Wake up call, trying to work on bettering myself daily.

There's this documentary on Netflix called " Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" you should watch it! It's really interesting and informative. Obviously you shouldn't attempt juice fasting without your doctors permission, but maybe just start taking small steps with juicing in the right direction. Check it out!

Hi there,

I just want to wish you success in your journey towards getting this frightening issue under control. Also, I am sure you will be able to stay off the medication if you are diligent with your new approach to logging/eating healthier. Something else to think about...I have heard that moderate exercise (even just a little bit of walking, daily) will do great things for your blood sugar levels if you are running a little too high in that regard. I seriously wish you all the best. Several friends and relatives of mine have recently found out they are prediabetic, and I know that is a scary, scary thing.

just eat(at a deficit) and lift

There's this documentary on Netflix called " Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" you should watch it! It's really interesting and informative. Obviously you shouldn't attempt juice fasting without your doctors permission, but maybe just start taking small steps with juicing in the right direction. Check it out!

No. This documentary is mostly bullocks.

Eat real food, get variety so you get all the nutrients you need, eat at a deficit, move around a bit. Don't overcomplicate things - weightloss doesn't have to be complicated - it just requires consistency. Make changes that you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life, not quick fixes.

All you need to do is make better food choices. More healthy, fresh foods, lean meats, protein sources. Be creative and get cooking. Less fast food, and move more. MFP is a real eye opener. It can be surprising how many calories are in the foods we eat. Just don't try to rush things. It takes time to lose weight. You can either spend that time gaining or losing. The choice is yours. Extreme diets do not work. The only thing that will work, is something you can stick to for the rest of your life. If not, you'll just end up giving up and gaining back the weight. Give it time, you will notice changes soon enough. Don't starve yourself. Start doing some strength training, also. Muscle helps increase your metabolism, by burning more calories. Good luck!

The sodium content (I don't eat red meat because of religious beliefs), and it seems like an easy way to reduce saturated fats from the diet. Would it be wiser to just restrict it to once or twice a week or something?

Why are you so concerned about sodium?

We do require sodium in our bodies. And also fat. If you want to eat leaner cuts of meat in order to save some calories, or if it's your preference, that's fine. There is no reason why you couldn't eat meat daily.

Since you don't have a lot of info posted on your profile, I'm going to assume you are fairly new to all of this. There is no need to cut out foods (obviously if you have religious beliefs that is different, I'm not referring to that.)

Keep it simple - eat at a moderate deficit and do some activity.

Here is a link with some basic advice that I think is helpful, and there are additional links provided if you are not sure how many calories to be eating per day, that kind of thing.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this.

Don't cut meat out of your diet. PLEASE don't cut meat out of your diet. Meat has a very low glycemic index. I have hypoglycemia, and sometimes I have to deal with insulin shock, and it's pretty scary. Eating mostly carb foods can cause your blood glucose levels to be all over the place. High at the end of a starchy meal, and plummet a few hours later. Then you end up trying to compensate by eating even more carbs to try to feel better, and the blood sugar goes back up. It's a vicious cycle. With a diabetic, it can be very dangerous to do this. You want to try to keep your blood glucose relatively level as best you can.

Protein and fats help you stay on an even keel. Protein and fats are low glycemic foods, filling foods, and nutritious foods. Of course don't give up carbs, but balance them.

Try upping the protein, not reducing it. Chicken, fish, even tofu. If you don't eat red meat for religious reasons, then you're not getting much in the way of saturated fats from your protein sources. Chicken, if you take the skin off, doesn't have much in the way of fats. But I'd advise you to eat the skin and count the calories. Don't go low fat.

Hey, first thing - it is never too late. I am in similar position as you - I am 27, 201 pounds, maybe close to prediabetic, because my numbers were 7,7 and 7,9 few weeks ago. I did not get medication because my morning levels of sugar are still normal. But I realized that I have to do something with my life style, because I have close relatives with diabetes, so I know how hard is to live with it. I started with some small changes, that I can do for long time - walking few times per week, watching my portion. I set my MFP to a slow weight loss and I am feeling great (and did not have high blood sugar since)
I would definitely recommend seeing a nutritionist and tracking your food, so you can see, where your biggest problems are.
I send you a friend request, if you have some question, feel free to ask.