Aa
Hemoglobin A1C 5.7
I have recently been under a lot of stress, and having occasional angina whenever stress reaches its peek. While searching for answers my doctor found that heartwise I'm doing good. But they did come to the conclusion that I have prediabetes. They gave me a piece of paper that says, "Less than 5.7 is normal, 5.7-6.5 is prediabetes, and 6.5 and over is diabetes." The paper was talking about A1C.
Anyway, I don't know how to take this news. Does this mean I'll get diabetes in 10 years? People talk about reversing prediabetes. How is this possible? Is that a real cure? The internet isn't helping me as some places talk like, "It's a for sure thing" and others are like, "You can change it."
Right now I'm cutting ALL SUGAR, and the entire bottom portion of the food pyrimid. I don't know if I can have coffee or not.
Can someone please help me understand the situation. I'm really, really afraid. My doctor's appointment is weeks away, and this stressful situation is making my chest pain worse.
Anyway, I don't know how to take this news. Does this mean I'll get diabetes in 10 years? People talk about reversing prediabetes. How is this possible? Is that a real cure? The internet isn't helping me as some places talk like, "It's a for sure thing" and others are like, "You can change it."
Right now I'm cutting ALL SUGAR, and the entire bottom portion of the food pyrimid. I don't know if I can have coffee or not.
Can someone please help me understand the situation. I'm really, really afraid. My doctor's appointment is weeks away, and this stressful situation is making my chest pain worse.
Diabetes can be avoided if you change your diet and make sure you get plenty of exercise. Often, simply losing some weight can help.
Make sure you get plenty of complex carbs, like those in most vegetables. Those are the carbs that break down slowly and don't spike your blood sugar like simple carbs, such as sugar, white flour, etc. Those veggies are basically "free" when it comes to a diet and you can eat as much as you want. The ones I'm referring to are things like green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, leafy greens (both raw and cooked).
Limit high starch foods, such as peas, corn, white breads, pasta, etc. Opt for whole grains instead. Try stevia or honey, instead of sugar for sweetening things.
When exercising, make sure you get some strength training, especially, if you have weight to lose, since strength training builds muscle and muscle burns fat.
Make sure you get plenty of complex carbs, like those in most vegetables. Those are the carbs that break down slowly and don't spike your blood sugar like simple carbs, such as sugar, white flour, etc. Those veggies are basically "free" when it comes to a diet and you can eat as much as you want. The ones I'm referring to are things like green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, leafy greens (both raw and cooked).
Limit high starch foods, such as peas, corn, white breads, pasta, etc. Opt for whole grains instead. Try stevia or honey, instead of sugar for sweetening things.
When exercising, make sure you get some strength training, especially, if you have weight to lose, since strength training builds muscle and muscle burns fat.
BTW, don't cut out carbs 100% from your diet. Include at least some form of complex carbs such as small sweet potatoes, barley, beans, legumes, lentils. Even diabetics need some carbs in their diets. Carbs fuel the body. I cant lay out a nutritional plan for you, as im not qualified. You will need to speak to your Dr, and or a nutritionist for that. But I do know if you eliminate carbs 100%, it will cause more harm than good. I eat to avoid ever developing diabetes now, and I tend to eat high protein(fish or skinless chicken breast), along with a veggie such as Broccoli with some herbs seasoning, and good fat drizzled on(Extra Virgin Olive Oil), and a small portion of good carbs and fiber(lentils mixed with kidney beans, or Barley Mixed with Kidney Beans, or a Small Baked Sweet Potato with skin).
Just wanted to throw that in as you mentioned you eliminated ALL sugar. Crappy sugar is fine, but even a diabetic is instructed to consume certain forms of complex carbs. For breakfast I enjoy a bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon and either splenda or stevia, and a plate of egg whites for protein.
Just wanted to throw that in as you mentioned you eliminated ALL sugar. Crappy sugar is fine, but even a diabetic is instructed to consume certain forms of complex carbs. For breakfast I enjoy a bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon and either splenda or stevia, and a plate of egg whites for protein.
Glad to help. As you can see from my username, Im paranoid of getting diabetes or any disease. I test myself like crazy. Unfortunately, I freak about testing, which causes anxiety. I was seeing really high post meal spikes. I thought I was PreD. I had a Glucose Tolerance test done, and and it was a great result. I was told stress and anxiety over testing is probably causing the post meal spikes. Im still worried something is up.
Crunches are great exercises for strengthening the abdominals. But the running is what will burn that fat. Figure out your target heartrate as well. You can find several formulas online, or even online calculator. It involves subtracting age from 220. Try and stick within that to lose weight. Also, doing intervals of running, and walking will burn fat faster. Focus mostly on the cardio and aerobic exercises. Make sure you break a sweat. But add in some weight and resistance training too. Some studies find adding resistance training to cardio, make your cells more sensitive to insulin.
If you have been under prolonged stress and anxiety, I would mention this to your Doctor before they put you on medication. It might not make a difference in his/her approach, but stress and anxiety raises cortisol, which makes insulin not work correctly. Cortisol prepares you for fight or flight, so sugar will build up for the sudden need of energy. If you have been under chronic stress over the course of 2 to 3 months, I would imagine it could effect the A1C results to an extent. As you are just barely within prediabetes range, its worth a shot to ask.
I would also get a glucose meter(they sell them for like $10 at Walgreens). Check fasting blood sugar when you wake up. Then check again after meals. Fasting after you first wake up and haven't eaten for 8 hours, should be between 70 and 99. I believe under 90 is best. Between 100 and 120 or 125 is prediabetes. Over that is Diabetes. Check again TWO HOURS after your first bite of your meal. Ideal range is under 140. Under 120 is even better. If you test within 140-199, that's prediabetic numbers. Over 200 is Diabetic numbers. But other things can factor in, like if you are sick.
