Lower Your A1C with My Post-Endo Checklist

Have you ever felt a little bit drained after your visit to the endo? Even if you love your endocrinologist, or your numbers are in an okay place, the visit can create this pressure to perform a long list of “next steps” with overwhelm of what to do first, especially around lowering your A1C.

Like many T1Ds, you are more times than not leaving your doctor with a goal of improving your blood sugars by the time of your next blood work.

And you probably feel all the motivation when leaving your endo appointment… but sometimes we need a little help to actually keep that motivation alive to the finish line of those 90 days. 

I can remember so many times sitting in the endo office after the doctor told me my A1C and feeling a sense of, “OK – I am going to get it down, I want to improve it and beat my number from this time.” 

But a week later, the motivation was gone, and I was back to old patterns and habits. 

So, to help you get the most out in between your endo appointments, I have some tips and tricks for you to set realistic goals, gain clarity around your next steps, and actively follow them through.

But first, what you do at your doctor’s visit is just as important as what follows.

During your appointments, it is important to be an active participant. While you’ve got your endo’s attention, use the time to ask for the support you need! Prep questions and concerns that you’ve had throughout the weeks and months leading up to the appointment, show them what you’ve logged in your Diabetic Health Journal, and make sure to actively seek the information that will help you achieve your goals. Our coaching clients have continuously expressed that they became more vocal with their doctors about their needs and concerns after going through our programs, which feels incredibly empowering for them. 

This is the key to getting the results that you want! Leading the way and advocating for what you need.

Which means that endo appointments are not about just showing up, getting your lab reports read to you, getting your pump settings changed, and then heading out the door. It’s about going into it knowing the right questions to ask, coming to them with the patterns YOU have been noticing, and really taking ownership of your health.

Then, after your appointment, use the below post-endo appointment checklist reminder I use, which was the exact kickstarter that lowered my A1C from 6.7 to 6.1 with 75% in range last year. 

Your post-endo appointment checklist + questions to put in your phone note section:

Use this checklist to help you not only lower your A1C, but also feel more confident going into and leaving your appointment. Beyond simply setting goals, this post-endo checklist is a system to actually achieve your goals in a way that is trackable, mindful, and systematic. This checklist is a way to ensure that you are taking a second to reflect on WHY your A1C is at that number in the first place, and then concentrating on what you can do moving forward.

Endo appointments are also a great place to check in like this because they are a structural staple that can become a consistent reminder to pause and reflect on not only your numbers, but your overall well being. 

It is not uncommon for us to feel like our endo appointments are rigid, uncomfortable, or time consuming with little actual return. Our doctors are a wealth of knowledge and want our numbers to be the best that they possibly can. But our wellbeing doesn’t all come down to our A1C. By checking in with yourself, and using the checklist above, you can start to use your endo appointment as an opportunity to define what healthy and happy mean to you, and set goals in a structured way.

ALSO, knowing there is a community of people there to listen, help, and cheer you on can be a life saver. We are always here to listen on our community Facebook page ! 

What’s your A1C goal right now? Let me know in the comments what type of support you look for in your diabetes management and how that support helps you achieve your goals!