Exercise for Prediabetics?

JipsyJudy

I would love to connect with other people who are prediabetic and are trying to reverse this condition. I have read a lot about insulin resistance and exercise, but I seem to be failing in my attempts to exercise enough. Just got a new blood test and despite losing 18 pounds and increasing exercise to 1 to 2 hours a day, my fasting blood sugar is up another 4 points from 6 months ago. Are there any other prediabetics out there with exercise tips to share?

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

I'm a full blown type 2 diabetic. My advice is just continue with your exercise & losing weight. Make sure you get enough activity, even as simple as walking, climbing stairs instead of elavators etc. You don't have to do 30 min continuous exercise. You can break it into 3 10-min sessions. Its best to start with 10 minutes of walking. Also avoid processed foods, sugary drinks & go easy on fruit & carbs. Feel free to add me )

Good luck on your journey.

horizonsp

Even I want to know about it..

auntiebabs

My last test were just above normal.
3 generations of type II diabetes before me.
over the past year lost 25+ lbs.

I've been assuming that ...
1) I eat less overall
and
2) Less of what I eat is sugar.
and
3) I more active
....Will bring my numbers down, but really

It's time to get tested again, thanks for reminding me.

I found it motivational to start by tracking every little thing. I started by counting stairs at first. I and worked my way up to joining a gym...

JipsyJudy

I've been doing all those things. I exercise a minimum of an hour per day. I've been on a South Beach type diet for years. But it seems to be in the genes in my family. I'm pretty discouraged that the fasting blood sugar keeps creeping up anyway. Guess I just need to keep losing weight, do even more exercise, and eat even less carbs.

JISimmons

Have you tried looking at this website : http://www.diabetes.org.uk/
I did when my husband was told he was borderline / prediabetic, using the guidance on this site I've completely
changed his diet, although we are still working on increasing his exercise slowly from nothing to 20 minutes x2 a week,
he's now been told he's out of the dangerous zone and lost 1 stone in weight!

Best wishes
Jenny
x

JipsyJudy

Thanks, Jenny. That website is a good one. After reading stuff there, it seems part of my problem is simply that I'm 65, and the body becomes more insulin-resistant as we age. It also appears that the benefit of losing weight might not show up in terms of my diabetes blood tests until I lose enough to get my waist down to 35 inches.

My weight is ALL in my waist. I've lost 18 pounds, from 185 to 166.8, but I haven't lost any girth around the waist yet. And while I was losing those 18 pounds my rating blood sugar went up 4 points!

I also searched on insulin resistance this morning and found some good advice on a site called women-to-women. The advice there is that even if you are eating only good carbs and are eating no sugars and no refined grains, you should also limit carbs to 15 carbs per meal and 7 carbs per snack. I think that is probably part of my problem. I just looked over my carbs for the last week, and I'm eating too many.

JipsyJudy

This has generated some good discussion, but now I'd like to ask more specifically about strength-building exercise for prediabetics. Most websites talks about walking and stationary biking for 45 minutes to an hour a day, but I found several sites that say to reduce insulin resistance, you also need to do strength building. I prefer to work out at home with free weights rather than having to go to a gym. If anyone can give me advice on working with free weights, I'd like to get more ideas. I've been doing (not often enough) a set of standing exercise from one of the Pritikin diet books with 5 pound hand weights. Obviously I need to do that more often or use more weight or do more reps or something. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

keithaj1

I would continue on the weight loss and the muscle gained by weight lifting can't hurt.

Are you taking any supplements?

Here are supplements that have been clinically proven to help balance blood sugar. (Try some and see if they make any difference for you. Everyones body chemistry is differnent so there is no magic bullet out there but figure it is worth a try.)

•Chromium: This essential mineral can significantly improve glucose tolerance and even increase the number of insulin receptors on cells. Most people don’t get enough. Take 400-1,000 mcg of chromium a day. Chromium picolinate is the most active form. Most multivitamins don’t have enough chromium to reverse pre-diabetes.

•Magnesium: In one study, people who got the most magnesium (most took supplements) cut their risk for pre-diabetes by about 30%. Magnesium may directly regulate cellular glucose metabolism through its role as a cofactor for a number of relevant enzymes and through its influence on calcium levels. High intake of magnesium is also associated with lower blood pressure and triglycerides, smaller waist circumference, and higher HDL cholesterol. Most people don’t get nearly enough. Take at least 400 mg of supplemental magnesium a day.

•Vitamin Low blood levels of vitamin D interfere with the proper function of insulin-producing cells. Low vitamin D levels also result in an increase in the risk of insulin resistance, even in otherwise healthy individuals. Studies also suggest a link between vitamin D deficiency in early life and the later onset of type 1 diabetes. Many people don’t get enough D. We recommend at least 1,000-2,000 IU, but you may need more, much more, if you are really low. Your doctor can check your blood levels, and we think that is well worth it.

•Fish oil: Take 1,400-2,800 mg of fish oil a day to improve insulin sensitivity and lower triglycerides.

