Prediabetes

[Tom11479]

Hi

I have just been diagnosed with pre diabetes about 3 weeks ago my HAc1 reading is 46, I got a meter and have been checking my blood 2 hours after eating they are below. These are in the morning and afternoon are these ranges normal for predicates?

7.5
7.3
8.7
8.1
8.8

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.
Sorry to hear you have a slightly inflated HbA1c and have found it necessary to join our little community and seek help from the forum but it should be easy to resolve with some small changes to your diet. ie reducing your carbohydrate intake both sugary stuff like sweets, cakes, biscuits and fruit but also starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and breakfast cereals. Increasing your activity levels will also help.... even just a brisk 10-15in walk each day is helpful.
It is great that you are being proactive and have got yourself a BG meter. Are you also testing before each meal as well as 2 hours after, because it is the rise after 2 hours of eating a particular food/meal which will tell you if you need to make adjustments to that meal. For example, if your BG was 4 before the meal and 2hrs after you were 8, then that would suggest it was too carby. You are looking to limit the rise to 2 full units or less 2hrs after the meal.
In general. all of those readings are slightly higher than is ideal but not too concerning. It would help to know what you ate. Keeping a food diary along with your BG readings will help you to figure it out and if you would like to give us an idea of what you ate, we may be able to give you some suggestions to reduce the carb content and what you could have instead.

 

[Eddy Edson]

You can't really say much just from 2 hour post-eating levels. The ones you list are levels which non-diabetic/non-prediabetic people can see, sometimes, but they are also consistent with yr HbA1c of 46.

If yr goal is to get back to "normal" levels, then a rough target could be to reduce the amount of time you spend above 7.8. For reference, non-diabetics on average spend about 4% of their time above 7.8 - so about an hour per day, almost all of it while awake. Some spend a lot more & most spend less - so it can only be a rough target.

But if you can do that and also get your waking levels down to around 5 then you're probably in the "normal" ball-park. Anyway, it's one way of looking at things which might be helpful, remembering that the pudding's-proof will be your HbA1c results.

 

[ianf0ster]

It rather depends on what your levels were before eating. Everyone's BG rises after eating. The question is how quickly it drops back. So, I would carry on with what you're doing but take a reading just before you eat as well as two hours later. Ideally your post-meal reading should be no more than 2 higher than pre-meal.

Martin

I would just like to point out that everyone's BG readings don't necessarily rise after eating - it depends upon what you eat.
I almost always eat just 2 boiled eggs (salt, pepper and a drizzle of Olive Oil )for breakfast, so zero Carbohydrates.
My pre-breakfast BG reading : 7.2
My 2hrs post breakfast reading 6.4

 

[Tom11479]

Hi

Thanks for getting back with your reply's i will do some more testing before and after, what i normally have in the morning its 2 slices of toast brown alpen muesli, afternoon sandwich apple, yogurt light and free banana i have been getting readings of 8.8. i need to cut out a lot of stuff snacking eating crisps etc will look at my diet and make changes. I'm pre diabetes what reading will indicate its going up will it have to hit 9-10 on the meter to say I'm diabetic? Thanks again.

 

[rebrascora]

That is a pretty carb heavy diet. To have both toast and Alpen for breakfast is a lot, especially as Alpen contains a lot of sugar as well as grains. 2 slices of toast is about 30g carbs if they are medium thickness slices, so you could be having 80+ grams of carbs just for breakfast which is more than a whole day's allowance for some people. What do you have on the toast? Do you like eggs? Scrambled eggs on toast and omit the Alpen might be a good first substitute or bacon and eggs and mushrooms or an omelette. Or a kipper with a slice of bread if you like them. Or pate or peanut butter on toast.
Bananas are one of the higher carb fruits, so best to go easy on them and limit yourself to just one piece of fruit at lunchtime. "Light" yoghurts often contain more sugar than full fat versions. Many of us here eat creamy natural Greek yoghurt and just add a few berries and/or chopped nuts. Try snacking on nuts or cheese or olives if you like them rather than crisps. Cutting down on your portion of potatoes, chips, pasta, rice etc with your evening meal will also help. And avoid fruit juice and sugary fizzy drinks of course.

You have to think in terms of averages to assess if your BGs might indicate that your HbA1c is getting into the diabetic range but those current readings could mean that you are already there. Most people are looking to keep it in the 4-7 range I believe. Without knowing what your reading is before each meal it is difficult to know what your average might be. You definitely have plenty of room to reduce carbs though and see an improvement and it doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself, just learn to eat different things.

