Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

I'm overweight, did have very poor eating habits (working on improving that!), and type 2 diabetes runs in my family.  Earlier this week I was at a conference for professional caregivers.  One of the "freebies" at the conference was all kinds of great medical tests: BMI calculators, exercise and nutrition advice, cholesterol and blood glucose testing, and bone density scans for the older participants.  I took advantage of everything I could.  The tests were done by physician's assistant interns under the supervision of their profs.  I got a lot of encouragement when telling them at the BMI and nutrition/exercise stations about my diet and exercise changes.  The test of major concern was my fasting blood sugar.  I got a 98 and 100 would be considered borderline or pre diabetic.  YIKES!!

Now, I AM NOT substituting the internet for proper medical advice or care.  HOWEVER, my husband suddenly lost his job this week so I have to cancel my annual physical which was scheduled for next week until we can afford the appointment.  It might be a month or two so I'd like some advice for making improvements on my own.

I've lost 10 pounds in the last 2 months and plan to continue to lose but I have an "obese" BMI so I do have a ways to go.  I am trying to cut back on unhealthy carbs and replace them with whole grains.  I've eliminated caffeine from my diet and non-caffinated pop is now a rare treat.  I called my dad and he is sending me his old glucose monitor so I can test my blood sugar in the mornings to monitor improvement.  I would like to see that number closer to 70-80 as I understand that is a more healthy, normal range for fasting blood sugar.

Any other additional suggestions and advice from those of you with type 2 diabetes or who have medical knowledge on this condition would be greatly appreciated.  And, no worries, I'll get to my doctor as soon as money permits!

Exercise.... on top of the healthier diet and losing weight, regular exercise is by far the best way to tackle resting glucose levels.  Really good way to do that is to get a cheap pedometer, a pair of trainers and make sure you get 10,000 steps a day, every day.  Of course, if you want to join a gym or start running marathons, be my guest... :-)  What you choose doesn't really matter but it's got to be something every day...

Another tip... eat regularly, spacing your food out well in a series of small meals and snacks.  ie. don't skip meals, go too long between eating or have very big meals.   In conjunction with the wholegrains and the other Low GI foods you're switching to this will help keep your blood sugars stable and not put as big a strain on your body to produce insulin....

Very best of luck.  It's entirely possible to turn this situation around.  

Wow, I didn't even know that 100 or more for a fasting blood sugar was high!!!  I've had blood work done every few months due to some meds I'm on, and I was happy that my blood sugar war roughly 100 (maybe 98, maybe 103) However, none of my doctors have seemed concerned about this. 

One thing I do to try to keep my blood sugar under control is to make sure I get protein of some sort with every meal or snack.  I've often had trouble with hypoglycemia, I've actually had my blood sugar measured at >50. 

Original Post by karozel:

Wow, I didn't even know that 100 or more for a fasting blood sugar was high!!!  I've had blood work done every few months due to some meds I'm on, and I was happy that my blood sugar war roughly 100 (maybe 98, maybe 103) However, none of my doctors have seemed concerned about this. 

This post surprises me because before I had this more recent test done my last fasting blood sugar was at about 95 (around 6 months ago) and my doctor wasn't pleased with the results.  This article helped me understand blood sugar a little better.

@kthompson92 -- yeah, I went googling around and I realize that my fasting blood sugars have been in the high ranges.  That said, I am giving those numbers from memory.  I have the actual results at home (I always get a copy and keep them together so I can track my cholesterol etc) so I am going to double check and make sure my memory is not playing tricks on me.

I hope your results get better, and thanks for posting!  You may have given me a heads up about something I thought was relatively normal.

Edit:  My past results were 97, 104, 93 and 92.  But my HGBA1C are normal and so are my avg. daily glucose levels (86)  that were taken the last 2 times. 

I don't have diabetes but I do know a lot about blood sugars and how to stablize them.  I highly recommend you get familiar with the glycemic index and start eating primarily foods that have a low GI impact. Look for whole grains and high fiber foods. Also if you can break your daily meals into 6 smaller meals and eat every 3-4 hours. It will probably feel a bit weird at first, but after a few days you'll get used to it. Be sure you NEVER skip meals either - eat breakfast!! Every day!!!

http://www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/glycemic .asp

I have lots of diabetes in my family too and so I have been gathering as much info as I can so that I can prevent it as long as I can if not entirely.  Unfortunately my doctors and nutritionists have not been particularly informative, but I have picked up some info on my own.

You are definitely on the right track.  Losing weight will lower our risk for diabetes.  Regular exercise will also not only help stabolize our blood sugars but also lower our risk.  Pretty much any of the recommendations for diabetics apply to us.  Diet wise, eating throughout the day like GI Jane said is good, also eating balanced meals and avoiding refined sugars and "fast"carbs. 

Losing your extra weight is one of the best things you can do to avoid it. As well as eating more whole foods. And, of course, exercise.

But it sounds like to me that you know exactly what you have to do and that you're on your way there. =) Congraduations on the ten pounds lost, and here's to many more!

I found another article about normal blood glucose levels.   It says that the range is 75 - 145.     My level is 142 - I am hoping that since I am just on the border that some changes in lifestyle will help me out.   I really don't want to go on medication.