Pre DIabetic..shocked!

Hello everyone. My name is Leon Scott. I just joined today.

I was just diagnosed with prediabetes and I am shocked! I am not overweight and I thought I ate relatively well. My mother does have diabetes though so I'm told its genetic but reversible. HELP ANYONE!!! I do not want to develop this. I have started back exercising(vigorously), I might add. I was an avid weight lifter until I had my son over a year ago. I am 5'9 194lbs(39 yrs old) and my A1c was 5.9. Can anyone help guide me to a proper diet plan? I've been looking online and i see a lot of contradictory information. thanks in advance,

Replies

  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    Your DR should refer you to a dietician.
  • I definitely will look into that. I've been looking into things on my own and tracking my eating habits. I will make an appt next week
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    The best thing for combatting pre-diabetes is a diet focused on lean proteins, veggies and "healthy fats," (nuts, olive oil, avocados) with limited fruits and whole grains. Details about such a diet can be found under labels such as Mediterranean Diet, South Beach Diet, Sonoma Diet... Pick one and check it out at that the library.

    As for the exercise, weight lifting is important, but for pre-diabetes, you should be incorporating some kind of cardio, as well. Look into interval training to make the most of your time, unless you have something you love doing already.

    One thing you are going to have to face is that at that height and weight, you are indeed considered overweight. You might personally have a body composition that belies the charts, but if you haven't been weight lifting in over a year, that is unlikely. Coming to grips with this will help you set appropriate goals.

    Best of luck, best of health!
  • Thanks. I will check into it. And yes, my belly is a tad bit larger since my layoff. I have been eating raw veggies(cucumbers, bell peppers(red,green,orange,& yellow), oatmeal more, celery stalks, and just grilled chicken. Staying away from Orange Juice and french fries(my only two vices). I will definitely look into your recommendations of diet plans though. Thanks
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
    Welcome! I agree with the above info.
    Glad you're on to this before it got worse.

    Glad you will go back for some classes. That will give you more info, but you're research here and other places will help as you're getting your head around this idea. Then you'll be open to more changes
  • michael1976_ca
    michael1976_ca Posts: 3,488 Member
    i'm type two diabetic

    switch over your white rice and pasta to browns it what i was told then learn portion controle.you will be fine
  • Thanks.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Leon, so sorry. It can be quite a shocking diagnosis. I was in my early 30s when I was diagnosed T2. I was a little plump but very active.

    Ask your dr. to send you to a certified diabetes educator. Some are very good and can really help you out. Some, not so much.

    It can be a little overwhelming to find information. After all, I've been told eating okra will cure me. So will coffee enemas. I'll pass on both of these. The most balanced and knowledgeable support board I have found is tudiabetes.org. An excellent, well researched site on all sorts of things like meds and how your body works is bloodsugar101.com.

    A few months ago there was a diabetes support fund raiser that had people test their blood glucose right before exercise and right after exercise and report it during that period. What surprised me was that even a 20 minute walk dropped my blood glucose by about 20 points. Running cranked it up but then dropped it about 30 points. On average, most people have their BG drop after exercise. From personal experience I have found heavy lifting like a 5x5 type program lowers my BG all day.

    I have to say that I don't believe that diabetes is ever reversible so much as you can put it into remission. But delaying it as long as possible is a good thing. The most important thing is to stop the rot that comes with diabetes and the only way to really do that is to keep your bg in the proper range. If that requires drugs then that is ok. I take loads of them and I'm maybe about 10 lbs overweight, run 5 miles a few days a week and walk and do circuit training on my off days. I'm hoping to have enough money to join a gym or buy weights soon so I can get back to lifting. I also eat a moderate carb diet. I don't feel I've failed although I feel my body has failed.

    So my suggestion is to ask for a meter when you see the educator. The only real way to control bg is to know what makes it go high and what brings it down. Follow the directions on bloodsugar101 for eating to your meter. As concordancia says, good fat, lean protein, and veggies are good. Whole fruits can be ok or not depending on the person. The more whole grain your grains the slower they are to digest and send sugar into your bloodstream. Look up the glycemic index to see what foods are slower.

    You are lucky you are being warned and have time to do something about it. I know a lot of people who weren't diagnosed until they had a lot of nerve damage or were going blind.
  • I've done that also.Thanks Is wild rice better than brown?
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
    I have a horrible family history of diabetes. Both grandmothers, four aunts, my mother and my only sister all were diagnosed before they turned 70. (My sister was only 40.) Most of them were not significantly overweight. I will be 70 this year and my A1C has never been more than 4.6. My diet isn't wonderful. I have kept my weight down but I eat a lot of ice cream and cookies.

