Hello. I will explain my experiences but appreciate this works for me: it may not work for you or anyone else.
I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic 3 months ago although my numbers are slightly in the prediabetic range. But this was enough to scare me and do something about my diet. My diet has never been bad but I loved my bread and sandwiches and lattes.
In the past 3 months, I have lost over half a stone. It has been hard work. I basically have had All Bran for breakfast with fruit, a little yoghurt and full-fat milk. I snack on apples, fruit, have an avocado for lunch and generally eggs and fish for dinner. I also have 3 vices: cheese, dark chocolate and red wine. I have each of these every day.
Nearly every day, I feel mildly light-headed for a time. I eat probably just enough carbs to keep me alive. NB Disclaimer: I do not recommend this to anyone else. I lead a full and active life and feel soooo much better. I have more energy, lost weight and feel a lot better in myself.
From my personal experience, if you can put in the time and effort, it'll all be worth it. I keep reminding myself what life could be like as a T2 and if I can reverse this through diet, then anything is worth it.
Every day gets better and today, for me, I hit a major milestone when I stepped on the scales this morning!