Pre-Diabetic
fatgirlslims87
Posts: 8 Member
Good Morning MFP,
Some advice would be appreciated
I have recently found out that I am pre diabetic so the need to lose weight is vital now.
Does anyone have any recommendations of what sort of food I can go for as I am having to cut out a lot of high sugar fruit and snacks.
Thanks
Teri
Some advice would be appreciated
I have recently found out that I am pre diabetic so the need to lose weight is vital now.
Does anyone have any recommendations of what sort of food I can go for as I am having to cut out a lot of high sugar fruit and snacks.
Thanks
Teri
0
Replies
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Have the Drs not given you any advice on which type of diet to follow?
I would personally reduce all foods that contained sugar. So eat less really as sugar is virtually everything.
Load up on vegetables at meal times with fish, meat, lentils or beans for your protein. Berries are lower sugar fruit that you can add in.0 -
Honestly they were pretty useless - told me not to eat grapes but can have banana's and apple's.
Was disappointed, I am going to see if they can refer me to a dietitian...0 -
You just need to lose weight and move more they are the key factors
What sort of food do you like?
Calorie control
Aim for a wide spread of colourful veg, eat adequate protein and fats, carbs is a matter of personal choice you may wish to reduce / monitor
That should be a great motivator for you to commit
Here read these
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p10 -
@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
0 -
Are you eating at a calorie deficit? Keeping your weight at a healthy BMI reduces the risk of diabetes.
Asking for a referral is a good idea, The GPs are not clued up on nutrition in the main.0 -
I am currently just cutting out snacks as the snacks I ate I knew was bad, so it's a start with the calorie deficit.
The aim from tomorrow is to start calorie and macro counting properly from tomorrow as I think the diagnosis has given me the kick up the bum I need to lose weight.0 -
Start now
Weigh your next food and log it0 -
Low Carb, for sure!0
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I've recently been diagnosed too. Your GP should have arranged for you to have diabetes education, or given you the number for you to arrange it yourself, chase them up if they didn't do this.
I've had the education (it was a 2 hour appointment with a Diabetic Specialist Nurse and a Dietician), and although I'm still not clear on everything - mainly because MFP and other places all give conflicting guidance - both the educators stressed how important it was to have protein every time I have carbs. They also said that I didn't need to cut carbs (hmm, that's the part I'm still not convinced about even though I want it to be true!). My mum and 2 of my brothers have diabetes, and all have cut carbs.
I'd lost about 1.5 stone in the 4 months between my "oh, that figure's a bit higher than it should be" blood test and my "you have pre-diabetes" blood test, but it didn't change the figures for me. In many, many cases weight loss and exercise is all you need to get better blood results though, so please start today!
There's information at http://www.diabetes.co.uk/pre-diabetes.html and https://www.diabetes.org.uk/ (although my brother told me to pretty much ignore the info at the second one).0 -
Also, my local Trust only gives blood glucose monitors to Type 1 diabetics. If you want one you can contact the manufacturer yourself and get a freebie. I got mine from https://www.diabetes.bayer.co.uk/SSL/eligibility-form/ContourNextUSBmeter.php0
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CurlyCockney wrote: »Also, my local Trust only gives blood glucose monitors to Type 1 diabetics. If you want one you can contact the manufacturer yourself and get a freebie. I got mine from https://www.diabetes.bayer.co.uk/SSL/eligibility-form/ContourNextUSBmeter.php
Walmart also has a meter brand (ReliOn Prime) that is accurate and a lot less expensive than most brand name test strips ($0.18 per test). My insurance is a pain-in-the-butt and stopped covering test strips (even though I'm a type 1 and absolutely MUST test), and Walmart brand test strips are the cheapest ones I've found. Most companies give out meters for free, because the profit ends up resting within the test strips (off the top of my head, OneTouch Blue strips are about $1.50-1.60 per strip out of pocket -I test 10 times a day, so that right there is close to $5500-6000 for one year of testing compared to $25-30 for the meter).
In terms of diet, I really recommend using a blood glucose meter and seeing how your body handles certain foods. The American Diabetes Association recommends between 45-60g of carbs per meal and 15-20g per snack, but you might find that you need to eat more/less for what food you're eating. One waffle from the Waffle House is about 45-60g of carbs, but it affects my blood sugar differently than 45-60g of carbs from pizza, oatmeal, or chicken and vegetables. Current recommendations are to have a pre-meal target between 90-120 and a 1-2 hour post-meal spike of less than 180, though many shoot for goals lower than that (I prefer to be 80-100 pre-meal and less than 150 1-2 hours after).0 -
OP and I are in the UK ;-)0
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Thank you all for your advise, its really helpful. The only reason I say tomrorow is because I am currently at work so access to certain things is limited.0
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I am /was prediabetic too. The only advice my endocrinologist gave was eat MORE fruits and veggies and leaner cuts of meat, and they would monitor it. Basically, they advised me to add carbs and cut fats. It was useless advice for me.