    There have been some recent studies that suggest that walking as little as 15 minutes after a meal can have a significant beneficial effect on blood sugar readings and I think that is what has made me an anomaly in my family. I walk a lot. I have a dog and that helps. It doesn't have to be anything strenuous. It was good that they caught you early and that you are taking action so promptly. That is the attitude that will assure that you beat this. Good luck.
  • Wow..I am amazed by the level of kindness here. There is still hope for humanity. I will definitely look into a meter and seeing a certified diabetes dietitian. I want to tackle this before I get diabetes. Hopefully I wont. Thanks for the advice
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Hello everyone. My name is Leon Scott. I just joined today.

    I was just diagnosed with prediabetes and I am shocked! I am not overweight and I thought I ate relatively well. My mother does have diabetes though so I'm told its genetic but reversible. HELP ANYONE!!! I do not want to develop this. I have started back exercising(vigorously), I might add. I was an avid weight lifter until I had my son over a year ago. I am 5'9 194lbs(39 yrs old) and my A1c was 5.9. Can anyone help guide me to a proper diet plan? I've been looking online and i see a lot of contradictory information. thanks in advance,

    The Diabetes Association website is an excellent resource
    http://www.diabetes.org/
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Hello everyone. My name is Leon Scott. I just joined today.

    I was just diagnosed with prediabetes and I am shocked! I am not overweight and I thought I ate relatively well. My mother does have diabetes though so I'm told its genetic but reversible. HELP ANYONE!!! I do not want to develop this. I have started back exercising(vigorously), I might add. I was an avid weight lifter until I had my son over a year ago. I am 5'9 194lbs(39 yrs old) and my A1c was 5.9. Can anyone help guide me to a proper diet plan? I've been looking online and i see a lot of contradictory information. thanks in advance,

    I'm not pre-diabetic or diabetic but I do have pretty bad insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes if it is left untreated) and severe reactive hypoglycemia.

    My dietician has me on a diet that she uses for diabetics because I need to watch my carb and sugar intake, as do you now.

    This is what she tells me to do: 30-45 g carbs per meal and 15-30 g carbs per snack. Stick to complex carbs… sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, whole wheat bread, lentils, etc. Avoid soda, juice, cookies, cake, muffins, cupcakes as much as possible.

    Do you have a glucose meter? Make sure you are good about testing your blood sugar. First thing in the morning is very important.

    Also, did your doctor put you on Metformin? I take it… 750 mg twice a day. It is an anti-diabetic drug and it has helped me a lot.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I feel your pain. My problem is blood pressure and cholesterol rather than diabetes, though.

    Check out my profile pic. I am far from overweight and never have been overweight, but I have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol and high blood pressure. If I don't stay on the low end of a healthy BMI, my numbers go bad in a hurry.

    Even though I've always exercised and eaten a healthy diet, when I weighed just 10 pounds more than I do now, and I was only 31 years old, I had the cholesterol of the average obese middle-aged male. I was also pre-hypertensive. Thankfully, just dropping those 10 pounds brought my BP under control and my cholesterol down to borderline high. (I also added fish oil so not sure how much that helped.)

    My doctor said people like me won the genetic lottery. It doesn't seem fair to do all the right things and still be hit with this garbage. She says I should do whatever I can through diet, weight management and exercise to AVOID going on meds. Those medications are a slippery slope, so they are the very last resort for me.

    I agree with other posters who suggest talking to a dietician, particularly one who specializes in diabetes management. Pre-diabetes is totally reversible. You are already making some great changes (increasing exercise, etc.) so you should be able to turn this around. :flowerforyou:
  • I love all the positive, helpful suggestions that everyone is providing. Learn as much as you can about diabetes and also how your body responds to exercise and food from your doctor, diabetes educator, and reading on your own. That way you can apply the knowledge to your own individual situation, and that's going to give you the best results. Let us know how you're doing. ~Lynn /Glucerna
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    Hello everyone. My name is Leon Scott. I just joined today.

    I was just diagnosed with prediabetes and I am shocked! I am not overweight and I thought I ate relatively well. My mother does have diabetes though so I'm told its genetic but reversible. HELP ANYONE!!! I do not want to develop this. I have started back exercising(vigorously), I might add. I was an avid weight lifter until I had my son over a year ago. I am 5'9 194lbs(39 yrs old) and my A1c was 5.9. Can anyone help guide me to a proper diet plan? I've been looking online and i see a lot of contradictory information. thanks in advance,

    Send me an emasil if you'd like to talk. Stefanie.raya@gmail.com
    http://www.isagenixhealth.net/how-isagenix-beats-2014s-best-diets/

    You have something to sell I see.
  • Sunka1
    Sunka1 Posts: 217 Member
    If you happen to be in the NE United States, check out TheSuppersProgram.org. Not only does the website have recipes but there are meetings all over and they are not selling anything. You get together and cook for the first 30minutes and the second 30minutes you all sit down and eat and discuss diabetes and other health related topics. The meals are whole foods and recipes cater to the needs of the group. Diabetes groups etc.