[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Brucernelson

Thanks CFrance. Cant wait to try those!
And you are making me go to bed hungry.

Oops! Sorry!

If you decide to do make some changes in diet that is a pretty good site with some interesting ideas.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by villagerjack

Doctor told me I had it years ago. I changed nothing and now With another doctor I don’t seem to have it anymore. I realize I am in the minority but I feel some doctors would just like to see us more with these “ pre” diagnosis. The Dermatologists are another group hawking their Pre Cancerous diagnoses with seniors wearing their bandages as badges of honor. A lot of over the counter products may just be better. I am 95% “cured” of my “Pre Cancerous” keratosis which I had for 30 years and had at least 10 MOHS surgeries. I used a newly found Over the counter product and in just 30 days it is almost completely gone.

Enjoy yourself, it is later than you think but perhaps not as late as you think. It could result in paralysis through analysis.

Please name the product. Thank you.

[big guy]

Weight Watchers fudge bars are almost the same in calories as Fudgsicle. The only advantage is that the box tells you how to count the WW fudge bars.

[big guy]

Prediabetes....hmmmm.....I am told that having prediabetes is like being prepregnant......either you are or you are not.

[Villager Dude]

What is the official position of the American Medical Association ( AMA ) on a1c diabetic levels.

It was a 7.0 for two times within a six month period. When did it become 6.4 the 1st time indicated and is this the position of the AMA ?

[Madelaine Amee]

November 2017 Issue of Consumer Reports had a great article on healthier eating. On page 21 of that issue there is information regarding a report published in the JAMA Internal Magazine revealing that in the 1960s scientific research - was released secretly bank rolled by the sugar industry - that downplayed the effect of a sugar laden diet.

This is the link to the article: Eat Smarter, Eat Healthier - Consumer Reports

[lindaelane]

If you are losing, your chances are good to lower your A1C, though there are no guarantees. As I am sure your doctor told you, avoiding high carb foods (with the exception of fruit) is key. So avoiding bread, pasta, corn, sugar, etc. It takes two readings in a row of 6.4 or greater on your A1C to be classified as diabetic. Your fasting blood sugar does matter, as well, and I think it might make sense to request a blood sugar test after consuming glucose - they do it two hours afterwards. I'm not a doctor, so confirm this with your doctor. I do volunteer work in 3rd world countries and one of the doctors I work with is a diabetes specialist - I have learned things from her. Ask your own doctor about anything I say, of course. I'm so happy to hear about your success because you do not want diabetes. It is worth what you need to go through to avoid it. One word of caution: my doctor here in the villages was not willing to follow the advice on frequency of A1C blood testing. I received a 6.3 and on my village health insurance portal, I could see that the lab advised my doctor to test again every 4 months. He just said "we'll test again in a year". I changed doctors, because testing once a year is not standard for prediabetics. So read your health portal results in full and have a serious talk with your doctor about why he or she might want to vary from the recommendations on the report. I believe sometimes doctors order too many tests (to prevent law suits) and sometimes they order too few (to be rated as a "cost efficient doctor"). I am sure they order the proper amount quite often, but you should check various sources on what tests you should have and how often they should happen. Btw, studies show curcumin at 1 gram per day is even more effective than metformin in helping prediabetics avoid diabetes. You can google these studies. Most doctors won't give a prediabetic metformin, but some will. You can ask your doctor what he or she things about this medication, but obviously, if diet and exercise suffice for you, you would not want this. But...curcumin does not need a prescription - it is a natural substance from food. If you decide to use it, be sure to get curcumin and not just tumeric . Curcumin is a natural substance in tumeric, but the studies are about curcumin (already taken out of the tumeric). It is not a miracle cure, so please continue a good diet and exercise if you take it. I believe it helps only some, so lifestyle change needs to take place, which I can see you are doing. Best wishes.

[Retired and happy]

I have been a diabetic on insulin for over 46 years. I was glad to read your email and even more happy for your motivation to change your lifestyle and lose weight. Many pre-diabetics change the outcome of their future by not only doing what you are doing but by sticking to the new lifestyle. Believe me when I say, “ Don’t give up!” Fitting in, going back to your former food/drink choices because your A1C results don’t immediately change can be tempting. If you stick to your plan, you will be blessing your heart and joints and back. That alone is worth the trouble!

