Newbie

[Wandering]

Glad I found this site. I was diagnosed with prediabetes a couple of weeks ago. My advise from my doctor was no processed food and if it taste good spit it out. I've been living on salads for 2 weeks and upped my exercise and I have lost some weight but I have to have more. I go back in 6 months for test, but was wondering if there is anyway to monitor my BS levels myself, besides sticking needles in me so I would know if I'm on the right track.

 

[Drummer]

Glad I found this site. I was diagnosed with prediabetes a couple of weeks ago. My advise from my doctor was no processed food and if it taste good spit it out. I've been living on salads for 2 weeks and upped my exercise and I have lost some weight but I have to have more. I go back in 6 months for test, but was wondering if there is anyway to monitor my BS levels myself, besides sticking needles in me so I would know if I'm on the right track.

Hello @Wandering welcome to the forum
As seems only too common, the advice was totally chocolate tea pot.
The plain uncomplicated type 2 simply cannot deal with carbohydrate - nothing to do with processing or taste.
There are continuous monitors, but they are expensive, and you still have to stick something into your skin.
I found the little tiny lancet pinpricks no bother at all - and I am a musician so quite sensitive to thoughts of painful fingertips.

 

[mashedupmatt]

Hi @Wandering and welcome to the forum - sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis and if you are only in the pre-diabetic range then some subtle tweaks to diet, exercise, and weight loss can do the trick with no medication (But as a type 1 myself I'm definitely no expert - I'm sure others will come along with better advice than I can give) - In terms of monitoring your Blood Glucose, you would need to use some kind of invasive device - a simple finger prick device to draw a small amount of blood to put on to a Glucose Meter is the cheapest option (a Continuous Glucose Monitor cost a fortune if not on prescription) - you can get them on Amazon with test strips

The processed food stuff is not great advice though - you need to reduce carbs (Not eliminate altogether) - check the learning zone (Orange link at the top of the forum) for more advice - glad you have found us

 

[Ieva DUK]

Hi there, and welcome — I’m really glad you found the forum! It sounds like you’re already making some impressive changes, and that takes real commitment, so well done for that.
As for monitoring your blood sugars without finger pricking: at the moment, the most accessible home monitoring methods do involve some form of blood testing, usually with a finger-prick glucometer. That said, there are alternatives, but they have their limitations.

There are CGMs - devices like the FreeStyle Libre or Dexcom, which allow you to scan a small sensor worn on the arm or abdomen to get blood sugar readings, usually without finger pricks. However, these are typically prescribed for people with diagnosed diabetes (mainly type 1, sometimes type 2), and they can be expensive if you're paying privately. They also measure interstitial glucose, which is slightly different from blood glucose. Some CGMs give free trials for a couple of weeks, which you might find useful even if it's short-term.

I've also read that some people focus on symptoms and trends. While it’s not a substitute for actual measurements, some people track how they feel after meals — noticing energy levels, focus, or dips in mood — to get a sense of how their body might be responding to food. Pairing this with a food journal can help you spot patterns, even without hard numbers.

You could also ask your doctor if you could get a short-term prescription for a CGM or glucometer to track your progress for a couple of weeks. Even just doing occasional spot checks can give you a useful picture — and many people with prediabetes use meters this way.

Lastly, try not to feel like you’re limited to just salads! A balanced low-carb or Mediterranean-style diet (with healthy fats, lean proteins, and non-starchy vegetables) can be much more sustainable and enjoyable than just “if it tastes good, spit it out.” You can eat well and feel good while managing blood sugars.

Keep us posted on how you get on!

 

[Leadinglights]

If you are in the prediabetic range then the nearer to the top you are the more work you will need to do but mostly it will involve some modest changes to your diet. Reducing carbohydrates is the first step but it does not mean you cannot still have tasty filling meals. Basing you meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy with vegetables, salads and fruit like berries can still give you plenty of options. If you look at this link you will see that, it is based on a suggested no more than 130g carbs per day, it is not NO carbs. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
This is an approach that many have found successful. It is your choice to get a blood glucose monitor but many find it a key tool in reducing their blood glucose and in maintaining ongoing good management.
Whatever way you choose has to be sustainable and become a new way of eating so needs to be enjoyable.

 

[Wandering]

Hello @Wandering welcome to the forum
As seems only too common, the advice was totally chocolate tea pot.
The plain uncomplicated type 2 simply cannot deal with carbohydrate - nothing to do with processing or taste.
There are continuous monitors, but they are expensive, and you still have to stick something into your skin.
I found the little tiny lancet pinpricks no bother at all - and I am a musician so quite sensitive to thoughts of painful fingertips.

