Pre-diabetes

mandolynnn81
mandolynnn81 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
I was just diagnosed today with prediabetes, with a fasting blood sugar of 115, and previous tests at 113-118. So I'm freaking out a little. I've gained 20 pounds in the last 6 months and completely exhausted all the time which I learned can be from this. Is there a group here? Anyone else have any tips or resources? My doc gave me some meal plans. There's so much information out there but it would be nice to get info from people in the same position ;)

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I backed away from prediabetes (specifically elevated fasting blood glucose) by restricting eating hours, start by eating your evening meal an hour earlier and breakfast an hour later if you can accommodate that.

    Weight loss as a separate thing will reduce your risk of progressing, and walk 30 mins a day.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited April 2016
    Been there, done that :p My doctor gave me no advice except to lose weight. Did that, and now 50lbs lighter, my fasting glucose number is consistently in the 80s. I did alternate day IF for my weight loss phase and that worked well for me. If you're interested in IF 5:2IF is a popular option as well (its a more laid back version of ADF).

    But really weight loss is pretty straightforward-accurately track your calorie intake, be mindful of portion sizes (food scale set to grams), and hit the calorie number MFP sets for you.
  • SarahPeters3
    SarahPeters3 Posts: 100 Member
    Look at your diet first try to cut out all added sugars which are found in most processed foods. Also cut out all soda. Eat more real food chicken steak vegetables salads you can use nutrition alone to reverse pre diabetes but I suggest doing some cardio going for walKS or using cardio equipment even a few times a week can help
  • klkateri
    klkateri Posts: 432 Member
    My fasting blood sugar was 101. Technically pre-diabetes but my doctor knew I had been working on losing weight and at the same appointment I asked him his thoughts on Keto (very low carb, high fat and moderate protein).

    I thought he was going to... you know what, I don't know what he was going to do to!! Ended up, that was exactly what he was going to recommend and then to retest in 6 months with a goal of losing 30 pounds as well.

    He also had a very different thought on the whole "pre-diabetes" thing. He said that, in his medical opinion, it was a wake up phase. It was a time to get this under control, change your life a bit or suffer the very real consequences of where your heading.

    Now, I've been on this WoE since January and I don't have my physical till June which, I'm both excited and nervous for!! I don't know my fasting blood sugar number but I'm seriously considering get a monitor so I can self test at home but I can say that I feel better than I did in January.

    I also make myself exercise more. More walking, more light weights, more movement in general.

    I don't know if my WoE would help you but I think cutting out the crap, pre-boxed, sugar filled, "diet" crap I was eating and changing to "real food" (steaks, eggs, bacon, cheese, dark green veggies, easy on the fruit, nuts, whole fat dairy) has really helped!!

    Best of luck!!

    PS --- Feel free to add me!!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I was prediabetic too. I went very low carb high fat (ketogeic) to reverse it. I cut sugars, foods with added sugars and sugar substitutes like honey, baked goods made from grains and whole grains, and limited my starchy veggies and high sugar fruits like potatoes and grapes. It worked very well.

    There is a T2D group in MFP, and there is also the Low Carber Daily, where many of us with insulin resistance who treated themselves with a LCHF diet hang out.

    I also recommend reading Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. Great LCHF promoting book.

