Why the differences in results person to person

[HSSS]

what factors do you think affect success in low carb eating in terms of lowering hb1ac

Some people seem to get their hb1ac down from 100+ to in the 40’s and even 30’s (so drop some of more than 50% or 50-80 points) in 3 or 4 months eating 20-50 carbs. Others eat at similar or even lower carb levels, lose similar weight but only drop 10 points (perhaps starting from a much lower hb1ac though)

• Does pre low carb diet and just how carby it was play a factor? Ie a carboholic makes bigger drops than someone naturally lower carb.
• Is it an exponential thing?
• Or perhaps some people - in either group - are more insulin resistant therefore have a lesser response to the same changes? Would most of us ever be able to tell how insulin resistant we are being as the nhs doesn’t seem to test that?

Whilst being wildly pleased for such drastic drops I’m a little envious and more than a little frustrated that I don’t understand the mechanisms. I hate not knowing or understanding stuff that affects me. 3rd 1ac due in a few weeks and honestly have no idea what to expect from the last one. (Testing has got a bit erratic -really need to remember preprandials earlier than half way through the meal and to to set alarms for 2hrs)

 

[Guzzler]

In my opinion it can be down to more than one thing. Beta cell health, insulin resistance, age, genetic predisposion (possibly), length of time pre and post diagnosis. Our very individuality means that these multiple factors create the need for an individual approach re diet and medication.

This is not a race for numbers, this is a race for better and continuing good health.

 

[HSSS]

.

This is not a race for numbers, this is a race for better and continuing good health.

I know, I know; just a little frustrated and starting to worry about the next results. Also my borderline ocd about understanding my medical issues popping up. And telling myself to relax about it all is a waste of time. Knowledge is what makes me feel in control and the lack of, out of control.

Though my numbers improved last time and I’ve lost weight I don’t have this miraculous energy gain or lack of pain/inflammation etc that I keep hearing about either.

 

[Guzzler]

I know, I know; just a little frustrated and starting to worry about the next results. Also my borderline ocd about understanding my medical issues popping up. And telling myself to relax about it all is a waste of time. Knowledge is what makes me feel in control and the lack of, out of control.

Though my numbers improved last time and I’ve lost weight I don’t have this miraculous energy gain or lack of pain/inflammation etc that I keep hearing about either.

Then we have something in common. I have seen little in the way of energy gain, the improvement I have seen in pain management took months but any gain in this respect is a win win. We do not have switches that we can set to reset at the flick of a finger, sometimes we can see improvements in terms of a dial that we can endeavour to notch back but it does take time. Infuriating as it seems, our bodies don't always act in the way that our conscious minds would like them to.

 

[Rustytypin]

This is something that has puzzled me also @HSSS over the past few months. My weight went down about 10% to under ten stone, but my HbA1c went up into the pre diabetic area. I have been lo carbing at about 40gms per day, my BGLs average over 90 days is 5.8.
Perhaps if someone used to eat very high carb and then reduces drastically the body responds more easily hence the big reductions in HbA1c.
In my case I'm looking for a much smaller drop in HbA1c and the factors that I face are different, and there seem to be an awful lot of them for everyone to cope with.

 

[lucylocket61]

I know, I know; just a little frustrated and starting to worry about the next results. Also my borderline ocd about understanding my medical issues popping up. And telling myself to relax about it all is a waste of time. Knowledge is what makes me feel in control and the lack of, out of control.

Though my numbers improved last time and I’ve lost weight I don’t have this miraculous energy gain or lack of pain/inflammation etc that I keep hearing about either.

I havent had a miraculous gain in energy. My weight is shifting at a the rate of about a pound a month, or less, and my inflammation is improving very slowly. We are all different.

 

[LooperCat]

Bodies don’t work in straight lines, and you mileage may vary. I’ve got more energy, but haven’t lost any weight...

 

[HSSS]

God I wish there was a master plan explaining all this. It’s b****y frustrating all this variation

 

[Guzzler]

Which is exactly why we can't compare ourselves to other people. What we can do is keep tweaking things until we (hopefully) achieve the desired effects or at least get into a better range. We are not clones nor would we want to be. I'm glad I'm speshull

 

[millenium]

Anti oxidant status may play a role as well.

http://pubs.sciepub.com/wjac/3/1A/2/

 

[neithskye]

Gender too maybe. How long you had diabetes before it was actually diagnosed? Someone who had it for longer would take longer to improve.

Same thing with why some lose weight so fast while it's not that easy for some of us. I recently had a personal trainer tell me my lack of a gallbladder might be affecting my digestion and why weight loss is slow. I had my gallbladder out 27 years ago and this is the first I'm hearing about this?