Thanks, I had heard of smart watches and didn't know if they worked. I'm not ready to start sticking pins in me unless it is absolutely necessary. I am trying to learn more about diet. Practically all food we buy is processed to some extent. That really didn't make sense. Like everything else it's a learning process.

 

[Wandering]

Hi @Wandering and welcome to the forum - sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis and if you are only in the pre-diabetic range then some subtle tweaks to diet, exercise, and weight loss can do the trick with no medication (But as a type 1 myself I'm definitely no expert - I'm sure others will come along with better advice than I can give) - In terms of monitoring your Blood Glucose, you would need to use some kind of invasive device - a simple finger prick device to draw a small amount of blood to put on to a Glucose Meter is the cheapest option (a Continuous Glucose Monitor cost a fortune if not on prescription) - you can get them on Amazon with test strips

The processed food stuff is not great advice though - you need to reduce carbs (Not eliminate altogether) - check the learning zone (Orange link at the top of the forum) for more advice - glad you have found us

Thanks, I will check that out.

 

[Wandering]

Hi there, and welcome — I’m really glad you found the forum! It sounds like you’re already making some impressive changes, and that takes real commitment, so well done for that.
As for monitoring your blood sugars without finger pricking: at the moment, the most accessible home monitoring methods do involve some form of blood testing, usually with a finger-prick glucometer. That said, there are alternatives, but they have their limitations.

There are CGMs - devices like the FreeStyle Libre or Dexcom, which allow you to scan a small sensor worn on the arm or abdomen to get blood sugar readings, usually without finger pricks. However, these are typically prescribed for people with diagnosed diabetes (mainly type 1, sometimes type 2), and they can be expensive if you're paying privately. They also measure interstitial glucose, which is slightly different from blood glucose. Some CGMs give free trials for a couple of weeks, which you might find useful even if it's short-term.

I've also read that some people focus on symptoms and trends. While it’s not a substitute for actual measurements, some people track how they feel after meals — noticing energy levels, focus, or dips in mood — to get a sense of how their body might be responding to food. Pairing this with a food journal can help you spot patterns, even without hard numbers.

You could also ask your doctor if you could get a short-term prescription for a CGM or glucometer to track your progress for a couple of weeks. Even just doing occasional spot checks can give you a useful picture — and many people with prediabetes use meters this way.

Lastly, try not to feel like you’re limited to just salads! A balanced low-carb or Mediterranean-style diet (with healthy fats, lean proteins, and non-starchy vegetables) can be much more sustainable and enjoyable than just “if it tastes good, spit it out.” You can eat well and feel good while managing blood sugars.

Keep us posted on how you get on!

Thanks, I'm doing research and learning how to eat right without just limiting myself to salads.

 

[Wandering]

If you are in the prediabetic range then the nearer to the top you are the more work you will need to do but mostly it will involve some modest changes to your diet. Reducing carbohydrates is the first step but it does not mean you cannot still have tasty filling meals. Basing you meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy with vegetables, salads and fruit like berries can still give you plenty of options. If you look at this link you will see that, it is based on a suggested no more than 130g carbs per day, it is not NO carbs. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
This is an approach that many have found successful. It is your choice to get a blood glucose monitor but many find it a key tool in reducing their blood glucose and in maintaining ongoing good management.
Whatever way you choose has to be sustainable and become a new way of eating so needs to be enjoyable.

Thanks, I will check out that website. That's what I'm looking for. A way of eating that is sustainable. I definitely don't want to cross that line if at all possible.

 

[Alan44]

Hi @Wandering and welcome to the forum.

You have been diagnosed "at risk of diabetes" or "pre diabetic" so there is no need to panic and from what you have said, you have made a good start in understanding what needs to be done.

When I was diagnosed with T2 my hba1c score was 51 so just into the diabetic range and my doctor gave me 3 months to improve that score with no help at all other than to direct me to this site.

Having read a lot on this site (learning zone) and asking many questions of the members, I decided to control the controlables which were
1) Diet
2) Weight
3) Exercise

I did also buy a finger prick tester to do a fasting test each morning just to see the trend
When I started testing my figures were in the 7s but over a 3 month period they were registering in the High 5s.

Over 7 (mmol/L) would indicate diabetic, 5.6 to 7 would indicate pre diabetic and under 5.6 would indicate normal range

My next hba1c 3 months later came back as 46 so not great, but not in the diabetic range, but in the pre-diabetic range.

