Prediabetic… confused!

[Lolly-Dolly]

Hi

I was diagnosed with pre diabetes the week before Christmas and feel as though I have fallen into a bit of a no man’s land, because I don’t know what I should be doing, not doing, eating or not eating.

Do I just select 3 meals a day from the recipes on here (and there are tonnes of delicious recipes!), should I be looking at something like Michael Mosley and his Blood Sugar Diet book or consider Slimming World?

I’m really not trying to be controversial, just trying to tackle this head on and do what’s going to be most productive and effective for me long term.

Thanks

 

[TriciaWs]

I, like many others here, found reducing carbs the best way to reduce blood sugar.
Low carb, ie less than 130g a day (or much lower for many of us), can get you into remission fast before you progress to T2 instead.
Don't look at the Eatwell plate - that doesn't suit T2s - or think brown is better than white, it's all carbs.
I aimed for less than 85g a day down from 100g at first and no more than 30g in a single meal (including drinks). I know that some need to cut much more but I started low carb as soon as I was diagnosed and that seems to help.
You could join the lowcarbprogram if you need something more structured to get you through the first few weeks, and in some areas you can get an NHS voucher to cover the cost.
Otherwise cut hidden carbs as well as obvious sugar, think about the foods you love most and find suitable substitutes.

 

[Lolly-Dolly]

I, like many others here, found reducing carbs the best way to reduce blood sugar.
Low carb, ie less than 130g a day (or much lower for many of us), can get you into remission fast before you progress to T2 instead.
Don't look at the Eatwell plate - that doesn't suit T2s - or think brown is better than white, it's all carbs.
I aimed for less than 85g a day down from 100g at first and no more than 30g in a single meal (including drinks). I know that some need to cut much more but I started low carb as soon as I was diagnosed and that seems to help.
You could join the lowcarbprogram if you need something more structured to get you through the first few weeks, and in some areas you can get an NHS voucher to cover the cost.
Otherwise cut hidden carbs as well as obvious sugar, think about the foods you love most and find suitable substitutes.

Thanks, I appreciate your time and help. Is there a maximum amount of sugar I should have? I know that sounds a little naive, but I’m not sure how I should phrase it!

 

[Resurgam]

I suggest analysing your normal diet and then making substitutes for the high carb foods, or if you are eating them as snacks, consider not eating them at all.
As you are prediabetic it might be that removing the foods which are likely to push up your blood glucose levels is all that is required to sort out the problem.
A re-evaluation after a month or so might show that your intake of carbs is still rather high so then consider adding in a full fat food and removing more carbs might be an option, but if you have lost weight and feel more energised, most likely you are already on the right track.

 

[Lamont D]

It may sound a bit daft, and lowering your carbs and sugars is a really great first step.
Taking control is great, changing your lifestyle probably necessary, but the bottom line is what do you want to achieve?

If you decide to go low carb, they are many different things you can do to help you. And this is depending on your age and mobility. Your tastes, affordability, and something that is being talked about a lot lately which is availability.

Dietdoctor.com is a great website and will help you decide which way you want to go about it.

If you need to achieve your targets, you have made your first step here, if you are wi!ling, with the help and knowledge on here, I'm sure you will get through this.

Keep safe.

 

[catinahat]

Welcome @Lolly-Dolly
It may not seem like it at the moment but your diagnosis of pre diabetes could be a blessing in disguise.
Many of us don't have the pre-D warning and go straight to T2. At least now you have a head start and with a few changes to your diet, will probably be able to avoid having that T2 label hung around your neck for the rest of your life.
If you don't fancy shelling out for a low carb program take a look at the Freshwell Low Carb project. It's a very informative introduction to a low carb way of life, it even has a free app to download if that's your thing
https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[snametab]

Hi

I was diagnosed with pre diabetes the week before Christmas and feel as though I have fallen into a bit of a no man’s land, because I don’t know what I should be doing, not doing, eating or not eating.

Do I just select 3 meals a day from the recipes on here (and there are tonnes of delicious recipes!), should I be looking at something like Michael Mosley and his Blood Sugar Diet book or consider Slimming World?

I’m really not trying to be controversial, just trying to tackle this head on and do what’s going to be most productive and effective for me long term.

Thanks

 

[snametab]

Hi, I would recommend you buy Carb & Calorie counter by Chris Cheyette & Yellow Balolia, it is brilliant for looking up the carb value of nearly every food, don't buy processed food or ready made meals - cook from scratch. Look at the website diet doctor there is everything you need to know about low carb diets. According to many world wide studies low carb diets allow you to loose more weight and are easier to sustain in the long run. I found out I was prediabetic in Oct last year and have been on a low carb diet since then - just posted my first post about 5 mins ago.