Recently diagnosed with prediabetes

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

I woke up fealing sluggish and my vision was more blurry than usual.

i went straight to the kitchen and have just had 2 eggs, 2 slices of chicken or turkey, not sure lol. tomatoes, onion and cheese. and a cup of milky coffee.

noticed that my spare tyre has pretty much gone. which makes me worry about muscle. which i have and still try to work hard on maintaining.

i will look to add more fats, from meat and fish today.

also a meter has just become a major priority if i want to move forward with some structure.

i cant even get my head around eating carbs again, i am sure this will wain overtime as it was such a big part of my lifestyle/diet.

I appreciate the support and will at least once a day read my entire post in the hopes that the repeated advise will stick in my head for reference purposes.

I need to finish my coffee, then to the shops. back for lunch. 90 minutes excercise squats, plank and upper body followed by a walk in the local park.

hopefully lunch will consist of at least half a chicken and a load of veg and or salad.

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

Ricky said:
OK now I have read what everyone else has written I will add my bit. Firstly you are doing great!! I have been prediabetic for 17 years and it is only in the last year that my fasting blood sugars have gone higher than I would like and I am going to have to accept that sooner or later I will have to start metformin.
I do low carb/low GI, high fat and loads of exercise despite my age. (no rice, potatoes, pasta , bread, pastry etc) I am nearly 71 and tonight I did a body combat class and then a circuit and well kept up with the youngsters except I now do lower bar bell weights!!

Dinner tonight when I got home was to fry coconut oil) aubergine, onion and mushrooms and then threw a couple of whisked eggs on top . This was followed my a mandarin and some blueberries + a few naughty grapes which I washed down with a gulp of double cream because the fat in the cream means the fruit gets digested slower which means less spike. Only ever have fruit with a meal. I did have a square of chocolate but it has to be 85% + and usually 90-100%. Get a taste for it.

Make sure when you cook your veg that they are on the harder side than very soft as that makes low GI into high GI e.g. raw carrots are better than cooked . I noticed you asked about root veg. No potatoes but sweet potatoes are allowed. No parsnips or beetroot (unless raw and grated in your salad). Spaghetti squash is good if you can find it and have your meat bolognaise on spiralised courgettes or butternut squash or cauliflower rice . My pizza base of choice is a fat long slice of grilled aubergine!! However there are recipes of a base made with cauliflower rice and mozzarella cheese if you can be bothered . You didn't mention fish - salmon is a good choice as it is a fatty fish - great fried with crispy skin.
Re bread - better to have something like Atkins low carb crispbread at 1.8g carbs and 1.3 of protein. (6 packets of 20 very cheap on Amazon UK at the moment) Cheese goes nicely on them. Look for a low carb high protein bread like Livlife if you must. Snack on delicious cheese and nuts including nut butters.
Well done on the green tea- I drink it all the time.
Supplements - add Cinnamon powder where you can and chromium both well known for diabetics.
Eat by your meter so do buy one. It is the only way you know which foods spike your blood sugar e.g. that pesky sweetener malitol in many sugar free products!! All of us are different with what our body with accept.

I hope this is helpful to you

Thank you Ricky.

i sonehow got it into my head, from researching with rose coloured glasses on, that i could stop and reverse pre diabetes.
your answer was an answer to a question that i thought i had answered and made all this effort worth it as if i did 1,2 and 3 then i would get to 4.
I guess the Human Body doesnt understand maths either lol
Thank you for clarifying this for me.
I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you again

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

I have just eaten half a store roasted chicken without the skin and a salad.

I think Jo and others have helped me make that switch in my head relating to carbs.
I went to the chocolate/sweet aisle and the only things catching my eye were 85% and above cocoa chocolate and i thought i deserved a treat.

i had similar experiences down most of the aisles, as anything with carbs just seemed to melt into the background. That could also be down to my blurriness. Even the bread aisle, where i previously spent ages checking all the nutrion labels. not an issue now. As Jo says, I am now allergic. I havnt even finished off the food i bought as I thought i could manage with a little of this a little of that. ony problem is, is that all the little bits add up.

I feel better equipped and will now look into the links from Hotpepper to source a meter.

Hotpepper20000 · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
I have just eaten half a store roasted chicken without the skin and a salad.

Ohhh but the skin is the best part.

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

Hotpepper20000 said:
Ohhh but the skin is the best part.

used to love the skin....

Hotpepper20000 · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
used to love the skin....

And with LCHF you can again.

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

felt very hungry immediately after eating?

had a teaspoon of greek yoghurt, some blueberries and a cup of whole milk coffee.

thanks HSSS

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

Hotpepper20000 said:
And with LCHF you can again.

I will have it when i eat the second half this evening. thank you Hotpepper

xfieldok · Jan 15, 2020

I just googled keto chicken crisps.

