thin fit prediabetic - is there hope?

[sw600]

Also one thing I noticed with the libre sensor is that variation across the day is massive, sometimes without obvious cause.

If you take a 'fasting glucose' value in the morning this may be artificially high (search for Dawn Effect). Looking at the data this week I am over 6 at 06:30, despite not eating for approx 11 hours and being < 6 from 22:00 - 06:00). Average for the whole 24 hours is still only 6-6.2.

 

[Resurgam]

One of the dancers I play for is a tiny person, and I was quite shocked when I saw her when we first started to practice again. She was looking unwell, but was concerned about gaining weight and her general health was deteriorating. Her mum is in the side too, and was very concerned - she was gaining weight as her daughter lost it, and the mum is diabetic. I advised low carb but emphasised that it means increasing the protein and fat - which they were very reluctant to do as 'carbs are so healthy'.
As we meet every week I could see the changes - mum has lost weight and the daughter is not having problems, and has far more energy now as well as looking like a young woman.

 

[Claudia 1961]

Sorry to hear that, Jeanie. All is not lost. You've made some positive changes and it's reduced your cholesterol, so that's good. I had a good diet, eating all the right things, no real vices and assumed I'd be fine. My NHS health check tests for cholesterol, BP and so on were all good, and my fasting BG was 5.1, so they said, fine you've got nothing worry about, but as soon as I raise the matter of high postprandial readings after modest portions of 'healthy' meals they don't want to know! As long as I stay under 6.1 fasting they will not send me for an OGTT. if I go into double figures 2 hours after a meal, I'm told it's normal. So, I just have to treat myself in the face of apathy and disbelief.

Last year I had every investigation possible for MS, Lupus etc, for unexplained neuropathies and I've recently been re-referred to the neurologist, but because I had a 'normal' fasting test and I was oblivious to postprandial hyperglycaemia at that point, the root cause (I believe) has been missed. How much cheaper an OGTT would have been compared to all those scans and blood tests for obscure autoimmune conditions!

Blood glucose readings from the pharmacy are just a snap shot, like any fingerstick test, and they can and do fluctuate. I suppose even after an 'official' diagnosis of prediabetes it is possible to go in and out of the range. My fasting BGs last week varied 1.0 from highest to lowest, so if your fasting varies from say 5.3 to 6.3 it's possible that you will be on one side of the diagnostic cut off point or not, several times within one week. Keep on with the diet and so on, I'm sure it's going to help and I still think there is hope that you can get those BGs into 'normal' ranges.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Claudia 1961]

I read your answer out to my husband as it resonates with me. My Hba1c is 5.6, home finger prick tests fasting are 6.4 but my post prandial readings are so high if I don’t restrict carbs to about 60 a day and eat choosing carefully. I’d never eat an apple whole now on its own. 8.8 at two hours. And this is with taking metformin. But doctor thinks I am not diabetic. The lab tested my fasting glucose at 8.8. But she used the hba1c as the second test. Refused OGTT. Since the hba1c is alright I am not diabetic. Yes, as long as I don’t look at peas, fruit, lentils etc and walk walk walk.
If I take two 500mg metformin on 60g carb a day my fasting is 6.4
If I take 3 metformin it’s 5.8.
I am slim and fit . BMI 19. Body fat 25 percent.
I think I AM diabetic .

 

[Ansible]

I was just told I am prediabetic (6.0 fasting). My BG has hovered between 5.5 and 5.8 for over a decade, but it just tipped the scale and my doctors are drawing attention to it. I have a relatively healthy diet, but I have never consciously cut carbs before. I work out nearly every day, alternating between weights, cardio and anaerobic training. My BMI is almost 24, but I have a gymnast frame - small hips, wide shoulders, and a fair amount of muscle. No (visible) body fat, but who knows what lurks around my organs! I would like to push my BG a little lower while maintaining my muscle mass and energy. I also tend to run toward anemia and have low vitamin D. I am wondering if improving those energy pathways would help reduce my BG. Anyone have any experience there? General advice is also welcome. Thanks!

