Pre-Diabetes

The past year my glucose levels, fasting, have been around 108-114. My doctor acts like it is nothing to worry about and says to lose some weight and exercise 30 min per day..can be in 15 min sets. I do want to lose some weight and am wondering how many grams of carbs can I eat per day and still lose some of the pounds and possibly bring down my numbers?
Thanks!
Nan

Yup, follow Jeannie's advice Nan.  I did and I'm down 37 pounds since last July.  My numbers are well down too.

In my case, I just stopped eating potatoes, bread, pasta (all the white stuff) and sweets -- anything starchy or sugary.  Haven't counted anything except the melting poundage :)

If you follow the link in my post about the 'Low Carb Bread', you'll find a forum devoted to low-carb diets of various types.  Lots of OK food lists and recipes too.

Chris

Nan,
When you first start this plan it seems weird to have an egg, cooked in 'good for you' olive oil with a slice of cheese over the top (for your calcium) for breakfast. We are programmed to believe we 'need' toast or cereal to start the day. Lunch is some romaine lettuce leaves with slices of turkey or deli ham and tomatoes. It's a 'breadless' sandwich. Soup is made with thinly sliced cabbage leaves to replace the noodles. Dinner is a lean meat plus two or three veggies and a nice salad as well. Olive oil can be added to ranch dressing to make it yummier and better for you.

Read back in the posts and you will find lots of ways to fix your numbers with a proper food plan. Works for me!

Nan, I wish I had your blood sugar levels - WOW! Mine run between 84-284. The higher is for when I'm really stressed out. Mine have finally come back down to normal levals which fall around 80-125. I know I need to loose the weight to. I've packed it back on since my surgery in Feb. 09.

Hara - Fibromyalgia, MDepression, Diabetis, Anxiety, Sleep Apnea

Hi Everyone...well, I've been shooting for 130 grams of carbs per day...guess that is too much, huh??? What about 100 grams per day?? I've been on Adkins before and I just can't go that all protein business! I need some fruits and veggies! I need to lose about 70 pounds so I need to be able to control my calories as well as my carbs. Any suggestions??? I am getting in 30 min per day walking and that is going well, but I've been walking for years and years, had just kind of slacked off the past six months for a number of reasons. Just have to make myself do it every day, day in and day out whether I feel like it or not. My walking started to suffer when I began working again several years ago and know that isn't a reason but makes a good excuse! ; >) Thanks for all of the input...it certainly helps to know of others in the same boat, as my doctor isn't a load of help on this subject. He just keeps telling me "you know what to do, so do it!" Fortunately, my cholesteral, HDL, LDL, TriGs, etc are all where they are suppose to be so that is good news! Thanks again
Nan

Hi Nan, oh YES, a lot of us are in the same boat!  I've also been slacking off on the exercise lately and I know I have to get back on track.  I'm going to make a calendar chart and record the amount and type of exercise to help encourage me to keep it up.  I didn't need this a year ago but I need something to make me accountable now.  So, maybe that might work for you, too.  As far as the amount of carbs, that depends on the individual.  For me, the blood sugar is the bottom line.  I don't count carbs because I know what makes my blood sugar spike and run high.  I eat lots of vegetables along with protein.  I believe that might be the difference between Atkins and Bernstein.  (I have not followed Atkins, so I don't know where that diet stands on veggies.) 

Hara, years ago, doctors told patients they were "pre-diabetic" or had "impaired fasting glucose" if their fasting blood sugar ran between 100 and 126.  Supposedly, they diagnosed diabetics if their fasting was 126 or higher - along with a GTT and random testing.  I think the medical establishment is a little slow coming around to the fact that numbers between 100 and 126 mean diabetes in many cases.  I mean, it should not be diagnosed by one fasting but the point is, in my opinion, that consistent readings above 100 means diabetes although it might be able to be controlled by diet and exercise.  So, a person like me who fits in that range but can control the blood sugar without meds is what?  Some people call it "prediabetes"  Some people call it diabetes controlled by diet and exercise.  I call myself the latter.  My fasting is "impaired"  (I like that word; it takes the seriousness out of high blood sugar, ... NOT.)  if I eat like my husband and kids, but if I eat my low-carb way, I test as a "normal".  The bottom line, though, is not the name but if the blood sugar is controlled. 