So the lifestyle changes I made worked for me, it is still work in progress and always will be, but without the finger prick tester I wouldn't have had much of a clue if I was doing the right things or not.

I hope this helps

Alan 😉

 

[saffron15]

I was diagnosed with type 2 last July with a reading of 69 second test 64. Sadly I've never had a medical and my surgery without telling me stopped checking my annual blood test for diabetes 10 years ago. I wish I'd had the metaphorical shake of prediabetes. The good side for me was having cut out a lot of not so good stuff I was losing 2lb a week and not hungry. I had piled on weight after an early menopause so it is weight I should have lost.
For general well being it is good to restrict processed food. I still occasionally have a fry up including bacon and a slice of toast for my poached egg but not baked beans or hash browns. I tend to buy ready meals sold at WI market or local butcher or deli augmented by occasional ones from M and S. I buy a pouch of baby beetroot from M and S and have a few cold with salad or warm as an extra veg. I am eating large salads given the weather with hard boiled egg or crab or meat. I like fish and have eaten a lot. I have occasional new potatoes but have mainly cut out potatoes except for an occasional small portion of chips or a small portion of shepherds pie with extra veg. Eg reduce portion size of carbs, replace with an alternative or do without. I now use a pasta alternative from Holland and Barrett and do without rice using broccoli rice or serve the sauce element on top of a soft vegetable.
My main change was having full fat Greek style yoghurt for breakfast with berries strawberry, raspberry blueberry etc and nuts or seeds. Ifind it delicious and filling.
If you buy anything packaged carbs are under nutrition. All carbs turn to sugar.
You need to move more eg a short walk or a swim and eat mindfully. If you add sugar to drinks reduce the sugar with a view to stopping.
As a prediabetic think carefully where you want to change what you eat. I still eat bread if I am out as cafes I like don't have a huge choice otherwise. I still have an occasional cake or pudding. Chocolate eclairs are my choice or pastel de nata.
If the diagnosis goes with knowing you have belly fat losing it now is a great idea. Watching carbs will help you lose weight without calorie counting.
Don't panic. Look at the graphics in the freshwell site. Decide what changes you want to make. Small changes are enough.

 

[p4ul]

Just dropping in to say “if it tastes good, spit it out” is quite possibly the worst piece of advice I have ever heard from any healthcare professional in any setting.

@Wandering this is a great forum with some incredibly knowledgeable people. I have found them to give better advice than any I have had from the NHS. Stick around, spend a bit of time getting to know people, browse the forum, and you'll pick it up in no time. Good luck!

 

[saffron15]

Just dropping in to say “if it tastes good, spit it out” is quite possibly the worst piece of advice I have ever heard from any healthcare professional in any setting.

@Wandering this is a great forum with some incredibly knowledgeable people. I have found them to give better advice than any I have had from the NHS. Stick around, spend a bit of time getting to know people, browse the forum, and you'll pick it up in no time. Good luck!

I thought he was trying to mix humour and a modicum of truth. Dr Van tullekan speaks about ultra processed food which is made to be very addictive. I cannot remember what term he used but you want to eat more. I think the word to stress is " ultra"

 

[Wandering]

Hi @Wandering and welcome to the forum.

You have been diagnosed "at risk of diabetes" or "pre diabetic" so there is no need to panic and from what you have said, you have made a good start in understanding what needs to be done.

When I was diagnosed with T2 my hba1c score was 51 so just into the diabetic range and my doctor gave me 3 months to improve that score with no help at all other than to direct me to this site.

Having read a lot on this site (learning zone) and asking many questions of the members, I decided to control the controlables which were
1) Diet
2) Weight
3) Exercise

I did also buy a finger prick tester to do a fasting test each morning just to see the trend
When I started testing my figures were in the 7s but over a 3 month period they were registering in the High 5s.

Over 7 (mmol/L) would indicate diabetic, 5.6 to 7 would indicate pre diabetic and under 5.6 would indicate normal range

My next hba1c 3 months later came back as 46 so not great, but not in the diabetic range, but in the pre-diabetic range.

So the lifestyle changes I made worked for me, it is still work in progress and always will be, but without the finger prick tester I wouldn't have had much of a clue if I was doing the right things or not.

I hope this helps

Alan 😉

Thanks, that sounds like the route I'm taking, except I was hoping there was some way to check my progress besides the finger prick. Good luck on your journey.

