I'm PreDiabetic...Any Advice?

I'm pre-diabetic and I know I need to avoid sweets, get on a better diet and exercise. If anyone out there has some advice, please give it. I'm not trying to down play the importance of a proper diet or exercise but I'm hoping for more specific advice.

Have you heard of The Sugar Buster's Diet?  It's a pretty sensible approach to the glycemic index and which carbs will elevate your blood sugar.  My mom was pre-diabetic a few years ago, and after following the book pretty religiously, her blood sugar level is fine and she lost 30 pounds!

The American Diabetes Association website (www.diabetes.org) has a lot of helpful information.  I purchased one of their books - Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy - and it has helped a lot.  The basics of the book is that you still plan your meals based on the food pyramid - with a few simple alterations - cheese isn't a dairy serving, it's counted as meat.  You can still have some sweets - you just have to plan for them and make sure that you have them with a meal.  The book is very easy to read and the advice is about making small changes one at a time instead of trying to follow strict guidelines that leave you feeling deprived.  Food portions are very important and it has lots of tables to help you know what a serving actually is for almost every food you can think of.  (I get funny looks when I'm weighing each piece of fruit or vegetable individually when I'm grocery shopping  :-) )

My doctor advised me to make the changes as if I were diabetic and forget the pre part.   If your doctor doesn't have you testing your blood glucose at home already, I would suggest you ask about it.  It's been really helpful for me to have the immediate feedback 2 hours after a meal to know how the foods are affecting me and I can make better decisions about future meals.  All of the "glycemic" index information and advice for diabetics say that bananas raise your blood sugar more than apples so you should choose the apple.  For me, it's the opposite.  By checking my levels at least 3 times a day, I've kept my blood glucose levels under good control and lost over 40 pounds in 4 1/2  months even though I've had back problems and been on medication that has the side effect of raising blood glucose levels.   

I would also suggest that you ask your doctor about speaking to a diabetes educator.  Most hospitals have one on staff and you can get answers to your questions from an expert. I know that I'm still reading and asking questions all the time. 

I was just diagnosed with type 2 diabitis. from what i read ur diet depends on what your body is doing. 1. if it's making enough insulin and not burning sugar like it should . 2 if it is not making insulin at all. 3. if it's not making enough insulin. the list goes on and the diets r different for each.

       &nb sp;               &nb sp;          grump ole man said that

When my mother was diagnosed with type 2, I went with her to a class for diabetics. It was very informative and I?ve made changes to my lifestyle because of it. One thing that I didn?t know was that diabetics should eat smaller meals/snacks throughout the day and even have a small bite (100 cal or so) an hour or two before going to bed ? providing you don?t have acid reflux or anything like that. My mother will have a smear of peanut butter on celery or a small cup of yogurt and a couple of whole grain crackers. This late night snack helps to stabilize your blood sugar and helps to keep your glucose level from spiking. They recommended that you don?t go a long time without eating something. It?s not about completely eliminating carbs or about just removing sugar. It?s selecting better carbs and managing them better. Go for whole grains over refined, keep everything in moderation and get moving. Sugar Busters is a great source for ideas and morninggirls suggestions are great too. The class we attended was free and sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. Check with your local hospital or doctors office.

The funny part?  A diabetic diet is not so different from the diet that most of us here on C-C are already on! 

The main difference is having to cut out the "low fat" or "low calorie" foods that your average dieter can eat that have just a bit too much refined sugar in them for us diabetics.  By all means, enjoy low or no sugar added products, so long as they are part of a healthy diet.  Be very wary of products with sugar alcohol.  In most cases it's better to have 5 grams of actual sugar than 30 grams of sugar alcohol.  Also, be wary of sugar substitutes.  Do your research before you start eating large doses of them.

I'm on glucophage for a little over a month now.  That combined with losing almost 30 pounds, my diet, and increasing my activity level just a little, has resulted in my sugars going down to normal levels.  By the end of the year I hope to "reverse" the diabetes.

One thing we do have to look out for very carefull is carbs like white bread, rice, and pasta.  Carbs are what really make your sugar spike, so switch to wheat and whole grain products and make sure to always eat carbs with a mix of protien and fat.