[BRN_RI_FL]

Originally Posted by Retired and happy

I have been a diabetic on insulin for over 46 years. I was glad to read your email and even more happy for your motivation to change your lifestyle and lose weight. Many pre-diabetics change the outcome of their future by not only doing what you are doing but by sticking to the new lifestyle. Believe me when I say, “ Don’t give up!” Fitting in, going back to your former food/drink choices because your A1C results don’t immediately change can be tempting. If you stick to your plan, you will be blessing your heart and joints and back. That alone is worth the trouble!

Thanks for the encouraging words!

[BRN_RI_FL]

Originally Posted by Brucernelson

I was at 6.1. I will need another reading in a couple months.

Wow, it is amazing that you did nothing and it came down so drastically.

I’m thinking of it this way. I’ve been wanting to get in shape especially losing my beer gut for years. Now I have an extra incentive. I was at 200 lbs in Mid December. I’m at 186.8 today. If I can get down to 180, losing 10% of my body weight, I’m thinking I should be fine. Also I think I need to maintain the changes in my diet with occasional cheating when I get down to 180. Unfortunately two of my favorite foods are pizza and Chinese.

My doctor talked about putting me on medications. No way!

Second test was 5.8. Maybe I’m being a little unrealistic but after cutting way back on carbs, losing 30 pounds and doing a lot of walking, I was hoping for a more normal non-prediabetic reading.
But then again it was just about three months from my first reading to my second and I was eating the wrong stuff for a lifetime. Just wondering what other people experiences were in getting A1C improvements and how long it took.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Brucernelson

I was at 6.1. I will need another reading in a couple months.

Wow, it is amazing that you did nothing and it came down so drastically.

I’m thinking of it this way. I’ve been wanting to get in shape especially losing my beer gut for years. Now I have an extra incentive. I was at 200 lbs in Mid December. I’m at 186.8 today. If I can get down to 180, losing 10% of my body weight, I’m thinking I should be fine. Also I think I need to maintain the changes in my diet with occasional cheating when I get down to 180. Unfortunately two of my favorite foods are pizza and Chinese.

My doctor talked about putting me on medications. No way!

Losing weight is great but sometimes medications work to keep us healthier. Especially blood pressure medication and statins.

[2BNTV]

I have been a type 2 diabetic for 12 years.

Think in terms of a lifestyle change in eating habits but not a diet. Diets don't work in the long run. IMHO
It's much better to eat several small meals than a big one. To eat just enough to get you to the next snack/meal. It's all about portion control.

Exercise is a very important ingredient in controlling your A1C. The A1C test is measured over a three month period and doesn't rely on just one meal. Obviously, if you keep eating too much over that three month period, it will spike the A1C reading. On the other hand, if you get crazy and cut back too much, that is a danger also. It is a balancing act.

There are so many things to know about food choices so it's best to educate yourself in that regard. Every case of diabetes is personal so you have to figure out what works for you.

Several hints are:
1. Eat slower as it takes your brain about an half an hour to tell your body that you are full.
2. Use 9" plates instead of 12" plates.
3. Don't miss breakfast as it jumpstarts your metabolism.
4, Don't miss meals as you might get over hungry and tend to eat much more than you need to.

My niece was a very overweight child and she got a book from a doctor.The psychological aspect of eating is that some people overeat because when they are a child, their mothers put a certain amount of food on a plate, so one gets conditioned to think that much food is needed to fill oneself up when in reality, it's not.

Be gentle with yourself as most diabetics cheat once in awhile. Over time you will learn how much you need to eat to keep your A1C in the proper range.

Never forget, the best exercise is pushaways from the dinner table. LOL but true!!!

[thelegges]

Dropping processed foods will help your cause, unfortunately that means eating out should be next on changing your life style. Walking is a good base exercise not only to lower your weight, but good heart health.

[Brenda.ball]

Steve and Brenda Ball | Optavia Coach | OPTAVIA

[BRN_RI_FL]

Thanks for the replies. I’ve done just about everything that’s recommended to reverse prediabetes. I’ve stuck to my new eating habits, even at restaurants, and exercised and lost 15% of my body weight. As someone else mentioned, the improved readings don’t always happen quickly. Hopefully my next A1C test will show continued improvement.