Prediabetes just diagnosed

[Fluffygirl]

Hi all
I was wondering if I can get some advice?
I was diagnosed with pre diabetes last week (level of 6 so borderline)
Feeling really confused and to be honest really ashamed of myself as I have allowed myself to get very overweight
I have had success with slimming world weight loss before as i understand the diet , unlimited meat, potatoes , fruit , veg , pasta , salad , fruit and have lost large amounts of weight this way in the past , however reading different bits it looks like to prevent diabetes I should be limiting rice , potatoes etc. what should I be focusing on, weight loss ( preferred as my heads in a bit of a muddle and I’m hoping if I lost the weight the diabetes risk would lower?) or should I focusing more on a diabetic friendly diet and more on increasing fibre and reducing carbs ?
The two diets seem to be in conflict and I keep going back and forth , either way , one week in and I’m constantly hungry !!

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum. A diagnosis of prediabetes is a wake up call to do something to reduce your blood glucose.
As you have done slimming world which has been successful then with some modifications and substitutions of the higher carb food may address both weight loss and blood glucose levels.
Weight loss will certainly help and the way people do that can be low carbohydrate, low calorie or shakes based but whatever you do has to be a way you enjoy and is sustainable. Diabetes or prediabetes indicates your body has a problem with carbohydrates, that is things like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, pastry, breakfast cereals, tropical fruits as well as cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks including fruit juice so meals based on meat, fish, eggs, cheese. dairy, nuts, vegetables, salads, and fruits like berries with only small portions of the high carb foods mentioned.
Protein and fats don't convert to glucose and many full fat products are less carbs than low fat and stop you feeling hungry.
Making some lower carb substitutions, then the SW can work for some people as long as you are careful of the amount of carbs you are having. The suggested maximum per day is 130g Total carbs.
You could check this link to see how it would compare to your SW program. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Fluffygirl It is good that your potential to develop T2 has been picked up early. This gives you the chance to make changes and avoid future problems.

As @leadlinglights has said there is an imbalance between the insulin your body is making and the glucose that is in your system. The glucose will come from any carbohydrates that you eat. To use the glucose up and get it out of your blood your need insulin to ‘open the door’ to your muscles to let the glucose in. @Leadinglights has already outlined ways in which you can do this. It is a case of finding out what works for you, and what can you sustain.

There is a wealth of experience to tap into on here. Ask any questions that arise.

 

[Fluffygirl]

Thank you both for your kind replies, this has really helped me a lot. I had assumed that my problem was just caused by me having quite a bit of excess weight and that by loosing weight (carbs or not) would reverse the damage so to speak. I will have a look at the resources mentioned, this is going to be quite a change for me as most of my diet is based around carbs, so it looks like I have quite a bit of rethinking to do. As you both rightly say, it’s a wake up call and I’m lucky to have an opportunity to make some changes and hopefully stop this getting worse, so I dont really have a choice, thanks again x wishing you both well x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you both for your kind replies, this has really helped me a lot. I had assumed that my problem was just caused by me having quite a bit of excess weight and that by loosing weight (carbs or not) would reverse the damage so to speak. I will have a look at the resources mentioned, this is going to be quite a change for me as most of my diet is based around carbs, so it looks like I have quite a bit of rethinking to do. As you both rightly say, it’s a wake up call and I’m lucky to have an opportunity to make some changes and hopefully stop this getting worse, so I dont really have a choice, thanks again x wishing you both well x

Welcome to the forum @Fluffygirl sorry to hear you have been told you are at risk of diabetes, but glad you ave found the forum.

Hope it helps you find your own path towards diabetes management success. 🙂

Do you recall the HbA1c result you had? This will be a number between 42-47mmol/mol with a result 48mmol/mol and above giving a diagnosis of diabetes.

It may be that a slight rebalancing of the Slimming World approach you have used in the past will be a successful strategy for you. Just moderating your total carbohydrate intake enough so that your metabolism can keep your levels in range, while still seeing the weight loss you are looking for.

There are some meal planners here which use different approaches that can help you find a menu that works for your tastebuds, your bank balance, your waistline, and your BG levels 🙂

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.