Six months in

[Ammonite]

Evening everyone. Hope this finds you all well.

I just wanted to post an update on my low carb progress. After diagnosis in March I managed to get my HbA1c down from 68 to 44 by June of this year after declining medication and relying on diet and exercise.

My September results are now through and I have achieved my target of a non-diabetic HbA1c (40) and improved lipid panel. Weight loss has slowed somewhat, though BP is quite stable around 120/70 and stamina much improved. Neuropathy and retinopathy checks OK.

So, whilst I know I worked really hard to do this and acknowledge my achievement I must admit to feeling a little “flat”. Why is this?

I think at this point I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the relentlessness of Diabetes. So, I reached a target, but in reality nothing’s changed. I still have to maintain a firm grip on my diet, still have to test, still have weight to shed, still have to scrutinise menus before I go out for a meal, and still usually end up with a Caesar salad! Thank Heavens for Gin!

I can see that many forum members have reduced their HbA1c to much lower levels. Maybe I need to set myself another target…. say HbA1c in the low 30s?

I don’t wish to sound ungrateful and I know that in reality I just have to pull up my Big Girl pants and get on with it. Forever.

Sorry for whinging but I just needed to offload - and thanks again for all the help and advice.

 

[Drummer]

It might not happen - I have low blood glucose levels, but my Hba1c was stuck at 42 - it did rise at one point last year, maybe due to Covid, because it has gone down again.
After the first 3 tests showing 42 (I think it was 3) I reduced my intake of carbs to no more than 40 from 50, and after a year - well it was 42 again. Obviously my diabetes is no bother now, coming up to 5 years from diagnosis, but my Hba1c will probably not reduce from the top end of normal. Just something that doesn't follow the accepted scheme of things.
On the up side, my thyroid is apparently recovering after many years of needing 200 micrograms of Thyroxine. These last few years of unbroken low carb have brought it down to 125 micrograms.

 

[Burylancs]

Evening everyone. Hope this finds you all well.

I just wanted to post an update on my low carb progress. After diagnosis in March I managed to get my HbA1c down from 68 to 44 by June of this year after declining medication and relying on diet and exercise.

My September results are now through and I have achieved my target of a non-diabetic HbA1c (40) and improved lipid panel. Weight loss has slowed somewhat, though BP is quite stable around 120/70 and stamina much improved. Neuropathy and retinopathy checks OK.

So, whilst I know I worked really hard to do this and acknowledge my achievement I must admit to feeling a little “flat”. Why is this?

I think at this point I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the relentlessness of Diabetes. So, I reached a target, but in reality nothing’s changed. I still have to maintain a firm grip on my diet, still have to test, still have weight to shed, still have to scrutinise menus before I go out for a meal, and still usually end up with a Caesar salad! Thank Heavens for Gin!

I can see that many forum members have reduced their HbA1c to much lower levels. Maybe I need to set myself another target…. say HbA1c in the low 30s?

I don’t wish to sound ungrateful and I know that in reality I just have to pull up my Big Girl pants and get on with it. Forever.

Sorry for whinging but I just needed to offload - and thanks again for all the help and advice.

Cheer up, you have established good control. Well done and bon voyage.

 

[Gwynn]

Goals can really help. Trouble is, what do you do when you reach them. I too have felt very 'flat' at reaching my goals and yes, it is relentless, but then life is!

So maybe some new goals might help. Me, I switched to trying to create new recipes that keep carbs down, calories sensible, taste and texture up, and photographing the process of making them. Only done three so far. I shove the results into my App for future reference. It has rekindled my interest and engagement somewhat.

Keeping my weight stable has been another driver for interest and at times it seems impossible but fascinating trying to work out what really makes it fluctuate the way it sometimes does.

I think it would help me if my GP or diabetic nurse showed some interest and engagement too. It would help me greatly if my wife showed some interest but alas she is away in her own little world.

I also do a lot of personal 'trial' / 'tests' to see if this or that supplement can help me. The latest one is to do with neupoathy. Intesting, important, inconclusive as of yet.

I read up on others successes and consider if they are relevant and real, trying to avoid the scammers and snake oil peddlers.

This forum has bern a real blessing for me. The guidance and help I have received here has been so good.

Let me know what helps you. You never know, it might help me and others too.

 

[Vonny]

Hi @Ammonite, Well done on your excellent results, you should be really proud of yourself. Yes, it is for life which is a bit of a bore, but now your bg levels are lower you may not have to be so rigid all the time. Whilst I was getting to my targets I was sooo strict with myself, but having got there I can now have an occasional meal out and not worry about the carbs for example. I've got my next hba1c booked for mid October. If it has gone up through those treats I'll let you know.