•Biotin: This B vitamin also enhances insulin sensitivity. Take biotin as part of a high-B complex or multivitamin. We recommend 300 mcg a day.

•Cinnamon extract: This spice seems to stimulate insulin receptors on cells the same way that insulin does, lowering blood sugar by as much as 30%. While some cinnamon daily is safe, it’s better to take a water-soluble extract such as Cinnulin PF®, which has all toxins removed and is fully absorbed.

tiedye

It might be helpful to see a nutritionist or dietician and a personal trainer to get you on track and stay on track. Everyone has had great ideas so far but you might need additional support from a medical professional as well. In addition, many hospitals have diabetes support-type groups that you might find a lot of resources at and a diabetes nurse to guide the group. Good luck!

JipsyJudy

Thank you Keith. That's the kind of thing I need to know. I'm already taking fish oil and vitamin D and a multivitamin, but that's all my doctor recommended. I will definitely add the other suggestions!

JipsyJudy

Good suggestion tiedye. I don't know how to find that kind of thing, but I will ask my doctor.

JipsyJudy

Can anyone help me with a flax seed question? My ground flax seed box indicates that 2 teaspoons of ground flax seed has 4 grams of carbs, but the flax seed websites say the carbs in flax seed are indigestible and don't count. I am trying to stay within 15 carbs a meal. Do I count the cgarbs in flax seed or not? When I found my ground flax seed in the food counter here, the listing for carbs was 0.

JipsyJudy

OK someone answered this for me in another discussion. You subtract the fiber in a serving of food from the carbs to get net carbs. Apparently fiber cancels out its equivalent in crabs. But for me, prediabetic and tracking carbs closely, it is NOT correct to list milled flax seeds as having 4 grams of fiber and no carbs, as has been done here in the food database. You can count it as zero carbs and zero fiber or as 4 g carbs and 4 grams of fiber

keithaj1

On MFP, carbs are carbs, sugar, fiber or not.... There are a lot of differing opinions on how to count caloric value of fiber...

"How much energy is in fiber, and therefore how many Calories are in fiber, is still unclear. According to a 2002 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) regarding dietary reference intakes, the energy yield of fiber when consumed by humans is somewhere in the range of 1.5 to 2.5 Calories (kCal) per gram (6.3 to 10.5 kilojoules per gram).

I would count them as MFP states....

Regardless, you want to cut the sugars and up the Fiber up big time with prediabetes....Atkins is a good way to attack prediabetes...It may not be something you can do forever but it will get pounds off which will really help with glucose levels.

In addition or instead of flax seed think about taking some Physium Husk every day.

"Consuming psyllium may be one way to help modulate blood sugar. In a 1991 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," for individuals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes, taking psyllium with breakfast and dinner was found to reduce the rise in glucose after every meal during the day, including lunch."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/365786-psyllium-husk-for-diabetes/#ixzz1Z7NkwTg0

I buy it at Trader Joe's - Secrets of the Physium.... You got to choke it down with a lot of water but it should help with glucose and it makes you more "regular". You can add it to whey protein shakes which are good on atkins.... I just mix with water and drink it fast....

JipsyJudy

Thanks again, Keith. I'll think about the Physium. But at this point, I don't really want to add anything that need to be choked down. The good thing about the milled flax seed is that I actually like the taste. I've been putting two tablespoons of that in a container of Fage, non fat Greek yogurt (plain) for breakfast. I am counting carbs and calories closely.

I read The Insulin Resistence Diet over the weekend. The author touts never ever eating carbs without protein, and she says to never, ever eat more that 30 grams of protein in any 2 hours period.

Now it's back to dumbells for me. Just wish I could find a weight-bearing exercise that was a little more fun.

jknops2

OK, I got the message of prediabetes a year ago and decided to make some changes. Here are my numbers for the last year.

Weight BMI Glucose A1C Cholesterol HDL LDL Triglycerides
9/20/2010 136 179 42 88 247
9/27/2010 88.0 kg 27.8 122 6.0
4/26/2011 71.2kg 22.5 105 5.8 169 62 88 95
10/5/2011 71.4kg 22.5 92 6.0 162 70 82 108

My take on prediabetes. Lots of advice floating around here and a lot of it is misleading at best.

I have had high cholesterol and triglycerides since at least the early nineties. In 2004 I started 10 mg Crestor and have had yearly blood tests. Last year my glucose was too high, which was a wakeup call for me. So reading up on this I kind of came to the following conclusions.

• Genetics and age are the most important factors and there is nothing you can do about it. If you are getting older and your genetics predispose you to diabetes you need to do whatever you can and that is control your weight, exercise and diet, the next three most important factors.

• Dietary supplements are pretty useless, there is no real evidence that any help, so save your money. Spend it on fresh fruit and vegetables instead, they do help you.

• Anyone looking for a magic factor like coconut oil, flax, etc. Well dream on.

