Newbie, prediabetic type 2

[sharonann]

Hi, I'm 55 years old, wife, mother & grandmother. Recently been diagnosed with prediabetes my levels were 44, so been advised to lose some weight. I'm 5ft 2ins and weigh 153 lbs. I have been struggling for the past 5 years with high platelets ranging from 460-55, high blood pressure, high cholesterol leves are 7 at the moment and poor liver function. Recently been told that my alkaline phosphatase is high at 140...so waiting to spk to the gp to see what's going on there. Non smoker, non drinker. Hoping I can get some inspiration to help me lose weight, get my blood sugar levels and cholesterol down. So glad I found this forum, bit overwhelmed to be honest with all the info on the Internet. Trying to get my head around what I should and shouldn't be eating.

 

[EMcKT]

Welcome to this informative forum!!! There is so much to read and learn that can be as overwhelming as the diagnosis. Perhaps you need to initially concentrate on the blood glucose level which is within the prediabetic range, and maybe some of the other results will fall into place. Start by looking at what you are eating with particular concentration on the carbs, rice, bread, potatoes, cake, biscuits and see if you can reduce/cut them out. There is lots of info here about alternatives, in fact enough reading to keep you well occupied. Take it slowly, one step at a time, but the more information you have and understand, the better prepared you will be for the medical side of things. Someone else will follow me with more ideas and help.

 

[Catmad14]

I joined a few days ago. I'm prediabetes and it's been a bit of a roller coaster between thinking I'll just make a few adjustments, to being worried about every thing I eat. I don't think I've got it right yet, but have been making adjustments and buying better choices to try. I've now become determined to make a difference - I'm sure I'll have lapses in the next month though. Hopefully, you'll get to the same point.

 

[Vonny]

Welcome to the forum @sharonann. You should be able to turn your prediabetes around with just a few tweaks to your lifestyle as you are only just in range.
Not sure any changes you make will affect your blood platelet level, but reducing your blood sugar can also help with cholesterol.
As @EMcKT says, reducing the amount of carbs you eat can help massively. So it's not only cakes and biscuits which need to go, but staples such as bread and potatoes need to be reduced. Note that you don't need to give up carbs entirely. I just gave them all up straight away, but my hba1c was 76 which is much higher than yours.
It is very overwhelming to start with, and my first feeling was of being bereft. Luckily, carbs are actually addictive and when you reduce them you miss them less!
This forum is a great place to get information, positive support and to let off steam! We've all fallen off the wagon at some stage, all climbed back on, and understand what we are all going through.
Best wishes x

 

[sharonann]

Welcome to this informative forum!!! There is so much to read and learn that can be as overwhelming as the diagnosis. Perhaps you need to initially concentrate on the blood glucose level which is within the prediabetic range, and maybe some of the other results will fall into place. Start by looking at what you are eating with particular concentration on the carbs, rice, bread, potatoes, cake, biscuits and see if you can reduce/cut them out. There is lots of info here about alternatives, in fact enough reading to keep you well occupied. Take it slowly, one step at a time, but the more information you have and understand, the better prepared you will be for the medical side of things. Someone else will follow me with more ideas and help.

Thank you.

 

[sharonann]

I joined a few days ago. I'm prediabetes and it's been a bit of a roller coaster between thinking I'll just make a few adjustments, to being worried about every thing I eat. I don't think I've got it right yet, but have been making adjustments and buying better choices to try. I've now become determined to make a difference - I'm sure I'll have lapses in the next month though. Hopefully, you'll get to the same point.

It's definitely going to be a roller coaster. I'm the same, I'm panicking about anything I eat. Thank you

 

[sharonann]

Welcome to the forum @sharonann. You should be able to turn your prediabetes around with just a few tweaks to your lifestyle as you are only just in range.
Not sure any changes you make will affect your blood platelet level, but reducing your blood sugar can also help with cholesterol.
As @EMcKT says, reducing the amount of carbs you eat can help massively. So it's not only cakes and biscuits which need to go, but staples such as bread and potatoes need to be reduced. Note that you don't need to give up carbs entirely. I just gave them all up straight away, but my hba1c was 76 which is much higher than yours.
It is very overwhelming to start with, and my first feeling was of being bereft. Luckily, carbs are actually addictive and when you reduce them you miss them less!
This forum is a great place to get information, positive support and to let off steam! We've all fallen off the wagon at some stage, all climbed back on, and understand what we are all going through.
Best wishes x

Thank you vonny, I'll start with the carbs. I don't really have a sweet tooth, so hopefully I won't crave the sweet stuff too much.

 

[s'nic]

Welcome to the forum

I'm panicking about anything I eat.

No need to panic, relax - the easiest way with carbs is look on the back (or side) of the packet, just check what the total carbs per 100g are.
You will soon get a good idea of what items are high carb, and what items are low carb. As others have mentioned, higher carb items include bread, potatoes, pasta and rice.
Smaller portions or swapping these out for another vegetable can help.

 

[Drummer]

Sometimes accepted wisdom doesn't work out - I have been eating the fats which came with the meat for almost 8 years now and my cholesterol levels fell, even though before diagnosis I was eating a 'healthy' diet with small amounts of seed oils and lots of brown carbs.
Eating beef, pork, lamb etc. lots of eggs and cheese, my cholesterol levels went down and have stayed low normal, drifting down a little over the years.

As you are not so far into the high numbers you'll - hopefully - only need a few changes in what you eat to feel the benefit. Getting lower blood glucose levels can result in other problems reducing as metabolism in general (presumably) starts improving