 

[Ammonite]

Goals can really help. Trouble is, what do you do when you reach them. I too have felt very 'flat' at reaching my goals and yes, it is relentless, but then life is!

So maybe some new goals might help. Me, I switched to trying to create new recipes that keep carbs down, calories sensible, taste and texture up, and photographing the process of making them. Only done three so far. I shove the results into my App for future reference. It has rekindled my interest and engagement somewhat.

Keeping my weight stable has been another driver for interest and at times it seems impossible but fascinating trying to work out what really makes it fluctuate the way it sometimes does.

I think it would help me if my GP or diabetic nurse showed some interest and engagement too. It would help me greatly if my wife showed some interest but alas she is away in her own little world.

I also do a lot of personal 'trial' / 'tests' to see if this or that supplement can help me. The latest one is to do with neupoathy. Intesting, important, inconclusive as of yet.

I read up on others successes and consider if they are relevant and real, trying to avoid the scammers and snake oil peddlers.

This forum has bern a real blessing for me. The guidance and help I have received here has been so good.

Let me know what helps you. You never know, it might help me and others too.

Thanks for this @Gwynn. I’m sorry you’re not getting more support. You must be very self-motivated to have achieved such success.
I think I might focus on the weight aspect too, as I still have a couple of stones to lose. Good luck with your recipes. X

 

[Ammonite]

Hi @Ammonite, Well done on your excellent results, you should be really proud of yourself. Yes, it is for life which is a bit of a bore, but now your bg levels are lower you may not have to be so rigid all the time. Whilst I was getting to my targets I was sooo strict with myself, but having got there I can now have an occasional meal out and not worry about the carbs for example. I've got my next hba1c booked for mid October. If it has gone up through those treats I'll let you know.

Thank you @Vonny. To tell you the truth I’ve been very strict with myself too and am a bit scared to lighten up - I’ve been so focused on reducing the HbA1c. Despite getting a good result, I know it’s not “in the bag” and I’ll have to be vigilant for the rest of my life. But I’m going to give myself a bit of a break with the testing (I’m still on about 6-8 times a day) and we have a meal booked at a new bistro next week so I might allow myself a night off.

Good luck for your forthcoming test. X

 

[Leadinglights]

Why do you feel you need to test so much, surely by now with the success you have had, you have established a repertoire of meals you can tolerate without your blood glucose levels going up. You could then just test when you have anything new for meals plus once a day or if you feel unwell.
I apologise if the meds you are taking require you to test so much.

 

[rebrascora]

I too would like to congratulate you on your fantastic progress, both with weight loss and HbA1c reduction and all in a very short space of time!

The problem with getting a really good result is that it is hard to maintain it, so whilst you might have been elated with a reading in the low 30s this time, you would probably be feeling naff if your next HbA1c was a bit higher, so at least your 40 perhaps gives you room for a little improvement, but as with all bodily functions, there is a range of normal readings and some people will naturally be nearer the bottom of that range and others nearer the top, so a reading in the 30s might just not be possible for you no matter how strict you are. The important thing is to find a balance in managing it, so that you have some occasions when you relax a little. Remember, you have got this far in a few months of being very strict, so if your levels start to rise through having too many treats, you can always spend a bit of time cutting back again until you find the balance. I have this problem and have to keep rationalizing it because you can't maintain perfect control all the time (or even some of the time) or constantly improve on your best reading.
My last HbA1c was up a few points on the previous one and I was gutted because I do work hard at it, but my consultant was still absolutely delighted with the result and insisted that I should be too. I would point out that my HbA1c was 52 last time which is still in the diabetic range, so I am not sure why Type 1 diabetics have less stringent goals than Type 2s except of course that too many hypos can mean a nice low HbA1c but it not be healthy.

If you consider that many Type 1s who are diagnosed as children will have HbA1cs in the diabetic range pretty much all their lives whereas most Type 2s will not develop diabetes until middle age, I wonder that an HbA1c of 48 or 50 over a period of 20-30 years can be particularly harmful compared to 50-60 years for those Type 1s diagnosed as children. I don't know if this logic makes sense but I do feel like Type 2 diabetics, particularly those doing their utmost to manage levels through diet and exercise are somehow given less realistic goals than others...... or maybe these are perhaps targets that you have adopted yourselves through perceived peer group pressure.... ie other people posting fantastic results, give us unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We have to accept that we are all different and find our own balance of what we are able to achieve. For example, we can't all be as fast a sprinter as Usain Bolt and it would be ludicrous for the majority of us to try. It is likely the same with HbA1c results in the low 30s.... Some of our bodies may just not be able to achieve that even if we eat cardboard for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. 😳

Please be very happy with your result and any future results even if they creep up into the pre diabetic or low diabetic range occasionally. This is not failure if you are doing your best because you don't have control of all the factors which affect BG levels in your possession, so you can't have ultimate power over this. And please remember to treat yourself occasionally because otherwise life is no fun and you risk "burn out".

