Need encouragement or something

#1

Just received my lab results. I’ve been on low carb for a year and doing keto for about 9 months. I dropped my A1c levels dramatically after the first three months. Since then I’ve tested roughly the same 6.4.

I test my blood three times a day and in the last three months my results have encouragingly lowered. I am usually below 120. So I was depressed and confused to find that this was not reflected in my A1c level.

The good news is over the past year my triglycerides have lowered from an initial reading of 120 then 100 and now 84. My HDL has gone from 63 to 83. My LDL has increased slightly to 179.

Any suggestions as to how I can improve my blood glucose readings? Why would my daily results show a lot of improvement but not my A1c? I am so upset by these results and have difficulty understanding the whys.

(Jane) #2

Your cholesterol blood work is very good and puts you at a low risk according to the Cholesterol Code calculators.

I don’t know anything about A1C numbers but maybe someone else will come along with some encouragement.

(Denise) #3

Hi Janet,

Would you let us know what your daily “average” meals are? I know I have had to shuffle some foods in or out of my keto diet, because we are each different, but have some things in common. I’ve been on keto 2 years in January, and my A1c’s are not as low as I’d like, I know the last one was in the 6 point range, lower yes, but still higher than I’d like.

I’ve been told, and believe it, that the A1c’s is some sort of average so I don’t know exactly how it works, but if your dailies are good, I don’t think I’d worry. Well, mine are pretty much good, but still get a bit higher and there are a lot of things besides food that can influence that, which I’m learning to be true as well :slight_smile:

Also I’ve been taught that before the A1c blood labs some seemingly silly thing can influence that too. Mine, I believe was influenced by some insomnia, and way more strenuous gym workouts in the last, 5 months.

(Denise) #4

One more thing after I read Janie’s reply is that I worried a lot because my cholesterol did go up into the 400’s but I no longer worry about that because I’ve studied both here, and from respected videos/doctors/Scientists on the subject, that the Trigs divided by HDL is the number to watch basically. Maybe more on that later, but a lot of people get high cholesterol when getting onto Keto, but then it may drop off as mine did on last Lipid panel!! I was so excited, and I think my doctor was rather astounded, and quit pestering me to take statins which I don’t plan on ever taking. Maybe stubborn, stupid, or maybe learning the truth. I am my own guinea pig so I have to test these things out :wink:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

HbA1C is a measure of how glycated the patient’s haemoglobin is. It is used as a sort of rolling 90-day average of serum glucose, because the rate of the glycation red blood corpuscles pick up varies with the amount of serum glucose. The notion of using HbA1C as a 90-day average assumes that red corpuscles live for precisely 90 days. If they live longer, they will pick up more glycation and show a falsely higher reading, and if they live for fewer than 90 days, then the reading will be falsely lower than a true average of 90 days’ worth of glucose measurements. But as a rough guide, HbA1C is a tolerably accurate guide to metabolic health.

Another score that is relevant here is HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin-resistance. Since it is the insulin-resistance that is the underlying problem, this is a good indicator of metabolic health. But in any case, all these measurements need to be taken in context. If all other markers are good, and only one is off, then perhaps the situation is still fine. If several markers are out of the proper range, that is far more cause for concern.

And for everyone’s ease of reference, you want the ratio to be 2.0 or less in U.S. units, 0.9 or under in the rest of the world. That means that one’s cardiovascular risk is minimal.

(Denise) #6

I’m glad you were around to explain this Paul, and definitely “yes” on looking into learning about the IR. I like Dr. Benjamin Bikman @Janet, but there are others you can check with. Aren’t the Diet Doctors videos, or some of those videos good articles/video for Janet as well @PaulL I know I don’t get to even Dr. Bikman that often now but should be checking in on his latest info etc. :wink:

#7

Thank you for letting me know about your experience. I do suffer from insomnia but have for years. The night before this test I slept well, for me.

I do 18/6 fasting almost every day, sometimes, 24 or 20/4. My first meal is frequently bacon and eggs. I may make an omelet with mushrooms, cheese, maybe peppers, onions or tomatoes. My second meal is usually a protein source, quite varied, fish(usually salmon) beef, pork, liver, chicken or shellfish. Sometimes I’ll have a small piece of fish with steak or chicken. I usually bake, roast or fry the protein.