 

[Brunneria]

Hormones hormones hormones.

The ones who seem to lose weight easily do so (it appears) because their hormonal system has fewer ‘issues’.

I am always astonished to read of members who cut carbs and the weight falls off. The ones I am particularly envious of, are the ones who get to enjoy low carb baking, a huge variety of veg, low carb breads and fruit and they still lose weight. Pleased for them, of course. But amazed. If my body behaved like that I would have been slim decades ago. In fact, I would never have got fat. Lol.

Actually food intolerances play a part too. And sleep quality or deprivation. And dehydration/adequate water intake, medication, stress levels, other medical conditions... the list is pretty long.

 

[neithskye]

Hormones hormones hormones.

The ones who seem to lose weight easily do so (it appears) because their hormonal system has fewer ‘issues’.

I am always astonished to read of members who cut carbs and the weight falls off. Pleased for them, of course. But still amazed. If my body behaved like that I would have been slim decades ago. In fact, I would never have got fat. Lol.

Actually food intolerances play a part too. And sleep quality or deprivation. And dehydration/adequate water intake, medication, stress levels... the list is pretty long.

Don't you ever wish you could talk with your body?

"Hey, body. What's up? What's going on in there? Can you tell me why you function the way you do?"

 

[Brunneria]

Don't you ever wish you could talk with your body?

"Hey, body. What's up? What's going on in there? Can you tell me why you function the way you do?"

I talk to it all the bloomin' time. It just never listens.

 

[Prem51]

I think my T2 is due to many factors, most of which, like family history and genetic heritage, were unavoidable. I don't think I could reduce my bg readings to non-diabetic range unless I was on a starvation diet. But I'm happy as long as I can stay in the pre-diabetic range. I wouldn't even worry too much if I went up into the diabetic range as long as I stayed in the lower figures without much danger of complications.

 

[DCUKMod]

For some things I just have to shrug my shoulders and move on.

Now, I'm quite a small person, and fortunate enough to be flexible, but no matter how many times I turn up at the gym, I'm never going to be Simone Biles:

By the same token, I hope I never have the dreadful misfortune of former athlete Michael Johnson, suffering a stroke.

Sadly, with so many thing in life, 1+1 doesn't always make 2.

We just have to do the best we can, and be the best person we can from the knowledge and tools available to us.

 

[KK123]

You may as well ask why some people have blue eyes and others have brown. We are all completely unique.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

what factors do you think affect success in low carb eating in terms of lowering hb1ac

As well as all that has already been said, Carbohydrates are not the only source of glucose.

Carbohydrates consist of molecules of sugar, which your body digests into glucose and uses for energy. When you’re short on carbs, glucose can be created from fat and protein in a process called gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis takes place mostly in your liver, which also has the job of maintaining a steady amount of glucose in your blood. If blood sugar drops too low due to problems in the liver, your kidneys can boost blood sugar by converting the amino acid glutamine into glucose.

Saturated and unsaturated fats in your diet consist of two substances bound together: glycerol and fatty acids. During digestion, they're separated, and each one follows a different path. Glycerol is easily metabolized and used to make glucose. Fatty acids are carried to tissues throughout your body, where they help build cell walls, produce hormones and digest fat-soluble nutrients. Fatty acids can be converted into another substance called acetyl CoA, which is used to create energy, but they’re not turned into glucose.

After you eat protein-containing foods, they’re digested and broken down into individual amino acids, which cells then use to rebuild new proteins. Amino acids also have a variety of other jobs, such as helping to produce neurotransmitters and antioxidants. Your body can use all of the amino acids except lysine and leucine to make glucose. Some of the amino acids have the ability to become glucose and fatty acids, while lysine and leucine can only be used to synthesize fatty acids.

 

[HSSS]

Gender too maybe. How long you had diabetes before it was actually diagnosed? Someone who had it for longer would take longer to improve.

Same thing with why some lose weight so fast while it's not that easy for some of us. I recently had a personal trainer tell me my lack of a gallbladder might be affecting my digestion and why weight loss is slow. I had my gallbladder out 27 years ago and this is the first I'm hearing about this?

Lack of gallbladder MAY hinder fat digestion, the rest just flushes through as it were. Can’t see why this would slow weight loss. I question the information she gave you and would ask where she got it and do some research if inclined to believe her. I’m not.

 

[HSSS]

I get that we’re all different and don’t react the same and respond differently but there’s must be some factors that cause those differences and that’s what I’m wondering about. Just saying we’re different is true but doesn’t actually address my question. It’s akin to me saying to myself don’t worry (read think as opposed to stress) about it which doesn’t work - my brain still goes there and it’s interesting to me