Hell all, I am Sarah, I’m 63 and work as a healthcare in a hospita. I have just had a pre diabetic diagnosis. I had gestational diabetes 33 years ago, wasn’t diagnosed until after the birth. I need to lose 1.5 stone. I’ve had a slightly difficult year starting with a nasty bout of Covid, then gastritis 4 weeks ago, leading to a diagnosis of long Covid. I’m currently off work sick, returning to work mid August. Does any one share weight loss struggle issues.
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Pre diabetic
- Thread starter SarahN
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Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
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Hi Sarah
Welcome to the forum. I think we all feel for people working in a health care setting and how difficult it has been.
Covid has been something that has either led to a diabetes diagnosis or played havoc with blood glucose control.
The good news is you have been given a 'warning' sign and have opportunity to address it with some modest dietary changes. The good thing about that is that reducing your carbohydrate intake is the thing which people find will be successful in losing weight.
A good idea is to start a food diary noting everything you eat and drink so you can see where you can make some savings on the amount of carbohydrates you are having. An immediate thing would be to cut out cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks as they are very high carbs and look to reducing portion size of other starchy things like potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry, bread and fruit like bananas and tropical fruits.
Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs. cheese, dairy, veg and salads and fruits like berries would be a good move.
Have a look at the learning zone (orange tab at the top) and work through in your own time but do come back with any questions you have.
I'm sure a few people will chip in to point to some links and give you some encouraging words.
Welcome to the forum. I think we all feel for people working in a health care setting and how difficult it has been.
Covid has been something that has either led to a diabetes diagnosis or played havoc with blood glucose control.
The good news is you have been given a 'warning' sign and have opportunity to address it with some modest dietary changes. The good thing about that is that reducing your carbohydrate intake is the thing which people find will be successful in losing weight.
A good idea is to start a food diary noting everything you eat and drink so you can see where you can make some savings on the amount of carbohydrates you are having. An immediate thing would be to cut out cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks as they are very high carbs and look to reducing portion size of other starchy things like potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry, bread and fruit like bananas and tropical fruits.
Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs. cheese, dairy, veg and salads and fruits like berries would be a good move.
Have a look at the learning zone (orange tab at the top) and work through in your own time but do come back with any questions you have.
I'm sure a few people will chip in to point to some links and give you some encouraging words.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @SarahN
Firstly a HUGE Thank You to you (and your colleagues across the NHS) for everything you have done, and endured, and coped with, and most of all the amazing care that has been provided when we needed it most.
Sorry to hear about you being told you are at risk of diabetes, and that your HbA1c has risen towards the point of a diabetes diagnosis.
Do you know what your result was? It is going to be a number between 42 and 47 most likely.
As @Leadinglights says it is likely that cutting out sweet and sugary things, plus a modest tweak to your main meals could well be enough for you to dodge an imminent diabetes diagnosis.
Many new members find it can be really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. And estimate the amount of carbohydrate in the meals and snacks to give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu. Diabetes is not just a matter of cutting back on sugary things (though this is important!), and you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.
As such, traffic lights on food packaging can be a bit misleading for people trying to help their bodies which have begun to struggle to process carbohydrate properly.
Good luck, keep asking questions, and let us know how you get on. 🙂
Firstly a HUGE Thank You to you (and your colleagues across the NHS) for everything you have done, and endured, and coped with, and most of all the amazing care that has been provided when we needed it most.
Sorry to hear about you being told you are at risk of diabetes, and that your HbA1c has risen towards the point of a diabetes diagnosis.
Do you know what your result was? It is going to be a number between 42 and 47 most likely.
As @Leadinglights says it is likely that cutting out sweet and sugary things, plus a modest tweak to your main meals could well be enough for you to dodge an imminent diabetes diagnosis.
Many new members find it can be really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. And estimate the amount of carbohydrate in the meals and snacks to give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu. Diabetes is not just a matter of cutting back on sugary things (though this is important!), and you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.
As such, traffic lights on food packaging can be a bit misleading for people trying to help their bodies which have begun to struggle to process carbohydrate properly.
Good luck, keep asking questions, and let us know how you get on. 🙂
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @SarahN
THANK YOU for all that you have been doing and to all your colleagues In the care sector.
I am sorry to read of your COVID and now long COVID, along with the other conditions. Illness and changes in work patterns along with many other factors can tip people that were on the edge of becoming Diabetic into higher BG levels. It is good that yours has been picked up early, in the pre-diabetic stage and gives you the chance to nip it in the bud.
I hope that some of the suggestions above will help you to manage your levels. I know that when I was diagnosed and had to start taking note of any carbohydrates that I ate I was surprised at the amounts we were consuming at each meal. That’s where the food diary can be very helpful.
When we decided to reduce the carbs, along with using smaller plates to make smaller portions look bigger, we found this useful in making choices for swaps of veg
If they are grown
Do keep in touch, and fire away with any questions that arise.
THANK YOU for all that you have been doing and to all your colleagues In the care sector.
I am sorry to read of your COVID and now long COVID, along with the other conditions. Illness and changes in work patterns along with many other factors can tip people that were on the edge of becoming Diabetic into higher BG levels. It is good that yours has been picked up early, in the pre-diabetic stage and gives you the chance to nip it in the bud.
I hope that some of the suggestions above will help you to manage your levels. I know that when I was diagnosed and had to start taking note of any carbohydrates that I ate I was surprised at the amounts we were consuming at each meal. That’s where the food diary can be very helpful.
When we decided to reduce the carbs, along with using smaller plates to make smaller portions look bigger, we found this useful in making choices for swaps of veg
If they are grown
- below the ground they are high carb (potatoes, parsnips, …)
- above the ground they are medium carb (beans, peas, …)
- in the ground they are low carb (celery, lettuce, …)
Do keep in touch, and fire away with any questions that arise.
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