Newly Prediabetic: My Villain Origin Story

glassyo
glassyo Posts: 7,586 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Soooooooo, I, Ms. I Love Carbs So Much I'd Marry Them, have been finally diagnosed as prediabetic.

TL:DR: I have questions. Please have answers :) I still don't fancy cook (more than two or three ingredients on a stove or in the oven) and don't want to but I can now hard boil eggs in the microwave and do like a riced cauliflower/canned chicken/no sugar added soy sauce dealie and stick a chicken breast in a crockpot with water and some kind of seasoning and not die eating it.

You know how you have a specific question you google and then that info brings up more questions so you start googling info on those and that brings up..... :)

Basically, I started down the internet rabbit hole by googling what causes it (because I was doubting myself on the whole sugar doesn't cause it thing) and how to reverse it and ended up wondering if I should get a blood glucose monitor and which fruits and veggies have the lowest carbs and all sorts of fun stuff.

My first problem is, out all the things that can cause it, it's basically age that put me here and my grandmother was diabetic so that may be part of it altho I think the skipping a generation thing I learned in jr high was debunked.

Because of that, I can't do the two best things to reverse it because, except for the 5 lbs I gained at the end of last year (hey, maybe *that's* what put me over), I'm not overweight and if I exercised anymore, I'd get zero sleep and be doing zero work. (Take a sec to take a deep breath after reading that sentence :)) So changing my diet it is!

(I know....see a registered dietician...)

I'm just looking for tips (and you guys are smarties and have ideas!) on how to change things from how I eat now. And maybe some reassurance I'm going down the right path.

In a nutshell (god, this is gonna be long....sorry), pre fatal blood test, my macro split was 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat. I actually stopped paying attention to carbs a loooooong time ago because I knew I wouldn't care but recently readded it. When it comes to the carbs, I'm a Simple girl :) Cookies, white or wheat bread, rice, cereal, mostly milk chocolate, some fruit and veggies and protein in there too. I try to stay low fat because of the calories that could be used on carbs.

I also recently went back to see what I was eating the last time I was tested (2 1/2 years ago) and was still under 5.7 and THEY WERE THE EXACT SAME FOODS!!! Even close to the same calories. WTH?!

I don't IF but I do still eat most of my food all at one time at night but I'm also mindlessly snacky during the day. Those 5 lbs I gained were because I got overly mindlessly snacky.

These were the paths I went down. Questions in no particular order:

1, Is it too soon to think about a blood glucose monitor? Are there ones that are cheap, accurate, finger prickless, or the finger pricking doesn't hurt? I actually spent a long time looking at some, couldn't make up my mind, finally talked to my doctor who said right now they go for just doing the a1c test every three months, decided not to worry for now, changed my mind.

2. I like the quantity of food. Like 12 mini crackers (or a sheet of graham crackers broken up into pieces). I'm figuring swapping those out for fruits or veggies but I'm limited on the veggies I can eat because I can't really bite into anything too hard. I've tried mushrooms. I don't particularly like them but had them with a ranch dip. Still didn't particularly like them :) Green beans are next! Any other things I can try that are maybe higher in fiber as well?

3. Speaking of which, can I do net carbs?

4. I still have quite the inventory of cookies (have I mentioned I like cookies??? :)) and chocolate that I REALLY don't want to have to get rid of. Is there any kind of protein/fats to carbs ratio to help slow the absorbtion rate?

5. Am I gonna have to worry about meal timing now(????) so it's more of a steady stream of carbs and not a big ole tidal wave? And why am I seeing that IF is good for diabetics when, depending on the window, it can be a tidal wave?

6. I know I know better but I've suddenly been going down the supplement route and *is* there any supplement I can take to help with keeping blood sugar low and metabolising carbs and all that fun stuff? Probiotics and magnesium were the latest I've been looking at. All I can say is my magnesium during the one time it was tested back in 2015 seemed fine.

