Prediabetes
Dominique14614
Posts: 45 Member
I was recently diagnosed with pre diabetes. I've done low carb off and on for the last few years but This time around I am going to fully commit to the lifestyle. My doctor said it is currently reversible if I change my lifestyle. Has anyone else used low-carb as a way to reverse pre diabetes?
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Yes! I was diagnosed with prediabetes about 4 years ago (both parents have Type II, plus a sister, both grandmothers, etc.). I went on a lower carb diet (Dukan, though after researching more I'm doing LCHF but Dukan worked at the time!). I lost about 10% of my body weight and reversed the prediabetes. My fasting glucose and A1C have been good since then, thankfully.0
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We have members here that not only warded off pre diabetes but reversed T2D entirely, even after years on meds and insulin. I'm sure some will chime in with their great success stories. It is important to know that going low carb for this purpose will best serve you as a lifelong choice. Going back to old eating habits typically comes with all the same conditions it did the first time.
I didn't choose LC for that purpose and I still can't see ever going back.
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Both of my parents are type II diabetics, and I was headed towards it too! With LCHF I know I won't ever have that to deal with that. That's why I will be LCHF forever! I know if I return to eating the way I did the same problems would be waiting for me! The prevention, and cure, provided by LCHF is awesome, but there isn't a finish line. Going back to eating the foods we think we love (but do they love you back?) should never be the goal! Best of luck! You can do it too!!0
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Lost 24% of my body weight and went from standard diet to lower carb to keto and went off my medication for T2D. But as many said keto will serve you better if it's a life long commitment. Even my Dr told me if I change my diet it will come back.0
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Ppl will tell you (a nurse and a doctor each told me years apart) that "pre diabetes" doesn't exist - that it's a nice way of easing you into the lifelong sentence of diabetes. But they will also tell you once you are diabetic, you are never cured.
I don't know if that's true, because if I eat sugar and starch again, then yes I have awful blood sugars and gain weight. BUT, you can definitely reverse your blood sugar numbers by staying on a LCHF diet. I have.
I am completely off diabetes meds (glucophage), and I'm still having low sugar numbers. But only IF I stay away from carbs (sugars and starches). I can even have beans and nuts and diary with no discernible difference, tho I'm aware some ppl can't. I was a 300+ BS diabetic before going low carb over a year ago. My numbers aren't perfect yet, but my last a1c was 6.3! Much better than my first a1c of close to 10 (a1c measures three months of blood sugar levels). I'm on this WOL for the lower sugars, and I don't worry too much about weight loss. I do wonder tho, once I lose all the weight I want to lose, if my blood sugars will still rise so much if I eat sugar. Time will tell.0 -
I am prediabetic too... or was... or am if I eat carbs or even too much (protein) in one sitting. LOL
I eat a ketogenic diet. My BG seems to go up if I go over 20-30g carbs in a day, or eat more than 15g of carbs at one sitting. Late last night I (stupidly) had about a 1/3c of coconut with some almonds and cacao nibs, and this morning my FBG was prediabetic at 6.1. If I slip at all my BG goes up, especially my FBG which seems to be strongly affected by any evening snacks... Boo.
A very LCHF diet is definitely something I need to stick with for life. A medically necessary diet really. Thankfully I feel MUCH better when I eat this way so it isn't hard to stick with. The benefits heavily outweigh the costs of this way of eating for me. Prediabetic reversal only lasts as long as I eat a very LCHF diet.
Good luck to you. I hope you have great success with the low carb diet.
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Yes. I was prediabetic when I started following LCHF back at the beginning of September 2014. It's been about 16 months now and no longer considered prediabetic by my doctors (have eliminated 135 pounds to date). Even though I used Keto to "reverse" prediabetes, this is a way of eating (WOE) which I will be following for the rest of my life because, at least for me, that's the only way that I will be able to keep from descending into full blown diabetes (it runs in the family: mom is T2 Diabetic, her mom was too). Thank you, but no. I love this WOE so I have no problem with being a Keto Lifer.0
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I was diagnosed Type 2 in July. I lost 35 lbs and now have an AIC of 6%. Still working at it. I struggle with low carb as I LOVE carbs but know that they are part of the problem. I seem to be able to keep them around 100gms per day and this is working for me at this time. Bottom line is losing weight and watching your carbs is what you need to do!0
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I was diagnosed with prediabetes also, my Dr. suggested that I lose weight with LC and put me on Metformin. I'm starting today and would welcome any support you have to offer.0
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I was diagnosed a "somewhere in the diabetes spectrum" on October 2 - A1C of 7.2 (full blown T2 diabetes according to anything I read).
