Hello

[Lyn147]

Hi everyone, diagnosed as pre-diabetic, lost some weight but really struggling. Dont know if its regarding medication I am taking?
Last night i was reading a post about buying a machine to test BG levels, thinking of doing this tomorrow and following the guidance given about testing and writing a diary.
Do you think this would help with pre-diabetes?
I have a grandson aged 3 and I want to be around for him, staying healthy and fit.
Been walking a lot during covid-19 and play walking netball a couple of times a week (which is harder work than it sounds ), not been doing this during lockdown...
Any tips on pre-diabetes would be gratefully accepted!
Finding my way around the site so please bear with me if i dont respond right away!
Thanks
Lyn

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Lyn147

Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life.

Good to hear that you are considering using a BG meter to check your response to different foods - different people respond to the same foods in very different ways, so using a meter can give you brilliant insight into which types and amounts of carbohydrate suit you well, and which ‘spike’ your BG.

If you are interested in this approach you may find test-review-adjust by Alan S a helpful framework.

One of the most affordable meters members here have found is from SD, and has been recently updated to the SD Gluco Navii which has test strips at around £8 for 50

When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels can actually cause problems with some parts of the body including eyes and nerves.

For a bit more background information, the ‘useful links’ thread is a mine of helpful information - useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes

Members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book, as very helpful starting points.

Good luck, and keep asking questions!

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi Lyn, In my opinion using a BG meter is the best way to approach it. Type 2 Diabetes is a complicated disease. It is probably several different conditions lumped together. 'Pre-Diabetes' means pre-Type 2 Diabetes and the one thing that us T2's have in common is an intolerance of Carbohydrates in our food.

In some the intolerance of Carbs is much greater than in others, some are more intolerant in the morning and others more so in the evening. While some find that a particular food hardly affects their Blood Glucose readings, others eating the same amount of the same food would find it giving then a large BG spike.
Unless you test both before meals, and then 2hrs after 1st bite, you are never going to know what applies to your own body at this time in your life.

I made the mistake of accepting the GP's (and the government) dietary advice even when I was in the pre-diabetic stage. It was only when I became officially Type 2 Diabetic that I looked into what was really best for my body, which was traditional food, Low Carb and traditional fats - i.e. fatty meat and fish, eggs, (hard) cheese , olives, avocado, above ground vegs and no fruit except for berries.

But it isn't just carbs that raise your BG levels: infections, lack of sleep, stress and medicines such as Steroids and Statins can also do so.