• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Recently diagnosed prediabetic

M

Martin D

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi all,
In January I was informed I had pre-diabetes and needed to take action. At the time, I was very slim and extremely active. However, I followed the advice given by the practise nurse to dramatically cut out sugars and to increase fibre in my diet.
After following the guidance, and getting retested in July, my HbA1c level had RISEN to 6.4% and hey presto, I’d lost 5kg in weight, including muscle - the very last thing I needed to do. I’m not very patiently waiting for a follow up appointment and have been unsuccessfully trying to find a nutritionist who doesn’t want me to lose even more weight. I’m 5’10” and weigh 64kg.
I cycle, climb mountains, practise yoga and go to the gym. I have to say my energy levels are lower than before.
If there is anyone out there who has had a similar experience and/or advice, I’d be delighted to receive feedback/positive observations. Thank you.
 
I was also recently diagnosed as prediabetic around February. However I am according to my age, sex and height considered obese I was at the time 179 lbs I have since then lost 11 lbs. I am basically on a low carb or keto diet and am yet to exercise. I want to ask you what you mean when you say that you cut out sugars? I find that people tend to think that once they stop using sugars or sweet things that its ok. However from my research I have found out that we need to consume foods of low glycemic index. I find your situation interesting as I was told that losing weight will help control or even reverse my prediabetic diagnosis.
 
In addition even fruits such as watermelon and pineapple i had to stop using because they are high in sugars/carbs
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. You have found the best place for help and support. We are all diabetics of one sort or another, so who better to take advice from?

Cutting out sugar is of course necessary, but did you know that ALL carbs turn to sugar once in the system? Sugar is only one carb. The main culprits are bread (of any colour), potatoes, pasta, rice, anything containing flour, pastry, batter, and most fruits. You will now be thinking that if you cut these out you will lose even more weight and energy. True - UNLESS you increase your fat consumption and eat normal amounts of protein. Good fats include all dairy, full fat yogurts, cream, real butter, cooking with animal fats such as lard, goose or duck fat, and of course butter. Avoid vegetable and industrial seed oils that ready meals and shop bought meals always contain. Cook from scratch.

The more carbs you cut, the more fats and protein you need to add to balance your weight and energy requirements.

Apologies if you are a vegetarian. There is a whole section on this forum for vegetarians which you would find useful.

We have a lot of links that are useful for newcomers but I am away at present and don't have the facilities to post them.
 

Hey, thanks for your response. Yes, I was made aware from the start about the science of carbs and how they all turn to sugar. What I wasn’t made aware of was that if I was substituting bad carbs for good (I.e white bread vs whole meal) and cutting out the really naughty sweet stuff (was very partial to a cake or biscuit or two) then I would need to add calories of another kind - in the form of good fats and protein. Forgive me if I state the obvious or over simplify. I’m learning slowly.
I guess what I’m looking for is the right foods to fuel my active lifestyle, and also now add some weight back. Thanks for your help
 
Blackqueen said:
In addition even fruits such as watermelon and pineapple i had to stop using because they are high in sugars/carbs
Click to expand...

I guess what I was trying to say (and failed miserably) was I reduced dramatically or eliminated stuff like bananas, honey, cakes, biscuits, white bread/rice etc. I continued to burn on average circa 3,500 calories per day, but my amended food intake didn’t provide sufficient calories to match it. Still to find out why my blood test showed a worse result than previously
 

Hi you seems u r LADA type , my advise to do antibodies test called GAD, u cannot be Insulin resistance, it is the same for me , iam lada type and started insulin to help beta cells
 
@Martin D
Welcome to the forum. I am also pre-diabetic (though bloods in normal range for past 2 years) and I am a very similar height and weight to you. I have never been overweight

It looks like you have removed obvious sugars from you diet, but eating wholemeal versions of other carbs (rice, bread etc) will still be introducing large amounts of carbs into your diet.

