Unrealistic goals?

SherryRH

I have trying to figure things out and I am not sure I am going about it the right way. My goal is to get my A1c down from 9 to the levels of a non diabetic through diet and exercise. I have been very diligent in watching what I eat and I have been exercising too.

I had a 6 week check up with my doctor where we talked about my change in diet and exercise. At this point, I have been testing my levels 3 times a day and for the most part keeping under 120. My A1c for my 6 week check up was 7.5 and my fasting bg for that day was 103.

So my question is, if I eat something and it raises my blood sugar level to 140s range and I think it is too high, am I wrong? Am I thinking about this way too much? (I have to admit I have a headache right now. :laugh: ) Will I be able to reach those goals if I eat foods that make my levels go that high?

I am new to this but I want to make sure I don't go totally overboard and then crash and burn later only to have to start all over again.

chipper15173

take a deep breath. you can over think this. i do it all the time.
your A1C should be done every 3 months. it takes that long for you blood to cycle through your body. this is the most accurate time for it. mine this morning was 130. WOW very high. i am normally under 100. but, i had taco bell last night, so it went up.
2 hours after eating BS should be under 140. that's the norm. i think last i heard 120 was the "borderline" number. do you count carbs? that is what makes the difference in our levels. some people can't eat hardly any some it has no effect. i am in the middle. i don't count them now.
good luck

LeannSz

if you go to American Diabetes Association web site they list the ranges if you want to be a little stricter you can go by AACE: American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. I went from a 9 to a 5.6 but I take oral meds twice a day. My numbers are all under what they should be for the most part. I try to take it one day at a time one meal at a time. You can also look into talking to a diabetic nutritionist most insurances cover it 100%. They can help you map out your daily intake. Good luck

PS I love taco bell LOL (I don't go there much anymore)

newmein2013

It took me four months to get my A1C from 6.8 to 6.3 And that was taking 1000 mg Metformin twice a day and 60 minutes aerobic activity 5 days a week. Be patient. Be consistent. Try to keep your carbs around 30-45g each at breakfast, lunch, & dinner and 15g for each of your 3 snacks. Snacks should be around 100-200 cals each. Space out each of these meals at least 2 hours apart so your body can process the carbs. Smaller, more frequent meals actually stabilize blood sugar. For your evening snack, try to have some type of granola bar. If you're going to have sweets like cake or brownies, try to have them before 5:00 pm. Cut back your cabs to 1/2 of your usual for each meal. Maybe replace white potatoes with yams, white rice with brown rice, barley or quinoa. Double the amount of veggies at dinner to help fill your plate. Go for the colorful fruits & veggies (green, yellow, red, orange, blue, etc.). Lastly, drink at least 2 cups of water with each meal. These small changes have made large differences for me. Postprandial numbers for nondiabetics is: 2 hours after meals <160, 1 hour after meals <120. If you have the time, take a 20 minute walk after dinner.

SherryRH

Chipper15173 - I do count my carbs. I am usually around 100ish. Today's carb count was 117 so I don't think that is too bad for me. I did check my levels after lunch today and it was 152. I had some white rice (only 1/4) but I had carrots mixed in with my broccoli. I am pretty sure that is what spiked it.

Leann SZ- I am currently doing my diabetes class and I signed up for the advanced nutrition class. I am just waiting to hear from them to see if my insurance covers it. I am hoping it does.

newmein2013 - I do eat 5-6 times a day. I have completely cut out all the refined sugar, processed white breads and most pasta. I also walk 3-4 times a week and go to the gym to workout at least 4-5 times a week.

