Pre Diabetic

triciab79
triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know that something like 20% of all Type 2 Diabetics are not overweight so perhaps some of you will see this and give me some advise.

I am 36yrs old 5'4" and 122lbs. I am fit. I am not skinny on the outside only. I work out 5 days a week for 1.5-2hrs. I have been limiting fast acting carbs as part of my diet since I lost the weight 3yrs ago. My diet and my exercise are nearly perfectly aligned to the goals a doctor would set to avoid diabetes but here I am just diagnosed as pre diabetic.

I took BG reads all of last week to see what was causing the elevated A1C reading and the only numbers that are coming back pre diabetic are my fasting numbers. I don't have any brilliant ideas for controlling my blood sugar while I am sleeping. Does anyone else have this issue? How do you manage it?

I have another blood test in 6 months and she will decide if I need to be medicated at that time. I don't want to be clinging to pills so I would really like to find a way to control this.

Replies

  • bookworm9769
    bookworm9769 Posts: 1 Member
    Your sugar is spiking prior to waking up because of hormones. Try 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bedtime. (I cut it with at least that much water because it's nasty!). But my readings have dropped 30 points!
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    Thanks for the idea! I will try that and see if it helps tomorrow's numbers. :-)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Late night exercise to run down the glucose reserves ?
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Does diabetes run in your family?

    If yes, diabetes might be unavoidable for you. That's just how the cards play out sometimes.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    edited July 2015
    Pre-diabetes = insulin resistance. IR can affect different tissues. In most people with IR, it's muscle tissue, and glucose uptake is reduced causing higher circulating glucose. In others, the liver is IR, and it ignores the signal to stop making glucose (via glycogen release and/or GNG), so you end up with more circulating glucose.

    The muscle form of IR usually improves with exercise.

    The liver form of IR requires significant carb restriction and/or meds.

    What's your current carb intake in terms of daily grams?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    A walk in the evening helps me but you are more fit than I so I may not be enough.

    I switched to low carb high (healthy) fats and that brought me BG right down. Quickly. Once in a while it will jump up to prediabetic range but then it settles back down to a low normal.

    I was also told that blood glucose can rise while you are losing weight/burning fat. I haven't checked that out yet but maybe that is affecting you (if it is correct).
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    Are your bedtime levels within range? Have you done a random 3AM check to see where your BG is at that point?

    What you might be experiencing is called the Dawn Phenomenon -many diabetics experience it. During the Dawn Phenomenon, you experience a rise in BG levels in the early morning hours as a result of metabolic processes that occur during those hours that make one more insulin resistant. The reason why the 3AM check is important is to rule out Somogii effect, which is abnormally high fasting BG levels as a result of nighttime hypoglycemia (all of a sudden, I've been having issues with Somogii lately and am still working on adjusting my insulin dosages). For Dawn Phenomenon as a type 2, could you reduce the amount of carbs you consume during the evening and bedtime and see if that helps your fastings?
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    abatonfan wrote: »
    Are your bedtime levels within range? Have you done a random 3AM check to see where your BG is at that point?

    What you might be experiencing is called the Dawn Phenomenon -many diabetics experience it. During the Dawn Phenomenon, you experience a rise in BG levels in the early morning hours as a result of metabolic processes that occur during those hours that make one more insulin resistant. The reason why the 3AM check is important is to rule out Somogii effect, which is abnormally high fasting BG levels as a result of nighttime hypoglycemia (all of a sudden, I've been having issues with Somogii lately and am still working on adjusting my insulin dosages). For Dawn Phenomenon as a type 2, could you reduce the amount of carbs you consume during the evening and bedtime and see if that helps your fastings?

    This has happened to me, and by cutting the Carbs down in the evening it did improve.
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    I have not tried the random 3AM check, but I will. My doctor gave me no advise at all. I brought a copy of my diet and exercise schedule with readings and she said "Yep looks like you are doing what you are supposed to do". I explained that this was my usual routine and this is the same routine that is giving me the high A1C and elevated morning readings. She just said "Well keep it up and we will check again in 6 months and if its not down I will prescribe some medicine."

    I have tested before bed and before bed readings are lower than morning readings for me.

    Yes my great grandmother was blinded by diabetes and my grandmother and grandfather were both insulin dependent by 60. They were all fit and active so I know genetically I am not an abnormality. I recognize diabetes may not be something I can avoid forever but I have no desire to be blind before I retire.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    The high HbA1c is telling you that it's not just a "dawn effect." Try restricting your carbs to a lower level. Not just low-glycemic, but low-carb. Plenty of good books out there, and this site has some good info:
    http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    I may not be truly low carb but I am pretty close. I eat mostly sugar free and low sugar items and I do not touch white bread, white rice, or even high carb fruit like grapes. Most of my carbs come from berries veggies popcorn and whole grain . I took my reads on a higher than usual carb week (god daughter came to visit and wanted treats) and none of my BG reads were high at all except for my fasting BG read.
  • ms_true
    ms_true Posts: 43 Member
    edited July 2015
    Check out Bitter Melon supplements. It may be worth a shot.

    Library of Medicine

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    triciab79 wrote: »
    I may not be truly low carb but I am pretty close. I eat mostly sugar free and low sugar items and I do not touch white bread, white rice, or even high carb fruit like grapes. Most of my carbs come from berries veggies popcorn and whole grain . I took my reads on a higher than usual carb week (god daughter came to visit and wanted treats) and none of my BG reads were high at all except for my fasting BG read.
    One suggestion is to go very low carb for four days to see whether there is an improvement.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    The high HbA1c is telling you that it's not just a "dawn effect." Try restricting your carbs to a lower level. Not just low-glycemic, but low-carb. Plenty of good books out there, and this site has some good info:
    http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

    This

    High a1c is taking the average of you blood sugar over a 3 month period so individual readings have no effect on it.
    triciab79 wrote: »
    My doctor gave me no advise at all.

    It sounds like you need to ask your doctor to refer you to a Certified Diabetes Educator. They have more diabetes related training and are up on all the newer research, as well as the more peripheral issues. A CDE might have more insight into what is happening and what you can do to keep your a1c lower.


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