Bring down my A1c?

ZeroTX · January 2019

Hi guys,

Just had a check-up and my A1c came back 6.4 and my blood sugar 127. TOO HIGH. Never been that high, and I go annually for check-ups. Also my blood pressure has risen in the past 6 months (I'm now on meds) and my weight is higher than it's been in 7 or 8 years. I am a mess.

I really, really need to get that A1c down. Of all the issues, that's the biggest one for me. I know that weight loss will help all of those issues. But any other specific advice particularly from anyone who has faced the exact same situation?

My weight is 320lbs, by the way. I've hovered around 300lbs for my entire adult life, although I was down in the 270's a few years ago and felt a thousand times better.

MIpiccolo · January 2019

The biggest thing for your a1c is to try and level out your blood sugar. That means eating smaller protein filled meals frequently, with low amounts of carbs. I would look up a dietetic type 2 diet and follow that.

apullum · January 2019

Can you see a registered dietitian? Since you have a couple of medical concerns, it may be worth discussing your diet with a professional who is trained about diabetes and high blood pressure.

lynn_glenmont · January 2019

MIpiccolo wrote: »

The biggest thing for your a1c is to try and level out your blood sugar. That means eating smaller protein filled meals frequently, with low amounts of carbs. I would look up a dietetic type 2 diet and follow that.

Or you could do things to address the underlying condition, rather than just focusing on managing the disease and its symptoms. Lose weight. Get more exercise (walking is fine, especially at first). (I'm not saying don't try to manage the amount of carbs you get at one time in the meanwhile, but if that's all you do, you're not really making the changes most likely to keep you from progressing to full-on T2 diabetes.)

Coincidentally, weight loss and exercise will also help with the elevated BP. Dietary changes that may help are decreasing sodium and increasing potassium (bananas, kiwis, potatoes, avocodos, etc.), magnesium (spinach and other greens, beans, dark chocolate!), and calcium (dairy and some alternative dairy products, sardines and other fish with bones, some greens).

And being in the same situation (although about 100 lbs lighter) was what brought me to MFP 5+ years ago. Losing weight and moderately increasing exercise (mostly walking at first) did the trick for me, although I did make an effort to get more sources of potassium, magnesium, and calcium in my diet. Never made any conscious changes to sodium intake (but I always cooked from scratch a fair amount, which helps keep it down) or to my carbs intake or timing, although I focused on getting enough protein and fiber, which naturally tended to moderate carbs and net carbs a little. But 150 g carb was pretty much the low end of the range I was consuming during the period when I got my A1C and BP (and cholesterol) under control -- 200 to 250 g carb was probably more typical for me during that period.

earlnabby · January 2019

ZeroTX wrote: »

Hi guys,

Just had a check-up and my A1c came back 6.4 and my blood sugar 127. TOO HIGH. Never been that high, and I go annually for check-ups. Also my blood pressure has risen in the past 6 months (I'm now on meds) and my weight is higher than it's been in 7 or 8 years. I am a mess.

I really, really need to get that A1c down. Of all the issues, that's the biggest one for me. I know that weight loss will help all of those issues. But any other specific advice particularly from anyone who has faced the exact same situation?

My weight is 320lbs, by the way. I've hovered around 300lbs for my entire adult life, although I was down in the 270's a few years ago and felt a thousand times better.

I was in your place and here is stuff that I learned:

Things that will lower A1c (besides losing weight since you already know that):

Reduce the total carbs in your diet. There is no need to go into low carb, just eat fewer than you are right now.

Eat your sandwiches with one slice of bread instead of 2.
Go with a smaller serving of rice or pasta and add more of the meat and veggies in the dish.
Stop drinking fruit juices and eat whole fruit instead.
Limit the sweets and carb laden snack foods like chips.
Prepare your own food at home. Reduce the take out and fast food.
Switch to diet soda or cut soda out and replace with flavored seltzer.

Move more. Exercise, even just walking more, has proven to help lower blood sugar

I would start by logging. Don't worry so much about reducing calories or anything else right now, just get a sense of how many carbs you are actually eating. By logging you will see where you can reduce your carbs. Get a scale and weigh all solids and semi solids (like peanut butter and mayo) and measure all liquids. Log everything you eat and drink.

Can you get a referral to a Registered Dietician? If you are in the US, insurance usually will pay for some visits if an MD orders them. Stay away from a "nutritionist" unless they carry the Registered Dietician designation.

k_gebhardt · January 2019

I’d seek out the help of a nutrionist or dietician. I’m in a similar boat, last month diagnosed diabetic with high blood pressure. Most of the diet is the same to help combat both ailments. Here are the key pointers: limit sodium intake (actually reading sodium on labels will be an eye opener ie salad dressing, limit alcohol to two drinks a day if that, red meat once or twice a month, increase exercise, take a potassium and magnesium supplement, limit caffeine intake, follow mostly a Mediterranean diet (increase high omega 3 foods). If you can’t get on board with a nutrionist or dietician there are lots of good plans out on the internet as there are many people in your same situation. Good luck!

concordancia · January 2019

I find that exercise has at least as big an impact on my blood sugar as foods, within limits, of course. But skipping a workout has more of an impact than adding 20-30g of carbs on a given day.

Start with the ADA recommendations: 45-60g of carbs per meal, 20-30g per snack. Make most of those carbs whole grains and veggies. If, after a month, you haven't improved, go lower. I have to keep it much lower, but I went from normal blood sugars one annual screening to 240 the next, rather than a slight rise like you saw.

bisonpitcher · January 2019

Exercise will help a ton. My A1C went from 6.2 to 5.3 over the past 2 years with weight loss and consistent exercise.

Bring down my A1c?

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