Dinner was late tonight so I have another hour before I can test to see where I am at. My numbers are go down during the night so when I check it when I wake up, it is down from the previous night's readings. I will keep plugging along and try to keep things under control and hopefully my next test (in 6 months) will show some more improvement and I won't be so obsessive. LOL

poodlelaise

You are probably right about the white rice being the cause of your spike. It gets me every time. I now use brown rice instead, and it seems to help. The texture is a little different, but I actually like it better. It seems more filling since it is more dense.

travisseger

So my question is, if I eat something and it raises my blood sugar level to 140s range and I think it is too high, am I wrong? Am I thinking about this way too much? (I have to admit I have a headache right now. :laugh: ) Will I be able to reach those goals if I eat foods that make my levels go that high?

I look at it this way - I am the one responsible for controlling my diabetes. I am the one who is responsible for setting the numbers acceptable for me. Not the ADA, not my doctor. What they feel is good is not good enough for me. If you feel a food that spikes you to 140 is too high for you, that's your decision. Personally, if something puts me over 140 at one hour, I don't eat it. If something puts me over 120 at two hours, I don't eat it. My doctor thinks I am to strict on myself, but those are the numbers I set for myself and it's what I adhere to.

Following those guidelines, as well as exercising, I dropped my A1C from 14.2 in Sept. 2011 to 5.1 in Jan. 2012. I do take Metformin (500 mg 2x per day), but my goal is to get off and stay off the meds, and I think I have figured out what works for me. Everybody is different and has to figure out what works for them. So set your own goals and standards and don't beat yourself up for sticking to them. You know what you want, so don't feel bad about going after it.

Best of luck to you.

JaceyMarieS

I look at it this way - I am the one responsible for controlling my diabetes. I am the one who is responsible for setting the numbers acceptable for me. Not the ADA, not my doctor. What they feel is good is not good enough for me. If you feel a food that spikes you to 140 is too high for you, that's your decision. Personally, if something puts me over 140 at one hour, I don't eat it. If something puts me over 120 at two hours, I don't eat it. My doctor thinks I am to strict on myself, but those are the numbers I set for myself and it's what I adhere to.

Following those guidelines, as well as exercising, I dropped my A1C from 14.2 in Sept. 2011 to 5.1 in Jan. 2012. I do take Metformin (500 mg 2x per day), but my goal is to get off and stay off the meds, and I think I have figured out what works for me. Everybody is different and has to figure out what works for them. So set your own goals and standards and don't beat yourself up for sticking to them. You know what you want, so don't feel bad about going after it.

Best of luck to you.

Very nice post - very nice advice!

newmein2013

So my question is, if I eat something and it raises my blood sugar level to 140s range and I think it is too high, am I wrong? Am I thinking about this way too much? (I have to admit I have a headache right now. :laugh: ) Will I be able to reach those goals if I eat foods that make my levels go that high?

I look at it this way - I am the one responsible for controlling my diabetes. I am the one who is responsible for setting the numbers acceptable for me. Not the ADA, not my doctor. What they feel is good is not good enough for me. If you feel a food that spikes you to 140 is too high for you, that's your decision. Personally, if something puts me over 140 at one hour, I don't eat it. If something puts me over 120 at two hours, I don't eat it. My doctor thinks I am to strict on myself, but those are the numbers I set for myself and it's what I adhere to.

Following those guidelines, as well as exercising, I dropped my A1C from 14.2 in Sept. 2011 to 5.1 in Jan. 2012. I do take Metformin (500 mg 2x per day), but my goal is to get off and stay off the meds, and I think I have figured out what works for me. Everybody is different and has to figure out what works for them. So set your own goals and standards and don't beat yourself up for sticking to them. You know what you want, so don't feel bad about going after it.

Best of luck to you.

Travis, that is sooo impressive. I'm so happy for you. Keep up the great work!

Scubanana7

awesome attitude, Travis!

Dietz27

I love the open discussions and advice! Let's keep this up. Bouncing "what works for me" off each other will keep us all tweeking what we are doing to meet each individual's targets.

It's obvious to me that after 2 months dealing with this...there is no cookie cutter answer, and this won't change over night. It will take time and focus from each of us in our own spot on this earth to keep this thing under wraps.