A1C Has anyone ever been at a 12 and got it down to normal?
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It can definitely be done. I started out at diagnosis with a very painful 14.5 A1C (fasting BG of 370!!!!) - almost 18 months later, I am down to a fasting BG of 95 (4.9 A1C). I no longer take any meds of any kind - injectable or otherwise. I am VERY proud of myself.
The hell of diabetes is that it's just so individualized. What works for one may not work for another. I quickly learned that rice and potatoes (for me) were "okay", while bread and cereal will make my blood sugar go sky-high. For someone else, they might be able to eat all the Raisin Bran they want, but a rice dish is a no-no. For yet others, vegetables are very effective - others, not so much.
One key to all of this, however, seems to be exercise. I find that the more physically active I am, the more control I have over my numbers. I started walking, walking, walking, which turned into jogging and then into gym time. I now find that I can't do without exercise - I turn into a complete and total rage-aholic. :bigsmile:
What medicines are you taking? I started out on 35uu of Lantus/Levemir, 2mg of Novolog 2x/day, and 1500mg Metformin a day.
As for low-carb recipes, I've had a lot of good luck with a site called Linda's Low Carb. They have a lot of recipes for main dishes and sides, not all of them involving meat.
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/0 -
For those that don't want a lot of meat for any particular reason, the key is oils/fats.Thank you all for continuing to post. I am trying to figure out a low carb solution since I really don't eat a lot of meats. I do eat some fish and white meat chicken or turkey. I also will eat bacon if it is very crisp. Very seldom I have a burger. That is about it.
A salad that includes extra dressing and full-fat cheese can easily keep your low-carb diet at ketogenic macronutrient levels.
Things like 'bulletproof coffee', high-fat protein shakes (I make mine with heavy cream) also work well.
I know a diabetic who doesn't eat meat (for religious reasons) but eats a high-fat/low-carb diet - he eats lots of full-fat dairy (cream, butter/ghee, cheese), eggs, and lots of oils with his foods.
Non-starchy vegetables are absolutely awesome. They're an excellent source of nutrients and fiber, and low in carbohydrate. Watch the fries though - they're often made with refined oils and potatoes themselves are pretty high on the glycemic index compared to non-starchy veggies . . .I LOVE vegetables. I have quit eating fried foods unless I have fries when out and about.
sounds like you're well on your way - it's not an overnight change, but it gets better!I have cut down on portions and have started walking at least 30 minutes twice daily. I go back to the Doctor in a couple of weeks to see how the meds are working. By my readings, it doesn't seem like they are working to well.
Good luck, feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like!0 -
I've been a type 2 diabetic for 15 years - I've had a1c results as high as 13... Even with both insulin and metformin, it's been 8-10 range
For the past year with the weight loss and diet modifications, it's been under a 5 and I am off all medications for the diabetes so it is possible to reverse but I will likely be watching what I eat for the rest of my life as I have no desire to do the shots if I can prevent it -- and now I know that I can actually avoid it with a thoughtful diet.0 -
No GUESSING about it! You CAN DO IT! Is it easy? No, but once you get the hang of it you'll be loving the new look and feel! Now, get busy!0
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No GUESSING about it! You CAN DO IT! Is it easy? No, but once you get the hang of it you'll be loving the new look and feel! Now, get busy!
I agree with this. I was diagnosed in April 2014 with 11.4 A1c, about 3 months later I got it down to 6.00 -
I was diagnosed with an A1C of 11.4 and fasting glucose of 313. I immediately jumped on it, went LCHF (15/55/30), started walking 30+ minutes a day (recently I've been doing 5k walks, takes about 60-65 minutes), and tracking on average a 2400 calories a day diet. 5 weeks, A1C was 7.5, fasting glucose of 99. As A1C is a 2-3 month moving average... I'm pleased with that result. I'm still waiting for my next set of bloodwork to see my new A1C, but fwiw, even at +1 and +2 hour meal testing, I'm not above 140/120 respectively, so I'm hoping for a great A1C result in 4-5 weeks when I go back for my next set of blood work. I've lost about 25 lbs so far, too (+7 weeks from diagnosis).
It is doable.0 -
I was diagnosed in May with a 10.6 A1C. In just three months, I got it down to 7.0. I'm pretty confident I can get to 5.0 or less on my next test in November. A combination of diet (minimal sugars/starches, lots of veggies, plenty of protein, and I don't worry too much about fats), exercise (one hour on the stationary bike five days a week), and medication (1000mg of Metformin every day) has worked really well for me. My doctor was thrilled with my August lab results and she told me to just keep on doing whatever I'm doing.
A few good books that have helped me figure things out and get moving in the right direction: "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" by Richard K. Bernstein, "Blood Sugar 101" by Jenny Ruhl (and her website www.bloodsugar101.com), and "Sugar Nation" by Jeff O'Connell.
You can do it! Good luck!0 -
Thank you. I am praying that I can get it down.
Yes! It can be done! I was diagnosed with a 10.7 A1C and a fasting of 317. I was another one who recognized I was allergic to carbohydrates, went on a very low carb and high fat diet, pretty low calories for a while, lost all my weight in 6 monhts and all my A1Cs since then (almost 2 years now) have been in the 4% range (mostly 4.7). I was put on Metformin 2000 mg a day and got off of that in about 9 months (should have gotten off at the 6th month or sooner). There were going to put me on insulin two or three weeks after I started metformin, but with LCHF, by the time I went back, my blood sugars were normal. I try to keep my blood sugars in the 80s or a bit lower (but I can visit the 90s and low 100s from time to time). My fasting is usually in the 70s now.
I encourage you to read "The Diabetes Solution" by Dr. Bernstein and visit bloodsugar101.com and read that from "cover to cover".
You can do this!!
Thanks for the reading suggestions!0 -
My A1c was 13 at the time of diagnosis. Now it is 5.6 with metformin, diet , exercise and about 7lbs weight loss.0
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I was diagnosed with an A1C of 11.5 in May 2014 and got it down to 7.5% in August. I'm on Metformin 500 mg, 1 pill twice a day. I jumped on MFP and simply started tracking everything I ate, and started paying attention to ingredients RELIGIOUSLY. I also started exercising - I walk 1 mile every morning and one mile every evening. I was hoping this regimen would work, as I don't have to buy special food or cut out everything I like - it's one I can live with forever. Since August, my fasting blood sugar has been in the mid-90's now, spiking at 128 after a night of fajitas and chocolate cake! LOL I'm hoping I can get off the Metformin at my next doctor appointment in January. YES, IT'S POSSIBLE!!0
