Deleted
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Oct 1, 2024 9:31:46 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2016 17:50:03 GMT
So my a1c blood test was 7.1. But it was not a fasting test, the blood was taken in the afternoon. Anyway, I have a doc apt with my new GP coming up in a month, and know that I need to loose weight, can I still do a low carb diet? I will be walking more now, trying to walk home from work, it is 1.5 miles. Tell me everything. I got this diagnosis after bringing home freaking Girl Scout Cookies BTW.  |
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by melissa on Apr 7, 2016 18:09:00 GMT
It makes no difference when the A1C was drawn, fasting or not. It is a reflection of the last 3 months worth of blood sugars.
I may be sitting next you in the diabetes line. I was a gestational diabetic and my A1C has been creeping up over the years. I've watched it go up despite weight loss and very regular exercise (at the time, regular spin classes 3 days a week + 2 ballet classes each week).
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
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Post by melissa on Apr 7, 2016 18:12:45 GMT
Oh.. and I mentioned the gestational diabetes because any woman who has gestational diabetes, no matter what variety or how many pregnancies, has about a 50% risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Of course, type 2 is a somewhat older term. It's all about insulin resistance, so those of us at higher risk should be doing what we can to decrease insulin resistance... maintain a healthy weight, eat good carbs not so many refined carbs and sugars, and get sufficient cardio. Same for those with high triglycerides and same for general cardiac health.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Apr 7, 2016 18:32:43 GMT
Low carb (or at least low-ish carb) is what you should be doing. If you don't have a meter, you should go ahead and get one. You need to figure out how food is affecting your body. For a few weeks, check your levels before meals then 1 or 2 hours afterward. You will quickly learn what foods increase your levels and which don't. You should also learn how you feel when your levels are off - my face gets slightly numb when my levels are low, and my stomach gets queasy when they are high. I had actually been complaining to my doctor for a while about the queasy stomach for a while before my A1C or fasting levels were high enough to register the problem. I recommend Blood Sugar 101 for a little "light" reading, especially around desired levels for a person with diabetes. IMO, low carb is the best choice for a diabetic because it doesn't cause spikes in your blood glucose levels. However, since your body isn't regulating insulin well, you could also have lows that can be increased by eating a few carbs (15g, would be the starting place for those). I still eat my Girl Scout cookies, for the record. I just eat a serving or half a serving as defined by the box instead of the traditional serving of a whole sleeve/box. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 7, 2016 18:57:23 GMT
I had gestational diabetes as well and my fasting BG is always really close to the prediabetic range. I have been learning more about nutrition lately and am Finding that the guidelines for carbs that are given to women with GD are actually quite high. I am trying to stay under 100 a day (which is still not low carb by a lot of standards) in hopes to improve my insulin resistance and keep diabetes at bay. Good luck @nycmom!
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Post by disneypal on Apr 7, 2016 18:59:28 GMT
It makes no difference when the A1C was drawn, fasting or not. It is a reflection of the last 3 months worth of blood sugars. I was going to post the same thing - for an A1C test, it is your average rating over time - not just the current day. You would probably benefit from a low-carb diet. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2016 19:02:31 GMT
I think I am mixing up the a1c test and the test I can do myself... Lots to learn!! I am used to the low carb, just have to follow it this time, and no more "oops" days. I love pasta, and chocolate. Thanks for the website JustCallMeMommy. I will be perusing this tonight. |
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Post by scrapsuzy on Apr 7, 2016 19:28:19 GMT
It's not just the carbs that matter, but what kind of carbs they are. For instance, a bowl of Frosted Flakes may be equal in carbs to an apple, but the FF are probably going to send your blood sugar higher.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2016 19:39:58 GMT
It's not just the carbs that matter, but what kind of carbs they are. For instance, a bowl of Frosted Flakes may be equal in carbs to an apple, but the FF are probably going to send your blood sugar higher. Do some reading or googling about the difference between simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Pick up the Glycemic Index book for more light reading. |
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Post by birukitty on Apr 7, 2016 19:42:35 GMT
Watch the "Forks over Knives" documentary on Netflix and do the 28 day challenge.
Debbie in MD.
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Post by Basket1lady on Apr 7, 2016 20:31:51 GMT
I'm a huge believer in exercise as the best medicine. Walk at least 30 minutes a day. If you are already fit, walk for an hour. If not, walk at the pace you need to get to 30 minutes. You will get faster as the month goes on. If you can add some cardio, even better. Jog for 15 seconds, 30 seconds. I find it makes a huge difference.
Reduce your carbs and try for healthy carbs that don't cause BS spikes. Eat one GS cookie, not 3 or a sleeve. They freeze well. Use pasta with protein in it. And don't confuse healthy with low carb. Apples are great, but 1/2 an apple is a serving with the big apples you see these days. A serving of fruit is about the size of a tennis ball. There is pasta made with black beans, but it's as high in carbs as wheat pasta. I usually have a big salad with pasta and try for lower carbs sauces.
And if you have to take a medicine, you did not fail. Sometimes even with all the exercise and diet, it still isn't enough. When I was running 4 miles a day, a normal weight, and eating EXACTLY what I should when I should, it still wasn't enough. Anything you can do to prolong the use of your pancreas is a good thing. Even if it's not working right, some function is better than none.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,815
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Apr 7, 2016 21:18:52 GMT
I think I am mixing up the a1c test and the test I can do myself... Lots to learn!! I am used to the low carb, just have to follow it this time, and no more "oops" days. I love pasta, and chocolate. Thanks for the website JustCallMeMommy . I will be perusing this tonight. A good way to tell the two apart is your a1c will be in a xx.x format. Your blood glucose is most likely in the 3 digits since it was not a fasting test - unless you are outside of the US and then those 2 would look very similar because it's measured in mmol/l. I'm guessing from your username though, that you are in the US That a1c puts you in the 150s for your average blood sugar over the past 90 days. I'd cut out the pasta asap. I wear a CGM, and I notice chocolate has very little effect on my blood sugar in small amounts so that's good news for you! |
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Post by laureljean on Apr 7, 2016 22:30:35 GMT
As far as diet, one of the things DH and I learned at his diabetic class was how to "plate" a meal. Half your plate should be non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 starch, 1/4 protein. Once we started eating that way, his A1C went down.
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