Hi. Just trying to understand my numbers. Diagnosed type 2 last April. Hb.... started at 91, then 63, then 43. Taken off metformin last Oct. Hb.... tested last wk and still 43. Lost 2 stone so really delighted. Do finger prick test most days. Usually round 7.3/7.5 before breakfast. 2 hours after completely varies. Couple of times at 17. Sometimes in the 10s and sometimes in the 13s, sometimes in the 7s. I eat sugar free cornflakes for breakfast with semi skinned milk. So Im assuming it's what I'm eating but confused why sometimes it's normal and sometimes it's sky high when I've eaten the same thing and couldn't understand why it hasn't affected the Hba1c number. Though obviously glad it hasn't. Still fairly new to all this and sometimes just confuses the eck out of me. Any advice please.
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Confused with Hba1c
- Thread starter SharonW
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Hi Sharon, congratulations on your weight loss and hba1c reduction. You have done absolutely amazing. For me personally any cereal is out of bounds (including sugar free) especially as insulin resistance is much higher in the morning coupled with the fact that our bodies start swamping us with glucose the second we roll out of bed which isn’t very helpful. I’m 46 and I find that varying times of my cycle will produce me with different results for the same foods. I think diabetes is such an individual thing so please take my post as merely suggestions. It’s taken me over 2 years to figure out what’s what, and this time of life only makes it harder. I noticed your 50, any chance your hormones are playing you up ?
Leadinglights
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You have done really well to get your HbA1C down but remember that test ia an average of your blood glucose over the previous 3 months and as an average takes account of variation over over the whole of 24 hours for that period of time so will even out high and lower readings.
Your readings from your monitor is a moment in time and generally will reflect what you have just eaten. Getting a reading out of the ordinary could mean you had something on your fingers which affected it and it is then worth retesting.
You are saying you are having 'low sugar' cornflakes but they may be low sugar but are still one of the higher carb breakfast cereals which would explain such a big increase after breakfast. The increase from food after 2 hours you should be aiming at no more than 2-3mmol/l or no more than 8-8.5mmol/l which if your HbA1C is down to 43 mmol/mol should be achievable and would see a further reduction to below 42 to put you in the normal range.
I use as an example about the confusion of low sugar versus low carb, the breakfast cereal puffed wheat has only 0.9g sugar per 100g so you would thing pretty good but it has a whopping 69.9g carbohydrate per 100g so would not be a good choice.
Your readings from your monitor is a moment in time and generally will reflect what you have just eaten. Getting a reading out of the ordinary could mean you had something on your fingers which affected it and it is then worth retesting.
You are saying you are having 'low sugar' cornflakes but they may be low sugar but are still one of the higher carb breakfast cereals which would explain such a big increase after breakfast. The increase from food after 2 hours you should be aiming at no more than 2-3mmol/l or no more than 8-8.5mmol/l which if your HbA1C is down to 43 mmol/mol should be achievable and would see a further reduction to below 42 to put you in the normal range.
I use as an example about the confusion of low sugar versus low carb, the breakfast cereal puffed wheat has only 0.9g sugar per 100g so you would thing pretty good but it has a whopping 69.9g carbohydrate per 100g so would not be a good choice.
Thank you so much. It all makes sense now. So I can now really be proud of my achievement. Yes I am also going through the wonderful delight of the menopause too which unfortunately comes with lots of cravings that I just manage to control. Any tips on what to eat for breakfast would be very welcome please. I always find that to be the most difficult meal of the day. Love cereals so need to find an alternative. Thanks for helping me to understand.
Leadinglights
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Many people have Greek yoghurt and some berries but add a very small portion of a low sugar granola, Lizi's is one which is 45g carb per 100g so a portion of say 20g on your yoghurt would only be 9g carb compared to nearly 20g carb for cornflakes.
The other good breakfast option is eggs in any form, boiled, scrambled, fried with bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms or omelette.
Nature Valley, KIND or shop own protein nut bars are less than 10g carb per bar so a good snack.
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Hope your new breakfast ideas give you some more stable and reliable levels after breakfast.
I could never get on with cereal either!
I could never get on with cereal either!
I whisk a couple of eggs, some chopped bacon, chicken (or both) mushrooms and whatever I have, leeks, broccoli sweetcorn. Put it in one of those paper liners top with cheese and chuck it in the air fryer for 20mins whilst I get ready, can be made the night before. Trust me you will be full all day.
Spinach and salmon nice too
Spathiphyllum
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Whisk a couple of eggs in a microwaveable bowl, add some grated cheese and stir. Cover, microwave for 30 seconds, stir; then a couple of 20-second zaps and stirs until nearly done; rest for a minute. Cheesy scrambled eggs, fast and filling.
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