Surprising first labs

[woleile]

I've had lifelong blood sugar issues, starting in childhood when I spent my lunch money daily on seven candy bars. In adulthood if I went too long without eating I got dizzy/weak/confused, and once it got to that point even eating wouldn't fix it. So while I waited for my first appt w/my Bredesen-trained practitioner, I went ahead and started a 16:8 fasting schedule and a LCHF diet. Originally I aimed for 50 g carbs, but eventually I was aiming for 20 g and even hitting it occasionally.

The consensus of my reading about ketosis seems to be that it takes a long time at very low carbs, especially if you're over 50 (I'm 61). Imagine my surprise when I got my first labs, about two weeks in:

fasting insulin 5
HbA1c 4.9
hsCRP .7

I'm especially dumbfounded by the A1c, since it reflects the three months *before* any attempt at reducing blood glucose. The operative principle at the time was, what can I grab from the kitchen in two minutes or less and take back to my chair/bed to eat?

I don't know what to make of this, except that getting into ketosis wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. (I haven't monitored glucose or ketones, but I've had a couple of unplanned 20-hour fasts with good energy and no particular discomfort. I have to assume I was burning fat at least on those days.)

If anyone with more experience (i.e. anyone) has anything to add, I'd love to hear it.

[slacker]

The consensus of my reading about ketosis seems to be that it takes a long time at very low carbs, especially if you're over 50 (I'm 61). Imagine my surprise when I got my first labs, about two weeks in:

fasting insulin 5
HbA1c 4.9
hsCRP .7

If anyone with more experience (i.e. anyone) has anything to add, I'd love to hear it.

Everyone is unique on how long it takes to reach ketosis; I've seen older folks hit the mark in a few days with the right diet. And congratulations on the HbA1C! Hard to explain, but fantastic. Request a recheck in 3 months.