What a revelation.

xfieldok · Jan 15, 2020

Rather than milky coffee, could you switch to water and add double cream. DC is lower carb than milk. The skinnier the milk, the higher the carbs.

Ricky · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
Thank you Ricky.

i sonehow got it into my head, from researching with rose coloured glasses on, that i could stop and reverse pre diabetes.
your answer was an answer to a question that i thought i had answered and made all this effort worth it as if i did 1,2 and 3 then i would get to 4.
I guess the Human Body doesnt understand maths either lol
Thank you for clarifying this for me.
I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you again

Hi again,
Yes you can reverse prediabeties in that you can get your HbA1C test down to normal non diabetic levels as I did 17 years ago and it stayed there for a good few years before it started to creep up again. BUT understand that was continuing the low carb/low GI regime . start eating carbs again and you will be right back up to where you started.
I don't know if you are overweight - you mentioned a spare tyre LOL- but when you lose your weight from this diet (not muscle so don't worry) that will also help your blood sugar numbers come right down to normal.

What no one has mentioned is that when you get a cold /flu/any infection you will notice with your meter that your blood sugar readings will go up . Just to say don't worry as this is what happens with an infection and it will go back down when that infection has gone!!! Unfortunately this also happens to me when I am stressed but not as much.
Keep asking questions- no one here minds!!

Ricky · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
felt very hungry immediately after eating?

had a teaspoon of greek yoghurt, some blueberries and a cup of whole milk coffee.

thanks HSSS

Why only a teaspoon of greek yoghurt? If it is high fat you can eat what you want. Just change your mindset to high fat is good for me with low carbs. That way you won't be hungry. I love chicken skin and the fat off roast meats as well. Remember I told you to only eat fruit with a meal as it will slow down the absorption of the sugar in it. Those blueberries are fruit!! You'd be better off with a teaspoon of peanut butter straight from the jar but check it is 100% peanuts with no sugar added like some. Meridian is a good brand and also the one they sell in Lidl and Aldi. Always check everything you buy with a label on it!!

Hotpepper20000 · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
I will have it when i eat the second half this evening. thank you Hotpepper

You are welcome. Remember it’s no longer about cutting out fat. Just eat the fat that comes with meat and full fat dairy. It will keep you full and you won’t feel like eating carbs.

Stephen Lewis · Jan 15, 2020

Hi NitinHP

Always a little late but I am a few thousand miles from the UK.
Not much to add but I would like to mention that being a pre-diabetic may just mean that you are showing the beginnings of a genetic tendency to diabetes. I have diabetes on my mother's and father's side and I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic over 12 years ago. I was put on the big pharma gravy train ending in more and more insulin until I was pointed towards this site and forum about 18 months ago. I am soon to have my next A1c test that hopefully confirms I am out of the diabetic range for the 3rd test in a row. Cured - no. In remission - possibly. In control - definitely.
If all pre-diabetics got on the low carb train at an early stage we would have a much healthier population and the drug companies would be crying in there beer (or cider). Keep up the exercise as well as this may help to prevent or reverse the inability of the muscles to absorb the glucose.
At some point, someone will actually discover what really causes each of the several (many) types of T2 diabetes this diagnosis being used to cover high blood glucose for whatever reason. Meanwhile have a plan and a goal. My plan is low carb, about 50 gms per day, weightlifting, 3 times a week, lots of fast walking and staying in touch with this forum for support, food suggestions and to let us know how you are doing. Everyone's success story is a boost for all of us.

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

Ricky said:
OK now I have read what everyone else has written I will add my bit. Firstly you are doing great!! I have been prediabetic for 17 years and it is only in the last year that my fasting blood sugars have gone higher than I would like and I am going to have to accept that sooner or later I will have to start metformin.
I do low carb/low GI, high fat and loads of exercise despite my age. (no rice, potatoes, pasta , bread, pastry etc) I am nearly 71 and tonight I did a body combat class and then a circuit and well kept up with the youngsters except I now do lower bar bell weights!!

Dinner tonight when I got home was to fry coconut oil) aubergine, onion and mushrooms and then threw a couple of whisked eggs on top . This was followed my a mandarin and some blueberries + a few naughty grapes which I washed down with a gulp of double cream because the fat in the cream means the fruit gets digested slower which means less spike. Only ever have fruit with a meal. I did have a square of chocolate but it has to be 85% + and usually 90-100%. Get a taste for it.

