Anyone Been Diagnosed As Pre Diabetic?

[disneyrun]

I was diagnosed as pre diabetic today. I know I need to lose some weight so that's part of it but wondering if anyone has any experience with this. Have they been able to reverse it, etc. I also posted on the CB but thought here might have a better response since we are all so concerned with our health!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I do know of some who have been able to keep things at bay by making those healthy choices.

You go for it. Make sure you don't skip meals, do make well-rounded balanced choices. It might be a good idea to use a tracking site to help you with balance, like sparkpeople or fitday.

Also, I know this is difficult for many of us, but if you can split up those balanced meals instead of eating 3 times/day go to 4-6 times/day this is not more portion sizes just same portions split into more times to eat during the day. It will keep your levels more constant.

We'll be here to support you through the journey. Let us know how you are doing.

You can do this!

 

[ksoehrlein]

I was almost diagnosed with gestational diabetes while carrying DS, but major dietary changes between my first screening and the 3-hour glucose tolerance test resulted in my dodging an official diagnosis. I know it's not exactly the same as non-pregnancy-related pre-diabetes, but have faith... you can dodge this bullet!

Did your doctor provide you with any kind of sample diet or refer you to a nutritionist? I was provided a sheet with sample meal ideas and followed it to the letter. The nurse said that was why I ended up not becoming a full-blown gestational diabetic.

Some of the changes I made were eating 6 times a day (small meals) instead of 3 times (normal to large meals), increasing my protein intake, and decreasing my carbs. Sample meals included: string cheese, sugar-free yogurt, tuna sandwich made with only one slice of whole-grain bread, salad, and 3 whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter.

It was tough to make these dietary changes, but certainly worth the extra effort. Good luck with your lifestyle changes. Please keep us updated on your progress!

 

[SnowWtch]

I was diagnosed pre-diabetic last year when I was in the hospital. I would highly recommend changing the way you eat and getting more exercise. I didn't do that and now I'm on meds to keep me from getting worse and for my blood pressure.

 

[ksoehrlein]

Forgot to mention: watch out for "hidden" sugars in your diet. My friend's DH is also pre-diabetic even though he seems to be fit and trim. One of the things he used to eat quite a bit of and now has to avoid is ketchup, of all things. Apparently it has a ton of sugar.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I was (mis)diagnosed as prediabetic in September. I say misdiagnosed because I have had frequent readings over 200 which is the threshold for diabetes. That being said, there are several things you should keep in mind:

-Being overweight does not cause diabetes. It certainly ups your risk, but the current thinking is that it takes the combination of a genetic predisposition with an environment trigger to develop diabetes.

-Eating sugary foods did not cause these readings.

There are also several things you can do:

-Ask for a Glucose Tolerance Test if you have not had one. This is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and will give you a better idea of what your body is doing.

-Ask for an appointment with a dietician. S/he will give you a "prescription" and explain to you what you need to know. Sugar is not the culprit, carbs are the culprit. Carbs are found in all food except meat (for the most part). It is carbs that raise your blood sugar. The dietician can teach you about carbs, and let you know how many servings of carbs, fats, and proteins you should have for each meal. You can also get this information from a certified diabetes educator. My current "prescription" is 45 grams (3 servings) of carbs per meal and a 15 gram (one serving) snack.

-Get a meter and test daily. Your doctor can give you a free one, or you can get a free on by going onto pretty much any company's website. Test when you wake up and 2 hours after eating. This will help you keep tabs on what your body is doing and adjust accordingly. It is also an early warning system. (this was how I realized I had been misdiagnosed). Your fasting readings should be below 100. Anything over 125 is considered diabetic. Postmeal readings should be under 140, anything over 200 is considered diabetic. (Readings in between are the prediabetic range).

-Exercise. Exercise increases insulin absorption, which can help keep blood sugar values where they belong.

Most people with prediabetes will get diabetes. That is the sad truth. By taking these steps, you can delay, or maybe even prevent the onset of diabetes.

In terms of meters, I use the Free Style Lite and love it. You can get a free Freestyle meter by clicking here. Then click "order now" next to the meter you want and they will send you a free one.

If you go to this link you can enroll in the promise program. That is what I am in. They sent me my free meter and gave me a card which means that I pay only $15 a month for strips instead of $50 a month (and that was with insurance!)

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I also wanted to comment on the smaller meals instead of one big meal.

The current thinking as explained to me by the nutritionist is that you want to have carbs only every four hours. You can wait more time in between, but not less. They used to tell you to eat every couple of hours to keep your blood sugars stable. With more research they found that after eating your blood sugar naturally spikes then comes back down (in a person without diabetes. The spike is no higher than 140).

The problem with prediabetes and diabetes is that your spike is much higher and it takes longer to come back down. So if you eat carbs more frequently, you start out at a higher level each time, you are not giving your blood sugar a chance to come back down to a normal range. Of course, everybody is different, which is why it is so important to see a nutritionist or CDE as they can tell you what is right for you.