I tend to treat my diabetes a bit like a very long running, very slow moving computer game now, using my Libre to gauge results.... I strive for a personal best particularly when I can see I am getting close to one but occasionally, something beyond my control will interfere with my levels or my focus and I will drop back and I find that is a good time to just relax for a bit until I can start to build up from that level towards a new personal best. I can't achieve a personal best every day, just like Usain Bolt couldn't or any other athlete. There are limitations on what our individual bodies can achieve.

I agree that perhaps changing your focus away from intensive BG monitoring and finding a new goal might be helpful. Whether that goal be weight loss or an exercise target or something totally unrelated to health.... maybe a new hobby that you always fancied doing. You have the basic knowledge of how to manage your levels now so you really don't need to focus on them so closely, but if you find through occasional spot testing that the trend of your levels is starting to creep up again over a period of weeks or months, then that is the time to focus a bit more closely again.

You are doing great so cut yourself a bit of slack and that is an order!

 

[Gwynn]

Again good words from Rebrascora. Be happy with your result & be happy with some natural variations. Be kind to yourself

 

[Ammonite]

Why do you feel you need to test so much, surely by now with the success you have had, you have established a repertoire of meals you can tolerate without your blood glucose levels going up. You could then just test when you have anything new for meals plus once a day or if you feel unwell.
I apologise if the meds you are taking require you to test so much.

Yes, it does seem a bit OTT but I’m going to ease up a little now. I think I became a bit obsessed with the numbers. No diabetes meds to factor in.

 

[Ammonite]

I too would like to congratulate you on your fantastic progress, both with weight loss and HbA1c reduction and all in a very short space of time!

The problem with getting a really good result is that it is hard to maintain it, so whilst you might have been elated with a reading in the low 30s this time, you would probably be feeling naff if your next HbA1c was a bit higher, so at least your 40 perhaps gives you room for a little improvement, but as with all bodily functions, there is a range of normal readings and some people will naturally be nearer the bottom of that range and others nearer the top, so a reading in the 30s might just not be possible for you no matter how strict you are. The important thing is to find a balance in managing it, so that you have some occasions when you relax a little. Remember, you have got this far in a few months of being very strict, so if your levels start to rise through having too many treats, you can always spend a bit of time cutting back again until you find the balance. I have this problem and have to keep rationalizing it because you can't maintain perfect control all the time (or even some of the time) or constantly improve on your best reading.
My last HbA1c was up a few points on the previous one and I was gutted because I do work hard at it, but my consultant was still absolutely delighted with the result and insisted that I should be too. I would point out that my HbA1c was 52 last time which is still in the diabetic range, so I am not sure why Type 1 diabetics have less stringent goals than Type 2s except of course that too many hypos can mean a nice low HbA1c but it not be healthy.

If you consider that many Type 1s who are diagnosed as children will have HbA1cs in the diabetic range pretty much all their lives whereas most Type 2s will not develop diabetes until middle age, I wonder that an HbA1c of 48 or 50 over a period of 20-30 years can be particularly harmful compared to 50-60 years for those Type 1s diagnosed as children. I don't know if this logic makes sense but I do feel like Type 2 diabetics, particularly those doing their utmost to manage levels through diet and exercise are somehow given less realistic goals than others...... or maybe these are perhaps targets that you have adopted yourselves through perceived peer group pressure.... ie other people posting fantastic results, give us unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We have to accept that we are all different and find our own balance of what we are able to achieve. For example, we can't all be as fast a sprinter as Usain Bolt and it would be ludicrous for the majority of us to try. It is likely the same with HbA1c results in the low 30s.... Some of our bodies may just not be able to achieve that even if we eat cardboard for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. 😳

Please be very happy with your result and any future results even if they creep up into the pre diabetic or low diabetic range occasionally. This is not failure if you are doing your best because you don't have control of all the factors which affect BG levels in your possession, so you can't have ultimate power over this. And please remember to treat yourself occasionally because otherwise life is no fun and you risk "burn out".

