I am pre diabetic. I made a lot of changes in April when I started this weight loss journey. I cut out a LOT of my sugar and carb intakeand added in heather things, started exercising. The first few months I did great. Slowly I've added more and more sugar and carbs back into my diet. I continued to lose weight so I figured it was ok. My blood draw in April showed my A1c (blood sugar) at 6.2. In August it had dropped to 5.9 (yay!). But the most recent had be at 6.0. :/ Not cool! So I realize that allowing these sugars back in has had a negative effect, and that its not all about losing weight. I have to really watch my sugar and carbs. So disappointing! Anyway, today my doctor told me to "eat like a diabetic." He told me what NOT to eat but I'm unclear about what TO eat. I can't say that I am ready to 100% change my eating habits and live a sugar free life. But I would really appreciate some tips! Some things that I can use instead of others. I was hoping someone on here could help! What is a typical diabetic diet? Please excuse me for being so naive. I really should know more. My Granny was a diabetic and she was always worried about me developing it because I took after her so much.

I am rambling. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I tried to send you an IM, but am unable to do so.
I would suggest grabbing a copy of this book GI Diet. I bought one, but you can probably get it at your local library.
They also have a website of GI foods. I'll look it up and post it

GI Diet Food List

join us on the diabetes support thread, January chat. Great group of people and lots of support

Even diabetics (Type I and Type II) have to experiment to find their ideal diet. They experiment and use their blood sugar monitors and/or and their lab test results to determine whether they're on the right track.

My husband and I are diabetic. I've only had two blood tests in the diabetic range, so I asked me doctor if I was "really diabetic" or "just had insulin-resistance and metabolic syndrome?" He said that "for all practical purposes," I could consider them the same thing (all points on the same spectrum).

He recommended a low-carb diet, but admitted that he had no idea what "too low" was, and told me that I'd have to experiment to find out.

I've let my blood tests be my guide. So far, they've continued to move in the right direction, but I've also continued to make more and more changes.

I always intended to "give up" sugars, but I'm getting better and better at it with practice.

My husband has done a lot more "bouncing" with his carb levels (and his blood sugar levels and lab results have also bounced as a result), but we've both made a lot of progress - just by experimenting (it's been a six years of experiments). My hubby was even able to get off insulin.

I still am not sure what my ideal carb level is, but I have found some clues. I can't eat "Atkins induction" level, or I get quite ill (and it doesn't go away in two weeks as Dr. Atkins suggested - in fact it only gets worse). I have to be very careful with fruits and grains (if I eat either on an empty stomach, without fat or protein, I often will experience a sudden blood sugar drop an hour to 90 minutes later - that can either cause intense hunger, or symptoms like severe headaches, moodswings, even lightheadedness and nausea).

Paleo works really well, except I do have to be careful with fruits (most paleo diets either eliminate or at least severely limit grains and other non-paleo foods).

I do a modified paleo, in that I do include low-fat dairy, and even some modern low-carb "frankenfoods," such as Splenda.

I choose to include low-fat dairy (and small amounts of higher fat cheeses), because one of the first paleo diets I read in the 70's or 80's - either Neanderthin, or The Paleolithic Prescription allowed them. The author claimed that paleo sources of calcium and other minerals were harder to come by (and considered unpalatable to many). So I could eat dairy if I wasn't willing to eat a lot more skin, blood, tendons, bones, organ meats, seashells, egg shells, insects, and, dirt.

I'm starting to shift off-topic, because you don't have to eat paleo to address diabetes (though a lot of people find it helpful).

You really just have to experiment (and understand that it can take a lot of time and experimenting to be sure of the results).

This is the most unique sentence I've ever read on 3FC!

I am a lot like Kaplods. I no longer have blood sugars that are troublesome, but if I were to eat however I wanted to, I would have diabetic numbers.

One year ago my dating blood sugars were 150 something. A month later they were 236 and my a1C was 6.8. That is in line with full blown diabetes. Now, at the same time, my thyroid was way messed up, so he didn't want to diagnose me yet. Basically he told me to eat low carb and that is what I did. I had him prescribe a glucose monitor, needles and strips and I tested 1 hour and 2 hours after eating to figure out my triggers. Now, this didn't take me much as I had had gestational diabetes with my second child and had figured it all out then, but I had never tested thing likes quinoa and I wasnt sure if Barilla plus pasta reacted better than regular pasta, etc. so, I tested a few new trigger foods and went from there.

What I learned for my body is that every starchy grain except for potatoes and quinoa (strange that potatoes don't react but quinoa is a fairly commonly tolerated grain for diabetics) raised my blood sugars. So, I simply don't eat them and I don't miss them. I eat fruit, but I always pair it with a protein and I eat whatever veggies I want... Just skipping sweeter ones for day to day (carrots, beets).

And I did a lot of research. The ideas for diabetic eating is changing. Right now they will still say eat balanced meals, never get too hungry, etc... So that your glucose levels never spike or crash. However, that is the thought if you are eating a fair amount of carbs. If you don't eat many carbs, your blood sugars never spike or crash, they stay much more level. And a lower reading all the time is much betterr for the body than a constant higher reading. I don't have to eat at any regular intervals, etc. I just stay away from the simple carbs and all is good.

Plus, exercise helps a LOT with regulating blood sugar.... And I'm no talking hard core exercise, but walking, strength training, things that get you moving but don't exhaust you are excellent for keep blood sugars regulated.

Anyway... I eat about 100 net carbs a day, (you may be able to eat more or less), exercise 4-5 times a week and now and for the last half year my fasting blood sugars are under 100. I think they were about 90 last time they were. checked. My a1c test is 5.7. Basically, I don't register as having sugar problems, but it's all because of how I eat and exercise.

Hope this is helpful.

Thanks everyone! That is a lot of information to take in. I may have to start taking notes and do some real serious research. In April when I first found out about my blood sugar problems, I bought a finger pricker kit. But I didn't think it was necessary because my problem was the long term blood sugar. So it sounds like I should start using it again and maybe that's a first step. I've been thinking about keeping a food journal anyway, to note how I feel after certain foods.

Thanks again! I will check out the diabetes support forum soon! I really appreciate all the info!