I was only 20lbs over a normal BMI and losing alost 40 lbs hasn't fixed things for me. For some people with insulin resisitance (like a T2D) it does help, but it didn't fix me, and I doubt advice to eat more fruits and veggies and leaner meat would normalize a diabetics blood sugar to a healthy level. And I don't mean the "normal high" that many doctors settle for, I mean normal.
Anyway, I started on a low carb high fat diet that is laid out by Dr Richard Bernstein in his book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. Bernstein was an engineer who developed T1D back in the day when most diabetics didn't hit 40. He was able to use one of the first 5 minute BG monitor kits to check his blood and found that a diet very low in carbs, well below 50g of daily carbs, made it possible for him to stabalize his BG at a normal level - the same as a healthy person - because his insulin needs were so much less.
He then went back to school, became a doctor, specialized in treating diabetes, and has been slowly revolutionizing how diabetes is treated.
... Sorry. I gushed, but the man changed my life.
I follow his low carb high fat diet, which at first is a nutritional ketogenic diet (not to be confused with a medical ketogenic diet used to treat epilepsy). Some with IR find they can raise their carbs from a low 20-30g per day up to 50 g or more, but that is not the norm in his experience. He keeps most patients with IR on very low carbs, and it works.
Following that diet has improved my health in so many ways, including areas that I ddin't even realize had declined.
If I keep my diet below 30g of carbs per day, my FBG stays very good. Often a 4.2-5.0 (about 75-90) but if my carbs get above 30g, and if I eat more than moderate protein, my FBG rises. For example, yesterday was a "higher" carb day for me and my FBG was a bit higher than normal and getting close to the prediabetic FBG of 5.6. My diet yesterday consisted of coffee and coconut cream and a bit of protein powder, a cup of pistachios and a pepperoni stick, a salmon patty with sriachi mayo, and then a party where I ate about 1.5-2 cups of raw broccoli and cauliflower, and 10-15 jumbo shrimps all dipped in a 1/3 - 1/2 cup of execllent hot cheese dip. That was a fair amount of protein and my carbs from the nuts and veggies (and the pepperoni and coconut cream) was around my upper limit of 20g/day. If I ate like that again today, my FBG would probably be firmly into pre diabetic range again for a day or two.
My very LCHF ketogenic diet consists of 75% fats, 20% protein and 5% carbs. I eat lots of nuts, eggs, cream, sour cream, cheese, butter and healthy oils like full fat, sugar free salad dressing, meats, seafood, seeds, coconut and coconut cream, and veggies - usually green ones and those grown above ground. I skip all grains (corn, wheat, etc) and all products made from flours. I avoid quinoa and rice because I'd rather get my carbs from veggies. I limit my starchy root veggies (potatoes, carrots, etc) and fruit intake (usually berries). It means skipping the usual desserts but I have my stand ins like sugar free cheese cake or whipped cream with cocoa and shaved chocolate instead of icecream.
If you do lower your carbs, be aware that you'll lose some water weight and with it some electrolytes. Most people who cut carbs will need to increase their salt to avoid muscle aches, fatigue and headaches. This is especially true if you lower your carbs to ketogenic levels; you'll need to bring your sodium up to around 3500-5000mg per day.
I really recommend Bernstein's book. If you decide to follow his plan, there is a lot of good information on ketogenic diets like Phinney and Volek's book, The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Moore has a simplified, easy to read book called Keto Clarity for those who aren't as interested in reading science. And Atkins, phase 1, is also a rough guid that could give you some ideas.
There is also a LCHF group called the Low Carber Daily which is very helpful.
Good luck. I hope you find something that works well for you.0 -
I suggest that you drastically reduce bread, pastas, added sugar , and junk food. Avoid things like frui pies but ok to have the fresh fruit, almost any kind. The items I mentioned will cut sugar and cals. It helped me immensely in a matter of 1-2 months. I went from borderline diabetic yo "no problem" per doc. Also did beginning strength training and walking and lost about 25 pounds in that timeframe. Now is the time to get s handle on it!0
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fatgirlslims87 wrote: »Good Morning MFP,
Some advice would be appreciated
I have recently found out that I am pre diabetic so the need to lose weight is vital now.