I tend to treat my diabetes a bit like a very long running, very slow moving computer game now, using my Libre to gauge results.... I strive for a personal best particularly when I can see I am getting close to one but occasionally, something beyond my control will interfere with my levels or my focus and I will drop back and I find that is a good time to just relax for a bit until I can start to build up from that level towards a new personal best. I can't achieve a personal best every day, just like Usain Bolt couldn't or any other athlete. There are limitations on what our individual bodies can achieve.

I agree that perhaps changing your focus away from intensive BG monitoring and finding a new goal might be helpful. Whether that goal be weight loss or an exercise target or something totally unrelated to health.... maybe a new hobby that you always fancied doing. You have the basic knowledge of how to manage your levels now so you really don't need to focus on them so closely, but if you find through occasional spot testing that the trend of your levels is starting to creep up again over a period of weeks or months, then that is the time to focus a bit more closely again.

You are doing great so cut yourself a bit of slack and that is an order!

Thanks for your advice @rebrascora. Cutting myself “a bit of slack” is what I’m going to try and do! I am pleased with my results, really I am, but I had an overwhelming feeling of ….so, what now?

I seem to have a very strong “Be Perfect” driver and can lose sight of the fact that sometimes “good enough” is exactly that - good enough.

Take care, and thanks for responding so comprehensively X

 

[rebrascora]

My Dad was a perfectionist and I inherited it from him and in my opinion it is a curse more than a blessing. I get so hung up on getting something exactly right I could have half a dozen other things done in the time it takes. I really admire people who can just clash on and do stuff and know where to draw the line and move on to the next task. So I do understand that feeling of always wanting to do better and get it as right as it can be, but with diabetes, I have to accept that it isn't possible to have total control and sometimes I will be quite focused but other times I have to just shrug and say it's time to back off and relax a bit and just wing it. I actually find I get a sense of satisfaction from taking a risk or two occasionally and being a bit more adventurous with food.

 

[trophywench]

I have tasted cardboard in the past, Barbara (accidentally or on the odd occasion using a bit to pick summat out of my teeth) and unless they've changed the recipe and found a different way of serving it up - I don't recommend it!

 

[adrian1der]

@Ammonite You've done fantastically well and should be really proud of yourself. I have a review coming up and if I get below 48 I'll be happy and below 42 I'll be ecstatic!

I'm a year into this journey and have to say that it doesn't seem like a chore. To me low carb has become a normal diet if that makes sense. I'm back making bread for the family (I was learning when I was diagnosed and gave up as I couldn't eat it) and am now learning to make jams and chutneys. Again, I can't partake but I enjoy making it and my wife and son enjoy eating it so why not!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well done on your amazing progress @Ammonite

Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling a but deflated, and that your perfectionism is giving you a hard time. I think quite a few of us know those feelings all too well. Particularly when the long-term nature of diabetes hits home.

But be proud of what you have achieved, and recognise how significant it is.

Well done!

 

[Nayshiftin]

Comment removed

 

[trophywench]

ROFL - don't whatever you do turn it into 'fight or flight' ! - adrenalin surges (such as automatically produced by the fight or flight mechanism inbuilt to th human body) cause huge spikes in blood glucose, so we don't want them thanks! 🙂

I do apologise if @Nayshiftin or anyone else doesn't appreciate my giggling at his choice of phrase - but personally retaining my SOH, relaxing and having a darn good laugh about the things I can't change, has made living with my D so much easier, instead of being a lifelong heavy slog.

The Readers Digest were and still are absolutely spot on - Laughter is the best medicine an awful lot of the time!

 

[Leadinglights]

A phrase I remember from my daughter in her wedding speech (yes, she gave a speech) was
'Well there is a saying – God grant me the patience to bear that which cannot be changed, the courage to change that which can be, and the wisdom to know the difference'
I have remembered this many time when the s..t hits the fan.

 

[Nayshiftin]

ROFL - don't whatever you do turn it into 'fight or flight' ! - adrenalin surges (such as automatically produced by the fight or flight mechanism inbuilt to th human body) cause huge spikes in blood glucose, so we don't want them thanks! 🙂

I do apologise if @Nayshiftin or anyone else doesn't appreciate my giggling at his choice of phrase - but personally retaining my SOH, relaxing and having a darn good laugh about the things I can't change, has made living with my D so much easier, instead of being a lifelong heavy slog.

The Readers Digest were and still are absolutely spot on - Laughter is the best medicine an awful lot of the time!

Enjoy as you say we all need a laugh