Diagnosed as PreD on 21 Jan 23. Since then I have lost 15lbs (more than 5% of bodyweight). Finding things quiet difficult to navigate re carbs and starches. Am I best of focussing on losing more weight as the priority through diet and moving more?I need to loose at least another 2 stone to be a much healthier BMI. Thoughts welcomed.
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- Thread starter JulieBA
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Felinia
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- Type 2
Ideally it's a combination of all 3 - weight loss, carb management and exercise. I suggest you consider getting an app like NutraCheck or MyFitnessPal to help you manage your carbs. The first 2 things I did when diagnosed were getting an app and signing up for aquafit. 4 years down the line I still plan my daily menu on my app first thing, and am in the pool 2/3 times a week.
Leadinglights
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Some modest changes to your diet should improve your blood glucose levels, well done on your weight loss so it looks as if what you have been doing has been working for you but if you want a bit more understanding of the role of carbs in managing blood glucose then have a look at this link. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
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Welcome to the forum @JulieBA
Well done on your weight loss so far! Sounds like you've set yourself a fairly challenging target, but it's good to have a goal that you can work towards gradually 🙂
Were you told the result of your HbA1c check that showed you were at increased risk of diabetes? This will probably have been a number between 42-47 which represents your general blood glucose levels over the previous 3-4 months.
In terms of strategies, we have members who have had success by either focussing on weight loss (eg through the short-term Newcastle 800cal diet) or blood glucose management (eg by eating low carb or very low carb/keto to reduce BG variation).
Most members seem to opt for a mixed approach with a moderate/low carb intake of around 150-130g of total carbohydrates per day, keeping an eye on calories to help reduce weight and adding exercise/activity to increase insulin sensitivity.
One of the tricky things is that blood glucose responses to various foods are highly individual, and it can be impossible to say which types and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself.
You can use a BG meter, taking a reading before and again 2hrs after eating, to see what the differences are, to identify any carbs that seem to be spiking BG (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Ideally you would want to see a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L at the 2hr mark. Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of the carbs where you see bigger rises. You might find that you are particularly sensitive to carbohydrate from one source (eg bread), but have more liberty with others (eg oats or basmati rice) - It’s all very individual! You might even find that just having things at a different time of day makes a difference - with breakfast time being the trickiest.
Over weeks and months of experimentation you can gradually tweak and tailor your menu to find one that suits your tastebuds, your waistline, your budget and your BG levels - and a way of eating that is flexible enough to be sustainable long-term. 🙂
Keep us posted with how you get on, and keep asking away with any questions you have as they crop up 🙂
Well done on your weight loss so far! Sounds like you've set yourself a fairly challenging target, but it's good to have a goal that you can work towards gradually 🙂
Were you told the result of your HbA1c check that showed you were at increased risk of diabetes? This will probably have been a number between 42-47 which represents your general blood glucose levels over the previous 3-4 months.
In terms of strategies, we have members who have had success by either focussing on weight loss (eg through the short-term Newcastle 800cal diet) or blood glucose management (eg by eating low carb or very low carb/keto to reduce BG variation).
Most members seem to opt for a mixed approach with a moderate/low carb intake of around 150-130g of total carbohydrates per day, keeping an eye on calories to help reduce weight and adding exercise/activity to increase insulin sensitivity.
One of the tricky things is that blood glucose responses to various foods are highly individual, and it can be impossible to say which types and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself.
You can use a BG meter, taking a reading before and again 2hrs after eating, to see what the differences are, to identify any carbs that seem to be spiking BG (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Ideally you would want to see a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L at the 2hr mark. Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of the carbs where you see bigger rises. You might find that you are particularly sensitive to carbohydrate from one source (eg bread), but have more liberty with others (eg oats or basmati rice) - It’s all very individual! You might even find that just having things at a different time of day makes a difference - with breakfast time being the trickiest.
Over weeks and months of experimentation you can gradually tweak and tailor your menu to find one that suits your tastebuds, your waistline, your budget and your BG levels - and a way of eating that is flexible enough to be sustainable long-term. 🙂
Keep us posted with how you get on, and keep asking away with any questions you have as they crop up 🙂
Hi @JulieBA and welcome to the forum. As has been said, there are 2 approaches ( 3 if you include taking more and more, stronger and stronger medications). We are all individuals and so which approach best suits you is very personal, just as is which foods spike your Blood Glucose the worst. Some say bananas, while others call grapes little bombs of sugar!
I knew I can fast (for 1 to 3 days) since I had done so for many medical procedures, but I don't like being hungry. So I took the Low Carb route where you can eat until pleasantly full while just avoiding too many carbohydrates/ I thoroughly enjoy eating eggs, cheese and fatty cuts of meat and fish again. I did this new-fangled high whole grains and fruit and low fat thing for about 15 years and all it got me was an extra 2 and a half stone in weight, a triple bypass and Type 2 Diabetes.
And now I understand why!
I knew I can fast (for 1 to 3 days) since I had done so for many medical procedures, but I don't like being hungry. So I took the Low Carb route where you can eat until pleasantly full while just avoiding too many carbohydrates/ I thoroughly enjoy eating eggs, cheese and fatty cuts of meat and fish again. I did this new-fangled high whole grains and fruit and low fat thing for about 15 years and all it got me was an extra 2 and a half stone in weight, a triple bypass and Type 2 Diabetes.
And now I understand why!
so a month since I signed up. I have lost another 7 lbs and that means I have lost 10% of body weight overall. Love Myfitnesspal. Also regularly hitting 10k steps a day. The links and advice were really helpful. I am finding reading labels challenging but may just be the small printsize! Thee links from others have helped me get to grips with the carbs, so thanks. When should I be asking GP for another blood test? It was 21 Jan 2023, when I was told I was at risk of diabetes. Hope all are well
Leadinglights
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Usually it would be reasonable to ask for another blood test after 3 months from making your dietary changes to check they are being effective.
You can look on the shop websites for nutritional information or just google food X and total carbs, it might be easier to read.
Many months since I signed in. Had a hectic and stressful time. Stress led to properly fully dislocated jaw requiring hospitalisation, moving house to another part of the country, and finally retiring. Have still managed to loose another 7 lbs. Ideally want to lose another 20lbs. However my next mission is to register with a new doctor and get my blood test updated. My next aim is to log in at least once a week as I know the support will be helpful. Happy New Year to all. Julie
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