Does anyone have any recommendations of what sort of food I can go for as I am having to cut out a lot of high sugar fruit and snacks.
Thanks
Teri
Your doctor should advise you on a dietary plan. Losing weight should help, plus watching the carb intake (but severe restriction us not necessary guess your doctor says it is).0 -
@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
This. Restrictive low carb is not necessary, unless your doctor prescribes this.0 -
@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
This. Restrictive low carb is not necessary, unless your doctor prescribes this.
I would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."0 -
Read labels, eat veggies, chicken is great. Weigh everything (get a scale, cheap, GOOGLE food scales). Join a gym if possible (some insurance helps with cost). Dump the sweets, the cravings will lessen. Follow the MFP plan it works.0
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@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
This. Restrictive low carb is not necessary, unless your doctor prescribes this.
I would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."
No thanks, I won't be rewriting anything.
0 -
I am /was prediabetic too. The only advice my endocrinologist gave was eat MORE fruits and veggies and leaner cuts of meat, and they would monitor it. Basically, they advised me to add carbs and cut fats. It was useless advice for me.
I was only 20lbs over a normal BMI and losing alost 40 lbs hasn't fixed things for me. For some people with insulin resisitance (like a T2D) it does help, but it didn't fix me, and I doubt advice to eat more fruits and veggies and leaner meat would normalize a diabetics blood sugar to a healthy level. And I don't mean the "normal high" that many doctors settle for, I mean normal.
Anyway, I started on a low carb high fat diet that is laid out by Dr Richard Bernstein in his book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. Bernstein was an engineer who developed T1D back in the day when most diabetics didn't hit 40. He was able to use one of the first 5 minute BG monitor kits to check his blood and found that a diet very low in carbs, well below 50g of daily carbs, made it possible for him to stabalize his BG at a normal level - the same as a healthy person - because his insulin needs were so much less.
He then went back to school, became a doctor, specialized in treating diabetes, and has been slowly revolutionizing how diabetes is treated.
... Sorry. I gushed, but the man changed my life.
I follow his low carb high fat diet, which at first is a nutritional ketogenic diet (not to be confused with a medical ketogenic diet used to treat epilepsy). Some with IR find they can raise their carbs from a low 20-30g per day up to 50 g or more, but that is not the norm in his experience. He keeps most patients with IR on very low carbs, and it works.
Following that diet has improved my health in so many ways, including areas that I ddin't even realize had declined.
If I keep my diet below 30g of carbs per day, my FBG stays very good. Often a 4.2-5.0 (about 75-90) but if my carbs get above 30g, and if I eat more than moderate protein, my FBG rises. For example, yesterday was a "higher" carb day for me and my FBG was a bit higher than normal and getting close to the prediabetic FBG of 5.6. My diet yesterday consisted of coffee and coconut cream and a bit of protein powder, a cup of pistachios and a pepperoni stick, a salmon patty with sriachi mayo, and then a party where I ate about 1.5-2 cups of raw broccoli and cauliflower, and 10-15 jumbo shrimps all dipped in a 1/3 - 1/2 cup of execllent hot cheese dip. That was a fair amount of protein and my carbs from the nuts and veggies (and the pepperoni and coconut cream) was around my upper limit of 20g/day. If I ate like that again today, my FBG would probably be firmly into pre diabetic range again for a day or two.
My very LCHF ketogenic diet consists of 75% fats, 20% protein and 5% carbs. I eat lots of nuts, eggs, cream, sour cream, cheese, butter and healthy oils like full fat, sugar free salad dressing, meats, seafood, seeds, coconut and coconut cream, and veggies - usually green ones and those grown above ground. I skip all grains (corn, wheat, etc) and all products made from flours. I avoid quinoa and rice because I'd rather get my carbs from veggies. I limit my starchy root veggies (potatoes, carrots, etc) and fruit intake (usually berries). It means skipping the usual desserts but I have my stand ins like sugar free cheese cake or whipped cream with cocoa and shaved chocolate instead of icecream.
If you do lower your carbs, be aware that you'll lose some water weight and with it some electrolytes. Most people who cut carbs will need to increase their salt to avoid muscle aches, fatigue and headaches. This is especially true if you lower your carbs to ketogenic levels; you'll need to bring your sodium up to around 3500-5000mg per day.
I really recommend Bernstein's book. If you decide to follow his plan, there is a lot of good information on ketogenic diets like Phinney and Volek's book, The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Moore has a simplified, easy to read book called Keto Clarity for those who aren't as interested in reading science. And Atkins, phase 1, is also a rough guid that could give you some ideas.
