Anyone here have prediabetes?
 

Was recently diagnosed with this (A1C test). I’ve been trying to get educated on this and have read a couple books. Been cutting way down on carbs especially potatoes and bread. Also trying to lose weight in my gut as I’m really not overweight anywhere else. I’ve always been a beer guy. Exercising more. I’ll have an occasional red wine but haven’t had a beer since diagnosis mainly to lose weight. Trying to control portions. Previously a pizza night would be 5 or 6 pieces. No more. It’s especially tough to be doing this here in The Villages as my wife and I would eat out often at the town squares but I guess that was part of my problem. We still eat out but not as often and I’m very selective on what I order (salads, chicken, meats, etc.). Lost about 14 pounds in under a month. Any useful tips from anyone else in a similar situation would be appreciated.

Keep a supply of weight watcher's big fudge bars in the freezer so you are not tempted to grab a regular dessert. These are so good that you'll never feel deprived. I cut out potatoes, rice, pasta and most breads. I still eat flat bread or flour tortillas occasionally. I also cut out a lot of my in-between meal snacking and instead have a piece of cheese and a cracker or some veggies and ranch. I have cut my portion sizes at dinner to one serving. I still have chips but instead eat baked Lays. If I eat corn chips I measure out one serving in a baggie and only have that much. I have managed to lose 55 lbs in 9 months. I feel much better and have a new way of eating now and I do not feel deprived. I do occasionally treat myself to pasta or other rich foods. I just don't over do it and will cut down on the rest of my food for that day. Good luck. Almost forgot, before I started this new way of eating I went to my family doctor. She told me the amount of calories it would take to maintain my current weight. She said eat less than that and you will lose. As I went along I had to keep cutting back the calories. I hit a few plateaus and when I did I would cut back a little more and then I would start losing again.

I sent you a private message. WW desserts are full of sugars (hidden) and NOT healthy. Any processed food isn't good for us.

My wife and I have gone to a number of courses on diet and health that The Villages Health gives. I don't think you need to be member to attend. A lot of what is in the course is stuff we already know but we've always picked up a few things we were not aware of. The courses are presented very will and the instructors have been very knowledgable. They have a "Pre-Diabetes" course. The schedule is at:

Learning Center Classes and Education Programs - The Villages Health

Wow, a lot of quick replies with some great information. Thank you so much!

We just registered. Thanks again!

Lost 55 lbs. Congratulations. That’s quite an accomplishment!

It will fluctuate. I hit the top A1C level for prediabetes (6.4). Did nothing, it came down to out of pre-d range (5.5) within 9 months.
Don't worry yourself into high blood pressure, lol.

I had prediabetes for years. Then, I lost 20 pounds and started walking 2 miles per day, and my prediabetes disappeared. No pasta, no sweets, and very little bread. Also, no full meals. Just eat small portions 6-7 times a day. I don't think the fake diet food like fudge bars and shakes are helpful. I only eat real food. But, the main thing is to lose 20 pounds. And, don't be hungry. if you are hungry, your diet will never work.

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!

You guys are really inspiring me. Some very useful information. Thank you!

Thanks. The fudge bars I did a couple of times a week when I was really getting tired of depriving myself of everything. I ate no sugar other than that and it worked for me.

I have diabetes 2 and have been drinking about 20 oz of orange juice every morning, I always thought that was good for you since I grew up in Florida. My doctor said that OJ has a lot of sugar and that one glass of Florida Natural has 220 calories. So now I eat a real orange every morning instead and drink water for taking my pills. I also didn't have anything else but probiotics yogurt and a banana. He said lose the banana, has too much sugar. I changed to strawberries and milk along with the yogurt and orange. I've dropped 12 pounds in about 3 months, from 162 to 150, I'm 5'9" and go MVP gym everyday.

I'm also cutting out the diet softdrinks, again thinking they were better. He said the sweetners and caramel coloring is not good for you. Again, I'm drinking more water or unsweeted tea and use Truvia to sweeten the drink, it's a natural sweetner.

MANY people are crowned Pre Diabetic upon arrival here. My hemoglobins always were great when I was living like it was over tomorrow and now I'm like a saint food wise and I to am Pre Diabetic. Make sure you see the label with your name go on the vial they just extracted.

Thanks for the info John. From what I’ve read, losing the body weight is one of the most important changes to make. And close behind is exercise and diet.

I've been eating a low-carb diet for about two years. I've lost 55 pounds and have an LDL of 49. My doc says it is the lowest reading in this age group she has ever seen.

