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New diagnosis

Bunnymum

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At risk of diabetes
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Following a recent blood test I’ve been told im
Pre diabetic. I must say I am shocked as I believe I have a healthy lifestyle and there is no family history. I am interested to know what other factors may affect the reading. Thanks
 
Following a recent blood test I’ve been told im
Pre diabetic. I must say I am shocked as I believe I have a healthy lifestyle and there is no family history. I am interested to know what other factors may affect the reading. Thanks
Welcome to the forum, for many it does come as a surprise because they feel they have a healthy diet and are active but if your body is struggling to metabolise carbohydrates efficiently and people eat more than the body can handle then as all carbohydrates even ones we have been led to believe are healthy like brown bread, rice and pasta are just as many carbs as white and many fruits are high in carbs so people can inadvertently be eating more than they think. It is not just about cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks.
If prediabetic then some modest changes should sort out the higher than desirable HbA1C.
Have a look at this link as it will point you in the right direction for reducing your carbs whilst still having plenty you can eat.
A couple of things could give a less than accurate HbA1C result, like anaemia but generally they are pretty reliable.
 
@Bunnymum welcome to the forum. Prediabetic is between 42 and 47 on an hba1c. I was 40 hba1c just over ten years ago but wasn't told had been tested and they didn't bother again which as I was overweight with highblood pressure is astonishing. When I found out last year I asked to be tested and was 69. I wish I had had the opportunity to change things years ago.
My understanding is some ethnic groups have a higher incidence of diabetes and that they may be affected at an earlier age.
If you have fat around your middle you are more at risk. If you go to the nhs site you can work out your bmi. You can disclose your ethnic origin and some make diabetes 2 more likely. You should also have a waist measurement less than half your height.

I have steadily lost weight and am now a healthy bmi but I still need to reduce my waist circumference.
Try and lose weight, move more and eat mindfully. I now have full fat Greek style yoghurt with berries ( blueberry, raspberry strawberry etc) and nuts or seeds.

If you buy prepared food look under nutrition for the amount of carbs. There are astonishingly differences. Rice and pasta are particularly carb heavy. Do not add sugar to drinks or cereal.

This website has good information including on left under low carb various websites including Freshwell.[ @Leadinglights has added link to freshwell the graphic is very useful)


A few tweaks eg replace potatoes with extra veg or having an open sandwich eg one slice of bread may well be sufficient
 
For me, back in my prediabetes days about 10 years ago, I expect my biggest contributor was having PCOS, and possibly stress hormones as well. Back then I reversed my prediabetes by going low-carb.
 
This is your body's warning that you are feeding it more than it can comfortably cope with. So stop doing that!

The easiest thing to cut down on, is usually carbohydrate and the very first suggestion is always to stop adding sugar to hot drinks. However - an acquaintance who we only usually see a couple of times a year, as we both have motorhomes and belong to the same 'camping' club so we're sometimes on the same rally and sometimes not - so we were literally sited next door to one another this partic year. My immediate reaction was Blimey (name)! You hardly resemble a prime suspect, do you? - not visibly overweight, never seen either of them eating sweets, not first in the queue for the biscuits when we had a Coffee morning, or the cake when we had an Afternoon tea, etc. So, asked her what she actually in truth, did eat, most days.

Started of with cereal and milk. So - try having a bit less cereal. You could try using a smaller bowl to have it in for starters, so it looks as full as the usual one, daft as that sounds, that can work. When you peel the spuds to have with your cooked meal(s) if it's boiled spuds and they're large 'old' potatoes, would you have, say, 4 pieces of spud each? Yes. Good, cut that down to 3, then. Have a bit more of whatever 'other' veg you're having so there's no visible empty bit of the plate. (and/or have 2 'other' veg instead of just the one) (and/or use a smaller diameter plate) If you usually have 'large' loaves - buy smaller ones. Use a slightly smaller serving spoon for eg rice/pasta so you still have the same number of spoonfuls of it. Just try doing that and see how you get on! Nothing drastic at this stage!

Next HbA1c test 3 months later - result back down in the 30s again.
 
Hi @Bunnymum ,

Welcome, and thanks for sharing! Being told you’re prediabetic, especially when you feel like you’re living a healthy lifestyle and have no family history, can come as quite a surprise.

While diet, exercise, and genetics can be factors, there are other things that can influence blood sugar and HbA1c levels. For example:
  • Stress (physical or emotional) can raise blood glucose over time
  • Poor sleep or conditions like sleep apnoea can affect insulin sensitivity
  • Certain medications (like steroids or some types of antidepressants)
  • Undiagnosed hormonal issues like thyroid problems or - as mentioned - PCOS
  • Illness or infection close to the time of your blood test
Also, sometimes what seems like a healthy lifestyle might include hidden factors like frequent refined carbs or sugary drinks (even fruit juice or 'healthy' snacks), or not enough fibre and protein to balance things out. Small tweaks can often make a big difference.

The good news is, prediabetes is a warning - not a life sentence. Many people here have brought their numbers down with a few manageable changes, and there’s plenty of support if you want to explore what might work best for you.

You’re definitely not alone, and it’s great you’re asking questions early on. Feel free to keep posting - lots of helpful folks here. <3
 
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