• Most importantly, weight is the key factor that you can control in metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. Lose weight; bring your BMI down to the low end of the healthy range. I am aiming for 20-21. And yes, it is not easy counting, tracking and limiting your caloric intake. But, if you don't, when you get diabetes, you will do this for the rest of your life. So my take, better do it for 6 months or a year now and be able to stop then.

• Secondly, aim to exercise 1 hour a day. Looking at studies, exercise helps in controlling glucose and it makes losing weight a lot easier. For me bicycling to work fits perfectly for this.

• For weight loss, calories in and calories out. Eat less, exercise more, nothing magically too it. MFP works fine for that. But take your time, you didn't gain it overnight, so don't try to lose it overnight, stay away from the crash diets like HCG, etc. Better to get a healthier lifestyle, lose it slowly and be able to keep your weight down in the future.

• You don't need to avoid all carbohydrates, go paleo, primal or Atkins, etc. Again, not sustainable in my opinion. Just choose whole grains, fruits, and avoid sodas, deserts, etc, and count your calories. And in my case, I ate too much bread, pasta, potatoes, and drank too much beer, which lead to my weight increase. So lowering this helped me more than anything to lose weight.

• People advocating eating mainly fat and claiming that the cholesterol issue is all a government/industry conspiracy. Well, what can you say; I ignore them, no point arguing.

• Do eat more fiber, aim for 40-50 gram a day. Eat whole grains, apples ,etc. This especially helps with high cholesterol.

• Eat less red meat, more fish, tofu and beans. Again mainly for my high cholesterol.

So I lowered my Crestor to 5 mg a day in April, and am going to quit, after checking with my doctor, soon. My numbers are fine now, but I would like to bring A1C down a bit more. I do travel a lot in the summer, and it is hard to control what I eat when traveling. So with what I do now A1C might go down in th next six months. But I am aiming to bring my weight down another 4-5kg in the next 6 months, and see what my numbers are then.

Bottom line, in my opinion for prediabetes, lower your weight to the low end of the normal range, exercise for 1 hour a day, increase fiber a lot, and eat more fruits, vegetables, fish, beans and tofu. This works for me.

JipsyJudy

Thank you for this post, jknops2, not just for me but for all the prediabetics who might be looking at this. I'm not sure if I've told all of this before in his thread. I think I'm probably going to turn out to be an extreme case. I am 65. I've been following the South Beach Diet (glycemic index diet) for more than a decade. I don't eat junk food. I eat very very little processed food. But I've been overweight for decades. My doctor only began telling me what my fasting glucose level was a few years ago when it reached 98 (still within the normal range). For the next four years I was bordline and just below tripping into abnormal on both my thyroid tests and my fasting glucose tests. Seven months ago, I got back test results that said I was prediabetic (fasting glucose over 100) and also that I had a slow thyroid. This was despite eating only healthy food and exercising an hour a day for a decade. After that set of tests, I put myself on a 1600 calorie a day diet for 6 months and lost 16 pounds. Then after I had lost that weight on the 6 month diet my doctor did the blood tests again and the good news was I had dropped to 1 point below the limit for normal thyroid but my fasting blood sugar had gone up 5 points. Also just for the record, my cholesterol and other heart related tests are great. Last set of tests said my risk of heart disease is less than 10%.

Bottom line - my maternal grandmother, three aunts and one uncle on my mother's side and two aunts on my father's side were all Type 2 diabetic. I've probably got the genetic flaw. One of my first cousins has already --- died of diabetes. I'm not yet at the point where the doc needs to prescribe meds, but I'm trying to manage this thing without meds. I talked to my doc about all the advice I've been getting. He liked my idea to cut my carbs back to the level suggested in The Insulin Resistance Diet book. That's 30 carbs max per meal, and also I can never eat carbs except when I also eat protein. We're gonna try this for 3 months and then do the tests again.

That said, I'm also giving supplements a run for their money for three months.

For me I think one very important factor might be weight. Today I just changed my goals here. I was working toward a 1/2 pound a week weight loss, but I've changed that to 1 pound a week. I have old worn out knees and a rickety spine, so I have to exercise at an easy pace, but I have a lot of stamina. Did three hours of walking and cycling today.
Hope I'm not boring folks with all this detail. Just wanting to let other folks who might be in similar circumstances know they are not alone.

adross3

Knock knock.. Who's there... Warning sign. Warning signs are not to be ignored or comprised with. Do everything in your power to heal yourself or die young.

Invest in your future. Invest in yourself.

JipsyJudy

Funny, this whole discussion has turned into a conversation about diet, when I had originally asked for advice about exercise. To redirect, there's a good bit of information about the role of insulin resistance in diabetes. There is also some information about the role of resistin (a hormone) in the development of insulin resistance. Exercise reduces resistin and lowers insulin resistance. From what I've read people need to do both weight bearing exercise and also cardio. I'm wondering how to divide between cardio and weights, whether light weights are helpful or a waste of time, and whether vote exercises count as weight bearing or cardio. And are there recommendations about all this for decreasing insulin resistance. I want to work out smarter, not just more.