How I Dropped My HbA1c in 8 Weeks (And Improved My Cholesterol Too)

The Climb (#149)

I kicked off this little self-experiment because something felt slightly off. My HbA1c came back at 39, still healthy, but edging higher than I wanted. That was enough for me to say, “Let’s see what I can actually change over the next eight weeks.”

And honestly, the results surprised me in more ways than one.

The Shift I Decided to Try

The main change was simple: cut back on carbohydrates on the days my training didn’t genuinely require them. As a cyclist, that goes against everything we usually hear. But carbs are fuel, not a requirement for every single day, especially when your daily activity doesn’t match the carb load you’re eating.

My biggest daily habit was the problem:

A huge bowl of porridge first thing every morning.
Roughly 150g of carbs before I’d even started the day.

Perfect for big rides.
Not so perfect for a light commute or a gym session.

So I switched most mornings to scrambled eggs on toast, still a small amount of carbs, but mainly protein and fats. Much steadier energy and far better for blood sugar. Most weeks I’d have eggs 4–5 days out of 7, and save porridge for:

Hard intervals
Longer rides
Weekend sessions
Higher-intensity training days
Recovery mornings that needed a bit more fuel

It turned porridge into something intentional rather than automatic.

Tightening Up the Small Things

I also cleaned up the casual stuff—the squares of chocolate during the workday, the office snacks, the quick beans-on-toast when I got home late. None of it was huge, but it all contributed to sugar levels.

So I made a few swaps:

Chocolate → dates and nuts
High-carb convenience dinners → eggs on toast
Evening meals → lighter, lower carb options
After meals → a short walk to flatten the blood sugar spike
Some evenings → a gentle fast to let my system reset

Nothing extreme. Just controlled and consistent.

What Actually Happened with My Blood Sugar

The results came quicker than I expected.

In 30 days, my HbA1c dropped from 39 to 36.
And it held steady at 36 for the following four weeks.

No rebound. No drama. Just a clean, stable drop.

I also lost around 2 kg, down from roughly 68 kg to 66 kg. Most of that was probably water and inflammation that naturally drops when carbs come down, but the bonus was that my power numbers still climbed. My watts per kilo went up simply because I reduced the unnecessary weight while still fueling the hard sessions properly.

But Here's the Part That Caught Me Off Guard: Cholesterol

I also tested my cholesterol before and after the 8-week period, and I genuinely expected those results to maybe shift in the opposite direction. After all, I was eating a bit more fat from eggs and things like avocados.

But here’s what actually happened:

My LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) went down from 1.90 mmol/l to 1.54
My HDL (the “good” cholesterol) went up from 1.53 mmol/l to 1.65

That was a really pleasant surprise.

It also reminded me of something important: the fat you eat isn’t always the fat that affects your cholesterol. Eggs get a bad reputation, but that’s dietary cholesterol, not the stuff that really drives your cholesterol numbers.

It’s saturated fat that has the biggest impact, and most of what I added into my diet was healthy monounsaturated fats from foods like avocados, nuts, and eggs.

So even with more protein and more fat in my diet, both my cholesterol and blood sugar markers moved in the right direction.

A double win.

What This Taught Me (and Might Help You Too)

Carbs are a tool. Not something you need in high amounts every day—especially if you’re only training an hour or so and spending most of the day sedentary.

My takeaways:

Use carbs when a session demands them
Keep easy rides low-carb or fasted
Let protein and fats carry your day-to-day energy
Walk after meals if you can
Keep evenings light
Treat carbs as strategic fuel, not a default

For me, it meant better blood sugar, better cholesterol, less inflammation, a slight drop in weight, and a bump in power-to-weight. And I didn’t feel restricted at all, just more intentional.

Want Guidance Doing This Yourself?

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If you’d like to be one of the 20, please email me at
neildanwell@danwellcoaching.com
with the subject line: Bloods

I’ll reply with details and next steps.

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