How Karen Lowered Her A1c from 14 to 6.5 in Just 3 Months

A Typical Start to the Story

Karen was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 46, and in the years following that diagnosis she went from doctor to doctor, with her symptoms progressively worsening despite medications being added and dosages increased. She tried various dietary approaches to support her health, including keto and the Mediterranean diet. Ultimately, Karen felt like although she was working hard and seeking support, nothing was really helping her to get better.

Taking a Turn for the Worse (And Better!)

While we wouldn’t wish a rock-bottom moment for anyone, it’s also true that they can be very motivating wake-up calls. This is where Karen’s story takes a turn for the worse, and the point where it starts getting better.

Karen’s family was going through a difficult time. Her brother had pancreatic cancer (which ended up taking his life 3 months later) and her daughter had gestational diabetes. Karen had run out of her diabetes medications and was unable to get an appointment with her doctor in a timely manner, so she went a while without medication before being able to get back to her typical regimen.

The combination of drugs at doses her body was no longer used to, ended up leading her to overdose on the medications. She wound up in the hospital, in a state of ketoacidosis, having hallucinations and throwing up blood.

Motivated to Make a Change

This experience left her more motivated than ever to do whatever it would take to turn her health around. Karen started searching for YouTube videos about nutrition for diabetes, and she happened across some videos from Mastering Diabetes. The science and logic the videos shared made sense, so she ordered the book to do a deep dive on the methodology.

When she found out about the group coaching program, she decided to join. She made the dietary changes and shifted to eating the majority of her meals from the green light category with a few yellow light foods mixed in.

Motivated to Make a Change

In less than 3 months, Karen had cut her A1c in half, going from 14 to 6.5. Her weight dropped from 230 to 178, and she told us “I’m going to have to give half my closet away!”… A good problem to have! In addition, she was no longer on any medications.

It’s a Mindset Shift

Karen’s perspective after going through the process and experiencing these results? “It’s just a mindset.” She said you have to make the mindset shift to embrace the lifestyle, but once you do, things become simple.

These days, food feels easy and enjoyable. She doesn’t miss the foods she doesn’t eat anymore. She feels both satisfied by and confident in her daily meals. Some of her favorites are soups, stir-frys, smoothies, tacos, and baked oatmeal. She even travels often and it’s become second-nature to make it work in those situations as well. 

At the time of filming and writing, Karen is almost complete with her time in the coaching program, and she’s not worried about being on her own soon because she has the tools and knowledge to continue forward and isn’t concerned about falling off track.

Words of Wisdom

Karen’s final words of wisdom for you? Your health isn’t going to see big improvements if you don’t make big changes.

The quality of life she’s gotten from following the Mastering Diabetes Method is beyond worth the effort it takes. The program works if you go all-in, and her life is so much better because she did.