Scared....Almost Pre-diabetic!

You can do this. This is the reason why I stopped the challenge. The food challenges messed with my sugar levels. I can only have so many carbs, and with the fruits it cut things I wanted and I felt unhappy and on a diet. Where I have been on a lifestyle change for over a year. If you watch your sugar intake you should do well.

Tausha, that is one of the reasons I began this weight loss journey. My blood sugars are now down in the normal range. My husband is diabetic, although very slender. I went through all of His classes and learned that even a 10 pound loss can help. You just need to keep logging faithfully stay at your goal and it will happen. I think it is best to do it slowly so you can stick with it.

You know I've found the challenges were not that helpful to me either because the focus was not always on the things I needed to be doing for my own success. I love the encouragement from friends but I think it is easier without the pressure of the group weigh ins, etc.

You are young. I'm sure you can conquer it!

You're lucky to be told this when you're not even quite "more" -- and even luckier than you are concerned about it. Even losing 10 lbs can drastically change your numbers...

The biggest culprit are bad carbs.... get rid of white bread, rice, donuts, pancakes, waffles etc.... start cooking with lower glycemic/higher protein grains like quinoa, quinoa flour, millet, amaranth etc...

Increase your protein -- greek yogurt, protein shakes, lean meat like chicken, turkey etc.

I am no longer diabetic but I will eat as though I am for the rest of my life... its pretty simple once you get used to it. Luckily for you there are also about a zillion low carb, low glycemic and diabetic cookbooks.

PS Adding in even a 15 minute walk a day to start will also be a huge help.

I was diagnosed with diabetes last year and it became very important for me to get the extra weight off. If you can do it now that will help a lot!. The more weight I lose the better my blood sugars become. I gave up any sugared drinks and drink mostly water, and some crystal light. I try not to have diet soda except occasionally. I eat fresh fruit and veggies a lot and have cut back on meat consumption as well and we are slowly trying to cut out processed foods ( not an easy thing as I have found!). I do have snacks on occasion because I feel like total deprivation leads to more over eating. And start walking. I started at 245 lbs, and could only walk 1/4 milk but slowly built up as I lost more weight. I have lost 69 pounds (just waiting for the 70th to come off any day now and walk 4-5 miles 5 days a week and my blood sugars are now normal all the time. ( I do have to take meds as well) If you can do those things now and prevent it it will be the best thing for you. I was a bit shell shocked after I found out, but it did light a fire under me to improve my quality of life and hopefully a very long one as well. All the best to you!

Take a deep breath. I have been prediabetic for over 10 years and despite knowing better I did nothing. Started feeling a little off a couple of months ago so took fasting blood sugars for a week. Over 200 every day!! My daughter recommended this sight. Put myself on an 1800 ADA. Went for blood work after 45 days and my CBG was 109 and my HA1C was 6.6!!! Never to late to change and now is the perfect time for you. I feel so much better. Good luck

back in november i was prediabetic and had high blood pressure. i'm dark skinned so i was starting to develop those dark skin patches at the back of my neck and under my arms that signal insulin issues. i also couldnt walk up a few steps from the train without feeling like i was going to have a heart attack. my hands, feet and ankles were swelling on a daily basis

luckily i got to my doctor's in time for the diagnoses. it was a HUGE wake up call. i knew i was 80-90 pounds overweight but i still kept eating whatever. getting those diagnoses from my doctor was what i needed to hear though to get my *kitten* together.

i didnt want to take meds so i agreed with my doctor to give a weightloss plan a go for 3 months and then come back and see where i'm at. i was also diagnosed with a gluten allergy which helped a bit in my weight loss efforts since most of my trigger foods are high in gluten.

my first suggestion is to NOT PANIC. dont do something stupid like a fat weight loss quick scheme where you drastically reduce your calories. you dont need to do that. don't start an exercise plan where you need to kill yourself hours a day. you dont need to do that either.

- start making small changes in your diet. less processed foods, more fresh vegetables and fruits. make more of your meals at home. if you dont cook then it's time to learn
- since 90% of the battle is food, recognize what your food issues are and keep those out of your house .
- make a weekly menu and take a day to cook the majority of those meals and package them up as necessary.
- start an exercise plan. if you ont like exercise find something active that you like doing. tennis, walking, bike riding, hiking all these things are just as good as traditional workouts.
- reduce stress as much as possible

i went to see my doctor last month and i'm happy to say my blood pressure is back down to the lower end of normal and i'm no longer prediabetic. those dark patches on my neck and underarms are also gone.

you can do this. just make the commitment. that way, even on days where you're not motivated you still have that commitment to fall back on.

Both parents are diabetic.... Was married to a diabetic.....Here are some things I learned:

If you are diagnosed as diabetic, it does not go away... It may be under control... But it's still there.

It is possible even with a perfect diet, ideal weight, and perfect fitness someone can have diabetes. But lowering those risk factors helps keep blood sugar regulated and minimizes the secondary health issues.