 

[Drummer]

Oh wow - you are indeed eating more than my daily intake of carbs just for breakfast, possibly two days, thinking about it - but it does mean that by adjusting your menu you should be able to take the strain off your metabolism and see normal results quite quickly.
My breakfasts might be kippers with a slice of Livlife bread, which is 4 gm of carbs, or three eggs scrambled, with grated cheese and a tomato sliced on top, or a large salad with tuna, or even a piece of steak or a chop with mushrooms, aubergine, sweet pepper, courgette, gently fried in light olive oil - maybe even a little finely sliced onion. After that I would usually have a cup of coffee with cream and cinnamon, and often a small pinch of salt, particularly in hot weather as I do not use salt in cooking.
I don't need to eat again until evening, when I have rather more carbs - with meat or seafood, or eggs and cheese, a stirfry or salad, and sometimes frozen berries with cream, or full fat yoghurt, and sometimes sugar free jelly. These days I stick to less than 40 gm of carbs a day.
You might well be able to eat more than that and still keep your Hba1c and blood glucose in normal ranges, but I had to get my after eating levels down to below 8mmol/l before there was a turn around and eating the same things then took me to no more than 7 ish and then even further down. I have even seen 5.6mmol/l after eating Christmas dinner a year after diagnosis.

 

[ianf0ster]

Yes I'm with @Drummer here. your carbs just for breakfast would be more than 2 average day's allocation for me. I eat between 20 gms and 50 gms of carbs (total) per Day!

 

[Wirrallass]

Hi Tom and a warm welcome to our friendly & supportive forum.

To help you manage your diabetes I can highly recommend a book entitled the CARB & CALORIE COUNTER which you will find enormously helpful. It has over 1700 coloured photographs of a wide range of popular food & drink items. The carborhydrate ~calorie ~ protein ~ saturated fat ~ and fibre values are clearly displayed in coloured-coded circles below each photo. This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick & easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink you consume. The book is also the perfect support tool for weight management ~ portion control ~ and general healthy eating and can be purchased from DUK.

Take a look at the following link too as there's plenty of info within it which will be helpful to you:~
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes. 10406/
Also, the book Type2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker is a book worth reading. Following her diagnosis in 1996 she self educated herself re: Type2 Diabetes. It is a brilliant book as Gretchen writes in an easy to understand format on how she managed her Type2 Diabetes since her dx (diagnosis)

There's a lot more information that we can advise you on like threads about meal plans / recipes ~ and weight loss challenges but I don't want to overwhelm you more than you are already at the moment.

Take care and do keep us updated as to your progress.
WL

 

[Tom11479]

Hi Tom and a warm welcome to our friendly & supportive forum.

To help you manage your diabetes I can highly recommend a book entitled the CARB & CALORIE COUNTER which you will find enormously helpful. It has over 1700 coloured photographs of a wide range of popular food & drink items. The carborhydrate ~calorie ~ protein ~ saturated fat ~ and fibre values are clearly displayed in coloured-coded circles below each photo. This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick & easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink you consume. The book is also the perfect support tool for weight management ~ portion control ~ and general healthy eating and can be purchased from DUK.

Take a look at the following link too as there's plenty of info within it which will be helpful to you:~
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes. 10406/
Also, the book Type2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker is a book worth reading. Following her diagnosis in 1996 she self educated herself re: Type2 Diabetes. It is a brilliant book as Gretchen writes in an easy to understand format on how she managed her Type2 Diabetes since her dx (diagnosis)

There's a lot more information that we can advise you on like threads about meal plans / recipes ~ and weight loss challenges but I don't want to overwhelm you more than you are already at the moment.
View attachment 12554
Take care and do keep us updated as to your progress.
WL

Thanks

 

[Nick Cliff]

Hi Tom
You'll be drowning in advice so briefly...
Before and after meal finger prick tests good idea and it's the difference between them that will help you monitor. ..this also rules out anomalies in the meter or strips as it's same strips and meter.
I have also has lower readings 2 hrs after eating than before..but a humongous increase is bad news.
Focus on trends rather than individual readings.
For us diabetics muesli is the work of the devil..as are numerous other "natural" and "healthy" things that are marketed to us. When first diagnosed was shocked to find how high sugar such things are.
So it's a case of studying the food labels. For example some of the most basic mueslis are low sugar ....to have an occasional change from your usual breakfast. And Corn Flakes are lower sugar than Special K would you believe!
Hope this helps. Nick

 

[Tom11479]

I have done some reading after being told im pre diabetes 3 weeks ago i did not test before i ate last night had whole meal pasta with chicken stir fry. Woke up this morning and tested it was 8.00 thats not good. Had my breakfast 2 slices of brown bread scrambled eggs and tea ( no Aplen) tested 2 hours later it was 7.1. then tested before lunch it was 6.4, had lunch tested 2 hous later it was 7.7.