With this I usually have a salad of mixed greens. Additives frequently include olives, goat cheese or bleu cheese, capers, hard boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumber and almost always avocado. My dressings are either no or low carb.

Other vegetables are spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts. These are usually steamed or sauteed. I use a lot of coconut oil and butter.

My postprandial readings are usually below 120. My morning glucose readings are usually my highest of the day.

It is the discrepancy between what my daily readings indicate and the A1c results that confuse me. Any suggestions regarding diet would be appreciated.

Thank you.

#8

I understand this somewhat. My problem is that on my previous test, six months before, my daily readings were much higher. The month prior to that test my measurements had begun to drop. Over the last six months they have lowered significantly. Going from an average in the high 130s to below 125 for the last 4 months and below 120 for the last three. Yet my A1c was exactly the same. 6.4.

I know I am very insulin-resistant so perhaps that is the reason. Most of my other metabolic markers have improved. The main exception was my bun/creatine level. I’m not sure what I need to do about this or if this could be influencing my A1c.

I appreciate your information, always gives me some insight and something to think about.

#9

If I’m doing mine correctly, it should be close to 1. 84/83.

#10

Because they’re different things. You can have a full-blown diabetic shooting up to 250 after each crappy meal, as long as they slam back down and the time is split, the A1C will be good. It’s an average, and usually not a perfect 90day one either. You have to take everything in context.

If you’re usually below 120 that’s not terrible, your A1C of 6.4 means you’re averaging in the 130’s. Are you tracking what you eat? Or just carbs?

(Denise) #11

I know when I come here, I’m always more relaxed when I leave. One thing I’ve learned is if I am eating the right foods, I don’t need to test daily at all, and I only did that, along with a food diary about the first month, maybe 2. I still have the readings so I could show my doctor how good I was doing because I was, and still am. Adding that I believe very much in eating until my appetite is comfortable satisfied.

I have had times I test because I ate or drank something out of my ordinary nutrition, just to make sure it didn’t spike my BG :wink:

(Denise) #12

This is true for me plus I didn’t start getting lower dailies until my late 2nd year which I’m in now. Our bodies obviously change when we stick on Keto, but considering I at wrong for over 60 years :roll_eyes:. And I only started checking them again early Oct. I think it was because I had gotten a couple of high ones after I started doing weights, and also, had insomnia pretty bad. I went out and bought some steaks to have on hand so I would remember to eat them at least once or twice a week.

#13

Very interesting. I was very fortunate that as a child we ate almost keto without being aware of it. We always had a protein source and several vegetables. Granted we frequently had potatoes. We also often had desert but it was limited. No soft drinks, not much snacking.

Even as an adult, with a family, food tended to be whole foods, although we did have bread and my husband loved pasta which I’m not fond of.

My bad habits began in my fifties when I was on my own. Frozen meals, muffins, bagels etc.

Fortunately, getting back to whole foods has proved enjoyable and easy. Still I’m sure I was insulin-resistant, if not diabetic long before being diagnosed. I’m 76 and I guess I shouldn’t expect to fix all the years of abuse in just one year.

Sounds like your journey is running fairly parallel to mine and it is good to hear what you’ve faced and overcome.

#14

I don’t count calories. Carbs are my primary concern. I also don’t weigh my food. On the log I keep of my glucose readings, I write down what I ate. So like 2 eggs with mushrooms, cheese, salsa and 2 slices bacon.

(Denise) #15

I see I messed up the first sentence there Janet, in my post you quoted. I did get lower dailies right from the first week, but didn’t get into the low 5 points (5.4, 5.6) until 2nd year. I can be really OCD about watching things, but I’ve learned not to be on an average day :wink: There is nothing wrong with staying on top of things, especially if I varied my meals from day to day, but I probably have a pretty boring diet to some folks. It’s just easier for me, and I suppose until I get sick of something I won’t change it :wink:

I do like my fat-bombs, I just add one for dessert right after my dinner because I wasn’t getting a good number of fats in there. And I get to have chocolate :sweat_smile::upside_down_face: using cacao powder to make them and stevia. Also they have Coconut Oil, Sunflower Butter, walnuts/macadamias, and Chia Seeds. Found the recipe on Thomas DeLaur’s video (one of).

I live alone btw, so I don’t have other people’s foods around me which has made it easier for me I think.