Take a nutrition class aimed at diabetics. You will be surprised on how eating the right combinations of foods will help. And that you don't necessarily have to avoid certain foods, including candy.

Excercise and build muscle it will help... That's true for everyone but very important for a diabetic.

Also... Be careful of the term "sugar free". Like most things.... It's not always what it appears to be.

Most importantly if you end up diagnosed find a DR that specializes in diabetes, not saying your normal Dr is not good... But its amazing the difference they make.

I have also been warned about being pre-diabetic, I was doing well a few months ago and now seem like I am gaining weight b/c the doctor told me I had until April to get my numbers in order...the stress of going to the doctor this month is making me eat more. I am glad I discovered this thread. I appreciate the great ideas!

I'm pre-diabetic and it's also the reason I started MFP. I know it's scary to hear that but it's not too late and you can beat this with diet and exercise. The first and MOST important thing I learned is to never, ever put a carb in your mouth without a protein. If you eat fruit, eat cheese with it. Bread needs to have meat or peanut butter. My carb limit is 30 grams per meal. It seems overwhelming but little changes mean a lot. What helped me was following a clean diet. No refined sugars, whole grains, no chemicals in foods and no flour. It doesn't have to be that strict but it killed my carb cravings. Please add me if you'd like. My diary is open, you can see what a typical meal looks like and I would be happy to answer any questions and offer any support I can give during your journey back to whole health.

I truly believe diabetes type 2 is 100% preventable. PLEASE look into low carb ways of eating. I too was prediabetic and now have wonderful blood levels and overall health.

www.dietdoctor.com

www.atkins.com

www.garytaubes.com

http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/

www.marksdailyapple.com

You are right. In 98% of cases, Type 2 Diabetes is a lifestyle disease. The other 2% accounts for those women with PCOS and Diabetes stemming from the hormone imbalance.

1 generation of diabetes on my Mom's side, (but frankly Grandma never went to the doctor so no one knows)

Both my Mom and my Uncle.
________________

3 generations of diabetes on my Dad's side of the family.

Great Grandmother diagnosed in her 70s
Grandmother diagnosed in her 60s
Dad diagnosed in his 50s
I felt like it was destiny for me and at 48 my A1C was just a shade above normal.
I've lost 32 lbs and this is the reminder I need that it's 2 years later and time to check my levels again.

_______


More foods now than ever before have hidden sugars in them and are sold as "real foods"
If I'm going to eat the sugar I want a cookie, gosh darn it!

I've really been amazed at how much sugar I've found in "REAL FOOD" Food manufacturers add a lot of sugar under a lot of different unrecognizable names into products, because it's cheap and it increases your appetite, so you eat more.

(I picked up a lean cuisine one evening forgot to check the sugar went to enter it to find out it had 30g of sugar, now

A) I only get 25g a day,
my favorite cookies are 9g for 15 cookies. If I'm going to eat sugar I want to enjoy a treat!!!

Prepared pasta sauces often have a lot of sugar. The brand I'd been using had 9 g for a 1/2 cup serving. So I switched to plain canned tomato sauce and added my own spices, my last trip to the grocer I notice the sugar went up from 1g to 3g. I check the ingredients and now find they've added corn syrup.(grrr! ). Also watch out for yogurts they're usually very high in sugar, buy plain and add a little hershey syrup or jam or cukes & dill at least YOU will be controlling your intake.)

Nutrient Dense foods keep you full longer, while proteins and fats (happy fats... plant based) appear to pack a lot of calories for the quantity you get to eat. A small amount will keep you satisfied longer. So it may be a better balance for you .

I've recently read about how healthy fats (olive oil, Omega 3s, Avocado, walnuts, etc.) help prevent diabetes.

Remember BOTH sugar AND artificial sweeteners increase your appetite, i find cutting back on them makes weight loss easier, because I'm not hungry all the time.

If I have a DIET COKE, no way I can keep at 1200 cal.

Relax! This is a wake up call! Same thing just happened to me. (I am a 47 y/o female, married with a 16 year old daughter. I work full time in law enforcement and I also sell Pampered Chef) I had a bad result on the A1c blood test. My doctor gave me 6 weeks to loose 10 pounds and stop drinking high sugar soft drinks! I have lost 4 pounds already. I found MFP and it is a nice tool to have. Look at what you are eating and drinking. I am generally getting 64-120 ounces of water daily...depends on if I exercise or not. I bet your doctor will give you a period of time to "shape up"! I am so surprised about how much better I already feel! Acid reflux at night is gone! I am guessing carbonated sodas were the big culprit! I had no idea how much hidden sugar was in my diet. Struggling with carb reduction but MFP and posts from others is helping! Don't be surprised if you feel horrible while your body detoxes! I had no energy for a couple of weeks! Scared me but now I realize how addicted my body was to sugar! Good luck! You are about to begin a journey that will retrain your entire way of eating.......Congratulations! This is something you can fix...YOU have control. Be strong and when you are not don't beat yourself up just get back on track and keep going!