I'm 26 and pre-diabetic. Need some advice!

You can add me. I too am sugar sensitive. 31. So I guess our lifestyles will not be substantially different. In fact I would love to motivate you because I have only recently started journey and realise how difficult it is to make lifestyle changes...

First thing - are you getting your H1ACs done? if that test shows an issue then you really need to fully modify your lifestyle.

If you are a meat eater, I think it will be easier for you to increase protein intake and reduce carbs. REDUCE CARBS is the key.
Reduce carbs, eat more fibre rich carbs - to slow down the process of digestion and release sugar slowly into system. MFP of course helps in all this. To know composition of your daily intake - so that you can modify it, to reduce your calorie intake to a healthy level. Just by changing my food composition, I lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks. Now I have added exercise to it. And I am going to weigh myself after only a month. Lets see.

One more tip is to include protein with every carb meal, and especially include a lots of it during your breakfast. Basically try to lower carbs as first step. You will notice the effect. Its a struggle especially because cravings set in, and you almost feel like an addict - carb addict sometimes, but its a change in lifestyle, correcting all the wrongs you did all these years and its not going to be an easy. You have to hang in there....

Additionally also suggest you to get your vitamin D levels, Body fat % tested. Most likely vitamin D levels will be low and increasing them and reducing your body fat will improve insulin mechanism. From your photos, I dont see that you need to reduce a lot of weight. So targetting 5-10% of your weightloss before you do your second sugar check-up is a great way to begin.

And also you will need to stick to this way of living for the rest of your life. All those bakery goodies - not for you!!!! :-)
Heheheh.... its okay. There are many more great tasting low carb , low gi foods...

I have been a type 2 diabetic since 2005, my sugars were so high that i had taken a seizure when i found out i was one...i was on insulin for years and worked hard at getting off that and on to the meds. You can add me as well and i will help you out as much as i can....the main thing that has worked for me is keeping a food journal, not sure if you check your sugars, but sometimes different foods effect your sugars for you that may not effect someone else...like i can't eat corn, drives my sugars threw the roof...lol

Hey there,

A T2 diabetic here, diagnosed in 1982, and wanted to share this very informative site packed with a wealth of invaluable information to help you gain a better understanding of good blood sugar control and diabetes management.

www.bloodsugar101.com

Hope this information is useful to you.

Best of luck with your lab work this week!

You are already getting good advice from people far more clued up than me on your condition. I would say, do your research. Learn everything you can about your condition and then implement it into your new healthy lifestyle plan!

Good luck! You can do this! :flowerforyou:

I forgot a couple of other major points from my nutrition for diabetics course.

Cardio exercise is a big help, as it encourages your body to remove glucose from the blood stream and store it as glycogen in the muscles. When I used to test my BG more frequently, I noticed it was always lower after a workout.

I was told to always to mix carbs with some fats or protein because that lowers the glycemic index, by slowing down the rate that carbs are broken down to glucose.

When my body was used to running at high glucose levels, I would have hypo glycemia symptoms (shakiness and dizziness) when my BG was 4.8. Now that my readings have improved, I feel fine at 4.4. If you are bothered by hypo incidents when you forget to eat, it's recommended to have some sugary mints, or fruit juice to quickly bring your blood sugar up. My weapon of choice is a couple of wine gums.

Type 2 diabetes is preventable. It is not purely genetic. What you eat DOES matter. And you need real food, not a "program" sold by a diet company or highly processed "protein bars".

I was pre-diabetic, with a whole truck load of other health problems, including binge eating disorder, severe depression, chronic pain/fatigue, digestive issues, sleep disorders, joint pain (which was leading into arthritis-"runs in the family", etc, etc. I have resolved EVERYTHING through diet alone. The only side effect has been effortless weight loss.

It's unfortunate that much of the dietary advice given to you will probably not be accurate, even from the health professionals. I would suggest that you do everything in your power to see a specialist that deals with metabolic disorders. Obesity and diabetes are symptoms of the same illness; one is not the CAUSE of the other. Like you said, start researching and look at many sources.

My experience: All you need to do is eat a minimally processed diet based on fat (NOT refined seed oils such as canola and soy) and protein (preferable from grassfed or wild animals) with reasonable amounts of healthy carbohydrates (mostly from leafy greens). As for fruits they should be limited, but berries are the best option. Unfortunately, you really must assess the level of ALL carbohydrates in your diet, regardless of Glycemic Index. Carbs, especially all forms of sugar, really must be reduced if you want to prevent diabetes. I made the choice to do so and while my metabolism is not fully healed (will take years) I am no longer in danger of developing Type 2 diabetes, or many other common diseases.

There is much info out there to help you. I'm speaking from my own experience, observations of others (diabetes was unknown in the community I live in one generation ago and now it's epidemic-it's very obvious why), and much, much reading of research papers and published material.

I hope you find what works for you and get well. :flowerforyou:

There's lots of good advice here. There are certain foods that affect some diabetics differently, but the worst for me were breads of any kind. They would immediately send my blood sugar skyrocketing, more than sweets or anything else. The very best food for me was any kind of protein. I could eat one dinner roll and have crazy high blood sugar, or a big steak, and hardly have my blood sugar change at all.

If you get put on a glucose meter, check it often, early on, after all of your usual foods. You will quickly find out exactly what affects you, and how badly.

Just wanted to add my voice to the thread. I'm a 30 year-old male, and at my most recent physical, my HBA1c was at 5.9.
I have a family history of diabetes on my mom's side. My poor mom had spent most of her adult life doing what she could to avoid it -- working out and eating paleo before paleo was even a thing...but a few years ago she still got diagnosed (type 2).

I'm otherwise healthy - 5'10", 165 lbs. Although I have a small frame and could afford to lose 10 pounds or so. I exercise 4-5 times a week, eat pretty healthy (I try to stick to the 80/20 rule), and stay around 1800 calories a day.

My doctor wasn't terribly concerned with my HBA1c - lab notes just said "consistent with patient's risk of diabetes due to family history." But obviously I need to try to get that number down. I've been reading a lot of "pre-diabetes" and the things I can do. For the record, my dr never used that term, but using itself myself helps get me in the right mindset.

I've tried low-carb diets before, back in my "heavy" post-college days and could never stick with it.

Just to add to what has already been said;

'Managing prediabetes

How is prediabetes managed?

The aim of managing prediabetes is to delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Making lifestyle changes is key to managing or reversing prediabetes. This includes the following steps


Managing your weight
Reducing your weight if you are overweight will help your body use insulin better.

Eating well
Eating a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables. This will help you control your weight and blood glucose levels.

Keeping active
Regular physical activity will help manage your weight and help your body use insulin better. '

source;
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Introduction-to-diabetes/What_is_diabetes/Prediabetes/Managing-prediabetes/

My wife is a Doctor who has patients with T1, T2 if you want me to ask her when she gets back from clinic I would happy to do so about changes you could make but I believe the advice is sound in the thread