I ended up buying a mulberry/cinnamon extract blood sugar support supplement (Spring Valley) but haven't started taking it yet.

OKAY! This has been in my drafts for weeks. I'm pulling the plug. Thanks, as always, for any help. :)
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Replies

  • Janellew86
    Janellew86 Posts: 33 Member
    Hey, I read your post. Cut out the white bread, and reduce your sweets. <3
  • cupcakecravings
    cupcakecravings Posts: 23 Member
    Hi there.

    I have heard that taking Berberine can help with blood sugars - but I don't take it.

    I have started IF in the last two weeks and I am doing better with watching my carbs. That said, I've also indulged in some sweets like cookies, cupcakes, and cheesecake. However, I have completely cut out bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes for now. I also cut out high carb fruits like bananas and apples. I love them, but I've been trying to eat more strawberries and blueberries when I need a fruit fix.

    IF has definitely helped with my blood glucose readings. I have PCOS, which seems to have a pretty heavy correlation with insulin resistance and difficulty losing weight. So. You know. That sucks. I think the fasting is working to regulate my eating window, which has severely cut down on my snacking. And trying to be more mindful about my food choices has helped too.

    I don't have any particular wisdom to share, other than reducing your carb intake (my macro goals are currently Carbs: 15%, Protein: 60%, Fats: 25%) will probably be beneficial. And IF is a great way to cut down on the extra snacking - if you can be strict with yourself.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,885 Member
    edited May 2023
    You need to give your pancreatic beta cells a break from producing those really high amounts of insulin to compensate for the amount of circulating glucose your making. Even at 5.7 there's lots of neuropathies happening from years of hyperinsulinemia.

    Your not overweight and you exercise a lot, so those interventions are off the table, so to speak and a lifestyle intervention and possibly medication if the first choice fails is probably the best course of action. Fasting specifically "time restricted feeding" like an 18:6 would extend the time you go without eating which allows your insulin levels to normalize the best it can and remain in that state, during those hours of fasting which does increase insulin sensitivity.

    Considering the way you've described your prowess in the kitchen, cooking and consuming whole foods is not your forte and consume what appears to be quite a bit of ultra processed foods. Obviously a low carb diet is suggested to be not only a good course of action but in lifestyle clinics where they specialize in diabetes and other non communicable lifestyle diseases it's the go to diet. That's probably a big ask at this time I'm assuming, but replacing some of your cookies and biscuits with something considered closer to a whole food would help. A "Mediterranean" diet or similar might help. I see cooking classes in your future.

    It's basically commitment and the realization that nothing good is coming down the road if you don't address this now, and worst case is you lose a limb or your eyesight. I know yummy food is yummy but it's time to kick most of the cookies to the curb and have them as an occasional treat. good luck and cheers.
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,731 Member
    Look into what the folks here have to suggest and what strategies they follow https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1772-type-2-diabetes-support-group
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited May 2023
    So what's stopping you from seeing a registered dietician, especially now that you have your prediabetes diagnosis so can presumably get a referral easily?

    While you're waiting for that visit, consider donating some of your cookie inventory to a food pantry and eat less cookies / more fruit.

    https://examine.com/conditions/prediabetes/

    ...Plant-based dietary patterns that emphasize the consumption of whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables may be particularly beneficial for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.[5]

    ***********

    You mentioned your pre-diagnosis macro split of 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat - what is it now?

    https://examine.com/conditions/prediabetes/faq/PlYARlm-how-does-a-high-protein-diet-affect-people-with-prediabetes/

    How Does A High-Protein Diet Affect People With Prediabetes?

