National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

You can be diagnosed with pre-diabetes before you actually get diabetes. In pre-diabetes you have higher than normal blood sugars but they are not at the level that they would need to be in order to be considered diabetic. If you are obese or severely overweight and pre-diabetic there are steps you can take to put off the actual diagnosis of diabetes or prevent it.

The same test is used for pre-diabetes as it is for diabetes. Once you find out that you have pre-diabetes you can make a plan with your doctor to prevent the onset of the disease. By losing weight and either adding or increasing your level of physical activity you can delay diabetes for quite sometime. There have been people who have gone on to maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise and have remained in the pre- diabetic phase for their lives.

If you are not able to get down to your goal weight, just losing a small amount can be beneficial. It takes an additional strain off of your body by lessening the need of the amount of insulin that is produced. There are many other benefits that you will also get by reducing your body weight including increased energy and cardiovascular health.

Most times, doctors do not test for diabetes unless there are risk factors present including age (over 45 years old). But if you are considered obese, your doctor will probably order the appropriate glucose test each year at your physical examination to check for pre-diabetes and diabetes.

There are not always symptoms present when you have pre diabetes. But if you are experiencing any of the signs that could signal the full disease such as an increased thirst and need to urinate, make an appointment with your doctor for a check-up.

Everyone needs a little help now and then and shouldn't be afraid to ask for it. A newly diagnosed diabetic may feel overwhelmed with the restrictions that they are faced with and not knowing how to plan meals. The support that is needed is from a dietician or nutritionist. Depending on your goals and weight a dietician can provide you with a meal plan that will meat the criteria of a healthy diabetic diet and help you lose weight.

In the beginning, the concern with a diabetic diet is to make sure you are getting enough food so your blood sugar does not drop too low. You will also want to monitor your levels to look for any spikes in your readings too. A dietician can work with you on this.

If you are eating the recommended diet plan and it is not working, you are feeling hungry afterwards or your blood sugar is too high - call your dietician. He or she can work with you over the phone to make immediate changes and schedule an appointment to rework your plan.

Your dietician can also make recommendations on substitutions for your favorite foods that you were afraid you could never eat again. They will educate you on portion sizes too. There really isn't too much that you can't have as a diabetic as long as you are planning your meals out, getting exercise and eating in moderation.

Food guides change and your dietician or nutritionist will have the most up to date version. Try and follow it and combine foods as you have been taught by your support team. If you are unsure if something is allowable on your diabetic diet, call your dietician for advice and if you can't reach them leave a message and hold off until you hear back from them.

Diabetes And Obesity |