Help

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Tell us what you eat in a typical day and we can make suggestions.

Tagging @JoKalsbeek for her brilliant information.

Sherlock 1968 said:

I would really like some help please. I’ve just been diagnosed with pre diabetes. I’m so confused as to what diet is best. Obviously I’ve not been that good with my diet. I thought I was doing ok choosing no fried food and everything low fat but I guess not. I now understand not all low fat is good for you. I did go to my doctor who was little to no use at all. Intermittent fasting is all he suggested which is ok and I’m able to do that but what about the rest of my diet? I really cannot choose between keto and low gi. The thought of all that fat doesn’t appeal to me although I get I’ve probably ate vast quantities of fat in all the wrong choices I have made. I’m 16 stone and for 5”3 I feel really ill and older than my age by years. I no longer want to be like this. Any help please?

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Go low carb - not low GI, may be better than now but still has lots of room for improvement.

And you don’t have to eat loads of fat. Just avoid the low fat options. And being blunt if you have fat on your body then you’ll be teaching and allowing your body to use that fat instead. I hated all fats when I started low carb. Drained and trimmed everything and loathed cream. I now use 20% mince, eat pork belly, go through a large pot of cream a week etc etc. Tastes really do change on it. Just avoid th elbow fat options and then only add more if you’re hungry.

Heres some info about LCHF ie low carb higher fat (than typically recommended) methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It’s how an awful lot of us get our blood sugar levels under control and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and also reduce or improve complications. It is often the easiest and most sustainable form of weight loss for a type 2 if you need that. Other conditions often improve including but not limited to blood pressure, joint pain, inflammation, PCOS, and despite the dire warnings of the last few decades it improves cholesterol for most, yes improves cholesterol. Some jump right on it, others edge their toes in a bit at a time. Be aware the the USA count carbs differently so be aware if you look at their counting, recipes or products. They include fibre in their count we don’t. So if it’s USA stuff deduct the fibre to get our figures. (Fibre isn’t generally digested thus doesn’t get counted)


Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings.


http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/


https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple


And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works and for motivation


and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas


also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Excellent site and first port of call for many getting their head round low carb.


Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.


Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3, 6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. It also helps keep an eye out that any meds are working appropriately not too much or too little. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Test before a meal and 2hrs later hoping for a rise of 2mmol or less. More and the carbs eaten were too many! Please ask if you want any guidance on this.


IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON DIABETIC MEDS (other than metformin): if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds or insulin increasing meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc than your new carb intake requires. (This is not a concern for metformin on its own). Keep a very close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge so they can reduce medication accordingly. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around. Low carb is endorsed by the NHS and the ADA as an effective method of control, even if the practice staff don’t realise that yet.

I eat low carb and higher fat. I have butter on my very rare pieces of toast. I eat more cheese than I did. I don't have fat for fats sake but do have full fat yogurt, fat on my bacon etc.

I was 13 stone when I started last summer, it had crept up over 3 or 4 years, and am now under 11 stone for the first time in ages. It has been relatively easy really and I feel better than I have forever.

The prediabetes may well explain the weight gain too and you may find, as I did, that stopping carbs amazingly lets you lose weight for once!

Oats = bad!! I know they are supposed to be healthy and I ate overnight oats almost daily pre diagnosis. Many people, including me, find that they spike their blood sugar badly.

Rice = bad too!

No need to eat extra fat. Just don’t choose low fat yogurt or cheese.
Any meat is good. Above ground vegetables and berries are best.
spices and herbs are your friend. No need to eat bland food.

Eating the fat that comes with food naturally will help avoid the hunger. Low carb and low fat and low protein = starvation. Not good. You still need fuel.

Eggs, bacon, high fat sausages, full fat Greek style plain yoghurt (with a few berries maybe), leftovers from dinner all good breakfast options.

Fasting ( or just lasting longer between meals and not snacking ) is much easier once you get used to using fats instead of carbs for energy.

