I, at least so far, have been able to maintain a Sub-6 A1C Without Meds following a Low Carb/High Fat diet that averages 90-110 carbs a day and 2000 calories

If/When my system gets old, tired or just more worn out I don't think that I would restrict further - I like the way I eat, I don't crave or want anything but also do know what I would cut out

So when my numbers start to climb I will add a medication. I am not a "stay off meds at all costs" but rather see them as a part of your overall treatment plan "if" you need them

There is no one diet, one medication, no exercise routine etc that works for all of us

We just have to find something that we can live with (I am never going to eat Kale salads a couple times a day no matter how healthy and blood sugar friendly they are - you do have to Live and not simply Exist)

The trick is finding what works for us as individuals and then actually following/sticking with the overall programs

If what we eat is the challenge, then add the meds

Don't like taking the meds then stop stuffing extra carbs in your mouth - the rules are simple

But @A DiabetesTeam Member has nailed it - MOST Diabetics are totally clueless and the Medical System "treats" it doesn't manage or seriously try to prevent

That isn't really the problem - Doctors have a "job" to do in the routine, but (they - or somebody in the healthcare system) forgets to tell the newly diagnosed "by the way there is classes, diabetic nurses/counsellors/dietitians and even pharmacists that you should be going to, to get the answers that your Doctor is not going to provide"

If you want advice on how to manage diabetes your Primary Care/Internist/Family Doc is practically the worst source you can use yet almost 98% of Diabetics see them as their sole source

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A Diabete...

@A DiabetesTeam Member not too personal, I was diagnosed at age 52 (Aug 2006) and turned 60 back in January

My strategy had a few moving parts based on the observations of certain family members that "got it all wrong"

First I was going to try to do it "initially" and without meds for as long as possible - mostly to see if I could do at least some of the hard work myself because I am not averse to Meds - don't see them as evil or being pushed on me

(have done that so far - no anti-diabetics "yet")

Second I set a couple of targets - get to age 60 with a sub-6 A1C (got to that) so added another 5 years - target is now 65 with Sub-6 "with or without meds" - it's control that matters not how you get there

I do follow an exercise routine - have a Bowflex Trainer (elliptical/stair climber hybrid machine) and just follow their (every second day) program routine but my exercise is NOT primarily for either Blood Sugar Control or Weight Loss/Management, it's for general fitness and mobility

I could Jog for about 5 hours at a brisk pace or just NOT EAT that Big Mac meal (over 1300 calories) that is tempting me - same result

I have followed a Low Carb/High Fat (LCHF) diet since Day 1 (of my routine) that is mostly based on the Atkin's 100 Maintenance Diet - it fits nicely in at 100 net carbs a day - a great place to start for the newly diagnosed and so far it has continued to serve me and is both filling and satisfying - I don't "crave" anything anymore (but will still always "want" pizza and chocolate donuts - but like the war on drugs, you just have to say NO and not make "lame excuses" - if someone can't pass a tray of cookies without wolfing down half of them they need some other kind of help to figure out why they can't help themselves

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

@A DiabetesTeam Member How long have you been dx with diabetes? If that's too personal a question then ignore it.

I'm 73 years old and have had diabetes for 27 years since dx and maybe seven years more pre dx.

My strategy is to come off meds even if that means a lot of inconvenience. Meds for now are great and have been for all those years but I'm well aware that their effect grows less and eventually I could end up on insulin and for someone like me who is very insulin resistant that is not a good idea.

It's inconvenient because it means that I have to exercise a lot which is a long walk of 16+ miles every week, a couple of short power walks (or exercise bike), as many sessions on the exercise bike as is practical and one day a week in the gym under the supervisions of my Personal Trainer (aka known as my torturer because she is ruthless lol buy hey I'm paying the money!)

It's inconvenient because I eat a very low carb diet which is 10g - 15g per day and means that I weigh out all my food in order to know how much carbs I'm consuming. Weighing things out is such a pain but the upside is that because it's such a pain it stops snacking dead in its tracks because the thought of weighing out the snack (unless it's in a convenient snack size pack with the weight written on it) but even then I still have to write the weight and food down in my journal. So all in all weighing and recording food does discourage snacking.

The easy option for me would be to get my doctor to up my meds but for how long would that option work? It might be like crack, first it's just a bag now and then but it gets to bags and bags of crack until something else cracks!

Even with all the hassle it's worth it because with high blood glucose comes a possible legion of horrid complications not to mention that horrible yukky fatigue of bgs being too high for too long.

Bette Davis said "Getting old ain't for sissies" - I say "Managing diabetes ain't for sissies."

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

I've incorporated beans into plenty of meals. I go for some sugar free options (pudding, jello, drink such as crystal light). I will choose multigrain and whole wheat over plain white. I also consume seafood/fish especially salmon in a salad sometimes. I try to be mindful of protein with carbs.