I just got news from my doctor that I am borderline Type 2. If you've been in this predicament and was able to turn around your condition, I would love to hear your success story. It scares me that I am in this state but it also scares me that I'm that I may not have enough determination to take the long journey in turning it around. What have you done that's worked for you?

I'm sorry that's the news you received. However, at least it's borderline and not full blown! I have not been in your situation but I have found myself doing best on the diabetic diet plan, anyway. It's mainly sticking with vegatables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains, staying away from all things processed, etc. I've even bought several diabetic cookbooks. I think after some research you'll find that the plan they want for you won't be so difficult to maintain as you might believe. Good luck and post often!

You haven't yet crossed the point of no return, read up as much as you can and just tell yourself you HAVE to do this for your health. With the support you get here, you can do it!! You can turn it around, just think positive and make the changes you need to! We're all here for you when you need some help.

I'm not in your shoes exactly - but I do have a toddler with T1 diabetes, and I'm here to tell you that you CAN do whatever you have to do to put health first. I never thought I would be able to stick needles in my son each day, or count every gram of carbohydrates that passed his lips, or wake up 3 times a night every night to check his blood sugar.....but I do. His life depends on it. While T2 is in many ways a very different disease, your life depends on the changes you need to make, too.

Diabetes is a nasty disease. If you're pre-diabetic, then you have a chance to stop things now - to get to a point where you're healthy again. I guarantee you that the vigilance required to monitor your diet and exercise now to avoid becoming a full-fledged diabetic is MUCH easier than the vigilance that would be required if you don't make changes and are diagnosed with T2. The lifestyle changes have to happen either way - it may not seem like it now, but you truly are on the easier path at this moment. It's kind of like - the decision has already been made for you. You will be on this journey one way or another......on your terms, or on diabetes' terms. Find the thought, motivation, goal - whatever it is - you need to focus on to keep this journey on YOUR terms. Giving in, giving up just isn't an option, because you've looked into the crystal ball and you KNOW where that leads...it's not a random statistic that *might* happen, it's you - and it *will* happen unless you change it. And you can change it. I absolutely 100% believe that you can.

We made a lot of changes to the way we eat after our son was diagnosed. We avoid most processed foods now - many are loaded with extra sugar and high carbs that had a negative effect on his blood sugar, so we just stopped buying them. He eats protein with carbs, as the protein helps to regulate his blood sugar after the carbs - preventing a spike (and subsequent) crash in his numbers. You'll want to avoid added sugars as much as possible - naturally occuring sugars in things like fruit (which also have fiber and lots of vitamins/minerals) aren't as bad, but you'll have to experiment and see which fruits have an effect on you. My son goes very high with bananas, for example, but not grapes - so we try to limit bananas.

Small changes can make a big difference. Cut out regular soda, and drink sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice instead. Switch from white bread to whole grain - from regular peanut butter to natural (way less sugar). Focus on lean proteins and vegetables, and make grains/starches smaller side dishes rather than the main part of a meal. Don't overwhelm yourself with exercise in the beginning - try to go for a walk (maybe 15-20 mins) 3 times a week to get started. Break it down into smaller blocks if needed - the main thing is to do something, and to do it as consistently as you can for your activity level.

I truly hope that you will be able to find strength in the face of this life-changing situation to make the brave choice, and fight. You are worth it - don't ever forget that.

Ugh - just read my post again, and realized I might have come off as harsh, which wasn't my intention. It's just....well, basically, with my son's diagnosis there wasn't a thing I could have done to prevent it. I wish EVERY DAY that it was something I could have prevented - I would do anything to protect him from all he has to go through now. My point was just - you can prevent this. You can make it go away, and you can protect yourself from what you might have to go through. I just really, really encourage you to do whatever you can - take this chance to make yourself better, whatever it takes.

Diabetes is called the silent killer for a reason - you don't see what it does until its too late. If you could see the things that I see as a health care professional, then it would probably give you all the motivation you need to turn it around.
I do not have diabetes and hopefully never will. I have family members with it (all type 2) and they range from taking 1 oral diabetic med per day to not being able to walk due to the peripheral neuropathy and requiring regular insulin.
I have seen people who have let their diabetes go uncontrolled for years and years... their skin (especially the legs) looks like tree bark, they have bouts of cellulitis, gangrene and limb amputations, immobility, and are at increased risk of heart disease.
You can control your outcome... even if you become a full-blown diabetic, you can still control your outcome. You need to get rid of processed foods... eat according the glycemic index, which you can read more about at www.glycemicindex.com. It shouldn't matter if you might end up diabetic, all people should eat as many whole foods as possible and cut out as much processed food as possible, especially the sugary junk and regular pop.

At any rate, you won't see the effects of diabetes for years, but that shouldn't be an excuse to remain complacent now. If you have the information to prevent major medical issues for yourself, you should always follow-through with the appropriate interventions (and I would say that this is relevant for any disease, especially those associated with obesity).

You may want to check out the dieting with diabetes forum under the dieting with obsticles.

Hi! I was diagnosed with T2 and the upside is that if I get my act together and make the changes necessary I can either end up completely off the meds or at least have them reduced. As I get older I may end up back on the meds because of the damage that has already been done (I went a while without it being caught) or I might be able to turn things around. When I went to the doctor and they ran a bunch of tests, because it had been so long since I went in, I actually failed EVERY test they gave me... LOL I have a LOT of turning around to do...