Make sure when you cook your veg that they are on the harder side than very soft as that makes low GI into high GI e.g. raw carrots are better than cooked . I noticed you asked about root veg. No potatoes but sweet potatoes are allowed. No parsnips or beetroot (unless raw and grated in your salad). Spaghetti squash is good if you can find it and have your meat bolognaise on spiralised courgettes or butternut squash or cauliflower rice . My pizza base of choice is a fat long slice of grilled aubergine!! However there are recipes of a base made with cauliflower rice and mozzarella cheese if you can be bothered . You didn't mention fish - salmon is a good choice as it is a fatty fish - great fried with crispy skin.
Re bread - better to have something like Atkins low carb crispbread at 1.8g carbs and 1.3 of protein. (6 packets of 20 very cheap on Amazon UK at the moment) Cheese goes nicely on them. Look for a low carb high protein bread like Livlife if you must. Snack on delicious cheese and nuts including nut butters.
Well done on the green tea- I drink it all the time.
Supplements - add Cinnamon powder where you can and chromium both well known for diabetics.
Eat by your meter so do buy one. It is the only way you know which foods spike your blood sugar e.g. that pesky sweetener malitol in many sugar free products!! All of us are different with what our body with accept.

I hope this is helpful to you

Hi Ricky

I hope this not a stupid or in anyway an insulting question, as this would not be my intention.

What do you think is causing your fasting blood sugar to rise and do you believe it is something you can control yourself?

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

Stephen Lewis said:
Hi NitinHP

Always a little late but I am a few thousand miles from the UK.
Not much to add but I would like to mention that being a pre-diabetic may just mean that you are showing the beginnings of a genetic tendency to diabetes. I have diabetes on my mother's and father's side and I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic over 12 years ago. I was put on the big pharma gravy train ending in more and more insulin until I was pointed towards this site and forum about 18 months ago. I am soon to have my next A1c test that hopefully confirms I am out of the diabetic range for the 3rd test in a row. Cured - no. In remission - possibly. In control - definitely.
If all pre-diabetics got on the low carb train at an early stage we would have a much healthier population and the drug companies would be crying in there beer (or cider). Keep up the exercise as well as this may help to prevent or reverse the inability of the muscles to absorb the glucose.
At some point, someone will actually discover what really causes each of the several (many) types of T2 diabetes this diagnosis being used to cover high blood glucose for whatever reason. Meanwhile have a plan and a goal. My plan is low carb, about 50 gms per day, weightlifting, 3 times a week, lots of fast walking and staying in touch with this forum for support, food suggestions and to let us know how you are doing. Everyone's success story is a boost for all of us.

Hi Stephen

Thank you for your inspiring post.

I am an ex weight lifter and have played sports al my life. I am currently dropping the weights and going for a more cardio focus.
I love long walks and have a lovely friend with an amazing dog that I love to walk whenever I get the chance.
I will continue to eat above ground veg, berries, Greek yogurt, salad, meat, cheese, 85% chocolate, nuts, olives, eggs, fish and take vitamin supplements.
Thanks to the people on this site, I feel more confident that I can actually start my journey.
I have taken up vaping again, to help cutting down the smoking.
I am looking at glucose meters, although i havnt been able to access the devices forum due to hanging pages followed by error messages.
I am trying to research meters that do not require finger pricking. They do not appear to be suitable for pre diabetes and are quite expensive.

All in all, I have more progress in the short time I have been on this site, than I have made since June 2019.

Very proud of all of you for supporting people as you do....

NitinHP · Jan 15, 2020

xfieldok said:
Rather than milky coffee, could you switch to water and add double cream. DC is lower carb than milk. The skinnier the milk, the higher the carbs.

Hi xfieldok

I am drinking full fat milk.

Is that ok for now or should I discard immediately.

I will definitely buy double cream next. Thank you

xfieldok · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
Hi xfieldok

I am drinking full fat milk.

Is that ok for now or should I discard immediately.

I will definitely buy double cream next. Thank you

No, don't waste it. But use it sparingly.

Ricky · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
Hi Ricky

What do you think is causing your fasting blood sugar to rise and do you believe it is something you can control yourself?

Only 1 thing comes to mind :- the inevitable because of my age and the fact that unfortunately diabetes does creep up on you as you get older with inherited cases . It's something to do that eventually the cells that make the insulin run out and the whole idea of a low carb diet to keep the blood sugar down is to keep the insulin being made for as long as possible.

I think I have got that right . If I am wrong or if any of you can explain it better please do.

HSSS · Jan 15, 2020

NitinHP said:
I am trying to research meters that do not require finger pricking. They do not appear to be suitable for pre diabetes and are quite expensive.

I’m not aware of any other than the libre or dexacom and they might be overkill at this stage. Prediabetes doesn’t require a special meter. It may sound daunting to prick your finger but honestly once you e done it a few times you stop thinking about it. And there are several hints and tips to make it even easier. Let us know when you pave got it and we’ll talk you through it.

My recommendation is find the meter with affordable strips (or cassettes) for you. And for the fingerpricking I thoroughly recommend the fastclix device. No individual lancets. A drum with 6 lancets that retract back into the drum so disposal is safe and easy and no fiddly attaching a new one each time too. And make sure what you get is depth adjustable too.

Recently diagnosed with prediabetes

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