprised me how effective going keto can be.

Yes my HbA1c did drop but not super quickly - February 43/48 to September 31.

But the main reason I'm writing here is because I love OP's username @Rocinante !