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jessica_pommerville

Hi everyone! I've had this app for about 4 months now. I recently had a drs visit where I found I was pre-diabetic. I'm going to be trying harder now. If anyone has any advice that would be awesome!

neanderthin

If your prediabetic then you have a carb tolerance problem and reducing carbs (sugars) and all carbs are sugars will not only slow the progression of insulin resistance you can reverse it also. Removing carbs from ultra processed foods or refined grains or both would be a good start. Maybe do some research regarding insulin resistance and carb tolerance and there's a ton of data all saying basically the same thing. Good luck and this is pretty basic, you've got this.

rileysowner

I had the same thing a year ago. I went Keto, which is just a more severe restriction of carbs. In a matter of months my HbA1C was normal and has remained normal since. I am now a year in, and carbs are a very rare treat, not a staple in my diet. There are days where I don't eat any carbs at all, only protein and fat. I craved carbs early on, but after several weeks of strict Keto those cravings went away.

MargaretYakoda

neanderthin wrote: »

If your prediabetic then you have a carb tolerance problem and reducing carbs (sugars) and all carbs are sugars will not only slow the progression of insulin resistance you can reverse it also. Removing carbs from ultra processed foods or refined grains or both would be a good start. Maybe do some research regarding insulin resistance and carb tolerance and there's a ton of data all saying basically the same thing. Good luck and this is pretty basic, you've got this.

Not all diabetics have “a carb tolerance problem” although a low carb diet (not necessarily keto) is beneficial.

My advice for OP is to stick with it.
At first a change in diet and exercise habits seems daunting, but it gets easier over time.
Your tastes will change.

Also? Don’t forget to exercise regularly.
That has an amazing impact on your body’s ability to process energy.
It doesn’t have to be strenuous or exhausting. Just a 30 minute daily walk most days can be extremely beneficial.

My husband has been a diabetic for decades (agent orange exposure caused his diabetes)
He was an extremely active athlete up until he had a series of strokes, which caused dementia.
His insulin use increased significantly due to lack of activity. But when the pandemic hit I bought a recumbent elliptical (NuStep brand. Love it!) He has used it daily for about a half hour to 45 minutes every day, and it cut his insulin usage in half.

Anyway. Exercise and a sensible diet Keto if you want. Many people have had success with it. But you might not have a problem with carbs. Or some carbs

If you have a blood glucose meter something you can do is investigate for yourself what types of carb based foods you are able to tolerate easily, and which ones you need to limit or avoid.
Some diabetics, for example, are able to tolerate a baked potato, and others really can’t.
Here’s what you can do: check your glucose level before eating the food you’re investigating, then two hours later check again.
Consume a normal serving. Keep a log.
If your blood glucose levels return to normal (see link for more information) within two hours, you can safely eat that carb in that serving size. If you want to.

You might want to check how exercise affects your blood glucose levels in the same manner.
And keep in mind that stress can also affect your blood glucose, so if you’re not feeling well, or you’re having a rough day, be a little more careful about your diet.

https://diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-care/checking-your-blood-sugar

neanderthin

MargaretYakoda wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

If your prediabetic then you have a carb tolerance problem and reducing carbs (sugars) and all carbs are sugars will not only slow the progression of insulin resistance you can reverse it also. Removing carbs from ultra processed foods or refined grains or both would be a good start. Maybe do some research regarding insulin resistance and carb tolerance and there's a ton of data all saying basically the same thing. Good luck and this is pretty basic, you've got this.

Not all diabetics have “a carb tolerance problem” although a low carb diet (not necessarily keto) is beneficial.

If a person has diabetes 2 then, they are carbohydrate intolerant. As far as how to treat it, a person can do anything they feel will make them more insulin sensitive and they certainly don't have to reduce their carb intake, although that should seem logical they should try to at least limit certain ones, which also should seem logical.

MargaretYakoda

I’m a diabetic.
As long as I exercise and take my medications, I am able to eat a normal amount of carbs. I am not insulin dependent. My diabetes is likely linked to an autoimmune condition. Insulin resistance is not an issue I deal with.
OP didn’t mention T2. Neither did I.