 

[Wandering]

I was diagnosed with type 2 last July with a reading of 69 second test 64. Sadly I've never had a medical and my surgery without telling me stopped checking my annual blood test for diabetes 10 years ago. I wish I'd had the metaphorical shake of prediabetes. The good side for me was having cut out a lot of not so good stuff I was losing 2lb a week and not hungry. I had piled on weight after an early menopause so it is weight I should have lost.
For general well being it is good to restrict processed food. I still occasionally have a fry up including bacon and a slice of toast for my poached egg but not baked beans or hash browns. I tend to buy ready meals sold at WI market or local butcher or deli augmented by occasional ones from M and S. I buy a pouch of baby beetroot from M and S and have a few cold with salad or warm as an extra veg. I am eating large salads given the weather with hard boiled egg or crab or meat. I like fish and have eaten a lot. I have occasional new potatoes but have mainly cut out potatoes except for an occasional small portion of chips or a small portion of shepherds pie with extra veg. Eg reduce portion size of carbs, replace with an alternative or do without. I now use a pasta alternative from Holland and Barrett and do without rice using broccoli rice or serve the sauce element on top of a soft vegetable.
My main change was having full fat Greek style yoghurt for breakfast with berries strawberry, raspberry blueberry etc and nuts or seeds. Ifind it delicious and filling.
If you buy anything packaged carbs are under nutrition. All carbs turn to sugar.
You need to move more eg a short walk or a swim and eat mindfully. If you add sugar to drinks reduce the sugar with a view to stopping.
As a prediabetic think carefully where you want to change what you eat. I still eat bread if I am out as cafes I like don't have a huge choice otherwise. I still have an occasional cake or pudding. Chocolate eclairs are my choice or pastel de nata.
If the diagnosis goes with knowing you have belly fat losing it now is a great idea. Watching carbs will help you lose weight without calorie counting.
Don't panic. Look at the graphics in the freshwell site. Decide what changes you want to make. Small changes are enough.

Thanks, I think belly fat is one of my major issues. I've upped my exercise and I am losing weight. Unfortunately not much in the belly area. But I'm working on it. You give me hope that I can occasionally enjoy foods I like after I get things under control. Good luck with your journey.

 

[Wandering]

Just dropping in to say “if it tastes good, spit it out” is quite possibly the worst piece of advice I have ever heard from any healthcare professional in any setting.

@Wandering this is a great forum with some incredibly knowledgeable people. I have found them to give better advice than any I have had from the NHS. Stick around, spend a bit of time getting to know people, browse the forum, and you'll pick it up in no time. Good luck!

Yes, I was shocked when she told me that. This forum seems very informative. I think it will be an important tool in learning to adjust to this new phase in my life. Thanks and good luck to you.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks, that sounds like the route I'm taking, except I was hoping there was some way to check my progress besides the finger prick. Good luck on your journey.

Finger prick tests are easy, painless, take only a minute, fairly inexpensive and perfectly adequate for somebody in your situation. Yes, some people go to the expense of using a CGM but unless you know it's limitations and don't over react to the information, it can provide useful information. For those taking insulin it is much more relevant.
Better to spend the money on better quality food and use finger pricks.

 

[saffron15]

Thanks, I think belly fat is one of my major issues. I've upped my exercise and I am losing weight. Unfortunately not much in the belly area. But I'm working on it. You give me hope that I can occasionally enjoy foods I like after I get things under control. Good luck with your journey.

I found last year eating meat or fish with lots of veg filled me up and i lost weight. The nhs site for bmi advises on various bmi. I was 32 in July now 26. It advises waist should be half your height. Suprisingly when I was 18 I could be described as plump but was 8st 10 with a waist of 26 inches which would now be described as slim. It was the seventies. I particularly like sea trout poached or cooked in the microwave. My favourite veg are tenderstem broccoli or Swiss chard. If I do a salad which I will have tomorrow with crab i add all sorts of bits eg olives, strawberries pumpkins seeds. I'm due to see the Diabetes Nurse on Friday for a review. My blood test showed low iron despite a love of watercress and I've been on iron pills.
Apart from adding sugar to drinks or fruit - stop or use sweetner nothing is actually off limits. You decide what you want to eat then reduce portion size of carbs. I was told not to eat more than 200 gms a day but eat between 100 and 130, many go much lower. I had a mango today but it's my first this year. I usually have British fruit eg berries and occasional apples and pears though earlier in the year raspberries and blueberries were from Southern Europe. I'm off tonight to an aquafit class which I find a joy