 

[Claudia 1961]

I was just told I am prediabetic (6.0 fasting). My BG has hovered between 5.5 and 5.8 for over a decade, but it just tipped the scale and my doctors are drawing attention to it. I have a relatively healthy diet, but I have never consciously cut carbs before. I work out nearly every day, alternating between weights, cardio and anaerobic training. My BMI is almost 24, but I have a gymnast frame - small hips, wide shoulders, and a fair amount of muscle. No (visible) body fat, but who knows what lurks around my organs! I would like to push my BG a little lower while maintaining my muscle mass and energy. I also tend to run toward anemia and have low vitamin D. I am wondering if improving those energy pathways would help reduce my BG. Anyone have any experience there? General advice is also welcome. Thanks!

My vitamin D levels are fine and I take magnesium daily for sleeping and regularity of digestion. I also took berberine a couple of months. My bmi is 19.5. I exercise. I eat low carbs. I think EVERYTHING helps but there is no magic bullet. Except for eating low carb high protein fat and fibre.

 

[Ansible]

My vitamin D levels are fine and I take magnesium daily for sleeping and regularity of digestion. I also took berberine a couple of months. My bmi is 19.5. I exercise. I eat low carbs. I think EVERYTHING helps but there is no magic bullet. Except for eating low carb high protein fat and fibre.

"Everything helps but there is no magic bullet." That sounds like good advice.

 

[AloeSvea]

@Ansible - no need to bring magic into it. If you see yourself as having hyperglycemia in its early stages, it ain't magic to lower the amount of glucose you add to your body, but to lower it - it's basically common sense. This is indeed, lowering your carbohydrate intake, and investing in a blood sugar meter, if you want, and seeing which foods you are all systems go with, and what you need to lessen, or drop.

A nice easy way to look at carbs is - it's the dose that is toxic, not carbs itself. What level is your safety zone is for you to find out, and act on it, and you will be away laughing. No magic. Just nutritional science.

 

[Ansible]

@Ansible - no need to bring magic into it. If you see yourself as having hyperglycemia in its early stages, it ain't magic to lower the amount of glucose you add to your body, but to lower it - it's basically common sense. This is indeed, lowering your carbohydrate intake, and investing in a blood sugar meter, if you want, and seeing which foods you are all systems go with, and what you need to lessen, or drop.

A nice easy way to look at carbs is - it's the dose that is toxic, not carbs itself. What level is your safety zone is for you to find out, and act on it, and you will be away laughing. No magic. Just nutritional science.

Thanks. I did purchase a blood sugar meter to start testing my reactions to various foods.

 

[TriciaWs]

The usual advice for T2 who don't need to lose weight is to add more fat - oily dressings on salad, butter on your veg, double cream with berries, cream in coffee, cheeses, etc. This with enough protein and green veg and a low amount of carbs from other sources should be enough?

 

[Ansible]

The usual advice for T2 who don't need to lose weight is to add more fat - oily dressings on salad, butter on your veg, double cream with berries, cream in coffee, cheeses, etc. This with enough protein and green veg and a low amount of carbs from other sources should be enough?

Sensible, of course. I once dropped basically all body fat (for an acting role) in about 5 months. I kept most of my muscle mass for the shoot, but I don't know how much longer I could have gone without losing that as well. I probably needed to consume more fat even than I did.

 

[gowest12]

I read your answer out to my husband as it resonates with me. My Hba1c is 5.6, home finger prick tests fasting are 6.4 but my post prandial readings are so high if I don’t restrict carbs to about 60 a day and eat choosing carefully. I’d never eat an apple whole now on its own. 8.8 at two hours. And this is with taking metformin. But doctor thinks I am not diabetic. The lab tested my fasting glucose at 8.8. But she used the hba1c as the second test. Refused OGTT. Since the hba1c is alright I am not diabetic. Yes, as long as I don’t look at peas, fruit, lentils etc and walk walk walk.
If I take two 500mg metformin on 60g carb a day my fasting is 6.4
If I take 3 metformin it’s 5.8.
I am slim and fit . BMI 19. Body fat 25 percent.
I think I AM diabetic .

