Numbers, numbers, numbers...

[MAC2020]

Saturday 15th August 2020, 7:37pm

I've had recent HbA1c result on Wednesday 12th August.

Given that my last reading in Feb 2019 was 42 and what with lockdown and everything else going on I was rather nervous that my number would be worse than the last time 18 months ago, but I also secretly hoped I'd be 40 or under since my last two weeks of meal rise was significantly less than 2, my waking BG was consistently under 5.5 and I had changed my sedentary lifestyle to regular daily walks.

My latest reading is 43 deemed normal no action by my GP, but I know I could do better!

More work to do, up the exercise, lose weight, less carbs, less stress and more forensic scrutiny of my meal choices. Ho hum...
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16th August 2020 6:54pm

Hi again,

Still consider myself a newbie as I only joined this forum less than 3 weeks ago, but let me know if/when I should stop posting here and post elsewhere or on General Messageboard!

Hello to those I saw at the Zoom meet, good to put voices and faces to the knowledge and text! And thanks again for the wisdom you impart on this forum for people like me who are trying to work their way through this condition.

So my numbers for today are:

3:30am in the morning BG was 5.1
Waking BG was 5.2
Went for walk for 1hr over 8K steps
Before 1st meal BG was 5.2. Then I ate a bowl of stir-fry with broccoli, mushrooms, tofu, garlic, avocado, EVOO etc.
Felt sleepy 20mins after meal so tested again, BG was 5.2 (not low enough for a hypo so why the fatigue?)
1hr after meal BG was 4.6
2hrs after meal BG was 5.8

The stir fry had very little carbs in it as confirmed (I think) by the BG readings. My question is, will eating less BG friendly food i.e. portion control, stop the fatigue, or is it just a matter of going for a walk after each meal before the fatigue sets in?

Thanks for reading

Looks to me that you have got past the newbie stage and should be heading for the other boards!

 

[grovesy]

There is not a lot of difference between 42 and 43 to be honest.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Great numbers! Keep going like that & more than likely yr next HbA1c will be lower.

Do remember that HbA1c reflects avg BG levels over the last 12 weeks or so; doesn't adjust immediately for short term changes in your levels.

Also: it doesn't actually measure your avg BG levels over this period. Rather, there's a statistical correlation between HbA1c levels and avg BG levels, but it's approximate, and variable between different people. Further, the statistical work which established the correlation assumed constant BG levels, so when yr levels are changing you have to take an HbA1c reading with an extra pinch of salt.

Fatigue: Really doubt that BG has anything to do with fatigue at the BG levels you're seeing. There's about a zillion different possible causes for fatigue. Maybe just go along with it for the moment and if it persists, talk with yr doc.

 

[Becka]

Anything up to 42 mmol/mol is a normal health HbA1c. The target for a diabetic is 48 mmol/mol.

Anything between 4 and 7 mmol/L is a normal healthy fasting blood glucose level.

The only work to do it to keep up what you are doing, because there is nothing wrong with those numbers.

As for fatigue, that can be caused by many, many things. Have you never felt that way before? Are you sleeping well? How strenuous are your walks? Will it happen today? And tomorrow? And the day after that? How do you know it is the result of your diet?

Before you start ascribing anything and everything to your diet and glucose levels, wait to see if there is a pattern. If there is then it is reasonable to assume a connection and investigate to see if there is one.

Everyone feel sleepy from time-to-time, it is not something to worry about in isolation. The worst thing you can do is try to micromange everything. You need to look at things in general and for patterns and trends.

43 mmol/mol is not appreciably any different to 42 mmol/mol. It is a rounding error. Feeling tired after one meal does not mean the meal was bad for you. The body is not a precise machine, treating it as one will only cause unnecessary worry and upset.

You cannot control everything, so take pride in what you can. 42 mmol/mol is good. 43 mmol/mol means you are keeping it in that same area, you are not letting it rise and get out of control. You are doing well.

And maybe yesterday you were just tired. Not because of anything you did. Not because anything was wrong. but sometimes the body get tired. It is a thing that happens.

If you feel sleepy all the time, talk to your doctor. If could indicate any number of issues that are nothing to do with diabetes.

But if it is just one Sunday afternoon, where you went for a walk, had a meal, then need a rest, you are probably no different to millions of other people.