Would like to discuss with those who are. I’m shocked both DH and I were diagnosed in the last year or so. He’s a runner. I’m not Athletic but do exercise, not overweight and thought I was eating fairly healthy. I was wrong.
I encourage everyone to get their blood sugar tested at their next checkup.
Since researching this, I have discovered how serious this is and how lucky we are to have these tests before it goes to full blown diabetes. I’m also shocked to learn the things I was eating that I thought were healthy were actually part of the problem.
Women should have no more than 25 grams of sugar daily. The skim milk I was using…one cup has 12. The yogurt I was eating…Chobanu…it has 16 to 19. I ate them daily. I never looked at labels. I encourage you to look at the grams of sugar in one serving of things. Talk about eye opening. I thought because I was keeping my calorie intake to 1600 or so, that was enough.
I was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago and did the newly diagnosed self management class offered by our local hospital. I lost 30 lbs in 6 months – and kept it off through the winter. Looking to lose a little more. My numbers are fantastic on my newly educated diet. Simply put … I eat nothing with added sugar. I eat the minimum amount of carbs I can get away with. I no longer drink orange juice – which I adore. No fruit juice. 2% milk. No soda, regular OR diet. No more Starbucks. If I am hungry, I eat protein or (gasp) fat. My idea of a great snack is an apple with peanut butter. Or cheese with nuts. If I must have something sweet, it’s not going to kill me. Especially if I eat it with some form of protein. And I don’t beat myself up if I have an occasional treat – because I look at my glucose levels daily, I know that if I am pretty good, not perfect but pretty good, and get some daily exercise and take my meds, my numbers will still be in my target range. YMMV. Talk to your doc and take any classes offered by the local diabetes educators.
(ETA … greek yogurt is much better than regular yogurts – higher protein, less sugar. And the milk with a little fat will be way more satisfying than skim)
Our internist’s do fasting blood tests before our annual physicals and our numbers are always good, so this is not one of the issues that I am concerned with. My breathing is the issue that I and my docs have been working on for the past 16 years, as well as my allergies. I am glad not to have more health issues to contend with.
Glad you and your healthcare providers caught this issue and are working on it–diabetes is s terrible epidemic in HI and the US, and the sooner caught and addressed the better.
Yes I am sure I am not prediabetic. I see an endocrinologist every 6 months for thyroid and pituitary problems and he tests for a multitude of possible issues. But it is a good reminder that people who think they are doing everything right - exercising and eating right and keeping their weight in check are not always in perfect health. (I have stayed off the current thread about exercise because it has gotten a bit nasty in places.)
Hidden sugar is a real danger healthwise. People often think that eating low-fat ensures their health - the reality is that missing fat is replaced with sugar or it wouldn’t be palatable. The Michael Moss book “Salt, Sugar, Fat” is a great read - I personally try to only eat whole, natural foods - I’m a big Michael Pollan fan - but am not adverse to a donut occasionally. Kudos, cnp55!
I was diagnosed with diabetes 10 years ago having none of the risk factors save one. I was not overweight, ate healthily, exercised – and yet, I had an A1C of 12 when I was diagnosed. (And I practically had to beg my doctor to test my blood sugar, because I didn’t “look like a diabetic.” Hmmph.)
My one risk factor was that my mother has diabetes.
So I did everything “right” and still got diabetes. Once I was diagnosed, I did everything right again - dieted (even though I did not have much to lose), watched my carbs, exercised for 45 minutes a day - and still progressed rapidly through all the oral meds. Even though I initially brought my A1C down to 5.4, I still wound up taking insulin less than 3 years after my diagnosis. My endocrinologist now says I have adult-onset Type I diabetes (although she first thought I was a garden-variety Type II).
I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but my message is this similar to that of @mamabear1234 – sometimes, you do everything you are supposed to, and c*** still happens. I don’t regret eating well, watching my weight, and exercising regularly, of course; those are important things to do even if you don’t have a chronic disease. Sometimes, though, you do everything “right” and stuff still goes wrong.
On a related note – I can’t tell you how many people have told, me that I “must have” brought diabetes on myself through poor health habits.
The biggest culprit, which most people don’t even realize, is carbs. Bread, pasta, and rice all turn to glucose in the body. For a diabetic, a bagel is even worse than a donut.
One really has to pay attention to labels as something seemingly “healthy” or “healthier” can often fall short.
We were on a hockey road trip and stopped for gas and the boys got out to get beverages. My son got a 16 oz bottle of Nesquick low fat chocolate milk which I thought was a decent choice - at least it’s not a soda I thought. I was collecting trash at the end of the trip and read the label on the chocolate milk bottle - 59 grams of sugar!!
My husband is pre-diabetic. He exercises strenuously 6 or 7 days a week and is not overweight. But his dad had heart disease and diabetes. He died of diabetes-related complications at the age of 73. His dad always pounded home the message that his kids needed to watch their weight. Of all five kids, my husband is the only one not overweight. I’m not sure if the siblings are pre-diabetic.
(Our family seems to have hit the genetic “jackpot” - mental illness, very rare bleeding disorders, and a high chance of diabetes.)
Scout, it sounds like you were misdiagnosed at the first with Type II and probably had Type 1, especially with a A1C of 12 (I am shocked you weren’t in a coma!!!) My son was diagnosed as a Type 1 when he was 18. I was glad he had a proper diagnosis and was able to get on an insulin pump shortly after. However, damage was already done to his stomach nerves and he will deal with gastroparesis all his adulthood. His A1C goal is 7, which he sometimes makes/sometimes doesn’t. It is a difficult disease to manage because you can do everything right and still not get the targeted numbers. I am watching to make sure I don’t end up with Type II. Like the OP said, it can surprise you.
Two large multispecialty groups in this area have different recommendations. One recommends screening for those age 40 or older and with any of the following: non-Caucasian*, high blood pressure, BMI > 25, family history of diabetes. The other recommends for those age 45 or older or with any of the usual risk factors including physical activity, non-white ethnic background, family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, low HDL, high triglycerides.
*Probably means “white” when they write “Caucasian”, rather than Armenian/Azeri/Georgian.
Blood glucose is part of any routine blood test. I don’t see why anyone would need to ask for it. Should be part of any routine annual physical. Doctor can order A1c test if glucose is elevated, perhaps calling you in for a new blood sample.
My internist does a fasting blood test before my annual physical and my numbers are good. However I did have gestational diabetes with my first son but not the other two. So I know there is a chance that I could develop it later. If I am going to use a “replacement” shake for lunch on the run I use a Glucerna one.
His dad always pounded home the message that his kids needed to watch their weight. Of all five kids, my husband is the only one not overweight. I’m not sure if the siblings are pre-diabetic.