Pre Diabetes Newbie

[DollyUK]

Hi everyone
This is all very new to me. I only got told on Friday that I was pre diabetic. I know I need to exercise more and eat more healthily but I'm such a fussy eater and love my carbs and sweets so I'm going to find this very hard. I also like my wine lol. Hopefully I can get some tips on here. Has anyone been on the Diabetes Prevention Programme recommended by their GP? Thanks for reading and I look forward to chatting to you.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
Prediabetes is a warning that unless you make some changes to your diet then you could become Diabetic so need to be taken seriously as there are unpleasant consequences that people can get if it is ignored. The prevention programs can be useful for people but they can be too welded to the standard NHS Eat Well Plate which for some is too high in carbohydrates. You rightly say that it is carbohydrates that convert to glucose so reducing those in your diet is the way your blood glucose will improve. So as prediabetic you will probably only need to make some modest changes if you are not too far into the zone.
Have a look at this link as it might give you some pointers to a way forward. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Wine is not too bad if not a sweet one, beer, cider, liqueurs not so good, Spirits with zero sugar mixers also Ok. All in moderation of course.

 

[Felinia]

Hello and welcome. We are a friendly bunch and happy to help with any questions.
As you are pre diabetic you may just need small tweaks to your eating pattern to get back into the normal zone. First the good news - Leadinglights has explained that wine is not too bad. I would suggest you reduce your carb portions, and have extra protein and/or veggies that you like to bulk out the meals. I also suggest you keep a strict food diary at first, so you can see where your carb portions are high. I use an online app to measure by item, meal and day. I find it simpler than using pen and paper or a spreadsheet. It's surprising how quickly you get used to the smaller portions, and I can't remember when I last had sweets (I used to be a real chocaholic!). Now I find many things too sweet.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @DollyUK

Sorry to hear you’ve been told you are at risk of diabetes, but good that you’ve already identified some key areas to focus on - carbs, sweets, and activity.

When newcomers arrive and have decided they need to make a change to their menu there seems to be two strategies that are successful.

One is to take things steadily and gradually - reducing portion sizes by a certain percentage each week, and notching down overall carb intake in stages. Over a number of weeks the carb portions are reduced until the person’s metabolism can cope better.

The other is to go more ‘cold turkey’ and immediately cut out all sweets and treats, and aiming for a set amount of total carbs per day (often 130g or lower). Then once glucose levels have fallen (and often weight has reduced too), they can start experimenting with adding a few bits back in, and use a home BG meter to check on the results.

Only you will know which will be the most successful strategy for you. Either works well if you stick at them 🙂

Good luck and let us know how you get on 🙂