    Best wishes.
  • mmarshall74
    mmarshall74 Posts: 183 Member
    edited April 2016
    I reversed my diabetes from 2/2015 with A1C of 10.3 to now 4.8 off all medications. I cut down significantly on starches and other high glycemic index foods (breads, pasta, potatoes, grains, rice, etc) and now most of my carbs are fruits and vegetables and low glycemic index carbs, but I don't have to go low carbs... I eat about 240g of carbs per day. Lost 85lbs helped a ton also. You can reverse/prevent diabetes especially in a pre-diabetic state. Also, talk to a dietician to help set your carb goals and realistic calorie deficit for weight loss. Use MFP to track, it works. Resistance training to increase muscle mass helps manage blood sugar also (more muscle = higher blood sugar metabolism). Also, test your blood sugar very very often to determine which food affect your blood sugar the most and which don't. Each person is different, yet, high glycemic index carbs will increase everyone's blood sugar. I have no problems eating any fruits, but some people do... test test test.
  • ernestrodgers82
    ernestrodgers82 Posts: 203 Member
    edited April 2016
    You need to look at the DASH Diet which will help reverse both pre-diabetes and high blood pressure. Check it out here. Plus there is a MFP group for the DASH Diet along with plenty of web resources. I did it, you can too!
  • Dana_E
    Dana_E Posts: 158 Member
    I went opposite everyone else. Last August, I had a fasting BG of 107, my insulin was up around 11 or 12, and my A1C was 5.7. I also had awful cholesterol numbers and hypothyroidism. I did not want to take the $$$ statin they were going to prescribe. I chose to eat a whole-food plant-based diet, focusing mostly on green leafy veggies, some whole grains, beans, nuts & seeds, onions, garlic, veggies, mushrooms, berries, some fruit, and so forth. No animal products, no oils, minimal sweeteners, foods as close to their natural state as possible. My macros are around 80/20/20, so high carb. When I had my blood work done last month, my A1C was 5.1, my insulin was 4, and my fasting glucose was 78. My cholesterol numbers were perfect, and I no longer have hypothyroidism (it was non-Hashimoto's). I was ecstatic.
    Sometimes you have to hit a wall to find a door.
    There are lots of different diets that will help you reverse pre diabetes. This one worked for me and very well. I think the key is to focus on eating minimally processed foods, even if you choose to include animal products. Just please do something for your health! I'm an RN, and I worked with so many patients who would rather die slow, expensive, painful, debilitating deaths from diabetes than eat vegetables! It's really sad.
    Best of luck to you!
  • Bibia2418
    Bibia2418 Posts: 80 Member
    There is a group called Diabetics On A Diet, which I am a member of. You might want to see if there is anything there. I am on a journey to regain my health and hopefully get off of my meds. I am doing at least 10000 steps a day, I have lost 15 lbs. and my fasting blood sugar fell from 190s to around the low 100s. I'm am watching what I eat, as well. I live in the real world and I eat real food, however, I am looking into eating alternatives to help myself because I can do better, I know I can. I am on a good start, though! Best of luck to you and I hope you find lots of useful information!!
  • Dana_E
    Dana_E Posts: 158 Member
    Sorry, I need to make a small correction. My A1C was 5.9, not 5.7.
  • mandolynnn81
    mandolynnn81 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for all the tips! I feel like I got so much information I don't remember any of what she said but now Ive been looking at the handouts now.
    I have done low carb in 2014/2015 and lost 40 pounds, but after I went back to school last fall I started gaining it back(I'm in nursing school-I should know better!?!)
    So now I'm back to it, although she said she wants me to eat less meat than my previous low carb plan and more fruit, which I don't really understand yet.
    She's also worried about my fatty liver, I've had slightly elevated liver enzymes for 2 years except when I was low carb, and now they are 3x the limit so she's running more tests on my liver function and I have to go in for an ultrasound.
    I thought it was my thyroid originally because I can't make it past noon without a nap ( so I drink a lot of espresso and eat more sugary stuff than I used to) and I'm working out but not losing weight, but I guess exhaustion can be a symptom of prediabetes?
    Good to feel like I'm not alone!
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    I was diagnosed as prediabetic 7 years ago at 210lbs. I have since lost 60 lbs, and now my numbers make my doc happy. I exersise a lot(because I love it), and try to eat healthy, nutrient full foods. I cannot eat wheat due to migraines so that cuts out some higher carb stuff which helps I am sure.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I had one point into the pre diabetes category, but I have put on 60lbs in a year and I know losing the weight will put me into normal range. I believe my fasting glucose was 101. Exercise and eat properly, lose weight, and you'll reverse it.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Dana_E wrote: »
    Sorry, I need to make a small correction. My A1C was 5.9, not 5.7.

    you also need to fix this ;-)
    My macros are around 80/20/20, so high carb.

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