Do lentils raise your blood glucose???

 

[saky]

I am thin (BMI 21), exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. Recently tested with fasting BG 6.4, 2 hour GTT 10.1 despite this. I'd like to hear from any other people who are in a similar situation on whether watching following the standard advice here (viewtopic.php?f=39&t=26870) has had any long term impact. Most of the information I can find is about people who can benefit from weight loss and starting to exercise. If my impaired glucose tolerance is just due to my unlucky genetics, should I just resign myself to an inevitable progression to full type 2?

Am very thin now and weigh 46kg with a height of 156cm(5ft 1"). I was slightly overweight (55kgto 57kg with lots of belly fat) 4years ago(2017,2018,2019)
Am borderline too with FBS between 70mg/dl to 96mg/dl(usually it is 83mg/dl, 84mg/dl 86mg/dl).
My hba1c is 5.8%(jan 28th, 2023). Between Nov 2021 to Dec 2022 it was 5.4%, 5.4%,5.1%,5.4%, 5.3%,5.2%, 5.3%,5.4% and on jan 28th 5.8%.
I do low carbs like 80g to 100g per day. Can't do keto. I do only 12:12 Intermittent fasting, running, time restricted eating to reduce my insulin resistance.
my fear is my beta cell will burn out due to insulin resistance.

 

[saky]

Hi Jane,
Unfortunately my BG test last week was still pre diabetes, blood taken from my arm, so I am very confused as the 2 prick test from the pharmacy showed a normal reading.
The good news was my cholesterol as reduced to 4.5 from 6.5 G.P said this was a very good result from the restrictive diet I am on. I was determined to try something with my diet as he had put me on Statins which had the side effect of memory loss for me which was horrendous.
Because additionally I have high blood pressure having high cholesterol and diabetes is bad news for me.
My diet
I have cut out completely all fat and sugar deserts,pastries,white flour,white rice,potatoes,parsnips, white bread,liver no sugar drinks, No processed meats or pates, no hard cheese,bacon.
Don't have cream or custard, use low fat yogurt on fruit as a dessert.
I don't add salt to anything, make my own curry powder, use chillies, garlic and herbs for flavour.
I eat roasted chicken breast no skin and steamed vegetables, roasted vegetables peppers, carrots, on a mess which means you don't use oil.

I roast bake grill or poach fish, make my own soups which I eat for breakfast mainly but do have the occasional egg,
cottage cheese with chives, soya and linseed bread but no more than two slices in a day.

I have red meat maybe one every two weeks, pork, beef,lamb, need to speak to dietician about these.

Stir fry (veg oil)vegetables, beansprouts, mushrooms,peppers, brown rice
I eat walnuts and almonds, a few per day read these had good cholesterol in them.
Very very occasionally as a treat I will have a slice of toast with butter on but normally if I make a sandwich I have no fat on it.

I eat fruit and wonder if I eat too much and this is why I have a high reading. I think I read somewhere that you should only have two pieces a day and I eat more than that for sure.

Up until my diagnosis I went to the gym 2 or 3 times a week for over 3 years and walked regularly but for all that was said about it would reduce my high blood pressure it never did. I was so fed up with the results that I have stopped going because what is the point it does seem that whatever exercise I do it doesn't make any difference.

I have an appointment to see a dietician in August there are so many questions I have for her as I do not want to loose anymore weight, need to maintain the weight at this level.

Fruits are not good. They have lots of sugar in them. I too have eliminated them and eat only low GI fruits like straw berry, rasp berries, blue berries, star fruit etc

 

[saky]

Do lentils raise your blood glucose???

Yes. Lentils are carby.

