Keeping your A1C below 6.5 percent is a common goal for many people living with diabetes, but getting there and staying there requires more than just good intentions.
It comes down to understanding your blood sugar data, making thoughtful adjustments, and building habits that support stable blood sugar levels over time.
In this video, I will walk you through the four specific strategies I use to keep my A1C in a range. These steps are practical, flexible, and designed to help you take action without aiming for perfection.
Watch the video:
Four strategies to keep your A1C below 6.5 percent
Before making any changes to your diabetes management, always consult your medical team.
1. Review your data and identify problem areas regularly
Frequently reviewing glucose data is one of the most effective ways to improve A1C. Research shows that people who regularly analyze glucose trends, especially when using continuous glucose monitoring, often achieve better glycemic outcomes.
Whether you use a CGM, fingerstick testing, or written logs, the goal is to identify repeated patterns rather than reacting to isolated readings.
You can find my paper diabetes log book on Amazon.
2. Make timely adjustments to your diabetes management
Identifying trends only helps if you act on them. Clinical guidelines consistently emphasize the importance of regularly reassessing therapy rather than staying on ineffective regimens for long periods.
This applies whether diabetes is managed with insulin, oral medications, non-insulin injectables, or lifestyle-based strategies.
3. Exercise consistently to improve insulin sensitivity
Regular physical activity can improve insulin sensitivity and increase glucose uptake by muscles, often lowering blood sugar during and after activity.
Even moderate exercise, such as walking, has been shown to reduce post-meal glucose levels and improve overall glycemic control.
4. Learn what affects your blood sugars beyond food
Blood sugar levels are influenced by many factors beyond carbohydrates, including stress, sleep quality, hormones, illness, caffeine, and changes in routine.
Understanding which factors affect you the most allows you to become proactive rather than reactive in your diabetes management.
The bottom line
Keeping your A1C below 6.5 percent is not about chasing perfection or the lowest possible number. It is about consistency, awareness, and making informed adjustments over time.
By reviewing your data regularly, making timely changes, exercising consistently, and understanding what influences your blood sugars, you can build a diabetes management approach that supports both long-term health and day-to-day quality of life.
Cindy Long
To Christel,
Thanks for all you do, it is helpful. I am responding to this A1C post on YouTube I watched yesterday 10/7/2026.
First off-you and I both do MDI with long acting Pens. I also use InPen for fast acting (Fiasp) usually. InPen will no longer have an App – it will change to minimedGO Nov 1, 2026. InPen and this new App will no longer give IOB and it will only work with (2) Sensors-Simplera and another one of theirs!! I also, like you, use Dexcom G7 sensor. So we are both needing to figure out another way w/o a pump to see IOB. I am a 73yr old T1D and MDI has been my treatment for 57yrs. I am in range 85 to 92% and 6.1, 6.2 Hba1c. Please help similar folks to us come up with an IOB non pump option now or for future use! Pump users do take breaks – like you have mentioned-options are great! Thank you
Christel Oerum, MS
Hi Cindy,
Unless I missed an announcement, MiniMed GO should continue to show Active Insulin (IOB) after November 30th. I still have my InPen synced with the InPen app, but looking at the MiniMed GO app right now, it displays active insulin. If you don’t have a MiniMed CGM, you won’t see any CGM readings in the app, but the rest should be like you’re used to in the InPen app.
CommentVerifier
Really practical advice — the tip about pairing carbs with protein to blunt spikes made a noticeable difference for me. Thanks!