    Evidence suggests that a high-protein diet promotes superior improvements in glycemic control than a lower-protein, higher-carbohydrate diet. In two 6-month randomized controlled trials that provided all meals to participants, a high-protein diet (30% of energy from protein, 40% from carbohydrate, 30% from fat) and a high-carbohydrate diet (15% of energy from protein, 55% from carbohydrate, 30% from fat) facilitated similar weight loss, and both diets facilitated improvements in markers of glycemic control and beta-cell function compared to baseline, but improvements were greater with the high-protein diet.[1][2] Furthermore, in one of these studies, which only included participants with prediabetes, 100% of participants in the high-protein diet group no longer met the criteria for prediabetes at the end of the study, while only 33% of participants in the high-carbohydrate diet group accomplished this feat.[2]
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited May 2023
    While the first examine link does have some info on supplements, as someone who used to be in the Marketing department for a supplements company, I'd caution you against that route without speaking to a RD. I do see two supplements mentioned on this thread listed on examine, but then you need to dig in to make sure YOUR supplement contains the same amount AND FORM that was shown to have benefits in studies. My company used to add an ingredient so we could claim, "Clinically shown to...!" but what we left out was that the study used 100 mg doses and our product only contained 1 mg. <-- Actual example. /smh/

    Re: form - forms of iron were very important for me to consider when I was anemic. One form improved my iron levels but not my energy levels and another sent me to urgent care with the worse pain I've had in my life. Studies have shown forms of vitamin E have different effects. I have no idea if this is a concern for blood sugar supplements, but it's something to think about.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited May 2023
    glassyo wrote: »
    Soooooooo, I, Ms. I Love Carbs So Much I'd Marry Them, have been finally diagnosed as prediabetic.

    ...2. I like the quantity of food. Like 12 mini crackers (or a sheet of graham crackers broken up into pieces). I'm figuring swapping those out for fruits or veggies but I'm limited on the veggies I can eat because I can't really bite into anything too hard. I've tried mushrooms. I don't particularly like them but had them with a ranch dip. Still didn't particularly like them :) Green beans are next! Any other things I can try that are maybe higher in fiber as well?

    One of my higher volume snacks is 4 oz cottage cheese and 4 oz fruit cup. Most of my snacks are lower volume. I can eat a ton of crackers or graham crackers, but when I pair crackers with protein and fat, I need less calories and volume to feel satisfied. YMMV, but give it a try :wink:

    Examples: part of an apple with some cheese and nuts. Crackers with mustard, cheese, pre-cooked chicken sausage. Alternate bites of this with apple. Or, if you'd like a vegetable that is softer than a carrot, try red bell pepper. You could also have peppers with hummus.

    Berries are a higher fiber/lower carb fruit. I have them with Greek yogurt as part of breakfast and part of my bed time snack. I've been adding soaked chia seeds for a fiber boost lately. Oh, except for when berries are in season locally, I buy frozen. They are cheaper, convenient, and I don't have to worry about spoilage.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,097 Member
    Personally, I would suggest low carb, moderate protein, higher fat. Just a note, you said your A1C numbers went up from a previous blood test and you were eating the same things. That is because you are insulin resistant and continuing to eat the same things is just going to push your insulin resistance further and further. At the very least you need to cut back carbs to a far more moderate amount like 35-40% instead of 60%.
  • laurachambers86
    laurachambers86 Posts: 152 Member
    Hate to say it but the cookies, white bread etc have to go if you want to reverse things. My nan ended up with diabetes and lost her leg as a result, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. My dad has it but it's almost in "remission" (if that's the right term) because he's sorted out his diet with medical support. Definitely see a registered dietician if you have that option as they can give you more advice, but swapping out some of your carb-heavy treats for fruit/veggies will help.
  • jengerbeatty
    jengerbeatty Posts: 39 Member
    Diabetes is in my genetics, big time, so I have to be very careful.
    The best information that I found about what causes diabetes and how to get rid of it is Dr. Neal Barnard - just google him. He's super informative and explains things very clearly, in my opinion.
    Good luck!
    Honestly, I would recommend not just 'managing the numbers' of diabetes, but radically overhauling your diet, if needed, to not have it in the first place. I've seen first hand all the side-effects of diabetic medication - and they don't help the diabetes at all, they just make the numbers look better. Better to avoid all of that, again, my opinion.
  • lyhenry
    lyhenry Posts: 6 Member
    For your question about IF, I found The Obesity Code book to be very helpful in understanding insulin resistance. In fact, it’s been a while, so I’m going to read it again! Maybe it will remind me…
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
    Hard to see people who know what to do .. but want to excuse their way out of it.. like wishing will make it all go away.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,885 Member
    edited May 2023
    You mentioned you were not overweight and it didn't dawn on me until just now that when someone has diabetes and is of normal weight their risk for disease is much much higher, around double of what an obese individual is for heart disease for example, strange but true. I need to preface that by saying there is a difference if you've lost weight and are now considered normal weight as opposed to someone that has never been overweight, and this relates to the people that are of normal weight and have never been obese but have diabetes, just to make that clear.