 

[saky]

Hi,

I am also thin and fit with a good diet (male aged 54, non-smoker, very moderate drinker, with no family history of diabetes). About a year ago my cardiologist told me that my fasting glucose had risen to 5.6 mmol/l and that I should take more exercise and cut down on carbohydrates. (I already ate muesli, fresh fruit, salads, fish, chicken, wholemeal bread and fresh vegetables, rather than processed food and sugary drinks.) I did as he said and my blood sugar fell slightly, but not enough. I redoubled my efforts, started taking at least one serious period of exercise every day and at least 15 minutes of good aerobic workout after every meal, and cutting out anything that might have too high a glycemic load. After all that hard work, I now find that my fasting glucose has risen to 6.3 mmol/l.

With my dietary changes and exercise I am losing weight, down to a BMI of 19.8 this morning. I am full after every meal and never hungry. I already add extra large helpings of olive oil to my salads and fresh fruit and nuts to my muesli to try and increase my calorific intake without adding to my glycemic load.

I really want to avoid getting diabetes; I have a thing called cardiac syndrome x (chest pain and abnormal ECG, but clear arteries). I also have very high homocysteine (a risk factor for everything you can think of except diabetes) and high LDL cholesterol (partly lowered with statins). I have just discovered that have lost 3cm in height, have arthritis and very bad osteopenia, and I am waiting for the results of a follow up test after having some protein in my urine.

Diabetes would make all of these problems worse. I am not resigned to getting it and would like to know what I can do to avoid it, but all the advice on diet, exercise and weight loss seems totally irrelevant to my circumstances.

You ask 'is there hope?' I would like to think so, but I don't know. My next steps are to get myself checked for type 1.5 diabetes and fatty liver disease, find out my HbA1c and buy a monitor to see how my blood sugar varies before and after meals, with or without exercise. I can only hope to find some clues from this information as to what else I can do.

Any advice from forum members would be greatly appreciated.


Alan

Fruits have lots of sugar in them. They can hugely raise blood sugars. Meusli also has lots of sugar in it(raisins etc). Eating eggs for break fast would be a better choice.
Wholemeal bread also is a bad choice as they turn into sugars quickly. Can have bacon or eggs instead which won't spike your sugars.

 

[gowest12]

I read your answer out to my husband as it resonates with me. My Hba1c is 5.6, home finger prick tests fasting are 6.4 but my post prandial readings are so high if I don’t restrict carbs to about 60 a day and eat choosing carefully. I’d never eat an apple whole now on its own. 8.8 at two hours. And this is with taking metformin. But doctor thinks I am not diabetic. The lab tested my fasting glucose at 8.8. But she used the hba1c as the second test. Refused OGTT. Since the hba1c is alright I am not diabetic. Yes, as long as I don’t look at peas, fruit, lentils etc and walk walk walk.
If I take two 500mg metformin on 60g carb a day my fasting is 6.4
If I take 3 metformin it’s 5.8.
I am slim and fit . BMI 19. Body fat 25 percent.
I think I AM diabetic .

I am prediabetic with A1C of 6 and my fasting numbers are always around 6.4 but with no medication. Does metformin help lower fasting numbers??? What are your pre meal levels ?

 

[saky]

I am prediabetic with A1C of 6 and my fasting numbers are always around 6.4 but with no medication. Does metformin help lower fasting numbers??? What are yourAm pre meal levels ?

Am pre-diabetic too. Doing low carbs. Can't eat too much fat due to gall stones (2013)and high ldl.
I exercise and eat low carbs. My weight is too low. Trying to do strength training

 

[Claudia 1961]

I am off metformin for two weeks in order to do a glucose tolerance test. HBA1C 5.9.
Now fasting level is 6.4
Post meal two hours 9.8
Sometimes 12
Once 4.9
I eat low carb . Can’t eat more than 15g carb even on metformin ( in a meal)

 

[Omar51]

Do lentils raise your blood glucose???

Yes lentils raise my BG, I stopped eating lentils more than 10 years ago, now I don’t miss eating lentils.