Again, I am not a Doctor. I just I look up a lot of diabetic stuff as its in the family. I worry I will develop it. I stress myself, so if I see places I can ease other peoples minds until they can see a Dr, I am happy to do it. But being that you had a 5.7 A1C, don't let anyone tell you that you CANT reverse it. Many people do it. Many people do it with just diet and exercise, if they stay strict to it, and never develop diabetes. Many people who just progress onto Diabetes are those who cheat a lot, with cake, candy, and white breads. And don't exercise. But, even if you are strict with diet and exercise, there is a chance you can still become diabetic. It depends on how strong the genetic factor is. Some people train hard, and eat cleaner than you can imagine, and still develop diabetes. But eating right and exercising, if kept strict, will avoid or slow down progression as long as you don't have that genetic factor that makes it unavoidable. Hope this helps.
Crunches are great exercises for strengthening the abdominals. But the running is what will burn that fat. Figure out your target heartrate as well. You can find several formulas online, or even online calculator. It involves subtracting age from 220. Try and stick within that to lose weight. Also, doing intervals of running, and walking will burn fat faster. Focus mostly on the cardio and aerobic exercises. Make sure you break a sweat. But add in some weight and resistance training too. Some studies find adding resistance training to cardio, make your cells more sensitive to insulin.
If you have been under prolonged stress and anxiety, I would mention this to your Doctor before they put you on medication. It might not make a difference in his/her approach, but stress and anxiety raises cortisol, which makes insulin not work correctly. Cortisol prepares you for fight or flight, so sugar will build up for the sudden need of energy. If you have been under chronic stress over the course of 2 to 3 months, I would imagine it could effect the A1C results to an extent. As you are just barely within prediabetes range, its worth a shot to ask.
I would also get a glucose meter(they sell them for like $10 at Walgreens). Check fasting blood sugar when you wake up. Then check again after meals. Fasting after you first wake up and haven't eaten for 8 hours, should be between 70 and 99. I believe under 90 is best. Between 100 and 120 or 125 is prediabetes. Over that is Diabetes. Check again TWO HOURS after your first bite of your meal. Ideal range is under 140. Under 120 is even better. If you test within 140-199, that's prediabetic numbers. Over 200 is Diabetic numbers. But other things can factor in, like if you are sick.
Again, I am not a Doctor. I just I look up a lot of diabetic stuff as its in the family. I worry I will develop it. I stress myself, so if I see places I can ease other peoples minds until they can see a Dr, I am happy to do it. But being that you had a 5.7 A1C, don't let anyone tell you that you CANT reverse it. Many people do it. Many people do it with just diet and exercise, if they stay strict to it, and never develop diabetes. Many people who just progress onto Diabetes are those who cheat a lot, with cake, candy, and white breads. And don't exercise. But, even if you are strict with diet and exercise, there is a chance you can still become diabetic. It depends on how strong the genetic factor is. Some people train hard, and eat cleaner than you can imagine, and still develop diabetes. But eating right and exercising, if kept strict, will avoid or slow down progression as long as you don't have that genetic factor that makes it unavoidable. Hope this helps.
You have no idea how much you've helped! I have a loving wife who is very supportive but I feel so alone. I'm the one facing these things. I will say that my lifestyle hasn't been great lately. No exercise and crappy foods, all because of a depression I got from being laid off. Anyway, your post was very informative and that's what I need.
I am afraid because I have been looking for answers on the web and some people said, "Either you have it or you don't. And if you are prediabetic you WILL get diabetes." A part of feels like they were just being bitter as that site has only a diabetics section, no separation between Pre-D and full D like here. So perhaps they were upset. Understandably so, imagine if there were no HIV-Prevention board and folks came on asking something like, "I shook someone's hand! Do I have AIDS?" It would drive those who do have it crazy.
I don't know. I just got back from running for 36min and walking 24min. Then I did some crunches to lower abdominal fat. Since I was diagnosed I've made it a habit to do crunches a few times a day.
I am afraid because I have been looking for answers on the web and some people said, "Either you have it or you don't. And if you are prediabetic you WILL get diabetes." A part of feels like they were just being bitter as that site has only a diabetics section, no separation between Pre-D and full D like here. So perhaps they were upset. Understandably so, imagine if there were no HIV-Prevention board and folks came on asking something like, "I shook someone's hand! Do I have AIDS?" It would drive those who do have it crazy.
I don't know. I just got back from running for 36min and walking 24min. Then I did some crunches to lower abdominal fat. Since I was diagnosed I've made it a habit to do crunches a few times a day.
Sorry. Meant balanced low calorie and obviously CARB diet. Cut out the white breads, cakes, and candy.
I wouldn't panic. I'm not diabetic, but its in the family and I follow it a bit. I do know 5.7 is the lower side of prediabetes range. Infact I think the range was higher, and they recently lowered it to 5.7. What you ate before won't effect the A1C. The A1C measures your average over the past 3 months. It is sometimes possible to slow progression or reverse prediabetes altogether. The key is exercise, and a balanced low calorie diet. A good aerobic exercise that gets the heartrate up is best. 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You don't have to cut out all carbs. You can still include complex carbs like nuts, legumes, beans, oats(steel cut are best). Have a look at the Glycemic Index Charts. The lower the better. Balance these complex carbs with proteins such as fish, and lean skinless chicken breast, good fats like extra virgin olive oil, and green veggies. These are just rough ideas. The doctor will put together what's best for you. But the basic rules are, eat healthy, and get active! Keep us posted.
I forgot to mention that I didn't eat anything after 5pm the day before my blood was drawn BUT I did have a special canned shake at 5pm the day before. And it had 47g of sugar. Could this have effected the exam the way it did?
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