 

[rebrascora]

Wholewheat pasta takes 10-12 hours to break down in my system particularly if it has been precooked and reheated (the small portions I need to restrict myself to are not worth putting a pan on the hob for so I cook it in bulk and reheat) and I will see a high reading the next morning as a result of having it for dinner, even with just a small portion of 70g cooked weight. I have eaten wholemeal pasta for years prior to diagnosis but against my better judgement, I experimented with ordinary pasta the other day and had a better result, but as a type 1 diabetic, I rely on injected insulin which has a finite activity lifespan of about 5 hours after injection, so any pasta broken down into glucose after that time, which may be most of it with the wholewheat version and particularly precooked which alters the starches and makes them more difficult to digest, gets stuck in my blood stream unable to be processed. I am loath to start eating "white" pasta on a regular basis, even in small quantities but it may be better for my type of diabetes. Some type 2 diabetics use this method of part cooking, cooling/freezing starchy foods like pasta, potatoes and rice and then reheating as a means of slowing and reducing the size of their BG spike from these foods but it is worth considering that they may be getting an increased level of BG for several hours longer than the short spike they would get from normal cooking and white pasta, so the overall effect may not actually be beneficial.

Anyway, I think your fasting reading of 8 may be down to the pasta or it could just be dawn phenomenon.... what time did you eat your tea and how much pasta did you have? Reducing carb portions and bulking meals out with veggies is an important strategy in lowering BG.
Much better result at lunchtime after your modified breakfast with no Alpen and a reasonable after lunch reading... what did you have for lunch?

 

[Wirrallass]

Thanks

You're welcome Tom, we're here to help and impart our knowledge .
WL

 

[Tom11479]

Hi

I had my tea at 6.00 about half a cup of pasta and for lunch I had tuna sandwich and apple but before lunch a banana I'm always hungry have always been like this. I used to eat bacon sandwich years ago but stopped it and picked fruit instead. A lot of good info I'm getting just have to get my head around the labels and auger. I always thought Alpen was healthy seems like all cereal are just full of rubbish.

Thanks again!

 

[rebrascora]

If you are not allergic to them, try snacking on nuts rather than fruit. The fats and protein in them are more filling than the carbs in fruit etc.

I too used to have an insatiable appetite until I cut the carbs out of my diet. It amazes me how little I eat now and I don't feel hungry and I actually feel quite guilty about how much unnecessary food I was eating before. The more carbs you eat, the more you want. If it wasn't for my diagnosis, I would not have had the impetus to break the cycle, but I am very pleased that I did. I no longer suffer migraines or joint pain and I love my slimmer more muscular figure and that I can get into clothes that have been in the back of the wardrobe for the past 30 years. It was hard work for the first 5-6 weeks but once I got over that point and started to introduce more fat into my diet like nuts and cheese and cream and avocados and eggs and butter and fatty meat/fish, it became very enjoyable.

 

[Ditto]

Hello and welcome to the forum. 🙂

 

[Drummer]

Hi I had my tea at 6.00 about half a cup of pasta and for lunch I had tuna sandwich and apple but before lunch a banana I'm always hungry have always been like this. I used to eat bacon sandwich years ago but stopped it and picked fruit instead. A lot of good info I'm getting just have to get my head around the labels and auger. I always thought Alpen was healthy seems like all cereal are just full of rubbish. Thanks again!

Cereals are starchy - it isn't rubbish it is just what we type twos can't cope with - similarly pasta - that is flour, and we can't cope with grain, and the bread, and the apple and the banana - all high carb choices. When we eat them our blood glucose rises, insulin is released, then more insulin, and eventually it drops our blood glucose, quite quickly - and so we feel hungry.
I chose to eat salads most days, or stir fries of the lower carb veges, and as they are low carb I can eat breakfast and then not be hungry all day, then eat again in the evening.

 

[Tom11479]

I tested this morning just two slices of toast 2 hours later 6.2 which is best reading i have seen before i started this. ditched the yogurts light and free and went for the low fat Greek yogurt and berries portion size any ideas? Thanks

 

[ianf0ster]

I tested this morning just two slices of toast 2 hours later 6.2 which is best reading i have seen before i started this. ditched the yogurts light and free and went for the low fat Greek yogurt and berries portion size any ideas? Thanks

Hi Tom,
While there is no way that any of us can predict exactly how your body will react do different portions of different carbs/sugars, based upon what you were eating for breakfast etc, your should be able to handle at least a moderate portion of berries (raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are lower in carbs than Blueberries, but blueberries are still OK). However I am surprised that you are going for the less T2D healthy low fat yogurt rather than the Lower carb and all-round healthier Full Fat version.