Hello - Diagnosed as Type 2 4 months ago and working hard to reduce my A1c

[TonyL]

After being rated as pre-diabetic for several years I had an annual blood test in August 2020 that returned an A1c figure of 50mmol/mol.

When one of the practice nurses rang to tell me I had a blood anomaly I snottily said, "Yes, I know. I've been pre-diabetic for years." (Clever dick)
"Well not any more you're not - you are diabetic!" (She was much more professional diplomatic than that but that's how I took it).
She organised another blood test for a months time.
So.... duly sobered by the thought that I needed to do something, I decided to remove all processed sugars from my diet (no sweets, chocolate, biscuits or cake etc)
No foods containing sugar wherever possible and in order to lose weight form a starting 13stone 7lb (I'm 5'9" and a bit) I gave up alcohol too as drinking makes me hungry. I aremoved white bread and, in the main potatoes too.
The next blood test was taken a month later in September 2020 and by then I'd lost 7lb in weight.
The A1c level was 48 mmol/mol.
The nurse giving feedback was really happy that I'd dropped a couple of points and organised a further blood test for December 1st.
By then I'd shed 27lb in weight and my result was returned at 44mmol/mol.
I had my feedback on this last night and she was really upbeat and positive saying it was a great result but I must admit that I was disappointed that it wasn't less.
Still, onwards and upwards as they say. I was wondering if my advancing age (66) would have had any effect on my progress i.e. slower replenishment of red blood cells because of my "geriatricity" but I suppose I'll have to continue my regime and see how the next blood test fares...

 

[nonethewiser]

Don't know answer mate, wife was told she was prediabetic last year, might have actually tipped over. Anyway she was overweight at time so went about losing it, lost 5 stone in total & is now non diabetic going by her last results, so weight loss was key for her.

 

[TonyL]

Don't know answer mate, wife was told she was prediabetic last year, might have actually tipped over. Anyway she was overweight at time so went about losing it, lost 5 stone in total & is now non diabetic going by her last results, so weight loss was key for her.

Wow, that's a fabulous achievement. I bet she feels a whole lot better too. I know I do. I'm hoping my weight loss has outstripped my reaction to it and I get a better result next time.

 

[TonyL]

Thanks, looking at some of the posts has made me realise that I'm possibly being too impatient with the respect to the rate of reduction of the A1c level. I think I'm about as light as I can be now at 11st 2 ish without making my weight a health issue. So, it's further regular exercise and sticking to my eating regime and see what happens. I'll post the results of my next test which will be in March I hope. Thanks again for your support.

 

[stanh]

After being rated as pre-diabetic for several years I had an annual blood test in August 2020 that returned an A1c figure of 50mmol/mol.

When one of the practice nurses rang to tell me I had a blood anomaly I snottily said, "Yes, I know. I've been pre-diabetic for years." (Clever dick)
"Well not any more you're not - you are diabetic!" (She was much more professional diplomatic than that but that's how I took it).
She organised another blood test for a months time.
So.... duly sobered by the thought that I needed to do something, I decided to remove all processed sugars from my diet (no sweets, chocolate, biscuits or cake etc)
No foods containing sugar wherever possible and in order to lose weight form a starting 13stone 7lb (I'm 5'9" and a bit) I gave up alcohol too as drinking makes me hungry. I aremoved white bread and, in the main potatoes too.
The next blood test was taken a month later in September 2020 and by then I'd lost 7lb in weight.
The A1c level was 48 mmol/mol.
The nurse giving feedback was really happy that I'd dropped a couple of points and organised a further blood test for December 1st.
By then I'd shed 27lb in weight and my result was returned at 44mmol/mol.
I had my feedback on this last night and she was really upbeat and positive saying it was a great result but I must admit that I was disappointed that it wasn't less.
Still, onwards and upwards as they say. I was wondering if my advancing age (66) would have had any effect on my progress i.e. slower replenishment of red blood cells because of my "geriatricity" but I suppose I'll have to continue my regime and see how the next blood test fares...

Your story is very similar to mine. I am similar height and age, and after losing some weight, dropped from 50 to 42. I think you have done well, and are being a bit hard on yourself. You should be able to drop another 2 or 3 points if you keep up the good work.

 

[TonyL]

Thanks, I'm going to keep the faith and maintain this regime. Thanks for your support, it's very welcome.

 

[trophywench]

Doing well so far. One thing you haven't actually mentioned so I will - is flour! Ruddy stuff is almost as big a culprit in terms of carb content, as sugar. Hence anything with flour in it has a ? hanging over it. Cake obviously, bread, pastry, yorkshire pud, naan bread, chapatti, all types of pasta. Our innards couldn't give a toss whether it's labelled whole grain, wholemeal, or is red, green or yellow cum pink with blue spots. Turns it ALL into glucose!

Rice of every size shape and nationality is also problematic. So is root veg generally but parsnips are the worst.

Fruits - tropical fruit (remember that includes bananas! LOL and grapes) is the worst and overall, in the main improve as the size gets smaller. So generally berries (shedloads of seeds and less flesh) are at the OK end and gets worse as the size of the individual fruit increases. A couple of 'English' cherries are OK if you can stop at a couple - I can't - but heck, a lot more carbs in the gorgeous dark red fat juicy Morellos ..... aaarrggghh.

 

[TonyL]

Doing well so far. One thing you haven't actually mentioned so I will - is flour! Ruddy stuff is almost as big a culprit in terms of carb content, as sugar. Hence anything with flour in it has a ? hanging over it. Cake obviously, bread, pastry, yorkshire pud, naan bread, chapatti, all types of pasta. Our innards couldn't give a toss whether it's labelled whole grain, wholemeal, or is red, green or yellow cum pink with blue spots. Turns it ALL into glucose!