There is also a LCHF group called the Low Carber Daily which is very helpful.
Good luck. I hope you find something that works well for you.
THIS as well.
Basically, use a meter and go by that. See which foods raise your BG, and reduce or eliminate those.
You will see what foods affect you more, and it can be surprising.
I found out my homemade sweet potato soup affected my BG like a candy bar!
When you do this, learn about the combination of foods as well. If you have a cheese burger for example, the parts raising BG are the bun and ketchup, far more than the meat and cheese.
I have normal BG readings now because I ate to my meter and found what worked for me.
You hopefully won't have to be as extreme, but I bet if you cut out or reduce processed foods, that will be a big change in itself.0 -
@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
This. Restrictive low carb is not necessary, unless your doctor prescribes this.
I would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."
No thanks, I won't be rewriting anything. 0 -
@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
This. Restrictive low carb is not necessary, unless your doctor prescribes this.
I would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."
No thanks, I won't be rewriting anything.
Yeah... That's why I wrote:" I " would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."0 -
@earlnabby wrote this on another thread but she is T2DLate to the party. Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
- I am T2Dm
- I did not get it by eating too much sugar. I got it by eating too much food and by taking antidepressants for a long period of time (one of the lesser risk factors. Other medications like statins are also a known risk factor)
- People who develop T2Dm typically have a combination of 2 or more risk factors. Genetics being the most common, excess weight being the second most common.
- I was diagnosed with an A1C of 7.3.
- I don't know (or care) if I am IR or my body does not produce enough insulin. The results are the same, as is the management
- I do NOT watch my sugar intake
- I DO watch my total carb intake, keeping it to less than 180 g daily
- I am in total remission
- I do not take medication, my remission is due to diet and exercise only
- My last A1C (done a week ago) was 5.0
- I am not unusual OR special. Most who are in remission have done it exactly the way I have (according to my Certified Diabetes Educator doctor)
This. Restrictive low carb is not necessary, unless your doctor prescribes this.
I would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."
No thanks, I won't be rewriting anything.
Yeah... That's why I wrote:" I " would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not always necessary."
" I " would rewrite that to say " restrictive low carb is not usually necessary."0 -
Good enough.0
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I would see a nutritionist if your health ins plan would allow. Many hospitals offer free Diabetic education classes. Check it out. Also check out the American Diabetes website for dietary information.0
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I was diagnosed Type 2 in July. I have been watching my carbs approx 30-45grams per meal and 30 grams for snacks around 2-3 snacks per day. If you are watching carbs, the sugar is included, so no need to monitor both. By keeping yourself in a deficit, you will lose weight and most likely get your blood sugar in check. With this and exercise I have lost 30 lbs and have an A1C of 6. I do not requires meds at this point. Many diabetics have had a lot of success with the low carb high fat diet. They keep their carbs around 50grams per day. I have a lot of difficulty doing this and at this point try to keep my overall carbs around 120 for the day. I think once you become aware of carb content, you will make better choices. Your goal is to keep your blood sugar as level as possible.0
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It might be helpful to read up on Glycemic Index/Glycemic Load of different carbs, too, if you are eating to a glucose monitor. I have a higher carb count if I don't count things like lentils that don't spike my BG. I find that the lower GI foods really are good for me to eat, carbs or no. And the high ones really are the ones that spike my glucose.
You can also prepare things different ways and it affects how the carbs will be absorbed by the body. Sweet potatoes are like candy if the sugars get caramelized. You have to boil them for them to stay medium GI. Pasta is lower if cooked al dente, etc. Quick oatmeal spikes BG more than non-quick oats.
And common sense tells me that an apple is probably better than a cookie. Unfortunately, if you test your glucose, you'll probably find that's true for you, too, lol. A lot of sugar in a food really is one thing I have to watch very closely for portion size. I have to eat half a cookie, usually. And I take the top buns off of burgers or sandwiches.
Spread out the carbs. You might be able to eat a fairly high total number if you don't eat them at the same time. For me, my overnight BG will start creeping up if I don't watch the overall total, though, even if the spikes were ironed out nicely. I tried to sneak another sweet a day in, but that doesn't work for long, darnit!
If you do eat something like a couple of cookies, go for a walk after. Use up the extra glucose by getting it into those muscles. Regular exercise is very important for BG problems anyway.0 -
Some amazing advice in here! Thank you so much and will have a proper read in the morning as I am in the UK so currently in bed lol
thank you again xx 0
This discussion has been closed.
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