I have recently been diagnosed with prediabetes. Back in March my A1c was 5.8 then in June 6.1 and most recently back down to 5.8. My doctor never even mentioned it back in March and I wouldn't have known I was prediabetic except for a short hospital stay when I was told by another doctor.
My question is this: Now my doctor tells me because of family history he wants me to be very careful eating things like bread, pasta, crackers, fruit, etc even though I've cut back enough to drop my level in two months from 6.1 to 5.8 and I did while quitting smoking! I cannot even imagine having to eat a low carb diet although I do have 100 pounds to lose and I'm finding it very difficult to stick to any diet right now.
So I guess my question is did any of you have to start eating low carb with prediabetes and did it work. Did you find it difficult to switch to such a different way of eating and what about the articles and books I've read that say you can eat most anything within reason with diabetes and still keep blood sugar in check. My mom was diagnosed 3 years ago and she pretty much eats what she wants without being on medication even though her A1c is 6.3.
I'm so frustrated and confused. I know I need to do what my doctor recommends but really finding it hard to convert to such a restrictive diet.
Any suggestions are welcome.
huntress: simply losing weight by any type of diet will help your blood sugar in the long run, and lower the risk of developing diabetes.
What did you change to lower your A1C?
If low carb is too difficult for you to imagine, consider low glycemic, or south beach, to atkins at level 2 or 3. When I went to atkins, I "backed" into it, lowering my carbs slowly, instead of cold turkey. Not to say I haven't had difficulty and haven't been able to stick it. I still eat "lower carb" no matter what, as carbs, especially grains and sweets, just make me crave more carbs. Then I binge out.
Most people who want a "normal" diet (ie what the diabetic educators tell us, based on governement food guides) still have to count carbs to keep them under a certain level. Good luck on your journey and keep in touch.
You really need to do what your doctor says, period. Don't mess around with your health. Yes, low-carb dieting will most likely help control your blood sugar, but I don't have personal experience with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Carbs are converted to glucose which raises your blood sugar level. Your body should release appropriate amounts of insulin to lower your blood sugar, but with diabetes, the sugar stays in your blood unless you take the insulin. It really isn't good for you to mess around being unsure. The only way to know if it works is to try it and NEVER cheat. Your health is far more important than any reservation you have about whether it will or won't work. You will thank yourself in the years to come if you adjust your diet now.
You may want to schedule an appointment with a Dietician, she helped hubby and I so much with our eating. We both have Type II. I can have up to 10 carbs a day (starch, fruit and dairy) and he can have up to 12, so it's not low carb at all, it's watching the PORTION of carbs that are important, we do not eat anthing different we just measure out proper portion sizes. God Bless. Tammy
I was eating a diet rich in bread, pasta and rice and I gave it all up pretty much from one day to another when I realized that carbs promoted my "chronic" inflammation. I was initially concerned whether it would be difficult to follow through, but it was actually not. As I did not want to crunch numbers when eating, I started Medifast. I found it to be very easy to follow. Since carbs are cut, you have less cravings and ketosis helps against hunger. There are other low carb diets and ways of eating. Just look into some of them and decide what would work best for you. I liked the convenience of prepackaged foods.
Thank you all for your kind replies. I'm still processing all the info the doctor has given me and more than anything I was so surprised with my A1c barely being above what's considered "normal" that he would want me to do a low carb diet but I suppose the doctor is right and I just need to work on doing it.
Having your A1C just a bit above normal and your doctor is wanting to work with you on diet and get your sugars under control.
Be grateful for a good doctor. Abnormal and uncontrolled blood sugars lead to long term damage to blood vessels and kidneys, so now is the time to get it under control, not when your numbers are crazy! Working on pre-diabetes is probably the best way, (other than not getting overweight in the first place, but we are all past that one!) to prevent the horrible effects of diabetes. Who wants to lose body parts when we could have lost weight?
Go for it girl!
Thank you fatmad for that perspective. I've been so busy whining about how much I am going to have to give up that I completely forgot what I've got to lose. And you're so right about getting it under control now before it's too late. I can't say thank you enough. I've got to print that out and put it everywhere to remind myself each time I think about eating things I know I shouldn't.
Thanks for telling it like it is!
Switching to low carb is tough, but it's simple swaps that could make your life a little easier, and you may find that not only are your levels getting better, but you are likely to lose weight without a lot of hunger too.
Think about great "breakfast foods" like eggs and protein, frittata, or omelettes.
If you like sandwiches, how about wrapping the filling in lettuce/greens or even a hollowed out cucumber or tomato?
If you like pasta, you may want to try peeling zucchini into long strips (or invest in a noodler), sauteing and topping with traditional marinara or a primavera or alfredo sauce.
Personally I love soup (stew and chili too) and it can be a great hot dinner that has few carbs. I like to cook large batches and freeze them into individual servings for a quick option. Veggie/meat stuffed hot vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, or peppers are awesome, and there are always salads.
Snacks can be jerky, cheese, nuts, hard boiled eggs, and crudite with a variety of dips.
After a while, it becomes second nature! Good luck, you can do this
Location: Anchorage AK in the summer, Lawrence KS and travel in the winter
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Here's the deal: I'm an insulin resistant Type II diabetic with metabolic syndrome. Very common among obese women diabetics/pre-diabetics I might add. I will echo the others. At the time of discovery of my "pre-diabetes" I did not have the proper frame of mind to lose weight. If I did I might have been able to completely reverse the diabetes and stave off the health issues associated that are insidious and slow to manifest. That would be my number one goal if I had it to do all over again. For me it's water under the bridge. You have a chance to help yourself.
Because I had to pass a physical every year to retain employment and would need a waiver if diabetic, I kept my numbers down just under threshold by low carbing much of the time. I staved off the actual diabetes diagnosis for roughly 10 years by doing so, still damage was done because the reason I had the blood glucose problem in the first place was excessive body fat.
Now that my weight is coming down my numbers are looking better. My goal is to get into a normal weight category and lower my meds and if possible be able to go off of them. Chances are very good that your situation is like mine was. Obese with 100+/- pounds to lose, insulin resistant, too many carbs coming aboard for the system to handle, dumping sugars in your urine. You have received your warning call that the party is over.
Trust me when I say that you don't want the constellation of mediations that go along with being diabetic. Many are fraught with terrible side effects and those are what docs go to when the numbers creep upward with advanced diabetes. Eventually it's insulin when the overloaded pancreas gives out.
Take this seriously. I wish I had known what I know now. I had just enough information early on to be dangerous to myself. I now have a diabetes specialist and I've learned so much in recent years. It's not what you can get away with, it's what you need to do that is so important in the early years. There is a window of opportunity that eventually closes. BTW, my doctor would not accept an A1C of over 6 to be a good result. He looks for mid 5's.
Best of luck to you.
Last edited by vintagecat; 08-27-2013 at 12:50 PM.
Frustrated