I began eating low carbs that day - I don't believe I've gone over 50 net carbs since that day. I did my first blood test 3 days later. My blood tests, since the first day of testing, have rarely been outside of the range for a person without diabetes (and only when I'm testing something to see whether I can tolerate it - or fasting when I'm very short on sleep (pre-diabetic range).
I have no illusions that I am reversing diabetes - and I suspect that even when I am in the normal weight range I will still be insulin resistant (and unable to consume more than a minimal level of carbs), because everyone my age or older (regardless of weight or exercise) who is a descendant of my grandfather has been diagnosed with diabetes. But I'm pretty sure I'll be able to keep it under control if I can stick with a low carb diet.
My goal is under 50 net carbs a day, but I focus more on how I react to what I consume at one time. (I don't respond equally to all foods with the same carb content.)
Good luck!0 -
^^^that.0
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I have PCOS which makes me high risk for Dia eyes. I've developed some insulin resistance and low carbing is pushing me in the right direction. I'm focusing on net carbs and I've had a fasting blood sugar averaging in the low 70s without Metformin.0
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I was diagnosed type 2 5'ish years ago, initial a1c was 7.5. I was able to get my numbers into a normal range on a "standard" diet but was miserable. With keto I have gotten off all meds and my blood sugar readings are always ideal. For the last year and a half my a1c is under 4.5, essentialy in a non-diabetic range. When I slip up and eat carbs blood sugars and brain fog and energy problems and everything else comes back within a few days. So this way of eating is for life for me, but I like eating low carb. The food is good and I feel great when I'm on plan.0
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I'm a type 2 diabetic and take insulin. I was injecting 310 units of insulin a day and just 3 weeks after committing to a LCHF diet I'm now only taking 55 units of insulin each day to maintain the same low blood sugar levels and I expect that to continue to decrease as I lose weight and add exercise into the mix. I managed to reduce my insulin levels on a keto diet over the summer, but was trying to keep to 20 net carbs and that was causing a number of side effects that were not pleasant. I've increased my net carbs a bit and decreased my calories and am achieving better results this time around with no side effects. And the extra few carbs are making it much more sustainable for me. I will always be a diabetic, it's definitely not reversible for me at this point, but I'm very confident that I can get to the point where I can control it with diet and exercise alone.
Good luck Dominique! I wish I had learned about the benefits of going ultra low carb when I was first diagnosed as pre-diabetic.0 -
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto Updated
Blog #9 Fasting, Diabetic ~ Glucose/Sugar Levels
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program0 -
PaleoInScotland wrote: »I'm a type 2 diabetic and take insulin. I was injecting 310 units of insulin a day and just 3 weeks after committing to a LCHF diet I'm now only taking 55 units of insulin each day to maintain the same low blood sugar levels and I expect that to continue to decrease as I lose weight and add exercise into the mix. I managed to reduce my insulin levels on a keto diet over the summer, but was trying to keep to 20 net carbs and that was causing a number of side effects that were not pleasant. I've increased my net carbs a bit and decreased my calories and am achieving better results this time around with no side effects. And the extra few carbs are making it much more sustainable for me. I will always be a diabetic, it's definitely not reversible for me at this point, but I'm very confident that I can get to the point where I can control it with diet and exercise alone.
Good luck Dominique! I wish I had learned about the benefits of going ultra low carb when I was first diagnosed as pre-diabetic.
@PaleoInScotland welcome to this MFP forum and for sharing your great success already.0 -
A cautionary note: You cannot reverse diabetes. It's always there. If you get your glucose levels normal by eating lchf or keto, you have to keep using that food plan. If you go back to a higher carb food plan, your glucose levels will go back up. This is really important because it's all too easy to think "reversed" = "cured" and you can then eat whatever you want.0
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Mamarose1900 wrote: »A cautionary note: You cannot reverse diabetes. It's always there. If you get your glucose levels normal by eating lchf or keto, you have to keep using that food plan. If you go back to a higher carb food plan, your glucose levels will go back up. This is really important because it's all too easy to think "reversed" = "cured" and you can then eat whatever you want.
100% agree! BUT....also so glad I found a WOE I can live with for the rest of my life and enjoy!0 -
Mamarose1900 wrote: »A cautionary note: You cannot reverse diabetes. It's always there. If you get your glucose levels normal by eating lchf or keto, you have to keep using that food plan. If you go back to a higher carb food plan, your glucose levels will go back up. This is really important because it's all too easy to think "reversed" = "cured" and you can then eat whatever you want.
@Mamarose1900 welcome MFP forums.
Where type 2 diabetes can be cured or not will be better known when the cause of type 2 diabetes is known it seems. I found the below article raised more questions for me on the subject.
cancertutor.com/diabetes_type_ii/0
