Prediabetes

[TaplowGreen]

Hello all - first post from me!

Had some routine blood tests recently and was somewhat surprised to hear from my Doctor that the HB1AC test suggests that I am prediabetic...........I'm changing my diet and referring myself to the local LWTC group but I was wondering if anyone here has any other advice/experience of this - I would anticipate having another test in a few months but in the meantime is it worth investing in a home blood sugar testing kit and if so, how often should I test? - someone suggested to me that for prediabetes is not really worth it and to concentrate on losing weight (I am about a stone overweight so shedding that is my target!) and adjusting diet................I exercise every day and have no family history of diabetes.

Any advice appreciated

 

[ianf0ster]

T2 diabetes is effectively an intolerance to the amount of carbohydrates in our modern diet,
So reducing the sugars and starches you eat will probably do the trick.
I found a BG meter very useful for testing which meals/foods I could handle - a lot of what is considered 'healthy' is actually unhealthy for a Type 2 diabetic (grains, starchy veg, tropical fruit) because of being high in carbs and thus raising our Blood Glucose too high when we digest them

Here is the Blog post that set me on the path to T2 Remission (In remission over 3 yrs now):

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

josekalsbeek.blogspot.com

Note that eating Low Carb usually means you lose weight (without conscious calorie reduction unless you eat a lot of cheese or nuts).

 

[Drummer]

Two problematic foods for me are oats and beans - I tried porridge and - WOOOSH, so I gave it to the birds. I was getting rather high results after beans or peas - it seems that I can get almost double the carbs out of them than the amounts listed.
My only problem has been keeping up with my shrinking waistline.

 

[Leadinglights]

Some modest changes to your diet should be sufficient to bring you blood glucose level back down. Look at your portion size of high carb foods and have more protein and healthy fats with veg, salads and some fruits.
Have a look at this link for some ideas for some meals and there are some do's and don'ts. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
I found following those principals that I reduced my HbA1C from 50mmol/mol to 42mmol/mol in three months and the 38 in another six. It is now my new normal way of eating.
And yes having a home blood glucose monitor allows you to know which foods are OK and which are best avoided.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @TaplowGreen

Good luck with your weight loss efforts! Hope you find a method and approach that works for you.

There are lots of different dietary approaches in use by forum members here. Some have found it helpful to join a local group or class to support their weight loss (eg Weight Watchers or Slimming World) while others have had success with general calorie restriction, or a lower carbohydrate meal plan.

There are a variety of different approaches described here, including low carb, mediterranean, and reduced calorie plans

Meal plans and diabetes

Eating nutritious, healthy and downright delicious food is that bit easier with our meal planners. We've created multiple different weekly meal plans to suit all types and tastes. They're nutritionally balanced, are calorie and carb counted, and can help if you want to lose weight. They also...

www.diabetes.org.uk

Still others have use a short term more dramatic intervention of very low calorie intake for a few months to kick-start their weight loss, and attempt to clear visceral fat from around the organs in the abdomen - sometimes called the Newcastle Diet.

Hope you can find a viable and effective approach that works for you 🙂

 

[Magdex57]

Hello all - first post from me!

Had some routine blood tests recently and was somewhat surprised to hear from my Doctor that the HB1AC test suggests that I am prediabetic...........I'm changing my diet and referring myself to the local LWTC group but I was wondering if anyone here has any other advice/experience of this - I would anticipate having another test in a few months but in the meantime is it worth investing in a home blood sugar testing kit and if so, how often should I test? - someone suggested to me that for prediabetes is not really worth it and to concentrate on losing weight (I am about a stone overweight so shedding that is my target!) and adjusting diet................I exercise every day and have no family history of diabetes.

Any advice appreciated

Hi there. I asked for some routine blood tests recently and was in disbelief when I got a letter from GP to say I was prediabetic. I excercise x 4 per week, a bit overweight but eat fairly well. I do l have a sweet tooth though so I’m going to look at my diet, particularly looking at those carbs like white rice etc. I feel really fed up as it has all come to light before Christmas!! Anyway it is reversible but it still is a surprise

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi there. I asked for some routine blood tests recently and was in disbelief when I got a letter from GP to say I was prediabetic. I excercise x 4 per week, a bit overweight but eat fairly well. I do l have a sweet tooth though so I’m going to look at my diet, particularly looking at those carbs like white rice etc. I feel really fed up as it has all come to light before Christmas!! Anyway it is reversible but it still is a surprise

It can come as a bit of a surprise as people feel they have a healthy diet but sadly carbohydrates whether they be white or brown are what people with diabetes have a problem with as all carbs convert to glucose. However it looks as if you have been given a heads up in good time and can make some changes, something modest may be all that is needed.
Have a look at this link https://www.freshwell.co.uk/ as it will give you some pointers for what changes to make as well as some meal plans to suit various tastes and budget. Whatever way you choose has to be enjoyable other wise it will not be sustainable which it needs to be for the long term otherwise it is easy to find you are back at square one.
Welcome to the forum by the way.