Following a recent blood test I've been told that I am at risk of developing diabetes (I am 62 year old male), my first reaction was to invest in a cupboard full of sugar free foods/sweeteners and to buy an exercise bike. However getting started and making changes is another matter. My lifestyle is very sedentary both at home and at work - my job has changed from a very physical role to desk bound. Any advice on where to start to make changes really would be appreciated. Thanks
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Where to start?
- Thread starter Phil1958
- Start date
- Status
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Phil1985 and welcome to the forum.
The first thing is not to panic! A risk of diabetes means just that, you formally do not have diabetes but if things keep going the way they are, then you will eventually get that diagnosis. It's a good idea to head that off if you can.
My suggestion is that you do not look at wholesale changes in your diet but look for tweaks around what you eat now. The simplest thing is to look for reductions in carbohydrate in your meals. Sugar is one carbohydrate but all carbohydrates contribute to glucose in your blood stream. Read around the forum and you will get the picture. If things do not make sense then ask questions. There is always somebody around to give you ideas.
The first thing is not to panic! A risk of diabetes means just that, you formally do not have diabetes but if things keep going the way they are, then you will eventually get that diagnosis. It's a good idea to head that off if you can.
My suggestion is that you do not look at wholesale changes in your diet but look for tweaks around what you eat now. The simplest thing is to look for reductions in carbohydrate in your meals. Sugar is one carbohydrate but all carbohydrates contribute to glucose in your blood stream. Read around the forum and you will get the picture. If things do not make sense then ask questions. There is always somebody around to give you ideas.
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hi , welcome to the forum. I agree with all @Docb has said above.
Being at risk of diabetes or ore diabetes as it’s often called is a warning that you need to make some changes, these may not need to be big ones! In other words you can completely turn this around .
With exercise, it does not mean , working up a sweat, going for the burn or even going to the gym. If you enjoy walking go for a walk , when possible use the stairs rather than the lift .
Their are a couple of things you need to be aware of .
No added sugar, does not mean it has no sugar.
Sweeteners that end with the letters ol (OL) are polyols and a wee bit to much of them will keep your loo busy.
Diabetes including pre diabetes is not just about sugar, it’s all about carbohydrates, esp the starchy ones, sugar is a carbohydrate.
The changes you make need to be things you actually enjoy, as the last thing you need to do is set yourself up to fail , if you enjoy something, you are more likely to keep it up .
Ask all the questions you need to, we’ll do our best to help.
Being at risk of diabetes or ore diabetes as it’s often called is a warning that you need to make some changes, these may not need to be big ones! In other words you can completely turn this around .
With exercise, it does not mean , working up a sweat, going for the burn or even going to the gym. If you enjoy walking go for a walk , when possible use the stairs rather than the lift .
Their are a couple of things you need to be aware of .
No added sugar, does not mean it has no sugar.
Sweeteners that end with the letters ol (OL) are polyols and a wee bit to much of them will keep your loo busy.
Diabetes including pre diabetes is not just about sugar, it’s all about carbohydrates, esp the starchy ones, sugar is a carbohydrate.
The changes you make need to be things you actually enjoy, as the last thing you need to do is set yourself up to fail , if you enjoy something, you are more likely to keep it up .
Ask all the questions you need to, we’ll do our best to help.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Phil1958
Well done for leaping into action! And glad you have found us to help give you some pointers. 🙂 One of the biggest questions when having been told you are at risk of diabetes is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid all of those things entirely, but a little portion control, and experimenting with some lower carb swaps (eg cauli ‘rice’ or celeriac mash instead of potato) can really help.
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 make a reasonable estimate the amount of total carbohydrate (not just ‘of which sugars’) in the meals and snacks. This will give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu, and may point out some easy targets for swaps or reductions.
Good luck, and keep asking questions here 🙂
Well done for leaping into action! And glad you have found us to help give you some pointers. 🙂 One of the biggest questions when having been told you are at risk of diabetes is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid all of those things entirely, but a little portion control, and experimenting with some lower carb swaps (eg cauli ‘rice’ or celeriac mash instead of potato) can really help.
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 make a reasonable estimate the amount of total carbohydrate (not just ‘of which sugars’) in the meals and snacks. This will give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu, and may point out some easy targets for swaps or reductions.
Good luck, and keep asking questions here 🙂
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
When you have had a job where you have been fairly active it is challenging to replicate that but regular walking whenever you can will help. When I retired I went from doing anything between 15,000 and 20,000 steps a day to probably no more than 5000 on a regular basis, so put on weight plus a few more carbs because I was at home so found myself just in the diabetes zone. Doing more walking but still hard to achieve more than 10,000 step a day.
D
Deleted member 25429
Guest
I would recommend the carbs and calories book as it shows portion size in photos which is very useful . Even a 15 minute walk round the block a few times a day will help . Good luck what suits one person doesn’t suit another as we are all different
- Status