Advice around reducing Hb1ac levels and is anyone suffering with long covid?

[mastrs32]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, but unfortunately not new to diabetes, I've had it for nearly 5 years now, and it would be fair to say I've been mismanaging it for the majority of this time.

I've detailed my latest journey with diabetes on my first post on another thread, so I'll not clog up this message up with that here. However, in the last 12 weeks I've went from 93mmol to 51mmol by logging my macros. I've been doing nothing extreme, but here's a list of my 4 weeks averages per day:

Kals 1650
Fat 54.5g
Sat 18.4
Carbs 182.4
Sugars 60.9g around 60% of my sugars come from fruit/veg and skimmed milk
Fibre 29.2g
Protein 103g
Salt 5.46g

These macros have had some variation over the last 13 weeks but are around these marks. You will see I'm following a moderate carb plan, so haven't went for the very low car diet, which is often recommended. I'm just unable to do that. I'm currently on 4 metformin a day and ideally would love to reduce my medication, but that seems wishful thinking on my part. I would take where I am now but understand even this will be very hard to achieve.

What I want to know, is whether my HB1ac readings can continue to get lower if I follow the same path as above, or will it stagnate, and I'll have to lower carbs further. If so, I'm unsure how achievable that will be for me, but I'll give it a go. I am hoping to do more exercise, but as I have long Covid this is really hard for me now. However, I hope to be able to do this at some point. Also is 51 an acceptable reading, I see that 48 is what is strived for from the guidance I've read, all's I know is that 93 was deemed far too high.

Finally, is there anyone who has long covid, I'm sure my diabetes has made this far worse for me, if so, how are you getting on? it's been nearly a year for me now and cognitively I'm nearly back to normal but breathing wise I'm really struggling. It seems covid has brought chronic like asthma symptoms for me. Would love to know how others are doing, and what works for them.

Sorry for the long post 🙂

Michael

 

[Leadinglights]

I hope your data for carbs per day include the sugar as otherwise it would make a very high carb intake, the suggested amount of TOTAL carbs that is including the as sugar is a no more than 130g per day but many do need to go lower than that even to get blood glucose into normal range of below 42 mmol/mol.
I struggle to understand why medics can seem happy if somebody reduces their blood glucose to 48mmol/mol when they that is the diagnostic level and they send people into panic mode.
People have found it difficult to keep a check on blood glucose level following covid or even the vaccinations so you may have to give it time but any reduction in your carb intake would help you enormously.
I do find that 70g per day is very manageable and it is just my new normal way of eating.
This link may help you with some ideas for how you can still have tasty filling meals but still reduce carbs. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[Deleted member 21371]

If you have reduced your hba1c from from 93mmol to 51mmol in the last 12 weeks, that's pretty good going!
Listening to what you have said, I'd keep doing it.
Personally,cutting calories, and losing weight was a great benefit for me.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Congratulations on your progress so far @mastrs32

Sorry to hear long covid has been giving you some grief

Are you monitoring your responses to meals with a BG meter or waiting for HbA1c checks to monitor progress?

I guess if you are noticing a slow-dow. in progress you could reduce your sugars / carbs a little to see if that helps?