Recently diagnosed as prediabetic

[Maker field]

Hello. I would appreciate some advice. I was diagnosed as prediabetic with blood sugar reading of 6.2 about a month ago and gave up sugar and have switched to low carb very healthy diet. I am 60 years, slim and reasonably fit but had been feeling totally exhausted all the time but no other symptoms. Doctor advised me to change my diet and exercise and go back in 2 months. He also found high blood pressure. I have checked my glucose level a couple of days ago and it is 5.4 first thing after fasting overnight but I in fact feel really ill now with more symptoms including feeling nauseous, yeast infection and aching back as well as exhausted. I can't understand why I am feeling worse and not a bit better. Has anyone had a similar experience and does it just take a while to begin to feel better? I think I had been prediabetic for a year or more without realising. Thanks

 

[urbanracer]

Hello. I would appreciate some advice. I was diagnosed as prediabetic with blood sugar reading of 6.2 about a month ago and gave up sugar and have switched to low carb very healthy diet. I am 60 years, slim and reasonably fit but had been feeling totally exhausted all the time but no other symptoms. Doctor advised me to change my diet and exercise and go back in 2 months. He also found high blood pressure. I have checked my glucose level a couple of days ago and it is 5.4 first thing after fasting overnight but I in fact feel really ill now with more symptoms including feeling nauseous, yeast infection and aching back as well as exhausted. I can't understand why I am feeling worse and not a bit better. Has anyone had a similar experience and does it just take a while to begin to feel better? I think I had been prediabetic for a year or more without realising. Thanks

Hi Maker Field welcome.

Are you testing your bg's at other times, like after meals? So just to confirm, you're not taking any meds?

@daisy1

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Could provide more detail on your new diet?

Your symptoms could partially be "low carb flu" (http://paleoleap.com/low-carb-flu/), which should go away after a while.

 

[SueB743]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Have a good look around the site, especially to food section. A lot of 'healthy food' such as low fat products actually contain more sugar to compensate for removing the fat from them, so something to be careful of. Also fruit contains natural sugars, so you will see from the low carb forum that berries are the better option. It might be worth providing an idea of what you are eating, as members might be able to suggest things you could try changing. If you don't feel better soon, worth checking back with your GP to see if they can suggest anything. Hope you see an improvement in how you are feeling soon

 

[Maker field]

Hello. I would appreciate some advice. I was diagnosed as prediabetic with blood sugar reading of 6.2 about a month ago and gave up sugar and have switched to low carb very healthy diet. I am 60 years, slim and reasonably fit but had been feeling totally exhausted all the time but no other symptoms. Doctor advised me to change my diet and exercise and go back in 2 months. He also found high blood pressure. I have checked my glucose level a couple of days ago and it is 5.4 first thing after fasting overnight but I in fact feel really ill now with more symptoms including feeling nauseous, yeast infection and aching back as well as exhausted. I can't understand why I am feeling worse and not a bit better. Has anyone had a similar experience and does it just take a while to begin to feel better? I think I had been prediabetic for a year or more without realising. Thanks

 

[Maker field]

Hello. I'm not on meds, just trying to get better through diet. I did test today one hour after lunch and the reading was 5.4. From what I've read, I understand that is a good reading but I am feeling very unwell still with no sign of improvement. Does it get worse before it gets better? thanks

 

[Maker field]

Hi Maker Field welcome.

Are you testing your bg's at other times, like after meals? So just to confirm, you're not taking any meds?

@daisy1

Hello. No meds just diet. Only other test so far was today one hour after lunch which was 5.4. I just thought I might feel a little better rather than worse, that's what is so confusing and a bit disheartening as well.

 

[urbanracer]

Hello. No meds just diet. Only other test so far was today one hour after lunch which was 5.4. I just thought I might feel a little better rather than worse, that's what is so confusing and a bit disheartening as well.

Like @NoCrbs4Me states it may be the effects of cutting your carb intake. I'm afraid I don't know what the answer is but talk to your medical people if you have any doubts.

 

[Maker field]

Could provide more detail on your new diet?

Your symptoms could partially be "low carb flu" (http://paleoleap.com/low-carb-flu/), which should go away after a while.

Hello - thank you for replying that's really helpful.The diet I've been following is basically healthy low carb so I'm eating more protein fish lean meat lots of vegetables though still having limited amount of sourdough bread for breakfast but eating limited amounts of fruit, mainly berries, Greek yoghurt, nuts, so the big difference is 75% reduction in carbohydrate.

 

[Lamont D]

Low carb flu is cold turkey for carbs, the more carbs you eat the more you want. And it is difficult to give them up.
If you stay with you will feel better for it.
If you can test as well, you can see what the food you eat are doing to your blood glucose levels.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

The key to a healthy low carb diet (in my humble opinion) is to cut out grains, rice, and sugar completely and limit starchy veg to levels that don't spike your blood glucose by more than 2 mmol/L an hour after you eat. Also cut out vegetable/seed oils (e.g canola/rape seed oil) and "low fat" processed food and pretty much all factory processed food (except good cheese) and cut out fake sugar. Butter is great, eggs are great, full fat yogurt is great, fatty cuts of beef are great, organ meats are great, and of course non-starchy vegetables and berries are great, I generally avoid fruit, especially starchy fruit and tropical fruit. Eat when you are hungry, don't eat if you are not hungry. It's perfectly ok to skip meals or postpone them. Personally, I don't use olive oil as there is no way of knowing if it's the real stuff.

 

[Maker field]

Low carb flu is cold turkey for carbs, the more carbs you eat the more you want. And it is difficult to give them up.
If you stay with you will feel better for it.
If you can test as well, you can see what the food you eat are doing to your blood glucose levels.
Welcome to the forum.

Thank you That's helpful. I had never heard of low carb food

 

[Maker field]

Thank you That's helpful. I had never heard of low carb food

Meant low carb flu!!

 

[Maker field]

The key to a healthy low carb diet (in my humble opinion) is to cut out grains, rice, and sugar completely and limit starchy veg to levels that don't spike your blood glucose by more than 2 mmol/L an hour after you eat. Also cut out vegetable/seed oils (e.g canola/rape seed oil) and "low fat" processed food and pretty much all factory processed food (except good cheese) and cut out fake sugar. Butter is great, eggs are great, full fat yogurt is great, fatty cuts of beef are great, organ meats are great, and of course non-starchy vegetables and berries are great, I generally avoid fruit, especially starchy fruit and tropical fruit. Eat when you are hungry, don't eat if you are not hungry. It's perfectly ok to skip meals or postpone them. Personally, I don't use olive oil as there is no way of knowing if it's the real stuff.

Thanks again. Really good advice. I am really trying to stick to a strict diet to only eat low carbs and avoid sugar.