TVEditor,

Thanks for your reply. It seems I just won't be able to subscribe to a forum...I didn't see a notification on the reply screen but I'll look again when I post this. Maybe I just missed it. Thanks again. This is a great site. :)

A doctor told me recently I was borderline hypothyroid (am taking low-dose Armour now, but half-heartedly), and prediabetic. That made sense to me with all the reading I've done, including Schwarzbein. My cholesterol is extremely high and I eat healthy. Nourishing Traditions book, Schwarzbein, etc. I have a time with abdominal fat despite watching my diet. Insulin resistance causes high cholesterol and puts one at risk for coronary problems. Which I have, also. It just seemed to make sense. And no, if you are going to ask, I don't know my numbers off-hand. I have gotten tired of numbers over the years. I am trying to psyche myself up to dig them out and pay attention to them again. Thank you for your interest. :)

Pogonia, as Hara says, you need to go back to the doctor and be tested.  He would probably order the glucose tolerance test which would indicated how you metabolize carbohydrates, something diabetics cannot do well.  You need to know what your lab tests are, so you can understand what you need to do.

Pogonia,
You don't need to "sign up" for a thread, just post when you are interested in the information presented. And if I may interject, I believe that your doctor should "rethink" his use of words. "Borderline" does not exist in the medical field any longer. "You either IS or you AIN'T!" In your case you are being medicated for hypothyroidism so therefore you ARE hypothyroid. And as donnaeil has stated, pre diabetes is simply an indicator that you will go full blown in a few years. You will need to change your food plan for sure when you go full blown, so why not head them off at the pass and start now?

Having a body that is impaired in its ability to metabolize carbohydrates in large portions means, logically, that you should not give that body large portions of carbohydrates at one time. Yes, medications can force your body to mimic the body of a normal, but over time this simply is not the answer. It is easier and healthier to simply reduce the amount of grain based foods in the food plan. This allows the body to work on the carbohydrates that are presented in the form of vegetables and fruits. For most of us who are diabetic, this reduction in carb calories allows the body to use up some of the stored fat we have.

And while we are on the topic, fat is a bit of a problem for us. In many diabetics the appearance of grain in the diet signals the body that it is harvest time, before the long hunger of winter so the body converts the carbs in the grain to fat for famine storage. These fat cells also send out signals to form more fat (because winters are very long, you know!) and we will convert our food to storage in fat cells before we will use it for everyday metabolism. This is one of the explanations for hunger just after dinner. The high blood sugar is floating around in the blood stream but because of insulin resistance it can't gain access to the cells. The cells are screaming "Feed ME!" (even though the glucose is just outside their doors) which the brain interprets as hunger. In the mean time the sugar just gets converted to fat. And the cycle renews itself. If excessive grain is presented the body just goes into storage mode because it must still be harvest time, right?

Exercise and medications like metformin reduce insulin resistance and allow the glucose better access to the cells. This curbs the screaming hunger and helps us feel better. Exercise also stimulates us to use the available glucose so it doesn't get made into fat and actually signals the body to start breaking down fat for metabolism use. Activity (and increased sunlight) lets the body know it's not the dead of winter where we need to huddle by the fire, it's time to get up and get busy. This is why it is so much easier to start a low carb food plan in the spring. Nature signals us that it's time to get moving.

If you think about how early peoples lived, in pre agricultural times, they didn't have access to grains in the spring and summer. They ate meat, fish, and tons of fresh greens, nuts and berries. And when agriculture first began, the amount of work expended to plant, harvest and store grains, along with the care of the animals, more than balanced out the calorie intake of the grains. People worked hard and moved all day long so they couldn't become fat unless they were wealthy. Now we can buy twinkies and french fries about 10 minutes from our home, without walking! Those excess carbs are not what we need but what our bodies crave in case there is a famine next week. We have to over rule our brains hunger signals and do what is best for us. This is why I favor the nothing white except cauliflower food plan. It helps stop fat storage and signals me to get up and get going.

Hope this helps.

Pog,
My husband works in the produce industry and you should know that most produce in the US is not so pesticide laden as in the 70's or even 80's. Consumer demands for less pesticides, the use of 'friendly' insect predators and the breeding of disease resistant strains by cross breeding pollination has really reduced the amount of sprays used. Also, fast growing veggies & fruits like lettuces, zuchini, (spell?) berries and greens usually receive no treatment. Simple washing helps a lot in getting off dirt and dust.

Most pesticides manufactured today are bug specific, that is, they have a certain bacteria that only affects the one fly or bug that targets that food source. Consequently the product used is only bad for bugs, not people. To us it's just another harmless bacteria. Hope this helps... Glad you have insurance. We have been without for about five years now.

I did get off track on vegetables. and have been trying to do better. Frozen ones, if nothing else. And, yep, I plan on trying a few container veggies now that spring is here! Thanks for the insight into commercial produce, Jeannie. very interesting. I haven't explored much here since we've turned off our DSL so haven't seen the post about rolls made from beaten eggs. Sounds intriguing.

As far as insurance, you have to have something to go along with disability/Medicare. so it doesn't cover much. But yes, it is a comfort to know it's there.

thank you both for your concern,
Jonell