My Best A1C Yet!

Type 1 and LADA
21

When I don’t use insulin, I eat a nearly all meat diet (greasy hamburger or sausage), little or no carbs, 1/2 gallon of water with each meal, and wait 1 hour then begin walking briskly for 1 hour (I did this after each meal), and nothing to eat after 6pm.

I let my blood sugar tester be my food guide. If I ate something and it spiked me, I would either cut back on that item or just not eat that item.

This doesn’t apply as much since I now have insulin to have a more varied diet.

Without insulin: I went from an A1C of 6.8 down to 5.3 in 9-10 months.
With insulin, my last A1C back in 3/2011 was 5.1

And no other meds or pills of any kind.

Even with that ‘bad diet’, My cholesterol (lipid profile), A1C, blood pressure, and body weight became optimal.

Now, with insulin, I gained a whopping 40 pounds I have to exercise off when the weather breaks (Grrr…)

Here’s a good diet ratio:
for every 1g of carbs you eat, eat 2g of fat and 3g of protein.

A 1:2:3 diet.

Fat and protein slows spikes and gives both even blood sugars (as compared to carbs), and keeps you fuller longer.

Think Chinese food vs a Steak Dinner. Which makes you hungry 2 hours later?

Also, your biggest meal of the day should be in the morning, and subsequently smaller meals as the day progresses.

22

Thanks a lot :slight_smile:

23

Thanks :slight_smile:

24

Thanks :slight_smile: I went on a low fat diet… and checked my blood sugars more often.

25

Thanks, and I went on a low fat diet and checked my blood sugars often :slight_smile:

26

Thanks a lot! :slight_smile:

27

Thanks :slight_smile: & yes, it feels great! I worked so hard.

28

Thanks a lot :slight_smile:

29

Thanks a lot :slight_smile:

30

Thanks a lot :slight_smile:

31

It is empowering… :)… thanks
& you’re welcome :slight_smile:

32

Thanks :slight_smile: & I have more energy, and I’ve lost weight; healthy weight :slight_smile: My hair is A LOT thicker & growing(it was thin and breaking before)… and my skin is better.

33

lol @ chimpanzees… and I know! That’s the best part, knowing that I can do it. :slight_smile: & thanks a lot :slight_smile:

34

Mine was 7.4 last week – I can’t wait to get it in the 6’s, too.


35

Well done!!!

36

Nice work Brea :)

If you want to go further I suggest looking at Dr Bernstein's work. The problem with going lower on a low fat and I assume moderate to high carb diet is that you can't get the insulin exactly right, so you have to be conservative so as not to risk a hypo. Dr B recommends a low carb diet so it is much easier to guess a smaller insulin dose. Why go lower? Well, complications such as Retinopathy begin to manifest over 5.5.


At least have a read of his book - Diabetes Solution - changed my life...

Best for the future...

37

I am so happy for you (and everyone who is taking care of themselves).
Keep up the good work.

38

update: my last A1C in June 2011 came back at 5.3 . A little higher than last time, but that was due to many colds, rainy weather preventing me from exercising, and eating more bad foods than usual out of boredom.

Doc said I have an A1C like anyone walking down the street. Perfectly normal. BUT, it take either extreme effort without insulin or loads of insulin to keep it that way.

My last lipid profile a month ago showed very high cholesterol. Again, this is due to lack of exercise and eating bad foods. The one a year ago was perfect. Exercise makes the biggest impact on things.

Jean, if you want A1C’s in the normal range, pills aren’t going to do it. You have to eat at exact times, with exact foods (boring I know), and exercise exactly 45 min starting 1 hour after eating. You also have to go ultra low carb (AKA meat only diet - veggies are worthless - not enough calories to keep you alive for long). Use insulin if you have to. Much depends on the person.

Would you like to be able to eat an entire cheesecake every day and NOT have high A1C’s and NOT gain weight? How about eating 2 large pizzas at one setting and not gain weight? And not have high cholesterol? And NOT have high blood pressure?

I did that. I got my metabolism so high I could barely eat enough food to sustain myself.
How about going to bed at one weight, and wake up the next morning 5 pounds lighter?
Nice having that kind of metabolism, but the cost of food was putting my into the poor house.
I got my blood pressure down to 80/48 at one time. Now, it’s exactly normal. 122/74.

Once I went on insulin that things changed. I could and still do eat absolutely anything I want, as much or as little as I want. The only things I have to consider are 1) how much insulin to use and 2) how FAT do I want to get eating that much. Insulin reversed the rapid weight loss, saved me a lot of money on food, and I regained 50 out of the 70 pounds I lost.

With a distinct possibility of my having fibromyalgia, I may not be able to exercise much and would have to go the way of a diet. I don’t know yet. Have to see another doctor for diagnosis.

Oh, want to reduce your 2 hour post numbers? Drink 1-2 quarts of water with a given meal.

Once you get your A1C’s into the normal range and your metabolism boosted, you will feel much better. High blood sugars can make you feel sluggish, tired.

39

Congratulations!!! You’ve done great!

I have been able to go from 10 in february to a low six in July (home test=6.2)

Doesn’t it just feel GREAT?! My wife and I adopted three children (7/8/16)

  • and I’m SO happy to have so much more energy!
40

WAS 7.1 the last time.
i am doing blood work this weekend and hopefully will be in the 6.9 range.
congrats