Two helpful products: Carba-Nada pasta and low carb tortillas. The tortillas are available everywhere. Carba-Nada I order from Amazon.

Anyone with type II can end diabetes switching to plant based diet

Never heard of Carba-Nada pasta but that sounds good. Thanks for mentioning it!

Try googling Sugar Busters diet.

Unfortunately most doctors realize people want an easy fix which is medications bedore lifestlye changes. If diabetes runs in your family find a good endocrinologist to work with. That is their speciality. There are also clubs here for those with the disorder. And when reading look for web pages ,books on Reversing diabetes. Remember drug companies want you to use their product..Sounds like you are in the right direction.

Read "Blood Sugar 101" by Jenny Rule. You are on the right track by eliminating carbs from your diet. Eliminate more.

And when your grandkid finds a quarter under their pillow, it was left by the tooth fairy.

Aside from bizarre diets, let's add a little common sense and historical perspective to this discussion.

For decades, the definition of diabetes was 2 or more fasting blood sugars greater than 140 at a time of normal health. Then, some biochemist found a way to measure HbgA1C, a test designed to MONITOR the control of existing diabetics, not to DIAGNOSE anything, and good control was defined as 7.0% or less.

Now for the biggie----the endocrinologists got together, took a vote, and changed the definition to a fasting blood sugar of 128 or greater. Presto, chango, overnight there were about 6 million new diabetics in this country. Six million more patients to see , guess who?, --endocrinologists. Six million more to buy pills, see dieticians, join gyms, join weight watchers, buy glucometers and attend support groups. They also introduced "pre-diabetes" as a FBS of >100 and added borderline high HbgA1C values to the definition. I'd be willing to bet this has created a $150 billion/year economy all centered around borderline blood sugar readings (After all, we spend $80 billion/year on our dogs alone)

All well and fine if this had an eventual indisputable effect on diabetic complications including peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy, etc. However, there has not been a definitive study showing a long term beneficial effect for those with FBS between 100 and 128 that achieve lower numbers and have not become overtly diabetic. Also, no one has looked at the other end of the spectrum. By creating a population of tightly controlled "pre-diabetics", how many run borderline hypoglycemia leading to syncopal events and head trauma and hip fractures? No one knows.

So, I think common sense should prevail. Eat a healthy diet. Exercise regularly. Maintain ideal body weight. Take a pill if you need to. But don't run your entire life centered on a number from a blood test that may or may not mean something for you 10 or 20 years down the line.

PS. I am not anti-diet, I advocate it strongly, even if it is "plant based" or whatever. My FBS was 126 and HbgA1C 8.7%, whatever that really means. All I did was cut out Coca Cola and FBS dropped to 72 and HbgA1C to 4.9%---so yes, diet can make a tremendous difference---but it is not a "cure", since the underlying problem is genetic in nature.

Check out podcasts or YouTube sessions from Dr. Jeff Volek or Stephen Finney. Both are very knowledgeable about the Ketogenic Diet. It's low carb, minimal protein, no sugar, and high fat. It is NOT ATKINS. My husband and I have been on it for a few months and it's working. We are trying to focus on good fats, i.e., avocados, ghee butter (clarified), etc. Plenty of dark greens. Also, try tracking what you consume; it will help you see actually how many carbs, protein, sugars you are consuming. We use the Lose It app for tracking. Read labels! Avoid processed foods !

I went from 280 to 180 on a mostly vegetarian diet cutting out red meat, bread, chips, alcohol etc.
Then lost another 40 on "green drinks" and adding Garden of Life Detoxi Fiber from Lucky Vitamins.com
My numbers went from over the top to down to normal to really good.
The only thing I really miss is all the wine I used to drink but replaced it with Pellagrino Sparkling water.

Sounds like you have a good doctor there, John W, and he has a good patient. :thumbup:

Cholesterol levels have a lot more to do with sugar/carbs than most people, or probably even doctors, know.

Thanks for the pasta recommendation, bluedivergirl. I had never heard of that product. Will have to check it out.

I have been trim for the last 50 years, get 3-4 hours of exercise per day, and eat a pretty decent diet. I still got pre-diabetes, so it must be my genes. One change I made to my diet was to have an open-face peanut butter sandwich (just one slice of bread) for breakfast each morning. I use only whole-grain, high-fiber bread and peanut butter with no partially hydrogenated oil. There is quite a bit written online about what a good food peanut butter is for diabetes, particularly early in the day.