I'd advise that you stop fasting - it might at some time seem perfectly OK to go 12 hours between meals - which is how I eat now, but you need to stop the reliance of carbs first - it is a poor fuel compared to fats, far less nourishing so you are hungry very soon.
When I started eating low carb I made several shopping lists, even now I rarely buy tomatoes and mushrooms in the same week. Buy a range of foods you can use in one week, fresh and frozen and set out the meals you will make. During the following week use a different set of ingredients - you might have a lot more salads one week, then have stir fries, or roasted veges. One thing to avoid is having a mixture of the same things day after day. Use herbs and spices with your food, in moderate amounts don't overdo them.
The usual advice is to eat full fat yoghurt, chicken thighs rather than fillets, don't trim off fats, buy higher fat mince - they are cheaper, and you don't have to eat the meat swimming in fat. cook it and collect the fats - or with the chicken thighs roast them on a rack and cook veges and mushrooms underneath. Cook the mince and allow it to stand in stock overnight, skim off the fat before reheating the mince next day. Use the fat for frying eggs or anything else.

Sherlock 1968 said:

I would really like some help please. I’ve just been diagnosed with pre diabetes. I’m so confused as to what diet is best. Obviously I’ve not been that good with my diet. I thought I was doing ok choosing no fried food and everything low fat but I guess not. I now understand not all low fat is good for you. I did go to my doctor who was little to no use at all. Intermittent fasting is all he suggested which is ok and I’m able to do that but what about the rest of my diet? I really cannot choose between keto and low gi. The thought of all that fat doesn’t appeal to me although I get I’ve probably ate vast quantities of fat in all the wrong choices I have made. I’m 16 stone and for 5”3 I feel really ill and older than my age by years. I no longer want to be like this. Any help please?

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https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <-- have a read, though I hope you already have after @HSSS 's linking, and @xfieldok , thanks for tagging me in. But anyway, all in all, the food you're having isn't just bland, it's also bad for your blood sugars. Rice and oats... Oh my. This is why it's good to have a meter of your own, so you can actually see what certain foods do to you. So... Step away from the stuff that is spiking your bloodsugars (and leaving you hungry), and get to the tasty stuff that won't try to do damage. And you can step away from the intermittent fasting too, if it doesn't agree with you. I mean, heck, you're prediabetic... No need to go that far just yet. I mean, you can if you want to, but if it makes you miserable... No need.

You don't need "extra" fats either. Just have full fat products, with the stuff that's originally in there, and you'll get enough to keep you both satiated and nourished. Eggs, full fat greek yoghurt, avocado's, good mayo, proper butter rather than (over processed) margerine, hard cheeses (sooooo many ecellent cheeses!), bacon and other meats, poultry, "fatty" fish like salmon, sardines and tuna.... You're not required to eat lumps of butter every day. It's not as daunting as you might think, and certainly a lot more tasty than the cardboard you've been sentencing yourself to.

LCHF... It works.
Good luck avoiding T2 altogether! It is quite do-able, you know.
Jo

Another one who follow LCHF and I have got my blood sugar levels under control. I have lost weight while having cream or cheese every day so not low fat.

I also found that after a while doing LCHF that intermittent fasting was so much easier. On work days I usually have one meal- my evening meal. If I do eat lunch not necessarily as hungry for dinner. I eat more on weekends- but have leaned to eat when I'm hungry. I have nut packs at work so if I feel hungry I eat about 30 grams of nuts and find that is plenty. Diet jelly I also find useful.

Good luck and welcome.

Hotpepper20000 said:

No need to eat extra fat. Just don’t choose low fat yogurt or cheese.
Any meat is good. Above ground vegetables and berries are best.
spices and herbs are your friend. No need to eat bland food.

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I like this advice- I was 16 stone on diagnosis and got down to 12 by sticking to meat, fish, nuts and keeping away from fruits and grains. For long term sustainability, the high fats can come in, but for now, I'd say LCHF can be low-carb, *healthy* fat-
things like boiled eggs and oily fish should do. The high-fat proponents aren't wrong, but they're talking about sustainable long term solutions for people who aren't severely overweight. I think you can adjust your fat intake in accordance with your weight loss progress.
As a side note, I gradually reintroduced carbs into my diet and it's been a complete disaster, so I'm also getting back on the low carb train: I'll keep my fats on the lower side as I need to get a ton of weight off, then I'll aim to stay low-carb high fat like the others.