New Prediabetic: how do you relax?

Mathilda Grace said:

And how do you not transfer your anxiety in regard to carbs/diabetes onto your family members? My teenage stepsons are thin and healthy but they are typical teens who are just lazy and would love to just eat fast food all day whilst playing video games. They don't eat fast food that often, but they eat a lot more carbs and sugar than I do and I am so worried for their health. Same goes for my husband.

Thank you in advance for reading all this!

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Mathilda Grace said:

Hello fellow diabetics,

first off let me apologise for my sometimes incorrect English! I'm german and English is my second language. Please correct me when I'm wrong, I like to learn.

Ok, now who am I?
I'm 33, lactose intolerant, vegetarian for my whole life, 72kg/173cm, active, love to go for a walk, love to cook.
I don't like fatty foods like crips, chips and other fried things and I can't stand food which is salty.
I haven't eaten chocolate in 10 years (was a chocolate "addict" before and that way it is easier for me).
I've grown up with our own, big vegetable garden and still love veggies.
I have a history of ED (atypical anorexia).
My HbA1c was 5,9 in October 18, since December 18 it is 4,9.
I received no nutrition counselling, I take no diabetes medication.

My diet is composed of lactose-free yoghurt, lowfat lactose-free quark, loads of mostly low carb vegetables, nuts, protein bread, some fruits but not daily and a lot of water.
I walk every day for about one to two hours and incorporate as much exercise in my daily routine as possible.

I'm content with that, but I sometimes struggle with the psychological nature of this diagnosis. I know that 4,9 is totally fine but I'm afraid it will get worse in the future and I do not want to ever have to use insulin or other medication for diabetes. And therefore I cannot relax and I am constantly thinking about carbs. I do eat some carbs and for about 10 days a year I eat what I want but thats it. I cook "normal" for my family and they do eat carbs like normal bread, pasta, grains, pizza etc. but I find it very hard to not be aware of the danger (?) these foods have for my family.
I loved pasta and pizza and I'd love to be able to just sit down with my family and share the same meal but I have this voice in my had that says: "Is that really worth spending the carbs over? Do you REALLY need it? Or do you just want it?".
And then I eat my food and they eat theirs.

How do you relax? I am aware that my HbA1c will not jump through the roof if I do eat pasta once in a while but I can't shake my inner voice. How do you do that?

And how do you not transfer your anxiety in regard to carbs/diabetes onto your family members? My teenage stepsons are thin and healthy but they are typical teens who are just lazy and would love to just eat fast food all day whilst playing video games. They don't eat fast food that often, but they eat a lot more carbs and sugar than I do and I am so worried for their health. Same goes for my husband.

Thank you in advance for reading all this!

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Mathilda Grace said:

Yes, that too. But that is just the "outside" problem and I can handle that quite alright. Me beeing constantly worried is so much more stressful. I talk with my family and they understand but the feelings won't go away. I guess, I just need reassurance that not everyone with a carb based diet is going to develop diabetes?
I have a hereditary handicap, because both my grandmothers have adult-onset diabetes and my mother has some type of MODY.
Diabetes is not prevalent in my husbands side of the family and not in the family of his ex-wife so my stepsons should not have a higher risk of developing diabetes than any other teen.
These are the facts.
I should be feeling relieved, right? But I can't. And that is what I struggle with.

@Listlad : hehe, that sounds like us. Our boys too have to eat some kind of protein before they can have their preferred cereal (or Schokomüsli in german ) or toast and nutella in the morning. Other than that they are very easy eaters. They eat loads of vegetables, they love steamed broccoli, paprika and other vegetables with peanutbuttersauce and brown rice, they have resigned to the fact, that there are no sugary beverages in our home and drink water or tea, they like meat, scrambled eggs and fish. The younger one is on a "beef trip" and would eat steaks every day if we would let him. But as soon as I am not there or it is not me who prepares the food, they turn to frozen pizza, pasta with ketchup, crisp, chips, candy.
They know what would have been the right choice but, yeah, they are teenagers.

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