Good luck.

Your common sense posts, plus your expert knowledge in the medical field, are always appreciated on here. Thanks for the info about the historical change of the blood level guidelines. Having been diagnosed with glaucoma since my early 20's because of borderline high readings, to this day I question as does my doctor, whether these high normal readings are just normal for me. Although I do use eye drops, since potential blindness is nothing I want to play around with, I have had no changes in any testing in over 40 years and have near perfect vision into my 60's. A friend of mine who has essentially the same history of this and hasn't been treated has had the same results. Long story short, normal ranges or numbers may not always be the norm for everyone whether it be diabetes, glaucoma, cholesterol, etc. What does make sense however is what you suggest - live a healthy lifestyle and don't stress out over numbers.

Great post golfing eagles! You make a lot of sense.

A nutritionist I met with mentioned about that 7.0 reading that was lowered. I wasn’t initially impressed with her but I may be changing my opinion. Her thoughts were that no diet works unless you stick to it. And if you make it overly strict, there is a good chance you won’t stick to it. She said to eat pretty much anything but in smaller portions. Her big thing was exercise. If you feel like you have over-eaten, go for a walk or a run. As I mentioned previously, pizza meant 5 or 6 slices. Up north there is a place called Wright’s Farm where they serve “all you can eat” chicken dinners. We’d go there a couple times a month and I would eat until stuffed.

With changes, I’m now 75% towards my goal of 20 pounds weight loss in 4 weeks. I think that weight loss, exercise and cutting back on my food portions especially potatos, bread and rice will lower my A1C. Even if I didn’t have an elevated A1C, these changes would be good for me.

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone!

Chub Club
 

The is a "Chub" club class put on at the Villages Health Centers. Goes on for a year with different time slots (IE - Weekly then Bi-weekly then monthly. I moved from Pre 6.2 to 5.6 by end of class.

In addition to what you are already doing, drink lots of water throughout the day, preferably alkaline. If you purchase anything in a box or bag, read all the ingredients. Most packaged food contain high fructose corn syrup and lots of chemicals. Eating fresh and organic and non-GMO when possible is the best. All processed foods contain things our body can't process so we store it. If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it.

My suggestion is to take time to read labels on any food cans,jars bags and boxes. The high sugars in these items are what creates havoc with a diabetes eating lifestyle. Eating a small carb and a protein together as a snack several times a day instead of large meals helped me. No soda pop ,juices and beer helped keep numbers low.Educating oneself is the only way to understand what foods are too high in sugar content to eat anymore. If you do decide to cheat do it with the understanding that it is your choice to jeopardize yourself for 3 days after the event. Sweats, confusion and lethargy are the after effects of binging I found .
Good luck!

Yeah we’ve been reading labels for salt content for years now as well high fructose corn syrup. Now checking for carbs too.

Oh how I wish I could have pancakes smothered in maple syrup!

Good to read. Also good to see you're back.:coolsmiley:

I don't think anyone should deprive themselves totally of any food unless they really believe they can live forever without it.

It's not dieting so much as a permanent lifestyle change that you can live with.

I didn't give up a lot of stuff so much as I gave up having a lot of that same stuff. I lost weight slowly and was able to ditch the one medication I was on.

Won't be living the rest of my life without wine or lobster.

I strongly suggest you get yourself educated on this. I did not and landed in the hospital. At the medical center in mulberry, they offer classes specifically for this, and I found them to be extremely informative. Also, if you have not yet done so, go to a doctor who specializes in this. I was referred to Dr Mercy, and have been quite pleased. - Best wishes Larry

I’m kind of liking spaghetti squash instead of pasta too.

A low carb diet will only benefit your doctor. Listen to Dr. John McDougall. He has a website.

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.

My recovery, or improved A1C, could be as simple as lose the middle and don’t skip lunches. I’m probably over-doing it. I have a tendency to do that.

Don’t forget to have some fun. You deserve it and that is why you moved to the fun place of the world. Don’t let some of the self interested doctors and their groupies spoil it for you. Common sense wins the day.

Also "google" Glycemic Index...... the lower the number, the better it is. I like the article from Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, called "Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods. For instance, Watermelon has a high glycemic incex (80). But a serving of watermelon has so little carbs (6 grams), that its glycemic load is only 5.

My husband has also switched to brown rice and Uncle Ben's Rice instead of potatoes..... for this reason.