But don't fear sugar and don't quit it entirely.  Just learn to eat it in moderation and in combination with other things.  :)

Also, eat with frequency.  Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.  Keeping your blood sugar level is the most important thing, and it will respond well to regular eating.

Most of all, weight loss.  Shed some pounds (if you need to) and your sugar will come down.

It's good to know it can be reversed. Sugary candies are very limited but is fruit?

I would stick to serving sizes of fruit and eat no more than 3 servings a day, spaced out evenly through the day.  Some fruit has less sugar than others, so learn those differences.  :)

Ok since last year I lost 45lbs and this was the technique I used.

1. I went to a high fiber diet since I was unable to have bowel movements daily. Therefore, I purchased metamucil and how I prepared my drink was the best way I could think of. I simply made my drink like a strawberry daiquir. I used the strawberry daiquir mix from the store, ice, small amount of water, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of metamucil the raspberry mix. I started my blender and poured into a cup and since it was too thick to drink through a straw, I simply used a spoon.

2. I decided to leave all meats out of my diet. I mean all except for the following: Shrimp and fish but no fried catfish.

3. Instead of watching TV everyday after work, I decide to record all my favorite programs. Instead, I took my dog to the dog park and allowed him to play while I walk around the park.

4. After an hour or longer, I would put him on his leash then walk at a faster pace for another 45 minutes.

5. I decided to get on my gazelle at 6:00am in the morning and work out for at least 30 to 40 minutes.

6. At my 10:30 am break in the morning from work I would jog for at least 15 minutes outdoors.

7. I joined a health club and I participated in 2 classes then increased to a 3rd class. I participated in Kickboxing, Latin Dance, and Yoga on Sunday mornings. Afterwards or before class I would get on treadmill at least 20mins.

8. I wore and still wear a pedometer. I committ to at least 8,000 to 10,000 steps at least 5 days a week.

9. I peform situps, pushups, and stretches daily.

10. I ate only the following foods throughout the coarse of the day. Fresh fruits, salads-no dressing, greens(frozen), spinach, corn, mixed vegetables, cantaloupes, watermelon, peaches, grapefruits, grapes, and strawberries. This diet is very expensive because it involves so much fruit. What I learned from this diet was that whever I ate only fruit for the day my bowel movements were excellent. So, I decided to have 2days a week dedicated to only fruit. The other 3 days, I dedicated my diet to only vegetables. The other two days which were weekends, I decided that on Saturday's I would eat only one thing out of my diet to my choosing. Sunday's were dedicated to at least one meat portion but could not be red meat. I never ate red meat during this time. I did not include bread products except for Raisin bran on occasionally days. \

11. Finally, I would measure my water intake and try to drink at least 1liter of water by noon. The rest of the day was dedicated towards finishing up another liter of water. I found it east to simply drink at least one cup of water every 30 mins. I awake each at 6am so this gave me plenty of time to finish up 8 glasses of water. Not difficult after working out either.

I stuck to all those things down to the wire. I accomplished my goal without the assitance of surgery or pills. I was dedicated and stuck to my plan. This worked for me. I didn't go outside of my diet except for the one day which included meat which was not red meat. I couldn't believe how fast I started losing weight. I can tell you for sure that it worked for me. Good luck with finding your way.

PS, I'm sorry there was one more important thing, I met a friend at the gym who would call me everyother day when it was time for our class. She kept me motivated as well. Find friends on the same page as you and you can't lose

I was diagnosed Type 2 early in 2007, with uncontrolled high blood sugar and high A1C.  I lost 50 lbs and no longer show symptoms, so I personally count weight loss (and/or waistline) as the most important factor.  Here are a few other comments that might be helpful.

-Keep a diary.  I got one from the Dr. along with a pamphlet on dieting first thing.

-Check blood sugar regularly.  At first it was three times a day, then once a day in the AM.

-The blood sugar variation drove me to eating low glycemic index foods.  I immediately stopped eating dry breakfast cereal, and have only eaten it on rare occasions since 2007.  For me starchy foods were more of a problem than sweets.

-Figure out a way to exercise daily, and make it a habit.  For me it's walking.

Good luck!