Hello

[Huddlady]

Hello - i’m glad I found you. I am 72 and been pre-diabetic for some years, always intending - then failing- to exercise more and diet after each annual reading at my GP practice
Today my glucose reading has jumped to 48 which I know is in the diabetes range. The nurse told me that if my next reading is the same or higher I will be officially diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I feel pretty angry with myself as know I could have avoided this. The nurse has given me a 6 week window now to increase exercise and amend my diet before the confirmation blood test.

Is there any good advice on how best to use the 6 weeks ‘grace? Thank you.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
It is something that can come as a surprise to many people but some will have an inkling that something is amiss but now you know then you can do something about it. The mistake many people make is thinking that they have to DIET whereas what they really need to do is establish a dietary regime which is enjoyable and sustainable long term so it become the new normal way of eating.
Carbohydrates convert to glucose to reducing those in what you eat is important, more so than any medication though any increased exercise will help, that can just be brisk walking. Losing weight if you need to will also help.
Have a look at this link as it may give you some ideas for modifying your diet as well as some do's and don'ts and a good explanation of managing the condition. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
48mmol/mol puts you on the first rung of the diabetes ladder so you have a good chance of bringing your level down. The HbA1C is an average of the previous 3 months so if repeated in 6 weeks it would still have weeks included where your level would be higher so may not fully reflect your changes but should show you are going in the right direction.

 

[Huddlady]

Thank you for such a helpful and encouraging response

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Huddlady, welcome to the forum.

With a sustainable reduction / replacement of carbs and sugars, you should be fine. I'd just pay attention to those hidden carbs as it's often not an individual's fault given that a lot of what is considered healthy contains carbs which can be problematic for those at risk of diabetes.

6 weeks does seem a bit soon so it's good that you have your HbA1c as you'll be looking for some kind of improvement. We've got lots of info on the forum and main site so do have a look around and let us know if we can help in any way.

 

[Huddlady]

Thank you. I do agree about hidden carbs - had no idea about some of these. I added chick peas to a chicken casserole thinking they were protein. Turns out significant carbs, too. Have a lot to learn but already found much helpful info on the site.