Rice of every size shape and nationality is also problematic. So is root veg generally but parsnips are the worst.

Fruits - tropical fruit (remember that includes bananas! LOL and grapes) is the worst and overall, in the main improve as the size gets smaller. So generally berries (shedloads of seeds and less flesh) are at the OK end and gets worse as the size of the individual fruit increases. A couple of 'English' cherries are OK if you can stop at a couple - I can't - but heck, a lot more carbs in the gorgeous dark red fat juicy Morellos ..... aaarrggghh.

You are so right. I'm lucky that my good lady (in disgustingly good health with regard to glucose management) is going along with my regime owing to her deciding that she was - trying to be euphemistic here - chubby 🙂 and apart from one treat night, all bread, all pastry and flour derived food has been sidelined. Having lost over a stone herself she's baked herself an orange drizzle cake and has just hoovered a piece up....
I altered the rice based foods (paella, risotto and chilli meals in our case) with brown rice which is ok, risotto not so much though and for veg have opted for that with most fibre. Luckily being retired I took up cooking as a hobby so just about everything we eat is made from scratch.
Fruit, I follow the advice of a handful per after meal, avoiding bananas, melons and the like. Frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries are my after main meal treat with greek yoghurt. Portion controlled I hasten to add. I love morello cherries.
Altogether, the above with portion control has been my mantra and the weight has fallen off us both. If I lose much more I'll be accused of making Gollum look like Roy Chubby Brown .

 

[Drummer]

If you intend lowering your Hba1c then a food to target would be the rice.
I don't see much of a difference in the levels between different colours of carbs and I usually substitute cauliflower.
I did reduce my carbs to 40 gm a day from 50 when I wanted to get down into normal levels - absolutely no difference. I was 65 when diagnosed, am 69 now, and still at 42 on the chart.

 

[nonethewiser]

Wow, that's a fabulous achievement. I bet she feels a whole lot better too. I know I do. I'm hoping my weight loss has outstripped my reaction to it and I get a better result next time.

Yes feels much better, inside & out.

Told her about Prof Taylor's work on reversing diabetes by removing visceral fat around organs, so that inspired her as well as encouragement from family & peer support in SW group.

Sounds like your doing great man, stick with it.

 

[trophywench]

If you intend lowering your Hba1c then a food to target would be the rice.
I don't see much of a difference in the levels between different colours of carbs and I usually substitute cauliflower.
I did reduce my carbs to 40 gm a day from 50 when I wanted to get down into normal levels - absolutely no difference. I was 65 when diagnosed, am 69 now, and still at 42 on the chart.

Doubtful if cauli rice would work well as risotto though, it has to be, well, pretty wet. But there again the thought of risotto doesn't appeal in the slightest to me because of that liquid, so I haven't the foggiest if there is a low carb substitute for it.

 

[Drummer]

Ah - I only rough chop cauliflower, after pressing out the water with a plate pushed down into the bowl of pan. I don't take it down to rice sized bits.
Actually, though - I don't 'do' stuff like risotto - having always avoided high carb foods I just never encountered them - in the same way that I have never knowingly eaten an Oreo biscuit.

 

[ianf0ster]

A low carb way of eating will (for most T2s) have a bigger effect on Blood Glucose than either exercise or medicine (except for Insulin). For many/most it will also reduce both weight and Blood pressure (if required).

 

[TonyL]

A low carb way of eating will (for most T2s) have a bigger effect on Blood Glucose than either exercise or medicine (except for Insulin). For many/most it will also reduce both weight and Blood pressure (if required).

I agree and looking how your weight loss has correlated with your A1C levels it gives me hope for my improvement in time - I've dropped from BMI of 27.4 to a current 23.2 within 4 months and was concerned that my A1C had plateaued out but looking at your time scales I may have some way to go. I'm expecting to lose a bit more weight with the way my food regime is progressing so I'm prper cheered up. Thanks for that.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks, looking at some of the posts has made me realise that I'm possibly being too impatient with the respect to the rate of reduction of the A1c level. I think I'm about as light as I can be now at 11st 2 ish without making my weight a health issue. So, it's further regular exercise and sticking to my eating regime and see what happens. I'll post the results of my next test which will be in March I hope. Thanks again for your support.

Well done on your progress so far @TonyL

Worth bearing in mind that it‘s generally easier on the body and the fine blood vessels to improve things gradually over a longer period than to try to go for a quick fix. BG levels are likely to have been rising for some time, so it’s better to allow them to come back towards the normal range gently. 🙂

Keep doing what you are doing!

 

[TonyL]

Well done on your progress so far @TonyL

Worth bearing in mind that it‘s generally easier on the body and the fine blood vessels to improve things gradually over a longer period than to try to go for a quick fix. BG levels are likely to have been rising for some time, so it’s better to allow them to come back towards the normal range gently. 🙂

Keep doing what you are doing!

Thanks, I was kind of fixed on the fact that red blood cells renew every 3 months-ish and thought that thats all it would take to flush out the old "sugar coated" ones. Too simplistic, I realise now as my weight loss was going on at the same time then the improvement wouldn't be so radical. I'm coming up to 2 1/2 stone lost and I bought the Hairy Bikers T2 Diabetes cook book on Saturday and Prof Roy Taylor said in it that to have the right effect, most people need to lose around 2 1/2 stone 😱 - spooky anyway thanks again for your support. Every bit of insight is giving me a better understanding of what is going on.🙂

 

[trophywench]

Much safer to plod however frustrating that is - cos this is a marathon, not a sprint! Could finish up as an Olympic marathon walker, Britain (& Oz) had a certain success with that in the past ISTR - until the furthest flung African nations got involved anyway! LOL