Pre-diabetic

josephsquarebellsouthnet

Looking for support and learning what to eat and what not to eat

MaNiSandhu2015

All d best

bodaciousgloria

Taking a diabetes class is very helpful. No whites

---

potatoes, flour tortillas, pastas (including rice), etc.
Alwayz look on the Nutrition labels. Read the Carbohydrates and sugar. Try not to go over 16g of Carbohydrates.
If you enjoy flavor drinks, i have found flavor water to be a good substitute.
Almond milk is also a good substitute for regular milk and tastes good.

bodaciousgloria

Chicken and fish are the better meats. More veggies is alwayz good. You can have unlimited veggies. Fruit is good during the day, but because it is sweet, I would suggest one serving of fruit for 2meals only.

cozworth

Hi there: I was just recently diagnosed myself. It was a little overwhelming! My eating habits were embarrassingly bad. So, really, no shock on having diabetes. My A1C is only 6.5....the very lowest to still be counted diabetic. So, I am trying to correct it with just diet and exercise. In some ways this is harder than if the doctor had given me meds! I have a few friends that have been diabetic for many years. Talking to them has been priceless. Far more important than what the dietician or doctor told me. For them, if they cheat a little they can take a pill or inject a little more to compensate. I can't do that. I suspect you are in the same position. The first week I "thought" I was eating right. But I actually felt worse. Then I talked to some friends and they got me on the right path....now I feel great! I seriously had to read the food labels. I never thought it would be so important. Plus I have been 100% dedicated to logging my food. I use this site for that. I may not need to do this forever, but to figure out what I can combine in a day to stay in the right carb range....I cannot say enough how important that has been for me.

At an A1C of only 6.5 I was already feeling some affects of high sugar. I know if I don't do what I am supposed to it will get worse. So, I am very committed.

You may want to get a glucose meter. Maybe you don't. It's up to you. But I am a person that needs to see the affects. Just listening to what someone tells me will happen if I eat this or that never really sunk in. So, even if I only use it for a little while to really understand the affects of eating things I shouldn't....well, it really helps make thing feel real!

In a nutshell here is my advice:

read food labels
watch your portions - even if you need to buy a scale to measure your food (impossible to log your numbers otherwise)
log your food like life depends on it (because it does)
pay attention to how you feel before and after you eat
keep asking others with similar issues for input - you can learn a lot from other peoples mistakes

Good luck - you can do this !

cozworth

truelight_photo_craig

I've been a type 2 diabetic for many years, and just a few years ago got serious about managing my condition. With the help of my Doctor, we worked hard to get my A1c down to a "normal" level, and I no longer have to take any injectable medications. Here's part of a message I sent to another MFP user...

I like to tell people that lowering A1c isn't rocket science. It's not complicated, but it does involve hard work and commitment. When I finally got serious about changing my destiny, I relied heavily on my meter. I would test 8-10 times a day. As soon as i woke up, before meals, one and two hours after meals, and at bed time. This allowed me to learn how different foods would affect my BG levels. Anything that caused a fast or high spike, I would reduce the portion size, or eliminate completely.

For me, restricting carbs to less than 100 grams per day was a big help. Also, make those carbs count by eating as many whole grains, beans, fresh veggies, etc. Try to keep your fiber count at 25+ grams. As I have lost 110 pounds and am now running/walking 20 miles per week, I have upped my carb target to 150 grams, just to keep my energy levels where I need for the workouts.

And speaking of workouts, I do believe this is the most important component to lowering A1c. if you're not doing anything now, start light and easy. Walk for 15-20 minutes a day to start, and build up. Some studies have shown that resistance exercises help regulate blood sugar as well, but don't push too hard too fast. It's too easy to get injured and discouraged.

Finally, don't fall for the fad diets or gimmicks that promise to "cure" or "reverse" diabetes. There's no such thing. As diabetics, especially type 2, what we should strive for is tight control. Fasting numbers in the 95-110 range. Post meal readings around 140-150, with that number coming down after two hours. But don't over-complicate it. And by all means, give yourself a break every now and than. I allowed myself a "cheat" meal every few weeks, but got right back on the plan. No two type 2 diabetics are the same. You will have to learn how your body reacts to the foods you eat. But if you work hard and stay committed, you can do it.