Diagnosed pre diabetic

Guy11

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Hello. My name is guy and I’m an alcoholic, **** wrong group! and I recently got diagnosed in the range of pre diabetes. So far the nhs has done little or nothing to help my plight only referring me to a dietician which I’ve heard nothing about in a month and saying I’ll be invited to have my bloods done again in a year to see if anything has changed. So I have a few questions without anyone to ask them to!

I don’t think I’m a stereotypical case as am a slim (11st) measuring 5ft11 in height. I don’t eat much sugar at all and try to eat well and stay active. From doing the research I think carbs are my problem. A normal day would consist of cereal for breakfast, and sandwich for lunch and maybe meat and two veg or a pasta dish for dinner. Snacking on fruit and the odd bag of crisps too. I did drink orange juice every day and enjoy a few beers at the weekend.

Sooo my questions would be......

1. If I cut out carbs in my diet, I’m worried I will lose to much weight. I lose weight easily. How can I maintain my weight without much bread, pasta, breakfast cereals? Especially work days when cooking up something for breakfast/lunch isn’t really an option.

2. Should I be drinking milk? I’ve long thought maybe this doesn’t agree completely with me and have cut it down recently

3. Should I carry on with my daily banana and apple? Or is the fructose in these just as bad?

4. Are eggs a good option? Although high cholesterol they seem healthy and a good option for a weekend breakfast

5. Snacks. I’m told nuts are good for diabetics especially almonds. Is this true?

I have more but my girlfriend just told me off for asking to many at once!

Thanks in advance

Guy

Edited by mod to remove poorly disguised profanity.
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
1. eat lots of fatty foods.. cheese, cold meats change the milk for double cream in drinks.. pork scratchings. That should help you feel full.
2. See above or if you drink it alone maybe try lactofree (fewer carbs than regular but go full fat)
3. Personally I wouldn't but my HbA1c was 87 so was in a far worse place than you when diagnosed
4, Yes eggs are great and cholesterol isn't the "problem" we have been led to believe
5. Macadamias are good and fattier than almonds so again will keep you satiated. Just check the carb number on the back and maybe ty and stay below 10g per 100g as a trial

As you're pre diabetic you may be able to achieve a lot without dramatic changes.
Do you know what your HbA1c was?
 
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Diakat

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,591
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
The smell of cigars
Hi Guy,

Keep asking questions- it’s the way to work things out!

Ok here are some answers - others will give you more detail...

Yes cutting carbs will help lower the levels. Breakfast optight be cheese or cold meat. OK and milk both have carbs so coffee/tea/wAter could be better choices. Nuts are great. Banana not so much.
 
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Guy11

Newbie
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2
1. eat lots of fatty foods.. cheese, cold meats change the milk for double cream in drinks.. pork scratchings. That should help you feel full.
2. See above or if you drink it alone maybe try lactofree (fewer carbs than regular but go full fat)
3. Personally I wouldn't but my HbA1c was 87 so was in a far worse place than you when diagnosed
4, Yes eggs are great and cholesterol isn't the "problem" we have been led to believe
5. Macadamias are good and fattier than almonds so again will keep you satiated. Just check the carb number on the back and maybe ty and stay below 10g per 100g as a trial

As you're pre diabetic you may be able to achieve a lot without dramatic changes.
Do you know what your HbA1c was?

Thanks for your quick reply. In time for breakfast too! No unfortunately no test result number, just says I’m in the range of pre diabetes and am at risk of developing type 2. All there advice seems to go on low fat diet and eating high fiber foods. Should I discount this? Also I’ve woken up with a dry mouth for nearly a year now. This was the reason I went to get checked (3 times before they took bloods!) Will my mouth get better do you know?

Thanks again
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
All there advice seems to go on low fat diet and eating high fiber foods. Should I discount this?
Personally I would.. but then again I'm not a doctor just an ex T2..

Yes your mouth should clear up do you snore? my sleep apnea went away over time.
 