    To explain this it's important to understand the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is basically an evolutionary adaption and represents about 85% of all our adipose tissue and it's to store and supply energy in times of lean or infrequent food supply or in the face of starvation. Unlike all other primates that have single digit body fat of 8 or 9%, humans have adapted to store energy as adipose and it's not uncommon to see indigenous peoples from different cultures to have body fat in the 15 to 30% area. The main reason is for the brain which constitutes 2% by weight but uses about 20% of our energy, so it's kind of important that we don't run out of food or energy, hence the adaption. Subcutaneous fat is not associated with the normal obesity related diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer for example and can be protective actually keeping the body warm and protecting vital organs and joints for example, which was pretty much a fundamental prerequisite to stay alive for most of human existence. It's also why a person can be obese and be perfectly healthy. Crazy I know, but true. Humans are not workout influencers or fashion models and we have by design a decent amount of fat on us and that's ok, it just can't cross the fat barrier into visceral fat., that's a no no.

    Visceral fat, that's a totally different ballgame basically. When doctors refuse to do surgery on some obese individuals it's not because they simply weight too much it's because the visceral fat actually gets in the way for visualization and minimally invasive surgery. Visceral fat is fatty liver, in the muscle visceral fat can be described as sarcopenia and when we fill our normal adipocytes in our subcutaneous reservoirs which depending on the person have different capacities before they spill over into the abdominal cavity and becoming ground zero for inflammation which then influences all the non commutable diseases like heart disease, liver, kidney disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer and the list goes on. Fortunately visceral fat can be handled with lifestyle adaptions and exercise, but really the big influence here is exercise first and foremost and of course diet and like quite a few here have already said, one with more whole foods and fewer carbs and certainly refined carbs and sugar. Cheers.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,586 Member
    *peeks in*

    I'm still here. Thanks to everyone who's answered (and actually read that long assed post). I need to reread and take notes and answer questions. But maybe after I deal with the fact that after a... mishap...my apt looks like a crime scene and I may or may not be having low key panic attacks because of it.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,940 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    *peeks in*

    I'm still here. Thanks to everyone who's answered (and actually read that long assed post). I need to reread and take notes and answer questions. But maybe after I deal with the fact that after a... mishap...my apt looks like a crime scene and I may or may not be having low key panic attacks because of it.

    What's going on? Is alcohol involved? Cake? What kind of crime scene?

    That is a pretty cryptic post...
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,168 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    I can't do the two best things to reverse it because, except for the 5 lbs I gained at the end of last year

    Don't be 5 lbs overweight. Determine a healthy range for yourself, and experiment with being on the lower end of it. It could have a big impact on your blood panel.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,586 Member
    chris_in_cal wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    I can't do the two best things to reverse it because, except for the 5 lbs I gained at the end of last year

    Don't be 5 lbs overweight. Determine a healthy range for yourself, and experiment with being on the lower end of it. It could have a big impact on your blood panel.

    I'm 110 lbs. I was 105 before the 5 lb weight gain. Like I said, I CAN'T lose anymore :)

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