Lowering A1c with diet and exercise alone (no medication)
Hello everyone,
I would like to hear from people who have succeeded in lowering their A1c without taking medication.
My A1c was 6.5%.
I am trying the diet and exercise approach before I go on medecine.
Is there any hope for me?
I am not overweight but I do have some fat around my wasted.
Before the diagnosis, I ate a lot of sweets.
I have now made drastic changes in my diet.
No added sugar, no deserts, no simple carbs (rice, pasta and potatoes).
I replaced those carbs with (small portions of) quinoa, brown rice,…
Thanks!
Hi
. Welcome to the community! It's awesome that you are motivated to address your type 2 diabetes with dietary and lifestyle changes. You will find lots of people here who have succeeded in lowering their A1C without medication and are willing to help. It sounds like you have made some major changes already. How often do you check your blood sugar? Your efforts won't really be reflected in your A1C for about three months, but you can tell whether you are on the right track by checking your blood sugar at regular intervals throughout the day.
Do you feel like the changes you have made so far are sustainable? One key to success is eating some fiber and/or protien whenever you have carbs. Fiber and protien slow digestion, giving your body more time to work on carbohydrates. I hope you get lots of feedback from the community. Know we are here for you whenever you need us. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
I have lowered mine (not too much) but Its going in the right direction. I went from a 8.9 to a 7.8. It was tough but it has to do with consistent routine habits. I am still workin on it myself but I have found a some headway. B. Keith Crear III (Team Member)
I have been doing my diabetes by diet and exercise, I don’t take medications. It’s been 14years now, but it’s not easy. You have to be very disciplined. And it can be challenging on your Mental Health. Medications are a tool. The reason I didn’t want to go on medications, is because I have sensitive bowels, and I asked my doctor the side effects and he said diarrhea and upset stomache so, I didn’t want to take them, this is the Metformin. My bowels are sensitive to whole wheat to, and that is part of the Diabetes diet, I do go to the bathroom with diarrhea when I eat whole wheat, so I didn’t want to have more issues with medications. Sorry to be graphic.
I’m probably gluten intolerant. But don’t know what to do about this since the diet of a person with diabetes has whole wheat in it.
I am so glad you've been able to manage your diabetes despite your gluten sensitivity. You aren't alone with the combination of gluten insensitivity and diabetes. Some of our community members have had success swapping wheat for oats or even almond flour. Have you tried anything like that? Warmly, Kathy (Team member)
Hello,
Here's an update on my T2D.
I was diagnosed nearly one year ago with an A1c of 6.5% and I decided to try to manage my condition with lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) and no medication. Here's what happened:
Late September 2024: A1c 6.5%.
Late December 2024: A1c 6.0%.
Mid May 2025: A1c 5.6%.
It looks good but I fear that if I were to do a new A1c test right now, the result would probably be back in the prediabetic range. During vacations, it was hard to maintain a good diet. Now I am back home and I'm back with the good diet and exercise program. I'll do a new A1c in 3 months.
Cheers!
Skinnyfat