Redshank

Well-Known Member
Messages
132
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello @Guy11 and welcome to the forum
I was also diagnosed Prediabetic and was not overweight.
Low carbohydrate will lower your blood sugars, but if you are not careful you will lose weight. I did when I started. As most people on here find, the higher fat part of the diet fills you up and I found it very easy to not eat enough.
I was already keeping a food diary for Carbohydrate, and I started looking at the calories I was eating (most people who want to lose weight say looking at calories is not helpful, but I found a spell of doing it was very helpful for my situation). I found I was only eating about 1500Kcal per day. Over time I found that I needed to eat about 2500Kcal to keep a stable weight, so I had to think more about what I was eating.
Breakfast now is a lot of chopped nut (Brazil, Pecan, Hazel Amond - all relatively low carb) with Full Fat Greek Yoghurt, a handful of seeds and 5 or 6 rasberries. (When I wanted to regain some of the lost weight, I also added some Double Cream but I don't anymore. I eat cheese, have walnuts with my lunch, eat avocado,eat eggs, use a lot of olive oil in dressings.

Once I got used to a way of eating, regained a bit of weight, I have now been stable weight (+/- 1lb) for about two years. I haven't measured what I eat for a long time. I weigh myself once a week. If I have lost weight I eat a bit more for the next week. If I have gained weight I just ease off a bit.

Berries are the only sweet fruit I eat (I do eat avocado, tomato, cucumber, peppers, courgette, aubergine all of which I believe are fruits). Bananas, and to a lesser extent apples are full of sugar.

In terms of your Hba1c you are entitled to your actual test result - the number - not just a statement. I would ask at reception for a printout of your results, or to register for online access to your results
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks for your quick reply. In time for breakfast too! No unfortunately no test result number, just says I’m in the range of pre diabetes and am at risk of developing type 2. All there advice seems to go on low fat diet and eating high fiber foods. Should I discount this? Also I’ve woken up with a dry mouth for nearly a year now. This was the reason I went to get checked (3 times before they took bloods!) Will my mouth get better do you know?
Thanks again
It is a natural defense mechanism for high glucose to be peed out, which probably accounts for your dry mouth - you might notice significant changes in your skin and hair too as you are better hydrated with a lower glucose level.
Low fat and high fiber? Like that is going to help in the slightest?
The problem is the carbs - Humans just do not do well on a high carb diet - William Banting back in the mid 1800s likened it to feeding horses on beans, they manage on it right up until the time they don't.
Dr Atkins a hundred years later was trying to get over the low carb message - but there are a few people beginning to realize that it isn't a fad, not after a couple of hundred years of successful weight control along with feeling so much better, and now there are blood glucose testers available we can actually have the numbers in front of us and see that it is working to lower the spikes and the general level through the day.
 
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Skinny43

Well-Known Member
Messages
75
I was also a new prediabetes. I’m also lean with bmi just 19.1. Your typical day of food intake is very similar to mine. I worked out carbs was my main problem.
I decided to cut carbs down but like you I don’t want to lose weight. The advice on this great forum was that I increase my fat intake and it worked great! I didn’t feel as hungry as I was before upping my fat. The first few days of lowering carbs and before upping fat was difficult. But once I increased the fat I wasn’t too hungry. I still lost 2 kg since the diet but I feel fine. Most of the weight loss was from the waist so that’s healthy.
My fasting BG has dropped from 6.0 to 5.3 then this morning was 5.0! My after meal BG is still dependent on how much carb I eat but when I eat a good meal (~20g carb) my after meal result was below 6 which was unbelievable. Used to be between 7-8 or 9 before starting the low carb thing. If I eat badly I still get high readings but I guess I just eat well from now.

My carb reduction wasn’t as drastic as some other members here. I’m still learning what food I can and cannot tolerate. But it still worked with the occasional error. For me an apple was the killer! Berries are fine.

So just believe in yourself. You can do this. I’ve lowered my BG without losing too much weight and you can too!

Let us know how you get on. And good luck with your journey
 
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