🤷🏼‍♀️

neanderthin

I was pre diabetic, just getting that out there. If IR is not an issue for you then your a type 1 diabetic, which is a totally different thing all together and maybe you should have mentioned that, anyway for the other 95% of diabetics that are type 2, they definitely have a carb intolerance problem.

Medication for you is strategic but for a type 2 diabetic a ketogenic diet can for many result in a complete reversal of the disease and the possibility of coming off most if not all medication. It's a little disappointing for someone that has diabetes not to give credit where credit is due.

neanderthin

Also the OP didn't have to mention type 2 diabetes because prediabetes is not associated with type 1 diabetics.

MargaretYakoda

neanderthin wrote: »

I was pre diabetic, just getting that out there. If IR is not an issue for you then your a type 1 diabetic, which is a totally different thing all together and maybe you should have mentioned that, anyway for the other 95% of diabetics that are type 2, they definitely have a carb intolerance problem.

Medication for you is strategic but for a type 2 diabetic a ketogenic diet can for many result in a complete reversal of the disease and the possibility of coming off most if not all medication. It's a little disappointing for someone that has diabetes not to give credit where credit is due.

Different people are different.
I stand by my advice to OP.
None of which said not to do keto if that is what they want to do. I very specifically stated that “many people have had success with (keto)” so I’m not sure where you got the idea that I haven’t “given credit where credit is due”
Everything I said above is (imho) pretty solid advice to anyone diagnosed with diabetes or pre diabetes.

If OP chooses keto and it works for her? Awesome. The advice to test before and after consuming any carbs is still worth considering. Especially since it very well may show that yes many carbs - perhaps even most or all - are a particular difficulty for her. Testing one’s blood glucose levels is a very easy way to monitor how a person is progressing with their diabetes or pre diabetes management program, no matter what type of foods they consume.

I’m not against using diet to slow down or reverse diabetes. I agree it’s a key component of diabetes management.
I am just not a fan of one size fits all solutions. I believe that people are best served by really investigating what is at the root of their issues. That’s where the blood sugar tests come in here.

And please keep in mind I also recommended regular exercise.

For what it’s worth, we reversed our cat’s diabetes completely by switching him from kibble to an all meat diet, spaced out four times a day.
Not something I would recommend for humans though, as we are omnivores, not obligate carnivores.
But if we had followed the standard veterinary advice for cats he’d still be doing insulin 3 times a day.

Also. I don’t use any type of insulin so technically I am not a T1 diabetic, at least not as far as I know. Since my glucose is extremely well controlled with an oral medicine, exercise, and a sensible (mostly) diet, I am not going to consult an endocrinologist to determine exactly what type of diabetic I am.

One advantage OP and you both have over me is that your medical team spotted your condition at the pre diabetic stage.
I was not so lucky.
Severe medical neglect from a previous doctor who wrote me off as a hypochondriac and ignored some really obvious symptoms meant I wasn’t diagnosed until I woke up one morning and wasn’t able to feel my feet.

I didn’t get the opportunity to reverse my diabetes.
I am glad you were able to.
And I hope that OP is also successful at finding a solution that works best for her.

springlering62

My husband, Type 2, lost weight here via MFP. His doctor offered to take him off diabetes meds.

He decided to stay on them, at a lower dosage. I wish he’d come off them, but he feels more secure, in case he does mess up his eating habits. We travel a fair amount, and both tend to go off the chain trying new foods, eating at good European bakeries, or even indulging in In’n’Out, which isn’t available on our side of the country.

However, exercise and diet have been key for him.

I wasn’t pre diabetic. Heaven only knows why not, because I had a serious candy and snack food issue, but logging and weighing here has roped that into control, and being aware of what and how much I was eating was my own key to losing a substantial amount.

You can do this. It’s easier, mouthwise, than you’ll expect, but can be challenging brainwise to get up to speed with the weighing and logging.

I will say, learning to weigh and cook in metric made ALLLLLL the difference in the world. And it’s so easy once you get the hang of it.