Since I have started exercising and changing my diet ( I cut a lot of the carbs and highly processed food, more water, when to multi-grain, whole foods, etc) I have noticed that my daily readings have looked better. I am supposed to be going in for my 3 month check here soon and am hoping for a good report.

Anyway - You caught it early, now is your opportunity to get as much information as possible and stop it before it starts. You can do it....

i have recently been afraid to go get checked, but the last time i was checked which was at my heaviest in august 2006 i didnt have it so now that i have lost 60 pounds since, im hoping things are ok but like i said im hoping. i will go get checked one of these days but not anytime soon. im just afraid.

I know the exact feeling you're talking about!! I know it won't change anything if I have it but don't know...but somehow not knowing feels a whole lot better! I did bite the bullet in January and go to the doctor and came up clear. What a relief! But believe me, I know what you mean!

Hi I know how you feel My blood pressure was 140/110 on my has visit and it was never high at 220lbs, I have been getting it checked 3 Xs a week and mostly its 116/80..... I scares the crap out of you.....

Thank you for posting this, julzchiki - last week my doctor informed me that the results of some blood tests showed I was prediabetic. That scares me, hopefully enough to make me finally start eating right and getting healthy. He suggested I go on the South Beach diet, so that's what I'm doing (along with my DH, who is similar circumstances).

And sugarlove, THANK YOU for your heartfelt post. It was inspiring to me, and I can see myself looking to your words again in the future, whenever I feel I can't do this.

Hey Gang . . .

Take it from one who knows only too well . . . you can't deal with Diabetes or Prediabetes by burying your head in the sand. I tried that for years after I was first diagnosed with type II better than 15 years ago. Did everything right for the first few months and then just tried to ignore it for a long time.

Believe me, it did not go away. At the pre-diabetes level you can still beat it with proper lifestyle changes. Once you get to real Type II, all you can do is control it and hopefully prevent the really dire side-effects. I didn't start to think seriously about the disease until I had to add twice daily insulin shots to my already full schedule (max allowable doses) of Glyburide, Metformin, and Actos. It is a progressive disease and it does not go away. And most of those meds and the insulin especially make it even harder to lose weight. And gaining weight makes it even harder to control the Diabetes, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Now for the good news . . . losing weight is the best thing you can do for the problem, especially at the "pre" level. Even at my point in time, my (so far )loss of 50 pounds has allowed me to reduce all of my diabetes meds by approximately 1/3; even the insulin.

Tackle the problem head on and right now, ladies. If you've been diagnosed, accept it and work hard to control it . . . if you suspect it, please, please, please, go and find out now.

Don't mean to scare anybody . . . no, wait, maybe I do . . . if that's what it takes to get you focused. Anyone who is overweight (let alone obese) and especially anybody who is also pushing forty is far more at risk of developing Diabetes and should get a glucose tolerance test every year. Do it, now.

I was diabetic when I was pregnant (pregnancy weight was close to 260). I know for the 5 months that I had to take needles, it was horrible - but I did it and at the time said when the baby was born - I would change my lifestyle.
Now, baby-girl is almost 3 and I'm at about what I was before I was pregnant...224
Four weeks ago, as I dropped my daughter off to daycare - a 3yr old said "Boy, are you fat"!....needless to say, I thought "What a rude little boy!"
Two weeks ago, I sat in a plastic patio chair at my friends and the chair broke...my friend (trying to comfort me) said, Oh it had a crack, it's old....

One week ago I visited the doctor and she tested my blood sugar, first time since I was pregnant (my diabetes went away once the baby was born). My sugars were over 18. She told me point blank, make a choice. Because I was diabetic during pregnancy I have an over 50% chance of becoming type 2...what a wake up call.

That was one week ago, and now here I am. One week into a 50-70LB weight loss plan. This time it's different...it's not to fit into an outfit or for an occassion....it's for me. For my health. This time, I'm doing it for me.

First off, I want to thank Sugarlove for the tough love. I was not hurt by what you shared but rather motivated by it. I'm at a place now where all I have left is to TAKE ACTION with my health. I appreciate your frankness and thank you for sharing your experiences with your sons diabetic needs. I know several diabetics and have seen what they must do to care for themselves and it is life consuming. Here I am, lucky to not be Type 1 and taking my body/health for granted. But no more.

For the last 3 or so months I have been going through quite a few health problems that I am convinced are stemming from the fact that I am borderline Type 2. I have been the doctor far more than I care to admit and I have wracked up some medical bills (even with fantastic healthcare insurance) thanks to the tests I've had to take and the copayments from all the visits. This in itself has scared me to the point of action! I have been living in denial for years and though my doctor has warned me several times that I am prediabetic (and thankfully my numbers are still borderline) I have pretended that my body couldn't possibly get sick or have problems. UNTIL this past December. For many years I have had difficulties with my period but in December I bled for over a month and became anemic. Then I developed some other health problems and it just seems the problems keep increasing. I tie it completely to my obesity and prediabetic state as my body is screaming to me that it can no longer handle this lifestyle. I'm still dealing with "what's wrong with body now" and visiting my doctor pretty regularly but this minimal amount of healthcare thus far is only a sign of what could be coming. I'm single and only in my mid-30s. I still desire to meet a man and have a family as well as live a fully active life. Changes are being made.

That said, I struggle. I struggle every single day with my weight. But, since the health scares, my attitude has changed and I have been making changes to my diet and lifestyle, slowly making changes each day. But, like I said, I struggle. It's a daily decision and daily effort. Paying the medical bills and seeing a counter that is starting to fill with medications, I am scared. I am scared enough to make the changes I need to live a healthier life.