You do a lot of exercise, and use a lot of energy. If you remove items from your diet, but do not replace the energy, you will lose weight. When I started the LCHF way of eating, I lost weight that I didn't want to eat.

For a period of time I kept a detailed food diary, weighed what I ate (initially to work out the carbohydrate) but later as I was losing weight, I also calculated calories.

I wasn't eating enough (I was eating about 1500 Kcal, and I found out through experiment that I needed about 2500Kcal to keep a stable weight). So ate more foods that were higher in fat while still low carb - nuts (walnut, pecan, brazil, hazel,almond) are all pretty low carb. Avocado, olive oil, cheese, eggs, cream, oily fish (I don't eat meat but this would be good also). I managed to regain weight and then remain stable.

I also got a blood glucose meter and tested before and 2 hours after particular meals. I found what foods made my blood sugar go up more than I was comfortable with (and these included wholemeal bread, porridge, brown rice). I recommend getting one and seeing what impact foods have on YOUR bloodsugars (as it can be different for different people).

best of luck
 

Thank you for your advice.
 
Hi Martin,

For some reason I didn't get a notification of @Goonergal 's tag, but here's the link she mentioned: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ As for needing to not lose weight, you could download a keto diet app: If you fill in your stats it'll give you the required ratio's of protein and fats you need to compensate for the loss of carbs to maintain weight. Me, if I look at nuts, my weightloss stalls, so yeah... (hard to stay away from though, and I Do need to lose the weight). But basically what you need is more fats an protein... Nuts, olives, avocado, fish, meat, that sort of thing, to keep you going. Nutritionists still often associate T2 and prediabetes with obesity, which you don't exactly have a problem with. Best to try and learn about nutrition as much as you can yourself and go from there. Also getting yourself a meter might help. Besides that, did you know that strenuous excersize gets your liver to dump glucose? You're often better off doing a long walk than some burst of intense movement. If you have a meter it'll let you know what's going on if you've tackled some intense activity. With food too: Test before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite. If you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l, the meal was carbier than you could handle.

If, in spite of all your efforts, your bg keeps rising and your HbA1c keeps coming back worse, you could indeed opt for C-peptide and GAD tests.
 
Hi . I was diagnosed as a pre D a couple of months ago .. i lost a half a stone but it didn’t change my hbac one still same figure ...

My morning fasting figures have not been great the past week.
In mmols

11.8
10.3
9.4

Any advice ??
 
Weehotty said:
Hi . I was diagnosed as a pre D a couple of months ago .. i lost a half a stone but it didn’t change my hbac one still same figure ...

My morning fasting figures have not been great the past week.
In mmols

11.8
10.3
9.4

Any advice ??
Click to expand...
Hi @Weehotty ,

Your post got a little lost as you put it under someone else's. What are the diatary changes you made, what is your HbA1c, and what does an average day look like to you, meal-wise?
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ might help in the meantime, it's my little quick-start guide...

Good luck with those morning numbers. (Do you test around meals btw? Your fasting bloodglucose is the last to come down because of Dawn Phenomenon. How are you the rest of the day?)
Jo
 
You lost weight - great - but did you try to reduce your blood glucose levels by eating fewer carbohydrates?
If you did reduce carbs and the blood glucose numbers have not gone down you might not be pre type two.
 
Weehotty said:
Hi . I was diagnosed as a pre D a couple of months ago .. i lost a half a stone but it didn’t change my hbac one still same figure ...

My morning fasting figures have not been great the past week.
In mmols

11.8
10.3
9.4

Any advice ??
Click to expand...
Have to ask if you change your diet. In addition I believe that what you eat and the time you eat at night may effect your fasting levels
 
Resurgam said:
You lost weight - great - but did you try to reduce your blood glucose levels by eating fewer carbohydrates?
If you did reduce carbs and the blood glucose numbers have not gone down you might not be pre type two.
Click to expand...
Yes your right might be a 2. Probably need to do the blood glucose fasting blood test
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…